This week, I’ve been scrambling like crazy to wrap up a project I’ve been working on for a local foundation. I really enjoy doing print projects for clients and this one has been a great exercise in pushing myself to try new styles. Additionally all my pieces from my Jill Rosenwald collection came in, and I’ve been collecting a few additional accessories here and there to style and shoot them so they can go up in her shop. Styling is a branding challenge, in my mind. I want every item to feel intentional and descriptive of the brand – I want it to tell a very specific story.  I feel like sometimes it’s easy for my images fall flat – photography is an ever-changing, ever-evolving thing for me. So I keep pushing for excellence. I don’t necessarily think I’m there yet.

I’ve been sketching more lately too. Yesterday I drug Archer with me to Porch Art Supply (HEAVEN) to get a new sketchbook and some calligraphy markers (Tombow dual brush markers). In some ways, I feel like hand lettering is super trendy right now so I’m hesitant to hop on the bandwagon. But Jessica Hische’s Skillshare class reminded me how important sketching is to understanding letterforms and their original structure so that you can better break the rules later along the way. (By the way, tomorrow is the last day to sign up for Skillshare‘s special: 3 months Premium access to over 2,500 classes for just $0.99.  Use code pencilshavings99)

Ok, five things for you to check out this weekend —

1. Check out this hashtag over on Instagram. It’s all the images from one of Sita Montgomery‘s interior design projects and it is a stunner.

2. I love color. Super fascinating read here.

3. This video made me laugh. Especially considering the times we’ve sweated bullets over driving with a trailer attached to the car.

4. We watched the IRIS documentary last night about Iris Apfel. My favorite part were all the snapshots of her in years past. So crazy original and stylish.

5. I really love Gabrielle Blair’s post on the experience of growing her hair out, trying wild new colors, and then cutting it all off herself. Hair is so transformative, isn’t it? And she can rock a pixie so so well. So French!