The life of a digital nomad

Hello,

My day starts out leisurely with Margo Tantau in the cafe downstairs. I showed her the mini tarot deck I bought yesterday, and she wants to buy one, too. I neglected to bring mine from home.

Here’s me taking a photo of Margo taking a photo at the cafe. What happens when you get two visual hoarders in the same room? This.

I’m on a business trip. This is my business today: Margo, Beth and I go ’round to tiny Brighton shops and record instructive videos for our online courses. Margo chats about products as seen through the eyes of a creative director, and I as a teacher/agent. We are particularly interested in home decor products for our newest course. I love asking Margo (right) questions about how things are made because she knows so much. Beth (left) does the filming and keeps us on task.

First up, we chat on camera about this extraordinary ceramic set. Note the sgraffito carvings on the leaves on the creamer on the left, and the raised tree branches and birds on the right. Although the imagery is different, the gold rim ties the two together. Things to think about when designing your own line.

I chat a bit about painting on distressed wood and mention that exposing bits of the wood in one’s wall art makes a nice home decor presentation. Margo agrees.

England just has the sweetest vibe, with all the pleases and thank yous and polite niceties; you see it reflected in the delicacy of the art. Someone said it’s from having a queen for the monarch.

(I may have bought this lovely little painting.)

We are seduced by the window, and elect to break for a coffee.

Now at a vintage shop, Margo explains what the bleed-y, runny mid-century glaze is on the vase on the left, and how to note that in your presentation so the art director knows what you’re thinking. Then, they try to get me to buy that vase—and I desperately want to—but I am on a vase-buying moratorium.

Here’s that funny glaze again. I just love it. It looks bubbly and over-fired and I adore it. Margo points out that the glaze effect is unpredictable when being manufactured, but cool.

I purchased this anatomy doll for my husband, an emergency room doctor. He’s on a plane on his way here and doesn’t know about it yet! He’s the kind of guy that will treasure this. It’s carved, painted wood and comes with an instruction manual, so you know what guts go where I suppose. I allow myself to buy this because I’m not a wooden-anatomy-doll-purchasing-moratorium (yet).

Just seriously cool. Hand-decaled Peter Max/Carnaby Street love fest.

My kind of bathing suit. We poke around some more and make about a dozen more short videos.

After shooting little videos on finding color inspiration at your local new age gem shop, mid-century fabric printing looks, defining visual merchandising, new trends in metal products, exploring shapes for glass products, and even some children’s book styles, we call it a day.

Now I am in my digs, writing this for you.

And that’s the life of this digital nomad.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more goodness!

xo
Lilla