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I leave you with a little candy-colored, dreamy inspiration from Anja Mulder. I truly light up every time I go through her flickr stream, it always brings a big smile to my face. And I'm hoping it can do the same for you, too. Have a happy weekend everyone! Hope to see you back here Monday.
<3 jena
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There's just something about Plundered that makes you feel like you're discovering really long lost treasures. I love the feel of the photos (including the dog!), the house dresses from the 40's and all the funny little knick-knacks. It feels like the kind of shop you'd hope to stumble upon when you pull off for gas on a small country road in a town you don't know the name of. One that's filled with dusty memories and a lady who'll tell you everything about everyone behind the counter ;) See more over at Plundered!
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Off to a photo shoot where they'll change me so it doesn't matter what I wear. This outfit is truly an everyday staple. I have lived in this sweater all winter long.
sweater/cardi: vintage Missoni (from Ohio Knitting Mills)
jeans: Citizens of Humanity from many years ago
boots: thrifted, Buffalo Exchang
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Well, I'm not sure if I should call this color "mint" or "seafoam" or "light aqua", but whatever it is, it gives me happy vibes and I think it's an excellent color to incorporate into your wardrobe this spring. It feels so fresh and girly. I don't own anything in this shade tho yet- do you?
marietta earrings by Lost & Fawned
mint(ed) hair pins by Oh Hello Friend
the snotty bird bag by Little Odd Forest
vintage aqua sweater at It's Bella
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What do you do when you don't have any blog posts ready for the day and you didn't get any sleep last night and you have a headache and your body is super sore from the Jillian Michaels workout that you half-did yesterday?
You put on a kaftan. Grab your camera. Head out into the dewy, early morning air. And float for awhile...
Well, that's what I'd do at least. ;)
I need a day to catch up on shop stuff, catch up on emails and catch up on sleep. I'll be back with your regularly scheduled blog programming tomorrow!
<3 jena
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To continue the Valentiney feel of the day, I thought it good timing to feature this great little clothing boutique. Handmade by Kelsey Genna, a New Zealander fashion student, each piece is perfectly flirty, perfectly feminine and perfectly red and pink! I love the fresh eye Kelsey brings to trends and think her fabric selection is soooo pretty. See more in her great shop!
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Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day stuff. I believe that gifts of chocolates should not be limited to one day a year, and any kind of flowers are out of the question because I have a cat who eats everything he can get into his mouth. But, send a kitschy, snarky or punny card my way and I am more than happy. These are a few of my favorites, all handmade with recycled papers...
"Me & You" from ninarowan; "I _____ you" from creativitycards; "You float my boat" from JillKinL
"I Love You... Usually" also from creativitycards; "Wood You Be Mine" from twotrickpony; "I am broke and I love you" from letterpressrebel
Liz Grotyohann is a co-founder of cosa verde, a marketplace for handmade, environmentally-conscious goods.
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Press play: Beirut- The Concubine (feed readers, click over to the blog to hear the music)
:: by Alison Scarpulla
Balance seems ever the unachievable task, doesn't it? I think we're all trying to create some sort of balance, all the time. From balancing your checkbook to staying steady in eagle pose in yoga to trying to balance your time between work and family and life in general. That's the hardest one, of course. I think many of us struggle with how to balance our work lives with our "real" lives, especially if your work is a big part of what you love to do in life- the lines get even more blurry. And although I don't have the answer as to how we can better find that balance we're seeking, I thought these pics could inspire us to keep striving for it, even though it may seem impossible sometimes...
:: by Maddie Gosse
:: by amalia chimera
:: by nobutyes
:: by bliaaaaa
:: by .bradi.
:: by HannahFe
:: by Chrissie White
:: by Dunny
:: by plakka
:: by Bailey Black
:: by tess
:: by atomic turquoise
:: by Holly Skye
:: by Javertime
:: by Akasha Rabut
:: by Anna Amphigorously
:: by Emmerroo
:: by Rebecca Tabor Armstrong
:: by Tori Mercedes
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{crafty bird by Gennine}
The last time I used a sewing machine was in 7th grade home-ec class, but that experience has since been buried in the land of forgotten memories, along with the rest of junior high. Even so, I've been toting around my mom's 1973 mint green sewing machine (that must weigh at least 50 pounds) from house to house, everywhere I've ever moved since college. You know, just in case I ever decide to learn how to use it. But until this past Saturday, I had never even taken the cover off it.
Determined to learn how to hem some stuff for the shop and maybe make a curtain or two, I took a "sewing machine basics" class over at PDX Seamsters this weekend, along with a couple friends. And it was great! Aside from discovering that my poor Kenmore is in dire need of a cleaning and oiling because it didn't actually work (it stayed behind to get a little service done...) I learned that sewing with a machine is absolutely something I can do.
I've always been intimated by my beast of a machine, not even knowing how to turn the darn thing on. But now I can thread it, I can wind a bobbin, I can load a bobbin and I can sew! Not so well or straight yet, but that'll come with practice I'm sure. I'm just thrilled to now have the basic skills I need to be able to practice, and maybe even eventually make some stuff! I just hope my machine can get fixed because now I'm aching to do just that.
So, to all you sewers out there- have any recommendations for a (very) beginner's book of sewing projects that might be fun?
Has anyone else learned a new skill lately that you're excited about? Or checked off one of your goals for the new year? I'd love to hear!
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Shoe lovers, hear me now...
I've found your new favorite shop. Vintage Shoe Love has a never-ending array of styles from all sorts of days gone by. You can feed your shoe addiction in a way that's good for the earth and much better for your wallet at the same time.
Plus, doesn't it seem like most contemporary shoes are modeled after vintage styles anyway? May as well snag the real thing if you're lucky enough to find a fave in your size, hmm? And you're sure to find at least a few faves here. Just remember, you've been warned.
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To both the decor in this bright little studio space, and the snacks that accompany a workday when food is literally your job, all I have to say is: yum. Take a peek at where Sarah Copeland, writer, passionate cook and recipe developer for Food Network Magazine, spends her days creating and whipping up all her yummy ideas.
Keep up with Sarah's delicious adventures over on her blog, Edible Living.
And if you'd like to share a peek of your studio/workspace/creative-making-spot with us, add your photos to the Modish Handmade Spaces pool and you could see them featured right here!
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Nadinoo's richly colorful winter '09 line + Trove's beautiful new grafica jewelry collection =
a match made in pattern-loving perfection
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Inspired by the colors in my outfit today, I really like the color combination of grey and coral- I love how the bright pinky hue pops off a grey base, it seems so cheerful for wintertime! Do you guys like the combo?
Candy Cane earrings by marie fly fly
Corrine wool beret by Crafts to Cherish
Gray t-strap shoes at Piperlime (and on sale for $25!)
Treasure Box ring by Quercus Silver
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outfitted: week 3, originally uploaded by jena:rator.
off to the post office and other fun errands...
sweater: vintage, thrifted
dress: Piko 1988, thrifted
necklace: handmade, from a trip to the Amazon when I was little
belt: took it off the sweater
leggings: rebecca beeson
boots: steve madden
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I don't know about you, but I've been seriously jonesin' for spring lately. But since reality for many of us is still cold and dreary, I thought we could get lost in Samantha Lamb's world for a little while...
It's a place where the days are longer and the trees are blossoming. Where we can have a picnic in the grass and wear vintage cotton dresses. Where we can waft away a day with a good book and a nap under the late afternoon sunlight. Oh, come on spring, we're ready for you!
All of these & many more are available to purchase as prints in Samantha's shop.
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Sustainable shoes? Sign me up! I met the creator of SmartFISH briefly last year at the Summit of Awesome, before her line had launched, and I was impressed by her goal of creating earth-friendly footwear. Now that I've seen the line, and the work she has put into them, well, I'm blown away!
All the SmartFISH flats are made by hand. Shoes are created without the use of any adhesives, and are 100% vegan. Seriously, click over to read one of the product descriptions to see how much care has gone into the construction of these shoes. It is amazing.
With hemp canvas outers and bamboo linings, plus insoles made from salvaged cork that are removable for easy washing, these shoes are an eco-friendly dream. The soles are hand-poured from a mixture of natural latex and sawdust. Hand-poured, people! If only this much care went into everything we buy!
Liz Grotyohann is a co-founder of cosa verde, a marketplace for handmade, environmentally-conscious goods.
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As you probably know by now, mister J and I are house hunting. We have been for many many months. We had an offer on a house we loved over the summer and it fell through at the end of the inspection period due to some shady shady business on the seller's side. We were crushed. Our first little dream home, gone.
We continued looking, all summer long and into fall. Days rolled by as we checked out house after house, and nothing we saw was right for us. We began to feel like we would never find a house we liked as much as that first one again.
And then we did, last Monday in fact! We wrote an offer on it and it got accepted. Success! Balls began rolling, wheels began spinning and we were excited again.
And then, we had the general inspection this past Friday.
What appeared to be a clean, solid, well-maintained grandma home had some hidden surprises for us. Like an entire plumbing system that needed replacing. Some crazy wiring issues including 100+ year old live wires that lead to nothing and one lightswitch that shorts out the whole house. Evidence of a pest problemo with carpenter ant poo (which is basically sawdust and carpenter ant bodies because they eat their dead- yum) around the exterior. Oh and, the little lack of a cement foundation on the entire back part of the house. Hmm...it appears this one isn't quite the right one for us either.
But we're not sad this time. We're hopeful that we will find something this spring and excited to watch as more and more homes pop up on the market. Maybe the third time will be the charm, eh?
In the meantime, we'll just keep watching House Hunters on HGTV and wishing we had more money ;)
Any other house hunters out there, or recent homeowners? I'd love to hear your stories!
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Because every little bit helps, I've decided to donate $5 of every order at the Miss Modish shop directly to Partners in Health, a great agency that has been working in Haiti for 20 years and is in dire need of support to aid in the Haiti relief effort- they work to provide medical aid for all who need it. All orders placed through February 14th will include this donation. I gave to this agency on my own as well, but would love to send more with your help!
And speaking of the shop, I have TONS of new goodies to add and I hope to have lots of new items for you to check out by Monday.
If placing an order doesn't interest you, please consider donating to this agency on your own, or to any of the Haiti relief funds out there. There's a big list of more non-profits you can donate to on CNN here.
Thank you and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
<3 jena
updated to add: Oh! I just found this list that Victoria at SF Girl by Bay made of other shops that are also donating part of their profits to help, including Victoria's own. And Indie Fixx is running a great fundraiser where you can bid on one of the handmade items up for grabs, pledging that amount to the Red Cross. See the list of other participating shops here, and add your shop to the list in the comments. Thanks for doing that Vic!
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My urge to click "add to cart" on almost every single item in this shop is strong, my friends. Too strong. Hindsvik vintage, run by an adorable Canadian couple, has an amazing collection of vintage home decor with a modern aesthetic. It's very well curated & photographed perfectly. Go get lost for awhile in the shop, and follow them on their blog as they update their own home on a budget!
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LBRANDTerraria's beautiful terrariums + Element Clay Studio's organic art and decor =
a match made in modern botanical bliss
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