piccola
MAG
issue #1 / june 2011
premier issue
T reasure From the Curators 9
5 3
7 Our Contributors Design Showcase
1
•
Piccola Magazine
Map Resources
31 11
Business Showcase
47 25
After Hours Issue #1
•
2
From the Curators There are a few things you need to know about Heather and I: 1. We’ve never met, but we’ve been friends for years. 2. We love small businesses, both own our own businesses, and both are involved with small business design. 3. Our collective dream is to make small businesses amazing. All of them. And there are a few things you need to know about Piccola Mag: 1. Piccola is our baby. And we’re pretty much in love with it. 2. It’s meant to be very informal. Small businesses aren’t about suits and low-heel sling-backs anymore, folks. It’s sun dresses and sandals. That’s the approach we’ll take here, too. 3. It’s community-driven. Which means we want your help to make Piccola fabulous. We sure hope to see you around!
emily 3
•
Piccola Magazine
Emily is a small business designer and the one-woman show behind emmarie Web Design, and the blogger behind emmarie Designs. She pretty much hates tomatoes, Comic Sans (gees, what designer doesn’t) and loves the smell of hot wet asphault after a summer rain.
Heather, whom Emily will forever refer to as Viva, is the paper and blog designer behind Viva la Violette, and blogger behind the purple at Viva la Blogette. She’’s obsessed with - you might have guessed it - purple, Alice in Wonderland and loathes beans. What more would you need to know?
Issue #1
•
4
Contributors Stephanie Pesano Amewsme Photography Maya Wechsler Maya’s Eye Photography
5
•
Piccola Magazine
Marty Harper BBs Tees
Maggie Whitley Gussy Sews
:
Wanted
• Bloggers • Photographers • Small Business Gurus • Small Business Owners Piccola Mag is a community-supported small business blog, and we’re looking for fantastic folks to help us keep on truckin’! If you would like to contribute to our blog, our next issue, or just have a fantastic idea you’d like to see in Piccola, shoot us an email!
Jena Cora Modish Blog
Our columns include Business Showcases, Design Showcases, Resources and After Hours. I see fantastic things in our future and I hope to hear from you soon! hello@piccolamag.com
Issue #1
•
6
Brand Accessorizing Ele-Fancy Necklace ModCloth
Mosaic Festival Dress Ruche
Illy Espadrille Endless.com
7
•
Piccola Magazine
Brown Puzzle Print Pillow South of Market
Lovely Sleeping Bird Pipodoll on Etsy
Lima Alpaca Brown Throw Crate & Barrel
Issue #1
•
8
Card: junge scha Designed By: And and Nina Dautzen Printed by: Lothar Type: Laminated
Card: Twig & Thistle Designed & Printed by: Twig & Thistle Type: Letterpress
Card: Lindsey Casabella Designed by: Amanda Cassabella Printed by: DGI Type: Die cut
achtel drea Gadesmann nberg r Hartmann card with peel back
Card: Alessandro Gugliotta Designed & Printed by: b-type design Type: Laser Cutting Card: Tina Durocher Designed by: Tina Derocher Printed by: Dingbat Press Type: Letterpress with edge painting
Killer Business Cards Few things get designers going more than a fantastic business card design. It’s in our designy-makeup. And few things cause design-savvy small business owners more anxiety than the search for the perfect business card design. We love them. And a good one will conflict us with envy of the designer’s genius and we’ll covet the business owner for their great taste. These cards are fantastic. Ingenious. Pretty stinkin’ snazzy.
Capital Idea Article by Emily Thompson Photography by Maya Wechsler
Lauren Liess is best known for her successful blog Pure Style Home, an interior design blog with a loyal following and a bit of a personal flair that is often missing from other similar blogs. Funny and quirky, Lauren’s blog has always served the purpose of being a creative outlet for her to share ideas and inspiration. Though, what began as a way to share with her close family and friends, quickly grew to reach thousands of readers a week. Lauren’s Pure Style Home blog is how most of us design-savvy and blog-lurking folks know Lauren, but the blog is only an outlet, directly connected to her interior design
13
•
Piccola Magazine
Issue #1
•
14
business, Lauren Liess Interiors, which lauched in 2007. Lauren started The Pure Style after giving birth to her first child, and what had started as a desire to work only part-time quickly grew into a full-time business with multiple employees.
her newly-launched fabric and furniture line.
Lauren’s Pure Style branches - interior design services, online shop and blog - each are distinct, but have been successfully branded in order to bring them all together, a feat not easily Recently, Lauren’s Pure Style family has conquered. What’s more, her home studio - as well as the rest of her stunning grown to also include an online textile Washington, D.C. abode - all reflect the shop, aptly named Pure Style Home by Lauren Liess, featuring hand-picked same airy and fresh style. A style that is finds to spruce up any space as well as completely Lauren Liess.
15
•
Piccola Magazine
Issue #1
•
16
“She created a lifestyle and 17
•
Piccola Magazine
d way of doing things that’s really special.” Issue #1
•
18
Inspiration reaches Lauren from many places, but her branding inspiration came from the lifestyle surrounding Rachel Ashwell and her popular shabby chic style. “It seems to me like her design philosophy has dripped down into every aspect of her life,” says Lauren, “and I really love how she’s done that. She’s created a lifestyle and way of doing things that’s really special.” In regards to her home studio, Lauren wanted a light, airy and natural space, much like most of her other personal spaces. She admits to not layering as much as she would usually do in order to allow herself to focus on her projects, as opposed to the space that she works in.
Lauren’s new fabric line will be available for purchase later this summer!
19
•
Piccola Magazine
21
•
Piccola Magazine
“Everything in my studio has a place” Issue #1
•
22
23
•
Piccola Magazine
Organization in her studio is also very important. Lauren provides, “Everything in my studio has a place, so although it’s totally trashed during a project, I can easily put everything away and stay organized.” And with her fast-growing businesses and product lines, staying organized is more important than ever. Lauren Liess has proven her eye for design, and not only with her clients’ spaces, but also with her own studio and multi-faceted branding scheme. The art of expressing oneself adequately across several medium is a rare gift, one that Lauren has easily conquered.
Check out Lauren around the ‘net at the following places: Blog: Pure Style Home Interior Design Services: The Pure Style Shop: Pure Style Home by Lauren Liess launching soon
Issue #1
•
24
Shop Local with
25
•
Piccola Magazine
Me
Article and Photography by Jena Coray
Long gone is my reliance on shopping at the chain-gang of big-name national retail stores. I’ve found anotha’ lova’, one that has stolen my heart and refuses to ever let me go to a Wal-Mart ever again. You see, I’ve fallen in love with: shopping locally. Easy for me to say, right? I live in Portland, OR, one of the most small-business friendly cities in the country. It’s a city that not only encourages independent retailers to come in, but it actually seems to push the national chains out as far to the outskirts of town as they can get. It’s a city overflowing with amazing independent shops, food carts galore and thriving summer farmer’s markets. It’s a place where creatively self-employed people seem to thrive and a city that prides itself on the diversity of its local businesses. I know, we’re pretty lucky here. By living in Portland and seeing all the positive effects that small, local businesses can have on the community, I realize more now than ever just how important it is to support them, in whatever ways I can. Here are three reasons why I choose to be a loyal-as-Ican-be, local shopper:
Issue #1
•
26
1
27
•
I like good food. Nay, love it. It makes my world go round. It keeps me happy and healthy and yes, full. It’s something we all need every single day of our lives and is thus one of most important purchasing decisions we can make. Eating more locally means eating better, fresher, safer ingredients that have traveled a much shorter trip to your plate than anything you’ll find at a national chain restaurant or grocery store. And all of that makes locally sourced food taste a whole lot yummier and be a whole lot healthier, too. So, we choose the Mom & Pop taco-truck over the Mexican fast food chains, the farmer’s market & locally grown veggies over the imported ones, and we choose to eat at locally owned restaurants that pride themselves on serving good food with fresh, local ingredients.
Piccola Magazine
2
I don’t ever want to have the same dress as another girl at the party. Ever since I was a little girl I used to dread the day where I’d show up to school wearing the same sweater as someone else. Oh no! The horror! But independently owned shops are free from the corporate guidelines and mass market appeal that larger retailers succumb to. This lets them be more innovative in their product offerings, more creative in their spaces, it allows them to market to a specific niche, and it gives them the freedom to try new things and change. It allows them to be exciting and offer a truly unique experience along with truly unique products, and that’s something those big box stores just can’t deliver.
Issue #1
•
28
3
29
•
I would rather my money go to people, not giant corporations. Local shops carry more goods made by people, not factories, and help support artists, designers and talented folks all over the country, and well, those are the kind of people I like best! Plus, when you make a local purchase, whether it’s at the neighborhood corner store, with an independent service provider or at the farmer’s market- more money stays within the local community. (As much as 45-58% more!) Why? Because small businesses end up putting a higher portion of their profits back into the community by buying more supplies locally, advertising locally, sourcing products locally, etc. It’s a big cycle of re-investment that keeps money flowing and helps communities prosper.
Piccola Magazine
So perhaps now you can see how my torrid love affair with shopping locally began in the first place. I’m certainly not perfect- I also have Ikea shelves with books purchased from Amazon on them. But the point is not to be perfect- the point, I think, is to be more conscious. To make more informed decisions. To know and care about where the items you’re purchasing come from. And perhaps that will lead you into patronizing more of your local businesses along the way.
Visit Jena on her blog at ModishBlog.com
Issue #1
•
30
T exas-Sized Hearts Article by Marty Harper and Emily Thompson Photography by Stephanie Pesano
About thirty miles north of downtown Dallas is the city of McKinney, Texas. Within this city, there is a square - the Historic Square of Downtown McKinney - and in this square there is a store. A store with big dreams of shaping the minds and improving the habits of their customers. A shop named Patina Green.
31
•
Piccola Magazine
Patina Green, named after the beautiful As a young married couple, Robert and color of aged copper, offers a fabulous Kaci Lyford always bought from local growassemblage of goods and services. The ers and shopped antique stores. This simquaint shop offers antiques and vintage ple and eco-conscious way of life was the inspiration they drew from when they decidfreshly prepared meals. Robert uses the ed to opened Patina Green in June 2010. produce he sells to make breakfast and They took their lifestyle, which is based on lunch entrees. They do not cater to their the idea of reusing, repurposing and recyclientele’s learned palette, but rather cook cling, and turned it into a home and market what is fresh and ready for the moment. store.
Issue #1
•
32
33
•
Piccola Magazine
Issue #1
•
34
35
•
Piccola Magazine
Issue #1
•
36
37
•
Piccola Magazine
About thirty miles north of downtown Dallas is the city of McKinney, Texas. Within this city, there is a square - the Historic Square of Downtown McKinney - and in this square there is a store. A store with big dreams of shaping the minds and improving the habits of their customers. A shop named Patina Green. As a young married couple, Robert and Kaci Lyford always bought from local growers and shopped antique stores. This simple and ecoconscious way of life was the inspiration they drew from when they decided to opened Patina Green in June 2010. They took their lifestyle, which is based on the idea of reusing, repurposing and recycling, and turned it into a home and market store.
Issue #1
•
38
Patina Green, named after the beautiful color of aged copper, offers a fabulous assemblage of goods and services. The quaint shop offers antiques and vintage finds, produce, dairy and meat, soaps, and freshly prepared meals. Robert uses the produce he sells to make breakfast and lunch entrees. They do not cater to their clientele’s learned palette, but rather cook what is fresh and ready for the moment.
39
•
Piccola Magazine
Issue #1
•
40
41
•
Piccola Magazine
Issue #1
•
42
43
•
Piccola Magazine
Issue #1
•
44
Robert and Kaci have a passion for repurposing and making things beautiful. It is a passion that is contagious, and this conviction is spreading. A community has built around Patina Green, transfixed with bettering the planet by giving everything a second chance. “Everything in the store has a story,” Kaci says, about everything from the food they made to the products they sell. Patina Green does not use a printed paper or plastic shopping bag, as
45
•
Piccola Magazine
most stores do. They recycle shopping bags. Customers bring in bags from any establishment, from grocery stores to lingerie boutiques, and Patina Green uses them as their shopping bags. Attached to each recycled bag is a hand stamped tag describing their repurposing efforts. Even the very face of Patina Green is made of recyclable material. The facade of the store is embellished with siding from a torn down building in Ft. Worth, Texas.
And what has this shop’s wonderful ambition of saving the planet gotten them? A very loyal following. Since opening in the summer of 2010, word of mouth about this incredible shop and their mission has traveled fast. Who needs marketing when all the buzz is about you? The community has embraced the concept behind Patina Green, and the result is a blossoming business for Robert and Kaci - a business they believe in and love dearly.
Find Patina Green online at PatinaGreenMarket.com
Issue #1
•
46
Date Night Article and Photography by Maggie Whitley
My husband and I have been married for almost 3 years. We live in Minneapolis with our puppy, Bauer, and spend a lot of time having fun and talking. One thing we’ve always loved about our relationship is the friendship that’s intertwined, something we make sure we maintain. Zack is a Producer at a post-production house (he basically works on amazing TV commercials!) and I am an Indie Biz owner, designing ruffled accessories and sharing my experience as I work from home. Since we both work with media, it’s really easy to bring work home and keep at it. We also love what we do for a living, so it’s easy to work late or want to check in. BUT! We know how important it is to “date” each other, so weekends are our “Zack & Maggie” time. We go out to eat, take Bauer on walks, and meet up with friends.
47
•
Piccola Magazine
Issue #1
•
48
Just recently Zack and I went to a restaurant in Uptown - a neighborhood in Minneapolis - called Uptown Cafeteria. It’s a super-fun diner that offers a spin off the traditional brunch menu. We hopped on the city bus and enjoyed the gorgeous day! We both ordered brunch and took our time sipping coffee and fountain Coke. We even ordered dessert, and I only had to bat my eye lashes once. Things we like to talk about on dates: where do we want to live next, funny work stories, dreams & inspiration for Gussy Sews, how cute our puppy is, what crazy-cool gadget does Zack want for the computer or I want for the kitchen.
49
•
Piccola Magazine
The best part of our date was getting away from the house and exploring this amazing city. We’ve lived here for about 18 months, and we’re constantly finding local shops & restaurants. Zack is wearing a button-up from Target and jeans from the Gap. Maggie is wearing a sweater, tank and skinny jeans, all from Target; yellow market tote is from Gussy Sews; necklace is from Lisa Leonard.
Follow Maggie on all of her adventures on her blog, GussySews.com.
Issue #1
•
50
T hanks for reading! Don’t forget to check the Piccola Mag website often for our daily posts about small businesses and design.