v2culture Archives - V2Works | Brandgineering by Design™

3rd Annual Office Pumpkin Decorating Contest

3rd Annual Office Pumpkin Decorating Contest

The only rule for our pumpkin decorating contest is that it must include one of the company-supplied mini-pumpkins or gourds. Other than that simple rule, creativity can run amuck! The Brandgineers at V2Works continued to push the boundaries in our 3rd Annual Halloween contest – running the gamut from the spooky to the music-oriented to a set of wheels and to the political (which actually brought us full-circle back to spooky!) No doubt some of us are already pondering how to top ourselves next year!

3rd Annual Office Pumpkin Decorating ContestV2Works2020-08-25T15:36:34-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

The crew at V2Works wishes you a wonderful 4th of July and a summer filled with good times. 4th of July Fun Fact: The modern U.S. flag was designed by a high school student as part of a class project. High school student Robert G. Heft of Lancaster, Ohio was assigned to create a new “national banner” for America that would recognize the statehood of Alaska and Hawaii. Heft simply added two extra stars to the flag to give it an even 50 and stitched his own design. His teacher only gave him a “B-minus” for his effort, so he sent his project to President Dwight D. Eisenhower for consideration and a change of grade. Eisenhower chose his design personally and the new flag was officially adopted in [...]

Happy 4th of July!V2Works2020-08-25T16:20:30-07:00

A V2Works Cookie Exchange, with Recipes!

A V2Works Cookie Exchange, with Recipes!

Who doesn’t love a good cookie exchange? You make one type of cookie, and magically walk away with an awesome assortment of baked goodies! The annual V2Works Cookie Extravaganza Bonanza was a big hit this year, bringing out the inner baking masters in us all. Sure, there may have been one minor kitchen disaster involving defrosting butter in a hot oven, forgetting about it, and discovering a giant pool of rapidly browning butter pouring from the wrapper onto the oven floor… but that’s beside the point. When all was said and done, we arrived with a beautiful assortment of cookies to taste and trade. Give these recipes a try in your own kitchen, just don’t forget about the butter. Chocolate Cherry Almond Biscotti (via Paprika Red) 1 1/4 sticks of [...]

A V2Works Cookie Exchange, with Recipes!V2Works2020-10-23T15:33:49-07:00

Still Life Food Photography

Still Life Food Photography

I'm on week 5 of my 7/52, taking 7 photos every week. Sometimes it comes down to the wire: suddenly it's Sunday, and I haven't taken any photos yet. Photography is all about seeing, though, and there are always plenty of things to see around the house; sometimes you just have to make them happen. So this week, I rummaged through the crisper and took photos of food. Typically you'll find me photographing finished dishes, as cooking is one of my many second-loves, but this time I decided to take a still-life approach to raw ingredients. There are so many colors and textures, I feel like the possibilities for interesting photography is infinite. Here are three different approaches: raw and natural on white, focusing on detail and colors; bright and [...]

Still Life Food PhotographyV2Works2020-07-01T17:25:34-07:00

Designy Dog Names

Designy Dog Names

A fellow graphic designer sent this to me. What fun names, almost makes me want to get a new dog. She recently got a new puppy, and named her Pixel.

Designy Dog NamesV2Works2020-07-01T17:29:16-07:00

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (3 of 3)

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (3 of 3)

Smoked Glass Somewhere along the line, I picked up a collection of smoked glass. I didn't even know I was doing it. Some pieces I have multiples, some pieces I only have one. I mentioned in an earlier post that I still have room for one more bowl or tablecloth, but unfortunately, that does not stand true for glasses. I once took a count of all drinking vessels—mind you, this includes coffee cups, pint glasses, champagne flutes, and everything in-between—and while I won't tell you the number, it is a 3 digit number. So as you can imagine, my cabinets allocated to drinking glasses are very, very full, but in my defense, the majority of them were purchased at thrift stores, for a dollar or less per glass, and some [...]

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (3 of 3)V2Works2020-07-01T17:41:51-07:00

Mid-Century Design Favorites

Mid-Century Design Favorites

I'm a little bit obsessive about design; besides graphic design, I have a special affinity for what are, in my opinion, well designed furniture and housewares. Any object I bring into my life has to be both beautiful and functional; stylish but unfussy. I can obsess over the smallest details, like the shape and depth of the bowl of a spoon, or the legs of a table, or just the right shaped water pitcher. Many modern designers of the 50s and 60s felt this way as well, which is why I am so drawn to designs from that era. Much that falls under the umbrella of mid century modern is both bold and minimal, softened by the use organic shapes, and is often made of a brilliant mix of man-made and [...]

Mid-Century Design FavoritesV2Works2020-07-01T17:44:57-07:00

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (2 of 3)

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (2 of 3)

Vintage Enamelware Another item that I'm mildly obsessed with is enamelware—this is metal (steel, cast iron, or aluminum) that's covered with brilliantly colored enamel. Cathrineholm is specifically highly collectible and beautiful (as seen on the teapot and bowl). Dansk also made a line of enamel cooking ware from the 1950s to 1970s that has very recently been revived and is now being manufactured again and distributed through Crate and Barrel. I love it because it's both functional and beautiful, and the colors are intensely bright and fun. Shown below, from front to back and left to right: Emalox of Norway red bowl (circa 1960s-1980s); orange Cathrineholm bowl in the Lotus pattern (circa 1960s-1970s); blue enamel butter warmer (circa 1980s); orange Cathrineholm Lotus teapot (circa 1960s-1970s); Dansk yellow pot with teak handle and [...]

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (2 of 3)V2Works2020-07-01T17:42:13-07:00

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (1 of 3)

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (1 of 3)

Vintage Teak Those that know me know I'm obsessed with thrifting and its ilk—estate sales, garage sales, scouring craigslist for a screaming deal on that certain piece—these are all things I love to do. But thrift stores are where I go most frequently since they are stationary constants. My love of thrift stores started as a teenager, when I would go with friends, looking for unique and kitschy clothing and accessories. My interests in them have waxed and waned in the years since, but as I've grown more and more fond of, interested in, and educated about mid century design and vintage items in general, my interest level is at an all-time high. Some may look at thrift stores as dingy and dusty places to find old clothes, beaten up [...]

My Thrift Shopping Obsessions (1 of 3)V2Works2020-07-01T17:42:30-07:00

Frosty Days

Frosty Days

It's been cold here in Seattle, and we've had some of the biggest frost I've ever seen in the last week or so. I went out early Saturday morning to take a few shots in the early morning light.

Frosty DaysV2Works2020-06-30T22:56:30-07:00

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