on the spot • no. 03

somewhere along the early lines of my blogging life, i met rachel from black eiffel. and yes, i should probably phrase it as 'when i found her blog' yet her blog is more than just a blog with a marvelous name. it's an intimate cozy corner garnished with paisley puffy armchairs where friends come to listen to her advice and discuss her favorite picks of the season.

i adore every single thing she has posted and have starred them all. i emailed her once just to say, 'i could send you into any store with my credit card and know you would come out with fancy hat boxes full of goodies that i would love.' she is a mother, a wife, a graphic designer, a traveler, and a fabulous photographer; everything i hope to be when i grow up. with a woman this talented + such refined taste, i knew i wanted to put her on the spot. thankfully she is sweet too and thus, obliged to my request. introducing rachel jones..

Name: Rachel Jones
Line of work: Graphic Design + Mother

Favorite tool in your studio? Xacto knife + ruler , scanner

Favorite coffee table book? Currently, The Light of Paris by Jean-Michel Berts.

Best store to spend your dough? Anthropologie, Williams-Sonoma

A must in your handbag? Camera, moleskin notebook

An every day ritual? Reading and writing

A must-see in your town? The mountains and canyons

You seem to be a music buff, what's playing on your ipod?
Right now, I enjoy Feist, Keren Ann, and Kings of Convenience. There are also lots of books on my ipod, I am currently listening to Eat, Pray, Love.

Do you have a favorite letterpress company?
I really like Snow & Graham, and Paper+Cup

Most recent favorite font?
Fling (seen on the cover of Blueprint Magazine)


Most moving art exhibit (past or present)?
Leonardo's Codex Leicester. It was an amazing exhibit about the manuscripts of Leonardo Da Vinci (mostly owned by Bill Gates).

Words for those of us inching towards a Gocco Press?
I enjoy the Gocco Press, although, like silkscreen, and letterpress, the repetition process isn't for everyone. Keep in mind, with the Gocco, they don't make them anymore, so it is challenging to find supplies.

You seem to be a well seasoned traveler, how do you get the most out of a vacation?
Planning a vacation for me, can almost be as fun as the actual trip. While traveling, I take lots of photos, in fact, sometimes I may annoy my husband with how many I take. I get inspired by different places, cultures, and the way that various people enjoy life, photos have become my favorite souvenirs.


Travel tips for new moms with kids?
on flights - bottle on the way up, and on the way down, pre-check your stroller, ask if there are any empty seats, if available they will usually give you an extra one, also ask for water or juice right when you board. When out and about, remember the ‘new mom’ motto aka scout motto is to “always be prepared”. Functional gear and supplies are well-worth it, because they help minimize wait time for others. Slings/carriers are a must for small spaces that don’t accommodate strollers.

What/who is your source of inspiration?
Nature, Traveling experiences, Foreign Films

Do you have a favorite artist / designer?
Artists: Paul Klee, Wayne Thiebaud,
Designers: Lotta Jansdotter, Laurie Demartino, Michael Mabry


Most memorable thing about (or lesson learned in) Design School?
Shared by one of my teachers, this lesson and quote by Sir Joshua Renyolds has really stuck with me.

“It is indisputably evident that a great part of every man’s life, must be employed in collecting materials for the exercise of genius. Invention, strictly speaking, is little more than a new combination of those images which have been previously gather and deposited in the memory; nothing can come of nothing; he who has laid up no materials can produce no combinations.

A student unacquainted with the attempts of former adventurers is always apt to over-rate his own abilities; to mistake the most trifling excursions for discoveries of moment, and every coast new to him for a new-found country. If by chance he passes beyond his usual limits, he congratulates his own arrival at those regions which they who have steered a better course have long left behind them.

The productions of such minds are seldom distinguished by an air of originality: they are anticipated in their happiest efforts; and if they are found to differ in anything from their predecessors, it is only in irregular sallies and trifling conceits. The more extensive, therefore your acquaintance is with the works of those who have excelled, the more extensive will be your powers of invention; and what may appear still more like a paradox, the more original will be your conceptions."


Your little Vienna is a doll. What is the best thing about being her mom?
She is quite a time consuming little bug, but every moment is an adventure. I enjoy it when she giggles and reminds me that life is all about enjoying the joy of the journey.

You seem to gravitate towards white on white spaces; what calms you?
The sound of the ocean

Inspiring words for aspiring designers / mothers / fashionistas...
1: Be your-self! - I think the most fulfilling thing is stepping out of your comfort zone and discovering who you are as a person, and who you are as a creator of goodness.
2: Begin each day with joy in mind. - Fill up your life with things that bring you happiness, always expressing gratitude along the way. It is the simple (non-material) things that often bring the most pleasure.
3: Keep Balance – I love what Mother Theresa once said, “Let us remain as empty as possible so God can fill us up.”


Something you always count on...
The Sun to come up tomorrow

Makes you happy...
My family, original artwork, ice cream, floating in the water, going to a bookstore to peruse, painting, taking a hot bath, planting flowers, meeting creative people.

merci, miss rachel. i have learned much from putting you on the spot. thank you for giving me a sunny spot to see every time i check your online space, i am inevitably mesmerized and agreeing whole-heartedly with that which you post. glad to know there are fine ladies like you {with such fine taste} out there making the world a better place. fyi: these colorful images were snatched from rachel's flickr.