Remember yesterday when I said I’d have a gift guide for you? Well never fear, that day has come. Unsolicited gift guides are a longstanding blogger rite of passage. Due to the nature of our fun year, I’ve decided to share gift guides in six different categories, highlighting some of my favorite small businesses that are doing amazing things. It’s very hard to navigate the holiday shopping noise so I hope I can introduce you to some fun shopping ideas, not only during our generic winter holiday season but all year-round.

My Holiday Shopping Must-Haves

My go-to candle provider is Kismet + Charisma all year-round. It has been so difficult to find a soy candle company locally that provides scents that appeal to me. My friend and co-producer Charisma has done just that. I am not just saying this to be nice, these are actually really good candles. They just as long as my favorite bigger box candle company which is a big deal for me, as someone who has candles going all of the time. She will be sharing her winter/holiday collection very soon but I wanted you to bookmark the shop and come back to check this out.

Unfortunately, this is a Central Florida-local thing, but my dear friend Kim of Chaos Bagels makes the very best bagels I’ve had in this state. I am not a bagel-snob by any means but I have had bad bagels here. If you have friends in the Central Florida area, do them a favor and order these bagels for the holidays. I gifted my husband bagels for his birthday which is how wonderful they are. Also, who better to trust with your bagel providing than a mom of three boys?

Quarantine Holiday Gift Guide

2020 gave us a unique perspective on living indoors for prolonged lengths of time. Now that we’re heading into cooler weather that is typically a tricky time for many people health-wise, we are extra-vigilant on keeping our outdoor time to a minimum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some fun things to keep you occupied while you make the best of your physical distance winter season.

1. Snack + Go Organic Cotton Tote by Project Pop | 2. Blue Dottie Adult Face Mask by Sarah Hearts | 3. Save The Post Office card by Creative Future Studio

4. The Sampler Kit by Haus | 5. In Therapy and Thriving Greeting Card by Curated Dry Goods | 6. Postal Service Crew Neck Tee From Natalie Reales Designs

Art Enthusiast Holiday Gift Guide

Fellow art nerds, assemble! Some of my favorite items to express how much you love the visual arts. If none of the things vibe with you, I recommend donating to your local theaters and community art groups as they are all looking for support while keeping their artists safe.

1. Postcards do Bem by LOJA by Barbara Astrini| 2. Thank You Stamps by Dana Tanamachi | 3. Basquiat Corkcicle Canteens

4. This Joy I Have The World Didn’t Give It by Christa David | 5. “Stop Stealing Tote” by Jasmine Mans

Entrepreneur Holiday Gift Guide

Your entrepreneur friends always need a gift, no matter what they say. We are running around and we’re thriving in making it up as we go along. Supporting small businesses while uplifting your friends who own small businesses is a win-win anyway. 10/10 would recommend.

1. Emma Design Squarespace Kit by JDS Creative Studio| 2. Classic Polka Dot Customizable Planner – Undated / Open Dated by June Paper Market | 3. Grinding All My Life Pin by Adé Hogue

4. Explore: Journey from Fear to Happiness by David Yarde | 5. In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney| 6. DSA Magic Girl Keycaps Round 2 by Mintlodica

Plant Lovers Holiday Gift Guide

If you follow me along on my very rare Instagram sharing journey, you probably know that I, too, have fallen into the trap of millennials with plants. What better way to raise your serotonin levels, than with plants that spark joy? If you’re not sure where to start, never fear, I’ve got some gems below.

1. Jungle Dreams Notebooks by Castlefield Design| 2. Ficus Elastica Burgundy Rubber Plant by Botany | 3. Wild at Home Book by Hilton Carter

4. Buried In Plants Where I Belong Tote Bag by Jungalow | 5. Macrame Plant Hanger No. 1 by Eco Vibe| 6. Tall Painted Clay Planter by The Jungalow

Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

If you don’t interact with kids, it’s not the easiest to just jump in and buy a gift for one. There are various things to consider and so many places to buy gifts. Here are some fun things I’ve found that aren’t your typical pickup in your local superstore.

1. Constellation Kids Tee by Jessica Hische| 2. The ABCs of HBCUs (Board Book) by HBCU Prep School | 3. Who Will You Be? by Andrea Pippins

4. Double-Sided Pre-Writer Shape and Squiggle Board by Schoene and Son | 5. Black Lives Matter – Love ASL Print from Nicole Marie Paperie 6. Little Likes Kids – Fun Outside 48 Piece Floor Puzzle

Home Holiday Gift Guide

If you’re looking to try some fun things at home or buy for friends who may be living in a new space, here is the gift guide for you. It’s been a good time to try some new products from companies you may not ever have had the opportunity to support to help make your living space a home.

1. Rose Body Scrub from Luna Nueva Apothecary| 2. You Are Your Best Thing by rayo and honey | 3. Rise & GRND – Coffee Blend, Medium Roast by Blk & Bold

4. Matcha Set by Junbi Matcha| 5. 2021 Sun Wall Calendar by Under the Sunlight 6. Playful Marks (Golden) Tea Towel by Ritual Morning Studio

The post 2020 Small Business Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

If you are new here, Links I Love is my Friday wrap-up series. I am online and reading so much content so I wanted to use this to share with my friends without having to blow up their inboxes (Yes, this blog is that old.) Every Friday, that I can, I’ll try to share some things I’ve seen on the internet that are interesting (in my humble opinion).

♥ Hello! There are new Halloween prints and printables available in the shop to get you prepared for your favorite spooky holiday.

♥ I was very inspired by this video of Masako Wakamiya via Great Big Story. Masako learned how to code at 81 and calls herself an IT evangelist. She’s amazing.

♥ The very amazing Jessica Hische and Adé Hogue collaborated with twenty other artists to work on the Rise Up. Show Up. Unite! campaign to help uplift the Biden-Harris campaign and the results are stunning. The hashtag is growing quite rapidly on Instagram showcasing the talented work of so many people.

♥ Adanna shared a list of 16 affordable dresses for a summer-fall transition and she didn’t miss the mark.

♥ I’m late but Kristle Marshall’s amazing Small Business Directory is full of wonderful small businesses to support as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

♥ The ever-wonderful Grace Bonney has created a site where you can be a part of the Design*Sponge Good Company book by generating your own page.

♥ If you are a womxn founder seeking a collective group of like-minded individuals who will help guide and uplift you to help grow your mindset and business, Honeycomb is for you.

Around the Studio

♥ I’ll be speaking at the WPMRR Virtual Summit on September 24, 2020. This two-day conference is put on by the cool people at WP Buffs and spoiler alert: tickets are free.

♥ We talked to Marley of Marley’s Menu about how she started her food blog after being furloughed.

♥ I’m currently getting the 2020 Holiday Gift Guide ready to go. If you have small businesses you’re wanting to recommend, please comment below!

The post Links I Love – 9.18.2020 appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

If you are new here, Links I Love is my Friday wrap-up series. I am online and reading so much content so I wanted to use this to share with my friends without having to blow up their inboxes (Yes, this blog is that old.) Every Friday, that I can, I’ll try to share some things I’ve seen on the internet that are interesting (in my humble opinion).

♥ I’m finishing up my Botanical Collection giveaway on Instagram. You can enter to win a print up until midnight on 7/25/2020, so, good luck if you’re entering!

♥ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had an opportunity to respond back to the targeted harassment and verbal abuse she received on camera from a colleague. The ten-minute video is powerful and she shares so many anecdotes about how harmful the behavior is and how widespread verbal abuse is towards women everywhere.

♥ The new Seattle Kraken branding was released this week and as any design item, has received mixed reviews. I like the colors. I’m not sure about the main icon still but the wordmark is actually pretty good. I like seeing other design systems in the wild so I’m not angry about it.

♥ If you love book cover design, this thread of people sharing their favorite beautiful covers on Twitter is worth checking out.

♥ I made these cinnamon rolls this week and I couldn’t recommend them enough.

♥ I also finished the Neil Patel E-commerce Unlocked course this week. As someone who is stepping their toes back into e-commerce personally, I am in the sponge stage. I’ve been testing what works. I’m writing notes on what to improve. It’s so important to stick to what you’re doing and do the best you can. I’m excited to see how the products continue to develop over the seasons and what else I can do with this space.

Around the Studio

♥ Tomorrow at 2 pm EST, I’ll be presenting my podcasting workshop at The Freelancers Conference. I’m excited to tap back into the speaking waters and especially with other speakers from Orlando.

♥ We shared some tips on going back into the office during a pandemic as an employee and as an employer.

♥ New Botanical Collection prints have been added this week so be sure to check those out!

The post Links I Love – 7.24.2020 appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Today, I want to share something that has been in the works for quite some time. Earlier this year, I was asked to be a co-author of an all-inclusive blogging guide for bloggers of all levels and niches published by the Bloggers Like Me group. While I contemplated back and forth if I wanted to be a part of something so bigger than myself, I knew it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.

I’m proud to announce that From Blank Space to Blogging Brilliance is available today! I was so honored to contribute to this guide with a chapter on branding, but of course. I think I covered everything from Chipotle to Oprah by using illustrations of great brands and how good branding relates to great blogs.

There are over twenty co-authors in this book which should tell you how amazing this is. There are fashion bloggers, mommy bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, and everyone in between all sharing their insights on what they specialize in and how you can grow your blog to its greatest potential. I’ve been blogging for over nine years and even I l earned something new in this guide.

For today only, you can receive my Bloom print for free when you purchase a copy of From Blank Space to Blogging Brilliance.

The post From Blank Space to Blogging Brilliance appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hi friends! My first new branding project started on the third day of the year and I couldn’t be more excited about it. A very lovely lady that I met last month via Sarah’s Meet & Make has started a local/digital book club with a fun twist. I won’t get into too many details, although the club is definitely happening right now. Using the word effervescent to describe the mood of the book club, I ran with a few ideas from my client’s pinboard and managed to drum up three very different moodboards. In the end, she decided on the one above to help represent the gender neutrality of the club in hopes of having lots of guys and ladies get involved.

There is already quite an audience and we’re currently reading And The Mountain Echoes by Khaled Hosseini. (SN: If you’ve never read anything by Mr. Hosseini, start with the Kite Runner and prepare to be hooked!) You might recall the Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland design from this color palette post. I’m already drafting up a few mockups and I’ll be sharing the finalized project at the start of next month!

Sources: Jessica Hische Honey | Lake Photo (Original Source Needed!) | A Kate Spade NYE Party – The Glitter Guide | Navy & Gold Foil Calligraphy Wedding Invites – Oh So Beautiful Paper | Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Tina Smith Design

The post Moodboard: Modern Book Club appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

I know this is a day late but I think later is better than never sometimes. I have some really great things to share with you from this week. I hope you’re all having an amazing weekend as I will be spending the day on the coast. Enjoy!

I adore fun branding projects and the Helsinki Food Company is one of my favorites from the year. I’m not sure why I haven’t shared this earlier but this week Blog Milk reminded me how much I loved this project. It’s just full of fun details that you have to visit the post to see.

I never think about Biscoff cookies when I’m not on an airplane but they make great bases for easy dessert options (probably thanks to Biscoff spread). I love this recipe for a Biscoff milkshake posted on Best Friends for Frosting this week. I can’t wait to give it a try.

How great is the type on this book cover by Dominique Falla? I love the gradient and in case you were wondering, yes that is string. It’s pretty awesome.

This week FoundryCo added a lot of fun projects to their portfolio. My favorite has to be the branding project above. I love the simplicity and the focus on lines. It’s not the normal tea branding but it looks great.

I’m pretty sure I haven’t proclaimed my love for Nexa Slab here before. If I have, I’m sorry but not sorry that I’m talking about it twice. I love seeing the different weights in slab serifs and Nexa Slab gets pretty heavy.

This couple is  the cutest.  Jason Mize is slowly becoming my favorite Floridian photographer. I love the way he captured Raeylz and Chris in Dade City, which is not a place I thought of when it came to great scenery. Love the area, their cute vintage outfits, and the final product. Everything looks amazing combined and that’s what I love about seeing portrait sessions. Ideas I would think were quirky or strange always come across in a fantastic way with the right photographer.

There were a couple of proposed logos for the state of Colorado showcased on the Denver Egotist this week. This one definitely was my favorite of the two. I could see so many fun campaigns coming from this branding. I’d be totally ok with a Florida re-branding.

The type designer Timothy Goodman did for Mott’s is incredible. This was my favorite from the work he did for the apple sauce company. It has the whimsy to attract kids but catches my eye for the simplicity and focus on the benefits of the product.

Is there a such thing as a healthy Reese’s alternative? I think we can get as close as possible with this raw almond butter cup recipe. I love when my favorite things come together in a fun compromise.

So  this is probably not what you think of when you envision MS Paint from Windows 95. A 97 year-old man has created gorgeous works of pointillism art using  MS Paint. I am really hindering myself from making really bad Windows 8 jokes but I was very inspired by what was created using a program that’s probably older than some of my readers. (That’s a scary thought!)

I really thank you for putting up with my late shenanigans. As I finalize the design and go into development for Studio-404, I’ve become more busy. I’m focusing on my clients a lot more which is taking me away from social media a bit. However, Monday will be a fun day on the blog so be sure to tune in. Have a great weekend!

The post Links I Love: 7.27.13 appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve worked on a Links I Love post. This year, I want to share the resources I find inspiring during the week and share them here with you.

The first print of the year from Katie Daisy. I see that 2013 is going to be a great year for my favorite illustrator with the release of her Pottery Barn collection yesterday.

 The upcoming cover for Peter Pan by Dana Tanamachi looks amazing! Dana is such an inspiring chalkboard type artist so it’s great to see her work becoming more publicized thanks to Penguin.

The folks at Ollibird are participating in a fun 365 Patterns challenge. Yesterday they posted this gorgeous pattern. Follow their blog to be inspired all year!

 The lovely Latrina of Of Trees and Hues is having a 50% off New Year’s Sale for her gorgeous prints. The short above is a gorgeous photo of a busy street in San Francisco. Love!

Grace Atwood posted this amazing Blogging 2.0 list. She definitely inspired me to make a few changes to the blog. It’s a must-read for every blogger out there.

Dirty Chai Cupcakes? Does anything else need to be said?

This 2013 flower print wall calendar by local Winter Park illustrator Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co is currently on sale and on my want list!

 This gorgeous all white modern industrial loft in Barcelona has me considering packing up and moving overseas. This loft has everything a girl like me can love in a home. Interior envy for sure!

 Sara Russell posted some great black and white subway art. Such a fun way to bring typography into any space.

 The To Resolve Project always brings inspiration. This design by John Salierno is my favorite for the week. Not to mention, it is pretty great advice to take throughout the year.

Share any fun inspirational links in the comments below! Have a great weekend.

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Disclaimer: This product which has been reviewed was purchased by the blog author and was not sponsored by any other party, including the product manufacturer or retailer.

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