Briefcase in Mushroom

This bag is a good representation of my life. Simple, functional, and in style all season long. Wink!

I really love this color. It's a warm earthy gray and so so wonderfully soft. It's squishy and distressed and can be worn all year round.

Here's the kicker: I only had enough leather for TWO Briefcases.

You can "share" this with your man, too, if that helps justify the purchase. By share, I mean you can tell him, "Hey babe, I got a bag for us to share" and he'll say, "I don't wear murses" and you can keep it for yourself, but know that he can also wear it when you're wearing your brand new Clutch from my shop.

Brand new Clutch, I said?

Why yes, I'm in the final stages of sketching the details and assessing the dimensions. More updates on Monday!

You can get your Briefcase in Mushroom in the shop now!

Holla

I took these photos last night. I really love how the little bit of light reflects off the gold letters. And the orange on the afghan looks neon. Crazy, huh?

Oh, did you notice? I bought this really "holla" sign from Oh Dier. It's super awesome and The Boy loved it placed under our cardboard Bucky. I'm sure many other cool things will soon be mounted on our really empty wall, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying it as minimal as it is. Who knows, maybe it'll stay this way?

Cherry Blossoms

I'm really excited for spring in Pittsburgh! And a wardrobe upgrade! :)

In general, I'm excited to live in a place with four distinct seasons. Winter was a bit of a shock for this Texas girl, but I got through it and actually enjoyed having some snow in March. Now that it's spring, cherry blossoms are blooming, trees are getting their leaves back and the temperature is rising. It was 78F today and sunny today. Reminded me of Texas. :)

The Boy and I are having a small backyard wedding with our family this fall (our favorite season) in October.  I can't wait to see all the pretty colors! But first things first. Definitely lovin' the spring thus far.

The photo above is the cherry blossom tree in The Boy's parents' yard. I took it with my phone, but I'll be returning with my nice camera to get some better pictures of Pittsburgh in the spring. :)

Air Plants

Air plants, air plants, air plants. Everywhere. I finally gave in and got some from toHOLD.

Assembling these little terrariums brought me back to my diorama days in elementary school.  Except my mom wouldn't throw away these pretties because they would match her home decor.

I thoroughly enjoyed staging these air plants in a beachy scene to be hung under the future shelf I will have hanging in front of my sewing machine table. Now I need to find a cool shelf... and then things to place on top of the shelf. :)

How to make these?

Ingredients
6 airplants from toHOLD
6 whirly hanging candle holders from CB2
Crushed sea shells, sand or gravel
Pretty embellishments (I used sea shells)

Assemble and tie a jute string on top and hang near a big window with lots of filtered light!



These cute little fish bowl terrariums make great desk accessories if you want all the materials in one package.

Ain't She a Beaut?

I'm not sure if I absolutely adore this color because the love of my life handed me a small box in a this color and asked me to marry him, or it's just a gorgeous color. What do you think?

The Mini Ruche in Blue Turquoise is now available in the shop, and of course available in limited quantities as most of my leathers are. :) The bag listed above was made with a zippered top because of a special request. I'm offering it as an upgrade now, so if you want to keep your valuables safe from baby turning your bag over in the car or sneaky hands on the subway, the option is available just for you!

Also, I MUST share that the wonderful customer who purchased the bag photographed above also bought matching rubber boots! I so want these.  But I'm saving all this leather for customers and for the upcoming show if I still have some left.

See how selfless I am?



On another note, we're four weeks from Renegade Austin, and I'm wondering whether I need to close the shop for the last two weeks before to prepare, or just extend my turnaround time, or just work super-overtime. I'll may just wait it out and see how it goes.

If you love me lots, you'll place your orders within the next two weeks and not the two weeks before Renegade so I can have your item made in time to ship to you before I leave. Pretty please!

Kickstarter

SketchChair

I think I found my latest shopping addiction. And I get to help fund really cool projects that need a bit of a kick start.

I was reading Top 10 Design-Related Tech Innovations on Design*Sponge and quickly became addicted to searching Kickstarter for more projects to back. Is it strange that I see this as little infomercials with opportunities to buy products when they first hit the market?

Since I'm a sucker for designer chairs (and when I get my own house, I will own-a-plenty!), I backed this project called SketchChair - an open source software that allows you to design, test and get your own chair milled and shipped to you. Not because it's an awesome software idea, but I really like that users can modify others' designs and cool collaborations are bound to happen. Plus, the GUI looks awesome. And super simple.

...And I really wanted a miniature model of one of these chairs.  I mean, it's way too cute, right?

When I said I was a sucker for designer chairs, I should have clarified that I'm a sucker for 1/6th scale designer chairs. :)

Other really cool projects from the D*S post?

The Flow - A Paintbrush for Touch Screens
This would have been a great tool during my college years when I was running a graphic design business. Now I would just use this to make cool "paintings" without having to gesso a canvas when I don't feel like working on a painting anymore.

The Cosmonaut - A Wide-Grip Stylus for Touch Screens
Yet another awesome innovation for tablets. Mimics the look and feel of a dry erase marker. Talk about feeling cool during brainstorming sessions, eh?


I wish Kickstarter was available when I was in college. It would have been the perfect tool and outlet to offer my students in both of the engineering senior elective classes I co-developed with a good friend and lecturer at UT and taught in my senior year: Social Entrepreneurship & Engineering and Art & Engineering. We developed these classes so that my engineering peers could broaden their scope on what non-traditional areas an engineering degree could apply. Obviously, I did this for very personal reasons as well since at the time I was contemplating not taking one of three typical routes upon graduation (bme corporation, grad school, or medical school) and needed an outlet for exploring other options. I knew there would be others who were in the same boat.


What are some Kickstarter projects you would/have back(ed)? Or maybe want to start?

Headboard Alternative

Are you renting your place? Does it make you NOT want to buy big bulky furniture because you know eventually you'll have to move it to the next rental?

I avoid buying things that I can't break down into boxes again because I don't want to have to move it again. Or will have to hire people to move it. I feel like a college student, moving from apartment to apartment every year. I'm hoping that we stay put in this apartment for at least a few lease terms for a few reasons:

1. Pet deposits are expensive.
2. My business has a lot of stuff. Heavy stuff.
3. I can't buy big awesome furniture!

Ideally, I'd love to be in a permanent residence, but that may be a few years down the road.  In the meantime, I will continue to find alternatives to making "home" with what I can.

Step 1: Bed needs a headboard...

...to say the least.

It's a box spring with a mattress on top. I bought a new duvet cover that is really neutral (white with light brown foliage print) and created the illusion of a footboard by placing a dark mocha throw at the foot of the bed. Now to create the illusion of a headboard.

I thought about a few alternatives: painting on the wall, using an old door, buying an actual headboard...

Since we have no art in the apartment (mentioned yesterday), I figured I would start with that. Three paintings above the bed to add some color, art, and a "headboard". Three birds with one stone!

My initial thought was to pull the colors from the duvet cover, but that was immediately vetoed by The Boy. He suggested COLOR, preferably in the blue-green spectrum with a beachy feel.  I took out the ole Pantone Color Guide and I found it (see above).

Next.

Step 2: Side tables
Step 3: Lamps

One step at a time...

Now to start painting! After I finish orders...

Needed: Color

My brother calls my design aesthetic "sterile". I gravitate towards making everything white (with metal or wood as the added "color") because I'm a bit scared to commit to a particular color -- what if I change my mind and don't like it? I'll have to go through the trouble of changing it...

Solution: Use all the colors. :)

Note: The only reason our living room walls were red and squash was because the apartment came with an accent wall. If they were white, I may have been lost as to how to decorate them.

So far the only success I've found is a vintage throw for the couch.  I'll pull some of the colors from this piece to paint those blank canvases that have been sitting in the corner of my room. We have zero art hanging on the wall, so that will be a good place to start, huh?



I also got one of these vintage Coca Cola crates to store some of the stuff on my desk.

I'm addicted to organization solutions now.

Must. Find. More.



Hubert's profile. So cute!

Behind the Scenes

I often show you "finished" pictures where I've placed a completed (or nearly completed) bag on my sewing table that has been wiped clean for a photo shoot. So clean and minimal - as though I work in that state. I wish I did, my friends. I wish I did.

During work hours, my studio (our living room) is a wreck. Scraps, bag straps, half-finished bags, fabric lining and hardware scatter amongst work tables, the dinner table and the coffee table. By the time 5 pm rolls around, I start cleaning up so that The Boy comes home to a neat and manicured loft with me at the stove cooking dinner.  All I need is a cute dress with pumps and an apron and it's the dream life, right?

Lately, he has been seeing the true side of my work because I'm preparing for Renegade Austin as I fill orders. Oh boy. Dinners are starting later, his reading chair has turned into a table for me to store boxes with finished bags waiting for a shipping label, and leather confetti (the result of punching holes to install hardware) can be found everywhere.

Here's a little peek of the mess that happens before the clean-up.




I use this IKEA cutting board for hammering holes to install hardware for straps, handles and snaps. The one on the left is after 6 months of use. It has holes, bits of leather and fabric stuck on it (that's what those little specks are), and is also warped.  I just bought a new one today (right). What a difference, right?



Leather trimmings, leather confetti and leather logo tags (not yet trimmed) to be sewn in the lining. In the background, a rubber mallet. My favorite tool in the studio. Well, maybe second to my sewing machine(s). :)

Bags bags bags

I grocery shop a lot. It's an addiction. I think I picked it up to replace my original clothing and shoe shopping addiction, so then I had to figure out creative ways to use all the groceries. Thus, I cook a lot.

Seriously. When The Boy's brother and him get together, they play tennis and video games. While our guys do this, Aparna and I go to the grocery store together and brainstorm cool recipes. Weird?

For grocery shopping, I use BAGGU bags. One bag is like three regular grocery bags, so carrying groceries back to the apartment isn't a huge pain. And I'm saving the environment. And I get a discount for bringing in my own bags. :)

Well, I started looking for more ways to save on plastic, and I found reusable produce bags. I'm not sure why I never discovered this before, or why I never bothered to just make some because, I mean, I make bags and all.

So I thought about making some produce bags. But then I started browsing Etsy and I found a shop that makes them better than I would, Love for Earth. So a bought a large set. I got the green ones, which look a lot like the produce bags at my grocery store.

Now I feel really environmentally awesome.

Speaking of bags, I'm working on a big batch of Minis -- a few are orders and the rest for new items in the shop. Blue Turquoise, Two-Tone Red and Treetop Green.

Like the new Blue Turquoise? One has already sold but there are 3 more left that are half-made, so they'll ship out quicker if you want one (just message me on Etsy for a listing). Otherwise, I'll have a listing with a photograph posted in a week or so.

Oh, and those green ones are the last and only three Mini Ruches in Treetop Green that will be available (the color is discontinued, sadly). But you can get one if you message me! :)

Baked Fries

I love fries, but I've cut back on fried food. Thus, we bake!

Thinly cut. Simply seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and steak seasoning (fine, it wasn't that simple). Spread out on a baking sheet and baked at 350 for 40 minutes, then broiled for 3 min.

Dipping sauce (created by The Boy): Simply Heinz Ketchup + Bullseye BBQ sauce + Sriracha

Yum!

Peace, Love & Little Donuts

This afternoon, The Boy and I decided to try out this cute little donut place, Peace, Love and Little Donuts, across the street from our place. I see people lined up outside the door every weekend and it was about time we checked it out on the way back from produce shopping.




These little donuts are heavenly little parties in your mouth. Light, fluffy and topped with not-overly-sweet toppings. And $5 to walk across the street for six little delights? Perfection.

We may have found our new Hey Cupcake (the cupcake place in Austin, TX we'd visit monthly...or weekly), except with donuts. And a short walk rather than a long drive.



This is the Strawberry Cheesecake.

'Nuff said.

More Pasta? Seriously?

Okay, fine. I'm on this pasta-craze because at the end of the day, I run out of time to cook something else more creative... :(

I used a jarred pasta sauce for this. Of course, I didn't leave it all naked and untouched. Would. I. Ever.

I oiled the bottom of a pan, dropped in some cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Cumin adds earthiness, fennel adds a bright punch reminiscent of sausage without having to use sausage in the dish. The seeds add a nice crunch. Let them crackle and pop, then sweat onion and garlic in the oil. I then added chicken, but this can be eliminated or interchanged with another meat. Cook through, then add the contents of the pasta sauce jar and let it simmer.

I added a teaspoon of red chili sauce -- I can't live without spice. As you can tell. :) A splash of soy sauce adds sweetness and a rich saltiness. Yummmmm.

Throw in the pasta and toss.

That was last night's dinner.

Today for lunch I packed The Boy pasta with all the chicken pieces and left myself with a meatless pasta. So, I added a fried egg and called it lunch.

Recent Book Purchases

Oh, hello there.

I've been busy making bags (which explains my absence). In between orders, I ordered two books to enhance the other areas in my life that I want to improve: broadening my knowledge of food flavors, and furthering my crush on Tina Fey.

 The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit

[via Eat Drink Chic]

Bossypants by Tina Fey

[via Cup of Jo]

Have/Will you read these?

Oatmeal [Chocolate-Covered] Raisin Cookies

Have you ever bought 36 packs of Raisinets because Amazon was having one of those one-day chocolate sales that happen every Friday?

Well. This is what happened here. I caved into buying one of my favorite chocolate treats. Too many of them. And it turns out that The Boy doesn't like raisins. NOT EVEN if they are covered in chocolate! This must change.

So, how do you get your fiance to eat chocolate covered raisins? Bake 'em into cookies. The raisins.



I used the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe from Smitten Kitchen and I accidentally added baking powder (not sure why, I always bake with it and it was just a habit) and totally didn't obey the note to chill the dough before baking and they didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted them to, so I won't post the details of what I did so you won't copy me. Instead, follow the Smitten Kitchen recipe and replace the raisins for chocolate covered raisins. I think you should be good.



They still look good, and taste good. The texture and thickness just isn't quite right.

Okay, so this is me procrastinating work. I'm getting back to sewing now. :)

It's Spring! But Not.

Traveler in Sailor Stripes

It's spring, ya'll! Except we had snow showers this morning in Pittsburgh.

It was like Earth saying, "Happy Spring, Jenny! ... April Fools!"

I'll be working all weekend, my friends. I've got 16 13 bags to finish for Monday's shipment.

Happy Friday! :)