50 | INTRODUCING : L&A MOBILE

Without deviating from the LOTUS&ASH pursuit of preserving tactile paper beauty in our increasingly digital world, it's about time L&A went mobile.

No, unfortunately lotusandash.com (still) does not have a mobile version, nor have I developed an app. However, with only so many hours in the day, and so much paper-love to give, I've had to make my office mobile during my one hour + commute to and from work.

Fortunately, I don't need a WiFi connection to put  handmade touches on each L&A piece that goes out. I've pushed the limits of where you can make stationery, and I've found that all you need is a flat surface (my laptop works great), and as much double-sided tape as you can fit into your backpack.

This is the story of one invitation order:

From my dining room table...

to the morning train....

to the seminar room...

and yes, even at the nail salon...

onto the night train...

and back to the dining table.

Voila! A week's worth of commuting produces ~150 invitations, and about ~50 "what ARE you doing!?" glances from fellow commuters.

And, since we're on the topic, I thought I'd share some of my favorite mobile experiences from the past few weeks (besides my mobile stationery making).

| dia de los muertos parade in the mission . SF . 11.2010 |

| traveling on a champagne soaked, standing-room-only cal train the night the giants won the world series |

| view from the coit . taken with the iphone4 |

| favorite mobile picture app? instagram |

49 | A SUGAR RUSH OF AN L&A UPDATE

To and fro! To and fro!

L&A captures (1) every busy moment as she goes.

Exploring the bay and rising in D.C. (5) -

Cheering Stanford victories (7) and  tastings at Cellar Three Sixty (2)

Birthday sugar-overdose at Crown and Crumpets (6),

A concert in in Berkeley complete with trumpets (8).

Experiences so rich, so new go past,

but she always saves the best for last (3)* ...

To lie in her bed underneath a paper sky (4),

and wonder what adventures the next day will supply...

~

key:

(1) (2)

(3) (4)

(5) (6)

(7) (8)

~

*the best for last:

a new post-it tradition:

upon a visit to my apartment, you must leave a post it with:

- a good moment from your week

- a bad moment from you week

and finally...

- the best moment of your week.

46 | MAJOR LIFE CHANGES

Well, hello. I'm Ashling. Nice to meet you. (Doesn't it seem like it's been ages since we last spoke? It's my fault, really. I have been the stranger in the relationship.)

There have been some major life changes in the L&A life ... which I will happily be chronicling (blitzkreig style) over the next few weeks.

• Moving (permanently) to the Bay Area!
• Signing my first lease on an Apartment!
• Decorating my first apartment!
• Starting my first "real" job!
• Beginning work on my first Bat Mitzvah and Wedding Invitations!
• Expanding my web design skills with clients across the nation!
• Drifting to the Vegetarian side of being an Omnivore!

It has been...  a lot. And I am very excited to share it all with you.

FIRST:

Speaking of major life changes... it's always amazing how quickly it can change (for better or worse).

This is the 3rd year that L&A has been involved with the MUSIC for MATT charity concert, hosted in New Orleans every October. Due to the tremendous effort of Matthew Costa's mother and his closest friends, the show keeps his spirit alive despite his premature death, and L&A is always honored to be a part of the concert.

This year, L&A Designed a shirt to commemorate Matt's time in Africa and his love for music.

L&A invites you to support the concert by purchasing a shirt. With your shirt order, you are making a donation to the Costa Memorial Scholarship and the Peace Corps Partnership Program in Mali (plus looking damn good in an organic cotton shirt).

PREVIOUS YEARS:

2008:

| T-SHIRT DESIGN |

2009:

| POSTER DESIGN |

43 | Celebrate Creativity & Beans

| SPREAD CREATIVITY . designed 06.2010 |

By far, the best class I ever took at Stanford was CREATIVITY&INNOVATION. Besides the amazing teachers, my enthusiastic peers, and the awesome Stanford d.school building, one of the assignments was to design a line of greeting cards for "national creativity day" - the brainchild of neuroscientist, creativextraordinaire, and one of my personal heroes - Tina Seelig.

After a class-long brainstorm, prototyping and presentation of the new line of greeting cards, I threatened to make a line of LOTUS&ASH greeting cards inspired by the class. That threat has become a reality with a set of 4 greeting cards that are intended to ignite creativity between two people, or an entire group of people...

| SENTENCE STRUCTURE . designed 06.2010 |

| ODE TO CREATIVITY (fold it poem exercise) . designed 06.2010 |

| CREATIVE NOTE . designed 06.2010 |

~

the life of L&A:

Graduation celebrations continued last night at AXE restaurant in Venice.

I highly recommend the Vegetable Pistou - even on a hot summer night, the soup was a delight. WARNING: Do not order it if you do not intend to soak up the garlicy broth with the chunks of rustic bread accompanying.

The night was a double celebration for myself and a very good friend, who got into a very good grad school. To commemorate her achievements, nothing less than a semi-inappropriate greeting card was in order:

| BRA*VO . designed 04.2009 |

~

Graduation celebrations, part 1002030:

Congrats to Erica & Teddy on their beautiful new home.

{ taking a page out of erica's book }

celebration made easy

add one part prosecco, two parts sweet lady jane cake, and good company, and you have yourself the perfect post-dinner plans.

| CUSTOM DESIGNED hanging MANTEL PIECES by ERICA . 06.2010 |

42 | L&A Graduates

CON-GRAD-ULATIONS!!!* (get it? it's like congratulations... but for a grad!)

It's not too often that I post anything other than paper-obsessions, but posting about graduation seemed like the appropriate deviation from the norm since it marks a very important new chapter in the LOTUS&ASH life.

*this might be my least favorite greeting card play on words.

| "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE STANFORD" MORTAR BOARDS . designed 06.2010 |

Reason #2010 I love Stanford? Graduation includes an opportunity to get creative with costumes for the Wacky Walk tradition. My friends and I dressed up like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (complete with ruby red slippers!), because there really is no place like Stanford.

However, graduation also meant the end of the amazing design opportunities that L&A got to have on Stanford Campus. Appropriately, my last project was the poster design for the Studio Art Major / Minor show, which featured Binary Press as well as some of my linocut and collage work.

| SENIOR SHOW POSTER DESIGN . designed 05.2010 |

It's true - L&A is no longer dorm room operation... and it's time for the real world.

But! I'm happy to announce that the real world is going to include more L&A updates about paper and the L&A lifestyle. So follow along as I document life post-graduation with a new obsession... my Canon REBEL T1i.

| BEAUTIFUL MORNING BOWL . created 06.2010 |

Another new obsession? Quinoa for breakfast.

Mix Quinoa, Fage Greek Yogurt, Flax Seed, Cinnamon, Espresso Beans (yes, Espresso Beans!), Puffins, and Raspberry jam together and you have yourself a jam-packed bowl of goodness to sustain you throughout your morning.

| FATHER'S DAY 2010 |

Father's Day Card "They say a picture is worth a 1000 words..."

Beringer Alluvium Merlot, 2006 - goes perfectly with a Harris Ranch steak... or a Balsamic Quinoa Beet & Tofu Bowl.

Domo Arigato Letterpress Card from Tiselle.

~

STAY TUNED for more Paper Updates coming your way...

&&& CONGRATS to ALL THE OTHER 2010 GRADS and HAPPY SUMMER!