Happy Weekend!

Happy Friday everyone! Fall is definitely in the air here in DC and I’m kind of loving it! I’m so excited to wear my sweaters and boots again! DC summers are usually too hot to spend much time out in the garden, so I’m also looking forward to getting my hands back into the dirt this weekend. I’m planning to move my backyard roses to my front foundation garden (where they’ll get more sun), and move the hellebores and peonies currently in the front yard out to the backyard garden. But in the meantime…

Ali Makes Things (Alexandra Nelson) Watercolor Lettering via Instagram / Oh So Beautiful Paper

YES / Lettering by Ali Makes Things via Instagram

…a few links for your weekend!

This week on Oh So Beautiful Paper:

That’s it for me this week! Check back later for this week’s cocktail recipe – I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you back here on Monday! xoxo

Pretty Paper in the Office: Business Card Cases

Amazing business cards should be collected like baseball cards. When you’re out and about making connections, the card isn’t the only thing that says something about you and your work. Why not treat yourself to a case worthy of those little paper pieces of yourself? – Julie

Pretty Paper in the Office: Business Card Holders / Oh So Beautiful Paper

1. russell+hazel

2. Tsubota Pearl

3. Kate Spade

4. Masakage Tanno

5. Tanner Goods

6. Kate Spade

Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity Design

Hi Everyone! I’m SO excited to introduce a brand new column – with a brand new contributing author – here on Oh So Beautiful Paper today! Jill DiNicolantonio is a life-long paper enthusiast, former paper rep, and the founder of Parse & Parcel, an online resource for print and paper samples. Jill is on a mission to help creatives find and use the right paper for their projects – which just so happens to be the focus of her column: Finding the Paper. Welcome Jill! –Nole

Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity System by Christine Wisnieski / Jill of Parse & Parcel for Oh So Beautiful Paper

As if a James Beard Award winning chef isn’t enough of a reason to lure me in to Trentina, then this identity system by Cleveland Graphic Designer, Christine Wisnieski will definitely do it. Chef Jonathon Sawyer and his wife Amelia created an elegant and lavish dining experience for their patrons. Inspired by the cuisine of Trentino, Italy, where Amelia and her family originated, visitors are treated to a luxe, yet relaxed ambiance with glamorous design touches throughout. Christine created the logo and identity for Trentina, perfectly capturing the polished and expressive aesthetic of the restaurant and its owners.

This identity system is rooted in beautiful art, and expressive, voluptuous typography. The gold script logo is speed-infused, drawing inspiration from traditional Italian signage and crafted by hand. Metallic colors play a major role in the restaurant’s decor with mirrored tables and gold walls, and is echoed among the papers and finishes used throughout Trentina’s identity system.

Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity System by Christine Wisnieski / Jill of Parse & Parcel for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Trentina offers a variety of menus; brunch, lunch, dinner and a 12 course tasting menu. The menu system emulates the food — bold but delicate, expressive yet refined. The system smartly utilizes a mix of digital and offset printing processes, simplifying the task of  future menu edits. By employing the use of colored metallic papers, an added layer of elegance is achieved without the added expense of a metallic ink. The pearlescent finishes in Neenah Paper’s Esse and Stardream grades used for the menu cover and dividers, play nicely against subtle text and cover pages of the interiors in Neenah Classic Crest Classic Natural White 70# Text and French Construction Insulation Pink 80# Cover.

Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity System by Christine Wisnieski / Jill of Parse & Parcel for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Other elements include the offset printed business card featuring a stunning gold gloss foil logo on Neenah Eames White Vellum in 100# Cover. And I adore the matchbook with the Trentina logo in a gold gloss foil stamp on the Stardream Antique Gold 80# Cover, such a striking combination. The check presenter pairs offset printing with a blind letterpress printed logo on Neenah Eames White Vellum in 100# Cover. This is definitely one identity system to raise a glass of prosecco to, cin cin!

Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity System by Christine Wisnieski / Jill of Parse & Parcel for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity System by Christine Wisnieski / Jill of Parse & Parcel for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity System by Christine Wisnieski / Jill of Parse & Parcel for Oh So Beautiful Paper Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity System by Christine Wisnieski / Jill of Parse & Parcel for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Finding the Paper: Trentina Identity System by Christine Wisnieski / Jill of Parse & Parcel for Oh So Beautiful Paper

Photo Credits: Paul Sobota, BurkleHagen, Christine Wisnieski

How to Make a Classic Old Fashioned

It’s officially Fall! And while I wouldn’t yet call the weather crisp, it is a welcome break from the heat and humidity of DC summers. The classic Old Fashioned cocktail is the perfect drink any time of year – but especially on chilly Fall nights. It was the first cocktail (ever!) and continues to hold iconic status today. Grab the recipe below!

How to Make a Classic Old Fashioned / Oh So Beautiful Paper for eBay

Classic Old Fashioned

2 oz Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz  Cognac or Brandy
1 tsp Rich Simple Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

To make the rich simple syrup, combine two cups of demerara, turbinado, or another raw sugar with a cup of water in a saucepan. Melt the sugar in the water over medium heat,  stirring frequently.

To make your Classic Old Fashioned: combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice. (For the smoothest stirring motion, try sliding the back of the spoon around the inside of the mixing glass, using just your wrist to turn the spoon). Strain into a chilled lowball glass filled with fresh ice, the bigger the cubes the better. Take a sharp vegetable peeler and peel a length of lemon peel; twist the peel over the glass to express the lemon’s aromatic oils and then drop the peel in the glass. Do the same thing with a piece of orange peel. Enjoy!

How to Make a Classic Old Fashioned Cocktail

Classic Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

There’s a reason we keep returning to these classic cocktails over and over again. The classic Old Fashioned cocktail perfect any time of year. It’s mellow and smooth and delicious, and totally deserving of the adoration it continues to receive today. You can check out the shopping guide right here – and go make yourself a classic cocktail!

This post was created in partnership with eBay. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!