Have clothes, will travel.

 

Trunk shows are one of my absolute favorite ways to get my work out in the world.  

 Here are a few reasons why.

Beautiful women having fun playing dress up.

Seeing my clothes bring smiles and women happy in their bodies is inspiring and reminds me why I spend hours sitting at a sewing machine. Hearing feedback about how the clothes feel and fit really informs my design process. 

Fights!!! over dresses!!!

I get to drink wine while working AND eat.

There's time for lounging and everyone gets to receive and offer opinions.

 Even the babies have opinions.





As you can see trunk shows are also much more intimate than an art show and give me a chance to have a real conversations. After months of hermiting out in my studio that's a true delight:)

Thank you so much to everyone who came and added to the fun! You are what keeps me creating.

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"Share" Top

This is one of my favorite new tops of the season. Wear it with your favorite skirt or to add some sparks to any outfit. Throw it on over a shocking pink bra and "share" a little glimpse of your "not so subtle" side. 

What's the sassiest bra color that you own, or wish you could find, to show off with this top? I'm pretty boring/basic color wise but do have a cute lace and velvet number. I'd love to find one in a bright fuchsia though!

This is now available on Etsy but is going fast. I only have a few left.

The before

I'm about to embark on a studio revamp. I know you're probably thinking, "Oh but your space looks so very uhmmm, eclectic." but it's OK. You can just blurt out "What a sty". I won't be offended. After all I work in this little disaster zone. How do I ever get anything done? Here's how it works:

• I work.
• I make a huge mess.
• I clean and organize my crap.
• I work again and try to stay organized.
• I make an even bigger mess.

My only excuse is that I don't really have places for all the things that need to be placed. And to add to that, I just bought another industrial machine that needs a place to live too.
Here's where my awesome husband Chad comes in. He is a master of organization and streamlining processes. He's also a furniture maker and can take all of my crazy imaginary conglomerations of nooks and crannies for this and that and channel them into real life shelves and carts. I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. As we were brainstorming fixes, I found myself gushing to Chad about how amazing he is, how lucky I am to have someone who can actually make these things happen, and on and on. I found out that gushing about him and his fabulous self (rather than myself) put a smile on his face and made him happier to do the project.

So stage one, the planning phase, is complete. I'll keep you posted.

"Pagoda" Skirt

Are you looking for the perfect skirt for a lazy row, on a sunny day, in red boat , on a beautiful blue-green lake?

Check out the "Pagoda " skirt on Etsy.

"Aquarius" Dress

When the moon is in the second house and Jupiter aligns with Mars, pull on this sweet and sassy number for good vibrations all day long.

Now available on Etsy.

Foodie Friday Falafel

Here's a shot of my lunch today which made me think I should do a foodie Friday. Food is most definitely one of my favorite creative outlets and a source of inspiration for me on many levels. Think; travel, parties, and if you finish this last skirt you can go eat that dark chocolate covered almond that's been serenading you with it's siren's song. OK, so it won't be 1 choco almond. I should add handful or box to that last statement.

This is one of my favorite recipes and is well loved and widely requested in my little foodie community. This makes about 30 patties depending on their size which is perfect for parties but you can reduce the recipe if you're feeding a smaller crew. I think they would also freeze well if you cook them first and then do an oven reheat. I haven't tested this theory though as they always tend to get gobbled down before any freezing is required.

Falafel

• 3 cups dried chickpeas
• boiling water
• 1T lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 small onions or 1 1/2 large onions, quartered
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 1  1/2 bunches fresh parsley with large stems removed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
•  grape seed oil for frying 

• 1. Put the beans and the lemon juice in a large bowl and cover with boiling water, add a few extra inches of water as the beans will grow. Soak for 12 hours, drain and cover w/ boiling water again, soak another 12 hours.
• 2. Drain beans well and rinse. Add 1/3 of the parsley and 1 clove of garlic to a food processor. Process until well chopped and add 1/3 of each of the remaining ingredients (except oil). Pulse until minced but not pureed, scraping sides of the bowl if necessary. Repeat two more times w/ remaining 2/3rds of ingredients. 
• 3. Put the oil in a medium, deep saucepan to a depth of at least 2 inches. Turn heat to medium-high and heat oil to about 350 degrees (a pinch of batter will sizzle immediately).
• 4. Shape batter into small patties. Fry in small batches, 5-8 patties (cooking too many at a time will cause the oil to cool to quickly and result in greasier patties). Fry until nicely browned, turn and repeat on other side. Remove w/ a slotted spoon and allow to drain on paper towel. Serve as an appetizer with warm pita, olives, sweet peppers,  and cucumbers or in a salad.

These are great with a Tahini Sauce but I'm totally winging this recipe. I make it all the time and just throw things in the blender, without ever measuring, using the taste and add more technique to get it just where I want it. So here is a guess at quantities.

• 2/3 cup Tahini
• juice of one lemon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 T  tamari
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• water

Throw it all in the blender and add water to achieve the desired consistency. If you need more guidance and/or a more reliable recipe you can find loads on google.

Picnic Skirt

Pack up your blanket, fill your basket with some culinary creations and head out to that lovely spot under the under the old oak tree. It's the perfect day for a picnic!

Now available on Etsy.

"Copenhagen" Skirt

 I see this skirt as a fairly neutral piece, like a pair of faded jeans, easy to wear, easy to pair but with more flair and savoir faire. Pull this on with your with a white tee and flip flops, hop on your vintage bike and pedal off to the farmer's market for a basket full of sunshine come to life.

Now available on Etsy.

"Spoiled" Skirt

Looking for a skirt to wear on your next carousel ride or to this summer's batch of weddings? Look no further, the Spoiled skirt has you covered for all your festive summer events. Now on Etsy.

Vision Dress

Wear this dress next time you put in a call to your psychic friend to give her a bold graphic to guide her perceptions.

Now available on Etsy. 

"Flock" Skirt

Pull on this "Flock" skirt with your wide brim hat and giant shades, grab your beach bag and head out for some fun in the sun! Don't forget your sunblock:)

Now available on Etsy.