{cool things} for your sweet tooth...

There is a new sweet shoppe on the cyber block that I wanted to make sure everyone knew about. It's called, Poor Pierre and it just lauched today! Poore Pierre is the brainchild of Tiffany King (creator of the wonderful Pajama Squid) and this sweet creation is her new & much anticipated labor of love.... 

Oh my.... did I get your attention? Not only do those peanut butter balls look amazing, but what about these gorgeous photos? With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Poor Pierre should be on you list of places to check out. In order to receive your goodies by the day of love, you need to get your order in by the 4th (that's tomorrow) as each small batch is made carefully, by hand. I have my order placed & if the first taste is with your eyes.... I'm already drooling for the next bite!

Here is where to find Poor Pierre: Twitter, Facebook, Blog, Website, Etsy Shop
{all photos property of Tiffany King)

Bon Appetit!

{Store Feature} Fawn & Forest...

fawn&forest 

wish list: ferm living molecule building set, brave space tetrad flat book shelf, I love dirt by Jennifer Ward, early rider's lite series  

Did I get your attention? - Pretty wonderful stuff, huh? One of my favorite online stores is fawn&forest for a long list of reasons. I have been wanting to write this feature for quite a while now & I'm excited to share the wonderfulness with you today. 

I remember the day I got my first email from Summer about having my work in her store. Her enthusiasm and humor was infectious. I was in the last few months of being pregnant with Sayer and in sort of an overwhelmed space to say the least. I wasn't sure of how much I could commit to as far as klt:production, given I hadn't had a baby before. But what I did know, is that I wanted to work with this cool woman! The store was scheduled to open in about 6 months from when she contacted me so I felt safe to tell her that she could count on me. In that 6 + months, she was the mosts supportive and nurturing email friend (still is). For those of you that are moms, you might remember that those first few months of having a baby are very surreal. Summer had one little boy at the time and offered up advice and support in those times when I wasn't sure up from down. So for that fact alone, fawn&forest has a soft spot in my heart. But when I saw the store launch for the first time- I was hooked! The combination of modern & handmade designs is stunning! I continue to marvel all that f&f has to offer. To this day, f&f has the biggest selection of klt:works products anywhere and I truly adore working with them. Some of Sayer's biggest purchases have come from them as well - thanks to clever little trade & discount deals. It seriously is my "go to" store for special items.

tested & loved f&f items:

Oeuf Classic Crib Conversion Kit-  We just adore this crib as a toddler bed- great conversion!

DwellStudio fitted sheet-  Of course, all things DwellStudio are fun. 

Offi Capsule Chair & Tiki Stool - They don't carry these same items anymore- but all Offi furniture is awesome. (capsule chair in blue in the right corner of the room- green tiki stool near the books on the left)

Little Heros Green Soaring Star Cape-  This is such a sweet cape. I got it for Sayer last year for his 2yr birthday. (in the room photo on the far right - hanging on the rack- next to the offi chair)

Mutsy Highchair- All Mutsy is wonderful. They don't have this particular high chair anymore, but we are still using it! It adjusts to a regular chair. -Smart purchase...

Fatboy Junior Beanbag Chair-  This was handy when Sayer was a baby too- one of those purchases that last for a long time. 

But the love doesn't stop there. Summer & Danny have 3 sweet fawns in their Portland forest that they call home, Eliot, Owen, & Isac (who just arrived this Summer) . They are fellow NW dwellers which only makes me connect with them more. Summer sent me these photos of her little fawns enjoying some klt:goodies and I can't help but smile. The top pictures shows both Eliot & Owen in a vintage klt:owl tee that seems to have gotten lots of love. The bottom photos are of Owen with his tiny owl tank & his slug lovey. If I remember correctly, Eliot came up with a very cool name for the slug that just might work as a book character someday.

I feel so lucky to work with this lovely couple and to watch both f&f and their family grow. Ok, so why post this today of all days? Well, Summer and I are both Project Runway fans- we sort of cyberly watch it together. Tonight is the finale- so I felt like it was just the right time. I can't think of a better way to watch Project Runway- but to shop at fawn&forest while you are watching....

{cool things } for kiddo ...

There is a gem of a little shop that I want to share with you - that chances are, you have already  heard of. It is called The Pajama Squid and I have been virtually cruising through it again lately. Tiffany is the owner of this cleverly curated shop and I have had the joy of getting to know her over the last year. She throws herself into everything she sets out to do and you can see that in The Pajama Squid. Her products are selected with love and respect - I know this first hand because she carries a few klt:works owl plushies. Tiffany eloquently posted on her blog yesterday that she is moving on to a new and exciting adventure. What does that mean? Well, currently many things are on sale right now & will continue to go on sale until her little shop is empty. The Pajama Squid is filled with cool items along with a great selection of books, I might add. You should definitely go check it out! Here are 6 of my favorite things in her shop.

Floating Ducks - Sayer has this "mommy & baby duck" & it's a favorite bathtub toy.

Geemo - I have my eye on this... 

Ollie Owl Plush  - Ok, so I had to include the owls that I make.... *smile*

This is New York - I love these books! We have this one, Paris, London, & San Francisco. -Great illustrations...

Fireman Wooden Bowling Set - I have been eying this set ever since I was pregnant. -Wonderful!

Black Bruno Racing Car - And these are pretty fantastic too. I hope to get one for Sayer for his third birthday coming up.

It wasn't easy for me to narrow it down to six, let me tell ya. While it's sad to hear that The Pajama Squid will be closing, I can't wait to see what Tiffany has up her sleeve. I'm sure it will be spectacular (& delicious)! This gal is one to watch. In the meantime, I will enjoy her shop for as long as I can, along with her beautiful new blog.

{Store Feature} Ideal

Ideal- carefully curated goods, is a very special store to me. It encompasses all that I love- great design, smart & wonderful owners (who are moms to children & one to a dog), & cool books. This store is about 30 minutes away from my house & I have been lucky enough to have them carry my work for the last two years. Most of the stores that I work with are either online stores or out of the state/country. So I don't often get the opportunity to visit in person and see how my work looks in the their shops

. 

I usually deliver my goodies in person because I love the chance to browse & visit with the owners of ideal. They know design and how to be great moms so I could chat with these ladies for hours. Not to mention, I never walk out of that store empty handed. There is always something unique & cool to discover. They have a very keen sense of what they like and it all flows together seamlessly. We share a love of Marimekko, books, letterpress, and clean lines. They also have a gorgeous selection of jewelry too. There is always a lot to look at for Sayer and Chris as well. 

Last night they hosted a klt:trunk show that coincided with the local art walk. It was so much fun to stand back and watch the hustle & bustle in their store. I have to say, I love to observe little kids. But when they are wearing something that I made & playing with klt:plush, my heart melts. Lisa (one of the ideal owners) brought her two children to the event, Hank & Lulu.  They are the sweetest kids and Lisa is all smiles in their presence.

Both Lisa & Kathleen were calm, cool, and collected all night, sporting their gorgeous Marimekko attire, while talking passionately about design. I loved how Kathleen was so nurturing to Lisa's kid's too. You can tell these ladies are really good friends which just makes the store feel great to be in and visit. Every time Sayer has come with me to ideal, Lisa & Kathleen have been so sweet with him, showing him the newest toys that they have found. Safe to say, he loves visiting too. 

This is not a stuffy design store by any stretch of the imagination. It is friendly, smart, & beautifully curated. I had a wonderful evening last night and am really proud to be one of the designers who's goods they carry. So if you are local, stop by - you will be really glad you did! 

{Store Feature} Babybot

My path seems to continuously cross great visionaries who open wonderfully inspired stores. I am excited to tell you about a store that a few of those visionaries created called Babybot. Michael & Renee are the brains behind the Canadian (out of Calgary) store but there seem to be a lot of extremely talented people working to make it a real stand out. Michael contacted me in February 2009 about carrying my products in their store. Babybot was just in the planning stages, but I could tell that there was so much love and thought being put into every little detail. So of course I was overjoyed to have my work be included in their vision. Once they had opened, I was immediately taken with their website and the lovely klt:works designer page. I have to say, that when you  talk with Michael and Renee about Babybot (for me it was via email) you can almost see them beaming with pride. But most importantly, they are extremely respectful, knowledgeable, and appreciative- which only adds to their stellar design aesthetic.

When a store supports me, it is really important to me to support them right back (which is why I wanted to do these reviews). I would love to buy things from all of my favorite people that I work with. However, interests and taste always exceed my wallet so I have to be patient, creative, and pick my items carefully- so that I can spread the love. The minute Babybot opened, I knew what I wanted to buy there. Now I really didn't know it was going to work out like this, but Babybot does these great facebook discounts (if you aren't a fan, I highly recommend it). As luck would have it, these discounts allowed me to splurge a bit and order the Eames Elephant that I have been drooling over every time I scan through their shop. I could tell you why that elephant is so special to me, but that is a whole different post. But as I have mentioned before, Ray & Charles Eames are my art/design idols. Ok, so I said it was for Sayer and don't get me wrong, it is, and he really loves it. But it isn't going to stay in his room, it's going to be hanging out in the living room. After all, who am I kidding? I think the elephant is secretly mine. Renee is the woman that made it all happen and for that I am really grateful! After all, I believe she said it best when she mentioned that, "every designer needed an Eames Elephant". Oh, she is good, isn't she?

Now I can officially endorse Babybot as a truly special store. Not only is it great to work with Renee & Michael from a designer standpoint, but it is great to be a customer too. So pop by and give Babybot a visit- I guarantee you will have a really positive experience (not to mention, want to hum the little babybot tune). Thanks for the elephant Renee- don't worry, it will be loved!

{Store Feature} monsieur minouchet

Catherine Dupont emailed me in June of 2008. I actually know the exact date  because I haven't thrown any of her emails away. She was inquiring about carrying my products in a store that she was lovingly creating called monsieur minouchet. Her emails were so warm and friendly. At the time, Sayer was 5 months and I was still trying to figure the whole, new mommy/ small biz owner thing out. She was kind and patient and shared a little bit about her son Adrien, who was 18 months at the time. I don't remember everything in her first order, but there were a lot of plush kitties & owls. 

Right after Catherine received her klt:boxes, she sent me some pictures of Adrien & Ollie Owl that melted my heart. Adrien had adopted Ollie Owl  immediately. He slept with him and took him everywhere. I believe she told me that Ollie  even had a spot at the breakfast table next to Adrien! Needless to say, I was pleased to hear that Ollie was receiving so much love  in Belgium. I also remember looking at the pictures of Adrien and wondering when Sayer was going to be able to walk and carry around one of my plushies like that.  

When monsieur minouchet officially opened I spent a long time looking through all of Catherine's beautifully curated treasures. I love her style, taste, and the fact that she uses Adrien as a model. Her photos are always clever and show a peek into her life. I find that she and I are drawn to similar brands and designers. She carries a large variety of a local favorite of mine, Kate Quinn Organics. I have pictures of Sayer in that same shirt (except green). I also use Sayer as my model and I enjoy seeing photos of both Adrien & Sayer over time. It is a great way to document how fast they grow. I also get to see some of my klt:works tees on Adrien which is always fun! It appears that Adrien and Sayer share a love of Thomas the Train, cars, and garbage trucks too . 

Along with having a similar aesthetic, Catherine and I enjoy sharing music, movie, & book recommendations. We developed a friendship that I truly value over the last 2 years. She is my international pen pal with a keen wit and sense of style. I have the goal of one day meeting her in person and visiting Belgium. I have never been to Europe and so far I have been living through my critters and the interesting people that they bring my way. I have received some pretty fantastic parcels from Catherine over the years as well - including a few things found in her store like this wonderful soap & a print by Blanca Gomez- cosas minimas .

Catherine just received her latest klt:boxes a few days ago and she sent me this sweet photo of Adrien sleeping with the new little critter that he adopted, a bulldog plushie.  I have to say, it is nice to have klt:works represented in such a beautiful shop, but the best part has been  meeting Catherine. So, if you are proficient in French, live near Belgium, or just want to visit a thoughtfully curated shop, stop by monsieur minouchet.  Catherine also has a blog where she often shares yummy recipes that she finds and includes beautiful pictures of things found in her garden and on her travels. If you are like me and don't speak french this is a very helpful tool . Enjoy! 

{all photos - monsieur minouchet & klt:works}

{Everyday Inspiration} Perspective...

Have you ever had a day (or a week) where you felt overwhelmed and the balance between being a small business owner and a mom was a little out of whack? Well, that was me in a nutshell last week. While I enjoy the challenges that both motherhood & a small business can bring, the combination can sometimes leave me questioning my ability to maintain a healthy balance which can bring on momentary self-doubt. Funny though, I received an email that changed all of those feeling in a split second.  

I really can't mention enough, how many wonderful people that I have met through klt:works and how many great emails and pictures that collect in my inbox. I have been working with a store called Natursutten, in Denmark for over a year now (maybe even two, come to think of it). Anne-Dorthe is the owner and I have gotten to know her a bit through emails and she has a son a about a year older than Sayer. Natursutten has carried all of my organic and eco-tees and her son has owned many as well. Anne-Dorthe emailed me last week with a little note that said, "Your owls are doing very well in Africa!". Attached were   photos of two little, smiling girls, Hadija and Faidha. Her daughter had just been visiting a friend in Africa who volunteers at a "childhome" called, "The Baobab Home" (for kids without parents). She had taken a bunch of clothing with her to donate (the Baobab Home is run on donations) and there happened to be a few outgrown klt:works owl tees in the mix. While I know that Anne-Dorthe thought I would like these photos - I am sure she didn't anticipate what it all would mean to me. I still don't have words for the emotions that I feel, myself. 

I don't want to drone on and on about my inner thoughts and what makes me tick. But one thing I will share is that I am a bleeding heart. When I was in graduate school, studying for my MFA, I really struggled with how selfish it felt. I used to watch "ER" and feel like I should be helping people rather than just making art. My wise thesis advisor told me to just watch "Friends" instead. After graduation, I had many jobs in the social/special services fields (working with at risk youth, teaching in detention facilities, working with people with disabilities). It wasn't until I started klt:works that I really had the revelation that I could still "help" and make people happy by doing what I love- by making things. I still struggle with the fact that my little donations to various organizations can't really change the world, but I guess I will leave that to Oprah, and those that can really afford to do so. In the meanwhile, it makes me happy to have a connection to the Boabab Home and I look forward to sending off a box of some of Sayer's outgrown clothes and toys along with some klt:tees. Now, when I have those overwhelming days, I can look at the pictures of Hadija and Faidha and gain a little perspective on everything.

{Store Feature} Hutch Studio...

Through klt:works, I have met some wonderful people and learned about some pretty fantastic stores. I thought it would be fun to start writing features to introduce you to some of my discoveries. My first feature is particularly close to my heart. It is a place called, "hutch studio" that is located in a sweet little town by the water in La Conner, WA. This magical place was once the home of the Bunnies By the Bay store, a small company that my husband has worked for, for around 18 years. Krys Kirkpatrick, one of the founders of Bunnies By the Bay, had an idea to create a space that is a working studio that acts as a gallery and shop- where everything is made by hand (under the umbrella of Bunnies by the Bay). This space was dreamed up by Krys and presented to my husband, Chris, to make into a reality. This place is now called, hutch studio, and the space is truly magical and definitely worth a visit. Chris makes signature hutch studio items that never cease to amaze me. The first creations to catch your attention are the very cool whirly gigs in the front of the house/studio. Chris has been busy restoring old ones, and making new designs. He even held a whirly gig workshop. Recently, he used his stellar ceramics background to make a "mini spinny" out of clay. How amazing is that? It really spins!

I received one of the next hutch treasures for Mother's Day and boy was I tickled! They are called "Sweet Tweets" - and they are charming & sweet indeed! 

Chris makes the birdcages with wire, old lids, and newspaper or sheet music. He makes each bird with clay and individually glazes them. He also makes little clay bunnies called, "Rainy Day Bunnies" that hold little wire umbrellas. (These little ceramic & wire wonders are quickly snatched up and hard to keep in stock!)

My second blog post ever, was about the paper cutting technique called scherenschnitte that Chris has been experimenting with at hutch studio. He has been making beautiful window covering that he has packaged as a kit. Part of the hutch philosophy is to nurture creativity, so  kits and classes are natural things for them to offer. There is also an emphasis on making things with recycled materials and found objects/treasures. The newest item Chris made for hutch is, "My Vacation Home", night light using old family vacation slides and paint sample cards. This little vacation home is so unique - I can't wait to get one at our house. Chris plans on offering a "vacation home" workshop soon as well. 

All of these creations are just the tip of the iceberg of what you will find at hutch studio. Krys also makes things to fill the spaces, along with a rotating collection of artists. I have been lucky enough to be included as a participating artist at hutch. They carry my thread drawing items, including original thread drawings. I did a thread drawing demo once in their studio and so much fun, that I plan on doing more.  

So, if you are in the area, I highly recommend that you stop by for a visit. Chris (a guy that looks like that scratchboard self-portrait above) will show you around the lovingly decorated spaces. I guarantee you will leave with a renewed creative spirit! This is not that last you will hear from me about hutch studio. Stay tuned for a studio tour sometime this summer....