ohhh...you...

i absolutely, with everything in me, want this jacket come fall.

unfortunately it will most likely be sold out before i can enter in my cc info.
sad. (jacket from witchery).

h.i.m.

loving the work of dandelion and grey, a prop stylist and event designer in LA.
working for the magazine has bumped my admiration for styling and design from a liking to an obsession.
i adore how natural and organic her tablescapes are. nothing's too gussied up, too overdone.
simple, elegant, yet different.
and that, in my book, spells success.

anyhow...it's making me quite happy this morning.
that...and coffee.
especially after 6:30 am yoga kicked. my. butt.

give-a-way.

Dear maple and shaders,

In honor of my 100th follower i've decided to host a nifty little giveaway. Yes, if you're interested, you can sign up to win a custom business card designed by moi. Business card, calling card, "mom of..." card, whatever you want to call it, whatever you want on it, I will do it.

So, in order to win, you must:

-leave a comment under this post telling me why you need and or want a biz card (for one entry)
-sign up to be a follower and tell me that you've done so in your comment (for two entries)
-spread the word by posting about my giveaway on your blog and include a link to that post in your comment (for three entries)


{giveaway will close Wednesday August 4th at midnight}


best of luck!
winner will be announced Thursday August 5th.

themaplestudio.com
-

i heart...

{stylish wanderer}

{stylish wanderer}

{stylish wanderer}

{happpynesss}

{happpynesss}

en la cocina: mini tomato + eggplant pies.

There may be nothing tastier than a well-roasted tomato.
Except maybe a well-roasted tomato on a bed of eggplant and garlic, sprinkled with browned cheese...

Dinner's become quite a culinary challenge around here lately.
I feel like I've delved through all of my books, inspired no more by their crinkled pages.
The time has come to do some culinary creating of my own, I guess.
So Maple and I designed the perfect, rustic side dish a few nights ago. Well, perfect in our book at least. Perfectly easy. Perfectly tasty. I think I may be undermining it: it's rather amazing, if I must say.

Serves 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 25 minutes

You will need:

1 medium eggplant
1 large, vine-ripened tomato (heirloom is preferred, but in any respect vine-ripened is a must for flavor)
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced, divided
3 Tbs olive oil
1/4 C shredded mozzarella
1/4 C shredded parmesan
sea salt + pepper to taste

preheat oven to 350.
slice the eggplant 1/2" thick.
arrange in a single layer on a baking dish, being careful not to overcrowd. i ended up dividing mine between two dishes.
brush with olive oil.
salt + pepper to taste.
sprinkle with 1/2 of the minced garlic.
roast for 10 minutes.

while eggplant is roasting, slice tomato 1/2" thick.
pull eggplant from oven and top each piece with a slice of tomato.
top with remaining minced garlic.
drizzle with remaining olive oil.
roast for 15 minutes, til tomato juices and bubbles slightly.

remove from oven.
sprinkle each "pie" with mozzarella and parmesan.
turn oven to broil.
broil for 3-4 minutes, til cheese begins to brown.

i served mine alongside a hearty, garlic-roasted chicken dish. recipe soon to follow.
accompanied perfectly by a crisp, green salad and asiago cheese bread.

enjoy :)

my recent work.

thought i'd give you a glimpse into a recent identity and website design project i've been handling. Simplify with Sarah (a new biz that focuses on personal concierge and errand-running services in the Atlanta vicinity) contacted me needing an entire "look" established for her brand new company. Here's what we came up with:

front of Sarah's biz card (and her new logo).

back of biz card.

and Sarah's website, of course: simplifywsarah.com

anyway, that's what i've been up to.

have another web project, a blog and a few biz card designs underway as well.

exciting times for The Maple Studio :)

h.i.m. (happy, in the morning)

{mary ruffle; unkown; black eiffel}

office space.

{houzz}

so, i've spent my morning setting up a little home office against the back wall of our bedroom. our teenie little apartment presents quite a conundrum when you're trying to isolate yourself from constant distractions (aka the husband, the tv, the ever-present charm of the city that lures me away from all responsibility). so i put myself against a wall, behind a door, where i can close off life and (hopefully) concentrate on my work. it's really quite cozy. now if only i could paint the entire wall with magnetic chalkboard paint. surely the landlord wouldn't mind too terribly if the entire apartment is stark white with one jet black wall. contrast--it's good.

anyway...back to work. back to life. back to missing the fam...who left, Kentucky-bound, this morning.

today,

is a very exciting day.
lots going on, you see.

Sis and bro-in-law are in town, for their fourth visit to Charles since we've moved. Yes, they are dedicated, and I am completely OK with that. More than okay, really, since they're also our best friends and the most fun two people to be around.

Anyway...back to my point. Today will consist of:

The beach.
Kayaking. In the marsh. To the ocean. With the dolphins. (The epitome of why we moved here).
The beach again.
Sushi. At O-Ku. (Best ever).
Gelato.
and, what I'm most excited about:
A trip to the airport to retrieve a best friend from DC.

i like you, today.

my shopping cart...

a. Alexander Wang  b. Tibi  c. ADAM   d. DVF  e. JW Hulme  f. Alexander Wang

is empty.

but i'd fill it to the brim with all of the above.

someday, dear closet...i promise.

you've been neglected lately, and for that, i am sorry.

caught, by my eye.

{the notebook doodles, stylish wanderer, unknown}

h.i.m. (afternoon edition)

my heart belongs to each of these photos.

the flower arrangement...and that wall, oh that dark, wood-planked wall...they may be perfect. surely, they are perfect.

i would hang these lights in a foyer. above a table. against that wood-planked wall and above that flower arrangement. if only those flowers would live forever beneath those quirky, industrial pendants.

i would travel back in time if, for a day, i could tromp along the sand looking and feeling as fabulous as that couple. where's Doc and the delorean when we need them?

inspired.

entirely, by:

{the sartorialist}

{farm girl in flipflops}

{yellow door paperie}

so much eye candy on the www.

makes it impossible not to fall in love, with something, each day.

things i wear on my feet.

so, i've been having this issue with sandals.
i don't really like them.
i don't know what it is.
i just really don't ever like any that i see.
maybe it's the gladiator thing. too trendy, in my book.
maybe it's the fact that i'm fairly short and feel really short when i wear them.
maybe it's the fact that most on the market seem gaudy and tacky and short-lived on the street.
either way, a wonderful, incredible, yet sad thing has happened today.
i found some i like. i love. that i would wear.
but they are from Anthropologie, which means, they are costly, which means, i will probably continue to admire them through my computer screen. not while looking down, joyously, from above.
oh well.

perfect? i know.
made just for me? perhaps.
Anthro sending me a lovely, free gift for being such a devoted admirer of their brilliance? never.

h.i.m.

it's monday.
it's hot.
and i'm totally okay with both :)
sitting here, thinking of how i wish i could work from the beach, sipping some strong french press and perusing the wondrous world wide web for some finds for the magazine.
being made very happy, this morning, by the following:

one big holiday.

{d*s}

important things i learned this holiday weekend:

1. Ohio really isn't the worst state ever. it's actually quite pretty in the summer, and i finally can see why 

    plenty of people live there. (Nevada is back on top of that list...excluding Vegas, of course).

2. auctions do not have to consist of high-priced goods. they can, in fact, sell a bundle of old hangers and 

    used manilla envelopes. 

3.  i married into the biggest but also the most wonderful family.

4.  i pretty much rock at hillbilly golf.

5.  8-year-olds can be much cooler and more fun to hang out with than a lot of 25+

6.  boys really will play cornhole all night if you will let them. (and if there's a substantial supply of  

     PBR).

7.  if you've been married over a year and wear a shirt around family that's even remotely baggy you
     inevitably will have to squash rumors that you're preggo

and there you have it....my holiday, 4th of july weekend. spent in ohio. at a family reunion. a bit bitter  i didn't come away with an awesome t-shirt (much like the one our SC democratic rep wears that boasts "GREENE FAM REUNION." yes, he's the one that lives in his dad's basement and has zero political experience, not to mention is jobless), but hey...i did take home an awesome friendship bracelet and some pretty good memories.

home sweet home...and back to the blogging world :) 

itching...

{all via tumblr}

to go somewhere... anywhere....amazing and new.
instead will be going to Ohio for the fourth weekend.
certainly not amazing and new.