los angeles

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

branding

burlingham woodland walks
[image: the click design consultants / identitydesigned.com]
as a person who frequents state and national parks, i really love it when branding for public spaces is done well, with reverence to the landscape. this makeover for burlingham woodland walks gives an elegant and instinctive feel to our connection to nature. see the whole package at identitydesigned.com.

infographic

beer infographic
[image: fastcodesign.com]
for a bit of fun, fastcodesign.com presents 14 surprising facts about beer in a super-cute poster-sized infographic. check their post for the full graphic.

design industry

if you’re looking for inspiration of the reading variety, fastcodesign.com profiled pentagram’s interactive site where you can click on your favorite designer and get their favorite reading suggestion.

mike montiero delivers his expert mix of humor with the straight truth in how to pick the right clients, my favorite quote from which is: Beware of clients that wait to call you until they have a perfect diagram of what they need. If they’re not coming to you for strategy and problem-solving, they’re not coming to you for design, they’re coming to you for production. And if you take on production work, you don’t get to call yourself a designer. (Yes, there’s a union. And we’re vicious.)

if you’re looking for ways to meet these clients and that same old elevator pitch doesn’t seem to be connecting with anyone, try rethinking what you’re saying with marcia hoeck’s ditch your elevator speech for parse blog.

finally, part 2 of my sustainability series for neenah paper is up on the against the grain blog: green with envy? put green ideas to action!

los angeles

some fun things floating around LA recently include this hike through the silver lake hills, a new electronics recycling center right here in echo park, and the oddly-comforting, instantly-beloved you are listening to los angeles.

food

nasturtium vinegar

some fun things going on food-wise include the fact that it’s springtime and flowers are everywhere. i’ve been foraging it up with dandelions, and finding all kinds of fun things to do with nasturtiums. before that, we celebrated the coming of spring with green garlic. get to picking and get down with your bad self!

springtime foraging

| heather parlato

hundreds of dandelions
[hundreds of dandelions]

a couple weeks ago, i spent a warm pre-spring afternoon foraging for dandelions. i just heard that my friend, emily, had set up the first LA food swap and i immediately signed up, planning out a few seasonal food projects i could share and trade with others. a recipe for dandelion jelly i found last year made me think i should try some kind of dandelion infusion, so i set out with my scissors and a cloth bag and got to collecting.

once i got home, i cut the base of each flower off, and separated the petal cluster from the surrounding leaves, and dropped each into a jar. as i worked, i noticed that dandelions have a scent that somewhat resembles banana, which made me wonder just what flavors will bloom in this process.

it’s been about 2 of the 3 suggested weeks, and the flavor has developed, though i’m not sure what it’s developed into. it has a very interesting floral flavor, which has been aided in part by the addition of some honey. another week should do it, then i’ll thin it out with some soda and find out what we’re dealing with here.

some other infusions i’m experimenting with include blood orange, which is outstanding, and has the distinct flavor of blood oranges, rather than just a general orange flavor. i’m also working with lemon verbena, which has just grown several shocks of fresh leaves. this extraction is very flavorful and should make some fantastic cocktails. finally, i’ve had lemongrass infusing for 2 weeks, and while it finally has some color, i’m not sure the flavor is anywhere near what i’d expect of lemongrass. perhaps this would be better as a simple syrup. i’ll give it another week, but i’m not sure alcoholic infusion is its best use.

my confirmed contributions to the LA food swap is a chunky, slow-cooked, mixed citrus marmalade [including navel, cara cara and blood oranges, meyer lemons and pink grapefruit], and garlic confit [slow simmered garlic cloves in canola oil for all kinds of savory uses]. if the dandelion liqueur works out, i’ll bring some bottles to trade, or make a mix of the well-matched successful infusions. and if i think of something else to make, i’ll try it out, but so far that’s all i’ve got.

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

design industry

tennessee state motto by matt lehman
[image: matt lehman]
i don’t have a bunch to say about design today, but what i will say is that this illustrated state motto project 50 and 50 is super cool! i can’t wait till they get to california! thanks designworklife.com for the link.

our very own AIGA LA 2010 fellow, jeri heiden, gets her own spotlight on imprint: influence and inspiration, part 2: jeri heiden.

valentines

naturally sweet stickers
[image: twig & thistle]
these have been all over the internet this week, and i think they’re brilliant: naturally sweet diy valentines! pick a fruit, pair it with a fruity pun sticker and share a naturally sweet treat with your valentine!

sustainability

it seems like a preponderance of news items involving sustainability came out this week. first of all, these services have been around for awhile, but if you didn’t jump on them before, reduce your junk mail with a selection of mail reduction services. second, if you wondered what it’s like to live as close to zero waste as possible, the zero waste home answers your questions about it. third, i’m astounded to find out that ben & jerry’s has figured out a way to run their ice cream factory on ice cream!

los angeles

greenlagirl.com offers a round-up of cool LA sites to follow.

food

kale shiitake stir fry
this week’s seasonal eats is about kale, health benefits, deliciousness and all!

creative inspiration

| heather parlato


i love these videos that animate the text being sung or spoken, but this one takes it to another level by including all the typos and having the narrator read every one of them.

sustainability

design museum young designers kit
[image: thedieline.com]
the design museum made this awesome young designers kit—but they took it further than simply inspiring young people to get into design, arming them with tools—they did it sustainably with recycled and low-impact materials. bravo! see the whole profile on the dieline.

got a minute to take the first in a multi-part series of steps in learning to go sustainable beyond ink and paper? i’m writing a piece on revisiting all the milestones in a print production process and encouraging we make more sustainable choices over on neenah’s against the grain blog. Eco-Friendly 2011: Think Forward…Then Backwards.

i’m loving this LemonAid project on good.is: a german company mixed up the perfect batch of lemon aid [to their taste, anyway], then figured out how to produce it using all fair trade resources, and then they donate a portion of their profits to fund grass-roots organizations in the countries where they source the ingredients. now that’s cooking with lemons!

one of the unexpected turnouts of the katrina disaster is that some areas are being rebuilt using much more sustainable materials, read up on utne.com: thanks katrina for greener building materials.

design industry

the first of the reviews are in from AIGA LA: Speakeasy, our fellows celebration for the 2010 AIGA fellows. check out michael dooley’s 2-part follow up interviewing john coy: influence and inspiration, part 1: john coy.

smashing magazine has a great round-up: time-saving tips and educational resources for web designers.

with all the talk of annual planning, i think it’s important to remember not to plan so hard you miss unexpected opportunities. justin ahrens shares his perspective on the parse blog: rain or shine: embrace the unplanned.

food

mixed citrus salt & pepper
i’m on a bender about using more of the food we buy, and this week i get on everyone’s case about wasting orange peels [among other things] over at LAist. because i’m a curmudgeon who thinks you should dry them and eat them. but look—this other girl at serious eats is also nutty for citrus seasoning with her deliciously italian lemon salt with fennel and chili!

and speaking of going grassroots on the food industry, what about an old-fashioned food swap!? i joined my friend emily’s LAX swappers group here in LA, you should too!

if you’re spending time in the garden and want to attract monarch butterflies [while helping restore their dwindling populations of late], re-nest shows you how to get your milkweed going to attract butterflies to your garden!

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

los angeles

http://service.twistage.com/plugins/player.swf?p=fastcodesign_episode&v=c8163eca83931&autoplay=false
first look: LA scores a bold new museum by diller scofidio renfro, from fastcodesign.com.

i love this story from greenlagirl.com about not having access to a green barrel or composting bin, rogue composting, and making a friend who will trade compostables for backyard fruit. this is community when it works: how i started composting and got free grapefruit too.

infographics

honey bee infographic
[image: fastcodesign.com]
in my travels this week, it seems like it’s an infographic time of year. design-wise, everything cool i found was a display of information, starting with this one above who cares if honey bees are dying, which is quite extensive and can only be excerpted here. another one worth every dead end [and a few green pastures] it leads to is jessica hische’s “should i work for free” flowchart, telling the all-too-true tales of why the answer is almost always NO. and then informationisbeautiful.com shares their own round-up this week 8 great infographics which includes a stunning radiant moon phase calendar.

design industry

favorite logos
[image: creativereview.co.uk]
creative review is asking you to vote on your favorite logos. i haven’t made my picks yet, but it’s all over the design blogosphere. weigh in on your favorites!

this freelancer workout is close to my heart, as i quit the gym last year, citing lovely LA weather and abhorrence of commuting for why i wouldn’t return again unless i return to a regular work-related commute.

since you haven’t heard enough about my retreat yet, i wrote about it for the creative freelancer blog: what a difference a retreat makes, and then i updated my own retreat recap with specifics about last year’s milestones and this year’s goals.

food

winter root vegetable haystack fritters
get the story on celeriac and a recipe for veggie haystack fritters in my weekly seasonal eats for LAist. then, if you’re really into this whole seasonal thing, but you’re not in LA and aren’t sure how to do it where you live, epicurious has an interactive seasonal map of winter seasonal foods just for you! and hey, if you’re more curious about how different food systems work and can affect you [especially the yous in the colder areas who rely on a delivery system] there’s this really interesting piece: mapping food access on the ecocentric blog. and with that, i’m out!

event calendar: january 10-16, 2010

| heather parlato

clearing rainstorm
[late afternoon in a clearing rainstorm]

it’s gonna be a great week, and a busy one! when i get a chance to wipe the deadlines from my eyes, there are a lot of great things to do around LA!

here’s what i’m up to

tuesday, january 11, 7:30am la area chamber referral network FREE with chamber membership. it’s been almost 2 months since i’ve been able to check in with the chamber, looking forward to saying happy new year to everyone!

thursday, january 13, 7-10pm béhance/aiga january meetup FREE! come to intelligentsia in pasadena and meet the LA design community!

friday, january 14, 8:30am creative mornings with andrew gibbs FREE with rsvp [sold out but you can waitlist if you want].

more events for this week


wednesday, january 12 5:30-8pm biznik mixer at jerry’s FREE with rsvp! go out and mix it up with a great group of people at jerry’s in the marina!

every day is another opportunity to register for AIGA LA Fellows: Speakeasy!

creative inspiration

| heather parlato


not that you’ve forgotten how the economy got into a mess, but information is beautiful made a really clean animated infographic that drives the point home.

branding

antarctic voice
[image: astronautdesign.com]
truly stunning branding system created by astronaut design [the whole portfolio is well-worth a spin], described simply: Antarctic Voice is a project that aims to express the voice, the silence and the magic of the unattainable continent, Antarctica. view the complete project profile at identitydesigned.com.

check out honey & mackie’s ice cream shop packaging on thedieline.com, a great pairing of typography and silhouette!

calendars

2011 calendars
[image: re-nest.com]
i don’t use traditional calendars for date tracking so much anymore [because i’m so dependent on ical], but i still think they’re a thing of beauty and can be some great rotational art for your home. re-nest.com has a great round-up of cute 2011 calendars.

design industry

wpa posters
[image: inspiredology.com]
i love looking at these old posters that came out of WPA arts projects. inspiredology takes a look at how design and typography have helped communicate civic messages in years past.

need a job? béhance is now hosting how design’s job list!

it’s a new year, and everyone’s talking about how to start it off right. let me put down my breakfast pizza to suggest maybe we learn to give better design feedback. thanks, mule design, for bringing humorous honesty to this admittedly difficult process. here’s an excerpt in case you haven’t clicked yet: First rule of design feedback: what you’re looking at is not art. It’s not even close. It’s a business tool in the making and should be looked at objectively like any other business tool you work with. The right question is not, “Do I like it?” but “Does this meet our goals?” If it’s blue, don’t ask yourself whether you like blue. Ask yourself if blue is going to help you sell sprockets. Better yet: ask your design team. You just wrote your first feedback question. bam!

AIGA

fellows 2010 speakeasy
[image: AIGA LA]
the time has come to celebrate designers who have made outstanding contributions to the legacy of los angeles. this year, AIGA LA honors 2010 fellows john coy and jeri heiden, and invites you to meet, mix & mingle with past AIGA fellows and AIGA medalists in a truly wonderful evening january 20 at the palihouse in west hollywood. i should know, i’m producing it, and we’re planning a fantastic speakeasy event. the tickets are a steal, register today before they go up the day of the event!

los angeles

so what’s new in my hood? i’ve been wondering what to do with the preponderance of elderly towels i’ve accumulated. like, they’re not falling apart, but they’re not pretty and they don’t match. i got a nice set of matching towels, but since i’m not into wasting things, i kept the old towels too. maybe for cat baths or spills or making into rags? thanks blue collar dog supplies for solving this for me! i can give them to dogs in need! so can you!

kelly over at echoparknow.com has a great list of echo parky things to do in 2011. come to think of it, i should probably read the madonnas of echo park, and i love climbing stairs, and i am sure going to miss the lake on its 2-year hiatus.

this week for LAist: seasonal eats: bringin’ mad beets! oh yeah, i went there. it’s okay to hit the “like” button if you like it.

happy holidays from parlato design studio!

| heather parlato

happy holidays from parlato design studio, los angeles

happy holidays from los angeles!

signing off for the holiday weekend, everyone have a great time wherever you may be! next week, we rock the last week of the year, and beyond that—the future!

creative inspiration

| heather parlato


what a cool internet collaboration on a christmas song!

packaging

burn cottage wine packaging
[image: the dieline]
a really unique illustration on oncoated stock to showcase burn cottage, a biodynamic winery. by mash.

typography

bathe wines
[image: thedielinewine]
beautiful, simple type treatment and illustration for bathe wines by fuller. so clean and classic! check the complete profile on the dieline.

some outstanding tv quotes from mad men, the wire and battlestar galactica, in custom typeset.

los angeles

spicy winter fruit salad
i’ve been writing for LAist about eating seasonally, and the latest is about spicing up your holiday menu with fresh LA fare. last week was a good look at swiss chard, followed by my first experience with creative mornings in los angeles with alissa walker. stay tuned for more each week!

loving LA got a lot easier with this awesome tumblr: 10>110>101, an eclectic collection of all kinds of LA ephemera. thanks to @theroyalacademy for sharing it!

food

i’m not going to add to your holiday overwhelm more than i already have, but consider these cookies. they’re made with salt and pepper. if you like salty cookies that really bring out the flavor, try these out: salt n pepper sandwich cookies. yum!