Design Gossip

NY Fashion Week Days 6 and 7

2012-02-17T19:00:00.002-06:00

Final FW post, I promise. This last collection of looks is just so lovely, I wish I had an occasion (and the budget) to wear clothes like these. Happy Friday!

Tory Burch

I love this collection, LOVE it. It's so romantic and whimsical.

Badgley Mischka

This collection is a nice contrast to Tory Burch. These outfits look a bit like something that the White Witch from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe would wear. And the styling of the hair is fabulous!

See all of the other looks here.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

See all of the looks here.

Oscar de la Renta

Okay, so forgive me for just posting the biggest, frilliest dresses, as there were many other pieces in the collection, but I am just drawn to how magical and pretty they are!

And seriously, how cute is he?!

The entire collection is here.

NY Fashion Week Days 4 and 5

2012-02-16T18:43:00.000-06:00

I'm going to combine my favorites as I got a little behind trying to follow the day-to-day activities. Shocking, right?

Diane Von Furstenberg

An old favorite, I love the variety in this collection and the pops of color here and there. See all of the looks here.

Lela Rose

I had actually never heard of this designer before, but I am now obsessed. The mix of prints, the colors, everything about this collection is beautiful. View all of the photos here. Trust me, it's worth your time!

Alice + Olivia

Wild and fun, that's how I would describe Alice + Olivia.

See the other looks here.

Carolina Herrera

Elegant, beautiful, sophisticated. I just LOVE that white dress with the lines and orange belt.

See everything here.

All of the images are via the New York Magazine Fashion Section

And the Winner of the Pattern Contest is...

2012-02-15T21:09:00.002-06:00

CJ! You won me over with your idea for a Ryan Gosling pattern. Best. Idea. Ever. So I will soon get to work on a fun pattern of books that hopefully your new little one will enjoy! Thanks for the comments everyone, you all had some great ideas!

NY Fashion Week Day 3

2012-02-15T20:59:00.001-06:00

Day 3 was all about guilty pleasure designers, those that I don't really want to admit
that I like, but do.

L.A.M.B.

Yes, it's somewhat shameful, I'll admit, but Gwen Stefani's clothes are cute and wearable. Check out all of the looks here.

Christian Siriano

Loved him on Project Runway, and I like the mix of leather with lighter fabrics in this collection.
See all of the looks here.

All images via NY Magazine Fashion Section

NY Fashion Week: Day 2

2012-02-12T12:14:00.001-06:00

Rag and Bone

The fabrics and mix of prints in this collection is fabulous, see all of the pieces here.

Jason Wu

The lines and floral details seem to be signature details in Jason Wu's designs. I like the bold use of red in his pieces as well. The entire collection is here.

Rebecca Taylor

I liked the muted sophistication of this collection. See all of the pieces here.

I searched high and low for photos from Kate Spade, but no luck so far. If I can find any, I will be sure to post my favorites, as I am just in love with everything that they have been doing lately. And as before, all images are via the NY Magazine fashion section.

RIP Whitney

2012-02-12T10:19:00.000-06:00

NY Fashion Week: Day 1

2012-02-09T23:03:00.001-06:00

Fashion Week in NYC has begun! Fall 2012 looks will be debuting over the next week and I will attempt to follow along and share some of my favorite pieces, so it will be a little fashion-heavy around here for a while. There is just so much inspiration to be found (for me, at least!) in the colors, textures and fabrics that walk the runway.

NY Magazine has a great guide to fashion week, it's packed full of info on the shows and photos from the collections. All images are via the NY Magazine Fashion Section.

Costello Tagliapietra

I LOVE them! The fact that these two gentlemen created all of those delicate, beautiful dresses just makes me smile. Be sure to check out the rest of their wonderful collection here.

BCBG (bon chic, bon genre-good style, good attitude) Max Azria

The colors and construction of these dresses are gorgeous, they just feel like fall. See the full collection here.

Tadashi Shoji

I love how these dresses have a slight 20's/flapper vibe. They remind me of Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. View the entire collection here.

Kate Spade and Rebecca Taylor are tomorrow-more soon!

Wu Hoo! The Jason Wu for Target Collection

2012-02-05T15:14:00.001-06:00

NE Minneapolis Target Store, February 5th 2012

This morning the Jason Wu collection launched at Target stores, and while I usually refuse to get up early to shop, or feed into the frenzy surrounding limited-edition items, today I made an exception. I met my friend/very fashionable co-worker (of Editorialistyle) bright and early in attempts to snag a few of the items on our wish lists.

There was a lot of excitement in the air, and it was rather fun to chat with women of all ages while waiting in line. We lucked out and ran into a woman in the dressing room who is a professional stylist, and she helped us make a few key decisions regarding our purchases. Everyone was so friendly and the only rude behavior we witnessed was one woman who cleared out the entire handbag section with one swoop of her arm. I have a feeling that all of those bags are headed to Ebay, or she is just a very generous person and plans to gift them all to friends.

I was a little nervous to enter Target after reading so much about the Missoni Mishap last fall, but this experience was quite fun and friendly. The collection was better than I had anticipated, especially after seeing a few of the Missoni pieces in person and being completely underwhelmed.

I got two things that I just love -a little black dress that definitely channels Audrey Hepburn, and this fun navy dress that feels kind of vintage, like something one of my old paper dolls would wear.

What do you think of the collection? Love? Indifferent? What about the concept of high-end designers releasing lines for Big Box retailers like Target?

Vintage Valentines

2012-02-04T18:24:00.000-06:00

My mom has quite the collection of old valentines, aren't they wonderful? I scanned a few of my favorites to share with you, have a wonderful weekend!

New Pattern: Sock Monkeys

2012-02-01T20:40:00.002-06:00

Pattern by Emily Laurel Harris, 2012

I've been working on a project for a special little lady, and decided to take some bits from it to make this pattern. Kinda fun, right?

New Doodle: Lots Of Hearts

2012-01-28T20:41:00.000-06:00

Heart doodle by Emily Laurel Harris, 2012

A little doodle full of hearts and love for Saturday!

Happy Friday!

2012-01-27T19:36:00.002-06:00

A few fun things for the weekend, have a good one!

1) Check out this KitchenAid mixer made out of legos by Bruce Lowell. Fabulous! See all of the other fun Lego sculptures here. via Colossal

2) Did you see Maurice Sendak on the Colbert Report? He's so feisty!
Watch part 1 and part 2

3) The Jason Wu collection is coming to Target on February 5th, he designed the gown that Michelle Obama (the link will take you to a great photo gallery of gowns throughout history) wore to the inaugural ball. What do you think of the collection? These are a few of my favorite pieces. See the whole collection here.

4) Have you seen Midnight in Paris? Oh my goodness, it's absolutely wonderful and caught me totally by surprise. I am a huge Woody Allen fan as Manhattan and Annie Hall are two of my most favorite movies. If you haven't seen this one, I highly recommend it and the soundtrack is pretty great as well. Vanity Fair posted an article on some of the inspiration behind the movie, but if you haven't seen the film, be cautious before reading it because the article gives away some of the major plot points!

In Anticipation of Red & Pink

2012-01-24T19:39:00.000-06:00

For some reason, I am really into Valentine's Day this year. I can't seem to stop pinning Valentine's related goodies on Pinterest, I am looking forward to sending out fun little cards to friends, and I have been obsessing over what cupcake recipe to try this year when I make my annual batch of Valentine's Day treats.

This holiday has the reputation of being all about schmaltzy drug store boxes of chocolate, traditional red roses, and stuffy prix fix dinners at overpriced restaurants. It shouldn't be this way! When I was small, my friends and I would start making valentines the day after Christmas (no store bought cards at my house!). Every year we go over to my parent's house for homemade (sometimes heart-shaped) pizza, and I began baking cupcakes a few years ago to bring into the office for my co-workers. For me, it's all about creating my own fun and making someone's day a bit brighter. I also love any excuse to pair pink and red together!

Here is a little round up of Valentine's Day inspiration from around the web, and if this doesn't get you somewhat excited for Feburary 14th, I just don't know what will!

Image from Bella Eats

This is the cupcake recipe that I am going to try. Sounds divine, right? via Bella Eats

Images from Rifle Paper Co.

I adore everything from Rifle Paper Co., but these festive cards are especially cute.

Image from Barnes and Noble

Tamsin Ainslie's illustration work is just so sweet and wonderful. I recently purchased a copy of this lovely little book for M's niece. It's darling, and hopefully the perfect Valentine's gift for a little bookworm that loves to turn the pages all by herself!

Image from Just A Few Prints

This is such a wonderful print by Paul Octavious, which is a heart made from 51 books about love. I desperately want one to hang in my house. via Swissmiss

Image from Sprinkle Bakes

And then, I stumbled upon this recipe for Red Wine Lollipops. What?! I need to make these, as they sound like the perfect holiday treat. via Sprinkle Bakes

A Little Giveaway

2012-01-20T19:15:00.000-06:00

As a thank you for reading this blog, I have decided that it's time to host a little giveaway! I am still convinced that most of my followers and readers are either spam or family members, and I am not saying that family is at all like spam, just to clarify!

So here's the deal: I will send a framed print of one of my patterns (US addresses only) to the winner. In the comments, leave me an idea for a fun pattern by Valentine's Day (2/14), and you are entered to win. I will pick my favorite and try to even make a pattern from the winning comment at some point in the coming year!

Happy weekend, y'all!

PS-The winner will get to pick what print they would like from a small selection of my patterns.

Magic Mary Jane Dolls

2012-01-15T18:18:00.000-06:00

I dug these out of my paper doll collection a while ago, aren't they fantastic and retro? They were so fun to play with when I was young, I just can't get over the outfits!

A New Look!

2012-01-15T16:21:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time coming, but I finally got around to giving my website a re-design. Please check out www.emilyharrisdesigns.com if you have a moment!

Moonrise Kingdom

2012-01-12T19:43:00.001-06:00

Jessica Hische, the lovely, SUPER talented lady that I was lucky enough to have lunch with at the HOW Conference, tweeted earlier today that she worked on the lettering for the new Wes Anderson film, Moonrise Kingdom. Um, DREAM PROJECT! The movie doesn't come out until the end of May and I just don't know how I will wait that long. From the trailer, it looks to be quintessential Wes Anderson (complete with Bill Murray-yes!). Oh my goodness, I am so excited. I am a hard-core Wes Anderson fan, as you may know, The Royal Tenenbaums is one of my all-time favorite films. I may just have to have a mini Wes Anderson movie marathon to tide me over until this one is in theaters.

It's Almost the Weekend!

2012-01-05T23:08:00.001-06:00

And I hope I have time to read piles of books. Happy (almost) Friday! What will you be reading this weekend?

Image from Kate Spade
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A New Year, A New Drawing

2012-01-01T19:20:00.000-06:00

Drawing by Emily Laurel Harris, 2012

It's the first day of the year, how exciting! I thought I would start off the new year with a new little doodle that I finished today. It finally feels like winter here in Minnesota, so the timing is appropriate. The weather for the past two months has been pretty incredible, although I did kind of miss having snow on Christmas. The new year began with a blast of cold air and a lovely ice/snow mix, so I guess winter has decided to arrive in 2012, just as I was getting used to, and loving, the above average temperatures.

2012 Here We Come! Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T17:56:00.002-06:00

It's hard to believe that another year has flown by already! In a way I am sad to see 2011 come to a close because so many exciting things happened, but I love the seemingly fresh beginning that the new year brings. I'm not really into resolutions, but I do like to take some time to think about the coming year and things that I would like to do, or accomplish. Do you have any resolutions or goals for the new year?

As always I want to read more, blog more, continue to eat well, but most importantly, I would like to take more time to appreciate the people and things that make my life so wonderful. Sometimes I feel as though I complain too much about the unnecessary, or focus too much energy on the negative instead of taking in, and enjoying all of the good that surrounds me. Bad habits are hard to break, but it's always worth trying, so I guess that's one of my big goals for 2012. Bring it on, new year!

Thank you for taking the time to read my little piece of the internet. Here's to a safe and happy new year, and may 2012 be filled with lots of good things for us all!

Image via We Heart It

Favorites of 2011: Recipes

2011-12-27T12:57:00.000-06:00

2011 has been the year of cooking for me. I swear I have spent more time pouring over cookbooks, and finding recipes on the internet than reading novels. I love to think about, plan and make food more than I actually enjoy eating it (okay, that may be a bit of a stretch, but that's how I've felt lately).

The internet has revolutionized the way that I cook and go about finding recipes. While I love flipping through the pages of cookbooks, the accessibility of the web for recipes and food blogs (my new favorite) is incredible.

Photo from Food 52 by Sarah Shatz

One of my favorite internet finds is this recipe for Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini and Basil Pesto from Food 52. This soup is amazing, filled with vegetable goodness. I subbed turkey bacon for the pork and the soup still obtained a nice, smoky flavor. Yum! It's easy to make, just a lot of chopping and some simmer time.

I purchased the Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook this year after owning and loving the regular Test Kitchen cookbook. Everything that I have made from this book has been great, and it's nice that there are so many vegetarian recipes complete with nutritional info for each one. They makeover many popular foods so they are more healthful, and one of our favorites is the Buffalo Chicken Salad. I love making the blue cheese dressing from scratch, and the sauce for the chicken is spicy and perfect. Seriously, if you like to cook, check out any of the Test Kitchen books, they are filled to the brim with great recipes and interesting information.

Another good cookbook that I encountered in 2011 was Nigella Kitchen. I honestly didn't know too much about Nigella Lawson when I checked out her book from the library, but I was very impressed with what I found, so much so that I bought my own copy. My only complaint with this book is that sometimes the ingredients are hard to find here in the states since she lives and cooks in London.

Image from Nigella.com

The recipe that really stood out is her Flourless Chocolate Lime Cake with Margarita Cream. This cake is amazing, trust me. Go make this right now. The dense chocolate cake is perfection paired with the tart margarita whipped cream. I'm not a huge baker or dessert person but this cake is just fabulous.

May 2012 be filled with many more recipes and delicious eats!

Up next: Favorite Books

My Favorites of 2011: Music

2011-12-21T21:01:00.000-06:00

I am a list person, so I always love this time of year when all of the best-of-the-year lists come out. I thought I would share with you my own little compilation of favorites from 2011, beginning with music.

This year, upon the release of Bon Iver's new self-titled album, I became obsessed. And then I saw him perform live and it was hands down one of the best shows that I have ever seen. Kathleen Edwards, who he is apparently dating, opened for him and she blew me away. I got goosebumps while listening to her, she is that amazing. She has a new album coming out in January, and I highly recommend you check it out, especially the track, Change the Sheets.

I'm not going to lie, I am a rather big fan of Ryan Gosling (for his acting skills, obviously) so I kind of blindly went to see Drive, without watching any previews. I had heard good things about it and the movie was getting decent reviews so I figured, why not? Big mistake. It was quite possibly one of the most terrifying movies I have ever seen! I don't do very well with anything scary or intense and this was a lot of both. However, it was rather well done and there was not much dialogue throughout the film, more of a showing rather than telling story, which I enjoyed except for when I was hiding behind my scarf (basically the entire 2nd half of the film). The music in the film is fantastic, made up of primarily musical scores by Cliff Martinez. I can't get enough of track #3, A Real Hero by College featuring Electric Youth.

I stumbled upon the Swedish band Little Dragon through NPR, and I am glad that I did. Ritual Union is the name of their newest release and my favorite track on the album. A nice new musical discovery for 2011!

Up next: Favorite Recipes of 2011

Some New Projects!

2011-12-18T18:41:00.000-06:00

Have you ever used Moo.com for printing? I would highly recommend them, the colors are always bright, vibrant and true to the original file. I also like the paper stock that they use. What I love the most is that you can print as many different designs as you wish in one print run, which is basically a dream come true for someone who loves patterns as much as I do. Below are some photos of my new business cards and my 2011 holiday card, hot off the presses!

Candy Cane Holidays

2011-12-05T19:33:00.001-06:00

A peek at the letters I created for our holiday card, they are supposed to arrive this week from the printer, and I can hardly wait! I will post some photos when I get the final cards.

New Pattern: A Modern Crazy Quilt

2011-11-17T22:15:00.001-06:00

Pattern by Emily Laurel Harris, 2011

A new little pattern I made that reminds me of a crazy quilt.

My Weekly Internet Collection

2011-11-11T16:18:00.001-06:00

A short list of things that I found fascinating this week.

1. This article on The Book Deal about book jacket design.

2. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the illustrated version of Food Rules: An Eaters Manual by Michael Pollen, illustrated by Maria Kalman (my idol).

3. I am obsessed with listening to podcasts of Design Matters with Debbie Millman. She recently interviewed Jake and Pum Lefebure of Design Army. Have a listen.

4. I absolutely LOVE the cover of this book, and I can't wait to check it out. The book trailer animates some of the lovely illustrations by Carson Ellis (The Mysterious Benedict Society). Apparently the baby brother in the story is abducted by a murder of crows and is taken to the impassable wilderness. Sounds wonderfully creepy and weird.

5. I really want to make these Crispy Squash Rounds via How Sweet It Is, such an interesting idea!

Hand Lettering Inspiration

2011-11-09T21:37:00.002-06:00

While searching the interwebs for a few nice examples of hand lettering, I came across some fantastic images.

I am absolutely smitten with the work of Katie Daisy, a fellow MCAD alum, isn't her lettering beautiful?!

Another goodie I found is the work of Jay Roeder, I particularly love his Biggie Smalls "Juicy" set on Flickr.

Want more eye candy? The work of Mary Kate McDevitt is just fabulous.

Little Snapshots

2011-11-06T21:58:00.002-06:00

Some recent photos taken with Instagram, probably one of the apps I use the most on my iphone. Love it!

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T16:49:00.000-05:00

I hope you have a spectacularly spooky Halloween!

Leafy Pattern

2011-10-28T07:52:00.000-05:00

Leaf pattern by Emily Laurel Harris, 2011

During Milton Glaser's class this summer, he emphasized the importance of drawing and how many people in the age of the computer don't really know how to draw. Since the class,
I have really been trying to create more by hand and do things off of the computer. My mom and I have been drawing together for the past few Sundays, and this sketch was done one glorious fall afternoon in the backyard. I then took it into the computer and turned it into a pattern. It is just so satisfying to work with simple materials like a pencil and an ink pen every once and a while.

A Crazy Collection of Witches

2011-10-17T22:55:00.001-05:00

I absolutely love this time of year. When I was small, the month of October was always filled with trips to the library for stacks of Halloween books, which is how I think my fascination with witches began (the pointy black hat, broom riding kind).

Photo Source

I adore the TV show Bewitched (love the title font too!), I always wished that with a wrinkle of my nose that I could magically change things around me.

Photo Source

The witch from The Wizard of Oz is just so perfect, and incredibly spooky! She has the cackle absolutely perfected.

Photo Source

So I know this one isn't a Halloween witch, but I had to include the White Witch from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The BBC version is the best, and she is one creepy witch. Don't take any Turkish Delight from this crazy lady!

My favorite storybook witch has to be Dorrie, with her little black cat Gink. The books have long been out of print, but after doing some research it appears that certain titles are being reprinted!

And of course to be a true witch, you need a perfectly spooky house.

Photo Source

I always loved the house in the movie Beetlejuice.

Photo Source

But my all time favorite spooky house is The Addam's Family home, similar to The House by the Railroad in this Edward Hopper painting from 1925.

Photo source

Urbanized

2011-10-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

This evening I saw Urbanized, the new film by Gary Hustwit who also directed Helvetica and Objectified. The film focuses on the design of cities, and all of the complexities involved in planning and urban development. Who shapes our cities? How do they do it? A fascinating look at how citizens around the world are getting involved to improve the spaces in which they live.

Artist Lecture: Craig Thompson

2011-09-27T21:30:00.001-05:00

A while back a co-worker recommended Blankets (Craig Thompson's memoir) to me, which I basically devoured. It was honestly one of my first ventures into the world of graphic novels, and after reading this wonderful story, I will definitely be reading more of this genre. If you haven't read Blankets, please do. It's fantastic.

Last night I was lucky enough to see Craig Thompson speak at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He is so talented, my goodness! His new graphic novel just came out last week, and it is truly a work of art. Habibi took seven years to make, but once you see it, you will understand why. He does everything himself, by hand. It's pretty incredible to see the amount of detail and research that went into this masterpiece.

Patterns on Pillows!

2011-09-20T23:27:00.000-05:00

This evening I was tinkering around in Photoshop and decided to test some of my patterns on pillows, lampshades, etc. Here are the results, and now I am kind of wishing I hadn't done this because I oh so badly want to make pillows immediately!

Background image from Country Living

Animated Alphabet

2011-09-20T19:03:00.001-05:00

The Alphabet 2 from n9ve on Vimeo.

I am in love with this animated alphabet by Italian creative firm n9ve.

Cut Paper Fashion

2011-09-19T22:47:00.000-05:00

The other day when I Googled Origami, I came across these beautiful cut paper fashions by Ralph Pucci. Amazing.

New Pattern: Origami

2011-09-15T22:18:00.001-05:00

As I was working on this pattern, it unintentionally began to look like Origami. I have always loved the colorful, patterned papers and that a few folds could turn a flat piece of paper into an intricate, three dimensional object.

Fashion of the Future

2011-09-02T20:36:00.000-05:00

I found this little gem of a video on Twitter and just had to pass it along. Predictions from the 1930's as to what clothing would look like in the year 2000. Fabulous!

Weekend Reading

2011-09-02T15:33:00.002-05:00

With the long weekend in front of me, I am looking forward to making a dent in my massive TBR pile. Here are a few of the selections I will be reading over this final weekend of summer.

1. Just Being Audrey by Margaret Cardillo, illustrated by Julia Denos
I bought this not only because I love Audrey Hepburn, but I adore the work of Julia Denos. I highly recommend her blog, The Cinnamon Rabbit. It's interesting that a children's book was published about Ms. Audrey in 2011, but I guess she is just a timeless lady!

2. Scripts, Elegant Lettering From Design's Golden Age by Steven Heller and Louise Fili
Talk about a power couple! Steven Heller is the author of over 130 design books, the co-chair of the design MFA program at the School of Visual Arts AND a columnist for The New York Times Book Review. His blog, The Daily Heller is full of all kinds of conversations about design.
Louise Fili is known for her beautiful typography, restaurant design and love of Italy. Her work is simply stunning.

3. bon appetit magazine because the recipes always look delish and the photography is fabulous. What's not to love?!

4. Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain
After a fantastic, unforgettable meal at his restaurant while I was in NYC, I had to move this one up on my to-read list.

What will you be reading this weekend? Happy Friday!

Moveable Type Truck

2011-08-29T19:50:00.011-05:00

Today on my way home from work I stopped by Open Book to check out the Moveable Type truck, a cool little studio set up in a 1982 Chevy Step Van. Funded through Kickstarter, the truck was converted into a fully functioning letterpress studio that travels around the country so people can learn more about the art of letterpress through demos, workshops, etc. It's a sweet little space, and a great project. Check out how an old linens van was converted into the workspace here. Thanks for stopping in Minneapolis, Moveable Type!

Woven Photographs

2011-08-26T22:39:00.009-05:00

These photos by South Korean photographer Seung Hoon Park are wonderful. 16mm film is cut and loaded into a large format camera and the processed result is like a mosaic of films. This project stemmed from the sprawling complexity of Seoul and how it is now the second largest megalopolis in the world. You can read a bit more about the project here.

Images from Juxtapoz

Savage Beauty: The Alexander McQueen Exhibit

2011-08-13T17:21:00.016-05:00

"People don't want to see clothes," ... "They want to see something that fuels the imagination."

From the collection Romantic Nationalism, Widows of Culloden, Autumn/Winter 2006/7. Dress of McQueen tartan; top of nude silk appliqued with black lace; underskirt of cream silk tulle.

"You've got to know the rules to break them. That's what I'm here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition."

From the collection Romantic Exoticism, Summer 2001. Overdress of panels from a nineteenth century Japanese screen; underdress of oyster shells; neckpiece of silver and Tahiti pearls.

"I don't really get inspired [by specific women]....It's more in the minds of the women in the past, like Catherine the Great, of Marie Antoinette. People who were doomed. Joan of Arc or Colette. Iconic women."

Dress from the Romantic Exoticism collection, Spring/Summer 2001. Razor clam shells stripped and varnished.

"I relate more to that cold, austere asceticism of the Flemish masters, and I also love the macabre thing you see in Tudor and Jacobean portraiture."

Romantic Gothic, House of Givenchy Haute Couture, autumn/winter 1997-8. Dress and gloves of black leather. Collar of red pheasant feathers and resin vulture skulls.

"I want to empower women. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress."

Romantic Nationalism, The Girl Who Lived in the Tree, autumn/winter 2008-9. Coat of red silk; dress of ivory silk tulle embroidered with crystal beads.

"Beauty can come from the strangest of places, even the most disgusting of places...It's the ugly things I notice more, because other people tend to ignore the ugly things."

I feel so fortunate that I was able to see the McQueen show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art while I was in NYC last week. The exhibit of his pieces was just incredible and made for a wonderful, moving experience. Apparently, it was the 8th most popular show at the Met in 141 years. The exhibit was so well thought out and curated, and so many different emotions were evoked throughout the various rooms of the show, it was simply stunning. He was a master of his craft and it's a terrible loss that he is no longer with us today. The details of his work and materials that were used to create each piece are beyond words. If you were not able to attend the show, I highly recommend checking out the book Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty, it is a fabulous summary of the exhibit.

Images in this post from Ology

I Heart NY

2011-08-09T16:36:00.009-05:00

Classic Central Park

AMAZING McQueen exhibit at the Met.

Lovely dinner at Les Halles, Anthony Bourdain's restaurant

Marimekko Storefront, Flatiron district

The beautiful Flatiron building

An interesting variety of mushrooms at the Eataly Market, Flatiron district

A wonderfully challenging, amazing, inspiring and exhausting week. Thank you NYC, for being such an incredible host.

NYC In Pictures

2011-08-03T20:51:00.012-05:00

Photos by Emily Laurel Harris, 2011

I'm in NYC this week, and it has been an exhausting and highly emotional experience for reasons which I may talk about a bit later. For now, some photos.

My Geek Out Moment at the HOW Conference

2011-07-24T12:38:00.006-05:00

A definite highlight of the HOW Conference was having lunch with the ridiculously talented Jessica Hische. She is so sweet and her work is AH-mazing. I don't know how she does it all! Be sure to check out her wonderful project, Daily Drop Cap.

PS-I was SUPER nervous in this photo, can you tell?!

Friday This & That

2011-07-22T15:51:00.017-05:00

It's Friday. It's hot. I'm distracted. I am trying to work on a very challenging project, and it's coming together quite slowly. While trolling the internet for inspiration, I came across these lovelies to share with you. TGIF! Stay cool!

Some valuable words from Ira Glass, it's like someone KNEW that I needed to see this today. Via Mint Design Blog

I just stumbled across the work of Emma Block, and I love, love, love her style.

And I would really like a glass of this Back Porch tea, recipe from Saveur.com. Sounds delicious, right?

MAKES ONE DRINK

INGREDIENTS

6 oz. unsweetened, fruit-infused iced tea (like Republic of Tea's Cranberry-Blood Orange Black Tea)
1.5 oz gin

Sliced white peach, or another fresh fruit

Seltzer to top

INSTRUCTIONS

In a collins glass filled with ice, combine the tea, gin, and fruit. Top with seltzer, stir, and serve.

Harry Potter Tribute Exhibition

2011-07-18T21:54:00.016-05:00

Hogwarts at Night, by Caroline Hadilaksono

Hermione, by Ana Galvan

Psychedelic Luna, by Xavier Collette

Doutes, by Alexandre Day

Hagrid Holding Harry, by Scott C.

Snape, who is fantastic in the movies, BTW. By Nicolas Bannister

Untitled, by Lorelay Bove

I am a big Harry Potter fan, more so of the books than the movies. I actually rather dislike all of the movies except for the first one, so I probably won't be rushing to the theater any time soon. Fortunately, I can still get my HP fix at the Gallery Nucleus website. This gallery in California is having a tribute show with works by a wide variety of artists (and styles). They have posted most of the work online and there are over 100 pieces to browse through. I don't think the show runs much longer, so check out the website soon, if you are interested! I had to stop myself from posting many more images, there are just so many cool ones!

Beautiful Video Recipe for Beet Cake

2011-07-10T12:43:00.004-05:00

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

This video has been floating around the internet, but it is just beautiful! I love the idea of a video recipe, espeically when it is done like this.

HOW Design Conference Part 2: Studio Tours

2011-07-09T16:02:00.021-05:00

Before the speaker sessions of the HOW Design Conference really got going, I took a studio tour of six different design spaces around the city of Chicago. It was fast paced, as we only had about 15 minutes at each studio, but it was so interesting to see how and where other designers work. Unfortunately, I did not get photos in all of the spaces, but hopefully this will give you a sense of the variety of places that I saw.

Our first stop was at The Post Family, a screen printing/letterpress/design collective. Comprised of a group of 7 friends, most of whom have full time jobs, they use their space as a workspace and gallery and their work revolves around the ideas of collaboration and community. I love that they actively choose to spend their free time together making work and helping/inspiring one another even after they have been at their jobs all day. It must be exhausting, but so rewarding to be making all of that personal work!

Next, it was on to the Threadless t-shirt company, which was I very excited to see! I am a big fan of their shirts, and their business model is just so interesting. They don't actually design any of their shirts in house, all of the designs come from the general public. People vote on submitted designs and the ones that win get printed (and then the person who made the design gets paid). Their space is AMAZING. Each division of the company got to design their own workspace, so every floor looks different and everything was so colorful and vibrant. A great workspace, for sure! Plus they have two Airstreams, a mode of transportation that I dream about often.

Stop #3 was at Design Kitchen, an ad agency/user experience company. Their studio name came from how people always tend to gather in the kitchen at parties.

Then it was on to 15 Letters, a small interactive studio. They make interactive user experiences for museums, like the image below which they did for Walmart. Yes, Walmart has a museum and the studio built an interactive kiosk/table for them. They showed us this progressive map of the growth of Walmart stores and by the end the world is filled with yellow dots, it's truly terrifying. But the device they built to house this map is amazing, and they are a tiny studio of like 5-10 people!

Stop #5 was at Avenue, a branding agency. They help companies launch new products and websites. Most of their focus is on business strategy and brand identity, from motion graphics to packaging for a retail environment.

The last stop was at Grip Design, an agency that has worked with clients such as Bluefly and Rockport Publishers. They do a lot of packaging design and one of their founders, Kevin McConkey, spoke later in the weekend. He was hilarious, full of energy and very inspiring!

A full afternoon of driving around Chicago, taking in lots of different design work and studio spaces, it was tiring for sure! I love to see the behind the scenes, where the ideas come from, so it was definitely a worth while adventure.

Strawberry, Vanilla & Chocolate

2011-07-07T22:49:00.004-05:00

Ice cream pattern by Emily Laurel Harris, 2011

The celebration of National Ice Cream month continues with another pattern. I totally broke down and had a fudgesicle while I was making this, I couldn't resist after drawing all of these treats!

Dairy Queen Cone Pattern

2011-07-06T23:13:00.004-05:00

DQ cone pattern by Emily Laurel Harris, 2011

It's National Ice Cream month, so to celebrate I am going to make some ice cream patterns. I thought I would start with one of my favorites, the Dairy Queen cone. DQ began here in the good old Midwest and nothing says summer like one of their cones, they are delightful!

On My Bookshelf: Pulled by Mike Perry

2011-07-05T21:10:00.014-05:00

As soon as I saw images of this book, I knew I had to have it. Fortunately, one of my co-workers nabbed a copy for me at Book Expo America (thanks, Kay!). I have one of Mike's other books, Over & Over, which is also fantastic. If you are a fan of screen printing, I recommend this book to you, it's full of inspiration!

Let Us Eat Cake!

2011-07-05T20:32:00.003-05:00

Just a little cake pattern for your Tuesday evening.

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T22:31:00.005-05:00

Watermelon is one of my all time favorite summer snacks. Yum!

Owls!

2011-07-04T11:06:00.003-05:00

I miss making patterns, so to procrastinate from the 500 other things I should be doing, I drew some owls!

Follow Your Heart

2011-06-30T21:26:00.004-05:00

Another random doodle as I challenge myself to create, create, create, as much as I can.

Inspired by the 80's

2011-06-28T21:09:00.012-05:00

Photo by the Sartorialist

Image from UrbanOutfitters.com

I am kind of loving the 80's sunglasses paired with loud, colorful prints on shirts and dresses trend. I was inspired by the colors and music to create this sketch. Say what you want, but I loved Starship back in the day, and I still kind of do. Yup, I am a child of the 80's!

Chicago: Part 1

2011-06-28T12:14:00.019-05:00

I just returned from a five day adventure in Chicago for the How Design Conferen ce, which was completely inspiring and amazing! I am still organizing all of my notes and thoughts so my first post is all photos. I can't wait to tell you all about the speakers and what I took away from the conference, more soon!

I love this camera store. The sign, as well as the inside are so old school. The place is stocked floor to ceiling with Leica, Mamiya and Rolleiflex cameras, as well as REAL film and many other goodies. I wish there were more stores around like this, it's a little gem!

We stumbled upon this cool Obey mural, it was huge!

The Picasso sculpture in Daley plaza was one of the first major public artworks in Chicago.

The Corn Cob buildings are among my favorite structures in Chicago.

Loved this window display, such crazy detail in the paper cutouts.

Feeling Nostalgic

2011-06-13T22:00:00.006-05:00

I have been going through some family photos and I came across a few that I just fell in love with. These are my grandparents (mother's side), and I just desperately want to know what their life was like. It makes me wish that they were still around so I could hear their stories, and talk shop with my grandfather, who was an Art Director. They were two wonderfully creative people, and I hope I can attempt to carry on their creative sensibilities and talents through my own work.

Isn't that photo of them at the beach just fabulous? They look SO happy!

30 Birdies Day #4: Robin

2011-06-12T21:43:00.004-05:00

So this is my 4th bird, but it is actually the 12th day of the project-eep! More to come!

Inspiration: Fired Earth Tiles

2011-06-09T22:34:00.007-05:00

Yes, I have fallen behind on my 30 Birdies project, but I am working on it and hope to catch up soon! In the meantime, I found these pretty tiles on the Kris Atomic blog. Aren't they beautiful?

30 Birdies Day #3: Cardinal

2011-06-03T21:29:00.002-05:00

A pretty red bird with a sweet song.

30 Birdies Day #2: Chickadee

2011-06-02T20:50:00.003-05:00

My dad made me a birdhouse this spring and it was quickly inhabited by a pair of Chickadees, they are just so cute! I have enjoyed watching them from my kitchen window as they flutter around the yard. I imagine their family to be quite adorable!

30 Birdies Day #1: Herring Gulls

2011-05-31T21:35:00.006-05:00

I decided to participate in 30 Days of Creativity again this year, so hopefully I will be creating something every day throughout the month of June. This year, my project is focused on birds, specifically those that are common to Minnesota.

My first post is of two sweet seagulls. However, they really should be called Herring Gulls, as my birdie BFF likes to remind me.

So stay tuned for 30 days of birds, or 30 birdies!

A Little Doodle

2011-05-23T21:34:00.005-05:00

Here is a little something that I have been working on over the past few days. My heart goes out to those dealing with the aftermath of severe weather both here in MPLS and in Joplin, Missouri. How tragic and devastating, here's hoping you see some sunshine soon.

The Beauty of the Neon Sign

2011-05-19T20:56:00.009-05:00

Aren't these old neon signs beautiful? When I first started taking photography classes in high school, I loved seeking them out. I came across this article on the idsgn blog, and apparently there is a neon museum in Vegas that looks AMAZING. It is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the iconic art form. Vegas isn't really my kind of place, but it would be so cool to see all of these old signs!

Birds!

2011-05-11T21:22:00.000-05:00

It has been so lovely to wake up to birds chirping outside our window the past few months. I don't realize how much I have missed them until they return with their frenzied chatter. I found this neat little collection of bird images via Children's Illustration blog.

Make it Beautiful

2011-05-07T21:34:00.001-05:00

Video: Make it Beautiful a video by The Indigo Bunting on Flickr.

A beautiful little video for your Saturday.

Inspiration: Carolyn Gavin

2011-05-02T21:09:00.006-05:00

Check out these little cuties from illustrator Carolyn Gavin. I just love her blog, Designer Jots, it's full of lovely things.

Inspiration: Julia Humpfer

2011-04-29T22:29:00.007-05:00

I stumbled across the work of Julia Humpfer, an illustrator from Germany. Isn't her work lovely? I love the variety of styles. Check out her blog and website, simply delightful!

Spring Flowers

2011-04-23T20:45:00.003-05:00

Hopefully we will see some soon, it's extra chilly today. Where is spring?!

On My Bookshelf: Funny Bunny

2011-04-14T20:27:00.015-05:00

Time to think spring, even if it's still a bit chilly here and yes, snow is in the weekend forecast. Sigh. But this book I have to share with you is bright and cheery!

Funny Bunny was written by Rachel Learnard with illustrations by Alice and Martin Provensen, published by Simon & Schuster in 1950.

This is a story about a cute little bunny without a tail who is called Funny Bunny by the other critters in the forest. He goes on a little adventure to find a tail for himself. The illustrations are darling and I love the vivid colors, so fun! This book seems like it would have been a designer's dream to work on with the pretty end sheets, type, and pop ups, such great additions to this lovely little story.

Love the lettering.

What a fun way to start the story!

Love that the birds are wearing sweaters.

How cute are the baby raccoons and kittens?

He found a tail!

LOVE.

Inspiration: Little Golden Book Gown

2011-03-31T21:02:00.008-05:00

Have you seen this? A friend sent me the link today and I just couldn't stop looking at the photos. Isn't this dress by Ryan Novelline, made entirely of recycled Little Golden Books amazing? The final product is incredible, but I find the process photos the most fascinating. Check out all of the photos here.

All photos from the website of Ryan Novelline

Purrfect!

2011-03-24T20:49:00.003-05:00

I often imagine this is what our cat thinks when she is all cozy on her rug.

A Little Sketch

2011-03-20T21:06:00.004-05:00

I have been making an effort to doodle in my sketchbook more. Here are the results of a little drawing session I had the other evening. I'm not sure if I will do anything else with this or not, but it sure was fun to make!

I Heart NY

2011-03-12T23:58:00.006-06:00

I recently found out that I was accepted into the Milton Glaser summer program at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. I will spend a week this summer studying with Mr. Glaser himself! He designed the popular I Love NY logo, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2009. He is such a legend in the design world, it will be quite the honor just to be in the same room with him!

I found this video on the Milton Glaser website, and had to share!

Illustration Friday: Layer

2011-02-21T14:47:00.003-06:00

Layers and layers of cake. Yummy!

A Little Saturday Night Doodle

2011-02-05T23:53:00.004-06:00

I love it when I have the time to just play around with Illustrator and Photoshop. Here are the results of some sketching on a quiet Saturday night.

Some Winter Photos

2011-02-04T21:54:00.008-06:00

Minnesota winters are notorious for below zero temps and piles of snow, and this year is no exception. It's been a rough one, I am so beyond ready for green grass, thunderstorms and sitting in my backyard in the warm sunshine. However, over the past few weeks, the light in the mornings during my commute has been amazing.

I altered these photos with the Instagram app for the iphone. While some don't think so highly of this app, I love it. As a photographer, I think it is a fun way to experiment and I love having a toy-like camera in my pocket. Sure the quality is not the best, but creating these images has helped me get through some long, dark days.

Six Word Story Every Day

2011-02-01T09:42:00.003-06:00

The story that I designed is up today on Six Word Story Every Day, a collaborative blog inspired by the work of Ernest Hemingway and run by Anne Ulku and Van Horgen. Go check out all of the great stories!

Illustration Friday: Surrender

2011-01-31T20:26:00.004-06:00

Cupcakes get me every time!

Illustration Friday: Deja-vu

2011-01-09T00:06:00.000-06:00

Same dream, different colors?

It's a New Year!

2010-12-31T18:43:00.005-06:00

It's almost 2011, crazy right? It feels like this past year went by in the blink of an eye! I wish you all the best in the coming year, let's make it a great one!

Image from We Heart It

Kylie Jean Trailer

2010-12-21T20:19:00.006-06:00

I made this book trailer for a super cute set of books that I designed. The series was illustrated by Tuesday Mourning and written by Marci Peschke. The books are available at the beginning of the new year. Yay! Check out the whole set on Capstone's website.

Snow Day

2010-12-11T16:00:00.009-06:00

The worst blizzard since '91! The chili and spiked hot cider are simmering on the stove, and the bundt cake has been frosted. It's cozy up in here!

Illustration Friday: Savour

2010-11-30T22:04:00.002-06:00

During the holidays I like to savour the smell of fresh pine and the taste of candy canes. Despite the cold, and snowstorms during my commute, I love this time of year!

'Tis The Season!

2010-11-29T20:33:00.004-06:00

Festive music is playing on the radio, lights sparkle in front yards, and cars fly by with trees on top. The holidays are here! What is your favorite thing about this time of year?

I snapped these photos last year when the snow finally began to melt. I love the little bear heads peeking out of the snow!

Joke Books

2010-11-26T16:43:00.009-06:00

It's been a while since I have posted recent projects, so here are some (not so great-sorry!) photos of a set of joke books that I designed for Picture Window Books. It was a fun challenge to make these covers primarily type driven.

Busy Bee

2010-11-07T20:43:00.003-06:00

I have been a busy little worker bee the past couple of weeks getting ready for the annual MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) Art Sale. Alumni are able to participate for the first five years after they graduate, and it's a great opportunity to show and sell some work. It sure was hard work getting 25 patterns framed and ready for the sale, but it felt really good to be in the studio working again!

Bits of Halloween

2010-10-23T22:46:00.010-05:00

Here are some bits and pieces from books I love, all related to my most favorite time of year. It's almost here!

The wicked witch from Knuckle Heads, illustrations by Michael Slack and story by Joan Holub. Copyright 2008

Wouldn't you like to drive a broom-o-cycle or a pumpkin car? I certainly would! From Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. Copyright 1974

Another Richard Scarry illustration from the cover of Richard Scarry's Best Stories Ever, copyright 1971.

These little guys are of course from a Lauren Child book. My Extremely Good Charlie and Lola Annual 2009, to be exact.

Illustration Friday: Spooky

2010-10-16T22:44:00.004-05:00

So I made this pattern a while ago, but I changed some colors so that counts right? And it's spooky, so it totally fits the theme.

Illustration Friday: Transportation

2010-10-09T20:06:00.005-05:00

As I was doodling ideas for a new pattern, I came up with this little pink bike.

On My Bookshelf: Ed Emberley's Big Orange Drawing Book

2010-10-09T17:01:00.011-05:00

Hello! I have another fun little Halloween goodie to share with you, Ed Emberley's Big Orange Drawing Boo k. Copyright 1980, published by Little, Brown and Company. As I have mentioned before, I am a big Ed Emberley fan, so this instructional Halloween drawing book was an exciting find. I love how his books show every single step of the process, as I am a total nerd for diagrams. His drawings are so simple, yet charming and in this case, perfectly capture the spirit of Halloween.

On My Bookshelf: A Woggle of Witches

2010-10-03T11:42:00.010-05:00

I love Halloween, it's most definitely one of my favorite holidays. My collection of Halloween books is growing at steady rate, so I thought it might be fun to share a few of my favorites with you each week leading up to this fantastic holiday of mine.

Let's start with A Woggle of Witches by Adrienne Adams, copyright 1971, published by Aladdin Paperbacks. Oh my, how I love this book! As a child I was obsessed with becoming an honest to goodness, broom flying, black hat wearing, witch. I even would have been delighted to become Samantha from the TV show Bewitched, which I was also fascinated by as a small one. But alas, I never learned to fly so my supply of witch books would have to suffice.

I love, love, love the illustrations in this book, and the primarily black color palette gives the book just the right amount of spook and fun. These witches sure do know how to have a good time!

It's My Favorite Time of Year

2010-10-01T18:36:00.006-05:00

The days begin to grow shorter and cooler. The leaves turn red and orange and gold. Put on your jacket and take a walk. The first day of fall is here.
-From A Book of Seasons by Alice and Martin Provensen

Fashion Week: My Mindless Mini Recap

2010-09-24T18:56:00.017-05:00

Hello, it's been over a month now since I updated this old thing. We have been so busy working on the house that I have let the blog completely slide. But here I am, ready to keep my tiny piece of the internet alive, somehow.

So, as I have said before, I love Fashion Week. But I completely missed out this year on NY's week (my fav.), because I have been so preoccupied with other things. I have been browsing the Women's Wear Daily website to get myself up to speed.

Some of my favorites:

Alice and Olivia-Love them because their outfits are simple, yet completely beautiful.

Betsy Johnson-I have loved her forever, she just has so much spunk! Now I am not a big fan of the outfit below on the left, but the one on the right? Adorable! Pairing a dress with wellies, if done right, is just so sweet.

Kate Spade-I love that her style is so classic, yet with a twist. Her magazine ads are beautiful, and she just knows how to market her brand so well. I'm not so sure about the black socks with heels in the bottom photo, though.

That's my mini fashion ramble for now, but there is more to come soon, I promise!

Totally Random Tuesday

2010-08-10T18:55:00.009-05:00

I already posted this on Facebook, so my apologies if you have seen it before, but this little video just makes me smile and I can't stop watching! Lately, things have been kind of chaotic (I left my car running while I was getting gas the other day, which I NEVER do), so this video has gotten many views from me in the past few weeks. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Apparently, this little guy was on America's Got Talent, a show I don't watch, but one of his videos became quite popular on the internets. He's such a cutie!

What's Up?

2010-07-16T20:26:00.006-05:00

Yikes! It's almost been a month since my last post, sorry friends! It's been insanity over here, but in a good way I guess, since some exciting things are happening. First of all, we are all moved in to our new home! And that does not mean unpacked, or organized, or anything like that, because there are boxes everywhere. But things are slowly coming together, and it's just so nice to be here that we don't even really care. Also, I have been designing books like a mad woman, as you can see from the photo, and that's not even all of the titles that I worked on this past season. I will post some (hopefully) better photos soon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

30 Days of Creativity: Day #18

2010-06-18T22:47:00.002-05:00

A flower pattern for this lovely Friday. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

30 Days of Creativity: Day #17

2010-06-17T22:04:00.006-05:00

I have been packing and moving like a mad woman, and we still have SO much to do! Gosh I hate moving! So needless to say, it's been tough to find time to create. This evening I finally had a spare minute to re-work a shoe pattern that I had originally made some time ago. Here it is in three different color schemes.