Miss Modish- Mojo Maker

New Shop Alert! Thé Dansant

Not only is this new shop stunning to look at (it was hard for me not to post every single item) but the story behind it is as cute as can be!

The story is... it's run by Mademoiselle Thé Dansant- she was raised by her grandmother who taught her how to drink earl grey tea with lemon and a spoonful of sugar. They spent hours watching romantic black & white movies together. When her grandma died she inherited a fortune, being her only relative. So, she decided to quit her job as a florist to travel around the world, collecting treasures along the way to sell in this very shop!

But that's just the imaginary owner. In reality, Thé Dansant is run by two (obviously super awesome) Belgian sisters with a great eye. See all their stylish handmade and vintage finds in the shop!

outfitted

outfitted: week 15, originally uploaded by jena:rator.

I can't even pretend like I put on real clothes this week- busy painting painting painting and soon, moving in!!

totally radical red highwater sweatsuit (with pockets!): thrifted. I just knew it'd come in handy someday.

Eco-Friendly Find: madder root

Oh, tea towels. You are both functional and beautiful, and when you are made by madder root, you are friendly to the earth as well.

I mean, really, aren't these gorgeous? I want one of each for my kitchen. And such beautiful product photos... oh! if only my kitchen had such perfect soft light! The towels are all hand-printed onto organic linen with solvent-free inks, for some real eco-loveliness in your home. Plus, there are lovely jersey scarves available in the shop with similar patterns if you'd rather have these lovelies around your neck than on your table.

Liz Grotyohann is a co-founder of cosa verde, a marketplace for handmade, environmentally-conscious goods.

Label

Sticking with the eco-friendly focus today, I thought I'd introduce you to this great new-to-me shop out of Toronto called Label. The two lovely lady designers behind the line are committed to creating clothing that's both luscious (I mean, just look at that emerald green dress!) and environmentally sustainable. They use reclaimed, natural and renewable fibers in their designs as often as possible, and somehow keep them looking darn sexy too- that trench coat is made out of hemp and recycled polyester! What's the only thing better than looking like a super hot secret spy? Being friendly to the earth while you do it ;)

The Cosa Verde Earth Day Giveaway!

The ever-awesome Liz, my weekly eco-friendly guest blogger here, has really outdone her awesomeness this year. She's rounded up an amazing group of artists and crafters from her earth-friendly marketplace, Cosa Verde, and together they've donated $1600 worth of amazing handmade goods! And as much as we'd like to keep them all for ourselves, we're giving everything away to you lucky readers!

Liz will be splitting up the goodness into 4 packages worth about $400 each! That means 4 of you have a chance to win a share of all of this! (click pics for larger view)

Soft French Lace Bag from TortillaGirl, valued at $65
Recycled Hymnal Paper Garland Strand from kristina.marie, valued at $22
Coco couture headband from Odalis Petit Menagerie, valued at $18
Organic Cotton Collar with Vintage Buttons from Recycled by Hyena, valued at $60
Collective Animal Names T-shirt from Xenotees, valued at $24
Recycled Silver and Glass earrings from Wired Originals, valued at $32
Organic Handspun Yarn from KnoxFarmFiber, valued at $16
Cherry Blossom Dangles from Elisa Shere Jewelry, valued at $46
Recycled Olde Growth Pine Candle Holders from Peg and Awl, valued at $56
Recycled Scarf from pica pica, valued at $24
White Rabbit Earrings from BlackStar, valued at $24
Suit Wallet from prix-prix, valued at $30
Kanji Wood Earrings from SwanRiverStone, valued at $20
Recycled Journal from lookwhatimade, valued at $15
Organic Tee from Loglike graphics, valued at $40

Barnwood Birdhouse from barnwood4u, valued at $25
Cloth Napkins from Sheree's Atelier, valued at $25
$25 Gift Certificate from Tickled Pink Knits
Leaf Earrings from Designs by Erin, valued at $18
Bracelet Purse from Megan Leone, valued at $78
Oak Forest Hand and Body Cream and Roll-on Perfume from Little Batch Botanicals, valued at $8 each
iPad Case from blytheking, valued at $65
Softie Rattle from chunkychooky, valued at $22
Papercut Card from jerise, valued at $10
Unisex Neck Warmer from Smq Organics, valued at $44
Carlsberg Elephant Elm Leaf Earrings from Western Art Glass, valued at $42
Leaf Lariat from Designs by Erin, valued at $15
Terrestre Solid Natural Perfume from Illuminated Perfume, valued at $65
Absolut Bottle Cheese Plate from Mitchell Glassworks, valued at $32
Shopping Tote from Sheree's Atelier, valued at $65

Circle Bunny Earrings (two pairs!) from Figs & Ginger, valued at $45
Lichen Jar with Sewing Notions from Ottoman, valued at $35
Vintage Upcycled Earrings from alex keller, valued at $20
Vintage Scalloped Party Garland from Sparkle Power, valued at $26
Cupcapron from Glue and Glitter, valued at $30
Earth Day Flowers from Malcolm Studio Shop, valued at $19
"Save Our Planet" cup cozy from Laura Bucci Handmade, valued at $14
Billboard Banner Storage Bin from NottyPooch, valued at $18
Well Versed Purse from tarabu, valued at $65
Two Sets of REusable Snack Baggies from BananaSaurus Rex, valued at $24
Recycled Notebook from nicopapergoods, valued at $21
Candy Wrapper Headband from La Alicia, valued at $15
Onesie from curlymonkey, valued at $24
Eco-binder and a set of Eco-tabs from UrbanPosture, valued at $28
Huckleberry Lip Balm from Little Batch Botanicals, valued at $3
One-of-a-kind Scarf from Design Knit Fun, valued at $58
Botanical Scanograph in Upcycled Frame from Earth Plus Art, valued at $65
Hippo Softie from Zazu Faure/Los Angeles, valued at $24
Garden Tool Coasters from girlscantell, valued at $16
Sleepy Owl from pouch, valued at $12.50

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TO WIN: Visit a shop from the list above then leave a comment on this post noting which shop you visited and one of your favorite items from that shop, along with why it's eco-friendly (cause everything in this wonderful giveaway is!) *You can enter multiple times by visiting various shops, just leave one comment per shop that you visit!

BONUS ENTRY: Get a bonus entry by helping us spread the word about this giveaway- tweet it, blog it or facebook it and leave a comment here letting me know you did so with a link to your post or by saying you tweeted about it (also please append @modishblog & @cosaverde to your tweets so we can see them- thank you!)

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The giveaway will run all the way through Earth Day, April 22nd. 4 winners will be chosen randomly from the comments and notified by email the following day. Good luck, have fun and shop green!

edited to add 4/26/10: The winners have all been chosen and emailed! The response was amazing, thank you all so much for entering!

 

Happy Weekend!

Here's a little preview of what we'll hopefully be up to this weekend. Sorry wall that seems to be the exact same color as my hair- I liked you at first, but you just do not vibe with our new (old) bright orange couch. To teal with you!

And while we're at it, we may as well paint this wall grey, and this room mustardy yellow and all the dark brown trim will have to be painted white... We'll see how far we get- it's our first time painting, I'm really not sure how long it will all take! We'd like to get at least a couple rooms painted before we move all our stuff in though cause it seems much easier that way, hmm? I'm looking forward to this first little step in making our new house really feel like our home!

I hope you have a fun weekend yourself! Are you working on any projects around your house or yard this weekend?

Oh and, I'll be here bright and early next Monday to unveil our ginormous eco-friendly Earth Day Giveaway! I hope you'll stop by to enter!

<3 jena

Girl vs. Vine

I have a problem area, it's called my front yard. It's where the dogs roam, peeing on any semblance of a blade of grass. It's not green; it's not alive; it's not good. There are a few plants that have persisted: box woods, a rose bush, a couple of dogwoods and some English ivy. 

The ivy climbs the hoists itself up the front porch, and while there's something nice about the green it adds to the yard, I want it gone. I'm not embarrassed to admit I dream of TKO-ing a plant, nor am I ashamed of lusting after draping my porch in curtains of springtime blooms. I'm just woman enough to admit it.

Why? English ivy is invasive (though in this spot the dogs have kept it under control) and has no value for local wildlife. I want to rip the bully down and replace it with something polite, flowering even. A vine that will root itself well, but climb and cover the iron work  while laughing (demurely, since it's so polite and all) in the face of our furry little family members, Wolfgang and Murray. {They mean no harm to my plants, it's just the way it goes with dogs and plants sometimes.}

A few vines native to the east coast of the US that could work in place of the ivy are: Crossvine, American Wisteria, and Coral honeysuckle.

What's with this native talk? The food native vines produce for birds and insects increases the value of the plant, allowing one plant to serve several purposes, while having a climber will allow the feeders to get their nutrients well out of Wolfgang's and Murray's space. 

West coast friends seeking climbing companions should try California wild grape, Western white clematis, and Pink or Orange honeysuckle.

Sticking with natives also means that when a bird spreads the seeds to other locations there are other critters around to keep the plant under control. Exotic versions of these same plants don't have the environmental control and will go about their business putting a choke hold on trees and other vegetation that get in its way. If you have any experience with a plant like this, you'll understand the sadistic satisfaction of wiping them out of your yard. . . or maybe that's just me.

Do you have any nemeses in your yard? What's your battle plan? Am I really the only one out there that enjoys ripping out a root or two? What's your deepest plant secret?

Renee Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish thumb wants her to believe otherwise. When mud pies aren't on the menu, you can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.

Color Me Happy in Red Sailor Stripes

Coco Before Chanel had me craving blue and white stripes but I really don't wear much blue- so once I saw this Samantha Pleet dress on Bona Drag, I knew my stripey prayers had been answered. Red and white stripes, of course! So much more me. They're not just for that Saved by the Bell episode where Kelly & Lisa dress up as candy-stripers anymore...

Samantha Pleet Boat Dress at Bona Drag

Red Cat stud earrings by Bijunea

Boy Short Bikini by Harajuku

Canvas & Leather Saddle bag by Quote

Solstice Flats by Hydra Heart

Recycled Tin Mini Dress earrings by Shixie

Jena Ardell

Ok Portland, I get it. You're grey and rainy and grey and rainy. At first it was a nice change from the constant beating-down blinding-white sun of the desert town I left you for, but I'm getting a little anxious now. I need some blue skies please. I need to feel heat from a source that's not powered by oil. Please? In the meantime, I'll have to escape into these photos by Jena Ardell. She's sunshiney perfection and just what I need right now. (Plus, she has a pretty fantastic name :)

outfitted

outfitted: week 14, originally uploaded by jena:rator.

Going to see a man about a formica table (we ended up getting it- it's awesome! photos coming soon!)

cardigan: vintage, thrifted
brooch: handmade
blouse: vintage, thrifted
jeans: buffalo exchange
shoes: bensimon

Chelsea Crew

Darn you Kate. Instead of shopping around craigslist for furniture for our new house, I'm lusting after these shoes from Chelsea Crew. I just can't stop looking at them! And adding them to my cart. And hovering over "checkout". And trying to figure out how I can justify oxford heels as a necessary element of our new house stuff budget. Any ideas?

Eco-Friendly Find: zoetropa

Oh, I love love love these notecards from zoetropa. All the cards and envelopes are 100% recycled paper, and are hand block printed using hand-carved printing blocks and acid free water based inks. Plus, they are super fun.

Personally, my favorites are the ones with repeating patterns, like the pencils and cottages above. Such perfect colors...these remind me that I need to head on over to the post office, pick up some stamps, and start writing real letters again.

Liz Grotyohann is a co-founder of cosa verde, a marketplace for handmade, environmentally-conscious goods.

Inspiration A-Z: G is for Gardens & Goldfrapp

First, press play: Goldfrapp- Eat Yourself

That really should be, G is for gardens, garden parties, garden fresh vegetables, greenhouses, green-thumbs & general good fun growing things. All of which I hope to have in my life in the very soon future in my own backyard. Here's a little garden goodness to inspire your own this season, whether your garden is a big veggie wonderland, in small pots on your patio or only in your black-thumb dreams...

{tea party blessing flags by Garden Songs}

{wooden shoe tulip farm by Abby Try Again} just outside of Portland, so worth a trip!

{cactus gardens by Elly Yap - via All the Mountains}

{by ngoc minh ngo}

{by simply photo}

{by Isadora Filković}

{by semiplume}

{a greenhouse picnic wedding, by Chelsea & Lisa for Project Wedding} 

{by Amanda♫}

{by le portillon}

{by Matthew Monteith}

{by bloom magazine}

{plants for your bathroom on Re-Nest} oh my gosh, I totally want to do this in my bathroom!

{by anniebee}

{by adahnue}

{from this Swedish gardening blog}

Are you growing a garden this year? A flower garden? Edibles? Are you part of a community garden, or do you grow herbs in containers on your patio?  I'd love to hear about what you like to grow and where, or even what type of public gardens there are in your city that you like to visit (in Portland we have gorgeous Japanese, Rose, Chinese & Rhododendron gardens just to name a few! :)

Modish is 4 years old!

{vintage letterpress 4 at lucky little dot}

4 years ago, on April, 4th I started writing this little blog from my cubicle desk job between phone calls. 4 years later, I'm still writing it, only now from a comfy vintage chair at home, surrounded by kitties and cuddled up in pjs. It's been 4 years! Can you believe it? I can't! This is officially the longest standing "job" I've ever had. 3 years is usually my max limit before I must quit or die of boredom. But I woke up today just as excited to work as the day I first started it, and that's something I never imagined would happen.

I really want to say thank you dear readers and thank you to all my incredible sponsors over the years. Whether you've been reading since day one or just found Modish yesterday, you are the reason I've been able to keep it going for so long. You're the reason I've been able to create a career I actually enjoy. I'm still not sure where it will all lead, but I'm taking one day at a time. And have been for the last, let's see... 1460 days!

As a little thank you to you all, and in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, I'll be hosting a major giveaway here next week put on by my wonderful eco-friendly guest writer Liz! She rounded up loads of Cosa Verde participants and we'll be giving away 4 boxes full of eco-friendly goodies worth $400 each! That starts next Monday- stay tuned!

A Handmade Thank You & Happy Weekend!

We want to send our realtor a thank you card, but I didn't want to give him anything generic (obviously) so I decided to try and make a fabric rendition of the new little abode that he helped get us into. Two random sessions of hard to find free time later and here it is!

My boyfriend's gonna shudder at those non-straight stitches (sorry Virgo man!) but I think it turned out cute. It's the least I could do for our realtor who helped us through 10 long months of searching and two houses that fell through along the way. He was always there to advise, to console when we needed it. We dragged him around this fair (and large) city of ours to go see every house we had an inkling for, and he was always there to meet us at the drop of a dime. He made it feel like we were his only clients (we certainly weren't!) and gave us lots of attention. Plus he set us up with a wonderful, kind and patient loan officer that made it way too easy. And above all, he's funny! And fun to hang out with. And he rescues greyhounds. And he's a vegetarian with a lot of restaurant recommendations. And he's a really awesome guy that we're so glad we found. If anyone in Portland needs a realtor recommendation, let me know- I can send you his info!

This rainy, stormy weekend will see lots of cleaning at both our houses and hopefully lots of boxes getting filled up. Just two more weeks and we'll officially be moving. I can't wait!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, come rain come shine! Thanks for hanging out this week and hope to see you back on Monday.

<3 jena

ps: oh and don't forget to enter the Scarfu giveway if you haven't yet! Spring dresses await you! :)

A tale of two pots

Last week my brother emailed me to ask a couple questions for his crafty girlfriend. She's planning on decorating some terra cotta pots but wanted to know what would work and what wouldn't. Since my brain is full of crap, errr craft, I had some advice that went a little something like this:

Paint pens should work for a nice opaque color. Most of them are oil which will work best.
A few tips: because water seeps through terra cotta, the paint will peel over time; also
terra cotta needs to be taken in over winter because of the amount of moisture it absorbs, otherwise it will crack when the temperature drops drastically. To prevent those things from happening you can spray or brush on a clear varnish (2-3 coats) on the inside and outside before decorating with the paint pens.

After seeing the Cabin House's Fancy Pots, I thought it would be fun to revive a couple of my old pots with a batik-like look. I tried both the slick puffy paint look, and washable gel glue so the terra cotta would peek through. With both I used cheap acrylic craft paints (the 99 cent bottles) and an interior/exterior satin varnish (found with the cheap acrylics at the craft store).

Here's the run down for the puffy paint version: Draw all over the pot with the puffy paint--the more lines the more detail, the more unique the pot will look, I made a doily version. Let the puffy paint dry thoroughly.  Then use a slightly watered down acrylic paint (black) and brush it over the lacy puff paint, wiping off the excess with a damp rag as you go (this keeps the puffy paint nice and white.) Next, if you want a little extra color, paint the rim and the inside. Let everything dry, then coat the entire pot with 2 or 3 coats of clear varnish (allowing the varnish to dry between coats).

The gel glue was a little more time consuming, but just as fun! I started off drawing my pattern with the gel glue (just a thin, non-goopy line works well), which was a repetition of quick, loopy, fanciful flowers. Let the glue dry thoroughly. Cover it with one coat of acrylic paint. Let that dry thoroughly (drying is a recurring theme). Next, rinse the paint off under running water, gently rubbing off the glue, working your way across the entire pattern.  I think submersing the pot in a bucket of water would work as well and save water, also gently rubbing off the glue. Let the pot dry. Paint the inside of the pot, let that dry, then cover the whole thing in several coats of varnish (letting it dry in between coats).

Once the varnish is dry, you can pot 'em up, put 'em out with great pride in your pretty planters!

For pattern inspiration, check out mehndi and batik designs.
Or these pretty pots from Lavender and Limes {via Creature Comforts}

Renee Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish thumb wants her to believe otherwise. When mud pies aren't on the menu, you can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.

Match Making: Cara Taylor & Jill Bent

Cara Taylor's classic and organic white ceramics + Jill Bent's chic and simple totes & pillows

= a match made in modern, yet natural elegance

JHill's Wanderlust

I am so in love with this "toast" collection at JHill. It features little art prints of various places from all over the world, printed in colorful patterns. They're so pretty! 

Modeled after vintage postcards, each one has a little trivia about the place in script along the bottom. Oregon's says "1839. Nineteen men set out to settle oregon, calling themselves the Oregon Dragoons – nine made it." Wow, I don't remember that from my Oregon Trail computer game days. I do remember my wife always seemed to die of dystentery. And my darn oxen's yoke would always break!

Find many more cities and countries where you've been, or someday hope to go, on the JHill site.