New on Etsy and Ski Weekend!

In approximately three hours myself and three of my besties (Brian included of course) are piling in the car and heading up to Maine for a long ski weekend!! I am beyond excited as it's been years since I've headed that far north and months and months since I haven't worked for three days straight. We're going skiing, playing games, snuggling by the fire, and enjoying the crisp cold mountain air. I haven't skied since college and Brian's only been twice, so that aspect of the trip should be interesting. Hopefully sking is like riding a bike; I won't forget how. In the meantime, I am making a rush to get a bunch of awesome belts and necklaces on etsy to hopefully sell over the weekend (lift tickets are $80 what?!) Here are some closeups as a little tease. Head over the etsy shop for more details on these beauties. Hope you all have a great weekend too!

Wishing all that snow was sand and my backyard a beach...

I love the snow, but this is getting a bit out of control! It just keeps snowing and melting and snowing again, making the walk from my car to my door more treacherous every day. Ironically enough the only time I fell was on my way down the steps inside the apt. before it had even snowed. I had a giant eggplant looking bruise on my left cheek for about two weeks. Good thing I have extra cushioning on my rear!



Anyways, I came across this photo a few days ago on a friend's facebook page and I just love it. It's such a wonderful summer scene. The girls look so warm and you can almost feel the sun beating down on your skin. And the clothing! How fantastic are their rompers, mini dresses, and swimsuits! So inspiring! I would love to do a mini swimsuit collection for the summer, we'll see. My first patterns for the spring collection are at the pattern maker's right now being scanned into the computer; seams balanced, curves perfected, and sizing adjusted. I can't wait to show you the new designs!

Swap!

I had such a great time at the swap last night! This one was much bigger than the last one I attended and it was held at the Armory for the Arts in Somerville, a wonderful castle-esque white building that hosts everything from Arabic calligraphy classes to open mic nights at the little cafe in the front. It was the perfect venue. There were tons of clothes and I scored some pretty amazing pieces as per usual including an Ungaro jacket, some snakeskin print platforms, duck boots, a few nice wool sweaters, a J Crew button up shirt that actually fits me, and a stack of yoga pants to name a few of the things that came home in my three reusable shopping bags. Books were included in the swap as well this time so I picked up some great cook and design books as well. My sister joined me for her first event of this kind and stumbled upon a Betsey Johnson sweater dress with the $290 price tag still attached. It was a wonderful evening. To find out more about swapping, check out the Swapaholics.

Random Thoughts from the Weekend

*I bought a new coloring book, Ruth Heller's "Designs for Coloring Shapes of All Sizes", and I'm working on a project of taking a photo of each step to make a fun little slide show video when each page is done. I just love coloring, it's so therapeutic and I just love experimenting with color combinations.


*Brian and I watched the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in the past four days, and it never gets old.

*On a walk I noticed that some of the trees downtown had these plackets attached to them. There's a Bristol Tree Society? How cool is that!


*I'm getting to be a really good Yatzee player.

*I'm glad someone built this snowman, he made me smile.


*The Pandora Motown station is perfect to work to. It's so upbeat and the music is just so wonderful.

*Caitlin and I went to Lorraine's Fabric in Pawtucket. It's an old mill building with two whole floors of fabric. I don't think I need to say more.


Looking forward to a very full week. Meeting with a pattern maker tomorrow, Styleboston party on Wednesday, Swap.com clothing swap on Thursday, and a night out with the girls on Saturday!

Warm Weather On My Mind

I have been ferociously working on my new collection for the spring this past week which is why posts have been slow. I am meeting with a pattern maker on Tuesday and I need to have some first patterns and samples ready for her viewing. I am so excited about this collection. So far everything is coming out great and I can't wait to see my sketches become actual garments! As I'm designing these pieces that are meant to be worn in warm weather, my mind keeps wandering off to the sunny southern state of Florida because Brian and I are planning a trip to his parents' place on the Gulf for the beginning of April. The last time I visited the Sunshine State was in November of 2009 when my brother and I flew down to visit my sister in Fort Lauderdale. We had so much fun lounging by the backyard pool, swimming at the beach, snorkeling in Key Largo, and sightseeing in South Beach. Looking out my window now and seeing everything covered in snow makes me really long for those hot sunny days!

Bowling!

Some of you may not know this but in addition to blogging, running my vintage etsy shop, and designing/making clothing I also work at a restaurant 2-3 nights a week. I've worked in the food service industry for many years now as it allows flexible scheduling, extended amounts of time off, and free days. It's a perfect way for entrepreneurs to work full time on their business while still making some extra money on the side as a life line (and to fund your new business!). It's also great when you want to go to Asia for two months and come back with your same position. I haven't had a "day job" in over a year now and I can't imagine having to commute be somewhere all day every day. Brian is out of the house at 7:30 every morning and comes home around 5:30. I have no idea how he does it.

I've been incredibly lucky these past few years working at Perro Salado in Newport. It's a Mexican restaurant but homestyle and eclectic, we don't even have burritos or nachos on the menu. Everyone that works there is creative, artistic, and interesting to say the least. I've made some of my best friends there as well. That's the other thing about working in a social environment. When I'm at home by myself, as I am most days, I don't have anyone to talk to! I look forward to heading to the restaurant and chatting with my gals.

Anyways, last night was our belated holiday party and we went bowling! We usually just hang out at the restaurant eating and drinking, which is fine, but this year we wanted to try something a little bit different. We did a hilarious handmade/something you don't want anymore/regift yankee swap, piled in our rented school bus (!), and made our way to Kingston Bowl. We bowled a few rounds, drank $4.50 pitchers of beer, and shared many laughs. It was a great night with friends enjoying each others company. Here are some of my favorite shots from the evening and (as I say when I deliver food to a table) enjoy!










I'm wearing my new favorite thrifted sweater (I actually have it on as I write this!), vintage necklace and earrings, tee from UO many years ago, Theory leggings, and my new Emu boots.

Are we going to have a snow day tomorrow! I really hope so!

Fidget Finds Etsy Faves of the Week

Lots of new goodies on etsy! Click here.

Winter Beach Scenes

I've been feeling a bit cooped up lately as I've mostly been spending time in the abode, so today on an errand trip to the bank and post office I decided to get side tracked at Colt State Park. This lovely park is just a few minutes away from my home and has beautiful walking trails by the water, a small but cozy town beach and a recreational area featuring a playground, basketball courts, and a small skate board park. In the summer this place is teeming with people enjoying the beautiful weather but not so much this time of year when the trees have no leaves, the picnic tables are piled up, and snow covers the grounds. However, I've always loved the beach in the winter time. It has a completely different personality than it does in the summer and I've always loved the juxtaposition of snow and ice with the sand and shells that litter the shore. I brought my camera and took some shots of this lovely gray winter seascape. The water is always very clear in the cold months and seagulls still bob in the small waves while adorable plovers sprint with the tide looking for a tasty snack. Needless to say, I was the only one there and really enjoyed the fresh air and the redding of my cheeks and nose in the cold. Here are some of my favorite shots. Enjoy!












See also my bike ride in Tiverton and my first photo walk in Bristol.