super stellar.

photos by Ashley Thompson, and Alana Davis

So we're back. Second Storie was once again loads of fun. There were so many great vendors. I got to meet new friends and have some really fun times with old ones. I think I've never laughed more in my life! The time of course flew by too quickly, and now I'm back to real life. It was nice as always to have some "real life" time with my friends, I cherish it. 

I'm working on getting a shop update up this week, and I've been working really hard so that I will have my full line of colors available! As always, sign up on my mailing list to get the latest news.  

thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends. I've been working to get ready for second storie, and we've been watching episodes of the west wing. We've got lots of tv shows on dvd that I checked out from the library, but I was devastated to find that instead of watching Return to Cranford, someone had put in a dvd from the first Cranford installment, so my dream of finishing that is ruined. We've watched some Jacque Cousteau (which made life aquatic so much more enjoyable).

We've got dinner to go to at a friend's house, among other things, I made a pumpkin cheesecake for the first time yesterday and I hope it turns out good! It didn't split at all which was nice. Tyler put up the garland, which just makes me feel good looking at it.

We leave tomorrow for Rochester, and I can't wait to be there! second storie is such a great show, a family reunion of sorts, filled with kind people and friends. Hope to maybe see any of you there if you're around western New York.

I'm thankful for so many things, for friends who feel like family and family who mean the world to me. Hope you have a great day and weekend. See you back here on Monday!

my kind of souvenirs

Tyler got back from a quick trip to Virginia to see family and came back bearing gifts. He found this vintage tee for me, perfectly worn with great type. He also brought a beautiful fragrant garland that is going to go on our fireplace mantle. It is going to be our Christmas tree this year. I can't wait to get it up! Do you get your holiday decorations up right after thanksgiving or do you wait? 

busy busy.

This week I am working 12-15 hour days to get ready for second storie this weekend. Tyler went to visit family yesterday so all day I was weaving. I wove more in one day than I ever have before! I was weaving for over 12 hours. Didn't shower, stayed in pjs, just stayed in all day. When I'm by myself I love to have pita chips and hummus for lunch and I have chocolate milk from the local dairy as a treat to me. I just sit on the ground on a pillow, with a space heater pointed directly at me and I weave while watching whatever tv on hulu. Gigi was dying for a little attention yesterday, but I just didn't have time! I'm working hard today, and hopefully will get a lot done.

When I'm in working mode, my house becomes piles. All around me I'm surrounded by stuff. It drives Tyler a little mad, but it's just how it is, and when it's all over he'll have his tidy living room back.

Hello to anyone who's new around here, thanks for all the blog love in the last couple weeks, it's really meant a lot to me! And I'm working on solving my camera problem, I feel like I'm missing a limb without it. My photos will be back to normal hopefully very soon.

pounding pavement.

We went to Philadelphia for a really short trip this weekend. Tyler had a marathon to run, and I was to be his cheerleader. Tyler has been a runner for years now, but this was just his second marathon. Between all our moves in the last few years, it was hard to make the time. He set a goal, and trained so well this semester even while he was really busy with school. We woke up early, and I dropped him off, and just hoped that he would make his goal and have a good run.

While waiting, I had no idea where I was, and asked a couple people about where I should be to wait, and they were so nice, I ended up staying with them the whole time. Myra's husband was running, and he was a huge runner, who runs ultras and marathons all over the country. Talking to them, I definitely had a peek into my future of being a constant spectator. 

The anxiety to see Tyler where I waited at mile 13 was terrible. I kept thinking, is he doing well? Why haven't I seen him? Did I miss him? I finally spotted him, and I almost missed him, and had to scream his name because he was listening to This American Life at full blast. But when he finally turned around he had a big smile. I knew he was fine. Waiting at the finish, I waited and waited, thinking that maybe something had happened. But then I finally spotted him, and he put his arms up and gave me a smile. I had been watching so many other runners, I saw crying, bleeding, cramping, grimacing, and limping. It's a very emotional thing to see. I ran to the finish to meet up with him, and he felt so fantastic. His legs were a little tight, but other than that he felt so great. He didn't even look tired! I think I might have complained more about my legs being tired after standing for hours.

He finished at his goal time, (he's a pretty modest person, so I won't brag about it even though I want to, but it was fast, just look at those hardcore dudes that are running by him!) and now he's ready to work towards qualifying for Boston, and his ultimate life goal of running ultra-marathons of 50 and 100 miles. Watching him finish his first marathon was very emotional for both of us, and this one it was more matter-of-fact, and he was already trying to find a marathon to run in January.

This is a long post, but I'm just so proud of him. I'm ready to be his cheerleader forever.

puppy post again.

okay, I know. Two post about gigi? I wasn't planning it, but I couldn't resist! She's been pretty chilly lately, and I decided to try a scarf on her. I had one that I can't sell (don't worry, I'm not putting them all on her). She didn't mind, until she tried to lay down and she couldn't bend her neck. But she looked pretty adorable! I'll just have to make her a smaller one.

I got a package from my sis this week. One thing I remember from the project runway finale (and that was about it, ho hum) is that Gretchen had a perfect peachy nail polish that I was really jealous of. Malorie saw the same thing, and while I was in Portland, we were going to find that shade. But of course, we were so busy we didn't get to it, so Mal found it for me and sent it! I love me some peach. Polish here (my picture doesn't really show the color right).

I'm busy getting ready for second storie, and I've got some new colors!

bath day

Today I had to give the little ragamuffin a bath. She really doesn't like it, but as with anything she hates, she won't protest about it, just give you really sad eyes. By the way she stands in the sink you can tell she just wants to get out of there! I do love the post-bath snuggle, where I wrap her all snug in a towel. For maybe a fraction of a second her 8 pounds feels like a tiny baby (only a fraction of a second people, I'm not that crazy).

I love her.

If you're new around here, my camera is broken, so I'm using iphone pics right now. I hope this isn't too annoying, I would love to change it, but I just have to make do for now.

road trip

For the umpteenth time, we drove to Altoona for a little trip. We had to get something we needed, and threw in the routine thrifting (didn't really get any score this time) and frozen custard. I would drive an hour just to have the frozen custard. We sat on a old ferris wheel chair, and tyler picked out songs on the jukebox, he thought it was free, and then realized that someone had put money in and didn't use it. Made his day. We listened to new music in the car and got away. One of my favorite things to do.

sympathetic birthday cake.

Yesterday was a pretty relaxing Sunday, I started working on stuff, and said the inevitable, "we need a treat." I found this pumpkin bread recipe, and Tyler took it and made it all by himself. Seriously, anytime I tried to hover or say pointed questions like, "you know that you should mix the dry ingredients separately?" he surprised me by saying "I know, don't worry about it!" I have a hard time letting go of control in the kitchen.

So an hour later I came into the kitchen to see this, and it was quite delicious. Tyler was pretty proud of himself. He's learned so much about cooking and baking in the last year, and I'm so proud of him! It's been really fun to make things together.

It seems fitting to be eating cake for breakfast because it's my mom and dad's birthday today! They are both the same (young) age. Growing up, my brother was the only one that didn't share a birthday (but having a Jan 2nd bday, he usually shared with Christmas). Sharing a birthday with my twin definitely had it's ups and downs, but now that we live apart, I miss it. The synchronized birthday candle blowing and trying to open your copy of the birthday present first so you will see what it is first. I love my parents dearly and I hope they have the best day! And maybe separate birthday cakes. :)

grain is great.

Happy Friday! This is one of my favorite pictures of my table. It was taken by the lovely Anabela of fieldguided, who I was so excited to meet at little winter. She's one of those lovely gals who takes dreamy film pictures. Abby also look lots of great film photos of little winter you can see here.

I'm sans camera until mine is fixed, what am I to do? You'll probably be seeing a bunch of iphone pics, of which I'm going to apologize in advance. Maybe I'll finally put up those videos of gigi running around. Speaking of my crazy pup, I haven't been able to watch the latest modern family because she is totally scarred by fire alarms going off and with one beep she almost has a heart attack. She literally tried to run away. Very traumatic night.

Just a reminder, I'm having a shop update today at 5pm eastern time. I've been wearing a white one around for a week, and just to be someone passing on some info, it hasn't gotten dirty yet. I just am careful to not eat with it on (and I don't wear lipstick). I just know people have liked the white, but were concerned that they would get it dirty, so just letting you know, friend-to-friend.

shop update!

Hi everyone! I'm finally ready for a shop update. I will be updating my shop with five colors of scarves, very limited quantities of each. The shop will be updated tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm eastern time. You can check out the shop to see all the colors and pictures before it is updated.

The next shop update should be the beginning of December, after my show at second storie.

I don't know you but I know you.

me in the white scarf with my all navy uniform for the weekend. All I've been wearing is navy lately. 

I think everyone at little winter is having a hard time coming down from the high of this weekend, it was pretty amazing. I got to meet so many people that I've wanted to meet for a long time. Abby and Shanna are dear friends of mine, and it was so nice to have a weekend where you can actually talk face to face! It's funny how most of my friend relationships are that way right now. We talk almost everyday, but on twitter, or text, and can go a long time without hearing each others' voice or seeing each other, some people I've never met or talked to before! I think it's one of the best things to come from the internet, it doesn't matter where I live or move to, I've always got my pals to talk to everyday.

I was reading "My Life In France" by Julia Child on the flight back (which I'm loving by-the-way) and it's funny how many things in her life I felt like I could relate to. Starting something new, moving to a new place (thank goodness I don't have to learn french, I would be terrible), and something else hit me hard like a rock. She was talking about her correspondence with her friend Avis, who wrote to Julia and they became friends though letters. Julia ends a phrase with "Odd, to feel as though you knew someone quite well whom you had never met."

I read this sentence over and over again, and knew exactly what she was saying. Most people with blogs have had this experience, and I've had some pretty meaningful ones. I thought about all the lovely people I had met at Little Winter, and some of them I knew only online and it felt so nice to say hi and give them a hug like I've known them for years. One of my favorite things ever.

Sitting on that plane, on a middle seat between two old dudes, I had to keep wiping tears from under my glasses and pretend I had allergies. It was first time I could decompress from the weekend, and it really hit me hard. I hardly ever get all weepy! well not too often.

I am so happy to be heading to second storie in about 2 weeks to have some more friend time!

*also, my camera is not working (a little traveling bumps and bruises, blurgh) but I'm going to borrow one and hopefully get my pictures done for my shop tomorrow in time for a little update maybe tomorrow night.

heart bursting.

photos of work by my house party, tokketok, shanny murray. more pictures of little winter on the flickr group.

I can't even describe this weekend in words. Little Winter was a dream, and it blew away my already grand expectations. I was able to meet so many lovely people, the space looked magical, and so many people came out to support all these artists. Abby and Chelsea really worked so so hard and they created a beautiful event. I got a really great positive response about my scarves, and it pretty much blew my mind to see people wearing them around. Each and every person who took one home really touched my heart.

My sister helped me out so much, and also brought around her little Theo to keep me and everyone around us company (such a charmer). He was such a good baby, just smiling and happy all day long. I have so many things I could say about all the wonderful and super talented artists there. I had to really have some self control and picked out a few things.

I made the yarn wrapped branch for my table the night before the event, and I loved how it turned out. It was a labor of love for sure. I couldn't bring it back with me on the plane, and I was overjoyed that Sally wanted to have it. I'm glad it went to a good home! 

I'll try and fill you in this week but for now, I'm just so happy and it was a dream come true. I'm going to get an update on my shop as soon as I can, I'll let you know! Join my mailing list to get the latest news.

****check out the video by anja of clever nettle, it is a great little peek, you can see one of my scarves on someone that picked one up, it tickled me to see that!

Hello to new friends I met this weekend and new people over here for the first time, please say hi!

PDX

Hello all! I'm here in portland, living the food cart dream. Seriously, I adore them. And I'm spending lots of quality time with my nephew Theo, who pretty much thinks I'm awesome. It works well that my voice and face exactly match his mothers.

I've been trying to finish up everything for little winter, and eat as much awesome food as possible. (pictured above, waffle window waffle with peanut butter and chocolate) I also got a "french boy" hair cut, which I love. Short hair is the best! I'm keeping busy while I am here, meeting up with friends and I'm going to the party tomorrow night. I'll try and keep you updated, I'll be posting on my twitter probably pretty regularly during the show.

details

This weekend I have been so busy getting ready. I am working on all the little last details. I actually took the time to design everything beforehand and revise, so that part of it was much smoother than my usual last minute designing and making.

Tyler helped me back chipboard with fabric (definitely a test of teamwork), which I had cut at a printer (who had never seen anything like this before), and then Tyler screen printed them as business cards and hang tags for me. They turned out just the way I had hoped they would. The chip board is extra thick, and I love the tactile feel each one has with the fabric.

This weekend was all about the late nights, I was up even if I chose it or not. The big football game in town brought in dozens of people to our neighbor's side of the house (in my mind I was calling it "chez douchebag"), which meant at 4am-7am I was awake and I swear they had a drinking game for how many times they could slam the door. At 6am I called the cops, after Tyler went down at 4am to tell them nicely to tone it down. Even with all that we got a lot done. But I still have a lot to do!

I am leaving tomorrow for pdx, and I can't wait to be there, I will first of all get to be with my sister, and I cherish every moment we get to see each other. I also get to see some great friends, and meet new ones.

Some lovely things:
Shanna revealed her collaboration project for this year, and it is really spectacular, I can't wait to see it in person!
My sister is a costume genius, and this just made me gasp. Baby beards!