As long as I’m on the “designed living” wave, I figured I’d share a few photos from my last trip to Punch Pizza. For anyone who has been to one of the Twin Cities’ Punch Pizza locations, they will tell you that the decor and ambiance make you feel just as good as their delicious, neapolitan pizzas.

I recently visited Rustica Bakery in Uptown Minneapolis. Beside brewing some of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted and serving amazing pastries, they have nailed the “designed living” concept. From the dark woods, and simple serving dishes, Rustica is a place you can go and enjoy coffee and a book, while feeling at home.

A recent journey to Las Vegas was a run of the mill Vegas trip, but I was able to see some nice uses of typography. Side note…if you’re ever in the Summerlin area, I recommend a meal at Vintner Grill. Their food is just as impressive as the front door.

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that December has become a time when consumerism puts America in a headlock until we finally give it everything we’ve got.

One thing I do like about this time of indifference is that retailers don’t hold back on presentation, especially displays and promotional designs. Here’s a few I ran into this weekend…from Starbucks’ kiosk covers to Louis Vuitton’s classy light display.

Happy Holidays.

I made a trip over to Black Blue, a great boutique in St. Paul, with Nikki this weekend. The shop has been open for a couple months now, and has already made a name for itself. Its combination of top notch products, rotating exhibits and clever presentation methods, makes it a place I will shop as much as possible. If those aren’t selling points enough for you, Steve, one of the shopkeeps, is a very inviting, creative and knowledgeable chap.

I ran across some great uses of type this weekend. I love the typeface that Urban Outfitters is using for the numerical elements, as well as the combination of type and abnormal materials used by AZIA and Club Monaco. I gotta say…seeing type on fabric, being used as signage, was quite nice.

I’ve been enjoying the seasonal coffee packaging from Starbucks this year. I like the illustrated silhouettes combined with the seasonal patterns.

This other packaging [pictured below] is not really a design marvel, but it does do a good job at grabbing your attention.

I’ll be working on a title sequence in the next couple weeks, and wanted to share a few photos from the shoot. The final product is going to be vintage items, juxtaposed with a very technological type and graphic treatment. Stay tuned for clips along the way.

Some great soda packaging seen on a recent grocery run. I really like the effective use of photography used on the first two, and throw back style of the third. Not sure how it tastes, but I’m sure I’ll be giving Goose Island Sodas a try sometime in the near future.

Here’s a collection of some of the great moments of signage I’ve come across in the last couple of weeks. I really appreciate the different forms of application, material, scale and texture.