Month: June 2017

donut worry.

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Next up in work parties: a baby shower donut bar celebration! We picked up plain and sugar donuts, plus donut holes. No need to make fancy glazes; we shopped the ice cream topping section for ideas. Caramels and hot fudge work well; also, crushed nuts, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, crumbled cookies, and sprinkles. We also served cold brew coffee and iced masala chai with a few milk varietals to wash down the sweets. The coworkers got to creating their one-of-a-kind donuts! Of course we needed appropriate signage and decor as well. We put up a “Donut worry, Sam” sign for the dad-to-be, plus creepy baby photos; and scattered large paper sprinkles on the table. And we can’t forget the cute baby gear presents! Enter butt paste and nasal aspirator! My work party crew and I are getting really good at this social event planning thing. Looking forward to planning our next celebration!

sew cool.

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Watch out world; I know how to sew my own skirts…with pockets! I recently had a private sewing lesson with my crafty friend Rebecca of OodleBaDoodle. Not only is she a super talented, super lovely human, but she is the most excellent instructor. I got to hang out in her studio all day (I am a slow sewer!) and see where all the OodleBaDoodle magic happens. I brought in fabric from Old Yak Bazaar in Berkeley. Super mega heart eyes, am I right? I measured and marked, and did a lot of ironing and pressing. And I got to play with Rebecca’s new sewing machine! So cute! Rebecca helped me navigate through my mistakes. Pockets can be challenging! I added a little stretch… And Rebecca hand-stamped and hand-stitched on a tag for me. Viola! I was too excited and I wore my new skirt home over the skirt I was already wearing. Thank you, Rebecca, for making the process fun-filled and easily-to-follow. Now that I know how to make something durable (I’ve worn my skirt …

west elm local.

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I had back to back events at West Elm – a workshop on Saturday and a pop-up shop on Sunday! It was my first time selling my Feed the Fish co. wares in store. Looky looky looks! My favorite part of setting up at West Elm is using their table as part of my booth display. I’m a big fan of using legit tables (e.g. not folding tables) for my crafty display. And it was only a little weird when people wanted to test chairs around the table I was using. What was way less awkward was taking product photos with all the lovely items in store. Dreamy… Thank you, West Elm, for supporting small independent makers! Have you checked out your West Elm’s local wares and pop-up shops? Share below!

forever gardens.

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West Elm invited me to host a workshop as part of their West Elm Local events. I love crafting at West Elm – beautiful design all over the shop, great natural light. It’s perfect for feeling the crafty feels and taking lovely photos afterwards! For this event I taught my felt succulent garden class, which is currently my favorite class to teach. Look at this glorious mess. I teach three ways to make succulents and the results are always so good! I love it when my students impress themselves, too. I stumbled upon some uber cute mushrooms to share during class. They add a lil somethin’ somethin’ to the felt gardens, don’t you think? I like to share that you can decorate other things with felt succulents, too. Pillows, baskets, so many things! I can’t wait to teach this workshop again!  

you are magical.

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When your niece requests unicorn themed crafts for her 10th birthday, magic happens. On the craft menu: unicorn headbands and unicorn poop slime in unicorn jars! Unicorn headbands. These are darling. We spent the week before putting together felt cones for the horns, and had her guests glue on all the flowers they wanted for super special birthday party headwear. Unicorn poop slime in unicorn jars. Slime is apparently all the rage with the kids these days – glitter slime, glow-in-the-dark slime, clear slime, colorful slime, so many kinds of slime! Each guest got to make their own slime with a simple glue, liquid starch, and food coloring recipe. We made golden unicorn jars beforehand so everyone could take home their slime creation in style. We had so many more ideas for unicorn crafts (rainbow tassel unicorn tails, origami unicorn bookmarks!), but two crafty stations was plenty to keep the party going. Unicorn party much? Share you magical party ideas below!

chocolate library.

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A store that sells chocolates and salts. Hm, ok! I’m into it! At The Meadow there is a wall of chocolate, stacks and stacks of salt rocks, and, if you’re lucky, some sample bowls filled with treats. On our visit, we tried a popcorn with the Meadow’s black truffle salt ~ yowza! And Savage, a new-to-me brand of chips locally made in Portland. Delightful! If you tell me I can climb the ladder you better not be joking because I will do it! Imagine having your own chocolate library like this! I grabbed a few locally made bars that I chose based on wrapper/packaging. Yes, I judge chocolate by the cover, but also if it’s quality made and preferably 72% cacao. Also, yes, I am a self-professed chocolate snob. What are some of your favorite artisanal chocolates or chocolate shops? Share please!

shop feature: la county store.

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A work trip to LA means I get to sneak in some local shopping. Behold: a visit to LA County Store in Silverlake. I love that this store exists and that it’s devoted to featuring Los Angeles County creatives. They even have map on the wall showcasing where all of the goods in the shop are made. The first thing that caught my eye was a corgi butt pillow and these tea cups by Emily Hillburg of Queen for Dinner. There are pillows, wall hangings, kitchen ware, stationary, and so much more.   I love all the local love and neighborhood pride displayed in shop.   Favorite LA neighborhood to wander, go!  

good food days.

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The post you’ve all been waiting for. 😉 This was my third visit to Portland, and Hubby’s first. It was fun to explore new food destinations with him, and to revisit a favorite. All the food from our tasty travels coming at ya. FRIDAY: Taco City, Hillsdale / one of each taco, please. and guacamole. Not my favorite taco stand, but it’s fun to experience pod food while in Portland. SATURDAY: Seastar Bakery, Alberta Arts District / sweet dill-pickled beets, oven-fried egg, and cypress grove goat cheese on seedy nutty rye toast / cilantro-jalapeño white bean daal with pickled red onion, radish-mint salad on rosemary cornbread Easily my favorite meal on this trip. Fresh, unsuspecting flavor combinations! I am inspired to play more in the kitchen. Prasad, Pearl District / chipotle chili bowl with brown rice, chipotle black bean chili, avocado, green chili sauce, and jalapeño cashew cheeze / hot smokey tempeh / tabor bowl with quinoa, slow roasted tomatoes, kale, green chili sauce One of my favorites that I got hooked on during my first visit to …

chai this; chai that.

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When in Portland, try all the chai! First up: Seastar Bakery‘s Golden Chai with hazelnut milk, an herbal tisane made with turmeric, ginger, chamomile, citrus, and honey. This was unlike any beverage I’ve ever had. The citrus surprisingly worked really well in the tisane and the turmeric was not overpowering. It was by far my favorite beverage on this trip, and quite possibly from any bakery/cafe I’ve visited. Next up, Prasad‘s dirty chai with coconut mylk, a housemade masala chai blend with a shot of cold-press coffee, sweetened with honey. It was a little sour and a little sweet, but mostly had warm notes from the spices. To wrap up the day, we stopped at Tea Chai Te for…even more tea! Hers and his: Velvet milk oolong with hemp milk and almond milk tea with soy milk and mango popping boba. A lovely afternoon tea break. The next day, we started our morning with Pip’s Original Doughnuts. They serve their chai by the glass and by the flight. Whaaaat? I’m not a fan of beer flights, and …