Rubin Recommends

(Part of The Weekly Check In series)

I first discovered Nicole’s work through a link from the awesome Kate Bingaman-Burt. Just last week I was lucky enough to have the covers for the record I am releasing printed at the amazing Pinball Publishing in Portland and noticed Nicole worked there. So I had to do a check in with her.

I posted about her design work last week and you can view more of her work at http://www.makingstuffanddoingthings.com. I want everything she makes.

Rubin: What are you currently working on or just finished that you’re excited about?

Lavelle: This summer is so full of projects, I don’t even know where to start! I just wrapped up a collaborative zine with my friend Will Bryant, called Where We Don’t Live, as well as a solo zine about the beauty of summer in the American West. They’re both releases from a experimental creative and curatorial imprint I recently launched called This Place Projects, which is to support and explore location-based artmaking. I recently acquired a letterpress, so I’m excited to get that up and running. Lots of printmaking projects to come!

I was also recently hired at Pinball Publishing, and am so excited to be a part of their team. Creative offset printing, friendly people, cool projects; it really helps me as a designer to understand the ins and outs of the printing process. We’re working on Scout Books, custom pocket notebooks and our newest exciting Pinball project!

Rubin: Where have you traveled so far this month?

Lavelle: I’m actually in San Francisco right now! I spent my childhood in The City, so it’s always nice to come back each summer and see family and friends. My BF&BFF Charlie and I have been trying to hit all of the good spots in the week that we’re here. We went to a Giant’s game, out on the Bay in a boat, up to Yosemite, out to the beach, up the steep hills of North Beach, over to my family’s summer home in the Marin redwoods: there’s so much to do in this beautiful city. It really is magic. Can’t wait to live here again someday!

Rubin: What’s your favorite music right now?

Lavelle: I always come back to classics like the Carter Famiy, Woody Guthrie and the Delmore Brothers. They sing about trains and traveling, about broken hearts and the blues. So simple. Good working music. I’ve also been listening to Sufjan Steven’s Illinois album, as I visited the Midwest for the first time last summer and it intrigues me.

Rubin: Best food you’ve had in your neighborhood lately or while you were traveling?

Lavelle: Just the other night we had curry delivered from Kennedy’s, a North Beach spot that’s both an Irish Pub and an Indian Curry House. I’m pretty sure it’s the best curry in the Bay Area.

When in Portland, we walk down to the crazy scene at Potato Champion and get Belgian french fries..I have a few other favorite carts in Portland, namely the Samuri Bento cart downtown and Kiko’s, the burrito cart in Sellwood. I really trust the carts to be authentic, friendly and affordable so it’s hard to eat anywhere else! For coffee in my neighborhood, artisan roasters the Cellar Door.