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Dia de los Greeting Cards

October 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

It’s a non-stop Halloween party at pH, and you’re invited!  We’ve already had to replenish our stock, and just yesterday we got in some fiestastic cards from hello!Lucky.  This number was inspired by Mexican imagery of the catrína:


fiesta

The catrína is a popular figure from Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico.


Catrinas_2

Although Dia de los Muertos has roots in the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day, the figure of the catrína derives from the Aztec goddess of the underworld, Mictecacihuatl. What a diva:

Posada2.Catrina

The image of the modern catrína first appeared in the above 1913 etching by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada. By depicting bougie women as skeletons, Posada proposes that even socialites one day bite the dust.

Posada also probably intended for us to have super cute Halloween greeting cards a century later. Swing by the shop this saturday to get dibs!

Back to the present: Monday, October 19th marks the beginning of one of my favorite Houston traditions, the Dia de los Muertos Retablos event at Lawndale Art Center. Until then, I’ll be scavenging in my closet for autographed MJ pics to bring as an offering of remembrance to the “Community Ofrenda”. ¡Hasta el lunes!

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A Very DT WKend

October 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The next two days are for galavanting around the downtown grid.

Tonight at Discovery Green, look out for designer Emily and I taking in a screening of silent horror film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

I must say, German Expressionist design is simply to die for.  The moody zeitgeist oozes from these movie posters:

cabinet_caligari

 

Cabinet of Dr Caligari

The screening is accompanied by Two Star Symphony performing the film’s original score.

For Saturday night, catch me at A Night at Market Square: Lights, Music & Tastings in Downtown’s Historic District&.  pH curated the event’s promotion:

 

poster-b-w-logos_REV2

I am all about this event – a few old friends will be performing in the I Am Mesmer show at Saint Arnold Beer Garden, and I’ve been craving the cocktails on offer at the new gastropub, Hearsay.  Not to mention, pH designed Hearsay’s swank look, from the front sign down to the fine print of the delish drinks menu.  Clearly I’ll be taking the Red Line home after the bash…  Hit up houstondowntown.com for the deets.

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Subtlety’s in Season with Graphic Image Datebooks

October 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Bling was so 00s.  Ring in the upcoming decade with poise and keep it all together with the look of Graphic Image agendas – “the biggest brand that nobody has heard of,” according to company director Tom Glazer.  Recognized for style and quality rather than luxe logos, our new set of Graphic Image products combine top notch leather and perfectly crisp pages to carry you through the first installment of the new decade.

graphicimage

pictured: 6″ agenda in lime and mocha, 5″ x 7″ weekly agenda in silver and mocha

Got a date on the Danube or doing some soul searching in Seoul?  Find your way with the creamy-hued urban maps in the back.

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Au Revoir, Gourmet

October 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Beyond being full-time design stars, the pH staff are bonafide foodies. We relish a quality kolache, a crisp cocktail from Anvil, or 70% cacao dark chocolates. Therefore, it comes as no surprise just how surprised we were to hear about the folding of Gourmet magazine last week. Here’s a moving interview with the iconic editor, Ruth Reichl, from this morning’s edition of NPR.


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Design Speak: TED

October 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Our ever-so-worldly designer, Haelim, recently shared this relevant video with the studio:

We’re keen on the organization TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) because of it’s simple, transparent mission: spreading ideas. By placing design on common ground with other relevant topics, TED argues for the importance of active debate on design today.

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