bits and tids

i had big plans to write an entry this week on reusable fruit bags, but decided i'd like to make some of my own before i write that post. instead, i'll leave you with a few tidbits:

first of all, the new album by death cab comes out tomorrow. thanks to a friend here at school, i got an early start on it and i have to say, it's gorgeous. it makes me want to close my eyes and just let the music fill my room. npr is doing a first listen today/tomorrow...check it out.

secondly, in anticipation of summer, i'm considering getting this hip pack* for work at camp:

thoughts? can i pull off a hip pack? can anyone pull off a hip pack? or should we just let this trend die once and for all? 

third, and last, i read on NYT today that espadrilles are the sandal of the summer (yeah, this is what i spend my 20 articles a month on). okay - but wait - i feel like espadrilles were the sandal of last summer. and two summers ago. someone somewhere is really indignant about making espadrilles catch on, and by gum, they will keep saying they're the sandal of the summer until they actually are. 

alright, well here are two pairs that i would wear:

From nordstroms.com

from target.com

okay, wait, i lied. that wasn't the last thing. this is:

my friend posted this video a few days ago and i love it. it re-inspired my scarf wearing, for sure! 

a bientot!

*new marketing: it's not a fanny pack. it's a hip pack. get it? because it's hip. and it goes on your hip. not your fanny. 

haylie's summer dreams

 kayaking and camping. 

 picnics and learning to can. 

 ginger beer and oh my, this strawberry cake.

fireflies and beach days.

cheers, loves, and happy summer. let the wild rumpus start.

stamp attack

welcome to our very second craft entry! i promised this entry in my very second post, when i said that i really love rubber stamps and embossing (giving stamped images texture and shine).

well.

here we go.
this is my stamping workspace. i made it just now out of a part of my floor. it has everything i need: a hard surface (book from the library i should be reading for my dissertation), a nearby electrical outlet (for the embosser), and my materials!

let's talk for a minute about the materials. first, we have an embossing wand: 

this embossing wand was a gift from my friend kristen, but you can get them at paper source. it's like a hair dryer in that it gets really hot except it doesn't blow air very hard so your embossing powder won't go flying everywhere. 

next, we have embossing powder: 

also from paper source, this is what goes on top of the ink to make the stamp look, well, embossed. you can get it in lots of colors, including translucent, so the color you'll get from the embossing is just the color of your ink pad. my embossing powder is a nice, bright white. i only have this one, but next i want to get a blue sparkly one. 

and of course, you have to have stamp pads: 

and stamps!

i've really wanted to get into stamping for a long time, but the stamps were always prohibitively expensive. i started getting them as gifts (the sprig, bunny, and elephant are from my friend chris, the dragonfly is from kristen, the heart ring is from renee, and the ant is from my old boss) and then i started finding the sale bin (the bird one i got for a dollar! put a bird on it!) and growing my collection that way. the last stamp is clearly the most amazing stamp ever made; kristen had it made for me in madagascar. it's my seal of approval. 

okay! so what do you DO with these things? i like to make stationary with my stamps. first, you stamp the image on a piece of paper (an envelope, in this case):

then, you cover it in embossing powder (really quick, so the powder sticks to the ink before it dries):

covered! 

 shake the excess powder back into the tub. that stuff is like gold.

then, wave your magic embossing wand over the image for 5-7 seconds. you'll see the image start to raise and become shiny. 

tada!! i tried to capture the texture in the picture. i hope you can tell. it feels really cool. 

 and it's that easy! let's look at all the things i made in 10 minutes.

and there you go! so fun. happy stamping!

the queen of prints

boujour, amours!

today i'd like to chat about a lovely local (to portland) designer, rebecca pearcy. as the founder and president of queen bee creations, rebecca's faux leather bags are super popular in the city of roses. i personally preferred bags from the now-defunct skull cat design* but, her's are lovely, and you can't seem to throw a stone in portland without hitting someone who has one (not that you would want to).

but now, rebecca is rolling out a new line of textiles that are TDF (to die for!). i'm obsessed. right now, she's doing simple totes and tea towels. i really want this one:

photo courtesy of queenbee-creations.com

BUT more than i want a cute little bee who loves portland, just like me, i want this:

photo courtesy of queenbee-creations.com

could it be anymore perfect?? it's yellow AND it has ginkgo leaves, which you know i love, if you've read our extensive side-bar biographies. it's a little steep for a grad student budget, but not unmanageable. also, my birthday's coming up...!

perhaps even more exciting, rebecca is considering selling the fabrics (which she prints herself) so that people can make their own beautiful things with these prints. i'm already making a list of the things i'd want to create...

if you want to see more, (like a really adorable scissor print, and a put-a-bird-on-it print) go here!
if you want to read the oregonlive article about rebecca pearcy (and peruse the photo gallery, which i highly recommend), go forth. pay special attention to the scissor pillows. i love those.

i really want to go to her studio when i get back to oregon next month. expect a follow-up entry when i do!

bisoux!

*i have to show off the skullcat bag i have because i love it and it cost me a whole day's paycheck but it was worth it. aren't you just a little bit jealous?