I spent all day Sunday at The Papered Parlour learning how to make my own cloak (or cape, if you prefer). I am SO in love with what I stitched together and can't wait to share it with you. I had planned on blogging about it today but another project that I've been "stitching" together needs my attention so that it too can be shared. I'm shooting for next week, in fact, I'm making a definitive claim that it will launch next week. There, I wrote it down and put it out there - now it's gotta happen!
simple pleasures
Maybe its the colder weather but I've been all about nesting lately. I recently bought some flowers to brighten up our rooms and I've realized that I'm much more of a single stem (or bunches of three) kind of gal. It's a great way to indulge in pretty petals more often :)
mo sistas unite
A silly photo? Yes.
A serious cause? Definitely.
Can you be silly and serious for a cause? Absolutely.
Today marks the beginning of Moustache Season, AKA Movember (the month formerly known as November), which aims to raise funds and awareness for men's health by growing moustaches. While I can't grow my own 'stache, I can certainly rally to support as a Mo Sista for my dear friend Brian who lost his dad to prostate cancer and for my girl Caitlin whose boyfriend is a "man behind the 'stache" at the organization.'
Read about the campaign here, spread the word, join a team, grow a moustache (if you're able), or buy these limited edition TOMS. There are plenty of ways to get involved this Mo Season.
mo sistas unite
A silly photo? Yes.
A serious cause? Definitely.
Can you be silly and serious for a cause? Absolutely.
Today marks the beginning of Moustache Season, AKA Movember (the month formerly known as November), which aims to raise funds and awareness for men's health by growing moustaches. While I can't grow my own 'stache, I can certainly rally to support as a Mo Sista for my dear friend Brian who lost his dad to prostate cancer and for my girl Caitlin whose boyfriend is a "man behind the 'stache" at the organization.'
Read about the campaign here, spread the word, join a team, grow a moustache (if you're able), or buy these limited edition TOMS. There are plenty of ways to get involved this Mo Season.
can you see me now?
My heart is still smiling from last night's FaceTime chat with my niece, Juliana. She sang me a song, told me she missed me and even called out to her uncle Joe. I literally melt every time she says "Hiii tteee-aahhh" (tia, meaning aunt in Spanish). I miss her and Isabella so much but at least I have photos and memories like this one from when I was home in July. It's so hard to be away from them but thank god for Skype and Apple FaceTime that let me stay connected - definitely helps in not getting homesick (at least not too much).
Anyone else live far from home and rely on Skype or FaceTime to connect with family or friends?
happy friday!
It's the weekend again - hooray!
I snapped a photo of this Give Box while walking around Mitte in Berlin. Just before I took it there were two people taking "gifted" goods, appearing to be shopping as you would in any store except everything there was free and came with the "take something, leave something" philosophy. It was a really special thing to come across.
Soooo....in the spirit of sharing, yesterday I posted that I'd give away a copy of the Hello Etsy Handbook from last weekend's summit. Thanks to those who commented - they were so fun to read! Unfortunately I could only select one name but am happy to say Yay, the book is yours! to Jilly! And just so you know, I literally googled "how to select a random name in excel". We like to play fair here.
Have a wonderful weekend!
This week's three rad links... • For all you typeface fanatics, a beautiful branding project for the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota via No Subject LA •When the weather gets cold, drink something HOT. Love this recipe for my fave cold-weather drink, Apple Hot Toddy via Freautcake • London Shop Tours #2 and #3 by Lotus Events for Poppytalk - I shot the photos! Take a peek here and here.
{more than knitting scarves} hello etsy, berlin
I didn't really need an excuse to visit Berlin but I decided to make one anyway by attending Hello Etsy, a summit for small business and sustainability, last weekend. It was Etsy's first go at an event like this and other than the insane lines for the elevators, the entire summit went off without a glitch. Since I used to run a shop on Etsy and am currently planning for another web store (off Etsy), it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get my creative and business ideas flowing again.
The two-day event was held at ewerk, Germany's oldest preserved power plant, built in 1885; it was so so so cool. The entire event had a very relaxed feel which was nice and extremely conducive to meeting new people from all around the world (hello to anyone who I met and is reading this now!).
Between sessions ranging from Finding Your Courage to Understanding Google Analytics and Secrets to Good PR, there were sewing stations sponsored by Marimekko, lots of drinks and snacks, and a pop-up book store with plenty of inspirational books to flip through. My favorite goodies came from Moo who gave out free customized business cards - how nice, right? The entire experience was all about exchanges - be it free products to help you get your name out or speakers sharing their stories and tricks of the trade. Everyone there had something to offer and truly believed that you can make a living working your passion and doing something creatively. Whether doing it solo or with a team - anything is possible.
I took a lot of great inspiration and practical information from the weekend and I want to share a piece of it with you by giving away a copy of the Hello Etsy Handbook given to attendees. It's filled with stories and words of wisdom from the summit's speakers to make you think of the why, who, what, and how of your business. It's reaaallyy good. If you want it, comment on this post (with whatever you want to say) and I'll pick a name at random then email the lucky reader for a shipping address. I'll take care of the postage, of course ;)
A big Thank You to Etsy, the speakers, and everyone involved in creating the event - a job well done!
hallo berlin
Berlin really captured my heart - what an incredible place full of history and relevance. I went for business but wish that I would have had more time for play and exploration.
The free time I did have was spent enjoying drinks, eating proper German food, and making our way through Mitte via rented bicycles. While we didn't go into any museums or monuments, we got a great feel for the city's center by passing by the Reichstag, Berlin Dom, and Brandenburg Gate. What I would really love to do is go back with a purely historical agenda. I saw different parts of the Berlin wall around town and we drank our morning cappuccinos next to Checkpoint Charlie but I want to explore more. Joe's uncle was stationed at Checkpoint Charlie during the Cold War and us being there, just sitting, looking at it, was absolutely crazy. Berlin has so many stories to tell and I want to hear them all.
Oh, and their taxis are super comfy Mercedes.
For more photos, click here.
back from berlin
Hi Everyone! I'm back in London and well, kind of back to the blog. Between day-long seminars at Hello Etsy, late night dining and drinking, and cycling through the city, Berlin really kicked my butt! In the best of ways, of course.
I've got a ton of work to get to as well as prep for our first house guest who arrives tomorrow. Sooooo...photos and more from Berlin will be up this week. If you just can't wait to hear all about the Hello Etsy Summit, check out this great write up by Travelettes.
Hasta mañana!
happy friday!
To Berlin, that is! Has anyone been there? Got any good tips, must see/eat/do spots? First timer here so any suggestions will be much appreciated!
I've already earmarked the Arkonaplatz flea market - it might be the only one I'll be able to fit in between Hello Etsy sessions but when there's a will there's a way ;)
Here's to having an adventure this weekend - near, far, wherever you are. Have a great one!
This week's three rad links... • Easy breezy DIY calling cards via Pugly Pixel (it's an old post but I finally got around to making these!) • Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Hysterical new album preview via my fave LA radio station KCRW. • Awesome crumble city maps that are shove in the bottom of your purse-friendly via I ART U. I'll take one of each.
getting back to business
Before moving to London I was working at a 9-5 job with my own desk and set of projects. I loved the work I did in marketing and event coordination but I would often day-dream about stepping away from the office world and doing my own thing.
I had a version of my own thing going for some time with my fashion accessories line, Anamu, which is how this blog originally came to be. I attempted to turn a sewing hobby into a part-time cottage industry. I hand cut and sewed each one-of-a-kind clutch purse in the evenings and weekends, sold them on Etsy and hawked them at local craft shows. When the time came to think about scalability, making new designs, and hiring other people to sew for me, I realized that the accessories production world wasn't what I was looking for.
A lot of money, time, and energy went into Anamu but it wasn't a loss. On the contrary, I gained a lot by learning how to start a small business and simply put, just going for it. I had an idea and I tried it. It didn't stick so I'm on to the next.
Now in London, I'm fortunate that I get to explore what that next thing is. Graphic design, photography, a new web shop venture...there are some exciting things brewing here. To help keep the creative juices flowing and learn from the experts, I'll be attending Hello Etsy, a summit for small businesses, this weekend. Since it's in Berlin and it'll be our first time there, we decided to make a mini-holiday out of it (yay!). I can't wait to be inspired by a new city, new people, and fresh ideas. It feels good to get back to business.
happy friday!
This week was full of little yet amazing (to me) accomplishments but nothing took the cake like making my first batch of cupcakes from scratch. I've been a store-bought cake mix kind of girl my whole life and frankly, baking terrified me to no end.
As you can tell from the photo, I made a mess by using more bowls than I ever really needed. I even thought that "self raising flour" was a substitute for baking powder! Whoops. Joe, of course, had a good laugh but he eventually came to my rescue by acting as my human mixer. The results were de.li.cious!
Here's to trying new things this weekend! Have a good one!
This week's three rad links: • Andrea of Lotus Events asked me to shoot photos for her London Shop Tour posts on Poppytalk. Check out the first one in the series here. Thanks, Andrea! • Yummy zucchini fritters by Smitten Kitchen • Home-made shower scrub via Mrs. Lilien