Just because I was gone for a while doesn't mean I didn't find things I loved while I was away! Here's my favorite finds during my vacation time.
These Acorn Pendants from Execute Me were on Modish the other day and I absolutely fell in love with them. They're so simple, but so sweet! My favorites are the three blue colors - not surprising, considering my favorite color is, well... blue.
I love the silhouette design on this bag from Pesky Cat Designs, and the pattern on the interior fabric matches the feeling of the bag while still being really cool on its own. The colors are soft and natural, and it's quite a good bag by construction. Utility + Design = Good Stuff.
This hairpin from Red are the Roses is made from vintage plastic flower pieces, and if my love for Art School Dropout was any hint, I'm sort of addicted to those quirky old school supplies and am prone to favor almot anything made from it. The combination of the pieces makes for an extremely showy pin, and I love the feather-like piece and lace-like piece that together give the whole thing an old-time aesthetic while still being a trendy piece.
While I'll fully admit I have no clue where I'd wear this absolutely fabulous costume hat from Topsy Turvy Design - it's certainly not part of the approved corporate dress code at my FT - it's still awesome. The shape, the detail, and the craftsmanship are undeniably incredible, and I had to laugh at the draped fishing net accent on the hat, which I thought was quite witty given the theme of it all.
Visit Lolo's for beautiful jewelry and unique, sophisticated bags. They're perfect for yourself or someone special! They're offering free shipping in the United States until the New Year, so check it out now!
To find the most adorable handbags and accessories for all the gals on your list, The Peach at Etsy is a must-visit! I think the Scooter bag is particularly cute (hint, hint)!
Like these cute little pins by Art School Dropout? Particularly, saaaaaay, the bottom three? Too bad! I munched them up tonight from Modishoppe. The oatmeal color (top left) was already gone when I went there, or I would have had to take that one too. For now, the lone green remains, though it remains to be seen for how long, given how cute they are (I don't wear green at all, which is pretty much the only reason I skipped it over).
Like the cabs they were made with? Stay tuned - you'll be seeing them again (hopefully soon) on this blog.
I've been lucky enough to have some amazingly patient people working with me! As a thank you for waiting for my busy little butt to get back to you, I present the MASHUP! I'm repaying the favor to the lovelies with little mini editorials - hope all you readers find these as delightful as their wonderful owners clearly are! (PS - these guys didn't know I did this or request it - this coverage is a special thank you!)
BOBE (BEYOND ORDINARY BATH ESSENTIALS) | An unusual amount of stress has certainly made bubble baths more frequent in the past few weeks, and I'd love to have bobe's Bath Mousse in Cotton Candy, Cupcake, Frosted Sugar Cookie, or Va Va Vanilla near the tub with me! (Like most women, crunch time tends to bring out the sweet tooth in me!) Grab a 4 ounce size for $8.00 Canadian. Now until October 31, stock up at bobe with a 15% off coupon code through Blue Monday! Use code "Blue15".
SW BODYWORKS | Also undoubtedly heading to the tub with me would be SW Bodyworks' absolutely yummy-sounding Bath Salts. With 8 ounces of "AHHHHHHH" for $8.00, there's really no reason not to. Now until October 31, stock up at SW Bodyworks with a 20% off coupon code through Blue Monday! Use code "211075105".
ACCESSORY BUG | It's th at time of the year again - the holidays are quickly approaching! What better way to celebrate the glitz and glamour of the season than with gold and bling - on a clutch! Yeah, I knew you couldn't think of anything better. Now until October 31, stock up at Accessory Bug with a 10% off coupon code! Use code "spooky".
MINGI EARRINGS | It's not only earrings of course - I actually LOVE this Fresh Necklace! It's a great, fun twist on the classic cluster necklace. Now until December 31, stock up at Mingi Earrings with a 10% off coupon code! Use code "Fan907"
I've been finding a lot of local finds in Minneapolis and the state in general, so I thought I'd just compile them all together into one bigger post about my (still relatively) new home base state.
Various Opportunities
Letterpress Internships Available at Lunalux: The local mother of all letterpress studios is looking for some interns who are interested in getting their hands dirty while learning about the beauty of letterpress. Located nearby me in the Loring Park neighborhood, it's easily accessible, and well, it's a chance to get on a press!
No Coast Craft-o-Rama Vendor Applications Now Online: Unfortunately, I didn't hear about this festival until (sigh)) two weeks after it had happened last year. I plan to be there this year with camera in hand, ready to blog! If you're in the area or ever wanted to see what the Twin Cities was like (because, you know, I'm sure it's every kid's dream, along with one day becoming a fire fighter...), it's a great opportunity to sell and get exposure! Let me know if you'll be there, and I'll definitely make a point of stopping by!
Notable Etsy Shops from Minnesotan Crafters
Papered Together: I think it's blatantly obvious by now that I'm a big letterpress fan girl. I just found out Papered Together is run by a local gal by the name of Krista. I had been planning on writing about the Etsy shop for some time now, but being that it is me we're talking about, I forgot (oops!). Here's the opportunity! Very cute stuff.
Pink Sparrow: The credit on this one goes to my boss. She came in with the most adorable felt owl pin the other day, and I scoured Etsy until I found the gal she bought it from - no easy feat when all you have to go on is that the crafter's from Minnesota and that it was, well, a felt pin. The Pink Sparrow stock is dwindling down, however - not surprising considering how cute the pins are - so I cruised through a bunch of sold items, and I think my boss may have started a trend. I probably will be sending her a convo to see if she can recreate some of the super cute stuff she's made in the past.
With Remote: Pretty cool graphic silkscreen prints.
Don't you love this fabric? I do. Like the rest of Carol's bags at Kimono Momo, it's made from vintage Kimono material, and I thought this pattern in particular was a show stopper. I love the richness of the purple and how the yellow and white pop off of it. Making it even more unique, it's a one of a kind bag.
Kimono Momo also features a variety of casual and formal scarves if that's more "your thing". If you're crafty and love her fabrics as I do, try the Kimono Momo Outlet on Ebay for some fabric remnants as well as yardage which is as unique and interesting as the ones she makes her bags with.
The last time I sewed was a long time ago. Once upon a time, Maddy studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design over the summer between her sophomore and junior year of high school, only to realize she hated the industry and... well, frankly, didn't have the patience to sew and liked the design half better. I thought I'd share with you what's around that is getting me excited to hop back into it, and I hope you'll be excited too!
In Stitches by Amy Butler: This book is a tasty looking book. Amy Butler in general I think has an amazing taste level for a lot of the accessories patterns she publishes, and I think this book is a testament to that. The only thing that's holding me back from buying this at this very moment is the fact I don't have a sewing machine here in Minneapolis (yet). It's on my list of priority purchases, but I doubt the boyfriend wants a book laying around while I can only use it to appreciate pretty pictures. Sigh.
Sew U by Wendy Mullin: Another book earmarked for later. The author is Wendy from Built by Wendy, and I think that sort of speaks for itself.
Simple Sewing by Lotta Jansdotter: The third book I'm waiting on. What excites me most about this book is how simply everything is explained and that everything in the book is a functional item that I could see myself using regularly or decorating with. That I find to be pretty rare, as people's taste in patterns don't always match or you just may not have a use for something in particular, but this book makes me want to buy a mass quantity of yards of patterned fabric and just start producing!
Crafty Planet: Don't come to the Twin Cities without going to Crafty Planet. I had heard a lot about this store in the past, but for the longest time had no idea it's literally, oh, ten minutes of a drive from my apartment. It is the fun sewing crafts MECCA of this area. Their online shop is cool, but when you get to see their entire assortment right in front of you, it is at the same time the most motivating and overwhelming thing. You're immediately flooded with project ideas but you'll have no time to complete them all without going back to your college days of no sleep and lots of coffee!
Thanks to the Magic of Etsy, it's easy to find really inspirational and interesting pieces in any category, if you're willing to invest the time to look. Here's some interesting "AH-HAH!" things I pulled up - hopefully it inspires you to create... or to pull out your wallet!
Hooded Jersey Baby Doll Dress by Niceface: Very cute take on the shirt dress. I love the little button details at the top, and the half sleeve is perfect for the upcoming fall.
Western Corset by Mariapozo: First of all, I have to take my five seconds all to congratulate her on an amazing photograph. Okay, five seconds over. Oh. My. Goodness. How incredible is this thing? I'm amazed at how intricate and perfectly symmetrical it is, and how well it's done. I mean, zoom in on that baby! If that doesn't give you sewing craft aspirations (because, let's face it, I was hopeless in Home Ec yet still somehow had an idea that I'd end up doing costume design), I don't know what does!
Paisley Leather Cuff in Turquoise by Hollyhawk: I like the graphic pattern and the blue color. What really fascinates me is that she hand dyed the leather, something I'd never attempted - or even though of attempting!
Cheerful Bee Business Card Wallet in Leafy Green by JennMaruskaDesign: This definitely made me go, "awwwwww!" when I first saw it. It's really sweet, and I could certainly use a card holder (if only people actually needed my cards more frequently!). I love the green color too - it's precious! Card wallets - it's one of those projects you just generally forget about - glad someone didn't!
Thistle Scoop Neck in Plum: What I love about this design and is interesting to me is really in the way the thistle is presented. It's really refreshing that you can see something organic and elegant but isn't as literal as the engraving or hyper-precise silhouettes that are all over the place. This illustration is more loose, and abstract, while still being legible. I think it's a fresh take on a trend that's on its way to getting too watered down.
On My Way to Waikiki Ponytail Holders by Magpiesnest: Another product I hadn't really thought of in the accessories area (perhaps it's because I have short hair that barely at best can make a pony tail?), but is really beautifully executed. I love the graphic design of them, and I really appreciate that they're kept more simple. They're small, so keeping it clean and basic allows the one graphic element to really pay off!
White Eyelet Sun Dress by Cherrypievintage: This is gorgeous. I love the cut, and I love the fabric. If there was any dress to really motivate me to drop those extra college-era pounds, this is probably it! I love the little bows at the top - they're so sweet and feminine and add a simple but unique touch to it.
Okay, so in (yet another!) moment of weakness, I purchased this Art Shool Dropout necklace from the blog Modish's new store, Modishoppe. It was featured on her blog as a new item, and even though I saw it a day late, it was (somehow!) still there - definitely a too good to be true moment. My more frugal side made a compromise with my "needitnow!" side and I decided that if it was still there after three hours of back to back to back meetings at the end of the day, I'd treat myself. Clearly, my needitnow side is quite pleased with itself, and after receiving my "order shipped" email today, it has been making me refresh the tracking number every couple of hours or so.
Clearly, I'm quite excited that I even got to an Art School Dropout necklace I liked in time, but to be fair, Modishoppe has got a lot of other interesting stuff in the shop. I definitely give it a thumbs up on the diversity of the offering - there's a lot of different aesthetics within the categories of merchandise so there's really something for everyone. It's a true reflection of the blog, and I certainly can't wait to see what comes out next!
EDIT: I received it today, and it's gorgeous! Jena did a great job with the wrapping and presentation, and I even got a quick little thank you note from her, which was a very nice personal touch. It's probably my best experience shopping indie so far, and I plan on emailing her to let her know that!
Oh my goodness, I'm in love. I was innocently perusing Cut+Paste and stumbled upon some of Bang Bang! You're Thread's stuff for sale there. I decided to check out their site (which is really cute, even though it's currently only a temporary site) and absolutely fell in love with everything there - good thing, too, because I need a new wallet! And new stationery... no, don't need stationery... but yes! I do. I wantneedmusthave it. I'll probably wait until the full site is up to see all the new product that will come up - if I can restrain myself and hide my purse until then - but if you can't, totes are $35, long wallets are $25, and regular wallets are $20.
With temperatures as low as -42 degrees Fahrenheit (yes, that's a negative sign in front of that 42!) in this great state of Minnesota, I think it's appropriate to feature some gloves right about now! I've been on an Etsy kick lately, so in my search for cute mittens, I sent my browser in that direction.
I found these adorable Cupcake Fingerless Mittens from ohashleylove and well, it was love at first sight. Cupcakes time and time again hit my soft spot (I'd say I bake between 2-3 dozen a month...) and these are just decorated adorably. I love the little circle sprinkles with the heart on top! So cute. The pair can be purchased for $24.
How I came across Nappa Studios, I'm not sure, but thanks to whomever posted that link! I absolutely love this handbag, their 2007 Collection Kimono Tote Bag ($86). While it comes in two colors, I've fallen for this purple version (called "Asian Violet"), which uses a gorgeous print on top of the jewel-toned color. Both versions are made from vintage kimono fabric with wool and lined with cotton. They measure 8" high by 10.75" wide at the bottom with a 17" handle and feature a magnetic snap closure and two inside pockets.
Does this bag not suit your needs? There's a lot of options in different price points, and they all feature fun patterns and attractive designs. The new 2007 collection is available now, so start browsing!
What's in the Try This at Home Reading Room this month? Here are our May recommendations, powered by Amazon.com!
: This book is a tasty looking book. Amy Butler in general I think has an amazing taste level for a lot of the accessories patterns she publishes, and I think this book is a testament to that. The only thing that's holding me back from buying this at this very moment is the fact I don't have a sewing machine here in Minneapolis (yet). It's on my list of priority purchases, but I doubt the boyfriend wants a book laying around while I can only use it to appreciate pretty pictures. Sigh.
