For the ultimate find-yourself-lose-yourself tropical hideaway—Riviera Maya’s Zoëtry Paraiso de la Bonita is the place to exhale. Tucked between a lush mangrove and the Caribbean Sea, the whole vibe of this 100 all-suite, all oceanfront boutique retreat oozes nature-loving tranquility. And while it’s all-inclusive—the experience defies…
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ForbesLife: Three Wow-Worthy Winter Retreats In The West
From the gorgeous beach retreats of Cabo to Arizona’s luxe desert havens and L.A.’s toniest hideaways, we scoured the West Coast for the most wow-worthy resorts to escape the winter chill. Here are three must-visit destinations to crank up the…
ForbesLife: The Ultimate Weekend Escape In Scottsdale, Arizona
Ritzy resorts, posh vacation villas, lavish swimming pools and stylish eateries—Scottsdale is a hub of serious luxury. So why not treat yourself to the desert high-life? Follow this envy-inducing guide on how to take the ultimate Southwest weekend escape in…
ForbesLife: 3 Insanely Luxurious Mexican Caribbean All-Inclusives To Beat The Winter Blues
From Cancun to Playa del Carmen, Mexico’s Caribbean probably has more all-inclusives than grains of sand, appealing to every traveler’s unique taste. But when you’re craving high-end with an adult bent, where do you go? Whether you’re seeking serious tranquility,…
ForbesLife: Why This Chic Milan Hotel Is the Ultimate Design Lover’s Escape
A brilliant blend of modern Milanese design and Oriental luxe, Mandarin Oriental, Milan has nailed the sweet spot where swank meets serenity. Set within four glorious 18th century buildings (that will win architecture-adoring hearts), this former Manor house has been transformed into…
ForbesLife: 3 Must-Visit Luxury Venice Hotels For Your Italy Bucket List
Sublime canals, romantic bridges, mazing alleyways, ancient architecture—Venice is simply beyond compare. And these three luxurious retreats, from centuries old palaces brimming with Venetian history to private island escapes, are even more reason to visit this City of Water. …
Afar Magazine: Why Thailand is a Design Lover’s Dream
From stunning temples and crazy markets to artsy hangouts and innovative food preparations, Bangkok is a design lover’s dream city. Since launching her Washington D.C.–based creative agency, Design Army, more than a decade ago, Pum Lefebure has become a trendsetter in the…
ForbesLife: How to Take the Most Luxurious California Road Trip
Wine country villas, romantic country cottages, Mediterranean-inspired estates, Hollywood bungalows—California has some of the most stunning hotels in the world. And with so many charming cities and dazzling sights from vineyard to coast, it’s an epic adventure that calls for…
ForbesLife: Adults-Only Oasis at Mexico’s Marquis Los Cabos
Secluded on a sandy stretch at the Sea of Cortes’s edge, the adults-only haven of Marquis Los Cabos takes leisure to the luxe with inescapable oceanfront views from all 235 private-balconied suites and pristine, palm-tree laden grounds. Check out my FORBES…
ForbesLife: 5 Reasons to Escape to Healdsburg, California this Summer
Like a fine blended wine, Healdsburg tantalizes with its heady mix of small town charm, eclectic boutiques, incredible eateries and historic homes. And the wine—don’t forget the wine! About an hour and a half drive from San Francisco brings you to…
ForbesLife: Portuguese Paradise Found
With swoon-worthy beaches and dramatic red cliffs, the Algarve rightfully tops the bucket lists. On the flipside, there’s a chunk of Portugal’s southern plain that fails the fantasy with drab hotels and apartment complexes skewing coastal vistas. But if you know…
ForbesLife: Lisbon’s Most Luxurious Retreats
Mosaic sidewalks, intricate tile designs, and pastel-hued buildings: Lisbon’s distinct and colorful personality shines from every cobbled hilltop and leafy square. And these six luxurious retreats—from centuries old palaces laden with Portuguese history to new boutiques brimming with local charm—are…
ForbesLife: Three Ultra-Romantic Provence Hideaways for Fall
There’s romance—and then there’s Provence in the fall where autumn hues and golden sunrays paint sprawling vineyards, rolling fields, and ancient stone villages in a beauty beyond compare. And for a très magnifique escape to explore it all, head to…
Departures Magazine: Top Design Destinations
For Departures Magazine, I wrote about the world’s must-visit design destinations and where to get creative inspiration from art to fashion, and more. **READ MY FULL ARTICLE ON DEPARTURES!
VOGUE: Why Bordeaux Is France’s Best-Kept Secret
What happens when you take Paris—with all its famous fashion, swoon-worthy architecture, and romance—shrink it down, nix the tourist flocks, and quiet the bustle? Say hello to beautiful Bordeaux, aka the stylish local’s answer to a mini Parisian paradise. And…
ForbesLife: The Italian Riviera’s Garden Paradise: Villa della Pergola
Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre—fuggedaboutit. For an Italian hideaway that puts your seaside dreams to shame head to the under-the-radar Riviera town of Alassio, where cypress and palm tree-laden hillsides, dancing blue seas, and some of the best sandy…
ForbesLife: Inside Milan’s Most Luxurious Hotel Suites
Indoor swimming pools, personal gyms, mind-blowing vistas—Milan’s got some stunning hotel suites that take this fashion-land to fantastical fairytale. For over-the-top extravagance: Presidential Suite, Principe di Savoia Woody Allen, Lady Gaga, and Madonna are just a few of the choice…
ForbesLife: Finding Zen Luxury in Weggis, Switzerland
Mark Twain sought solace and inspiration in the hills of Weggis, Switzerland. And it’s not hard to see why—blame it on the seemingly endless serene waters of Lake Lucerne; the surrounding Swiss Alps with unfathomable peaks and forested crevices; or…
ForbesLife: Vacation Like the Rich in St. Moritz
Nix the jetsetter crowds and crispy winters, and book yourself a final summer sojourn in St. Moritz complete with lake sailing, spa pampering, mountaintop dining, and seaplane gliding over the awe-inspiring Swiss Alps. With low-season rates, sunbathing temps, and sublime…
ForbesLife: 4 Dreamy Escapes to Live Out Your Lake Zurich Fairytales
Stroll along Lake Zurich’s tree-lined promenade, past sun-drenched cafes, idyllic harbors, and Caribbean-hued swimming spots, and you can’t help but fall in love with this City of Water. Better yet, check into one of these dreamy Zurich escapes for the…
ForbesLife: Get the Royal Treatment at These 6 Vienna Hotels
Mix a glamorous high-society past with a design-driven present and you’ve got oh-my-god-I-never-want-to-leave-you Vienna. Where swanky cafes (with decadent tortes) and creatively-minded local boutiques (like newly-opened Veralie) mingle with grand gilded buildings, marble fountains, historic concert halls, and an unfathomable museum…
ForbesLife: Summer in Salzburg
While Salzburg may be famed for its picturesque Sound of Music hilltops and cityscapes come summertime—when the temps rise and the world-renowned music and arts festival kicks-in—this charming old-world city turns into The Sound of Tourists. So how do you make the most of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s hometown…
ForbesLife: Escape to the Most Luxurious Retreat in Lienz, Austria
If any of my friends had told me this place existed I wouldn’t have believed it. “Yeah right,” I’d think flipping through their insane vacation pics straight out of The Sound of Music, “there’s no way it looks like that in person.” Then…
ForbesLife: Budapest’s Best High-Design Hotels
Ah, beautiful Budapest: grand, elegant, and old worldly. It stuns with enchanting castles, ornate palaces, tree-lined boulevards, and that shimmering blue Danube. But venture to either end of its iconic Chain Bridge and you’ll find a spate of high-design hotels…
ForbesLife: 4 Prague Hotels That Need To Be On Your Bucket List Now
Stunning vistas, delicious local eats, and anything but cookie-cutter design: consider Czech-ing into one of these standout Prague retreats to take your stay from ordinary to extraordinary in the city of a hundred spires. 1. Le Palais Art Hotel (Preferred Hotels…
ForbesLife: 5 Florence Hotels With To-Die-For Views
From the bridges of the Arno to the iconic Duomo, the red-tiled roofs to the quaint cobbled alleyways, Florence is undeniably one of the world’s most beautiful cities. So nix the tourist crowds and check into one of these stellar…
Travel+Leisure: 11 Italian Fairytale Retreats to Visit This Summer
Certainly, the allure of sand and salt water can be tempting when the summer temperatures start to rise. But when you’re craving an escape beyond the ordinary, indulge your fantasies: from medieval castles set on misty Tuscan hilltops to lakeside…
ForbesLife: 6 Romantic Escapes to Live Out Your Italian Dreams
Rolling hills of Tuscan vineyards; ancient arcades of Bologna; and picturesque cliff-side villages of Lake Como. No matter the setting, Northern Italy poses an idyllic scene. And these intimate escapes bring you even closer into the region’s spectacular beauty. 1. Relais…
ForbesLife: Inside Milan’s Futuristic Excelsior Hotel Gallia
The fashion capital of the world has a haute new looker. After a multimillion-dollar revamp, Milan’s circa 1932 Excelsior Hotel Gallia just reopened–and the design is unapologetically dripping in space age luxe. Taking inspiration from the city’s modernist new skyline and the…
ForbesLife: The Ultimate Romantic New England Road Trip
Quaint historic towns, dreamy seaside villages, sublime harbor views – there’s no denying New England’s romantic draw. But with so many irresistible spots, which one do you choose? Before the summertime crowds flock the coast, hit the highway and enjoy…
Communication Arts: Lessons Learned – Top agency creatives share best advice from valued mentors
I’ve been a freelancer the majority of my creative career, first as a designer, and then as a copywriter. I purposefully chose this DIY path for the freedom it entailed (hello, coffee shop-turned-offices and makeup-free workdays). But for all the…
Communication Arts: Stolen – Whose work is it anyway?
I’ll never forget the first time my creative work was ripped-off. It was the summer of 2006. I discovered a designer was trying to claim credit for a brochure I had created. Actually, she was an acquaintance who had designed…
HOW Magazine: Live a Double Creative Life
Employers, clients, you name it – everyone wants a jack-of-all-trades creative (read: someone insanely talented with octopus arms that can do 25 jobs in one afternoon and barely break a sweat). We all know those expectations are absurd and can…
Communication Arts: So…How Do Virtual Creative Agencies Work?
For an industry built around forward-thinking ideas and a universe of inventive minds, you’d think someone would’ve reimagined the traditional creative firm long ago. Sure, offices have gotten facelifts, spaces are more open and cubicle walls have been lowered. But…
Entrepreneur Magazine: Eye-Popping Branding
How do you communicate quality and craftsmanship through branding when those attributes have been so over-touted (and under-realized) they’ve lost virtually all meaning to consumers? Check out my article below on how San Francisco-based Chen Design Associates helped startup The Brownie…
CNN Travel: Most Romantic Cities
Be it a gorgeous cityscape, an overflow of culture, or pastries that make your heart sing, the world’s most romantic cities offer plenty to love, whether you’ve found a match or are merely looking to let some sparks fly. Read…
Travel+Leisure: World’s Best Cities for Romance
“Everything seems sexier in Paris—the grand buildings, the beautiful Parisians, the language, the food,” muses Alison Drew, a New York-based lawyer who lived in the City of Light and recently returned with her husband for an unforgettable romantic escape. “Just…
Entrepreneur Magazine: Branding at Work
From drab cubicles and cardboard curtains to game rooms and concert stages, startup offices runs the gamut from bare-bones to over-the-top-perks. But if the look doesn’t jibe with your company’s brand, you may be missing out on a valuable opportunity…
Travel + Leisure Magazine: America’s Most Romantic Winter Destinations
“When we venture out to the wide, open plains and drive up the mountains, it feels like we’re the only ones there,” says Dan Warner, reflecting on the appeal of Jackson, WY. The L.A.-based COO of Atlas Digital production company…
Coastal Living Magazine: Dream Town, Bodega Bay
One of my absolute favorite NorCal escapes is the quaint, coastal town of Bodega Bay. So I was beyond excited to write about this pristine spot for Coastal Living Magazine. CHECK OUT MY ARTICLE BELOW! (click to enlarge)
Communication Arts Magazine: Design Book Reviews
For the latest issue of Communication Arts Magazine, I was invited to review two awesome books. The first is Game Changers, a mammoth retrospective highlighting the creative rebels that evolved advertising from the 1950s to today. The second is Loveworks, an insightful book chock full…
Entrepreneur Magazine: Refinery29 Gets A Branding Makeover
Everyone can use a makeover now and again – even a super stylish site like Refinery29. For the November issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, I talk all things design with Refinery29 founder Justin Stefano along with the brand wizards at Wolff Olins…
Woohoo! Copywriting Projects Win Awards in HOW Magazine
I’m super excited to share that I have TWO copywriting projects featured in HOW Magazine’s Promotion and Design Annual! The first is the utterly inventive Creative (un)Blocks (image below), a self-promotion for Neenah Paper designed by Chen Design Associates. It was selected…
Entrepreneur Magazine: The Whitney’s Responsive Identity & Pentagram Packaging
For the October issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, I chat up Amsterdam graphic design firm Experimental Jetset and the Whitney Museum on the making of the institution’s new identity. I also had the awesome opportunity to kick-off the magazine’s first “Packaging of The Month”…
San Francisco Magazine: A Bonfire Fest
There are a gazillion reasons why I love Northern California. Topping the charts? Fall weather that feels like summer and the utterly romantic coastal town of Carmel-By-the-Sea. Combine the two and it’s the perfect recipe for a bonfire-on-the-beach weekend getaway. CHECK…
Communication Arts: Book Review
For the latest issue of Communication Arts (one of my favorite design magazines ever!), I had the awesome opportunity to review design editor Mason Currey’s new blog-turned-book, Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, which snapshots the daily routines and habits of over…
Entrepreneur Magazine: A Site That Goes Down Smooth
Super excited to share my first (of many!) design articles for Entrepreneur Magazine! It’s about D.C. creative firm Design Army’s awesome web design for Green Hat Gin. CHECK OUT MY ARTICLE BELOW! (p.s. Got a design story to share on how your…
Dwell Magazine: A Seaside Art Hotel in Los Cabos
Besides white-sand beaches and warm weather, creative geeks have a new reason to head to Los Cabos. Hotel El Ganzo is a newly opened modern design escape set on a quiet marina in Puerto Los Cabos, the less-developed neighbor to…
Dwell Magazine: A Modern Desert Retreat In New Mexico
On the edge of the Sangre de Cristo foothills, Rancho Encantado is a modernist hideaway tucked within New Mexico’s Tesuque Valley. Once a decades-old dude ranch, newly reinvented as a Four Seasons, the retreat was designed to preserve and embrace its…
Travel + Leisure Article: World’s Best Islands
You know you’ve escaped civilization when you’re swimming through a coral garden, with only green sea turtles and tropical fish for company. That’s the enticing promise of a trip to Palawan, a chain of white-sand islands in the Philippines. Palawan…
CNN Travel Article: America’s Most Over-The-Top Hotel Suites
Indoor basketball courts, private bowling alleys, bathrooms that belong in museums, more square footage than your entire house – America’s got some crazy indulgent hotel suites with price tags to match. With every whim catered to, you’d almost feel guilty…
CNN Travel Article: Best Places to Escape the Wired World
There’s nothing like stealing away to that tropical island hideaway only to have email bleeps, blaring tablets, and annoyingly loud cell-phone talkers drowning out the serene sounds of the ocean. In my latest article for CNN, I uncover the 10…
CNN Travel Article: America’s Most Amazing Hotel Pools
When the humidity is off the charts and temps are sky-high, there’s nothing like taking a quick dip to cool off. But throw in jaw-dropping views, insane settings, and ingenious design – and the pool is more than just a…
CNN Travel Article: America’s 10 highest-tech hotels
Every vacation you swear off technology. You’re not going to check your email or look that evil, nasty thing you call a laptop. You bring your iPhone “for emergencies only,” lock it in the room safe, and pinky promise you’re…
Conde Nast Traveler Article: Jazzed Up
For Conde Nast Traveler, I write about the world’s first free-standing building dedicated entirely to jazz, San Francisco’s just-opened SFJAZZ Center. It was an honor and a thrill to interview architect Mark Cavagnero, artistic director Randall Kline, and tour the…
Travel + Leisure Article: America’s Best Hotels for Foodies
What’s more satisfying than a hotel with a luxurious four-poster bed, marble bath, wood-burning fireplace, and Blue Ridge Mountains views? How about a dinner courtesy of James Beard Award–winning chef Patrick O’Connell—and waiting right downstairs. Guests of Virginia’s Inn at Little…
7×7 SF: Red Rock Reboot in Sedona, AZ
You’ve splashed around all summer – but water, schmater. When you’re thirsting for drier digs, nothing beats a Fall getaway to Sedona, Arizona. Get ready for convertible-worthy temps, jaw-dropping scenery, and that inimitable new-agey vibe. Read my full article on 7×7.com.
DailyCandy Article: Get Schooled in San Francisco
Mixology 101, the ABCs of paragliding, DIY designing: Study up on the city’s best spots for picking up a new pastime. Read my full article on DAILYCANDY.
Travel + Leisure Article: Room Service Gets Creative
In the June 2012 issue of Travel+Leisure, I muse on a few of the most creative room service offerings from bento boxes at New York’s Hotel Americano to giant cheese wheels at St. Bart’s Hotel Le Toiny. Read the print…
Travel + Leisure Article: Most Over-the-Top Room Service
On a secluded African island, you’re finishing dinner in your private cottage when there’s a knock at the door. Villagers from the local church choir have arrived ready to perform a song and dance ritual just for you. That’s the…
Spa Magazine Article – At Your Room Service: Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Chicago
For the latest issue of SPA MAGAZINE, I uncover what makes Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Chicago the ultimate urban unplug. Check out my article below:
California Home+Design: Design Meets Dinosaur Land
Who says you need a museum, art gallery–or even civilization–to experience an out-of-this-world design getaway? Just a hop, skip, and two short flights from SF, arriving at the remote Southern Utah digs of Amangiri Resort feels like you’ve landed on planet Mars…
California Home+Design: SF Creatives Turn Literary Classics Into Poster Art
When writing is good (like insanely good) – it’s art. The problem? You can’t exactly frame your favorite reads without wallpapering every inch of your abode. Enter SF-based Matt Grinberg’s and Alex Yancher’s NovelPoster – entire literary works printed on a single…
Featured in California Home+Design!
One of my favorite magazines to write for is California Home+Design—sharing San Francisco design obsessions from architecture, interiors, and products to emerging artists and must-see gallery openings. So I couldn’t be more stoked to have the mention below! CHECK OUT SOME OF…
7×7 SF Article – New on the Aisle: Brooch Bouquets
While you want your wedding day to last forever – your bridal bouquet has more short-lived plans. So why not toss the dead-in-a-day posies for buds that won’t kick the bucket? Enter, SF-based Britta Uniacke’s offbeat brooch bouquets. After falling head-over-heels…
Communication Arts Magazine: Design Book Reviews
For the latest issue of Communication Arts, I had the awesome opportunity to review two stellar design books dripping with creative inspiration: Saul Bass: A Life in Film and Design and Paula Scher MAPS. Check out the reviews below (click image…
Print Magazine Article: License Plates Turned Into Coolest Design Invitation
How do you know when you’ve officially “made it” as a designer? Forget winning prestigious design awards, having your work featured in coveted magazines, or even scoring the biggest clients. We’re talking license plates, baby! In a wild attempt to woo designer/typographer Jessica…
Travel + Leisure Article: America’s Most Romantic Hotels
Imagine you and your better half cuddling fireside as the sun dips behind the distant mountains. The only sounds are from the wild; the only sights are canyons and the stark desert. No, you’re not in the Sahara. You’re at…
PRINT Magazine Article – Book Review of Vogue: The Covers
Strike a pose – specifically, a comfy reading position. As we ring in the New Year, iconic magazine Vogue invites us to look back on 120-years of style with their luxe coffee table archive, “Vogue: The Covers.” And just as crazy-excited “Sex and the…
7×7 SF Article: The Streets of San Francisco Centerpiece Collection
Giving wedding out-of-towners a taste of our stellar city just got a little easier. Swank out your rehearsal dinner party SF-style with event planner Well Rehearsed’s new “Streets of San Francisco Centerpiece Collection.” The handcrafted table toppers dish up small-scale versions of famed…
Conde Nast Traveler Article: Norwegian Cruising
Rest stops with the starchitect treatment? Only in design-minded Scandinavia. Norway is halfway through an 18-year plan to spruce up its motorways with roadside overlooks, art installations and architectural walkways that put American rest stops to shame. Read on in…
7×7 SF Article: The Definitive Bay Area Nutcracker Guide 2011
Dancing fairies, pirouetting snow queens, and prancing men in tights – no, we’re not talking about the nutty relatives. The first company to bring the Nutcracker to America–the San Francisco Ballet–is back with their can’t-peel-your-eyes-from-the-sparkly-stage production. And from wild dance-alongs…
PRINT Magazine Article – Floating Worlds: The Letters of Edward Gorey and Peter F. Neumeyer
We all have that one person we’d love to work with — that dream creative collaborator. Well, imagine you’ve just been assigned to work with the Edward Gorey. Holy cannoli — that would be insane! And not only is it the most…
7×7 SF Article: The Bay Area’s Hottest Wedding Dresses of the Season
We reached out to the city’s choice bridal boutiques for a glimpse at their just-in wedding frocks – and what SF’s trendiest brides-to-be are clamoring for this season. The results: jaw-dropping textures and luxurious lace gowns. Swoon! Read my full article…
HOW Magazine Article: Designer’s Self-Promo Lands him TV Cameo
It’s not every day that a graphic designer makes a cameo on a hit series on a major television network. But for one surreal day this past summer, Ty Mattson of Mattson Creative swapped his designer tools for a gun, flashlight, notebook,…
Design Bureau article: 5 Designers / 5 Questions
In the November 2011 issue of Design Bureau Magazine, I continue my 5 Designers/ 5 Questions column. Dishing with some of the industry’s coolest restaurant designers, I interview Christian Helms, Karen Herold, AvroKO, and Cass Calder Smith to see what’s cookin’ in their wildly…
7×7 SF Article – Save These Dates: November’s Best Bridal Trunk Shows
You’ve scored the man, picked the date, but have nada to wear. Sounds like a wedding emergency. Address the dress problem ASAP: Fresh-off-the-runway bridal fashions land in SF this month with a slew of must-see designer trunk shows. Check out…
HOW Magazine Article: Designing to Your Own Beat
If aliens from outer space came to Earth seeking to understand graphic design culture, they would no doubt discover an overabundance of well-worn earphones and speakers next to some very cool, creative work. In fact, from design studios to home…
Luxury Travel Magazine Australia Article: Hollywood Facelift
With its signature pink exterior and uber-secluded Hollywood Hills locale, the famed Hotel Bel-Air has attracted privacy-seeking celebs for over 65 years. But in looks-obsessed Hollywood, facelifts are inevitable even for icons of the brick-and-mortar kind. Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts…
Print Magazine Article: Design Celebrating the First 2000 Years of Computing
As the world looks back on the outstanding innovations Steve Jobs gifted our society, a small San Francisco-based design firm knows first-hand just how far we’ve come tech-wise. Creative Directors Erik Schmitt and Julio Martínez of studio1500 have spent the last three…
7×7 SF Article: Why You Need to be in Santa Barbara Right Now
With temps averaging a beachy-perfect 70 degrees, Santa Barbara’s Indian summer is in full-on awesomeness right now. Which means – road trip! Get thee to the palm-tree dotted coastal town ASAP for some serious beach bumming, poolside lazing, water sporting,…
T Magazine Article: Houdini Art and Magic Exhibition
When it comes to unshackling the imagination, there’s no artist like an escape artist. And Harry Houdini is getting his due with “Houdini: Art and Magic,” the first major retrospective devoted to his life and work, at San Francisco’s Contemporary…
7×7 SF Article: Archive Vintage Rentals Opens in Wine Country
Bay Area vintage-lovers rejoice: The SoCal bridal staple Archive Vintage Rentals–known for lending their well-curated, one-of-a-kind relics to weddings and events—is now available for NorCal bridal borrowing too. Read my full article on 7×7.com.
HOW Magazine Article: The Daily Taps into the Future of Design
There’s something so new and super-cool happening in the world of design–but shocker-of-shockers–it’s not happening in the webosphere. It’s exploding on the iPad. The Daily, a magazine-meets-newspaper-meets-the most wow-worthy technology, is taking design to some crazy new heights. Although you can…
7×7 Article – Save These Dates: The Bay Area’s October Bridal Events
From San Francisco to Santa Cruz, you’ll find a slew of wedding inspiration throughout the Bay Area and beyond this month. A host of events including designer trunk shows, registry parties, and creative bridal fairs will get those wedding wheels…
7×7 Article – Bay Area Designer Brian Singer Turns SF’s Telephone Poles into Art for Target
From the Bay to the Golden Gate to its awe-inspiring scenery, San Francisco is famed for its stunning beauty. But when graphic designer/artist Brian Singer moved to SF in 2000, he fell head-over-heels for the city’s–telephone poles. “I found them beautiful… layers…
7×7 Article – Tilt: The Alternative Wedding Fair
If the thought of donning a puffy white dress and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres causes sudden onset freak-out, vow to usher your soon-to-married self (and better half) to the Tilt Wedding Fair on September 25. Read my full article on 7×7.com.
Print Mag Article: Design Pros Share Highlights of Brand New Conference 2011
Design enthusiasts from around the world gathered in San Francisco on September 16th for the 2nd annual Brand New Conference – the logo and identity event hatched from Bryony Gomez-Palacio’s and Armin Vit’s wildly popular Brand New blog. Eager to peek into the brand-making process by industry trailblazers…
Travel + Leisure Article: World’s Most Romantic All-Inclusive Resorts
Traveling with kids in tow can be a blast – but sometimes you want a table just for two. When you’re craving l‘amour, adults-only all-inclusives can be a sure flight to an ultra-romantic escape. Read my full article for TRAVEL…
Print Mag Article: Deep Surface: A New Exhibition Celebrating Ornament and Pattern Design
Ornament and pattern design – love it or hate it, the style debate rages on. Whether you dig decorative flourishes or vote anti-adornment on all things design, one thing is clear – the fanciful aesthetic has developed a bad rep. Name-called everything…
Communication Arts Magazine: A Retail Shop That Sells – Digital Typefaces?
Can the process of buying digital typefaces be any less inspired? There’s just nothing inherently exciting, creative, or cool about it. You purchase, download, and install. Whoop-de-do. Sure, online font shops are an undeniably fantastic resource for designers, but for…
Design Bureau article: 5 Designers / 5 Questions
In the September/October 2011 issue of Design Bureau Magazine, I continue my 5 Designers/ 5 Questions column tapping the creative minds of the judging panel for Chicago’s Archive11 student typography event. Interviewing the industry’s coolest designers–Stefan Bucher, James Goggin, Robert Petrick, Paul…
Print Mag Article: How to Self-Publish a Typography Book Without Losing Your Letters
If you ask any graphic design student at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University to name his/her most-faved teachers, Typography 2 instructor Carolina de Bartolo will no doubt pop up in the mix. In fact, it was with her students’ encouragement (and…
Print Mag Article: The Greatest Graphic Design Show on Earth
Pack up your pixels and don’t forget your fishing pole – we’re headed to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. This October 22nd, Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center is presenting Graphic Design: Now in Production, one of the largest graphic design exhibitions in the…
7×7 SF Article: 9 Coastal Hotels With Views To Die For
Going coastal? Forget a “room with a view” and get a view with a room. From Big Sur to Bodega Bay, we’ve scoured Northern California for the best waterside retreats where sea vistas rule. From patio to pillow, these nine…
DailyCandy SF Article: Three-Day Northern California Getaway
For DailyCandy SF, I recently wrote about road tripin’ it Northern California style. From Sausalito to Big Sur, I cover the best places to fuel up, shift gears, and park it along the way. Read my full article on DAILYCANDY. And…
HOW Magazine Article: The Rhythm of Design
Album art and CD packaging may be a dying breed (thanks to the rise of MP3s), but awesome music-inspired design projects are coming through the speakers loud and clear. In the September 2011 creativity column for HOW Magazine, I speak with…
T Magazine Article: Tattly’s Designer Tattoos
Have you ever had the desire to get the word “mother” tattooed on your forearm, but were more concerned about it being properly kerned in Helvetica than about how it would make your mother totally freak? Tattly, a new e-shop, features…
T Magazine Article: Athletic Typography | Running Alphabet
The Spanish graphic designer Joan Pons Moll is creating a new typeface, but unlike most typographers, he’s doing so with his feet rather than a computer, and he’s slightly out of breath. Taking sneakers to pavement, Pons is planning to run…
7×7 SF Article: Take a Staycation at the Revamped Casa Madrona in Sausalito
Wrangling a sea-worthy vessel of your own may be a pipe dream, but anchoring yourself in one of Casa Madrona’s hilltop, oceanfront bungalows for the weekend is sure to keep those dry-dock feelings at bay. Nestled in the heart of Sausalito,…
Print Magazine Article: Jennifer Sterling is Back!
Thankfully, graphic designers are a bit too nerdy for the paparazzi. But had the snooping press hounds any clue into the talent’s of our industry’s rockstar creatives – Jennifer Sterling surely would have been one of their buzz-worthy targets when she…
7×7 SF Article: Jackson Browne Solo Acoustic Show in Marin!
Oh, Jackson Browne, how we love thee; your singing, your songwriting, your guitar playing, and your all-around awesome sauce talent. And thanks to you, ‘70s-loving Bay Area hipsters now have something to look forward to this November besides cold weather…
7×7 SF Article: Ziplining Adventures in Northern California
Bay Area urbanites are escaping to the forest to dangle from cable-thin ropes as they take death-defying, high-speed leaps into nothingness. And the scenery is pretty rockin’ too. From Wine Country to Gold Country, Tahoe to Santa Cruz, we’ve got…
Design Bureau Magazine: 5 Designers, 5 Questions
If you’re not familiar with Design Bureau Magazine, get to know them ASAP. Their fresh, edgy editorial spanning all fields of design from graphic to interior to fashion is deliriously inspiring. Plus, the design of the magazine itself rocks. In…
San Francisco Magazine Article: Destination Wellness
For San Francisco Magazine, I write about “Destination Wellness” — otherwise known as Embarcadero Center. This architectural paragon in downtown San Francisco is on the cutting edge of holistic health. Under one roof, pop in for a check-up with your board-certified physician,…
California Home+Design: Cool Finds – Minimal in Hayes Valley
Minimal boutique in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley is like a candy store for the modern design-obsessed. (Think: clean, clever, contemporary, and ultra-functional). The shop is chock full of delicious home décor designs–and you seriously want one of everything for your abode….
Design Blogging Mention in Print Magazine!
One of my favorite “chill out” things to do is grab a stack of the latest and greatest design magazines and while away the hours reading the articles and being awed by the stellar work. Recently flipping through the June…
HOW Magazine interview with designers Chip Kidd, Paula Scher, Stefan Sagmeister, and Robynne Raye
I recently spoke with an extremely talented graphic designer who was struggling with a book cover design. She confided, “I’m starting to feel like I suck as a designer because I can’t figure out a solution to this problem.” “Oh,…
Azure Magazine article on design firm Supermachine
The architects at Supermachine, a small, inventive Thai firm, sometimes refer to themselves as “guerrilla architects.” Says principal Pitupong “Jack” Chaowakul, “We love to play around, finding new ideas that suit our projects and testing stuff out.” They also love…
Metropolis Magazine interview with Wim Crouwel
Wim Crouwel is one of those hardy souls seemingly immune to self-doubt. That’s easy enough now, with Crouwel’s place as one of graphic design’s most influential practitioners secure. But his groundbreaking work has not always been universally admired, and in…
San Francisco Chronicle: American Iconomics / Art exhibit by James Charles and Akira Beard
Money and celebrity. Like it or not, America has a madcap obsession with both. In “American Iconomics,” at the Shooting Gallery artists James Charles and Akira Beard explore our society’s fixation with and valuing of pop culture icons. But the means…
San Francisco Chronicle: John Patrick McKenzie exhibit / They Are Full of Holy Nonsense
“Sexy people are apple pies.” “One, two, tin …” “Acne, pimp, jerk…” The unlikely grouping and categorizing of words, phrases and numbers in the new exhibition “They Are Full of Holy Nonsense” at SF’s Creativity Explored range from the whimsical to…
Print Magazine: Posters of Fortune / Typography Poster Show
Cracking open a fortune cookie at the end of a Chinese meal and seeing if/how the inside message personally relates to our individual lives is all part of the fun and good times. But the fact is, we all know…
Print Magazine: Getting Upper / Graffiti Meets Graphic Design
From the time we’re born until the day we die, the twenty-six letters of the alphabet are completely and totally unavoidable. Thus, one has to wonder—will there ever come a day when seeing our own language drives us all completely…
HowDesign Magazine: Hardest Workin’ Graphic Designers in the Midwest / Foundry Collective
Downing tequlia shots, ogling over Mila Kunis, and wanting to be the next Mark Zukerberg – just a few of the things on the mind of a twenty-something guy. But the bygone days of the industrial revolution? Probably not on…
SFWeekly: Are We There Yet Leaves Unanswered Questions – But That’s the Point
In today’s Too-Much-Information Age, we want answers and we want them fast. Whether it’s web searches, e-mail, Tweeting, updating Facebook, or downloading an app, we’ll do whatever is necessary (and, don’t forget, convenient) to find information now. In the Contemporary…
Dwell Magazine: A Collection A Day Book
From delightfully mismatched buttons to colorful spools of thread to vintage typewriter ribbon, a variety of small, unexpected collections can be found in charming little tins. Thanks to artist/illustrator Lisa Congdon’s A Collection A Day blog project, we can now find…
SF Station: Tobias Wong ‘Bad Boy’ Designer at SFMOMA
Sometimes art speaks for itself and other times it needs explanation and context. The latter is the case for the work of the late artist-designer Tobias Wong, who takes the banally familiar and repurposes it into irony-laden statements about the…
Print Magazine: Why CMYBacon is Smokin’
With a name like CMYBacon how can you not be intrigued? Although Designer Martin Refsal has to “suppress my inner-geek from time to time to ensure that I don’t post too many things about Star Wars and Legos” he is the…
California Home+Design: THE SCOOP – SF’S CIAO BELLA GELATERIA GETS A TASTY REDESIGN
Gelato enthusiasts be advised: Although the colorful new tiles in SF’s Ciao Bella shop are a dead-on match to their scoop-worthy flavors – the walls are not meant for licking. With a sweet new revamp, you’ll need all the willpower you can…
California Home+Design: A Pliable Flower Vase
It’s either too big or too small, but never the right size–the flower vase, that is. Hence, the need to fill our already too-small kitchens with everything from bud-size vessels to mason jars to large bouquet vases, just to ensure…
SF Station: Tessa Brunton / SF Cartoonist in the Spotlight
Twenty-eight-year old Bay Area cartoonist Tessa Brunton is finally having her day in the spotlight. Along with her first-ever exhibition held at the Cartoon Art Museum from March 26th through June 19th, her new book for Sparkplug Comicbooks will be…
Print Magazine: The Letter Collector
What is it about hand-made letters that utterly rocks our world? Are we just so bored with reading and seeing everything digitally nowadays? Or is it because working with type is such a huge component to our jobs as designers…
SFWeekly: In the Sack at the Exploratorium
Apparently we spend more than 27 years of our existence doing absolutely nothing. During this time we could be researching a cure for cancer, helping attain world peace, making billions developing the next big thing, having crazy sex, or holding…
Print Magazine: Typography is HERE
“Widows and orphans give us sleepless nights.” In any other sense, that phrase might conjure up images of black spiders or a certain little redhead named Annie. But when you realize the words (about those annoyingly short words or lines at…
SF Station: Avenue Q at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre
Thank god for lawyers who hate their jobs. In fact, ex-attorney turned writer Jeff Marx believes, “Everyone should quit their jobs and start doing something they love.” For Marx, that “something” happens to be writing Broadway show tunes. His pent-up…
Print Magazine: Paper Theatrics / Alfalfa Studio
Alfalfa Studio could not have been cast more perfectly as the design studio of choice for innovative Texas-based theatre company Amphibian Stage Productions. Bringing the awesome three-dimensional quality of live theatre to the flat, two-dimensional space of poster design is no easy…
FastCompany: Chermayeff & Geismar on New NBC Universal Identity
Amid all the hue and cry over the new NBC Universal corporate logo, there are two voices actually worth listening to — those of Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar, the designers of NBC’s beloved peacock. “I think the new one is…
Dwell Magazine: Matthew Carter Unveils New Typeface in San Francisco
Matthew Carter has a letter for web designers, typography geeks, and design buffs everywhere. Actually, he has a whole brand spankin’ new alphabet. On February 2nd, the iconic type designer unveiled his newest commercial typeface, Carter Sans, at the Book…
SFWeekly: Berkeley Breathed’s “From Bloom County to Mars”
I’m now a contributing writer for SF Weekly (the award-winning Village Voice of the West) and couldn’t be more excited! The first thing I write about? Cartoons, of course! More specifically, from February 16th-June 19th the Cartoon Art Museum will…
SF Station: Next to Normal at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre
The whole world is crazy, happiness is but an illusion, life equals pain, and we’re all teetering on the brink of a psychotic break. Cue the show tunes! Next to Normal, now playing at the Curran Theatre, is just your…
Dwell Magazine: Crossing the Line / A Space by Tanya Aguiñiga
I recently had the amazing opportunity to interview furniture designer/textile-maven Tanya Aguiñiga about her new exhibition at L.A.’s Craft and Folk Art Museum for Dwell.com. Inspired by her recent trip to the indigenous region of Chiapas, Mexico where she learned the…
San Francisco February Arts Highlights
Love it or hate it, it’s the month of love, and you’ve got a hot date with the arts this February. Check out the hottest events in San Francisco including masterful paper fashions at the Legion of Honor, the first-ever…
Print Magazine: Phonography and Why Graphic Designer Josh Higgins Rocks!
As a contributing writer for Print Magazine’s awesome design blog, Imprint, I recently had the fantastic opportunity to interview noted graphic designer and silkscreen artist, Josh Higgins. Josh conceived the unique idea for the phone-based photography exhibition, Phonography, featuring renowned creatives such…
SF STATION: Clue at the Boxcar Theatre in San Francisco
If fear of heights, long periods of darkness, and small enclosed spaces sends you into a panic, it’s all part of the adventure at Boxcar Theatre’s newest play, Clue. Based on the cult classic whodunit board game-turned-movie, this highly imaginative but…
Dwell Magazine: Suprasensorial Experiments in Light, Color, and Space
What exactly does it mean to fully immerse oneself in art? This month I had the fantastic opportunity to interview Senior Curator of L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Alma Ruiz, for Dwell.com. In my article, we discuss MOCA’s newest exhibition,…
SF STATION: Happy New Year of Arts in San Francisco!
It’s snowing arts in San Francisco this January! Check out the flurry of new theater, comedy, gallery openings and more, as the Bay Area rings in the New Year with a blizzard of creative inspiration. From A.C.T.’s acclaimed Clybourne Park,…
FastCompany: The BIG Logo Controversy
Don’t mess with college football fans, their beer, their nachos or their…graphic design? There’s been big controversy buzzing on the web since Pentagram unveiled the redesign of the new Big Ten logo. To put it lightly, it was far from…
Woody Allen – Made from Type
Creative Madness is one of my all-time favorite typography projects. It was an exploration into the minds of some of the most noted creatives of our day: Zelda Fitzgerald, Woody Allen, Diane Arbus, Werner Herzog, etc. The book reinterprets their…
SF Station: Shrek The Musical at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre
If it’s possible for a great pair of legs to steal a show, then Lord Farquaad’s short, floppy puppet gams are the hilarious highlight of DreamWorks’ screen-to-stage adaption, Shrek the Musical, based on the 2001 animated film. At the Orpheum Theatre…
SF Station: How Wine Became Modern at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Let’s face it, the Bay Area is a tad wine obsessed. But with neighboring Napa and Sonoma Valleys producing some of the best wines in the world, who can blame us? The question is: What’s everyone else’s excuse? From wine…
SF Station: Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret & H.A. Rey at San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum
When walking through the Curious George Saves the Day exhibit at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, don’t be surprised if you find yourself delightfully squealing, “Wow, I remember that!” coupled with lots of, “Wow, I never knew that!” exclamations. The exhibit…
SF Station: Jerry Springer the Opera at San Francisco’s Victoria Theatre
When the pre-show announcer states, “Please silence your cell phones now — if you don’t, it will annoy the sh*t out of us. .. so sit back, relax and enjoy the f***ing show,” you know you’re in for one heck…
SF Station: PIXAR 25 Years of Animation
After a worldwide tour that started in 2005 at New York’s MoMA, PIXAR: 25 Years of Animation returned home. This is a newly enhanced presentation from the original MoMA exhibit that includes all of the original art plus new additions…
HowDesign Magazine: The S-word + Graphic Design
I recently helped kick-off a new monthly online series for HOW Magazine which highlights an outstanding design firm or freelance design business creating amazing work. In my article, I profile the stellar Seattle-based graphic design studio, Turnstyle. We discuss their philosophy,…
SF Station: TechnoCRAFT / Hackers, Modders, Fabbers, Tweakers and Design in the Age of Individuality"
Mongolian barbeque meets consumer-designed goods at Yerba Buena’s newest exhibition,TechnoCRAFT: Hackers, Modders, Fabbers, Tweakers and Design in the Age of Individuality. And no, this is certainly not a food exhibition. But just like the Mongolian barbeque, where each individual cooks…
HowDesign Magazine: The Nightmare Client—YOU (or rather…me!)
Look in the mirror and say hello to the nightmare of all clients—Yourself. Why is it so hard for graphic designers to design for ourselves? In my latest article for HOW Magazine, I offer tips for taming the fire-breathing client within…
SF Station: Young Frankenstein Review / Dead Funny!
Prior to becoming a writer/designer/buzz builder, I was all-consumed by a completely different art form. I studied theater and performed off-Broadway in NYC for more than five years when I was younger. A decade later, I’m finally able to put…
SF Station: Writing About San Francisco Arts and Design!
I’m so excited to announce that I am now a contributing Arts Writer for SF Station, one of the leading entertainment guide websites in the Bay Area. My first article is, of course, on design –San Francisco Design Week 2010! Check…
HowDesign Magazine: Feature Article!
The February 2010 issue of HOW magazine is currently on newstands and in bookstores across the country. The article I wrote, “Turn Downtime into Playtime” features the awesome work by design firms Flywheel Design, Brand Engine, and graphic designer France Liddell….
Smashing Magazine: Do you want fries with that logo?
From low-budgets to rush jobs to piss-poor project management, every designer has one time or another faced the inevitable, “I need a logo (brochure, website, etc.) done ASAP” scenario. Depending on the designers’ work situation, some can simply choose to…
Photography feature in Travel+Leisure!
While I’ve been travel writing for years, I couldn’t be more stoked to add “travel photographer” to my bag o’ tricks! The latest issue of Travel+Leisure features this dreamy pic from my recent Capri trip. (How insanely beautiful is that water!)Out of the mag’s…