In commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the September Eleventh attacks, we’re honored and humbled to present “All We Have Left,” a young adult novel featuring Masha’s illustration on the cover. The book is available in book stores near you and on Amazon.

Gr 7 Up—This beautifully written coming-of-age story traces the lives of two girls whose worlds intersect on September 11, 2001. Chapters alternate between the present-day story of Jesse, whose brother died on that fateful day, and an emotional account of Muslim teen Alia’s experience inside one of the beleaguered Twin Towers. The wounds are so deep that Jesse’s family doesn’t talk about her brother Travis. Her parents are on the brink of a divorce, and she has feelings for a bad boy who leads her astray. After her arrest for hate speech tagging, she is sentenced to community service at the Islam Peace Center. Alia is a teenage girl and aspiring comic book writer/illustrator. An incident at school causes her parents to withdraw permission for Alia to attend a program for talented high school artists. On September 11, she heads to her father’s office at the World Trade Center to plead with him to change his mind. Jesse’s journey to discover why Travis was at the Twin Towers and what happened to him before he died eventually leads her to a search for Alia, the girl Travis was with when the planes hit. Her work at the Islam Peace Center and the friends she makes there instill in Jesse a new understanding of Muslims and the Islamic faith. This outstanding, touching look at a national tragedy promotes healing and understanding.

Siri, Siri on the phone, who’s the fairest of them all? This post is not about selfies, promise, we just couldn’t resist the pun. Instead we want to talk about fairytales and our collective obsession with them, especially in our age of high tech magic. This most dazzling, valiant and resilient of genres typically features: children or young maidens, magic, happiness (think fairytale ending), an occasional unicorn and the escapist notions of ‘Once upon a time’ and ‘Ever After.’ Naturally, fairytales have been aligned with the world of art, film and high fashion since well… once upon a time. Think about it: youth, fantasy, beauty, horror, love, heroic acts, history and elves. What’s not to love?!  

The well of folk stories remains bottomless for Hollywood, as evidenced this year by the lavish reinterpretation of Snow White in The Huntsman: Winter’s War, and the enduring popularity of the serial fantasy Game of Thrones, to name a few. And hardly a season passes by without at least a few fairytale references in the fashion world. To celebrate this point, the museum at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology hosted an exhibition highlighting the central role that clothing and style play in the telling of our favorite stories. According to Fairy Tale Fashion associate curator Colleen Hill, “In versions of numerous fairy tales by authors such as Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Hans Christian Andersen, it is evident that dress was often used to symbolize a character’s transformation, vanity, power, or privilege. The importance of Cinderella’s glass slippers is widely known, for example, yet these shoes represent only a fraction of the many references to clothing in fairy tales.”

And speaking of references, Vogue had this to say about the Miu Miu Spring 2016 show: “In their eccentrically layered outfits, the models at Miu Miu looked like they had unearthed the ultimate chest of dress-up clothes—you know, the ones that in fairy tales are discovered covered in dust in the attic next to a one-eyed wooden rocking horse and ribbon-tied bundles of letters—and piled treasure upon treasure (granny boots, Alice in Wonderland pinafores) in an attempt to realize all of their make-believe fantasies at once.”

Dolce & Gabbana, never one to be outdone, couldn’t keep from joining in on the fairy tale fun during Milan Fashion Week. Their Fall 2016 show included references to Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White. Bellissima as ever.

If all this hasn’t satisfied your love of fashion and fairytales, you only have to wait for the stroke of midnight of this year’s end for ‘Color Me Enchanted,‘ an upcoming coloring book (for grown-ups and not so much) by Masha D’yans and Gala Lazuli. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it features more than 90 pages of fashion-forward illustrations, inspired by… what else, fairytales from around the world! Get those magic coloring wands ready and watch this space for more sneak peeks.

From top left:
1. Red Riding Hood by Comme des Garcons from Fairy Tale Fashion
2. A look from Comme des Garcons: Menswear SS17
3. Fairy Tale Fashion
4. A look from Miu Miu Spring 2016 show
5-6. Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2016 show
7. A spread to color from Color Me Enchanted by Masha D’yans and Gala Lazuli

It’s hard to believe that 2016 is half way through… Enjoy it while it’s here in all its summer glory, we say. But to help you look ahead we’re happy to present a cheery new Masha Calendar 2017! This time it’s bursting with adorable woodland creatures and other friends in wild places, painted with characteristic detail and colorful aesthetic. And our best selling blooming deer is gracing the cover. Look for your new wall companion in stores everywhere and online. Happy days!

We’re getting seriously psyched for Father’s Day festivities, so this week our blog is devoted to all things Dad! And because fathers come in all shapes and sizes, with many different types of personalities, we wanted this Father’s Day post to include a few known to us ;). So here’s our gift and card ideas for Dad, whether he’s a Sportsman, a Voyager, a Recluse or a Scholar. Skip the tie!

Sportsman: for the athletic dad who squeezes in time for the gym between carpool and violin lessons, we recommend Bose SoundSport® in-ear headphones to keep him running to all his favorite tunes and podcasts.

Recluse: when your homebody dad already has a tricked-out man cave and deluxe cable subscription package, comfort is key. We suggest a plush new robe like this classic looker from Nautica.

Voyager: some dads are always on the go. Take his wanderlust to the next level with a spin out of town in a classic car rental. Or, to really rev things up, give him the gift of membership in a local car club like the chic Classic Car Club Manhattan. And send his heart racing.

Scholar: by now you’ve probably given your intellectual dad more books than either of you can remember, so why not give something to help carry them all? The Coach Metropolitan Soft Brief in sport calf leather combines elegance with practicality…just like the old man himself.

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there!

Summer is finally here! And now, with Memorial Day behind us, it’s high time to start celebrating grads and dads! Here’s our fave picks that work for either type of giftee in your life.

-ConGRADulate your grad with a colorful card from our new line – Eyedore! These paper eye candies feature brightly painted washes printed on watercolor paper and topped off with rainbow foil. Perhaps you’ll find something perfect not-Sent-from-the-iPhone for Father’s Day as well?
-An elegant pen is handy for doing those crossword puzzles AND signing beautiful cards. Can’t go wrong with a classic like Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Le Grand.
-Wearable tech is all the rage, and it’s no wonder, since having a more complete workout picture behoves everyone – from graduate to grandparent. Now you can track your calories, distance, duration, pace and split time with the comfortable Under Armor Speedform Gemini 2. The best part? You can leave you phone back at home.
-A good messenger bag is a must for a job seeker AND a busy father. Sons of Trade makes a killer light-weight lined-felt version that we covet for its military vibe that compliments many an ensemble.
-Finally, is there anyone who doesn’t enjoy a tasty treat? For dads and grads that like it hot (you know the type) Mouth offers A Hot Stuff Taster that’s not for the faint of tongue.

Just in time for summer we have fun new Masha fabric for you, makers! This collection is entitled Tree Faeries and features fun-loving ladies frolicking among flowers and butterflies. The full collection can be viewed and pre-ordered here. Our partners at Clothworks produce outstanding quality fabric for quilters and sewists who love to create. Fresh, fun and full of variety, the traditionally printed cottons speak for themselves. Look for new Masha fabric in independent shops, sewing and quilting magazines. We can’t wait to see what you’ll make with these – please share!

Happiest Mother’s Day (and, of course Cinco de Mayo)! We hope you’re celebrating with all the mother figures in your life this Sunday. We’re so excited to officially announce a new project, and because it’s a collaboration between Masha and her super mom, the timing seems right! It’s not exactly news (unless you’ve been hiding under a rock that is) that adult coloring books are still all the rage, so here’s a preview of the title page from Color Me Enchanted, published by Houghton Mifflin and available spring 2017. This book will feature intricate scenes to color from fairy tales around the world; famous (such as The Princess and the Pea (Masha’s childhood fave), Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty) and obscure, including brief quotes from the original texts to help bring the scenes to life. Interspersed between the vignettes are pages of luscious patterns. The order of the quotes and scenes is arranged into a larger overall narrative. Ready for some enchanting adult coloring action? We can’t for you to show us your colors! Until then, the wizards are busy painstakingly drawing away every delicious fairy detail… (Seriously, it’s so much work!)

Hey kids! We’ve gathered some gift ideas below for a few kinds of moms to help you celebrate Mother’s Day this May. Plus, a Masha card to go with each gift!

Intellectual Mom
Museum memberships are so classy, don’t you think? Besides access to permanent collections and temporary exhibits there are perks, lectures and events to attend. Find a cool one convenient to mom and don’t forget to go with her! A couple of our faves are the New Museum of Contemporary Art in NYC and LACMA in LA.

Fashionista Mom
Accessories are always the best bet, increasing the chances for ohmygodthankyouthankyouthankyou moments. These Fendi Structured Cateye Sunglasses scream chic sophistication and come in many colors to polish her style even more (we kinda had our eye on them ourselves).

Chef Mom 
This classic Mosser Glass Juicer is such a minty pretty kitchen helper, $35, available at Food52.

Adventure Mom
Take her on a trip! How about the Ghost Ranch in New Mexico? Once a dude ranch, today the 21,000-acre retreat center offers over 200 classes in everything from plein air painting to adobe building. The lodging is rustic but overlooking Cerro Pedernal, the flat-topped mountain to the south and O’Keeffe’s frequent subject. 

Finally, if you’d like to keep it classic but lack the proper skills; everybody and their mother would enjoy Mouth Breakfast In Bed, $73, available at Mouth. What’s more festive than room service?

Dear You,

It’s been a while since we wrote. I’m choosing this moment in April – national letter-writing and poetry month – to send a few words from New York. I still consider it my home, and when Spring rolls around, there’s just no place like it. I admit to being somewhat reluctant about leaving warm & sunny Los angeles, but all was forgotten with the first sight of Central Park. A stroll through its tender, fresh blossoms, undamaged by the lingering cold, can cure any travel weariness!

Remember A Poem as Big as New York City, the book I illustrated? The words were written by little children from every corner of this infectious kaleidoscope of a city, and they seem most appropriate at a time like this. Because, along with the glories of Central Park, I also relish discovering new things in familiar corners. Each time I visit with favorite clients like MoMA and Saks, I find something different – who knew there was a space as magical as Mariani Fine Minerals on the Upper East Side? One specimen of their rare and exquisite crystals on display even matched the color palette of a Degas painting from the current MOMA show. You’d be blown away!

Further downtown in the West Village, I stumbled upon Calliope, another oasis of beautifully curated objects. It took a lot of will power not to bring all of them home. Another stop on my wander list was the new Whitney Museum, with its breathtaking panoramas of the city (and some fine American art, by the way). In the words of Charlie Parker, “Beautiful is the world, slow is one to take advantage.” 
Wish you were here. I’m sending you a few photos in the meantime.
Your girl,
Masha
(Write me)

Our Castle Monster at home on the Highline.

Central Park

A few of the unbelievable specimens from Mariani Fine Minerals

Cozy Calliope – photo by Josh Rubin for CoolHunting


Even NYC garbage is pretty in the spring.

Hello, April! Welcome – no fooling! Did you know that ‪‎it’s the National Letter Writing Month? Make someone’s day with a written ‪card‬ today, and for the entire month, ‪‎birthday‬ or not! Visit writeoncampaign.com for the deets on the Write On Challenge.