50 | INTRODUCING : L&A MOBILE

Without deviating from the LOTUS&ASH pursuit of preserving tactile paper beauty in our increasingly digital world, it's about time L&A went mobile.

No, unfortunately lotusandash.com (still) does not have a mobile version, nor have I developed an app. However, with only so many hours in the day, and so much paper-love to give, I've had to make my office mobile during my one hour + commute to and from work.

Fortunately, I don't need a WiFi connection to put  handmade touches on each L&A piece that goes out. I've pushed the limits of where you can make stationery, and I've found that all you need is a flat surface (my laptop works great), and as much double-sided tape as you can fit into your backpack.

This is the story of one invitation order:

From my dining room table...

to the morning train....

to the seminar room...

and yes, even at the nail salon...

onto the night train...

and back to the dining table.

Voila! A week's worth of commuting produces ~150 invitations, and about ~50 "what ARE you doing!?" glances from fellow commuters.

And, since we're on the topic, I thought I'd share some of my favorite mobile experiences from the past few weeks (besides my mobile stationery making).

| dia de los muertos parade in the mission . SF . 11.2010 |

| traveling on a champagne soaked, standing-room-only cal train the night the giants won the world series |

| view from the coit . taken with the iphone4 |

| favorite mobile picture app? instagram |

44 | Palindromes are Good Luck

Today, I was told that palindromes were good luck. I'd like to think this is true since during my palindrome age, there have been some nice celebrations and surprises... like: getting a job! graduating! and defining love, friendship, and family in entirely different ways.

speaking of friendship, here is a recent set of stationery I designed for a guy, and his best mate:

| TOM & WILL correspondence letters . designed 06.2010 |

and what's an envelopes' best mate? a liner, of course.

| TOM . lined envelope stationery set . designed 06.2010 |

In between paper and design projects, L&A has had plenty of time for culinary exploits to prepare herself for apartment living in a month or so...

| wannabe ^ chef |

some keepers

| GLUTEN FREE RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CITRUS CAKE |

take your favorite gluten free muffin recipe (i love this one!) replace any fruity ingredients with fresh raspberries, dark chocolate, and a cup of orange juice with some orange zest... and you have yourself a delicious any-time-of-day treat!

| FARMERS MARKET ARUGULA SALAD |

Arugula and Spinach make a great green couple - the butteriness of the spinach is the perfect complement to the spicy bite of the arugula. Paired with some avocado, roma tomatoes, and fresh squeezed lemon + 1/2 cup of olive oil.. and you have yourself an easy, and delicious summer salad!

and when you're done with this gluten-free, farmer's market fresh business... head to FREEBIRDS in Santa Barbara for some custom-made nachos.

{ and as everyone knows...LOTUS&ASH loves speaking the custom-made language. }

| FREEBIRDS NACHOS |

42 | L&A Graduates

CON-GRAD-ULATIONS!!!* (get it? it's like congratulations... but for a grad!)

It's not too often that I post anything other than paper-obsessions, but posting about graduation seemed like the appropriate deviation from the norm since it marks a very important new chapter in the LOTUS&ASH life.

*this might be my least favorite greeting card play on words.

| "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE STANFORD" MORTAR BOARDS . designed 06.2010 |

Reason #2010 I love Stanford? Graduation includes an opportunity to get creative with costumes for the Wacky Walk tradition. My friends and I dressed up like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (complete with ruby red slippers!), because there really is no place like Stanford.

However, graduation also meant the end of the amazing design opportunities that L&A got to have on Stanford Campus. Appropriately, my last project was the poster design for the Studio Art Major / Minor show, which featured Binary Press as well as some of my linocut and collage work.

| SENIOR SHOW POSTER DESIGN . designed 05.2010 |

It's true - L&A is no longer dorm room operation... and it's time for the real world.

But! I'm happy to announce that the real world is going to include more L&A updates about paper and the L&A lifestyle. So follow along as I document life post-graduation with a new obsession... my Canon REBEL T1i.

| BEAUTIFUL MORNING BOWL . created 06.2010 |

Another new obsession? Quinoa for breakfast.

Mix Quinoa, Fage Greek Yogurt, Flax Seed, Cinnamon, Espresso Beans (yes, Espresso Beans!), Puffins, and Raspberry jam together and you have yourself a jam-packed bowl of goodness to sustain you throughout your morning.

| FATHER'S DAY 2010 |

Father's Day Card "They say a picture is worth a 1000 words..."

Beringer Alluvium Merlot, 2006 - goes perfectly with a Harris Ranch steak... or a Balsamic Quinoa Beet & Tofu Bowl.

Domo Arigato Letterpress Card from Tiselle.

~

STAY TUNED for more Paper Updates coming your way...

&&& CONGRATS to ALL THE OTHER 2010 GRADS and HAPPY SUMMER!

41 | TIME FLIES...

... when L&A is having fun.

I cannot believe it has been 2 months since the last L&A update.

If anything, the silence has been an indication that the L&A office has been flooded with fun projects, as I've been trying to soak up every last bit of Stanford that I possibly can.

a glimpse at the past 2 months

[slideshow]

up next?

my printer will continue to bleed cardinal red until graduation.

which, I'm half dreading, and half looking forward to, for the reasons explained in Kim Anderson's College Candy post.

&&& thanks to Kim for recommending L&A for custom calling cards for graduating seniors!

40 | PAPER PROCRASTINATION

LOTUS&ASH here, coming to you live (and a-live), from DEADweekendFINALS 2010, perhaps the most exhausting weekend in the life of a Stanford student. The end of Winter Quarter always proves to be the most brutal... which provides even more cause for paper happiness (read: paper procrastination)

So, for all you fellow procrastinators, good luck with your finals, and I now pass on the torch of distraction to you:

| FRATERNITY FORMAL ... 03.2010 |

(special shout out to SAE for their support of chivalry & handwritten, paper invitations)

| THREE little SKULLS ... 02.2010 |

&&&

you know it's dead week when...

you design greeting cards inspired by your classes:

or use your presentations as an opportunity for good design:

| slides from LINX DATING PRESENTATION ... 03.2010 |

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