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Hot Pockets + Beer

Well, apparently I'm not the only one that eats like crap, makes a mess + watches trashy TV when there's no one around to guide me to be a better person. I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel. Last night was a little more soul feeding. The evening involved a delectable dinner with the sis...a trip to my beloved sale section of Anthropologie (yes, "my beloved" - it's as familiar to me as my living room)...and ended with...you guessed it - another sleep-over, a bottle of wine + 'sumore trashy TV. Really, though, what's better then that?

But I didn't pop in today to go on and on again about my self-destructive behavior. I need a little help, and wondered if you could lend a hand.

I'm working on a custom order for a long-term-blog-friend (identity to be released when I get a photo of her dear little future-babe - ETA: September). This custom order is especially fun for me, partly because she has great style (I can see that through her knitting + fabric suggestions), and partly because she's given me a lot of creative freedom.

So, I'm wondering - what do you think of these fabric choices?

Outside of the bag:

Inside (a nice surprise - especially for a sweet baby girl - not that we're trying to genderize the poor babe!):

Want to be a part of the creative process? I'll blog it here. Maybe it would be fun for the little babe to someday see the journey of how her diaper bag was made. Or maybe that's just something we all think is fun. Seriously though, it's what this whole handmade movement is all about, isn't it? A re-connection to the people that lovingly take the time to make the things we use. We can't get that shoppin' at Walmart, now can we?

Totes + Hip Hop

I made a mental list of the things I can do that are a little more difficult when the hubs is hanging about the house distractin' me. The first three items on the list were related to eating (as most lists in the house are). Meal time is a big deal around these parts. Partly because we love food so much and partly because we're never organized enough to have food in the house and there's the sad sad state of affairs involving our inferior cooking skills.

 

Meal time usually involves an annoyingly drawn out negotiation of where to eat. How 'bout Thai? No, too greasy. How 'bout Mexican? No, we were just at my mom's house. How 'bout sandwiches? To which he almost always replies: "you know I like my dinners warm". Well there you go. Guess what I've been eating for dinner the past few days? Yes, sandwiches. And breakfast for dinner. Or like last night, strawberries and tea. And then some crackers. And cereal. So if there is one silver lining I can point to during the dark days of my husband's temporary absence, it's the freedom to eat like total crap.

My mom once told me that if she didn't have kids she would eat salsa and chips for dinner every night. I think I understand where she's coming from now. Although, I would add a margarita to that balanced meal. You, know, for the fruit vitamins.

The other thing is getting lost in sewing projects while blaring my most treasured hip-hop music. Common + Q-Tip were on last night. The melodies were turned up full blast and accompanied with a little off-tone back-up vocals by yours truly. Thoroughly annoying entertaining for my neighbors, I'm just sure of it.

But look what came of it. A nice little neat pile of crisp linen + denim + canvas shopping totes. I'm experimenting a bit with a new look and some applique. I love the way they turned out and I'm hoping that I don't stash these away for myself before they're whisked away from the shop. It's so interesting to see the patterns in style in print + pattern throughout time when working with some of these vintage fabrics.

When in Doubt - Play with Color

Yesterday was my first full day of health (with the exception of the sharp pain that kept me up from 1am-2am last night). It was also the first of the three days that I get to myself this month to do whatever I want (or need) to do. It was also the beginning of the only week I will have in my house this month. I wanted it to be filled with productive work, the kind that makes the mind strong and soul calm. Cleaning...cooking...organizing...crafting.

Almost none of that actually happened (with the exception of the last one). Instead I sat around feeling guilty for not being motivated to do any of it. And sad that the one week at home this month was also the one week the hubs would be away. Egh, hate that feeling.

Things really started looking up when I finally decided to throw up my hands and indulge in the feeling. I didn't want to "regret" my non-productive Saturday, so I did what any child of the 80's would and turned on Dirty Dancing for a day filled with mindless craft + periodic naps.

The day ended with lots of fabric tags (in the boutique now) and an Entourage + Flight of the Conchords sleep-over with my sis. My sister has many many talents - but her best skill? Cheering up her big-baby of a big-sister.

 

Holy Moly

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the enthusiastic response to my new little endeavor. Thank. You. So. So. Much. Really, from the bottom of my crafty little insecure heart. "Insecure" is what has kept me from jumping into the Etsy pool...and you guys (plus the hubs + my ridiculously loving family) pretty much beat it out of me. Thank you for that.

This thing is big, but trust me, nuthin's changin' around these parts. This journal will not turn into some obnoxious + ruthless-enterprising-buy-buy-buy website where I'm constantly pimping my "stuff". No, no, I just don't have the energy for all that jazz. Plus, I still believe that the key to reducing waste in this world is for all of us to contribute by buying only the things that we really truly love. So, I see the itty bitty boutique as a little country shop attached to the back of my studio, where all the things I lovingly and painstakingly churn out end up for the world to adopt. When I'm able, I will fill it. When I'm not, then I will just babble on and on as I have in the past. But for the most part, I will sit here like I have, cutting + sewing away, and every once in awhile, when I hear the little chime of the cow-bell attached to the shop door, I'll put down my scissors + glue, brush off my apron and greet the person who has waltzed in the shop to support me.

The little ledger book up top is the sweetest most thoughtful gift received today from Beth. A perfectly imperfect notebook that coincides nicely with the over-all production of my shop + will now serve as the shops foreman while it works hard to keep my orders straight. I can't get over the sweetness of it all, the embroidery, the way she matched the fabric to the thread...and the perfect little stitches holding everything together. It reminds me of the notebooks used in some of the down-home stores or stalls you see in the country or at the farmers market. Thank you, Beth.

The Shop is OPEN!

Wow, after a long night of on-and-off internet connection - not unlike my final days in college (glitches galore!), the shop is officially OPEN!

All of your encouraging words (you all are the best cheerleaders ever, I'm tellin' you...) is what kept me going and I'm proud to say that everything is the way that I hoped for....

Ooh! And before I forget, what's a grand opening without some fun prizes?? Of course, special treats come with every package...but the first 5 "customers" (gosh it feels really really weird to say that) will receive an extra special surprise that I whipped up last night. It's a another big fat THANK YOU for supporting me & everything I do on this blog and in the handmade crafters community.

Le Petite Boutique (trying to be fancy here): www.string.etsy.com

 

Le Boutique

If a girl  was ever scared to do anything in her life, all she would need to do is hint around it on her blog and all the encouraging words she needed to coax her out of her safe little turtle shell would pour in from all her virtual friends giving her the strength to take a risk and try something new.

I'm not really sure why "selling my stuff" is so scary to me, but it is. It might be that I'm exposing myself to criticism and the cold hard truth to be told. And really, it's more then just "stuff", isn't it? But there have been a few really lovely (and loving) things that happened to me this week giving me a renewed sense of confidence that I can do this.Some of which was all your encouraging words (and emails) in reaction to my last post.

Thank you.

We're right on schedule to open up the little Etsy shop on Friday morning. Bright and early at 8am - all the goods will be ready to go. There, I've said it. It's in print. So it must happen.

And the hubs will surely be happy too, not only because he's excited for me, but also because the "...but ...it's for the shop" excuse for the fabric disaster that is our home right now will no longer be valid. Shucks, I was hoping to ride that one out.

*Speaking of Etsy, the last couple of photos are of the most fantastic reversible headband I bought from Anne of Sugar Apple Creations. I can't tell you how much I love this thing - I wear it constantly, and secretly love the feeling of pretending to be from the 1950's*