Meet Angela, the newest SJ team member
So. Friends. It's our first coffee date of 2015 and my head is filled with ALL THE THINGS I want to tell you about. I want to babble about how 2014 was (don't think for a minute that I don't know that I haven't yet shared about the insane adjustment of leaving my full time job mid-2014), recap my 2014 future letter, and write my 2015 future letter. But, alas, I want to keep you around and I have learned that over-sharing for long periods of time is not the way to make friends.
When I left my full-time job in July, I knew the hardest adjustment would be the sheer loneliness of working alone. All. Day. Everyday. I mean, I have Miss Juliet to keep me company, but she's all thumbs when it comes to assembly. For the past 5+ years, I worked as a certified professional coach, helping people grow their careers and interpersonal skills. I AM A PEOPLE PERSON, PEOPLE! I thrive off of social interaction, feedback, coaching, mentoring, and brainstorming. Going solo was the biggest risk I could have ever taken, and I knew that I could not be solo for long. I would self destruct
My original plan was to work solo for one year, but sometime around October I began to feel like I was running in circles and getting nowhere. I knew it was time to stop the "I love working alone" sharade and bring somebody else onto the SJ team. After a lot of thinking, pacing, thinking, pacing, I decided it was time. I wanted somebody that I could learn from, and who could learn from me. I wanted somebody that would challenge the way I design and do business, and push me to be better. I wanted somebody that knew the stationery industry, loved typography, and just sort of got it. Whatever it is.
Believe it or not, but I knew who that person was. She's somebody I've known since high-school, who just so happens to be on the of the most talented designers I know. It was totally terrifying, but I decided to reach out and see if she'd be interested in working with me. Tea was sipped, paper stories were shared, and just like that, the heart of SJ grew.
So, meet Angela, the newest member of the SJ team, and Miss Juliet's new best friend.
Name: Angela Vivona
Location: Seaford, NY
Places to find you:
Right now, you can find me on
.
Late this year, I made the decision to start over. I deleted my old website (
gasp,
the blasphemy) and rebranded. Sometimes you just need to clean house and start fresh. Right now, I’m building a new website, taking some bad-ass photographs and designing new things, so stay-tuned!
Brief background info:
I was born on Long Island and I never left. Most of us don’t (har-har). Trust me, I think of leaving ALL the time. The winters are too cold for my blood, but let’s face it: it’s only a skip and a jump to some of the best beaches and the greatest city in the world.
I was lucky enough to go to The Parsons School of Design where I majored in Communication Design. I started out as an Illustration major, but quickly realized I was obsessing more about my design classes than my drawing classes. I graduated in 2006 and was working in the industry ever since. I worked in as a graphic designer at one magazine, one ad house in SOHO, and a handful of creative departments for retail-based companies. I was always obsessing about typography and how I wanted more creative freedom with it. I quickly fell in-love with stationery and letterpress and that was that. I learned how to use a letterpress, took classes at this little Brooklyn studio, actually purchased my own machine, and made all my designs by hand. I have to give a shout-out to my husband here. He came with me all the way to Pennsylvania and carried an 80lb, 9x12 Craftsmen Machinery Co. Letterpress down two flights of stairs and into the back of my car. My hero.
Right now, I’m lucky to be able to work from home where I design invitations as much as I can, all while watching a beautiful daughter. She is quite the handful at 18 months and getting any work done with a toddler has proven to be quite the challenge, but I wouldn’t change it for a second.
What's your dream job:
I’m doing it! Staying at home with my baby girl and designing pretty papers. I dream of having a fully-functional stationery business and studio in the near future.
Your favorite thing about paper:
Type. Duh. :) And really, the flexibility of it all. You can do almost anything with paper. Technology today has given us the ability to design and print almost anything.
Any Hobby/Hobbies:
Other than the obvious, you’ll find me and my family (and a big, red Golden Retriever) on the water. Either the beach or a boat, that’s where we are all summer long. When it’s cold, I ski. But only when the sun is out and it’s above 30. The only reason I do it is because my parents had me on skiis when I was 3. It just stuck I guess.
Favorite TV shows:
Let’s go down my DVR que, shall we? Homeland, The Walking Dead, Girls, Shameless, New Girl, Big Bang, and True Detective to name a few. I’d like to pay homage to the shows that are no longer with us, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, True Blood, and Friends.
Night owl or early bird:
This changed recently. I used to be both, but then I had my daughter and I became exclusively an early bird.
Cake or pizza:
Pizza (make your own, it’s seriously the best).
Favorite Font:
There’s just something about Helvetica Neue. I know, zzzz. But it’s a classic.
I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Avant Garde, Bodoni, Filosofia, and Bombshell. Right now, Harman is making me kind of excited. Rightfully so.
Anything people don't know about you
: Only those close to me really know this, but I have one and a half lungs. When I was 18, I had most of my left lung removed. I was born with a congenital lung defect that caused me to get sick with Pneumonia and other cooties at least once a year. Doctors told me it grew in or expanded to fill the space (maybe I’m half starfish)? Either way, I’m as healthy has a horse now.
Favorite part of working at Sincerely, Jackie
: One of the best things about working with Sincerely, Jackie is having someone to share the love of paper with. Working with a fellow designer and being able to bounce creative ideas off someone of is such a treat. Plus, it’s really nice to step away from Mom-Duty for a while.
Welcome Angela! I cannot wait to see what 2015 has in store for us and our love of stationery!
Come back every Thursday for a coffee (or tea!) date. During our
, I let my hair down and chat a bit more personally about whatever's on my mind, as if we were old friends catching up over a cup of java at the local coffee house. See you next week!
Sincerely,
