{courtneycourtney} #4 love...

You've heard me say it before, but I will say it again- I love sending Courtney (courtneycourtney)  my prints. The last batch I sent her, I snuck in an extra special tee. I wanted to have a courtneycourtney tee made for Sayer's 4th birthday & I included his favorite owl tee that he had outgrown. Courtney worked her magic & made the coolest tee ever! Sayer just loves it. His birthday was on Wednesday & he has worn it everyday since! It has been in the wash a number of times already & has even survived a big glop of blue frosting on the front.

This is what a happy courtneycourtney customer looks like in case you wondered (& a brand new 4 year old). Her tees & dresses inspire dancing & fits of giggles. 

The latest 3 dresses using KLT prints are so adorable as well! If you are interested in purchasing some of her creations, make sure you sign up for Courtney's emails here so you can see fun new photoshoots & all of the new courtneycourtney dresses that are available for purchase. 

Courtney, thanks for sharing your vision- you are an inspiration! You made my 4 year old so happy & proud!  I think he choreographed that dance for you. 

* View other courtneycourtney creations with KLT prints  here & here 

{Everyday Inspiration} camera in hand...

Late last week, Sayer asked me if we could go on a picnic at the beach after I picked him up from pre-school. The weather has been typical for fall in the NW- chilly, rainy, & a little dreary. However, this particular day it was sunny with a nice crispness in the air . The beach he was referring to is one that I used to go to when I was in high school - just to chill out & quiet my mind. It was one of the first places I drove to when I got my drivers license- so he didn't need to twist my arm for me to take him out there. 

By the time we had packed our little picnic & got out to the beach, the sun was rapidly going down. The lighting & color was gorgeous- not to mention we had the whole beach to ourselves. If you haven't noticed yet, I really love taking photos of Sayer - particularly at the beach. So, I was in heaven just snapping away while Sayer explored & threw rocks into the water. He even brought one of our vintage cameras from our collection that he likes to play with. It was just what we both needed. This place still has the power to calm me down & I'm glad that Sayer enjoys it as much as I do. On the way home, we chased the full moon taking back roads off the beaten path. I kept pulling over, trying to get a good photo. But I think the chase was better than the actual photos. It's pretty amazing how my kiddo knows just how to make my day. Is there a special place that you like to go to chill out & unwind?

{Good Read} Anorak + Alain Gree = LOVE

What happens when a new & innovative children's magazine & press pairs up with a favorite children's book illustrator? Perfection, that's what. 

"PLOC Magazine is the happy mag for little ones (kiddos from 3yrs-8yrs old) that contains tons of games & coloring stories for budding readers - & published by the gorgeous Anorak Press & illustrated exclusively by Alain Gree. 

I've been a fan of Alain Gree's illustrations for awhile now & have even have found a few lovely vintage Gree books for Sayer over the years.  I just learned about the children's magazine, Anorak this summer & was delighted with the 2 issues that I purchased. You can imagine how excited I was to hear about PLOC!

 

It definitely passed the Sayer test. These were his favorite 4 features on first read. They couldn't be more perfect for his interests right now. While this is a UK publication, the world wide web allows all of us to partake in the fun. Definitely a favorite find & good read. Hope you are finding time to relax & curl up with a good magazine or book this weekend!


Visit Anorak here.
{new l/s rabbit tee here}

{Vintage Love} childhood buddy...

I remember the Christmas that I got my Snoopy- I believe my brother & I got a synthesizer to share that year too- yep it was the '70's.  Snoopy was one of my favorite buddies for a long time. I had so many outfits for him & would dress him up & take him everywhere. I loved him so much, that I kept him for my someday child.... 

That someday child loves Snoopy too! Although Snoopy doesn't have his extensive wardrobe anymore (what did I do with all of those clothes?) Sayer loves him all the same. He knows that his friend is "fragile" and needs extra care (he's been mended a number of times) but still likes to take him to "see the world" as he puts it. We took Snoopy to the grocery store a few days ago & Sayer pushed him in the cart & chatted with him the whole time. It's been pretty darn heart warming to watch his affection for my sweet, childhood buddy grow. They even dance together! As a fan of the Velveteen Rabbit, I can only imagine how happy Snoopy is right now. 

Side note: The klt:works dog on the pictured tee is now considered Snoopy's brother.

{Music Monday} feels like summer....

It finally feels like summer. The sprinkler was on, backyard giggles were heard & afternoon picnics of popsicles in Sayer's clubhouse were enjoyed. Sunday was nice. The new  Zee Avi song, Swell Window, seems to fit my mood (& these pictures) - look forward to hearing her new album in August.  Happy Music Monday! How was your weekend? 

{behind the studio door} my view...

This is one of my favorite views of my studio. You can't really see where I do most of my work (it's off to the left) but you can see Sayer's work & hangout area. He's been spending more & more time with me in the studio these days & it's always interesting to see where things end up being stashed at the end of our studio time. He's my goofy squirrel. His little work table is so great- it has a storage drawer in it that always has a ton of my spools of thread stored away. If I'm ever out of a color of thread, chances are- it's in his work table. His machine is an old one a friend gave me (minus the needle). It won't be long before I could add the needle- he seem like a natural (or maybe that is wishful thinking). He hoards my lime green felt too so that he can sew Grinch costumes.

It's silly, but I sort of fancy my studio space as an old fashioned, mini toy factory. I love to imagine how Sayer might view this space being a child. I guess that's one of the reasons (other than for inspiration) that I have all of my vintage toys & books stored up there. I want him to feel a sense of wonder & freedom to create anything that pops into his mind. I suppose I feel a great deal of pride knowing that he watches me create things too. Hearing him tell me that he has to help me work makes my heart warm. These days in the studio, while being  simple and frequent, are what favorite memories are made of... 

{Everyday Inspiration} cool kid...

I have a cool kid. I often wonder where he came from & what it would be like to be so cool. His style is effortless & the way he just "chills out" is somewhat intriguing to me. Even when he is wayyy overdue for a haircut- he can rock the look.  I was not what you would call a "cool kid". I knew many & was even friends with some-  but was never classified as one myself. Unless of course, a bad perm, glasses, braces, & a unique awkwardness qualified me in some way. I'm thinking this must be from his dad's side. He's also a total ham  & quite a performer, which is a little more familiar to me. I have a feeling there will be many plays in our future. Needless to say, it's always a fun adventure around here. 

We've sort of developed a special language between the two of us that involves a camera.  Photo shoots are something that we do together often- we've been doing it, just the two of us, for about a year (but as a family since he was born). It started out being "work" related. I would have him model my tees. But over time, it became more of an act of play. The kid knows how to work the camera & I love taking photos of him.  The other day, we found this hat when we were going through boxes. He immediately snatched it up & started hamming it up. As with all hats, he prefers to wear them backwards. From this, a photo opportunity presented itself.  What I didn't realize when I started taking photos, is that the hat belonged to Chris' best friend- the one we named Sayer after, Richard Sayer. Dick owned this hat when he was in high school - so it's over 27 years old now. He is a professional photographer too - so these pictures of Sayer took on a whole new meaning. 

Lately, Sayer has been turning the camera on me (by using his vintage Fisher Price one). He's been interested in taking photos of things like shadows & lightbulbs too. Today he & Chris had a pickle party before Chris left to teach class- which is when I entered the picture. When I was explaining to him that he was made from pickles (I used to go through jars of them when I was pregnant) which is why he probably liked them, he then left the party to go get his camera. Which in turn, gave me the idea to go get mine. He wanted to take a picture of his little set up - then of me eating a pickle. Lucky for you, his camera doesn't have film - so you don't have to see me devouring my pickles. 

My cool kid is growing up so fast & I find it fascinating & enjoyable. He has me laughing & feeling the need to write down what he says & does all of the time. While I'm seriously struggling these days with finding all of the time that I need for klt:works. I need to really take a tip from Sayer & just chill out. 

{Everyday Inspiration} Saturday Painters...

It was too cold to play outside, not to mention, the snow wasn't that  great snowball/snowman snow- it sort of just fell apart. Sayer & I ventured out today, but decided that we rather have hot cocoa & paint inside. I love the stage Sayer is in right now- although I've enjoyed all of them so far. He is just so cool & really fun to play with. I broke out my watercolors & painting materials (but was grateful I had Sayer use his own paints). We turned on the music & painted for quite awhile. Being that I've taught college level painting classes over the last 16 years, it was really refreshing to paint with him. His willingness to experiment, play & just enjoy painting- without a care in the world as to what the finished product looked like, is what I always tried to encourage in my students. It's much trickier as an adult to be that way. Sayer was definitely an inspiration to watch & be around. I'm going to love sharing my studio with him over the years I can just tell. When his painting was done, he picked up a pair of Chris' old glasses sitting on the bookshelf & started goofin' around.... 

I really think that the pictures speak better than my words as to what I saw. Let's just say, that I had a really good Saturday & the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Hope you're having a nice weekend too.

{Fun} What?

Wasn't I just saying that it felt like spring was around the corner? Now, I know snow isn't  a big deal to most of you out there. But we seldom get snow here in the Northwest. So to look out the window this morning and see snow outside is a bit odd, being that it's just about March. Below is my view from our kitchen window.

Sayer actually went to his grandma & grandpa's house today & I'm sure they are going to have a lot of snowy fun. I was able to snap a few shots before he left to document this crazy snowfall. Meanwhile, Chris is working from home today & I'm going to lock myself in the studio. We are trying out my new mocha pot & drinking our coffee Daria style now (thanks D). We are on our fourth cup and things are really starting to hum. Hope you all are having a great day? What's the view from your window?

{Music Monday} Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's day full of sweet surprises. Sayer helped me pick the music selection for today & he announced that this is the song & video that he loves. Happy Music Monday!

{photos} put a quarter in the jukebox...

I'll need more than a quarter for the jukebox today. I'm selecting my tunes carefully and locking myself in the studio for awhile. The sun is shining through the window & I think it's going to be a productive day. See you when I resurface. 


Photo: Sayer on his 3rd birthday at Big Scoop. 

{SALE} The KLT Muse is 3!

Hold on to your hats ... the klt:works muse just turned 3 years old! 

It's time to kick up your heals and celebrate!  Today is 1.11.11 - a day like this needs to be extra special. So, from now until 1.15.11 (midnight PST) you can receive 30% off of your klt:works Etsy order. All you need to do is enter KLTMUSE3 at checkout.  And to add icing on the birthday cake, the 3rd customer will receive their favorite klt:letterpress print as well (customer will be notified w/their order)! Whoooeee- that's something to have a party about! Now let's take a glimpse of some highlights from the last 3 years at klt:works with my star model... 

{2010- Spring & Winter}

{2009- Fall & Winter}

{2008- Spring- Fall}

Sayer makes klt:works more fun & just plain make sense. I can't wait to see what the next few years have in store for us. I guarantee he will continue to be my sounding board & biggest helper. So happy birthday little guy! You wear klt:tees well (which is a good thing because  you have one in every color & size)!  

{Everyday Inspiration} balloons & a boy...

 

Something about balloons make me smile. When you add this little boy to the mix, the smile turns into a belly laugh! 

Yep, Sayer's turning 3 tomorrow & what an amazing three years they have been. I think he is ready.... let the celebrating begin!