Thursday, January 29, 2009

Tiger Mountain Peasant Song

I had to share this Fleet Foxes cover my friend Robin found....for the record I'm having a wonderful time in San Francisco and will provide you with further information in the near future.



--Dara

Monday, January 26, 2009

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.....

Well, Haley and I are about to set off and be intrepid adventurers, friends! Haley is off once again on one of those perilous, thrilling and always worth it hut trips in Colorado. This time she does not have Carol, Josh and myself in tow (oh, how we wish!), but rather her lovely man, Mike. She will provide much photo documentation of the occasion! I can't believe it was over a year ago that we set off on that same journey.


I, on the other hand, have been yoked to my bed for the last week with the flu that has, according to the evening news, become "an epidemic that's sweeping Los Angeles." I am feeling much better now, though, and am going to take this opportunity to make the trip up to San Francisco to have a closer look at the school I have been honing in on; the Academy of Arts University. Also to have my lovely friend Laura help me fall deeply in love with that fair city so I have an easier time talking myself off the "I'm leaving the social network I've spent 5 years/my entire adult life building to move to a city where I know 2 people" ledge, as I will inevitably have to do multiple times come fall. Should be a momentous trip! My lady and I will keep you posted!
love, Dara
photo via 3 Dainty Delights

Monday, January 19, 2009

Oh me oh my

So much excitement! A short and not particularly all-inclusive list:
1) my impending move (March 1; 40 days, but who's counting?) to my first all-by-myself apartment
2) Haley and I are hurtling towards a generalized knowledge of photoshop. The fruits of today's labor: an ad and header for our webstore! (our ad is up on one of our favorite blogs, A Cup of Jo.)
3)Haley and I decided to take this class

Not to mention our 2 new shoe designs and soon-to-be-realized new tote design. There's more where that came from, but we're taking it day by day. We will keep you updated!

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to my friend Jim's inauguration party tomorrow morning. They brew their own beer in his apartment; the brew of the day is, of course, Inaugurale! Happy Inauguration!
-Dara

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Warm Air Telegraph

Chris and I have been talking about recording some new songs and also re-recording some of the old that he wrote for Warm Air Telegraph, his music project that I sing and play the occasional keyboard for. Those discussions coupled with a need to do a completely new design spawned the flying telephone shoes.





When I drew the cover for the album we made a few years back, Chris would send me texts or call me with random images he thought should be incorporated....a bunch of hot air balloons; a giant snail; a flying telephone. The telephone became a sort of logo for the band, showing up enlarged on the inside cover and as a stamp on each of the CDs. We always said that if we ever made a t shirt for the band, it would have the flying telephone.
And so, in honor of the future of Warm Air Telegraph, I bring you...the flying telephone!
-Dara

Monday, January 12, 2009

Through The Woods








As previously mentioned in our Holiday Adventures post, Dara and I were most inspired by the Colorado landscape during our visit there last January. In a bout of homesickness over the holidays, I found great comfort in recreating a similar scene of looming aspen trees on a pair of slip on sneakers. These "aspen tree" shoes are the latest of our original designs and are now available for purchase at The Enchanted Royals store . Organic recycled cotton totes with the aspen tree design coming soon!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Kareena Zerefos


For some time now, I have harbored an intense love for designer/illustrator Kareena Zerefos's work.






Pretty amazing stuff; reminds me a lot of the illustrations in some of my favorite children's books, which is definitely something we at Enchanted Royals can relate to. Allegedly, she will soon be printing some of her designs on organic cotton tees (or already has?), but I have yet to find them. Looking forward to it...
-Dara

Monday, January 5, 2009

Container and Mint

Blog hunting and searching online for graphic design graduate schools (continuing the ever-entertaining will-she/won't-she that was my 2008 decision/indecision about going back to school and changing careers) today, I was delighted to find this insanely great series of images by Container Plus via Mint.


On that note, readers, any thoughts/opinions on graphic design grad schools?
love
Dara