Good stuff in the air...

Not just the cherry blossoms starting up in Seattle, or the trips ahead of us in the next month, or our recent return from Hawaii (aloha, and don't hate me, mahalo).

I'm talking about great efforts made by some local folks trying to help out fellow indie biz owners in Seattle!

Jean and I attended a great workshop last night all about how to use blogging in an effective way to help and promote your business - and it got me fired up! See? An entry!

Kristen from Schmancy and Megan from Not Martha gave a talk about the dos and don'ts and good habits of good bloggers as part of an ongoing meet up/networking/workshop series in Seattle. I think it's so great that they have the desire and energy to help create this platform in our city. It's called the Grassroots Business Association, and I'm hooked! A big thank you to Kristen and Megan, and the Association for their efforts!

If you're in pdx this Sunday...

Come check us out at Crafty Wonderland!

I don't know if your eyeballs are sharp enough to read the back of this postcard - but the vital info is - the Doug Fir Lounge from 11am-4pm this Sunday and every 2nd Sunday for the rest of the year.

We'll be selling new/fun/Springy/unisex variations of our patch kits, notebooks, and our hoodies and jackets will be on sale!

Patch Kit Valentimes!

Give yourself a fun little project, and give a loved one (or again, yourself) a sweet reminder of your affection! Sweetheart Patch Kits are now available in our shop in plenty of time for Valentimes!

Choose from ten different but equally charming animal friends. Is someone you love a bear or fox or quail? Are you a squirrel?

Chika's story that she tells whenever the subject of squirrels comes up: I'm personally not too fond of squirrels because I have run over squirrels while riding my BIKE ---- TWICE. And both times they dove for my bike tires, and both times I screamed very loudly, and both times they seemed totally uninjured, while I remain traumatized to this day. BUT to bring it back to Valentimes, I learned later that they exhibit risky behavior to impress potential mates - pretty romantic, huh? Totally gross for me, but maybe that squirrel got a lady friend out of the deal.

Nesting for Winter!

Chikabird is nesting for Winter with some cozy new items available in the shop!

Mamabird Nests - a great catch-all for keys and treasures - or holiday/everyday decorative display. Handwoven by my talented mom in Boston!

Linen pouches - made from supple Vera Wang linen and cute canvas prints. Handy for gathering all the necessary bits rattling around in the bottom of your bag.

Custom Monogrammed Slippers!!! - A little something fantastic Jean whipped up in the shop while my back was turned. I have my double C's on order!

Plus new patterns and prints added to our popular notebook lineup!

I know, it's almost too much.

Used Banners + Totes = BOTE

Chika and I just recently made a batch of reusable shopping totes using salvaged banners. We're calling them BOTES!...get it? banner totes!
We have a good amount of these banners and you can get them on our etsy for $30 each. We make each of them so that every single one possesses the unique graphics and distress marks from its previous life. Which makes them all that more appealing!

Most importantly, we like to support the reusable bag philosphy in order to lower the usage and production of plastic & paper bags. I do feel amazingly good when I whip out my own bags versus using 10 plastic bags that just rips apart right away. I hate that.

So here's to reusable shopping bags! It feels good to be good!

New randL+Slow Loris Notebooks

Don't they make a handsome family?

Our buddies at Slow Loris printed up some new books for us to show at POOL in August, and we finally posted them on Etsy and Supermarket.

The pocket notebook also fits a passport, so it's perfect for use as a spy sized travel journal.

News!

We moved! To a great neighborhood in Seattle called Ballard. There's more to it than that - Jean and I, plus our steady fellas, bought a duplex together. Some say crazy, I say GENIUS!

We'll be trying to keep up a home improvement blog at http://www.thirtythirtytwo.blogspot.com/ - so far we've just posted an intro entry, with plenty of links to pics. Oh boy!

Now our studio is in the garage/basement of the new place. A little colder, a little less natural light, but it feels pretty cool to pay ourselves rent, and you can't beat the commute. Actually, I think I need to come up with a routine that forces me to leave the house regularly. Morning jogs to the beach? Unlikely. Afternoon walks to my favorite coffee shop? Very likely. Jean and I are highly motivated by treats, so the nearby world class pastry shop will offer some deserved (and not so deserved) rewards.