NicBlog

gutsy parents!

2008-07-22T16:04:00.003-04:00

Image © Phil Mansfield for The New York Times.

cross-post with my baby blog... those who read both, you can skip this story on one of the two!

just found this article from the new york times, via apartment therapy's ohdeedoh blog. can you believe this? the mother, pamela bell (a former partner in the Kate Spade brand), let her three children draw and write on their furniture with fabric markers, as well as letting the children do other things such as picking out the paint colors in the home.

i'm impressed, to be honest. that is one gutsy parent. and the results are fabulous! i love how the furniture pieces came out, as well as the other fun details throughout their home. will we let our child do something similar? no, hehehehe... but we have started focusing the house to be comfy, colorful, and child-friendly. it's about as free as i'll get with my decorating! =D

unnatural wonders in nyc

2008-07-22T15:25:00.002-04:00

the waterfalls installation opened a couple of weeks ago here in new york city. designed and created by artist Olafur Eliasson, there are 4 installations in total. i was waiting to post about them until i had seen all of them myself. i finally have -- albeit, mostly from our car -- and i have to say i love them!

the one pictured above is the falls from the brooklyn bridge, viewable from the manhattan side of the bridge. it was my favorite one, and looks as though the waterfalls are running directly from underneath the bridge itself. i thought it was effective and simply lovely.

all the others are free-standing metal structures -- not as beautiful, but definitely effective and interesting. i like this public art installation much more than the gates, which i did not really find to be evocative in person, except from an aerial perspective.

there are boat tours running around lower manhattan to see these falls up close and personal. this website will tell you more about the falls, the artist, and the locations where you can see them. in the meantime, enjoy the photos on the site -- especially if you can't see them in person.

beautiful bowls

2008-07-17T14:17:00.002-04:00

from one of my most favorite blogs, my marrakesh... how lovely are these images? it's fayoum pottery from cairo. i'm going to ask maryam to get me one next time, methinks...

switching gears -- happy stuff

2008-07-15T12:57:00.002-04:00

found on the HOWblog, these recycled letters from urban outfitters are so fabulous. colorful, green, and useful. i'm thinking that the door to the office/nursery could use our new baby's initials. only question is, which will it be? A.B., or G.B.? only time (and the birth) will tell. =)

** to clue everyone in: we're not revealing our name choices for the baby until the baby is born. of course, we're also not finding out the sex, so that leaves it even more of a mystery! we do have names picked out... and the only thing i can tell you is that baby block's name will either start with an A (for my deceased grandfather, albert), or G (for dave's deceased father, gary). **

missing woman in north carolina -- UPDATE

2008-07-14T07:53:00.004-04:00

this is a departure from my usual posting. but i feel it's necessary.

nancy cooper is a wife and a mother from cary, north carolina. she left her home at 7a.m. on saturday morning for a jog, and never returned. she did not have a purse, keys, or i.d. on her when she left.

it's not expected that the mother of 2 young girls (4 and 2 years old) would have voluntarily left. so the search has been on since yesterday for nancy. unfortunately, no luck yet.

the poster above is the poster her friends and neighbors have been distributing around the area. a friend of nancy's is a member of the design community and has asked us with blogs to distribute this information. i feel the situation so deeply that i couldn't help but post it.

you can read more about the situation here and here. in the meantime, if you have any information on nancy cooper, please call the cary police department. the information is listed on the poster.

thanks everyone.

in the meantime, please remember to carry i.d. with you whenever you leave the house, including for a run. my husband has an armband that he wears with all his vital info and contact numbers. if carrying your license is too difficult for you, this is a good solution.

UPDATE: sadly, this story does not have a happy ending. i'm very sad as i am writing this to you all.

yesterday evening, a body was found not far from the area that volunteers were searching in. the body was in very bad condition -- all of the information we know -- and they needed an autopsy and medical records for a positive i.d. sadly, not that long ago, the police department in cary did confirm that the body was that of nancy cooper.

the investigation is now a homicide.

i'm so sorry for my friend and fellow designer, mike, who originally informed us of this tragic situation. he and nancy's other friends and family must be completely grief stricken and confused right now. i just want to send my love and prayers to all of them in this time.

i also want to send out my love to the other friends who have revealed similar losses in the discussion of this story. to know so many people that have been this close to a homicide situation... well, there's nothing more i can say but i'm sorry.

go home and hug your spouse and your kids today. be grateful for them every minute of every day.

thank you!!

2008-07-08T18:19:00.001-04:00

thanks to everyone for all the wonderful comments and emails on our happy news! i'll keep this blog minimally posted on my progress. **wink**

finished work -- betsy and jeb

2008-07-08T17:59:00.004-04:00

i just received the samples of the suite i did for betsy and jeb's august wedding. everyone is happy all the way around -- including myself!

the couple is based in brooklyn, and they wanted to bring the borough into their pieces. but they also wanted to incorporate their love for olives and sports -- notably, with their pre-wedding softball game invitation. the whole suite incorporated hand-drawn elements, and a fun pattern that appeared and reappeared.

so, behold -- the final products!

Invitation.

RSVP cards.

the softball invitation.

the thank you notes -- front

the thank you notes -- back.

a new little designer headed our way

2008-07-03T16:24:00.003-04:00

well, i didn't want to post about this until our family and friends were told. but now that they've been informed, i guess it's time to share with my collegues, clients, and readers.

we have a little baby block on the way!

yep, i'm 14 weeks along today -- just starting the 2nd trimester. we waited to tell everyone until we were sure everything was alright, and just started to inform people this week with a fun little announcement we sent around in the mail (cover below). we had never seen this done before, but we wanted to find a way to let friends know (besides a mass email) if we couldn't tell them in person. i'm still sending some out, but most friends have been surprised already by the note. =)

front cover of the pregnancy announcement we sent out. this card will be available in my dearnic etsy store soon. illustration © nicillustration, 2008.

to answer some questions that i know are coming my way:

1. the baby is due on new year's day, 2009. yes, it's an awesome due date. =D but we all know that this actually means that baby block will send me into labor and delivery on my 30th birthday, which is on january 6th. LOL

2. no, we're not finding out the sex. when have you known me to be a pink kinda girl anyway?

3. the office, which we have been working on slowly, now has to be shared with the baby. so we have to do some revamping around here.

4. yes, i will continue working after the baby is born. i'm just taking off the requisite 2-3 months in the beginning, which is fine because it's a slow time of year. current clients who are reading this -- don't worry, there isn't a person on my roster that i won't be able to take care of. all of you are good to go! and i will post my schedule for work on my site and on my blog, so everyone can know when i'll be working until.

it's our first and were both extremely excited. my migraines have been made way worse by the pregnancy, if that was at all possible, so i'm not lying to you guys when i say that i've been sick. but since i'm used to the daily migraines anyway, i'm working through them.

so, just thought i'd share the news with everyone before the holiday weekend. hope you guys are as happy as we are. =)

happy almost 4th!

2008-07-03T13:38:00.003-04:00

hi everyone! happy almost 4th of july!! hope you all have wonderful plans for the long weekend.

i've been rather busy and rather sick lately. there's a reason for the sick part... to be announced in a bit.

this young house

2008-07-02T14:58:00.003-04:00

we all know what a freak i am about home decor. i love anything having to do with furniture, lighting, fabric, etc. but what i really love to see is how real people decorate, or re-decorate, their real homes.

enter this young house. a friend of mine let me know about this blog this morning, and i'm completely enamored. the best section has to be the gallery, where you can look at a ton of before and after photos of someone's redesigned room. yummy!

hope you enjoy this spot as much as i do. =D

photo from here.

wall•e

2008-06-30T18:23:00.003-04:00

i'm still not feeling well, and i had a rough headache weekend. still, dave and i found some time to get out on saturday and have some relaxing fun. and on a whim, we decided to go see wall•e.

what fun! wall•e was so great -- funny, serious, sweet. i loved the take on "garbage" in the world... what a lesson for children going to see it. and the first 40 minutes almost being devoid of dialogue was masterfully done -- you didn't miss dialogue at all. as a mac geek, i also appreciated all the nods to my world, like iPods and the design of eve. gotta love pixar. they always deliver.

take your kids, or if you're kid-less, go by yourself, with your friends, or your sig. other. you won't regret it! a feel good movie if i've ever seen one. =)

not feeling well...

2008-06-27T08:42:00.002-04:00

sorry for not posting yesterday. i haven't been feeling all that well in the past couple of days due to my migraines. if i can, i'll definitely post later today.

thanks for understanding!
nicole

illustration week continues -- abigail halpin of miss avocado

2008-06-25T14:14:00.006-04:00

today's illustrator post is another etsy find -- abigail halpin of miss avocado.

a new dress.

abigail's work is quite a lot of fun -- sweet and spunky at the same time, most of the pieces found in her etsy shop are of lovely girls or a cute little boy, with a bit of attitude and a lot of expression. i truly enjoy how her drawn lines show through her bright colors, and that even her monochromatic pieces truly stand out.

slightly sorry.

hope.

check out abigail's work at her miss avocado etsy shop, or her blog and portfolio at theodesign.com.

i have an intern!!

2008-06-25T14:12:00.003-04:00

i'm so excited! i officially have an intern for the summer.

talya is the sister of a client of mine, and she's a total sweetheart. she'll help to keep me organized, as well as learning more about the design field. i'm sure i'll have her doing a lot of research for this blog as well, so i'm sure you guys will hear directly from her from time to time.

if you want, leave a comment and say hi to talya!

illustration spotlight -- namuga

2008-06-24T09:05:00.003-04:00

in my yearning for getting back into my artwork, i've been doing some researching of illustrators. so this week will be illustration spotlight week.

the big tree, namuga.

today's choice is namuga. artist brian kim seems to be pretty new to the etsy world, but his work is so much fun. whimsical and cute, with great linework, he mostly creates "characters" that have an awful lot of personality.

check out the namuga etsy shop! and pick up a print. i think i have just the spot for the little monster.

my name is monster, namuga.

what a nice way to end the week -- blog love!!!

2008-06-20T15:10:00.006-04:00

i'm so honored... i popped up on two blogs today. what a nice way to bring in the weekend!

first (above), miss canary on weddingbee noted the fat pig chocolates that i posted about earlier today. i'm so glad -- those chocolates deserve to be passed all around the internet.

also (above), kathryn of snippet & ink did a guest post today on summer wedding inspiration for ritzy bee. to my complete joy, adrienne & andrew's invitation was placed in one of the inspiration boards. thanks so much guys! i'll be sure to alert my clients, who will be THRILLED to pieces!

thanks to everyone who is tuning in and reading. days like this make me really happy.

fat pig

2008-06-20T09:40:00.002-04:00

finally, a chocolate that speaks to how i would feel eating it!

from brooklyn brothers design firm, via the dieline.

ikea brooklyn is open!

2008-06-19T13:37:00.002-04:00

call me crazy, but i am SUPER EXCITED that ikea has finally opened their long-debated red hook store here in brooklyn. now i don't have to drive all the way to NJ to get my stuff -- saving lots of gas and toll money!

the gothamist had photos from yesterday's grand opening... now this is what i can enthusiasm!!

photo courtesy of gothamist.

i miss painting...

2008-06-18T10:19:00.006-04:00

bagel buddha, 2003.
© nicillustration, all rights reserved.

... and drawing, and researching, etc.

i know a lot of my readers know that i was an illustrator in a past life (or, at least, a struggling one). but how much do you actually know about that? since i haven't painted for a loooonng time (two years, eek!), i know you haven't seen anything new.

vin diesel, 2004
© nicillustration, all rights reserved.

gwyeneth paltrow, 2003
© nicillustration, all rights reserved.

i was painting in oil since the age of 10. it was my first love... i majored in illustration at syracuse university. i drew or painted every day in my life. and after a couple years out of school, life took over -- and sadly, drawing and painting began to fade away.

old cat on a cold tin roof, 2006
© nicillustration, all rights reserved.

my husband dave and i are both regretting this... so we're thinking of taking figure drawing sessions once a week, to get ourselves back in the groove.

in this post, you'll find some of my old work. it's hard to believe how old some of them are. but i really hope to be creating some new pieces soon...

trump, 2004
© nicillustration, all rights reserved.

ewan mcgregor (from "down with love"), 2003. i met him too!!
© nicillustration, all rights reserved.

extreme heartbreak, home edition, 2006
© nicillustration, all rights reserved.

me! holiday promo, 2003
© nicillustration, all rights reserved.

cobble hill love

2008-06-16T18:05:00.002-04:00

as many of my readers know, i used to live in cobble hill, brooklyn. lived there for 5 years. loved it more than i can say. i love the neighborhood, i love the people, i love the shops that have been there forever. what can i say, i'm an italian brooklynite at heart!

the cobble hill blog posted a youtube video this weekend that intrigued me -- from an LA Times video by carolyn cole. it's about all the people that have had their shops in the neighborhood for years -- sam's restaurant, d'amico's coffee, raccuglia funeral home -- and how much it has changed in recent years. while i appreciate their intense love for the neighborhood and the history there, and agree with them on several points (like the idea that high-rise condos shouldn't go up in a brownstone neighborhood), i have to say that they're missing a few things. the beauty of cobble hill is the amount of small shops there -- many to new entrepreneurs -- that are the new mom & pop stores of cobble hill. and while people like me can't stay there forever because we can't afford it, there is a great love for the area -- displayed by those that find their new home there.

so, i say to the old, embrace the new. be grateful that the idea of small shops and people that you can get to know is still thriving in cobble hill. it's one of few areas left in this town that can claim that.

apartment update -- dining chairs!

2008-06-12T15:04:00.002-04:00

we got our dining chairs today! i'm so thrilled -- we finally have 6 proper dining chairs that do our table justice. we're not crazy about the seat fabric, but we knew that going in. we'll just have to recover them at some point in the future.

enjoy the pics!

daughter of design is blogging!

2008-06-12T09:03:00.002-04:00

my favorite wedding by annie lee of daughter of design

annie lee, the fabulous planner behind daughter of design, has finally got her own blog! i'm very excited about this -- annie is a great chick and a consummate professional, with a lot to say, and now we can all read it.

check out the daughter of design blog as soon as you get a chance. the first post is about rentable jewelry... fabulous!

babbo invite

2008-06-11T10:13:00.004-04:00

i'm so glad i finally get to post about this!!!

mario batali hosted a 10-year anniversary dinner for his fabulous NYC restaurant, babbo. it was a block party, with guest chefs from some of his best locations.

happily, a former wedding client of mine, jen, is currently working for a PR company -- the same PR company that was handling the event. and guess who she contacted for the invitations???!!! yay, a wonderful corporate gig! and for a fabulous restaurant... the foodie in me couldn't say no!

stationery & skirts -- pics!

2008-06-10T15:30:00.009-04:00

a guest viewing the wares.

ok, so, i know i'm delivering on my promises a bit late, but still, i'm delivering! so, with no further adieu, here are some pics from my setup at the stationery & skirts event.

my setup in the bookcase at kimera.

julia newman hanging out at the event... that's her sample albums and computer slideshow in front.

new work!!! i just completed megan & roy's wedding stationery accessories. this is their menu...

their thank you notes...

the front of their place cards (with space for calligraphy)...

and the back of the place cards. all letterpress done by peter kruty editions.

danielle and greg's response card.

adrienne and andrew's invitation suite. invitation above...

invite detail...

RSVP card...

and hotel/directions card.

new work!!! marni and michael's save the date. this is how it looks together -- a booklet and bookmark...

the interior of the booklet, with a poem inside...

and the bookmark, with the save the date info.

moroccan-influenced notecard. this will be on etsy soon.

programs from michelle and david's wedding...

and their save the date.

and last but not least... i always display the set that started it all. my wedding invitation! happily, it's always a big hit. the swirl ornament on the invite is actually a masked-out coffee stain, and the save-the-date was a coaster -- when you pulled it off the cardstock, you revealed a coffee ring. can you tell we had a coffee-themed wedding? =)

just a note -- i want to thank julia newman for joining us, and to yvonne as always for being a great partner in crime. hope to see you at the next one!

ambi-fun

2008-06-09T12:02:00.003-04:00

do you know what an ambigram is? wanna find out?

"anna" ambigram by nikita.

well, you're in luck! nikita prokhorov, designer and teacher, has started the ambiblog -- completely devoted to ambigrams and the art of creating them. it's brand new, and already has some really interesting stories, such as an interview with john langdon, who created the ambigrams for the book angels & demons.

check it out! great art, fun (albeit sometimes confusing) for the eyes!