Book Review: Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas

Good morning everyone! Thanks to Amy Atlas for this lovely book which came in the mail yesterday! 

I'm so delighted to finally receive Sweet Designs after hearing so much about it! Amy Atlas is a former lawyer who is now a sweets stylist - creating all kinds of gorgeous dessert tables displayed to perfection! Her dessert tables are always so colorful & eye-popping which make her a favorite in the dessert styling world! The tables are ideal for weddings, special events, baby showers & more! No matter what party you plan, this girl can get it together!

My favorite parts of the book are the 'custom candy bar wrappers' - fantastic idea.... which I'll be trying pretty soon! I also loved both the 'chipper chocolate cupcakes' & the 'chocolate beehive cupcakes' (all pictured below). 
 

Don't they all look tasty? 
 

Ahhh I'm such a sucker for sweets, if only my waistline wouldn't expand in the process! 

Get your copy of Amy's book here.

Thank you Amy!

-images by jen ramos

Book Review: Exotic Taste

After a few days of being sick, I'm back! Those who follow me on Twitter I'm sure know what I've been dealing with - and thank God the worst is over, crossing fingers!
 

So...today I'm reviewing Exotic Taste, Oriental Interiors by Emmanuelle Gaillard and Marc Walter. The book was sent as a gift to me by one of my contacts at Vendome Press & I thought I'd share it with you. 
 
Though there's NOT a lot of Oriental styling in my home, I've always admired how a well design room with Oriental fixtures meshes together.  With a lot of intricate detailing, Asian-influenced interiors can truly bring a different feel to a room, as this book shows you.
 

This hardbound book has 236 pages of rich, colorful photos and retails for $75.  The photos show everything from entire rooms to furniture to details.


 One of my favorite features is how it's broken up into regions - China & Japan, India, & Near Eastern.

 

You'll be particularly impressed with the scale of the rooms - several from palaces & grand residences where massive rooms are still detailed with intricate tapestry, carvings & vases!
 

You can buy your copy of this great book here.

-images of book taken by jen ramos

Book Review: The Elements of Graphic Design

My new friends at Skyhorse publishing sent over this book: The Elements of Graphic Design - and it's so appropriate for me because as a designer, I'm constantly wanting to learn more! 

This book is actually a second edition by Alex W. White & even though I have yet to read the entire thing (lack of time) - I'm loving what I've read so far!  The book is definitely thought provoking & has a bit over 200 pages of full color. 

I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone thinking of getting into the Graphic Design field. You'll learn about how you can apply design components, color, similarity & contrast, unity & space, type & much more!

I love how Alex manages to describe a unique approach to successful graphic design & inspires us to create better work.....brilliant!

You can pick up your copy here.

-images by jen ramos