3rd Annual Green Christmas

As the concern for the environment grows, my family has adopted an unusual gift-wrapping tradition.

It started when I became a mother - all of a sudden everything had a different meaning, and I worried about everything that affected my baby, including global warming.

That was the year I decided I wasn't going to spend a cent purchasing tissue paper, wrapping paper, and gift tags which would only end up in trash cans. Even if everything were recycled, I still didn't want to create more trash. Instead, I ended up decorating several formula containers and using them to place gifts in. When that wouldn't work, I went into my kitchen and used cereal boxes, oatmeal containers, soda boxes, etc. I would just place the gift inside the box, tape it shut, write the name with a sharpie, and add a bow.

This new method of gift wrapping is actually pretty fun, and the gifts don't look too bad under the tree! People always get a kick out of the containers their presents are delivered in, and I see it as a way to show off other designer's work. All these printed boxes are the work of a graphic designer out there, so why not show off their work under a new light?

Now that my daughter, my nephew and niece are a bit older, we gift-wrap only their gifts so we don't spoil the fun involved in paper tearing. But everybody else, six years and over, gets an environmentally friendly enclosed gift.

As the years go by, I hope to take the idea of a Green Christmas even further by gettting other friends and family members involved. There are many things we can do, but that's a whole new blog entry.

Hope everyone enjoyed many happy times this holiday!

Warmly,
Dio & Family

Party at the "The Parker" Palm Springs!

My client, L. Christensen knew exactly what he had in mind. As a designer himself (architect), he holds great appreciation for uniquely designed spaces such as Mister Parker's, an eccentric restaurant inside The Parker, in Palm Springs. He was planning a birthday party for his wife to be held in this truly unique place, and wanted the invitation to be a reflection of the location. I admit my first digital draft was a bit "non-parkerish", but after a few more words of inspiration from his part - BAM! There it was...Mister Parker's in a box, to be cherished by guests for years to come!

See the Resemblance?
For those of you who have never been inside Mister Parker's, I've included a picture below, taken from their website.

Design Details:
I found some beautiful paper at a scrapbook store which resembled the chandeliers inside the restaurant. Woohoo, lucky day! I used this gorgeous "chandelier pattern" flock-metallic paper, to line the inside of the brown box the invitation would be delivered in.
The invitation itself is multi-layered, displaying the same colorful geometric pattern and metal accents as the chairs inside the dining room. The text portion was printed on white stock with a hot pink trim, to resemble the menus. The focal point was the image of a satyr, which is actually the restaurant's logo, imprinted on the back of their business card.
On the inside of the lid, I added a belt consisting of the same chair pattern, to hold a map to this location. The back of the map was printed with a replica pattern of the restaurant's carpeted floor. The map I created was hand-drawn and colored with color pencil to resemble the existing property map for The Parker hotel.

Thank you, sir!
It was such a pleasure working with Mr. Christensen! This creation wouldn't have came about without his initial vision.