Signs of Spring!

Brian and I went for a looonnngg walk around town yesterday, it was such a beautiful day! I simply just can't express how thankful and excited I am that spring is starting to show her smiling face. This tree is right around the block from us and I can't wait for its flowers to be in bloom!

i miss you

Hi friends! Long time no see and I miss you! I have been working so, so hard on my new collection of original designs that I simply haven't had time to blog or post much of anything new on etsy. I'm sorry if you're disappointed but I promise it will all be worth it! Everything is coming out incredibly well and I can't wait to debut the new designs in April. Right now I am in the sample making/pattern adjusting phase which involves lots of sewing and garment fitting and then reflecting those changes in the patterns. I just envision warm weather and bright vintage floral prints to keep me working on summer designs when its so cold and gray outside. This is probably my most ambitious project to date which is horribly terrifying and completely exhilarating at the same time. I just simply can't wait to see my designs in fantastic fabrics on a person other than myself. When things get a bit more visually appealing (muslin and patternmaking paper all over my dining room just isn't pretty) I'll be sure to share many more photos of my works in progress. Yay!

Here are some photos from last weekend when a bunch of us went bowling. It was so much fun. Cheap beer, good friends, and a kitchy location is just about the best night out!






I'm wearing a vintage dress from Wish Newport, and thrifted vintage accessories.

South Shore

It was such a spectacular day out yesterday. Colors and shapes were so crisp as the haze and gray decided to let the sun out for once. I went for a walk down at South Shore in Little Compton and was blown away by the surreal winter beach landscape. The second pond was actually quite a raging river as all the melting snow and rain made its way down to the sea. Huge chunks of ice cracked and fell in wonderful geometric patterns, giving the sense of being in Norway or Iceland (or so I imagine.) The landscape was just so amazing and was a wonderful reminder of how beautiful Rhode Island can be in the middle of winter.

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!

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.

The Latter Half of 2010 Recap

And the moment you've all been waiting for... Part Deux of the 2010 Fidget Finds Recap!

The blog front started to quiet down a bit starting in August while Brian and I prepared to move into a new apartment. I was busy every weekend minute with markets where I sold a whole bunch of my famous Rachel skirts. I also enjoyed a nice summer night with friends on the beach, made a local and organic dinner, thought back to the wonderful birthday gifts from Brian, and attended Caitlin and Jeff's rehearsal dinner.





At the beginning of September we moved into our awesome apartment in downtown Bristol. Needless to say, it took up so much of our time painting, cleaning, packing, and moving. And then once you complete all that, the months long process of unpacking and setting everything up begins. We still haven't finished that part! During this hectic time we attended a friend's wedding in Newport and had the time of our lives at Caitlin and Jeff's woodsy nuptials. I also moved out of my studio in Fall River (short lived, I know) but into a spare room in our apt. I love my new commute!





In October, when market season began to wind down, Fidget Finds began a new and exciting life online. I continuously worked on stocking the etsy shop's inventory and blogging as much as possible. I realized how truly awesome it is to have a working studio in your own home! I also assessed my owl collection, enjoyed a delicious dinner with Julie in Providence, explored my new neighborhood, attended Calico's anniversary party at the whaling museum, dressed up as Tetris at a Halloween party, and carved pumpkins at Caitlin and Jeff's.







November was a time to get cozy. We spent lots of time with friends in our new home and being domestic. I took tons of photos of awesome vintage finds for etsy, attended my first ever clothing swap in Boston, explored the Providence winter farmer's market, gave you a behind the scenes look at a Fidget Finds photo shoot and posted about my futile effort to take photos outside. However, it's been my most popular blog post to date!






And here we are back to December again! My, my, how fast time flies! This past month was spent enjoying the colder air in Rhode Island, time with my childhood girlfriends, baking cookies, thinking about the holidays, preparing thoughtful gifts, and playing in the first heavy snow of the season! I was also immensely inspired by the photography of Andi Flax, the knitwear of Yokoo, and the absolutely amazing clothing and accessory designs of I Heart Norwegian Wood. I tried out a new blog idea, Style Experiment, and thought about the future of Fidget Finds.









2010 was an absolutely fantastic year and I am so looking forward to 2011! Stay tuned for a year full of blog posts, including an informative guide on fibers, fabrics, and fashions, an etsy shop choc full of vintage, and a new and modern spring collection of original designs by yours truly. It's sure to be an exciting year and I hope you'll join me for all of the Fidget Finds adventures!