2012 Calendar by Le Petit Elefant + Paper and Type IS HERE!!

We decided to try a different approach & theme while keeping all the good parts of last year's calendar... This 2nd collaborative calendar is seasonal, correspondence-themed, monochromatic & of course, perforated for your art-keeping pleasure. We sold out last year so get 'em while you can! :)


Find them here: Etsy / Modern Mouse / Flockshop / Sweet Breams / Renegade Craft Fair LA & SF / Patchwork / Unique LA

Spike Jonze: Mourir Auprès de Toi

Spike Jonze: Mourir Auprès de Toi on Nowness.com.

This stop-motion short is amazing (with some humorous skeleton boning [HA!]).
You can read Mr. Jonze's interview about the short on nowness.com. Thanks for sending, kb :)


I'm on an animation kick because I went to the Animation Show of Shows last
night and will probably go again tonight (NERRRRRD! :). I highly recommend!

Google is so cool today

Happy 100th birthday, Mary Blair. You've certainly inspired me.

RegrETSY: How to avoid a terrible Etsy transaction

I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with an etsy shop seller who didn't share my views of customer service.  I feel like you should always do what you can to make the customer happy. A happy customer is a returning customer. An unhappy customer, like me, will never shop there again and share the terrible experience on the internet :)

However, instead of turning this into a rant, I'm divulging so that you can perhaps learn along with me. There were mistakes made on both ends, and lots to take away. So, here's what happened (or if you don't want to read this part, just scroll to the bottom):

I purchased two washi tapes. I noted the positive reviews and didn't bother looking at her shop policies (my 1st mistake!).

Then, two weeks later:

Nothing. One month comes around...

4 days later...

 She replies!!

Good: saying sorry, repeating shop policy
Not-so-good: essentially bribing me with half of what I paid for in exchange for keeping me quiet. If it's in your ability to send me something, you do it in hopes that I'll be happy & comment: "package was lost but seller had great service and set new ones immediately!" Do not offer a tape as part of a condition.

At this point, I was pretty upset:

Her reply:

And that's that. It was indeed a loss on both ends. We both did our part in escalating the situation. I feel like if she didn't add the 'agree to not leave negative or neutral feedback' bit things may have concluded better. And I could have been nicer and more understanding in my replies.

So! What I learned:

• DO: immediately reply to customers/sellers
• DO: read store policies and feedback
• DO: always apologize if something goes awry, even if it isn't your fault
• DO: try your hardest to make your customers happy (offer discount, free shipping, an extra something)
• DO: make exceptions to help them.

When I did my training at Modern Mouse, a significant chunk was spent refining how to approach and work with customers. This included reading a reaaaaally enlightening excerpt from Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service, which outlines 5 basic steps to handling customer complaints:

1. Acknowledge the customer's complaint.
2. Sincerely apologize.
3. Take action to make things right for the guest.
4. Thank the customer for complaining.
5. Write it up. 

Of course, not everyone sees customer service like this. I haven't always been the best with it, but the regretsy experience has taught me a lot. Hopefully it will show in future orders!

To end this post, here are some fun facts Eleen (Modern Mouse's owner) pointed out in our customer service guidelines:

• Research indicates that customers who complain are likely to continue doing business with your company if they feel that they were treated properly.
• It's estimated that as many as 90% of customers who perceive themselves as having been wronged never complain, they just take their business elsewhere.
• Are they worth it? So, angry, complaining customers care enough to talk to you, and have not yet decided to take their business to the competition. They are customers worth saving.
• You can learn more from the difficult customer than you could ever learn from your most loyal customers. Difficult customers tell you where it hurts.
• Research has shown that just a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to 25% to 100% growth in profits.

Have a peek!

new card in progress!

Vacation in NYC, part 2

So another reason why I visited NYC was to celebrate Daniel Nayeri's latest young adult book, Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow. He's also an editor at Clarion, as well as an aspiring international spy and former pastry chef. His wife (she is the SWEETEST!) and I were wearing nearly matching Anthropologie dress too ;)

My painting's the blue one!

Kevin using the in-gallery telephone booth.

Union Square doodling.

A little Fat Cat Scrabble fun with the folks.

My boop trying so hard to make up for my suckiness at pool. It's genetic. My sister & I played the longest, worst game of pool against each other. It's safe to say we both lost because our friend made us stop.

Kevin + Lassen & Hennig's Ugly

JENS!! You have my heart.

My sister & I carved pumpkins for the first time EVER!

FREE chinatown ice cream factory ice cream! Thanks Scout Mob! :)

Jim Henson exhibit at AMMI, Queens

Fish's Eddy!

Clink for customers!

 

Daniel & Kimmi met over a cup of coffee.

And this is a soon-to-be-married couple's story of how they fell in love... in Clink form!

A Clink Wedding

one of five illustrations

(btw, it's not for my wedding! it's a customer's ;)

 two of five is at the top right. bottom is an anniversary present (again, not for me ;)

Welcome to the Bronx Zoo

a custom order for Samantha completed & hand-delivered in NYC :)

Vacation in NYC, part 1

Holidays are the craziest time & it's typically a non-stop hustle. So, I've found taking a vacation in October (after the summer time fairs and right before the holiday hustle) is THE BEST THING EVER. Also, the weather is nothing but awesome sauce (time to dust off those coats!).

pork belly steamed bun - momofuku ssam bar

 Kevin joined me for my vacation and we ate our faces off all over the city. We ventured to Momofuku Ssam Bar.

spicy pork sausage & rice cakes - momofuku ssam bar

 We also had the oysters with yellow watermelon & thai basil (gahhhhh...) & sweets from Milk Bar.

 

We then traveled to Brooklyn Bowl to watch a free preview of this season's first episode of Bored to Death. I was hoping :sigh: Jonathan aka Jason Schwartzman aka my boyfriend in another life would be there. Was he? No. But real life Jonathan aka Jonathan Ames was!

 

We headed to Barcade to spend the quarters weighing down my tote bag. I kicked his butt at Tetris!!

Then it was back to BK Bowl for the smooth, groovy tunes of DJ ?uestlove of the Roots.

 Home at 4:30am. Not bad for the first night :)

Miss Yesterday Online Store

Hip hip hooray! Mariana has launched her online store, Miss Yesterday, of all things lovely & delightful. Check out my goodies in the Stationery section :)

Also, shipping is a flat $10 worldwide so stock up on presents!

Baby's First Plush