On random inspiration ~ i was unpacking my bags from freshly getting back to LA ~ and realized being at a conference and sitting in talks was much like being back in school... flowing out of my bags come notebooks, pens, conference packets, scraps of paper, and more covered in scribbles and notes and doodles of an abundance of ideas!

On an even sillier note ~ i realized i'm totally obsessed with the DWR Tools for Living Press Kit that doubles as a super functional notebook that has nice stark white pages and fun super thick cardboard covers! And the Federated Media pen from the CM Summit has been great as well - both visually and functionally (so much, that i even stole dan's). Both have been ending up in my purse repeatedly enough that i thought they warranted a random sunday post! And while i was showing you that... my "speaker's gift" from FM was a nice and subtly branded Moleskine! Which is awesome, except playing with it during the summit, made me realize - i find a blank white piece of paper amazingly inspiring... but RULED PAPER, kind of freaks me out. I think there's something about lined paper that is just too rigid for me - definitely a big fan of the free form. Take a look at closeups of them all on the next page!

TO PAGE 2 of "On Notebooks and Pens"! ----->

Tags: book - dwr - events - notebook - paper - pens - press kit

DWR's second Tools For Living store launches tomorrow, and i just popped into the Santa Monica store for a quick press preview... it is GORGEOUS. And in this heat wave, you won't want to leave the lovely, spacious, air conditioned store filled with designer goodies that are fully functional in your everyday life!

While i can't even imagine picking all of my favorites and temptations from the store quite yet (perhaps we'll save that for the gift guide!) ~ i couldn't help myself when taking pics, and ended up with about 30 on the next page to give you a feel for the store in person. There really is something so great about being able to spin around a store ooohing and ahhhhing about products i've only seen online, or have been unable to find in the US that i saw at foreign trade shows. So especially for those who aren't close enough to pop into the DWR Tools For Living Santa Monica or SoHo stores, take a browse at the gallery on the next page! With holiday shopping around the corner, i can already tell this will be one of my new last minute gift stops...

TO PAGE 2 of "DWR Tools For Living Santa Monica"! ----->

Tags: dwr - gifts - shopping - travel

I love it when you're excited about an event, but then the physical invite comes... and its JUST as fun - to the point where you want to pop it into a frame even! I've been pretty giddy about the idea of DWR branching into smaller gift/products, which they are appropriately calling "Tools For Living". The Santa Monica store is opening October 2nd ~ and i can't wait for the opening! Also, i think we can all agree that this will probably be a hit for holiday shopping -

The DWR: Tools for Living store is adjacent to Santa Monica's DWR Studio, on the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and 4th Street, where Route 66 meets the ocean. Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade is one of Southern California's most bustling districts, the ideal setting for DWR's first cash-and-carry concept. You'll find well-designed items for travel, work, kitchen, outdoor and more. Plus, with free, custom gift wrapping, DWR: Tool for Living is the area's best bet for the ideal gift for anyone who is design obsessed. Robert Rodriguez runs the store with his friendly staff.

So more to come on the launch... but for now, check out the full invite design on the next page! Love the silhouettes - black and the one red on a nice hefty cardboard...

TO PAGE 2 of "The Invite: DWR Tools For Living"! ----->

Tags: cards - dwr - invite - santa monica - shopping - store