Monthly Archives: December 2010

dc: finds | one of a kind calendars

So if our free calendar wasn’t your cup of tea and you’re still on the hunt, we’ve compiled some of our favorite handmade, modern, and geeky calendars to kick off the new year right!

[1] snow & graham [2] my zoetrope [3] d eka animal [4] the design files [5] crisscross applesauce [6] bomobob [7] typo wandkalender [8] kitty rogers

[1] puzzle [2] critters [3] ink spot workshop [4] is photography

[1] the indigo bunting [2] jack and lulu [3] milk and cookies [4] dodecahedral [5] chairs [6] grace hester designs [7] blue tricycle [8] le papier studio

[1] aliette [2] emmy lu [3] 74 lime lane [4] flora douville

[1] buy local [2] the paper thieves [3] corella design [4] cats let nothing darken their roar [5] pistachio press [6] sarah ahearn

Aren’t these great? You really can’t go wrong with a classic paper calendar. Especially when the images are so cheerful!

Sidenote: because some of these are Etsy items, they do sell out fast so the links might say SOLD, but if you like something contact the seller, they usually do custom orders. Or add them to your favorites and keep a lookout because they usually make more. Also be sure to browse around their other items, you’re bound to find something you like!

dc

our gift to you: the perfect calendar

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Although we all live in a world full of smart phones and iCal, it’s still nice to have that paper calendar hanging on your refrigerator or cubicle that you can quickly glance at to see the date, or special events coming up. Well we always have the hardest time finding the perfect calendar that isn’t too theme-y or cheesy, so we decided to make our own this year!

It’s simple, it’s slim, and it’s really colorful which we love! Check out the rest of the months:

We paired up each month with a silhouette that somehow related to that month as well as a corresponding color. Doesn’t the yellow bicycle in September just make you excited for fall and crunching leaves? If you love this calendar as much as we do, you can download the PDF here fo free! It prints to fit an 8.5×11″ sheet of paper and then you just trim down the sides for that slim custom look and punch a hole in the top. We printed ours on textured paper to make it look even fancier :)

dc

give it up for.. honeysuckle?

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We know, we know.. The 2011 Pantone color of the year has been circulating the bloggiverse for a while now, but we wanted to give Christmas all of it’s credit before jumping onto the New Year train. So in our defense we’ve had this post chillin in the hopper for weeks now, dying to reach out to all of the pink lovers out there.

Images from Michael Kors, French Little Thing, Amazon, Kristopher Dukes, Piperlime, Converse, Culture Map, Lonny, Decorati, The Simply Luxurious Life, and Material Girls.

dc

10 things: derek+catharine wish to resolve in the new year

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In the spirt of the coming year, we’ve decided to put a little twist on our usual 10 things posts and get a little personal. This week we wanted to share with you a combined list of our New Year’s resolutions.

[one] register my business

Derek: I’ve been working here and there doing some graphic design and photography for the last 2 years. Lately I’ve been doing more and more and can’t wait to do more. I really need to register my name Derek Klepac Design and get something a little more solid.

[two] pass the ncidq

Catharine: Graduating with a Bachelor of Interior Design is not all you need to become a licensed Interior Designer. You then have to complete a 2 year internship at a Design/Architecture firm, and THEN take a fun little (super expensive) set of exams known as the NCIDQ. I’ve been dreading this exam since I was a freshman in college and found out that being an Interior Designer was nothing like you see on HGTV. It’s over $1000 with all fees combined and if you fail it you have to wait 6 months to take it again (and pay that $1k again), so yeah.. I’m freaking out. But my goal is to pass it in 2011. Woo!

[three] finish the half in under 2 hours

Derek: This past november I ran my first half marathon. I did alright, but I really want to push harder and further. Honestly the final goal is a full marathon, but first I want to get a better time in the half.

[four] stress/worry less

Catharine: I think I speak for all creative types when I say we love stress. You may not like to admit this, but you kind of live for it because you strive under that pressure that you’ve purposely put on yourself. I’ll admit it, I work better under pressure. I’m more creative, I’m more daring, and I’m more focused. BUT when I’m not stressed out about my projects at work, I create stress for myself in other things. Little stupid things. It’s really awful. I try to find stress in things that otherwise wouldn’t be stressful because I think I kind of miss it. Weird I know, but I’m going to try to relish in the calm moments rather than invent chaos this year.

[five] brew my first beer

Derek: My roommate Chris, brews his own beer. It’s quite good and the more I drink and get to taste it the more I want to try my own. Some of the best beers on the market right now started out as a side project or an experiment with some friends, like Dogfish Head.

[six] run a half marathon

Catharine: As I’ve mentioned before, Derek and our other friends have inspired me to run a half marathon this year. Guess how far I’ve run since I proclaimed that back in November? ZERO miles. I’m really good at coming up with excuses as to why I shouldn’t run that night, or why I’m too busy, etc. It’s ridiculous. I even have a new pair of running shoes! So this year I’m going to make a huge effort to run A LOT. Also, it will probably help with the whole stress thing.

[seven] start my internship

Derek: With my studies in Architecture, I also need to work in the industry for a good while before I can move forward. The have a wonderful list of requirements for all of us students to hammer through before we can think about putting our own name on the line for lawsuits to attack.

[eight] make more friends in my city

Catharine: Because I went to college in the middle of nowhere, all of my friends moved all over the place after graduation, and rather than going back to Dallas I moved to a whole new place where I didn’t know anyone. Most of the friends I’ve made here actually live somewhere else: Lubbock, Dallas, Houston, New York, Chattanooga, and I only get to see them during the holidays. So my goal this year is to make friends that LIVE HERE all the time, or at least stay in better touch with the ones I already have.. sounds easy enough right? Will you be my friend? :)

[nine] build my first chair

Derek: I’ve built some furniture in the past. I’ve also built the bed I slept in at my parent’s house. I have several other ideas and some projects in line with some friends. I think a chair would be a great challenge. There are a lot of BAD chairs and far too many uncomfortable ones. Setting out to build a truly comfortable chair from material that is normally uncomfortable would be an amazing learning experience. If you learn anything from our blog learn that Charles and Ray Eames were/are instrumental in modern furniture.

You might have seen these chairs before.. anyone ever seen Catharine’s car or my truck? :)

[ten] finish what i’ve started

Catharine: I have this addiction with old beat up furniture looking for a fresh coat of paint and a new life but I tend to take on more than I can chew. I currently have 3 unfinished Hepplewhite chairs: one ready to paint and 2 that still have vegetable printed cushions, a coffee table turned bench that needs to be turned back into a coffee table, a tv stand to paint and stencil, 4 dining chairs to reupholster, and 5 outdoor cushions to reupholster. It’s gross really. I mean I know exactly what I want to do to all of them, but I just need to make the time to do it and stop buying more things to tackle until some of these todo’s get scratched off my list!

Well there you have it! We usually don’t set resolutions, but we thought it would be fun this year. What are some things you’d like to accomplish in 2011? Tune in next week, we’ll be doing something special to kick off our Blogiversary week!

dc

duds for the new year

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Now that one holiday is over, it’s time to jump right into the next! Do you have a snazzy New Year’s Eve shindig to attend this weekend, or are you keeping it low key this year? Either way we’ve put some of our favorite looks that are perfect for anyone to bring in the New Year!

Pairing a little sparkle like this sequin mini skirt with a simple sweater is a great way to look effortless but still festive.
Throwing on a faux fur leopard jacket with can make boring old jeans and a tshirt look fancy.
Find some fierce flats with a little sparkle to pair with those skinny jeans.
New Year’s Eve is the one time you can never wear too much gold, so throw on some fun graphic bangles to add some personality to your ensemble.
Add some texture and bling with this zipper clutch that’s a little bit rock n’ roll.

A nice sleek watch can dress up any casual outfit, it shows you’re easy going, but you’re here to party.
Throwing on a fun patterned shirt under your blazer adds some fun color and visual interest especially since your blazer and tie are both solids.
A nice colored blazer with a little bit of sheen or even a velour can add that bit of luxury to your jeans and tshirt look.
Pair that blazer skinny tie of the same color palette or you can even go off the Richter scale with a fun complimentary color like a great orange with that blue blazer.
Don’t lose who you are just because you have to gussy up a bit, stick with your same old chucks to add some personality to your look.
When you’re going to the less fancy NYE party, you should come prepared with a nice leather flask since the booze won’t be handed out freely like our decked out friends below.

A clutch is always the way to go when you have a fancy galla to attend. This bow clutch is fun and girly and a great conversation piece.
You can never go wrong with a little black dress it’s classy, it’s timeless, and you can really add some fun accessories for that wow factor.
Throw on a fun cocktail ring to draw attention to you hands while you’re talking, you’re bound to get compliments.
Now for some sparkle! Pair that simple LBD with some fun sparkly shoes notice how the red in the heel matches your red cocktail ring? It’s all in the details.
Add some bling with this crystal orbit necklace to draw attention to your face, some nice faux jewels can really add some glam to a simple dress.

You can never go wrong with a slim black suit, this is like the male equivalent of the LBD, it’s also classy, timeless, and pretty slick.
To stick with that classy look pair it with a white slim fit dress shirt, you’ll look flawless.
To top off the look pair your shirt with a skinny black tie now you mean business.
Another staple is a great pair of black wingtip shoes.
But you don’t want to look too simple, so add some personality with these fun skull cufflinks. When you reach out to shade someone’s hand, they’ll see that you aren’t that serious. [6] Adding a clean crisp white pocket square to that black suite is a show stopper. Very Mad Men, and it really just completes the look.

Now go out there and use this guide to look your best for your big NYE event. We know most of you don’t have thousands of dollars to spend, and even though the items we’ve picked are mostly on the high end of the money scale, you can find any of these at Forever21, Gap, even Target! You don’t have to break the bank to celebrate in style.