In The Studio

This week in the studio I'm getting business savvy! I've had my nose buried in business books, mapping out a business plan and finalizing some patterns. With Spring right outside my door, I wanted to bring a little bit of nature inside my studio.

Meet The Sponsors - April

It's time for me to thank my monthly sponsors for all the support they've given this month! Each one has a beautiful heart and incredible artistic talent as well, please take a moment to learn more about them and visit them at the links below:

The Veda House:

Hi! I'm Cassie and run a little blog called The Veda House. I've joined in on blogging just a couple months ago to document all the little adventures I get myself into. I'm a vintage lover, weekend thrifter, DIY do-er, and a sweet treat lover. I'm a digital art director at an advertising agency by day and blogger/freelance designer by night. Just living the creative life and loving it! See more of Cassie and The Veda House here: Twitter | Pinterest | Bloglovin'

Harvest Beads:
Hi There! I'm Breezy Riggs from Harvest Beads. I spend my days with my beautiful family, dreaming up glass beads, making jewelry , taking pictures and enjoying all things pretty. Each bead is individually handmade in my Portland, OR studio using an array of American, German and Italian glasses. I began lampworking in 2004 and I've loved every moment of it...every where I look, I see bead inspiration! See more of Breezy and Harvest Beads here: Shop | Blog

This Much:
This Much is an outlet for my charming creativity and naturally hilarious wit. Check out my etsy shop for unique and original artwork. Also check out my blog which is inspired by the stories and advice I give to my little sister and husband. I live in Portland, OR, and am currently teaching myself Photoshop.
See more of Abby and This Much here: Etsy | Twitter | Tumblr

Evol Twin:
Hello! I'm Loric Riggs, owner of EvolTwin Printing. We're a full service custom screen printing company that specializes in hand screen printing apparel. I founded EvolTwin Printing in the basement of my NE Portland home in 2004 because I love to print! In 2007 we were able to move EvolTwin Printing out of the house and move into our current location on N. Williams where we continue to explore new processes and innovations in screen printing. In 2010, we launched our retail line available on etsy or in our brick and mortar shop, come by and say hi! See more of Loric and EvolTwin Printing here: Blog | Website | Shop
Tea + Luv:
I am Leigh (pronounced LEE); I am a writer, jewelry maker, blogger (teaandluv.wordpress.com), personal and legal assistant and student (again). I am just your run of the mill blue-eyed Southern girl. I enjoy indie, folk and bluegrass music, NYLON and taking a road trip every now and then. I have an admiration for old printed books, college basketball and beads and thread. My niche in the blog world was started for many reasons: I wanted to use it as a space for self-growth and discovery. I have a touch of Southern Hospitality, and my Southern roots influence my jewelry making. I hope you find the time to swing by to my side of the blog.
See more of Leigh and Tea + Love here: Blog | Etsy

Miss Indie:
About Miss Indie - Hello there! My name is Mandy Ferrugia and I'm a 22 year old craft-obsessed blogger who loves thrifting, sweet tea, vintage cameras, and pirates. Miss Indie is my place to share inspiration, ideas, current projects, my goals and dreams, peeks from my daily life, and things I love. XO. See more of Amanda and Miss Indie here: Blog | Twitter | Flickr

On Pointe

Over the weekend, my family was in town and we went to see a production of Song And Dance at the Oregon Ballet Theater. It made me miss the days of own dance classes and recitals so much that I rummaged through my old dance bag and decided to wear my leotard once again. I remember in high school how I loved leaving my dance classes in my leotards with a skirt or pair of pants thrown on top. This time, I'm wearing it in a more structured way, but I still love the look.
What I Wore:
Sunglasses: D+G 2011 Collection. Leotard: Danskin. Jeans: Blank Denim. Booties: Kelsie Dagger Wedge Booties. Purse: Vintage Envelope Clutch, borrowed from the Seablanket Etsy Shoppe.

Showstopper : Ballet Inspired Hair Tutorials

I went to the ballet this weekend and was inspired by the gorgeous dancers. I loved the simple beauty of their pulled back hair and wanted to try my own variations. Below are four chic updo's and instructions on how to do them yourself. Not only are they great for Spring but also the perfect dirty-hair day hairdo's.
Look 1 -
This look is achieved by creating an exaggerated side part and twisting the hair around the front of your head and pinning right behind your ears, almost like a headband. Pull all remaining hair back into a low ponytail and twist up into a bun. Secure with bobby pins
Look 2 -
The second look is created the same way as look 1, but instead of a tight bun, backcomb your ponytail and loosely pin up hair into a messy bun.
Look 3 -
Achieve this look by wetting hair and pulling back into a high ponytail. Twist ponytail into a firm bun and pin into place. Add a touch of whimsy by letting your fly-aways fall naturally.
Look 4 -
Once look 3 has dried, unpin your high bun and use fingers to separate the spiral ponytail curl to add bounce.

Inspired By...

Leigh Lezark for Zac Posen 2011 Fall Preview lookbook. I die, what a stunning pair. FOUND

Etsy Shoppe Update : NEW VINTAGE!

The shoppe has pretty vintage things in it this morning... check them out here! While you're there, check out my sponsorship information... Ad spaces for May are still available ♥

Distressed Denim Vest DIY

I love the authenticity of vintage denim. The wear and tear over the years gives the denim a sort of personality. With summer around the corner and denim on everyone's mind, this is a great piece to own and an easy DIY.To start, you'll need scissors, sandpaper and an old denim jacket, easily found at any thrift store. Begin by cutting the sleeves off of your jacket as close to the shoulder seams as possible. Next, fray sleeve openings using bare edge of your scissors or sandpaper. Add additional wear to seams, pockets, collar and any other edges you'd like by using a coarse sandpaper. (Additional wear can be achieved by using small, controlled bleaching, which I opted not to do.) This is a great DIY for guys too!

Day + Night

As I previously mentioned, this week in the studio I'm focusing on accessories. I thought it'd be a great time to show how adding accessories to a simple outfit can transform a look. Below you'll see the before and after, and how a little can go a long way.
Outfit 1 - Without Accessories
Pants: Levi's 531 Black Jeans. Shirt: GAP tee, with gold metalized mermaid shoulders. Leather Jacket: Steve Madden, circa 2007. Booties: MIA charcoal suede booties with gold grommets.

Outfit 2 - With Accessories
Vest: Distressed Denim Vest (learn how-to tomorrow)! Hat: Wool Hat from Urban Outfitters. Purse: Marc by Marc Jacobs Bag. Jewelry: Erica Weiner ring, vintage rosary beads, key necklace (gift), gold watch from Target, vintage white and brass bangle, floral brass cuff from Anthropologie.
Accessories are a great way to add set your look apart from the crowd. What accessories do you use to stand out?

Sponsor Seablanket : Spaces Now Available

It's that time again... Ad Spaces // Sponsorship Spaces are now available! Each month, I open my side bar to a variety of shops, crafters, bloggers, artists and musicians. If you'd like to gain a larger following and raise sales, Seablanket can help! Click Here!What you'll get with your purchase:
-160 x 160 pix Ad Space on the sidebar of Seablanket.com for the entire month of May
-A detailed "about you" in a large monthly Meet The Sponsors highlight post, with photo of you or your shop and links to 3 of your online presences (twitter, facebook, tumblr, blog, flicker, etsy, etc.)

{Seablanket is a handmade blog featuring weekly unique style posts, free DIY tutorials, fashion tips, playlists and handmade studio updates. If you're interested in becoming part of the handmade community, Seablanket can provide you with great exposure! If you're interested in more details, please email me at chelseablanket @ gmail . com }

In The Studio

This week in the studio I'm focusing on accessories. When I went to the fabric store, I had intended to leave with floral prints. Instead I left with faux leather... I guess old habits die hard.

California Dreamin' : An Outfit Post

Rain, rain GO AWAY! It's the middle of April, and I know I live in Oregon but gosh, I could really use a break from the rain. I need to visit California ASAP and get feel the warmth of the sun on my skin. Oh! how good that will feel!

This week has been zipping by and I've made some fun progress. I've begun construction on my first two pieces for the Seablanket Collection. I'm already thrilled with the fabrics I've selected and how smooth and successful my patterns have turned out. Putting myself to work everyday when working independently has been a challenge but i've gotten the work bug, and am enjoying every day I accomplish something. For now, I'll keep dreaming of my light at the end of the tunnel (aka June).... Disneyland!
What I Wore:
Sweatshirt: Vintage, personally reconstructed. Shorts: ModCloth. Tights: Betsey Johnson. Saddle Shoes: I've had these since Sophomore year, when I was cast in a production of Little Shop of Horrors. *Photos courtesy of P H Fitzgerald

In Other Words : An Outfit Post

"Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back. That’s part of what it means to be alive. But inside our heads - at least that’s where I imagine it - there’s a little room where we store those memories. A room like the stacks in this library. And to understand the workings of our own heart we have to keep on making new reference cards. We have to dust things off every once in awhile, let in fresh air, change the water in the flower vases. In other words, you’ll live forever in your own private library." - Haruki Murakami

I'm always excited to see different areas of my own city. I recently discovered a handful of beautiful parks where one can look over the entire city, and I have been going to them quite often to sit and be inspired. With all the changes in my life lately, it's so important to me to keep things in perspective and this is just the right way. One of my favorite locations is Mt. Tabor, where my friend Parker and I went to take these pictures, in fact the above image is a Polaroid he took from the day.
What I wore:
Sweater and Dress: on loan from my roommates! Denim Vest: Revamped by myself, was a jean jacket and I cut the sleeves off. Sunglasses: Vintage turtle-shell cat eyed frames from the 1940's. Purse: Vintage burgundy in a faux skin patterned leather. Belt: my mothers, passed down to me - I treasure it. Tights: Kensie. Boots: Mattise Pirate Boots.

I hope to be hosting a blog meetup/tweetup in the next month or so to meet all the local West Coast bloggers and tweet friends, so some of you can get the opportunity to enjoy Portland in it's fullest!