Little Byrd has the loveliest selection of all things rustic and vintage.  Her simple styling draws me in and makes me want everything!  As Fall gets closer, I've been wanting to "nest" a little, and Little Byrd seems to have all of the cozy things I'm looking for.

I truly love everything in her shop, but I'm especially lusting after this.  Isn't it amazing?  If you would like to know more about Little Byrd, she write a lovely blog and was just recently a featured seller on etsy- congratulations!

website//www.littlebyrdvintage.etsy.com

blog//www.littlebyrdvintage.blogspot.com

In the meantime... want to see some images from my new project? I am starting a photo book series called, "Adventures in Lomo." It will be made up of photos taken entirely with my Lomo LC-A+ camera, a remake of an old Russian point-n-shoot 35mm camera. I might also throw in a few holga and quad cam photos. The first book, Volume 1: 30 Days by Train, will be of photos I take on my 30 day train trip across the United States and back. I am starting in Portland and then hitting up the following cities: Chicago, Boston, Portland ME, Salem MA, New York, Brooklyn and Washington DC. I will be taking photos of all the train stations, on the train, people I meet along the way and photos of all of the cities. It will be quite the adventure. So that you can get a feel for what lomo photos look like, here are just a few photos I took the last time I was in New York.

To help fund the project, I submitted my proposal to KickStarter and they approved it. YAY! I have just under 30 days to raise the money for the trip. Each donation gets a special gift and if you would like one of those gifts, which includes a copy of the book when it is all finished, please visit my kickstarter page.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone, and see you back here on Monday! xoxox

Good morning!

What a wonderful day for some vintage jewelry by Seaworthy. Marisa, the creator of these lovely necklaces and earrings, uses at least one vintage item in every piece. Personally, I am quite fond of the key necklace.  Paired with the turquoise beads, the contrast in colour is quite striking.

You can see much much more on her etsy site here...

www.seaworthysend.etsy.com

Hello all!! Hope you are surviving the heat.

I wanted to share with all of you our wonderful sponsor, Never Ender, who is re-opening their brick and mortar store in Midtown Reno. They have taken the last two years off and focused their efforts on their online store.

The boutique, which sells art-based clothing and accessories created by emerging artists and designers, closed the doors of its physical location in 2008 and moved online. “We’ve had much success with the online business, but re-opening the Reno store will best serve our local customer base,” said Amber Gutry, original owner of Never Ender. “The new location is perfect, and we are excited for this new beginning.”

The new store will be a creative collaboration between Gutry, and her mother, Melanie Crane. Although the new space will not have a separate art gallery as the original did, it will still feature local and national art, which includes a few of our wonderful Portland artists, Tender Loving Empire, Flapper Girl, and Moss Handmade. Other artists range from all over, including Alaska and England. Just to name a few,  local jewelry maker The Vintage Empire and Arete from Florida, as well as Midnight Deer (was Cat & Bang) from Brighton, England. The store will also feature new Reno artists such as Ali & Erik Prater and Ashley Viberg.

If you are in the neighborhood, visit Never Ender at 26 Cheney Street, Reno, Nevada, next to the Hub Coffee Shop and the Holland Project. If not, you can visit their online shop...

Visit the blog

Love love love these prints by Pat Perry. They are very North Western themed imagery. I love the simplicity in colour contrasted by the extreme details.

www.patperry.net

Tell me a little about you, where you live and where you're from? I'm a soft-spoken, big-headed boy who spends most of his time leaning against trees, floors and strangers. I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. You can tell by my constantly surprised look, friendly smile, an accent that some would call "sleepy" and my pale, pale skin tone.



We recently received an email from Shona of the fabulous Eye Design Studio announcing the grand opening of a new boutique called Azzurro.  Filled with treasures, the charming Azzurro will be offering a sophisticated selection of domestic goods that are affordably priced and include soaps, antiques, ephemera, taxidermy, apparel, linens, vintage, garden, kitchen, china, and more.

Azzurro will be having its grand opening soiree tomorrow evening from 4pm-10pm.  The theme is a WHITE PARTY, so come decked out in your most creative white attire.  To learn more about Azzurro, check out their website at:  www.azzurropdx.com.  See you there!

Azzurro is located at:

1500 NW 18th Ave. #110

(next to the Red ActivSpace building)

Tell me a little bit about you, where you live, where you're from?
I grew up in a very small town in Florida. I moved to Portland with my baby girl, Seasons, in 1974 after traveling around the country and living in San Francisco and then Boulder, Colorado. I opened Presents of Mind in 1989 because I was a frustrated card shopper. And I always did like owning my own business. Back in the 70's I made clothes, herb pillows and herbal products and sold them at Saturday Market and a few stores.

What do you like to do when you are not working on your art?
I do Reconnective Healing (a type of energy healing) and make Bach Flower essence mixtures which help people pursue their spiritual path & enhance their ability to evolve by allowing them to rise above certain personality and mood difficulties,transforming negative qualities into positive strengths. I also garden, take long walks and lots of pictures - especially of birds.

What first made you want to become an artist?
I have always been somewhat artistic. More so when I was younger - in my 20's. After Seasons came to take over the store - I once again had time to make art and pursue other interests (like my spiritual journey).
I took a class in encaustic art with Linda Womack (a gift from my husband, Bruce) and fell in love. I went right out and bought everything I needed for my home studio and got started.

What inspires your work? nature, sacred geometry, energy.

What is your favorite item that you make?  Swirly turquoise images :) and any piece with a bird.

What do you think is the most unique thing about Portland?
It is still like a small town - the very character that made me want to move here in the first place and it's very progressive which is important to me. I love how the artistic community has grown over the years and how crafts people are treated like "artists" to a large extent

What is your favorite season in Portland?
late spring/early summer & fall (I really don't like hot hot summers)

wesite cinnamonchaser.etsy.com/reconnectingpdx.com
online store: cinnamonchaser.etsy.com
flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/floweroflife

I will do my best not to overwhelm all of you with too much wedding stuff, but with Cade and my wedding date getting closer and closer it's going to be almost impossible. And on that note, how much do you totaly love these hair pieces by Jade Rose? I am absolutely in love with the red one. I think it would go fantastic with my Masquerade Ball themed wedding this fall! Although mustard yellow or emerald green would probably go better with my attire!

www.jaderosedesigns.etsy.com

See you on Monday!

xo,

A