Hi! I’m Rachel and I’m the creative director & founder of Pencil Shavings Studio. I’ve never met a color I didn’t love. Do you love color too? We should be friends.
Pencil Shavings Studio originally launched as a blog in 2008; the shop opened in 2011 with copious amounts of cheer, confetti, and fanfare thanks to my fantastic readership. As a community, Pencil Shavings Studio readers love color, style, fashion, interiors, humor, and keeping it real. The Pencil Shavings Studio girl dreams of swimming in the Mediterranean, painting her house with stripes in every room, living in Paris, and getting new school supplies every September.
fabulous press & collaborations
Pencil Shavings Studio has enjoyed a fabulous run. Rachel collaborated with national retailer The Limited on a special capsule collection of iPhone cases in late summer of 2012 as well as a special line of lucite trays for Jess LC that fall. In the fall of 2012, Nordstrom released a selection of Pencil Shavings Studio designs for iPhone as well that coincided ever-so-fortuitously with the launch of the iPhone 5. Early adopters everywhere rejoiced.
Pencil Shavings Studio products have been featured in HGTV Magazine, Southern Living, Country Living, RealSimple, Sweet Paul magazine, Rue Magazine, DesignSponge, 20 Something Magazine, and more.
Additionally, PSS has been named one of TLC’s 5 Can’t miss Mom Style blogs and was included in the Top 8 Etsy Shops About to Blow up by Complex. Rachel was honored to be included at Smart Creative Women along with an inspiring group of creatives, and has also had several interior design DIYs, parties, and projects featured at Apartment Therapy, Ohdeedoh, Sara’s Party Perfect, and CafeMom.
Rachel has also had the privilege of speaking at a few events including the Stationery Academy 2012 and Altitude Summit in 2013. Look for her at AH Inspired and Stationery Academy 2013 later this year.
the backstory is this:
Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Rachel attended Pepperdine University where she was introduced to design. Before it was called blogging, she started her own site where she wrote about her daily life in California for her family at home in OKC. She returned home to attend the University of Oklahoma’s visual communications program and graduated in 2004 with a BFA & emphasis in visual communications. During the summers, she studied with various programs in France such as Parsons Paris, La Sorbonne, and the Paris American Academy. In 2005 she married her best friend Simon and launched her freelance studio. Baby Jude was born in 2007, and Pencil Shavings was born in 2008. In her free time, Rachel enjoys dragging her husband Simon and son Jude to J.Crew to stalk the sale section.
Read more here about how Pencil Shavings got started.
ULCERATIVE COLITIS & ME
Maybe you’re here because you have ulcerative colitis and you’d like to learn more about my experience with UC and subsequent J-pouch surgery at the Mayo Clinic. I’ve had the privilege of connecting with lots of other UC patients and built friendships with girls all across the country who are considering surgery. . Click here to see my page on UC.
