Freshly illustrated & letterpress printed, these batch o’ cards you will find when you visit any one of the three Caffe Luxxe locations in West LA. Luxuriate with a cup of coffee as you pen a note on these bright white, 100% cotton, tree-free cards.

Next time you’re in LA and fixin’ for coffee, be sure and stop by Caffe Luxxe • three fabulous locations: Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, the Brentwood Country Mart in Brentwood and San Vicente Blvd. in LA.

Coco, our beloved Bernese Mtn. dog pup and studio apprentice, has deemed the order fit for delivery.

The press & studio have been humming along lately with sundry fun & interesting projects. One of which is Olive’s 3rd birthday party invitation – designed as a pocketbook and inspired by vintage Dick & Jane books. Written and illustrated by Erin Cochran, Olive’s über-talented mother. The 8-page booklet is printed in velvety black letterpress ink and hand-stitched with Japanese silk marigold yellow ribbon. The finish calligraphy on the envelope is the delicious icing on the cake – calligraphy by Michele Papineau. Stay tuned, I’ll be posting more photos of the little book in its full splendor soon!

It’s a real joy working together with Olive’s mother & grandmother on these projects. Each year brings something new and inspiring. You can see our little history together here. Happy Birthday Olive!

There’s a big grassy area right before the sandy drop-off to the beach that’s ideal for sketching – with open views to the deep blue Pacific. The colors of the ocean are mesmerizing…especially the aquamarine. I found a nice shady spot beneath a tree to sit and sketch and take it all in.

A super rough sketch of the view from our lanai – looking out across the vast ocean.

Bare feet in warm sand. Happiness.

The night sky is dazzling here. Inky blue black with brilliant stars – Venus is especially bright. Thoughts of ancient mariners finding their way…guided by the stars, sun, moon & planets. I love this quote by John Muir: Whatever special nests we make; leaves and moss like the marmots and birds, or tents or piled stone, we all dwell in a house of one room with the starry firmament for our roof.

Nothing like a mini tropical getaway to nourish and rejuvenate the soul (and take the edge off winter!). The whole island is a garden of extraordinary earthly delights. Amazing flora & fauna growing both wildly and in the local gardens. I spent some time marveling (and sketching) the abundantly lush plant life at the national tropical botanical garden. I’m inspired to create a line of botanical letterpress + watercolor cards with bold floral patterns.

A favorite spot for bodysurfing, soaking up the sun and watching the waves. Brennecke’s Beach was pretty much wiped out when hurricane Iniki hit in 1992 – the sand has (mostly) returned to its shores.

We’ve been hitting the moveable feast of  farmer’s markets as they make their way from town to town around the island. Papaya with vanilla yogurt and coco-nutty granola is a breakfast staple. YUM.

Hot pink hibiscus flower photo taken at the tropical botanical garden here on the lush ‘n lovely island of Kauai.

Happy new year! 2012 is off to a bold & bright start with Mary Ann & Garret’s Napa Valley wedding featured on Style Me Pretty. Sumptuously shot by photographer Julie Mikos, the photos capture the intimacy and magic of the festivities. Orchestrated with her characteristic panache and eye for detail, Dee Merz is the event designer extraordinaire.

The happy couple amid the vineyards. Working with Mary Ann & Garret on their wedding paper goods was a real treat. Super friendly, fun and flair-boyant : )  Congratulations Mary Ann + Garret !  ♥

The feasting menu featured the local bounty of Napa Valley in mid-summer. And feast your eyes upon this dreamy cake…made by the amazing artisan bakers at Perfect Endings.

I am truly grateful for my clients, friends and family. Thank you for your support, loyalty, love and friendship.

Studio snapshots above: pumpkin prints on press. The beautiful calligraphy is the hand of Michele Papineau. It’s always a pleasure collaborating on our annual Thanksgiving card together.

Love this time of year. Indian summer is in full splendor with warm sunshiney days. This pumpkin totem was a happy sight on the road to beautiful Pt. Reyes. A group of friends and I kayaked across Tomales Bay and camped on the sandy shores underneath the starry canopy. The night sky was especially captivating (amazing…no fog and no light pollution!). The perfect weekend getaway.

Happy news…April & Mitch’s Napa Valley wedding invitation was featured in the September issue of C Magazine. Designed & letterpress printed by moi, and calligraphed by the über-talented Nancy Howell.

Rustic elegance was the theme of this midsummer Napa Valley wedding. Black ink printed on 100% cotton paper from Italy…the paper feels like fabric it’s so soft. Embellished with fine gold thread and a gold wax seal.

Mary Ann & Garret’s intimate Napa Valley wedding was a three day celebration in the height of summer, with close friends and family gathered from faraway to share in the festivities. Kicking it off with brunch among the vines at Signorello Vineyards and a welcome dinner at Auberge Du Soleil and the grand finale…the July 14 • Bastille Day wedding at Brix. Among the paper goods shown here, petite accordion festivities booklets, book marks with a favorite Gandhi quote and square tags for the welcome baskets. These sumptuous photos are brought to you by photographer fantastique, Julie Mikos.

Menus printed in fuchsia ink for a cohesive & gorgeous hot pink table.