on the wish list this week...

burlap TOMS shoes. they look comfy, and best of all - they give away a pair for every pair you purchase. check them out here.

july + festivities

so i have realized that july is super busy for me this year. but then i looked back- and every summer has been increasingly busy for me each year. besides the usual baby and wedding showers, there are quite a few events i'm excited about- check them out below:

1 the oregon country fair- July 13-15 (i'm told that it's a great place for arts + crafts- seriously. i have never been and i'm planning on going this year- i'll definately let you know how it is.)
i actually could not attend this year- so we will see if i ever make it to it. anyone have a good time?

2 mississippi street fair- July 14: the last street fair i went to (on alberta last year) was nutty, but inspiring. this one should be low key and since it's close to me, i figured i would go.
i went- but it turned out to be more of a shopper's fair than a community thing.

3 my coworker lanova is having a trunk show at tilde this friday night the 6th. she will be showing her card line, along with some cool origami sculpture things.
great reviews from the event- she had a small success of selling things.

4 Craft PDX Block Party/ Re-opening of the Museum of Contemporary Craft- July 22 (noon-7:30pm) : this is an exciting re-opening- i've been looking forward to this for a while. i think the block party will be fun- listed is live music, artist demonstrations, panel discussions, hands-on raku ceramics, and a beer garden. more info here.
the block party was definately a happening place- although it wasn't exactly as i envisioned it.

5 okay i know this might be cheesy- but i am actually really looking forward to this: the grand opening of IKEA in portland ( i am hoping they stock their textiles there) we have been eyeing this (maybe in red?) and want to put some casters on the bottom- i know you're excited about it too!
ikea was fairly packed, although we got the bookcase (and it's on casters!) and a couple chairs for our living room. check out my flickr for pictures. it's an event to go for sure!

let me know if you'll be at any of the events- maybe we can meet up and chat!
cheers

'sassy people are into green'

my friend julie dutton of studio olivine has been featured on sprig! sprig is a green lifestyle website which features clothing, food, etc. they have started a feature on 'experts' in different areas- and have chosen julie as 'pretty paper maker'-check it out. (plus she just re-designed her website!)

required daily reading...

Although I do not do as much reading as I would like to (however I did just start reading this) I do daily reading on the internet in my interests. Listed below are my top picks:

1 Port 2 Port Press: Maria (Portland, Maine) of port 2 port keeps a blog going about daily inspiration and great flickr picks. Also check our her 3191 photo blog with her friend Stephanie Barnes- they have impeccable collaboration.

2 Design* Sponge: Grace (Brooklyn, NY) keeps a great conversation with new young designers along with the good standards. She updates the site many times a day, so make sure to keep up! This is a blog that is respected nationwide, and is a great resource.

3 Lisa Congdon Art + Craft: Lisa Congdon is one of my favorite artists! She works part time along with being a full time artist with many shows this year. Her work is very inspiring, especially the shadowboxes. (interesting fact: she is the sister of above mentioned Stephanie.) I frequently check Lisa’s Flickr site for her shoe picture updates (she has so many cool ones!) and I love how she shows her love for her city (SF).

These are all very talented ladies, and are greatly inspiring. Hope you all enjoy reading about their lives.

excused absense

Excuse my absense for a couple weeks or so while I finish some needed projects- a wedding invite deadline, etc. expect some pictures meanwhile on my flickr. I keep my camera with me at all times, so it will be updated.

where to go next...

With our relocation change and other inspirations, I have decided to go in a couple avenues with printing, textiles, etc. and am looking forward to what is happening. I am thinking of intensively working on getting a line of goods out, hopefully by fall. I’ll keep you posted.

this week on my wish list...

This week I am wishing for a small things necklace, specifically like the white modern one shown above. Check our the site for a good wishing time. Cheers.

for the love of ink

I am definitely a printmaker at heart. Most every day I pass the PAN after work, and I don’t know how many times I have stopped to drool on the sidewalk. Currently, they are featuring Chris Papa who uses such bold graphic colors (although the above picture “sack dowser”
doesn’t do it justice) in his woodcuts which makes them look slightly like posters- but about the coolest event you could ever imagine. His use of texture is great, and he uses the medium of woodcut to its fullest bold extent. They make me melt- and make me want to go home and carve up a storm.

new from Nikki McClure

so if you have not yet seen Nikki McClure's new book Collect Raindrops then you need to check it out soon! i first saw it today when i stepped into anthropologie (i admit, i love that overpriced store so much, although i have only purchased a couple things ever, their displays are worth the trip.) then stopped in at a local bookstore to check it out. i'll just say that once i found it, i looked for the closest seat and got lost in it. i may have been drooling and smiling at the same time- i apologize if anyone saw me in this state. her work always puts me in a better mood about life- along with reminding me that the simple things are the ones to cherish.

in this book, Nikki combines her lovely graphic cuts with handmade lettering and a sprinkle of letterpress. another great thing i found near this book was some large scale prints of selected works of hers- for $8! i'm definately getting one soon for our new apartment (whenever that will be).

lack of pictures lately

dear readers,
my lack of pictures is due to the fact that i have accidentally left my camera cord in eugene while i'm up north for this period of time. i have dutifully been taking pictures, but have no way to upload them. so my posts will soon be replenished with their appropriate pictures. (this weekend most likely). i am excited about sharing them with you.

how are you all?
cheers.