wiksten shop update

I decided to do a little surprise shop update today.  More sewing patterns and tops in cozy flannel and practical chambray, two fabrics that I live in during this time of year.  The flannel Tova top is available in size S only and is so soft you won't believe it.  The chambray top is from a pattern I designed several years ago, but this time I gave it an updated fit so that it's slightly roomier and boxier.  Available in sizes S, M, L.

handmade ceramics

top row: Shino Takeda cups from the Mociun store

 middle row: Juliet Gorman pieces

bottom row: mugs from Clam Lab

It's raining today, and all I want is a nice cup of tea.  Drinking tea is such a comforting ritual that I enjoy every day in the afternoon, and it's even more special when I drink from a handmade vessel.  If I could afford it, I'd replace every piece of dishware I own with lovely handmade pottery.  In the past year I've been cultivating quite an obsession.  My studiomate has a collection of tiny plates that she made, and I love them dearly.  I really want to take a pottery class!  When I was a kid, my mom signed me up for all sorts of pottery classes at the local college, and I even got to use a pottery wheel.  (Speaking of which, have you seen this episode of Community?  Hilarious.)  Yeah, my mom is awesome.  Anyways, I really want to get back into it.  But in the meantime I'll scour the internet for pieces I can buy.  Aren't these beautiful?  They're some of my favorites.

mociun + shabd fall 2011 presentation

Sarkilahti was gracious enough to take photos of the party with my camera since I didn't get the chance.

Dieppa Restrepo shoes for all the models to wear!  I was wearing the brown ones.

That's me on the left holding up my favorite dress from the Mociun collection.  The hairstylist gave me a crazy braided updo just like I wanted.

Delicious cocktails.

Beautiful hair and Mociun top on one of the models.

All of the clothing was incredible!

Caitlin and models.  Me on the right.  I wore this dress, and Caitlin said it was the first time she's actually seen the shape of my body because I always wear loose clothes.

I also modeled some of the Mociun fine jewelry, like this ring.  Absolutely stunning.  I loved her new chunkier ceramic pieces too, pictured on the left.

See more photos here.  Shabd and Caitlin really know how to throw a party.  It was packed!  So fun.  Got to see a bunch of friends and meet some lovely new people.

hand-carved stamps

photos by Melissa (from Tiny Happy)

Always inspired by Melissa's lovely craft projects that she posts to her Flickr, I did a double-take when I saw the beautiful handmade packaging pictured above.  She carved these stamps from an eraser!  Brilliant.  So simple and perfect.  I'm always looking for good ideas for craft night with my girlfriends, some of whom do not consider themselves crafty at all (I beg to differ) and find knitting too complicated and/or boring.  I think this project would be just right for such an occasion.  Melissa's blog post even links to some great stamp-carving tutorials for those of us that like to be completely informed before jumping in (that's me).

mociun fall 2011

photos from Mociun blog

The Mociun fall collection is simply gorgeous.  The prints are insanely good as always, and the sheer black fabrics are so sexy.  Caitlin asked me to model for the presentation on Friday, and I'm so looking forward to wearing one of these lovely creations!  (I hope they do my hair up with some sort of awesome side braid type of deal like this model has.)  I'll be sure to take lots of pics of the clothes to post here next week.

minerva divinus

photos by Jennifer Sarkilahti

Sarkilahti's new collection, Minerva Divinus, is breathtaking.  My favorite yet.  In Sarkilahti's own words, the collection is "inspired by artifacts and ancient mythologies, divine proportion, and the geometry of anatomy."  I'm not sure yet when it will be available for purchase, but I already have two of the necklaces (the small rib in the last photo, and one other not pictured).  Don't hate me, but studio mates get first dibs.

P.S. Do you recognize the model?  It's me.

new mociun prints

From the fall 2011 collection.  Caitlin always blows my mind!  Can't wait to see her fall presentation on Friday.

valentine's day party

More pics from our Friday party at the Dobbin Mews!  

Ingredients for a good V-Day party:

friends and husbands/boyfriends

doilies everywhere

candles everywhere

salty dogs (one part vodka, two parts grapefruit juice, salted rim)

sharing dirty jokes with people you've just met

Ball jars from the dollar store for cocktail glasses

candy, including Pop Rocks

stinky cheeses, crackers, nuts

lots of pink champagne

silly headwear

Nina Simone Pandora station

awesome co-host who's not afraid to be cheesy

happy valentine's day

We celebrated at work on Friday with a party, and I made everyone heart headbands by cutting off pieces of last year's garland and sewing ribbon to them.  More party pics to come...

happy socks

I could seriously use some of these socks from Opening Ceremony in my life today.

in love with this bag

photos from the rennes blog

I would buy this Rennes bag in a nanosecond if I had a single cent to my name.

marais usa spring lookbook

photos by Yelena Avanesova from the Marais USA blog

Some of Marais USA's spring lookbook pics are now up on the web, and I already want a pair of those peep-toe espadrille booties.  Available here in April.

happy valentine's day to me

photos from satomikawakita.com

Pretty please, Joe?  Ha ha, yeah right.  I've been in love with this Satomi Kawakita ring ever since I saw it on the Jumelle website a year ago.  Every now and then I go to Satomi's website just to look at her incredible pieces and drool.  I literally love everything she makes--the delicate beauty of her work is incomparable.  Sarkilahti bought one of Satomi's rings from the designer herself at the recent New York Gift Fair.  She's coming soon for a studio visit, and I so hope I'll get to meet her.

tomboy style

left: photo from Refinery29, right: photo from The Sartorialist

Sarkilahti sent me a link to the blog Tomboy Style after we had a discussion at work over what style category I fit into.  Now I'm mildly obsessed.  Here are a couple of my recent favorite street style shots culled from the internets.  Love.  Especially the one on the left, since I've been practically living in my chambray shirt all winter.

valentine

photos by Fay Andrada

Getting through another blah day of working on my taxes, I received an e-mail from Fay about the new Valentine gift in her shop.  A hand-dyed pouch, set of bangles, and lip gloss from Da Bruxa is a bright spot in a dreary season.  Adorable. 

snow

I took these pictures with my iPod during the walk to work last week.  Everyone was stopping in the street to take photos of their commute, and people were walking down the middle of the road like zombies.  It was so hard to go to work when all I wanted to do was cross country ski around town and then build a snow fort.  So beautiful.