Blog | Ciera Design Studio

I Go Wherever My Creativity Takes Me – Desktop and iPhone Wallpaper Freebie

August 2, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Sometimes you just need to let loose and go with the flow for creative projects. Happy accidents can make some really unique work! This month, let your creativity take you somewhere new! These new designs are available for download over on WhimseyBox’s blog! Hope y’all enjoy this new design and have a great month of creativity!

I go wherever my creativity takes me

Whimseybox is the original subscription for DIY and craft lovers. Each month WhimseyBox sends subscribers a box full of craft projects along with a project idea. If you sign up through this link, you’ll get $5 off!

July in Review

July 31, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

I have had so much fun recapping my Palm Springs trip this month, I hope you have had fun reliving it with me, I still have a few more posts so I hope so!

Popular-Posts-in-July

Ciera Design Elsewhere in July:

– DIY travel map was featured on Apartment Therapy (OMG, honored)! and on World Inside Pictures
– Melissa’s Citrus Float was featured on BHG, Babble, Brit + Co. and October Moon
– Kory’s Popsicle Printable was featured on A Thrifty Mrs and MeinLilaPark
– My air plant terrariums were featured on Decorator In A Box
– Archana.nl mentioned Ciera Design as a pin-worthy website!
– 4 ways to stand out from the rest on Squirrelly Minds

Thanks to everyone who shares my content, I really appreciate it!

Palm Springs Architecture Tour

July 29, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

One of our days in Palm Springs was spent driving around from neighborhood to neighborhood to see what the more residential areas were like. We started out at Koffi (best coffee in Palm Springs) to plan our route and we ended up downloading a really cool iPhone app called FanGuide Palm Springs Modern Architecture that had different routes with addresses mapped out and the story behind each spot.

Palm Springs has a large concentration of architecture from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Many architects adapted ideas from the Bauhaus movement and the International Style, creating an elegant yet informal style called Desert Modernism. Other popular styles in Palm Springs are Art Moderne, Spanish Eclectic, Googie and Tiki.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Palm Springs to its 2006 list of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual national list of only 12 cultural tourism destinations for architecture. In 2009, Palm Springs was designated a Preserve America City.

It’s so crazy how different the architecture and landscaping is from what I’m used to, I’ve really never seen anything like Palm Springs. It was a great day of exploring!

Next up will be photos from Mount San Jacinto State Park and a little road trip to LA! In the meantime you can check out ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner, Salvation Mountain, The Saguaro, Parker Palm Springs and our instagrams here.

The Font Feast Presents Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Salted Caramel Sauce

July 24, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

the font feast presents grilled peaches with vanilla bean ice cream and salted caramel sauce

This sweet and easy recipe is perfect for those lazy summer days when you want something delicious for dessert without all the fuss. Juicy, tree-ripened peaches taste even better when warmed on the grill and topped with creamy vanilla bean ice cream and a luscious salted caramel sauce.

This month’s Font Feast recipe was inspired by Sail, a breezy script font that is both gorgeous and free!

grilled peaches with vanilla bean ice cream and salted caramel sauce

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Salted Caramel Sauce inspired by Sail

– peaches
– good quality vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream
– salted caramel sauce (if you’re feeling extra “summery” you can use store-bought sauce in a pinch)

Slice peaches in half, removing and discarding the pits. Lay peaches cut-side down on a preheated grill. Grill over medium-low heat until peaches are hot and tender (and have really impressive grill marks). Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream and salted caramel sauce. Eat immediately.

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

A Splash of Pink in My Dream Office

July 18, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

A few months ago I started a Pinterest board to collect inspiration for my dream office. I always try to create a workspace that inspires me. Since I am at my desk and on my computer a lot, I need the space around me to be stimulating. So I was pinning away and realized that almost every image had a little pop of pink in it! I have never been that into pink but I guess now I am?!

My office is also my front entry room so I’m always looking for furniture and storage with dual purposes and flexibility. In my pins, I was also drawn to white walls which could really open up my space! You can check out all of my dream office inspiration here and in the descriptions I tell you why I like each idea for my office.

A Splash of Pink in My Dream Office

This board was created for a BHG Insiders Pinterest contest and it just so happens that I won! As the winner, I was not required to write a blog post, I just wanted to share my inspiration! I had so much fun making the board. All images are pinned from BHG.com and are linked through my Pinterest board.

Design Portfolio: Amelie G Magazine

July 15, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Amelie G Magazine got its start in 2009 as an online fashion magazine and printed its first issue in the fall of 2010. If you’ve been around for a while, you may remember me attending the launch party. I posted this project to my portfolio, but I realized I never wrote about it here on the blog. Amelie G is a quarterly style magazine based in New Orleans featuring emerging artists and designers, and distributed throughout the United States. It covers international fashion, art and design from the Gulf Coast perspective and is the only full-gloss style magazine in New Orleans. I worked side by side with the Amelie G team from 2010 through 2012 to design and produce their first five issues.

Naive Font [Friday Favorites]

July 12, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

Love this font! Naïve is a handwritten serif font designed by Fanny Coulez and Julien Saurin from the french foundry La Goupil Paris. The three weights of this new parisian typography can be enhanced with three weights of two alternates fancy glyphs for each letter, the “Fantaisies”, to improve your designs and bring a more poetic and unusual feeling. They also designed an inline bicolor version of this typeface, Naive Inline. Annnnd, this beautiful font is 50% off right now! There are also lots of other great fonts on sale right now at MyFonts.

NaiveFont

Description and samples from MyFonts.

24 Hours at the Parker Palm Springs

July 10, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

For our last night in Palm Springs we decided to switch it up and I’m SO glad we did. The Saguaro was beautiful, but the Parker Palm Springs… best. place. ever. In 2003 it was purchased by hotelier Jack Parker, who hired designer Jonathan Adler to give the space a $27-million facelift. The property re-opened in 2004 as Le Parker Méridien, or Parker Palm Springs as it is better known.

From the moment we drove up it was like being whisked away into a tropical fairy tail of secret gardens. Such a unique and eclectic ambiance that is hard to describe. We relaxed in our amazing room for a while before heading out to the pool and for drinks at their outdoor cafe, The Lemonade Stand. Right before sunset we went back to the room to change and have some pre dinner drinks in our hammock! On our way to dinner, we explored some of the 13-acre property, including fire pits, desert gardens and croquet courts. We were bummed that Mister Parker’s was closed the night we were there but Norma’s, the other restaurant at the Parker did not disappoint! We ended up making friends with the table next to us and had a great early night since our flight was the next morning! If you head to Palm Springs, I recommend checking out the Parker Palm Springs or having dinner there, even if you don’t book a room!

A HUGE thanks to Parker Palm Springs for hooking us up with a room discount and upgrade! I can’t believe we almost didn’t stay here! Although we received a discount, all opinions are my own, I absolutely adore the Parker Palm Springs!

Next up will be photos from our architecture tour, Mount San Jacinto State Park and some of our other favorites from the trip! In the meantime you can check out ACE Hotel & King’s Highway Diner, Salvation Mountain, The Saguaro and our instagrams here.

How to Give Your Blog Readers Exactly What They Need

July 9, 2013 by Ciera Holzenthal

We’re all looking for better ways to connect with our readers in hopes that they come back and read your blog on a regular basis or buy something from you at some point, right? Lucky for us, there’s a trick to giving them exactly what they’re looking for. Here’s the two-step process:

1. What Problems Do Your Readers Have?

Knowing what your readers are struggling with is the key in figuring out exactly what they want. You have to figure out the types of problems they are having in your field of expertise so you can help solve those problems.

If you’re a web designer and blog about your work and inspiration, it’s possible that your readers are other designers or business owners who are starting their own website or are inspired by your work. They may be dealing with a variety of problems – from where their email sign-up forms should be on their website to what fonts are easiest to read on the web. Some may not know the questions to ask web designers when they start working with one, and others may not know all of the important information they’ll need to give their designer to get started. These are all things you can help them with (and problems you can solve) on your blog.

On the worksheet provided, make a list of all the different problems your readers might have that you could solve with your knowledge in your field. Think back to the basics – maybe some of the topics in classes you learned back in school or some lessons you’ve learned in the past. Remember – no problem is too big or small to write down.

2. How Can You Solve Their Problems?

Now comes the getting more followers/better customers part! Once you know the problems your readers have, you can instantly turn those problems around into solutions.

Starting on page 2 of the worksheet, write down each problem, and underneath it list out all the different ways you could solve this problem for your reader. You may be able to think of multiple ways to fix each problem – write every idea you have down.

Some of the problems you’ve written down may be perfect for new blog posts or series, and some of them would be great new offerings you can add to your list of services. Next to each solution, check mark which you think it’d be better for and start brainstorming ways to put each into action!

When you’re able to solve a problem for someone, they feel like you’ve given them insider tips & tricks and in turn form a stronger bond with you and your brand which makes them more likely to come back for more and buy from you. What are some ways you solve problems for your readers? Share in the comments!

FREE Worksheet!

On the worksheet, make a list of all the different problems your readers might have that you could solve with your knowledge in your field.

About the author: Mariah is a Graphic Designer/Wedding Stylist who has a passion for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their passion into profit.

I Go Wherever My Creativity Takes Me – Desktop and iPhone Wallpaper Freebie

July in Review

Popular Posts in July:

Ciera Design Elsewhere in July:

Palm Springs Architecture Tour

The Font Feast Presents Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Salted Caramel Sauce

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Salted Caramel Sauce inspired by Sail

A Splash of Pink in My Dream Office

Design Portfolio: Amelie G Magazine

Naive Font [Friday Favorites]

24 Hours at the Parker Palm Springs

How to Give Your Blog Readers Exactly What They Need

1. What Problems Do Your Readers Have?

2. How Can You Solve Their Problems?

FREE Worksheet!

Get a free worksheet to help you define what your brand personality traits are >> Yes, Please!