Monthly Archives: April 2017

The Month + Links: April 2017

2017_NUBBYTWIGLET_MONTH-LINKS_APRIL_22

THE MONTH

Oh, April. You were a wildly unpredictable one. I felt like this month ticked by at a frustratingly slow pace some days — client feedback on a few projects barely trickled in. I got hit with plenty of creative blocks. And truthfully, everything just felt a bit off.

But then, the flow kicked back into high gear during the last week. I went to Palm Springs with Joey for a much needed vacation. A few projects that I’d felt stuck on picked up steam and finally wrapped up. And just when I was wondering what was next, a job I’m super excited about fell into my lap at just the right time.

Nubby Twiglet | The Month + Links: April 2017

While April felt full of uncertainty, tension and the technical mishaps that often get lumped with Mercury Retrograde, May feels like the fresh start I’ve been hoping for. As I look outside today, I’m feeling thankful for the little things: the weather is nice, the office is clean and my desktop feels the most organized it’s been in ages.

This weekend is being blocked out to finish the new client services guide and internal documents for Branch that I’ve been putting off redesigning for a solid year and a half. Better late than never, right?! It’s time to kick any leftover feelings of uncertainty and comparisons to the curb and step up to bigger and better things.

I hope you have a great weekend — and I’ll be back next week with a few Palm Springs themed posts. :)

Nubby Twiglet | The Month + Links: April 2017

THE LINKS

• Megan touches upon the problems that come along with running your blog as a business so eloquently.

• If Joey and I were getting married all over again (and not running off to Vegas!) you can bet there would definitely be llamas at our wedding. How cute are these photos?!

• I’d never heard of Lotion P50 until Anna’s post but now, I’m oddly fascinated. It basically sounds like a magic burning potion for your face! Have you tried it?

• I love this photo series! See what people looked like as young adults and at 100 years old.

• Sarah reminds us that we would be a lot happier if we tracked our efforts, not our accomplishments.

• Living at the office sounds like a nightmare….unless it looks like this!

• I love Ellen’s new interview series called How Did You Do That? which focuses on people with unique professions. If you’ve ever wondered how people end up in the careers they’re in, this series is for you!

Nubby Twiglet | The Month + Links: April 2017
• Check out this black double triangle house in the forest. So beautiful!

• Constantly seeking validation with what you do can be hugely limiting. Here’s how to break free.

• Loving yourself and loving your job are deeply intertwined. What happens when you burn out? James Greig talks about self-care for the creative soul.

• Are your excuses holding you back from following through with a big project? Paul Jarvis gets to the bottom of it in a way that’s relatable.

• Should airports have circular runways?

• Dieticians are finally speaking out about beauty YouTubers dishing out diet advice.

• I love this chart of grammar rules!

• Editorial calendars can help you stay accountable….but they can also make content feel forced. Bre explains why she gave hers up.

• More people are opening up to the idea of taking a social media break. How about you? Have you given it a try?

• That moment when your neighbors want to get revenge…and do so by painting their townhouse with red and white stripes! Truthfully, I love it.

• Good to know: how to secure your online accounts by revoking access from third-party apps.

• I never gave much thought to this but online shopping may mean that we’re tricked into paying more depending on where we live and when we buy!

• The New York Times dives into how to make the most of your workday.

• What does it mean to set an intention versus setting a goal?

Nubby Twiglet | The Month + Links: April 2017


Photos: Scenes from my Portland office, Palm Springs and Beverly Hills during April 2017.

Paint, Glitter + Flowers: A Peek Inside Art Bride

Nubby Twiglet: Rock n Roll Bride Magazine — Art Bride

For the most part, I spend my days at Branch rotating between creative direction and design on a mix of branding, print and web projects.

While these are the core focus of what we do, I’m always game for a surprise — something that’s a bit off the radar. Those little surprises keep you on your toes and as a creative, there’s nothing like that jolt which I think of as an equal mix of adrenaline, excitement and fear.

Nubby Twiglet: Rock n Roll Bride Magazine — Art Bride

Nubby Twiglet: Rock n Roll Bride Magazine — Art Bride

So when Kat of Rock n Roll Bride Magazine emailed me with an idea for an editorial feature that included doodling over the top of the photoshoot she’d commissioned, I was ready. I’ve always wanted to test out this style but the deadline was tight and…there were A LOT of pages to fill.

Nubby Twiglet: Rock n Roll Bride Magazine — Art Bride

My lead designer at Branch, Sam was once a fine art major and after we went over the idea, she felt we could pull it off — so we jumped in. Since this had a fine art angle, I wanted to keep the style more organic than our typical processes to see where it took us. We collaborated on a total of 14 images (on top of designing the full issue — basically, that’s where I was for the last month!), a handful outcomes of which are shown here.

Nubby Twiglet: Rock n Roll Bride Magazine — Art Bride

Nubby Twiglet: Rock n Roll Bride Magazine — Art Bride

There was a big team that made Art Bride happen (see below) and I am in love with the beautiful images they shot in London, allowing us to embellish them here in Portland, thanks to modern technology.

If you’re interested in seeing the full outcome in print, copies of Rock n Roll Bride are available here and can be shipped worldwide.

Nubby Twiglet: Rock n Roll Bride Magazine — Art Bride


Art Bride Team: Photography: Devlin Photos. Styling: Mr & Mrs Unique & The Bijou Bride.
Art Direction: Kat Williams. Hair: Lovehair & Co. Makeup: Louise Seymour.
Model: Kenya at Lenis Models. Illustrations: Branch (Shauna Haider & Samantha Sacomano).

Latest & Greatest: Please Pass the Wine!

Nubby Twiglet | Please Pass the Wine!

I’ve always thought of wine hues as being tied to fall but that’s started to change ever since I tracked down these velvet ankle boots on sale. While they do work great with black (see here), I’ve been mostly pairing them with dusty rose and sandy neutrals this spring for an added punch, like the exclamation point at the end of an outfit!

With the change of seasons, the natural light has gotten much better in my office so I’m also trying to get back into the swing of taking breaks from work to shoot photos and experiment with flat lays. These were taken on my desktop with a white foam core board set behind them.

Nubby Twiglet | Please Pass the Wine!

Besides the boots, I found an affordable pair of wine-colored sunglasses at Free People. This slight cat’s eye shape is so flattering!

Nubby Twiglet | Please Pass the Wine!

Here’s some more inspiration: 1. Botanical print. 2. Bite lipstick. 3. Again graphic. 4. Still life. 5. Steve Madden boots. 6. Forever 21 belt. 7. Free People sunglasses.

Nubby Twiglet | Please Pass the Wine!

I love it how the discovery of a single item can set off a flurry of style inspiration.

More wine, please!

Out & About: Solabee Flowers

Nubby Twiglet | Out & About: Solabee Flowers

Now that Spring has sprung, I’ve been sprucing up my house and office with some fresh plants. I like a lot of depth in my spaces but am not a fan of clutter — greenery adds a sense of dimension and makes a room feel alive without having a million little things to dust.

Nubby Twiglet | Out & About: Solabee Flowers

Nubby Twiglet | Out & About: Solabee Flowers

One of my go-to places to pick up new plants is Solabee Flowers. They always have a great playlist on, the space is airy and welcoming and most importantly, the super friendly staff really know their stuff.

We’ve needed plants for specific spaces that don’t get a lot of light and they always have spot-on recommendations. As they say best, “We specialize in turning your interior space into a personal jungle.”

Nubby Twiglet | Out & About: Solabee Flowers

Nubby Twiglet | Out & About: Solabee Flowers

Solabee has more than just plants — they also have a florist building custom bouquets in the back and little odds and ends like crystals and terrariums. If you just want to pick up a single giant tropical leaf instead of a bouquet of flowers, that’s cool too.

Nubby Twiglet | Out & About: Solabee Flowers

Finally, their shop dog, Leia is so adorable. Can you tell I’m smitten? Rocky might have fallen in love with her, too. 😉

Want even more Solabee goodness? Visit their Instagram for tons of eye candy!

Nubby Twiglet | Out & About: Solabee Flowers

I wore: Forever 21 floral bodysuit, BDG pinup pants and Zara boots (sold out).

Our Stories Make Us Who We Are: The Moth

Nubby Twiglet | The Moth Radio Hour

I’m always looking for new podcasts to listen to as I’m working and recently, I stumbled upon The Moth as I was tuning into the live stream on WNYC. I haven’t seen it mentioned on any podcast roundups I’ve recently read…so I had to tell you because I think you’ll enjoy it, too.

I tend to prefer podcasts that feel more off-the-cuff because the spontaneity feels more relatable. The Moth is special because it’s completely unscripted — people tell their personal stories live on stage in front of a room full of strangers.

As you can imagine, some of the stories are heartbreaking while others are hilarious. All are true.

Want a warm-up? Listen to Bible Salesmen, Ghosts and Strippers and just try to not get hooked!

After devouring a few dozen episodes, I landed on the ultimate goldmine: a library of a few hundred stories that play automatically when you click the “listen now” button.

After I listened to them all (really!), I started thinking about what the draw was. It was simpler than I realized: our life experiences are what make us each unique. Our stories help define who we are. They’re what people remember long after they’ve met us.

Your stories have power, whether you choose to share them in person, on a blog or on a podcast. Maybe The Moth will inspire you to share yours, whether it’s your first or hundredth time saying it out loud.


Vintage moth illustration via Swallowtail Garden Seeds.