Tag: advice

How to Grow an Avocado Tree

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

avocadosLadies and gentlemen, we have a sprout! While an actual tree may be a while off, these little guys are already defying my dubious expectations (chronicled here). So, as promised, here’s what I did:

  1. Make guacamole, duh!
  2. Remove any remaining flesh. Let the pit sit out for about a day to dry a bit.
  3. Peel the thin, dark brown skin from the tan flesh of the pit.
  4. Stick 3 wooden skewers 1/4″ or so into the pit so as to suspend it about halfway in water.
  5. Place stem-side down in a container filled with water, set on a sunny window sill and wait! You’ll need to refill the water regularly.

I noticed the pits starting to split down the middle about a week in. Another week in, and one of my pits has a visible root growing from the bottom of it, while the other’s root is still in the crack. My friend Kaia left hers to grow in water for several months, until the stem that will (hopefully) eventually come out of the top of the pit was more than 8 inches tall.

Have fun and good luck!

Mr. Mucca

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a Design Madison event featuring Matteo Bologna of Mucca Design. I actually had the opportunity to see Matteo speak several years ago when he was a visiting artist for NOWhere at UWSP, but didn’t go. I almost always seem to find a reason to skip speaker events, but when I do make myself attend, I leave inspired and refreshed. Note to self: Force self to get self’s butt off the computer chair and out into the world!

Mucca is a very professional, diverse, award-winning design studio, and yet Matteo is surprisingly approachable and authentic. The studio’s work is beautiful and inspiring, but Matteo’s thoughts on design are what really stuck with me. For instance—when’s the last time you heard a designer say “I don’t beleive in logos?” Instead he believes in creating an environment of sorts—take design a step further than slapping a logo here and there by employing secondary and tertiary design elements on all surfaces to design an experience.

I did get a little jealous when Matteo spoke about his relationships with his clients. Of course they’re never perfect, but it was pretty amazing to hear about the value his clients place on design, that they understand design is good for business, not just something they have to do because it’s just what you do. He also got to be one of ten featured designers to create an anniversary cover of Italian GQ—another thing to be jealous of: all-typographic covers!

Impressions

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

As letterpress becomes more popular, more and more customers want their pieces to look LETTERPRESSED, by which I mean they want their design to be printed with a deep impression that they cannot only see but feel. That is the point of springing for letterpress isn’t it?

Results on my press can vary greatly and what I’m learning is that the design of the piece can influence the depth of the impression just as much as any adjustments I make on press. Some designs can only go so deep.

Take, for example, these two holiday cards I embossed a few years back. The design on the left is a busy, all-over design that consists of many very thin lines. When a plate like this is pushed into the paper, the paper has nowhere to go, no space to give to the design on the plate. The result is a relatively light impression, especially in the areas where the design is particularly concentrated.

The design on the left is much simpler, with slightly thicker lines and less of the paper covered with them. The result? A very clear, deep impression.

A detour

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

I don’t often write about what’s going on in my personal life on this blog. I’m the type of person who needs time to process what happens around me—I know better than to think I can come home at night and write something entertaining or meaningful about my day. So I usually confine my writing to projects I’m working on and handmade goodies I covet, but sometimes something so important happens that it creeps into everything I will do from that point forward.

Two weeks ago, my mom was in a terrible terrible accident. She was driving home on a country road when a driver crossing her path chose not to stop at a stop sign. These are not busy roads, he’d probably blown through that intersection dozens of times before. But this time someone was there, this time his decision broke all of her ribs, both collarbones and her pelvis. His decision filled her chest cavity with fluid, his decision made every shallow breath incredibly painful.

His decision will keep her in the hospital for almost a month. His decision will not let her sleep next to her husband for another six months. His decision will change the lives of everyone she loves.

My mom is amazing. She is dealing with the pain and focused on recovery. What she is taking away from all of this is how incredibly lucky she is to be here. One setback after another comes her way, and she finds the good in all of it.

I have been described as an aggressive driver. I’ve never blatantly blown a stop light or sign, but I do speed and probably take more risks than I should. I used to drive the same route a lot, much of the time on autopilot. What I am taking away from this is how much one decision can impact your life. How quickly the world can change.

As you head out to work this morning, remember what an incredible responsibility driving a car is. Honor the agreement you’ve made with your fellow drivers: Pay attention. Watch out for others, they may not be watching out for you. Obey speed limits and stop at stop signs. Those few seconds you shave off your commute are just not worth the risk.

Even if you think you’re invincible—or worse yet, you don’t care about yourself—you don’t want to be that guy who makes that one stupid decision to put someone’s mom in the hospital.

NOW here

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

No, that’s not ‘no where’ it’s ‘now here’ (see what they did there?). And “here” is obviously the UW Stevens Point’s art department. I’m heading up today for the annual conference featuring presentations by visiting artists and designers, workshops, portfolio reviews and alumni presentations (that’s where I come in). If you’re in Wisconsin, head up for the public presentations tonight and tomorrow night, stop by for dinner, or you could probably find us at Guu’s later this evening. (Does Guu’s still exist? I’m so old.) Have a great weekend!