vintage furniture love
May 15, 2007 at 5:55 pm | Posted in chatty, crafty to buy, oregon, vintage crafty | 4 CommentsI was planning to post all about Maker Faire and the free jewelry-making workshops I’m teaching, but today has kind of beaten me down and it’s getting late, so I’ll save it for tomorrow… I have seasonal allergies part 4* (!) and I’m really out of it. So, instead I’ll just show you a picture of our new treasure!
top: my favorite glasses, vases we got as wedding presents, a collectible lady, salt and pepper shakers, coasters; middle: wedding Temporama
Yesterday Andrew took a half-day off and we went out to lunch at Pambiche and then shopped at Shag (4071 NE Sandy Blvd.) and Hawthorne Vintage (1515 SE 48th at Hawthorne). Oh man, does Portland ever have some nice vintage furniture stores! I have always been more of a thrift-store and estate sale type of girl, but it was pretty exciting to look at all this beautiful stuff in one glorious place (well, two). Hawthorne Vintage is huge and has so many enticing things. The desk in the front window is spectacular, and they have a bar in the front room right now that is out-of-control cool: it has ingenious slots for six wine bottles, plus a little pull-out ice bucket, and the whole thing is stylish beyond belief. I couldn’t bear to look at the price tag.
We found this pretty hutch there — and it fits right into the recess in our dining room as if it were made for it. Then we found another huge one at Shag that Andrew loved so we got that for the living room, to hold all our records behind the swinging doors on the bottom and display cool stuff up top. A previous owner added hidden lights all along the upper edge of the shelves so everything is illuminated, which is a nice bonus! We got the bigger one from Jennifer, who also has a space at House. Keep an eye out for her vintage furniture and collectibles, which are gorgeous. John, who kindly delivered both pieces, also has spaces at both shops, and he has a great eye too.
I love our new apartment, and it’s really starting to feel like it’s coming together… and now that these two beasts are up the stairs and I don’t have to move them again I’m pretty blissed out. Oh, except for the small matter of packing and flying to San Francisco tomorrow!
*Four different climates have triggered my allergies this spring: LA, North Carolina, and Sacramento in April… and yet again in Portland this morning. blech.
Lotta Jansdotter’s book party in San Francisco
May 14, 2007 at 2:45 pm | Posted in books and mags, california, crafty events | 3 CommentsI’m heading down to the Bay Area on Wednesday for Maker Faire, which I’m really excited about (more about this tomorrow), and I’m already planning my Friday evening: Lotta Jansdotter‘s Simple Sewing book signing and cocktail party at Lavish! The party is from 5:30 to 7:30, and she’ll also be previewing her new collection. I love all of Lotta’s Chronicle Books paper goods and stationery, and Natalie gave me one of her gorgeous tote bags for my birthday, so I can’t wait to see her new stuff!
Lotta is also doing a sewing demo at Maker Faire at 2:00 on Saturday, which sounds super fun too. I’ll be there for sure.
I love her book — the ideas and projects are so cool and accessible. Have you seen the flickr group of people’s finished pieces? It’s really inspiring to see the fabric and design choices, plus there’s lots of helpful feedback on sizing and yardage. I’m halfway through my first project, which I’m keeping secret for now since it’s a gift for someone. Pictures next week (I hope), as soon as it’s finished up and on the way.
If you go:
Book party at Lavish
540 Hayes St., San Francisco
Friday, May 18 from 5:30-7:30
Sewing demo at Maker Faire
San Mateo Fairgrounds
Saturday, May 19 at 2:00
free crafty events for Mother’s Day
May 11, 2007 at 4:24 pm | Posted in california, crafting with kids, crafty events, oregon | 1 Comment…if you’re in Portland or Los Angeles, that is!
On Saturday, Jenny and Jessica are doing a special Felt Club craft demo at Whole Foods on Fairfax in LA, which sounds like a blast. Jenny says, “Potato-print Mother’s Day cards, macaroni ‘n’ bead necklaces and coffee filter floral brooches are just a few of the fun, kid-friendly activities we’ll be offering. We’ll be crafting our hearts out from 12 noon ’til 3pm (or whenever we run out of glitter glue). Hope to see you there!”
And up here in Portland, I’m helping out with the DIY table at Crafty Wonderland on Sunday, which I’m excited about. We’re making pretty tissue-paper flower corsages for Mother’s Day, and there will be 40 vendors selling cool handmade stuff as always! The sale runs from 11-4 and I’ll be running the crafty side of things for the second half or so, please come say hi if you’re out and about in the afternoon.
p.s. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! I love you!
lovely Caffe Pallino
May 11, 2007 at 10:11 am | Posted in chatty, oregon, out and about | 8 CommentsWhen I have a bunch of deadlines (like this week!) sometimes it’s hard to get everything done in my house… especially when there are unpacked boxes lying around distracting me from reaching my word count. It’s funny, when I’m actually on deadline of course all I can think about is unpacking; when I’m not, I seem to have no problem at all ignoring them.
So I went out to a new cafe in my neighborhood with wireless, Caffe Pallino on SE Division, and spent four hours writing and e-mailing away, over coffee, then panini for lunch, then more coffee. It’s such a gorgeous place, all sleek and streamlined, and sitting right next to one of the big windows is pretty much bliss. They’re open from early morning until 9 every night so you have plenty of time to do your work-work and then maybe knit a few rows or read the paper over dessert.
I think this would be a super nice place to craft… though I was chained to my laptop and sat at a table instead this time.
I love these lights, I wonder if I could concoct something like this for my house? Somehow? Maybe?
They serve pastries, grilled sandwiches, fresh pasta, and gelato… really good gelato. This is a fancy row: chocolate chili, fresh strawberry, and lime jalapeno (which is hot as hell, a taste was quite enough for me — I’m glad I tried it but I’m not tough enough for a whole cup of it!).
And I am collecting the little stripe-y cups for a craft project. Maybe a pot for a tiny plant, maybe a cupcake-pincushion to add to my collection.
Anyway, every neighborhood in Portland is blessed with at least one great cafe… but this one is especially lovely, and whether I’m working or crafting or just want an espresso, I’ll for sure be back soon.
If you go:
the summer issue of Adorn is out!
May 10, 2007 at 4:26 pm | Posted in books and mags, crafty to buy, new writing! | 5 CommentsJust got back from a marathon crafty-shopping trip with Diane — we hit Michael’s to see the lovely new Martha papercrafts line (even though my craft room is still littered with boxes, I couldn’t resist a couple of pretty things) and then we found all kinds of treasures at Knittn Kitten… more on that later when I snap some pics.
I was so pleased to get my summer issue of Adorn today! It’s just gorgeous and packed full of cool stuff.
I especially love Marie‘s craft-fairs article, Kayte‘s stylish potato-print aprons and placemats, the charming travel-themed postcards, the button-embellished handbag, and the super-inspiring “one bag, four ways” project — two of the totes were designed and sewn by Nicole and Lisa, which I thought were so cool. Plus there’s a great interview with Denyse Schmidt on some of her favorite inspirations and influences.
And my DIY weddings article is in this issue, too — I interviewed four crafty brides, Kate, Pinn, Cara, and Megan, who generously shared some of their amazing ideas (and pictures) with me, along with some ultra-helpful tips on what not to do yourself. Thank you again, ladies!
The mag is out on newsstands as of yesterday, but you can also subscribe right there on the site for $12.99, which is such a great deal. Speaking of Adorn, Linda posted a great tip about the Free Spirit Fat Quarter Club on the blog today: $25 for 12 Free Spirit fabrics a month, delivered right to your door. I’m pretty tempted…
And a Portland PSA: I just heard that Cool Cottons on Hawthorne has started getting the Katie Jump Rope line in, with more on the way! I will be stopping by tomorrow for sure, I can’t wait to see it all.
fire in Griffith Park
May 8, 2007 at 9:05 pm | Posted in california, chatty | 4 CommentsI love Griffith Park so much, and I have been terrified at the news (and pictures!) of the wildfire raging through the Los Feliz hills tonight. I’m hoping so much that the firefighters can contain the blaze soon and that the Observatory, the zoo, and people’s homes in the neighborhood can be saved. I’ve heard that the fire is actually moving away from the Observatory but this picture is chilling…
(AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Thinking good thoughts for my old neighborhood! I can’t believe I only left a week and a half ago, it’s unreal that things can change so fast. We only went through one decent-sized fire, much further away (in Burbank) and it was scary as hell.
Here are two of my favorite pictures from the park, from the Fern Dell entrance…
Griffith Park, hang in there! Love to all my friends in LA, I’m thinking of you.
Update on Wednesday: Jenny has posted some amazing pictures snapped from her bedroom window of the fire last night and then the bare, charred hillsides today. This photo on Daniel Hernandez’ Intersections blog is absolutely unbelievable, too.
And thanks to the firefighters and helicopter pilots who have been tirelessly working on the blaze, the LA Times says that full containment is expected tonight.
Jill Bliss in Los Angeles and Elliott Smith in Portland
May 8, 2007 at 11:49 am | Posted in art and craft, california, chatty, oregon, reviews and interviews | 3 CommentsI wrote up a review of Jill Bliss‘s “Forest Coral” show at ReForm School on the Adorn blog this morning, if you’re interested in checking it out! The show runs through Friday and it’s just lovely. I brought one of the terrariums Jill made home with me, and it’s been so nice to have it living with me in my new place, like a little link to my favorite place in LA.
Speaking of ReForm School, the shop was recently featured in an LA Weekly Mother’s Day gift guide (which mentions that they carry my skirt kits, a nice surprise!) — so cool. And Billie was just interviewed for “Your LA,” spotlighting lots of the handmade and recycled work in the store, from found-object robots to pedal-powered soaps. Congratulations, girls!
I’m heading out this afternoon to buy New Moon, the double album of Elliott Smith songs recorded in Portland from 1994 to 1997, which is officially out today. I can’t wait to hear the new songs, but I’m so sad at the same time that this really is the last of his music, I love it so much. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the album: the songs were chosen and mixed by Larry Crane at Jackpot with input from friends and fans, and a significant portion of proceeds from the album sales will go directly to Outside In, which is a Portland-based social service organization dedicated to providing diverse services for homeless youth and low-income adults.
And the cover is such an enchanting collage, I’m excited to see it in person:
(image from Kill Rock Stars via sweetadeline.net)
There’s an interview with Larry Crane in both the Oregonian and Willamette Week and a nice preview in the Mercury, and the album myspace page has lots of the songs up right now. Kill Rock Stars also has the track listings here.
p.s. If you haven’t seen it yet, I love the new Shins video my former roommate Matt McCormick made for “Australia.” He also has some pretty hilarious snapshots from the shoot on his blog.
Crafty weekend in Southeast
May 7, 2007 at 12:01 pm | Posted in crafty to buy, oregon, reviews and interviews, vintage crafty | 1 CommentThis weekend I went on a couple of crafty excursions in the neighborhood, which was fun. On Saturday Andrew and I walked all over Hawthorne looking for some cool vintage furniture and house stuff. We didn’t find the record cabinet, chairs, or desk of our dreams just yet, but we did score this incredible thing for $12:
I am pretty jealous, I really wish there had been a Capricorn needlepoint to go with it so we could have a his and hers! Oh well, I do have an awesome Enid Collins zodiac bag, so I should just count my blessings. Maybe one day I will stitch up a Capricorn piece to go with that amazing crab, I have such a thing for vintage zodiac stuff. (PS: there is also an Aries and a Pisces at the shop if you are interested, they’re in one of the middle vendor spaces in House, the big huge vintage store where Periodicals Paradise used to be.)
Then on Sunday I got to see Kelly, Karen, Jody and Jill (four of the ladies of the fabulous Tuesday Knite) for some crafty touring around town. They just took a glamorous sock-knitting cruise from LA to Vancouver, BC and flew down to Portland for the weekend afterwards — very West Coast jet-set! We had lunch and then stopped by Stumptown, Noun/Saint Cupcake, Cool Cottons, Yarn Garden, and Mabels, and finally crossed the river to hit Powell’s.
I was so excited when I spotted Cool Cottons last week — what could be better than a cute independent fabric store I can walk to from our house! Andrew and I went by for a minute on Saturday but I got to spend a little longer in there the next day, which was fun. I found these pretty things — a half-yard of these two colorways of a super soft Mendhi/FunQuilts Free Spirit print, and a little bit of a cheerful little polka-dot print I liked a lot too.
The owner, Pam, was working on a gorgeous quilt with pretty hand-sewn elements. Since I’m trying to get the courage up to start my second-ever quilt soon, it was especially inspiring to see her work in progress — I feel like such a baby quilter, figuring it out as I go. She also mentioned that they are getting more and more fabrics in every week through the summer after the market in Salt Lake City last weekend, so new prints from Free Spirit and Amy Butler are on the way. I can’t wait… I hope the new Katie Jump Rope line from Denyse Schmidt is in the mix!
oh, I almost forgot: I’m heading over to the Crafty Happy Hour at the Victory Bar (3652 SE Division St.) tonight, so please say hi if you’re going too. I’m looking forward to it!
get your small business on at DIY Lounge
May 4, 2007 at 3:40 pm | Posted in crafty events, oregon | 1 CommentTomorrow is the first class in Torie Nguyen‘s amazing four-part small business series, and there’s still time to sign up! You can take any or all of the classes, which are offered every Saturday through May, and since Torie is offering them at Bakery Bar this time, you can learn the ins and outs of running your own mini craft empire over cupcakes and Stumptown coffee.
(I recommend coconut)
Here’s what each class in the series covers:
1: getting started (May 5)
2: marketing and public relations (May 12)
3: stores and sales (May 19)
4: motivation and inspiration (May 26)
Speaking of DIY Lounge, owner Jen Neitzel just announced some exciting news: she’s partnering with Collage on Alberta to offer many of the upcoming classes in their classroom space. Don’t miss Jennifer McMullen‘s Rock the Stencil, coming up on May 22!
Crafty summer plans on the horizon
May 2, 2007 at 9:58 am | Posted in california, crafty events, oregon | 3 CommentsI can hardly believe it’s already May! But I just heard that the summer Felt Club show planning is well underway: Jenny just posted the application. You have until May 18 to get your info in, and the show will be Sunday, July 15 at the Ex-Plex in Echo Park. I can’t wait — I’m planning to be back in LA that week, I wouldn’t miss it!
I’m excited to put all the cool stuff on my summer calendar: Maker Faire in the Bay Area in May, Renegade in Brooklyn in June, and now Felt Club XL in Los Angeles in July. And of course Church of Craft and Crafty Wonderland are each and every month here in Portland… and the ladies of PDX Super Crafty and I are teaching some fun, free summer craft workshops at the library (and so is Sister Diane!). Hopefully Andrew and I can plan a little low-key second-anniversary vacation in August before his solo show premieres in September, we’re thinking Southern Oregon — it was so gorgeous when we drove through on Sunday.
In the meantime, I still have about four dozen boxes completely filling the space where my craft room is supposed to be, so I better run chip away at that. The sooner I’m done, the sooner I’ll be perusing the Martha aisles at Michaels!
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