A Year In Herbs: MLP Studio

C&C would not exist without the help of the lovely Mallie Loring Pratt of MLP Studio, the artistic sensation behind C&C's custom heraldry logo. It was such a pleasure working with Mallie throughout the design process and it was refreshing to collaborate with someone that truly understood my vision from the very beginning. I'm absolutely loving Mallie's 2014 "Year In Herbs" calendar, a perfect holiday gift for many on my list. The calendar is hand painted in watercolor and gouache and digitally printed on a beautiful off-white card stock. The calendars are 10"x14" and spiral bound with a D hook which makes hanging a snap. **If you order before December 20th, MLP will deliver before Christmas eve! Be sure to visit the MLP studio to get yours.

"All Is Lost"

Ticking off another movie on my list this evening as I will see "All Is Lost" starring Robert Redford. The film is a highly anticipated one for me personally and I'm particularly interested to see how they capture this truly remarkable ordeal. Watch the trailer here.

Can't Go Wrong...

As I've gotten older, I try to shy away from giving physical gifts and instead, focus on creating an experience or adventure that will provide a lasting memory. I love the idea of getting creative by surprising someone with a spontaneous adventure, weekend road trip or perhaps enrolling in a fun cooking class or trail ride in the mountains. As I've mentioned before, I do have the practicality gene when it comes to gift-giving and beyond, however I can absolutely make an exception for T Magazine's "Delicacies at Your Doorstep" idea. The feature in their Holiday guide highlights several services that will deliver gourmet pleasures to your doorstep on several frequented occasions. From shipments of wine from Scribe Winery, pig and other salty meets from Marin County’s legendary Belcampo Meat Company (yes, please!), or a side of Gaspe Nova smoked salmon from Russ & Daughters, I think these services are worth the indulgence.

I'm Into It.

I work in the land of pencil skirts, heels, suits and Gucci-bit loafers. It's a pretty bland landscape as it relates to dress, particularly for San Francisco, however I suppose typical for the industry. Many are health freaks who seem to have an endless supply of green juice, have ditched their Rolex's for UP bands and have their yoga instructors come into the office for a little afternoon namaste. As of late, several of the gents have ditched their  loafers their wives and girlfriends likely spent 5 hours selecting at Neiman's, for sneakers. I'm into it.

This seems to be a trend across the world. See more here.