designer of the month :: Sarah Seven

Who :: Sarah Seven

From :: Portland, Oregon

Why I love :: My husband and I have recently decided to really, really take the plunge and move to Los Angeles! I am excited for about a hundred reasons, but I will miss Oregon. I'm highlighting Sarah Seven, not only because of her up-and-coming status, or amazing designs, but also because she is local! Elizabeth Dye is also from Portland, and I have a few more local designers up my sleeve for September and October (at least) until I am a true Californian.

Besides the fact that I love the true talent coming out of Portland, I love the whimsy of all of her pieces. That pretty much sums it up. I am a sucker for whimsy, and that is that. Just look at the picture and you will understand :]

Also... [I will go to the grave that I found her first, but...] Lucky. magazine featured Sarah Seven this month in their September issue. There is a new ebay, Etsy, et all blogger at Lucky via Lucky Right Now. And apparently, she has good taste.

Favorite piece of the moment ::

{ Robins Egg of Sarah Sevens Spring 2009 collection. Seen here at Sarah Seven's website }

Hot little number of blue pleated silk with detailed bodice and a triple layered skirt topped off with a (precious) gold ribbon belt.

Where to go (clickable) :: Sarah Seven website, Sarah Seven's blog, or her Etsy shop

because I like to be random: was that your limb?

This is a real post from craigslist.

I found it in "best-of-craigslist" a week or two ago when I should have been paying better attention in Finance class. It literally took all that I had in me not to laugh to myself like a crazy person in the middle of a silent classroom.

Have you ever wasted some time checking out best-of-craigslist? It has become a guilty pleasure of mine when I need a good laugh and my husband isn't close at hand. Because he is always good at that :]

This one is killer. Read it.


Was that your limb? - w4m
Date: 2009-06-25, 2:18AM EDT

I was running to catch the 9 train, early in the morning tuesday. Apparently I wasn't the only one: I saw you down the subway stop ahead of me. You were sprinting, and collided with a support column. Your prosthetic arm flew off, and you kept running.

You made the train, and I did not. All that was left was your lovely arm, glistening from the summer humidity. It smelled of pine and saddleneck oil.

I have it now, in my living room. It's sitting in a hallway basket, with some umbrellas and a digeridoo. Contact me: I'd like to meet the rest of you.
-Susan

mr. & mrs. wilson

The photos I have been waiting for!

{ photo by Jared Birt as seen on his blog }

Seriously, how did I find such beautiful friends? View the rest of the pictures here. I will definitely post again about the details of this wedding. Absolutely amazing. But I was too excited to not throw in a little teaser, first :]

Did I mention that I was invited to nine weddings this summer? Sadly, I couldn't/can't attend all of them. I still enjoy drooling over the pictures though. I am already anxious for the pictures from last Sunday's nuptials (ben & julia).

This Saturday will be the wedding season finale. Cristine, I can't wait!

plate decor

So I finally acted upon my plates-as-wall-art musings as seen in because good things come in threes...

I originally had a bigger plan with more shelves, frames, and tchotchkes. But I decided that I would never really hang it up if I got overly ambitious. Plus, the shelf hanging turned out to be an über pain. That said, I will most likely build upon this, but I am happy enough with it for now... minus my crooked shelf. Ignore that :]


Materials:
- plates from Anthropologie
- plate hanging brackets (I felt like a grandma buying these) from Fred Meyer for 5 1/2 - 7 inch plates
- sign made by my friend Maggie (one of my favorite bridal shower gifts)
- ledge shelf from Bed Bath & Beyond by nexxt (part of a 4 piece set)
- candle in tin from Old Navy - Fresh Greens scent, which actually doesn't even smell that great, but it was on clearance for 47¢ and I bought it for the color
- lucite magnetic frame that was previously occupied by an ugly award (wonderfully displayed in a drawer)
- our vintage Wilton cake topper that I found on eBay for $8
- vintage aqua glass Ball canning jar with a wire lid that I snagged at an estate sale for a buck. Score.

I like that our living room now has a focal point. I also am finally happy with the furniture arrangement. I did some scooting around the other day, and it makes much more sense now. But the living room was far from clean enough to take a picture of and post. Maybe another day!

I still want to try hanging plates in an empty frame, too. Hopefully soon, now that my free time isn't dedicated to homework.

You know.

Since I'm a graduate and all. :]

say this in French: "Fin."

Yay for me! I am officially a college graduate!

Dancing down the aisle

Have you seen this?



Watch it. It will make you happy.

My husband is going to be jealous that we didn't think of this first!

Jared Birt

I have been religiously checking Jared Birt's blog, anxiously awaiting my great friend and old roommate Casey's wedding pictures. She was married July 24, and I am incredibly anxious to see them! Their wedding was gorgeous. But I am shutting myself up now. Another day. Another post.

No Casey pictures yet. But these are quite drool-worthy anyhow.

{ photography by Jared Birt }

My absolute favorite is the last photo. I love the colors, the layering, and the fact that everyone's emotion and expression are all captured in one frame.

I am even MORE excited now for Casey and Jake's wedding photos now!

And one more...

{ photography by Jared Birt }

This photo just happens to be of another friend/old roommate's sister! I really love the lighting. Absolutely ethereal. Doesn't hurt that Selena is gorgeous, either!

sewing adventures continued...

This is the bridal shower gift that I was ever-so-discreetly dancing around talking about in sewing adventures. I am so excited to finally post a picture of it! I had a lot of fun making it.

{ my beautiful friend Cristine }

This was my first apron. I have made one more since then, and hope to crank out a few more in the near future. I am thinking about trying a new style out, too. I haven't even used a pattern yet, I just traced my own apron and made a few alterations.

My FAVORITE part of this apron is the ruffle. You can't see the detail in this photo, but it is actually a bubble hem of organza polished off with a narrow cream satin ribbon. Delicious.

:]

I am really proud of myself. The only other thing that I've ever sewn in my life is a quilt-- at Quilt Camp. Oh, yeah. I went to Quilt Camp. I went with two friends the summer after high school graduation, and the next-eldest Quilt Camper was 11. Whom, by the way, finished 3 days before me and proceeded to make matching pillows and clothing for her sock monkey with her quilting scraps. Yeah. I felt cool.

But my quilt turned out amazing!

Point being, I had only sewn straight lines, I had my best friend thread the sewing machine when I screwed it up, and I forced the quilting teacher do my hand sewing.

This apron was 100% Claire. No one else was even home, so I was completely self reliant! My only help was the ancient sewing machine instruction booklet with my grandma's amazing cursive notes in it-- which also made the whole process even more enjoyable. :]