30 April 2013

Pottery Class

pottery B

One of the reasons I haven't been around to blog as much lately is I've been taking a pottery class.  I've never worked with clay before, much less thrown anything on a wheel, so it was quite an adventure.  Much harder than I expected it to be, but I also find it very therapeutic.   The class consisted of five studio sessions and one glazing session and I managed to come out with five finished pieces.  They're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I was pretty excited to bring them home with me!  

The glazing class was so much fun!  I had no idea what I was doing or how any of the pieces would turn out so I tried a little bit of everything.   In the end I like the white glaze and the lighter colors with a matte finish better than the darker colors or the glossy finished.  So next time, I'm going to concentrate on using more of those.  The glazes are all food grade so we can use them for... I don't know.  Serving bowls for snacks? I'm in my second class now and my goal is to come away with a set of tumblers.  I'll be sure to show you how those turn out too!

pottery A

29 April 2013

Milena Silvano S/S 2013

a

Have you seen this lookbook for Milena Silvano's spring/summer 2013 collection?  The designer started her eponymous line in 2010 but I am just discovering her work.  She is based in rural England, grows and forages dye plant to use on her fabrics and takes field trips to faraway places such as India to work with local artisans on techniques like block printing.  The result is a collection that truly has a worldly, artisanal feel.  You can follow her adventures on her blog.  I loved seeing the process of a large swath of fabric from its beginnings being printed, dyed and finally turned into a wearable dress. 

b

24 April 2013

Secret South: The Traveller

Untitled-1

Since it seems that we're stuck in a never ending not-quite-spring pattern, I don't feel quite as guilty as I should in posting a fall/winter collection in the middle of April.  There are plenty of pieces in Secret South's newest collection that would be appropriate to wear right now.  I'm not usually a fan of orange but I think the orange print is my favorite. Although I'd find a spot in my closet for any of those little dresses. 

Untitled-2

22 April 2013

Etsy Update: Festival Collection

a

I'm miles away from any sort of hoping-it's-summer already music festival activities but the photos from Coachella and the like have taken over the internet this week.  There are no festival plans in my future but it's fun to think about what I would wear if there were.  Lots of soft gauzy fabrics, maxi dresses, embroidered blouses, floral prints and hippie sundresses.  I've added my favorite festival picks to the Etsy shop...

16 April 2013

Necklace Collection

necklaces

In the not-too-distant past, if you'd asked me about necklaces, I would have responded that I'm not much of a jewelry wearer. But lately, as my outfits have become simpler, I've been reaching more more jewelry, in particular necklaces.  I've been searching them out on my thrifting trips; multi-strands of brass chains, tassels, carved stone, geometric wooden beads.  I've amassed a bit of a collection and these are a few of my favorites.  I've been pairing them with skinny black jeans, a silk blouse and a pair of ankle boots. 

13 April 2013

The National - Demons



Oh so very excited about this!  We're already planning a road trip in June to see them in Pittsburg. 

09 April 2013

Etsy Update: Spring Things

075

A collection of vintage pieces has been added to the Etsy shop.  Mostly in shades of red and blue!

08 April 2013

Osei-Duro


aaa

I discovered Osei-Duro via their Made in Kind collection at Anthropologie.  I loved the prints on the simple garments so I decided to take a look at the entire collection.  I ended up really loving most all of the pieces.  The simple tanks in bold prints and the dresses especially.  Oh, and if you fall in love with the Aetsas Summer Dress for $128 in the Anthopologie collection like I did, you can get the same dress directly from the Osei-Duro site for $92!

bbb

03 April 2013

Marais S/S 2013

MARAIS USA S/S 2013 from MARAIS USA on Vimeo.

It's no secret I'm suffering from a case of spring fever.  Aren't we all?  I'm ready for warm weather and sandals and this Marais video for their spring collection sums it all up.  Pretty sandals please!!

02 April 2013

Heirloom Vintage

a

Hollister and Porter Hovey, the ladies behind Hovey Designs, have put together a book that "lays out the family influences, experiences and stories behind the homes of our own immediate and extended family."  I always love peeking into other people's spaces, especially when those spaces are filled with antiques and collectibles passed down from generation to generation.  If the family photos from the accompanying Tumblr are any indication, I'm going to have to get my hands on a copy! 

b