Blogtipping: Mixed Plate

Welcome to the first Blogtipping post here at "the Spiral"... I found out about Mixed Plate, a new blog that aspires "To share some of the craziness that pops into my head and to present the work of talented artists and designers that I think you should know about", from a post on a women's business forum that I read.

1.) Mixed Plate is a mixed bag, part Design*Sponge, part Modish, all through the filter of indie designer Liana of On a Friday. I like her voice. (It is similar enough to the voice that makes Daily Candy so much fun to read without trying too hard. It's a difficult trap to avoid.) I also like that I can see some of the same aesthetic sensiblities guiding her choices for Mixed Plate that I can see in the work that she produces for her business.

2.) I love the conversational tone of the blog, it's almost conspiratorial. It's like the conversations that I imagine I would have in the break room if I got a real 9-5 job. "I saw the cutest Tee Shirt the other day while I was browsing through Bust and I just couldn't help thinking of you." "Aren't these earrings the cutest!?! I would have bought them anyway but with the coupon code from their business card in the Sampler, I just couldn't pass them up."

3.) The crisp clean layout of the blog is a perfect backdrop for the gorgeous goodies served up in the posts. With so many images and so many amazing designs, it would be easy for Mixed Plate to look cluttered and busy. The cool colors and minimalist design really showcase the content of the blog rather than competing for attention.

As for the "Tip" part of the whole blogtipping thing, I'd like to suggest that, in addition to the category tags that you already have in place, perhaps you could add price category tags... As the archive grows (it's hard to believe that this blog is so new) and the holiday season approaches, I can see myself pouring through the archives looking for gift ideas. Those random gift partner price caps can be quite intimidating...

On a parting note, it never ceases to amaze me that with all of the design blogs that I'm reading (my current favorite, BTW, is Print&Pattern which really feeds my obsession with repeated motifs and decorative pattern...) I seldom see the same things repeated. It is almost too much inspiration for one little brain to process.