Ciera Design Studio

Brand identity and design solutions for creative businesses and passionate entrepreneurs

Monroe Font [Friday Favorites]

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I have a new favorite font! Monroe by Daniel Hernandez is a contemporary, lightweight slab serif, equally at home making a splash on the pages of websites as it is in printed publications like magazines and catalogs.

It offers a broad scale of typographic possibilities thanks to its plethora of alternate lettershapes, ligatures and swashed upper- and lowercase variants.

Monroe’s generous horizontal width makes makes it an excellent selection for headlines, music packaging, brochures, posters, logos and more.

With a little OpenType magic — its flamboyant flourishes and swashes set it apart from its contemporaries in the modern slab genre.

Description and samples from MyFonts.

Giveaway: Custom Photo Book (closed)

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Hey guys! I’m so excited to share this giveaway from Shutterfly today! One lucky reader will win a 20 page hardcover 8 x 8 photo book! Photo books are a great way to cherish and preserve your memories. Whether it’s a wedding photo album, a baby memory book, a family or travel photo album, Shutterfly has a professionally bound photo book that’s perfect for you. Their one-of-a-kind, high-quality custom books make wonderful gifts for special occasions, but they’re also a great way to keep your favorite memories close, and provide a great option for digital scrapbooking.

Featured on: Pinegate Road and Show & Tell

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I’m so excited to share that I was featured on TWO awesome blogs yesterday! Pinegate Road and Show & Tell, both blogs of fellow graphic designers!

Ciera Design Featured

On Pinegate Road you can read about where I find inspiration and what gets me jazzed. On Show & Tell I share some advice on getting started in the design and blogging world!

In addition to that, I’m giving away a medium sponsor spot over on Bubby and Bean AND I have an awesome giveaway coming up tomorrow so be sure to check back for that! What an exciting start to the week!

Managing an Active and Healthy Online Life

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Managing an Active and Healthy Online Life - How to stay connected and inspired without getting totally overwhelmed.

One of my 30 before 30 goals was to spend less time online. This has proven to be much harder than expected! I have been struggling for a balance. I want to stay connected and inspired without getting totally overwhelmed. While trying to grow my blog and get myself out there in the design world, I feel like it is hard to get away from my computer. I am constantly looking to make new connections, and well, that involves a lot of online time!

t Everyday I struggle with this, as I’m sure some of you do as well. So to try to create a better balance, I have come up with a few tips to having a fun, active online world without having it take over your life.

Make a list

I am huge on planning and list making so of course that is going to be my first suggestion. Make a to-do list of your top online priorities each day so you don’t get distracted.

Schedule

Come up with a realistic schedule of the time you need online daily. When that time is up then move on! I like to check all my social media while I drink my coffee in the morning. But if you know that starting your day online is only going to lead to major procrastination, save that until the end of the day. Setting your email to only check every hour also helps to minimize wasted time.

Just Say No

If you are using social media to procrastinate, just say no! You should use it for the reasons on your list and then get outta there!

Do it for you

Don’t feel the need to prove yourself. You know that you’re having a busy day but don’t need to update your networks each time you send an email. Share the inspiring and important parts of your day, when you publish a blog post, list an item to your Etsy shop or receive a new piece of artwork that you ordered!

Weed out the negative

Hide or unfollow people and blogs that are negative or make you feel jealous or frustrated, for whatever the reason may be. This is a good way to keep your online world positive. If you are not sure, opt out of these blogs for a few days and see how you feel.

Interact

Interact with people instead of just following. I love being able to connect with all types of people all over the world, that is what excites me about social media. Trust me, most people out there would love to have a little twitter convo or go back and forth for a while on Facebook! Leaving comments on a blog is also a great way to connect. It lets the author know the time they devote to their content is appreciated.

It’s not an easy balance and I have to concentrate on these approaches to a healthy online life daily. I hope that these tips can help you to create a fulfilling online space without getting stuck in an online procrastination loop! If you have any other advice or comments, please share!

Edge Painted Business Cards [Friday Favorites]

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I’ve been thinking about getting some new business cards just because I like the look of these edge painted cards so much. I have been seeing this technique around a lot lately, here are a few of my favorites.

Moo.com has even come out with a new Luxe business card, with a rich seam of color running through the paper (not the same technique as edge painting, but the same effect). If you follow this Moo link you get 10% off your first order!

Photos click through to their sources. This post is not sponsored by Moo, I just really like their products.

Mother’s Day Card Freebie

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Mother’s Day is only a few days away so I wanted to share this freebie with you guys in case you are still looking for a card! I’m trying to branch out a little in my design style so I hope y’all enjoy this whimsical, hand lettered design!

Mother's Day Card Freebie 1

Mother's Day Card Freebie 2

 [download id=”18″ format=”15″]

More Mother’s Day Freebies: Bee Card and Wine a Month Gift Printable

Our Carolina Avenue Home

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We’ve been living in our second Boston apartment for about nine months now and it’s better than I imagined it would be! I realized that it is never going to be complete or as perfect as I would like for sharing photos so I decided to just go for it! 

Apartment Tour Jamaica Plain, Boston, Ma 1

I love our sun-filled windows, back deck and space for both Zander and I to have an office… yep, a totally different story than our last mini apartment.

Apartment Tour Jamaica Plain, Boston, Ma 2

I really like the black & white and green color scheme we accidentally got going on the shelf below, including a Ramones album that my uncle gave Zander.

Apartment Tour Jamaica Plain, Boston, Ma 3

Apartment Tour Jamaica Plain, Boston, Ma 4

We finally got our Ork posters framed (we have New Orleans & Boston) and they look great in the living room!

Apartment Tour Jamaica Plain, Boston, Ma 5

The fact that we have a dining room is pretty amazing, even though we only seem to use it for playing ring hook!

Apartment Tour Jamaica Plain, Boston, Ma 6

I like having plants around but was sure to get low maintenance ones like succulents and air plants because I can’t seem to remember to water plants.

Apartment Tour Jamaica Plain, Boston, Ma 7

You can see some photos of my office here and I’ll be sharing some details from other rooms soon! Hope you enjoyed this little mini tour of our Jamaica Plain apartment!

A NOLA Recap

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Well, it took me a little longer than expected to recover from my trip home to New Orleans, but I’m back with a little recap of the trip!

My BFFs wedding, second lines, pool side, best friends, daiquiris, relaxing by the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, the best weather I have ever felt for a New Orleans April, Jazz Fest, snowballs, po-boys, Rebirth Brass Band, family time, crawfish boils, casino… oh yea, and I broke my toe, so I was doing most of this while limping around! I was not going to let a fractured pinky toe get in my way of having fun in New Orleans! When I write it all out I can see why I am still so exhausted!

And a new month brings a new lovely group of sponsors, so check them out over in my sidebar!

Festing

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Happy Friday! I’ll be at Jazz Fest, today, Saturday and Sunday, sooo excited! Hope everyone has a great weekend! What do you have planned?

Photo by Zander White of My Morning Jacket Live at Jazz Fest 2010 at the Gentilly Stage in New Orleans, LA.

What I Wore // Leopard Print and Crochet

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Happy Monday, hope you guys had a great weekend! I had a crazy few days full of wedding festivities for one of my best friends. So while I recover from my overwhelming weekend, today I’m sharing an outfit that I wore a few weeks back out to dinner with friends. The tunic sweater is so soft and comfortable and I LOVE the detail of the back! It is just perfect for when there is still a little chill in the air. These are my go-to jeans, I pretty much wear them with everything. The ring was my grandmothers, it is a little big on my finger but I wear it anyways… because I love it.

AbeilleNOLA1

AbeilleNOLA2

AbeilleNOLA3

AbeilleNOLA4

AbeilleNOLA5

Vfish Rosemary Sweater – Abeille NOLA // Jeans – Citizens of Humanity (similar) // Nicole Shoes – Abeille NOLA // Ring – Vintage from my grandma // Bracelets – Vintage and H&M // Earrings – Hemline (present from my sis)

Home Again, Home Again

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I’m back in New Orleans for 13 days! My best friend is getting married and then I’ll be attending the first weekend of Jazz Fest (my favorite thing in the whole world, see why here and here). Sooo, that said, I have actually scheduled some posts (yay for planning ahead). If you don’t hear too much from me in the comments, it’s because I’m partying it up in NOLA, and I’ll respond when I return to Boston!

Home Again NOLA

New Orleans

Exploring the Weekend Away

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It was a long weekend for me since the Boston Marathon was yesterday. Zander, along with most of the city had off of work, so we totally look advantage! We had an amazing weekend of wandering the Charles River & Harvard Square, cooking & eating awesome meals, drinking beer & mojitos and sleeping late. How was your weekend?

Exploring Instagrams

Interviewed On Eef Etc

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Erin is starting a new series on her blog where she interviews other designers and has them share their experiences and advice. I am so honored to be her first interview! Head over and check it out!

Skitch Hand Drawn Serif [Friday Favorites]

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Lucky you, a new favorite font today! Skitch from Yellow Design Studio is a funky hand drawn serif with regular, solid, and fill options. It’s loaded with features including double-letter ligatures, discretionary ligatures and stylistic alternates, and is accompanied by an eccentric collection of ornaments and a set of expandable borders that can be mixed and matched for endless fun! How great right, and check out its ampersand!

Guess what, Skitch Fill is free from MyFonts! And the other variations are only $15!

Type description and samples from MyFonts.

My Hood // Jamaica Plain [Boston Photo Tour]

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It’s been a while, but the Boston Photo Tour is back! Today I’m giving you a peek into my hood! I feel that I’ve been able to capture such intimate details from my neighborhood, much more than other locations throughout my Boston Photo Tour. Sometimes you need time to explore and figure out what the area is all about. Sometimes you need to pass by a few times until the shot or light is right.

Afternoon Sun

Truck Window

Front Door

Alveston Terrace

and when I only have my iphone, that works too…

Jamaica Plain Instagrams

Follow me on Instagram for more every day photos and subscribe to the Ciera Design RSS feed or follow me on Twitter so you don’t miss out on the rest of the tour!

30 Before 30 // Three Month Update

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It has been three months since I wrote my 30 before 30 list of professional and personal goals. Let’s see how I am doing so far!

green = done
yellow = in progress, there are lots of items that I will not mark as “done” until the end of the year
orange = hope to do soon or need to wait for a certain time of year
gray = probably not happening this year

 

01 create an inspiring studio space at home
I would say that my space is getting there. It’s kind of a mess right now because I have everything spread out on the floor to organize and put back away. You can see a snapshot of my desk and I’ll be posting some more workspace photos this month!

02 website/blog makeover
Some small updates have been made here and there. I’ll write a full blog post on the updates soon.

03 create a better home/work balance and learn to take real days off work
I have been taking most weekends off of work but finding it difficult to know when to stop working in the evenings, there is always something more to do! Anyone have a suggestion for this?

04 travel to Austin or San Francisco
I was home in New Orleans for almost all of January and am heading home again for a wedding. I think that may be all my travel budget allows this year, but you never know…

05 more tangible artwork
Need to combine this with number 14, kinda the same right?

06 learn to plan better for blog posts and focus on unique and meaningful content
Would you say I’m succeeding here? I have been writing more design based posts, personal adventures and unique content like recipes and DIYs.

07 read more books
Have not read a book yet this year, sad. Any suggestions?

08 create a stationery and art print line and online shop
I added a few things to my Etsy shop but have not created a new line yet.

09 use camera in manual mode more than auto
Have used in manual a few times but not totally into it yet, disappointing since I studied photography in college.

10 serious purge of closet and create a coherent wardrobe
Selling a few things on Ebay and donated a lot. I need to do a little more purging.

11 design and send out Christmas cards
I should probably start now

12 refinish living room table
I got used to it and not sure it is even worth refinishing

13 explore new places in Boston
Yep, I have explored some new places, mostly restaurants and bars, of course. Once the weather warms up for good I hope to explore more of the outdoors!

14 more DIY projects
I have done two DIY posts this year and have more coming!

15 week-long camping trip
Need warm weather, although it was unbearably hot the last trip. Need to find an island with shade.

16 visit Salem during October/Halloween

17 guest posts and/or collaborate with other bloggers
I had a guest post on Erin’s blog and have been submitting some ideas around the blogosphere…

18 buy another lens for my camera
I also want a Wacom Tablet now, I can’t decide which one to get first

19 visit Boston Harbor Islands
Once the Ferry is running, I’m there!

20 host a fabulous dinner party
We have friends over for dinner all of the time. While the meals are always wonderful, I want to throw a special dinner party.

21 create a regular exercise program
Have done a few random On Demand videos but that’s about it

22 update my design portfolio

23 take a self-portrait
Done. I have decided I don’t really like it though and want to do more.

24 go ice skating

25 try a “what I wore” post
Done! I have two “What I Wore” posts so far this year (BBQ in January // Wandering the Big Easy) and think they are really fun, have you guys enjoyed them?

26 learn Zander’s pizza recipe and work on cooking skills
Zander is pretty much just the master in the kitchen so I may just leave this one alone

27 leave the house more (easier said than done when working from home)
I have been walking to run errands, doing okay with this

28 one date night a month
Skipped January since we were not together for most of it. February went to Aquitaine and March went to a movie.

29 throw a special bridal shower/bachelorette party for my BFF
Done! You can see some detail here: Inspiration Board // Invitations // Party Survival Kit, Food and Photobooth

30 less online time
Totally failing on this one.

Not too much green on the list but what do y’all think??

Favorite Posts of March

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Here are my favorite posts from March but I’d like to hear from you guys… do you have a favorite post or topic from the month? What would you like to see more of on the blog?

Ciera Design Favorite Posts of February 2012

1 Design Tips – Facebook Timeline for Pages – thanks to Katherine for mentioning this post here!
2 What I Wore // Wandering the Big Easy
3 Pinterest Picks – Tangerine and Mint
4 Happy Birthday Dad
5 Party Survival Kit and Photobooth DIY
6 Three Green Mojito Recipe
7 A Whimsical European Fairytale
8 These are a few of my favorite green things

thanks to Design Your Way for featuring my Rose Crescent Letterpress Business Card design here!

I have a lot planned for March but if you have any special requests just let me know! xo Ciera

Saloon

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I stopped in to Saloon the other night while in Davis Square and posted this photo to Instagram because I just LOVED the menu design. Actually, I noticed that everything in the bar was branded beautifully. The next day I searched the web to see who designed it and I should have know… it was the work of Somerville based, Oat Creative. I featured their work for Island Creek Oyster Bar a few months ago and they just keep pumping out spectacular work!

Saloon is inspired by the iconic New York City pre-prohibition establishment. With a focus on brown liquors and local beers, Saloon calls reference to a time when drinks were serious and uncomplicated. The menu is intended for sharing and combines American fare with contemporary favorites.

photos via Oat

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Ciera Design Studio established 2010
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