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).

♥ My talented friend Melissa released an amazing new to-do list Instagram filter. You can get it on your stories by visiting her profile (in the app!), and selecting the filter icon. (It’s the icon we normies don’t have.)

♥ Speaking of friends, my friend and podcast co-producer Charisma has just released her fall collection of candles at Kismet + Charisma. I cannot wait to get the pumpkin king candle in my house ASAP.

♥ It’s been my very first Grace Hopper Celebration and I cannot rave enough about how amazing this conference has been. There are so many sessions and tons to enjoy.

♥ Sherell Dorsey has released the Clark Street Project podcast which is a narrative look at the evolution of black business and entrepreneurship.

♥ I have been making these mini cinnamon sugar pretzels from Mike Bakes NYC for the past two weeks and they’re so great. It’s an easy recipe to follow for someone who has never made pretzels ever in her entire life.

♥ Little Occasion is the cutest small shop of clothes for the littles. I love button-downs on tiny kids. They’re so ridiculous and it’s fantastic.

Around the Studio

♥ I talked to Andrea Flores of Drea Flow on this week’s Artist Showcase and I was not disappointed.

♥ We shared ALL of the things we’re doing for content for our businesses and our clients in 2020.

♥ 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 holiday catalog is going out NEXT WEEK to newsletter subscribers only so you need to subscribe below so you don’t miss out.

The post Links I Love – 10.02.2020 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).

♥ 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).

♥ This weekend, I’m doing a Fall Collection giveaway on Instagram. You can enter to win a print and five cards up until midnight on 9/13/2020, so, good luck if you’re entering!

♥ In memory of Patriot Day, I’m recommending the following documentaries In the Shadow of the Towers: Stuyvesant High on 9/11 and What Happened on September 11 (which is free.) There are a lot of other 9/11 documentaries that I’ve watched over the past nineteen years but these two are quite recent and both offer perspectives that were poignant to my experience as someone who was in middle school at that time.

♥ I’m still in love with these small, insightful videos from Bonnie Tsang on her YouTube channel. They’re so soothing and she does an amazing job composing these shots.

♥ I spent way too long scrolling Elliot Ulm’s Instagram account with his witty quips of #LifeofaDesigner.

♥ This Coffee Things shirt from our local coffee shop, Qreate Coffee, is everything I’ve needed in my entire quarantine wardrobe.

♥ The ladies from The Product Boss are running their Rock Your Holiday Promotions digital course again soon. This course was super helpful for me to prep this place for the holidays so I cannot recommend it enough.

♥ I’m late to talk about it here but I adore this Tia Mowry x Etsy collaboration so, so much.

♥ I’ve been listening to More Love – Songs from Little Voice Season One by Sara Bareilles as much as possible to soothe me into the fall season. We’re having a lot of rainy days here so I’m missing the long afternoons in coffee shops.

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.

♥ 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 – 9.11.2020 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).

Oops! The pandemic summer has been zooming by and I haven’t had the time to catch up with you peeps! I’ve been trying to post as much as I can over on Instagram so you’re more likely to get some timely updates from me there.

♥ I’m patiently awaiting The Michelle Obama Podcast on Spotify. I didn’t know that I needed it but now that it’s an option, please and thank you.

♥ The new A11Y Project redesign is a reminder to use this resource often if you’re creating content online. Accessibility is something we can be better with.

♥ The magical Michelle Chantelle Hopewell wrote an amazing list of things contributing to anti-blackness online. This amazing human being is doing so much great work with her platform and I couldn’t recommend following her enough.

♥ Speaking of uplifting Black creatives, Ade Hogue’s work for the 2020 Issue of Texas Heritage for Living Magazine is 10/10.

♥ I’m sharing here because this Design System Checklist will be a lifesaver in the future.

♥ Currently binging Indian Matchmaking and Down to Earth with Zac Efron. While I’m not in love with everything in the later docuseries, I will say it was easy to watch and informative on some subjects. Would recommend!

Around the Studio

♥ Launched the new Botanical Collection and I couldn’t be thrilled about it. A collection within a collection is probably obnoxious. I’ve also added a new print and printable.

♥ We talked to Maria Nuñez, a local Orlando real estate agent, about how she does her business her way on the podcast.

♥ ICYMI, I’ll be presenting at The Freelancers Conference next weekend on podcasting! Tickets are 100% free so sign up ASAP.

The post Links I Love – 07.17.2020 appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

What a week! I haven’t blogged twice in a week in years. I’m also posting on Instagram several times. What is this? What has quarantine done to me? Folx, I’m exhausted. I haven’t been able to write the “What Not to Do When Launching an E-commerce Business” post but I am working on it.

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).

♥ My big one this week is the Lesbians Who Tech Pride Summit (Not IRL). This whole summit has been phenomenal. I’ve always wanted to attend this amazing event and it has not disappointed. If we’re in the AC (after COVID-19) next year, I’ll do my best to attend. A lot of the keynote sessions with amazing humans like Angelica Ross, Elizabeth Warren, Stacey Abrams, Megan Rapinoe, and others are up on their Facebook page. I will say my favorite sessions have been the “smaller” break-out sessions via Zoom. Ariel Belgrave, the founder of Gym Hooky, led a fantastic workshop called, “The Importance of Self Care in the Age of Black Lives Matter: Taking Care of Your Mental, Physical, and Emotional Self.” Also, this amazing playlist has been the soundtrack to the event, and what better way to better yourself than with amazing tunes to accompany you?

♥ This article by Leigh Stein dismantling the myth of the Girlboss has been making the rounds online and for good reason. There needs to be a larger conversation happening about abuse at the hands of people perpetuating commercialized feminism for their personal gain and not for the betterment of their sisters.

♥ Ron Tinlsey wrote this powerful open letter to the white graphic design community. As someone who is “in” the design and tech community, I’ve been let down by the stances so many people who have positions of power have taken over the years. Currently, so many of those leaders are now adopting the voice of change and empowerment of Black people. I’m questioning a lot of voices and continuing to do my power to uplift Black creatives on the platforms I have.

♥ Speaking of uplifting Black creatives, how amazing is Sharee Miller’s Instagram account? She’s amazing. I’m in love with this piece.

♥ I will yell on the hill of Dana Tanamachi as much as I can for as long as I live. The MiiR x Tanamachi Drinkware & Coffee collection is all I want. Give me all of the things.

♥ I’m catching up on Second Life Podcast episodes and this episode with Justina Blakeney left me with plenty of notes.

♥ I’ve been watching Taste the Nation with Padma Laksmi and it’s so great. If you’re looking for something light, I highly recommend it.

Around the Studio

♥ New products have been added into the shop, including these amazing note cards!

♥ We talked to Ben O’Keefe about activism on the podcast.

♥ ICYMI, I shared some insight into the Summer Solstice Collection and how this revamp came to be.

The post Links I Love – 06.26.2020 appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Welcome back is an understatement. I think I had to blow off cobwebs before logging into the Admin panel but here it is. I was never ready to release this into the wild but here it is. On Saturday, June 20th, I launched my very first Studio 404 Paper collection of 2020 and the first collection in over two years. I know there is a lot to explain about returning to this space after a two-year hiatus but I wanted to share some background about the collection, how it was born, and what to expect in the paper shop going forward. I’m an old-school, wordy blogger so I’ll try to stick to the highlights.

Choosing a theme

The summer solstice and winter solstice have been highlights for me after starting my yoga journey so many years ago. I decided a year ago that I wanted to go back to making products. As we’ve grown our agency, we’ve adopted several systems to help automate the process which made the thought of returning to product production alluring. I quickly dove into inspiration mode and began to seek inspiration in my daily work both online and offline.

With a global pandemic just around the horizon and moving into a bigger space at the beginning of the year, I decided to push for a summer launch. The summer solstice is the official beginning of summer, the day where we experience the longest amount of daylight, an opportunity to embrace on growth, and to allow yourself to embody the spirit of illumination. With all of these themes and words in mind, it couldn’t be a clearer sign of rebirth to embrace the theme.

Embracing colors

As someone who regularly embraces an all-black-everything lifestyle, choosing to push myself outside of my comfort zone is a recurring theme in this collection. I knew I would have to use color in my personal designs in a way I wasn’t accustomed to. My original plan was to spend as much time outside to soak in the surroundings around me but of course, in typical 2020 fashion, we were hit with a global pandemic.

I’ve spent a lot of with my own plants at home, watching nature, cooking, and travel documentaries, and being endlessly inspired by the works of those who are more color-conscious like Justina Blakeney. I found two distinct palettes that I could work from and pull inspiration from. I was able to come up with a “safe” palette of retro seventies-inspired colors and an “adaptive” palette of brighter colors that would be a little harder for me to embrace. In all honesty, I’ve struggled with the brighter palette but I’m looking forward to releasing newer products that are ready for these colors.

Product Development

I’m going to share a what-not-to-do post but as a creative challenge to myself, I wanted to spend less time thinking and more time doing. I decided on ten core messages for the prints and illustrations for the note cards that will be released soon! I went back and forth on which designs felt “ready” and reserved the “needs work” category for later. I’ll share some tips and mantras I’ve learned to adapt in this process after learning on-the-go all those years ago.

Key Takeaways

There is no perfect. There’s only finished.

This is so true. I am a perfectionist but over the years, I’ve learned to do my best and hopefully someone else enjoys the work I’ve decided to share out into the world.

Phases are essential for the busy.

I do so many things. I don’t have all of the time I’d love to dedicate to this space so I’m releasing products in stages. There will be new products every other Friday and re-releases of some of my favorite heritage designs.

Get passed the thought of no one asked for this.

No one did. I think about this all of the time. I know no one specifically requested for artwork from an unsuccessful stationery business. However, in the past two years, I’ve been surprised by the number of people who still have those prints and cards around or in their homes. No one requested this but it’s ok to share your art anyway. Someone who didn’t ask for it may discover it and love it.

Failure is what you make of it.

Hillary Kerr’s Second Life podcast inspires me so much as it shares the seasons of change that have elevated so many women’s lives in a different direction. If this failed (With past releases, it’s already done so much better.), I would be ok with it and make the best of it to pivot with the next release.

Never stop creating.

As a creative and a maker, this process has been so therapeutic. It’s been hard to exist as a black woman, especially in 2020. I don’t want to take the time that has been given to me for granted so I’ll spend some of it creating products I love. I’m looking forward to sharing them with you.

The post Introducing the Summer Solstice 2020 Collection appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! It’s been a little over a month that I finished my first (maybe only?) 100 Day project. For those of you who are unaware, The 100 Day Project is a global art project that anyone can participate in. The goal is to create a work of a art every day for one hundred days. I was very much inspired after seeing Allie Lehman complete her 100 Day Project last year but as you know, I have a hard time being consistent with side projects.

I spent the whole year waffling back and forth on doing the project but when it was announced that it was starting on my birthday, I don’t think I had much more of a choice in the matter. I think I decided on Allie’s Heart + Hustle episode to go forth and make art for one hundred days. Spoiler: I did complete the project but through the process, this would prove to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done to challenge myself creatively.

Persistence is Challenging

Hi, I have a problem with sticking to things that aren’t a large part of my day job. It’s very easy for me to put things on the back burner, especially things that seem to only be for me. When I originally thought of doing this project, I really wanted to do charcoal pieces. I had a short period of time in middle school where we worked with charcoals and I really enjoyed it. It’s also something I’m not great at and I really wanted to challenge myself beyond my creative boundaries. Persistence is challenging enough. During the first month, I was more than happy that I decided to do something that was still challenging but not something I would get bored of.

Staying in Your Lane

By acknowledging that persistence was most of the battle, it allowed me to really look at my project for what it was as a creative challenge for myself.

• I’ve never worked extensively with watercolor as a medium prior to this project.
• I’m OK with lettering but it’s certainly not something I had time to practice everyday.

It’s so easy to get into the comparison trap, especially when dealing with such a widespread project. I spent day one obsessing over the hashtag and all of the amazing projects that were being done. I kept thinking why hadn’t I have been more original or clever but at the end of the one hundred days, I was actually pretty proud of that I stuck to the original goal. The less I focused on others was the more I enjoyed this project. Of course, I loved supporting the other creatives but in a healthy, noncompetitive way.

Don’t Create Excuses

Did I get to do this every single day? Of course not. By the last thirty days, I was so overrun with recovering from travel and trying to get work done that it was struggle to push through. However, I did learn through the beginning is to not make excuses for myself. It’s not easy being consistent but once I saw the value in the project for myself, I really didn’t allow myself to get distracted for small things. It was also nice to have a sort of “end of workday” before slipping into relax mode. I have some self discipline which I really have gained through creating fitness goals so applying that mindset to this was easier than I expected it to be.

Art is Hard

Art is hard in general. It’s not easy devoting myself to creating artwork outside of my work. I’m a designer and by nature, design is art with purpose. I know that’s subjective and not all design is meant to be art but my training in graphic design was based on my need to create art outside of a traditional medium. I’ve always been involved in writing, sketching, and moving into design was a great fit for me. However, creating art every day is hard. It wasn’t easy traveling with watercolors. They almost got confiscated at JFK airport. Playing with colors, negative space, technique, brushes were all things that I didn’t think I had time for and couldn’t have imagined myself loving beforehand.

The point is that art is hard, y’all. Support your artist friends. See their shows. Listen to their music. Comment on their photographs. It’s not easy being vulnerable and putting a piece of you out into the world every day. I hated it. I didn’t like that people were allowed to critique (not that anyone did) what I was doing. Receiving feedback isn’t the easiest for me which is why I enjoy creating and then shoving everything in a drawer. Creating art is an act of resistance and it’s true.

Moving Forward

What’s great is that I’m now able to move forward knowing I did something that I’ve failed to do in the past. I created one hundred piece of original watercolor lettering art. Were they all good? Of course not. Did I enjoy every piece? Obviously not. There are some things that I knew I was in a rush to create or was too tired to focus. The point is, I did something that I challenged myself to do which was my goal. I have shared some originals with friends or people who piece were created specifically for. However, this is the fun thing! I’m selling 50 of the pieces right here on Studio 404 Paper. These things are all different sizes, different papers, and so there’s crazy different prices. These are all originals so please know they were painted by my giant Shaq hands and I’d love for them to have a place to live in your spaces!

All month you can get them with free shipping using the code 100DAYS! Otherwise, I am always on Twitter and Instagram doing weird stuff. Every week, you can check in with me at Heart + Hustle Podcast. I will be announcing some other speaking dates soon! Until next time, shop small, shop local, and buy more art.

The post Things I Learned from The 100 Day Project appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.