New Stuff on Tapiseria

New items for sale by Tapiseria just in time for Valentines Day!

Including some economy friendly wares under $10!

Check out my etsy shop here.

Love you, mean it

Emily

Inspiration in Messy Places

"A Beautiful Mess"

Love you, mean it

Emily

(all inspirational photos courtesy of a beautiful mess... plus a bonus image or two of my own)

RIP J.D. Salinger

Unfortunately Named

UmmMm, is it just me or does iPad sound like a next-gen feminine hygiene product?

Just sayin.

Find info about the new maxi, I mean, iPad here.

Love you, mean it

Emily

Exclaim Reclaim!

Since my continued learning has taken me down the path of understanding textiles: I've learned about the horrible world of PVC. Being a lil' vegan gal most of my shoes, handbags and belts consist of the stuff. PVC uses phthalates as plasticizers due to their increased flexibility and longevity. Since phthalates do not bond with PVC, it leaks out freely into our air. Phthalates have been associated with asthma, respiratory failure and other delightful diseases. Read more about it here.

Besides the numerous health effects, PVC faux-leather does not look as nice. A bag I purchased less than a year ago already has numerous holes, scratches and cracks along every seam. But I don't want to buy leather do I?

Leather lasts longer and looks nicer but is a cruel endeavour that puts enormous strain on our resources, and is most commonly tanned with formaldehyde (pg. 136 In Fashion by Elaine Stone). Yummy.

What is the best option?

I've recently come to know the beauty of reclaimed leather goods. Reclaimed leather is the practice of found or second-hand leather products being repurposed into new goods. Like (hold your breath) HANDBAGS. My search for the perfect bag never ceases... Sigh~* So if you can't stomach the PVC or leather implications - I suggest reclaimed leather as an acceptable alternative.

This wonderful world of recycled leather is growing by leaps and bounds. The growing concern for the green movement and decreasing one's carbon footprint has paved the way for a new crop of conscious designers. I've hand-picked just a small group of these Salvaging Sally's for your perusing pleasure.

1.) First off, I heart etsy. It gives budding designers like AgentReclaimed, their very own shop with little to no overhead. Find her etsy shop: here. My favorite is her wired cuff:

2.) Vancover-based Ashley Watson creates one-of-a-kind bags (and the like) using "exclusively recycled materials." She creates singular fashions with an "environmentally sound" approach. Purchase her darlings here.

3.) Erin Templeton makes sassy designer handbags also using previously loved leather. This Canadian beauty (what is up with designers from Canada being ahead of the curve?) started out making shoes and has her very own shop in Vancouver. Find her wares online here.

4.) Last, but not least: I am so in love with Dé.Dé handbags it's atrocious. This elusive Brazilian company uses 100% reclaimed leather BUT the bags themselves are so very hard to find. In fact, the one I was saving for is no longer available! As far as I know - this is EVERYPLACE (online) you can find these coveted handbags: Jane's Closet, Lori's Shoes, Overstock.com and SouthMoonUnder. If you hear/see/stumble upon anyplace else - please let me know. Here are a handful of my favorites:

Hit me back with your favorite recycled leather goods <3!

Love you, mean it

Emily

The Blogosphere

Some happy things...

Ten Dollar Drawings

Anne, Aimee and Nathan

one language label

Saturday Morning Flowers

inspiring me to order dahlia bulbs for the summer

Love you, mean it.

Barton

Inspiration heading into learning...

Rethink Scholarship at Langara 2010 Call for Entries from Rory O'Sullivan on Vimeo.

love you, mean it.

barton

Wishing Diamond was this girls best friend...

I've been in a music funk lately. Not getting into anything new...the old stuff just hasnt been doing me right lately either. But this girl has been making me very happy...Meet Marina Diamond:

The song speaks wonders and its light and fun with a bit of an edge to it.

I've been enjoying the frankness of her blog, and loving her outlook on life and the things in it.

love you, mean it.

barton

The Week in Passing:

In no particular order:

1.) Sasha does ad's for PETA.

2.) Lady Gaga gets sweet.

3.) Conan O'Brien says goodbye.

4.) A group of Hollywood kids try to overturn prop 8 - youtube style.

Love you, mean it

Emily

Stafford Inn, Mendocino, CA

[view from our room]

This past weekend was my boyfriend and I's five year anniversary, so we wanted to do something a little bit special. Not having the money to fly to Hawaii for only a few days, we needed someplace close. A co-worker of ours told us about a little "inn by the sea" in Mendocino. Mendocino is about 3 hours north of here [Oakland] on the coast. You could take highway 1 all the way up if you wanted (not for our carsick compadres) but we took the 101 to highway 128. It was a really beautiful drive with lots of teeny towns and family-owned wineries.

[beach next to the inn]

We stayed at the Stafford Inn. The Stafford Inn is a "four diamond eco-lodge overlooking the Mendocino coast." I have no clue what a diamond rating is - but four sounds impressive. And it was. Each room has a working fireplace and view of the ocean. When we arrived, there was an adorable note from the owners and vegan candies (they next day they brought vegan cookies ;). The inn has an indoor pool that is inside of a greenhouse. There are free yoga and taijiquan classes almost everyday. You can purchase a facial, massage or acupuncture. AND they offer complimentary bicycles during your stay (or you can rent a canoe).

[view of our room]

Overnight guests also get to enjoy free vegetarian breakfasts in the morning. Though their restaurant is almost completely vegan (with TONS of gluten free options) they do offer eggs and cheese with some of their breakfast items.

They are concerned with "sustainability, the community and 'conscious' tourism." They compost all the food scraps into their acres of gardens. They use energy conservation techniques for their lighting, laundry and heating. They use bio-diesel trucks and all green cleaning supplies. AND the whole place is pet friendly (even to kitties!). Need I say more?

[llamas that live on the premises]

This place is wonderful and I highly recommend it even if you aren't vegan. I certainly am going back as soon as I can <3

love you, mean it

Emily

Relief Efforts in Haiti

There are a million and one ways you can help out too.

Find just a few of them here.

love you, mean it

Emily

Et tu, Zac?

Since the Gaultier lookbook was leaked last week, Zac Posen got hellz jellz and decided to post his too. I, for one, may be late to this train because I understood that Jean Paul's line would be the last designer discount line to grace Go International's presence. I guess you can't stop a good thing?

Anywho, Posen's line is straight outta a "John Hughes film." 80's prom dresses and bib tops sprinkled over a red-strong palette. Though, I would have to say the floral dress (3 down) is my favorite. You don't have to take my word for it, see for yourself:

Priced very similarly to the Rodarte line (mostly under $50) this line is set to drop in April.

Happy hunting!



Love you, mean it

Emily

pictures courtesy of Fashionista

Food, Fashion and Cats

We should add another aspect of passion to our blog description...

The Catorialist

love you, mean it.

barton

Jean Paul's Line for Target

Nitrolicious gave us a tiny peek earlier this week. But here are some clearer pictures of the line Jean Paul Gaultier is creating for Target:

Not being a regular fan of fashion's bad boy, I was all set not to be keen on this line. But his color and pattern choices are totally lovely and saleable for the spring season. I'm not so into the faux tattoo look, but hey, he's gotta be a little bad ;)

This line is the (supposed) last of the designer discount lines to come out for Target. The line will be available from March 7, 2010 thru April 11, 2010. And according to the little bee in my bonnet this line will not be as widely distributed as the last one (only 250 stores people).

Love you, mean it

Emily

p.s. pictures care of the amiable Refinery 29.

hobbies as jobbies (running in circles)

The thoughts of fame and fortune coming from our fingertips as we knit and sew on a Sunday afternoon, work looming in forefront, are common amongst our crowd. Fantasizing about how great it would be to take these talents and move them forward to become our lives, then the happiness our talents will bring us daily and the joy we would get with every trip to the post office to send our creations to a far off land.  Its harder than it looks. Its harder than we imagine. I think back to an editorial from Slate magazine about a couple pursuing their dreams of a small coffee shop and having it almost ruin their marriage. With lack of research and acknowledgement of the effort put forth to make a business really thrive, it may be doomed. 

I'm not smashing dreams here, I'm here as your business aficionado saying how much more it takes than just a few hours a day.

The business ladies over at Design Sponge talk about how many hours a day one needs to spend on dealing with just advertising clients alone in order to make them happy and then in return get paid so you can continue your art. They've done an amazing job over the years to put out articles by various bloggers and business people alike explaining a plethora of business speed bumps as well as know how for a budding business. 

I feel as though I may be heading into negative nancy land- but I'm not. I enjoy the big picture and have been educated to understand that the industry and the industries surrounding a business effect it from top to bottom. I want to make that the big picture clear and bright for aspiring artists and explain how to outsource and how to use other people's talents as well as their own to move forward and make business success realities. I want to BE that person who runs their own venture and is successful not just financially but emotionally. 

This little rant was inspired by an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago. The Article tells the story of the artist Yokoo Gibran who in her 30s quit her day job to make her crafting business dreams a reality. In the first year she made something of $140,000. But not while knitting a scarf or two a day. They compare her in the article to law associates in two ways: the amount of money she made last year, and the amount of work she put in to make it happen.

Its been a pleasure hearing Kate from For Me, For You talk and twitter about her budding business. Her necklaces are beautiful and she works on them through her short weekends to make sure she has enough for the next shop update. There is a reason she is one of the more popular blogs out there. Smart lady!

Oh. And there is our very own Emily. Well, Hello. Good moring. She has skills amongst the gods, and her work ethic matches her talent without question (you haven't even seen some of the brilliant clothing that she has constructed!)  Her pursuit of further education will do her well and her ability to see trends before they even hit the runways a year(s) in advance is magical. 

What does one do with such a talent? Does it go pursuing an individual business or does it move its talents to other companies to share it with the world through that medium? Or do you just let it be what it is and enjoy it without being any kind of financial rewards?

Now- one may ask, why dedicate yourself to a blog so heavily? Are you looking to make it something that makes you money? Isn't this your pursuit of an opportunity? 

Not every person on this great blogosphere is out to make money off of their blog. Like I said before, it takes dedication further than the thoughts one has on a day to day or week to week basis. 

This brings me to something I think about a lot when it comes to fashion. I get complimented on my outfits. It happens. Nice folks out there and a high volume job. They see me and they tell me. Great!! So sweet. And then the lightbulb- do I make it my life? Can I find the passion deep enough for it to thrive even under the pressure of making a business work and survive? 

This is what I have been thinking about endlessly. Any thoughts? Questions? Comments? Concerns? Encouragement? 

love you, mean it (long time no see)

Barton

Dress Stealers...

Earlier today a friend informed me that Natalie Portman and I have the same taste in our Rodarte.

THEN! I found this B on Oncewed that had on Barton's b-day dress!?!

Bitches be frontin Barton, bitches be frontin ;)

Love you, mean it

Emily

p.s. that IS the dress right??