hard at work

I have been sewing up a storm for my little scarf line Notaire, and have been spending a lot of alone time in my sewing room.

yesterday my sweet husband sat and read to me from my new book The Dirty Life

this is one of life's simple little pleasures that i often forget about.

being read to takes me back to my childhood, when my father would tuck my sister and i in at night and read to us until he inevitably fell asleep with my little sister and I crashed on either shoulder.

this is a free activity, and one that i cherish.

if you need a great book to read aloud i recommend this one, 

The DIrty Life - on life, farming, food and love

This book focuses on the simple pleasures in life that we have all but forgotten. 

enjoy!

Notaire Scarves-Update

i am so pleased to tell you that these pretties will be available in store at Una - 2802 se ankeny portland oregon 97214 #503.235.2326

or online at http://shop-summerland.com/

both of these gorgeous shops carry some of my favorite lines of all time. and I am so very pleased to count my scarves among their gorgeous merchandise. 

I will be making limited quantities of each pattern so please act fast. i wouldn't want your favorite to sell out and leave you dissapointed!

xx

s

 

a new venture

i have been inspired to start a small new venture.

while fall is creeping up on us, I can already feel the difference in the air and the change in the light.

in preparation of cold days ahead i bought some absolutely delicious fabric from which to make a scarf.

the scarf itself turned out beautifully and I haven't been able to leave the house without it.

this scarf has also been garnering a lot of attention on photoshoots from other stylists, assistants, producers and makeup artists.

So much attention in fact that I have decided to make a small line of these exquisite scarves to be sold at a few choice boutiques.

If you are interested in one of your own please leave a comment and I will get back to you asap.

details:

fabric-cashmere cotton(softest flannel on earth)

colors-a variety of muted tones; ciment, granite, peche, pinot, fleur de sel, autumn.

size-two yards long, by 1/2 yard wide(large enough to double as a blanket on your next flight)
there will also be an xl size that is twice the width of the original, and two yards long. 
extra plush!

wish me luck!

xx

s

perfection

have i told you I have chickens? 

in the past four months we have adopted 10 chickens, most of them tiny bantams and therefor unsexed. 

we have ended up with 7 roosters and three hens.

since we are unable to keep roosters in the city we have donated them to some very sweet farms where they will be loved and taken care of.

our three girls are named Maude, Winnie and Tilly.

Maude is the first to start laying, and each day produces one perfect white egg.

there is nothing more delicious than a farm fresh egg.

three eggs-$0 

a beautiful bundle

this pretty little bundle is the result of an hour spend aimlessly wandering around the Mill End fabric store.

unfortunately for me this fabric superstore is located a mere 10 minute drive from my house, and carries some of the most exquisite fabric I have ever seen.

each time I enter the store I tell myself that I should be happy just to look, touch and smell all of these gorgeous textiles...and every time I leave with a hefty little bundle of beauty.

on this particular trip i was in search of wool to make a heavy winter scarf. 

but the sweet little old lady working in the wool department informed me that if i was able to wait until October all of the wools would be discounted 25%. 

So, I bought;

2 yards flannel plaid-$14

12 yards seembinding tape- $4

1 yard discontinued linen upholstery fabric-$4.50

so if you can wait, go into Mill End Store in October for some great deals on all of their gorgeous wools!

for my beau

these incredible oiled leather boots are from a recent buying trip.

i couldn't help myself when they were 65%off and my darling husband is in desperate need of some new duds.

i often do a bad job of resisting things for P 

this is one such example

simple pleasures

there is nothing more nostalgic or comforting than a batch of cookies from my mommas oven.

on her way out of town my mom dropped off a bag of her infamous cookie dough, a container of soup, and a loaf of bread.

how did she know that I was going to wake up the next morning sick as a dog and craving all three? 

the cup of coffee in my new favorite mug was the perfect touch.

cookies and pie server~ gifted

old diner mug~ $2.99 (G.W.)

out of the house dress

i have an unrequited love with the label Chloe, and this dress seemed like it could have been the inspiration for then designer Melim Anderson's fall 2008 show.

the thin whispy fabric, the dusty grey/purple and gold buttons, the long billowy sleeves and the perfect little collar. 

all of these details are what attracted me to this pretty frock.

shoes, not so cheap...but a find on Zappos for a recent styling job. I fell in love with them and ended up wearing them to set everyday. oops! 

dress~ $6.99 (value village)

shoes~$120.00 (zappos) 

chloe fall 2008

frenchie chic

this beautiful washed silk dress is so buttery soft, with a dainty tulip skirt, a self belt and a silk lining.

the sleeves are a nice length and hit right at the wrist, but I always feel a bit too stuffy wearing dresses with long sleeves and will inevitably end up messily rolling them up.

the shoes....

i stalked these pretty tri-toned chie mihara's at nordstrom rack until they went on clearance.

while they aren't technically my size (they are an 81/2 and i'm a pretty true 9) they are far to pretty not to worn about. 

the shoes give this very demure dress just the bit of oomph it needed.

dress~ $12.00

shoes~ $50.00

blue bells

this pretty blue floral dress fell off the hanger and onto my feet. 

i mean, practically begging me to take it home...

i slipped a simple black slip under it, and tied a dusty grey/blue silk ribbon round the waist to give it some shape. 

the shoes are from a goodwill boutique and are just over 4" tall, which makes me just over 6' tall...

totally worth the gargantuan height and towering over my sweet husband. 

dress~ $8.99

slip~ $12.00

shoes~ 19.99

first things first

summer is almost here in Oregon and it leaves me craving all things light, flowey and airy.

this dress was snatched from the goodwill as soon as I glimpsed the beautiful striped silk fabric.

Originally the hem was much longer, but I cut it right above the knee and hand-sewed a new hem into it to give it that soft, rumpled look.
the buttons were made of blue shell and I replaced them immediatly.
the sleeves are batwing, and were at an awkward length so I cuffed them and moved the buttons to the other side.
lastly, the pockets had button closures that hung too flat so I sewed in a bit of elastic to give them a soft pouchy look.

The shoes are from goodwill as well and

 are made of a beautiful brown linen with a chunky wooden sole. 
I'm not too sure what era they would have been from. any ideas? 
dress~ $8.99
shoes~ 4.99
ribbon~$.25