1st Anniversary: Gocco

My Husband, looking uber suave in Italy.

Or Paper.

My husband uses a lot of stationery. He writes so many Thank You notes that a friend of ours offered to sponsor his induction into the Junior League. I, on the other hand, still have a dozen or so thank you cards to write from our wedding, which was over a year ago. So, I knew that for our first anniversary I would drag my Gocco printer out of the closet and make him his very own set. I do design a fair amount of personal stationery, and actually really love doing it. I believe everyone should have their very own insignia, be it whimsical, traditional, or even a little off-beat. Usually, clients come to me with ideas for what they want, what creature or flower or icon best represents them, and I do my best to translate it through artwork, or in some cases embroidery, but for my husband... I decided not to ask him. In our home, after all, I am Senior Art Director.

I took a long walk along 8th avenue, lost in thought and looking for inspiration. If you are wondering what this creative process looks like, most of my friends can tell you that it looks a lot like someone wandering slowly along a bustling sidewalk, staring into space and looking as though they have just been grazed by a fast moving taxi-cab and are still in shock. I have a tendency to sort of... check out. A boyfriend of mine in college once told me that I was like "an incredibly smart person who has unfortunately been hit very hard on the head". Anyway, it seems to work for me, at least until I wander into traffic while staring at a dress in a store window or something.

Immediately, I noticed the squirrels. They are such savvy, alert little New Yorkers. A bit grubby, alarmingly cute, obsessed with survival for all but two weeks out of the year, when they seem relaxed and interested in each other. Trying exceedingly hard not to get squashed by a city that moves without sympathy for anything that stands still. What better animal to represent a nice midwestern boy trying to survive in the world of New York City finance? This was my guy.

and here he is again, enjoying his two weeks by the lake in vermont:

resources include gocco printer, blank envelopes and notecards from paper presentation, and very cool box from the container store. travel watercolor set and moleskin watercolor notebook, both small enough to fit in the pocket of your jeans.