Font Obsession

Dork or Cool? I guess it depends on who you ask... Ok I admit it... I spend hours upon hours looking through fonts! It's simply therapeutic! Not to mention when you do find that perfect font the zen moment you experience! Ok so I'm a dork! I found this font called Buttermilk a few months ago and I have be desperate to use it on something! I think this was the perfect fit! For a chance to actually win the baking pan visit SHORTBREAD NYC!

I LOVE PIE!

Again what better way to sum me up if not for computers and baked goods... Not sure if its sad or tasty but I can take it! :D

10,000 More to go...

The Boston Marathon... Marathon Monday... Patriots Day... Whichever holiday or cause you wish to celebrate, on this day the people of Boston are out in full force! My friend and I were lucky enough to have found a parking spot right at one of the major intersections for the Marathon. So inspiring watching determination run past! For a split second I wanted to commit to running a marathon... emphasis on the "split second"!! Even still something huge like that gives meaning to the proverbial "big picture." What kind of goals can you set for yourself today? big or small it doesn't matter! BTW... Best poster ever!

The Best Pair...

A design for a new greeting card that I made this afternoon (you can buy them here)! I got the idea from a set of pillows that looked like two pieces of bread. One had PB on it, and the other jelly (which happen to be my two favorite things) anyway, it just was so cute and reminded me of the best pairs of things in the world... A few runner ups were going to be;

Bert & Ernie

Salt & Pepper

Tea & Scones

Katchup & Fries

.... humm obsessed with food much? You can buy these pillows from a seller on ETSY here. I think I might just have to splurge! And you can even get them custom embroidered! How adorable!

let's have an e blast!

Just a little "e" invitation design for a friends birthday party... Just so happens we did the cooking too!

You're Invited!

Come join SHORTBREAD NYC at Equinox March 23rd for National Health Month!

Free samples and cocktails! Plus you'll see me in a chef coat! What's not to love?

New Website Launch!

We over at SHORTBREAD NYC just redesigned our website! Visit us now for updated menus, photos, recipes and custom order information! Hope you find it as delicious as we do! Is your company looking for a redesign? Contact us for a personalized quote!

What Do You Call 'Em?

Not sure what you call these but either way they are delicious! Check out SHORTBREAD NYC for the recipe!

World Peas

Just got home from brunch on a beautiful sunday in Boston and decided to flop back down on the couch and design something wittiful! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Jump On...

This goes out to my Grafik Gurl Brooke. Forever will be the most chartreuse designer there is! Kern this! Reminds me of Shooting the Serif now doesn't it?

Speak No Evil

I created a series of rumor posters that were silk screened while I was living in London. I just stumbled across a PDF of this one poster while I was cleaning out my hard drive. I still love this design. I've always been drawn to gestalt type design work that refers to the form-forming capability of our senses. I find that anything that makes the viewer "think" is successful. It brings everyone into the design and feel like they were a part of the process. It makes me think of the work of the Beggarstaffs and how they really make you fill in the proverbial blanks to their posters.

A Designer is...

A Musical Cookbook

I designed this book years ago when I was working at CAHOOTS. So was doing a little bit of my early morning web surfing (as we do) and stumbled across it... PUBLISHED! This book is a collection of original songs set to traditional or original folk dances to inspire and strengthen communities in becoming a dancing community. Baker’s Dozen is a hands-on instruction manual to help even beginner dancers create their own community event. Folk dancing brings people of all ages together and it’s good clean fun. You can buy the book from her website or from amazon.

6 Reasons...

Why I love Jessica Hische! She designed these gorgeous posters for 6 consecutive covers of the boston glob. She is one of my favorite and current typographers and he work epitomizes pure and classy design that just works! Check out her full portfolio!

Perfect from A-Z!

The most beautiful piece of furniture I have ever seen and I'm not one to normally get excited about furniture! Now if only it didn't cost a couple months rent it'd be mine. Designed by Kent and London out of vintage printing blocks!

Food Advice...

Not really sure what this does for me but fun to design none the less... Also I guess this applies to people who absolutely love the taste of full fatted butter and oil... I say; TRUST WHAT YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE :D

Mai Wae or the Thai Wae

Visit www.thaiusup.blogspot.com to follow my culinary travels through southeast Asia!

Even More...

This logo as a T-Shirt, mug, postcard and much more are for sale here. I personally dig the boy shorts, and would make a really cute gift!

More Valentine's Typography/

SHORTBREAD meets JshortDesigns...

A logo you can eat?! What better way to sum me up? A delicious butter cookie with lemon teal icing... YUM! You can order them and any other custom shapes and designs from SHORTBREAD NYC / The Healthy Baker!

For the Love of Food

I'm Allergic to Dairy!!

Every time my boyfriend and I go out to a restaurant I forget to tell the waiter that I'm allergic to dairy. And somehow I always end up with a plate full O cheese! I didn't order it but it just creeps up onto everything... salads, soups, even cheese less things have cheese these days. So i have a solution... Save the kitchen, waiter, me and my boyfriend the hassle... BUTTONS! Email me if you want one too :D

Caramel Crunch Recipe Cards

A SHORTBREAD special! Double click on this recipe card to use as a tag on your Valentine's Day gifts! Not to mention that this recipe is fabulously easy and fabulously delicious!!

Valentine's Day Coupons

For My Man :D

7 am... can't sleep... So i made cute Valentine's Day (or any day) coupons. Click here to download a set of 4 and use them yourself! If you have Illustrator you can even edit the name and holiday! Happy Valentines Day!

What Ever Happened to the Rebus?

I used to love those word puzzlys as a kid and for some reason I started looking different ones up today. After much research I decided to make one of my own in honor of my current design inspiration & the upcoming Valentine's Day! Oh and how could I forget. I bought a new font today called Memoriam... Had to take her out for a test drive DUH! :D

AIGA Event

What Drives You? Join AIGA Boston for a day of design inspiration at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. We will be introduced to the exhibit by MoMA Creative Director, Brian Bergeron, who will give us an exclusive talk on how museum exhibits and other events effect messaging and creative at the retail level. Directly following the talk we will go on to explore the "Bauhaus 1919-1933: Workshops for Modernity" exhibit. Afterwards you will be free to visit the many other inspiring exhibits such as: Tim Burton; The New Typography; Irving Penn; Gabriel Orozco; and Monet's Waterlilies. Alternatively you can relax in the Bauhaus Lounge specially created for the Bauhaus exhibit. The museum will be open until 5:30 PM.

A Quote to Live By!

“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.”

-Jessica Hische

Filling in the Gap

Found an adorable idea online for a Tooth Fairy Kit... working on recreating it now for my parents dental office. What an adorable way to celebrate tooth loss! Appropriation is the sincerest form of flattery :D

Eatin' Beans

In Boston for the weekend... Check out these awesome posters! They have tons of other cities too! Even one of the brain :D

Amazing Poker Face Parody

Menu Mind Games

I just read this incredible article in New York Magazine about the importance of design, particularly menu design! Read below for the most amazing marketing tricks using Balthazar's amazingly designed menu as an example. It just goes to show the importance of design and layout!

1. The Upper Right-Hand Corner

That’s the prime spot where diners’ eyes automatically go first. Balthazar uses it to highlight a tasteful, expensive pile of seafood. Generally, pictures of food are powerful motivators but also menu taboos—mostly because they’re used extensively in lowbrow chains like Chili’s and Applebee’s. This illustration “is as far as a restaurant of this caliber can go, and it’s used to draw attention to two of the most expensive orders,” Poundstone says.

2. The Anchor

The main role of that $115 platter—the only three-digit thing on the menu—is to make everything else near it look like a relative bargain, Poundstone says.

3. Right Next Door

At a mere $70, the smaller seafood platter next to Le Balthazar seems like a deal, though there’s no sense of how much food you’re getting. It’s an indefinite comparison that also feels like an indulgence—a win-win for the restaurant.

4. In The Vicinity

The restaurant’s high-profit dishes tend to cluster near the anchor. Here, it’s more seafood at prices that seem comparatively modest.

5. Columns Are Killers

According to Brandon O’Dell, one of the consultants Poundstone quotes in Priceless, it’s a big mistake to list prices in a straight column. “Customers will go down and choose from the cheapest items,” he says. At least the Balthazar menu doesn’t use leader dots to connect the dish to the price; that draws the diner’s gaze right to the numbers. Consultant Gregg Rapp tells clients to “omit dollar signs, decimal points, and cents … It’s not that customers can’t check prices, but most will follow whatever subtle cues are provided.”

6. The Benefit Of Boxes

“A box draws attention and, usually, orders,” Poundstone says. “A really fancy box is better yet. The fromages at the bottom of the menu are probably high-profit puzzles.”

7. Menu Siberia

That’s where low-margin dishes that the regulars like end up. The examples here are the easy-to-miss (and relatively inexpensive) burgers.

8. Bracketing

A regular trick, it’s when the same dish comes in different sizes. Here, that’s done with steak tartare and ravioli—but because “you never know the portion size, you’re encouraged to trade up,” Poundstone says. “Usually the smaller size is perfectly adequate.”

A Vegan Holiday Card

© Designed by JshortDesigns

Anyone Who Helped with My Site...

Form Follows Function

If in food simplicity is the way to go, wouldn't that go hand in hand with design too?

If you agree with me in ANY WAY, eat here! Form definitely follows function!

Step Up to the Plate...

These plate graphics were designed for a promotional holiday gift for Bon Appétit advertisers. The plates received an American In house Design Award from Graphic Design USA! That was cool as a cucumber! For more portfolio pieces, click the portfolio link in the left column of the page for a slideshow.