Coming Up this Week Jan. 9th- 15th

Today is Kristin's Birthday! She has a mutual friend from high school in town, and we all went out for lunch. A long lunch, shhhhh- don't tell the boss lady ;) Lol.

Anyway, it was a super good time getting to see Faith Anne since it has been close to a decade since we have seen each other. Where does the time go??

What to look forward to this week:

Tomorrow the Tutorial is making an index card calender/ diary for the year.  Yes, we are in week two for the year, but you are still in perfect time to make this project revolutionize your record keeping!

There is an info session for CRAFTED at the Port Of Los Angeles on Wednesday for potential vendors here in Culver City I hope to attend- I have to go down to the OC to get the FIT checked out since they do a 30-day check for their new cars- Hopefully it won't suck all the time from my day...

Also, there is a meeting for accepted vendors in San Pedro this Saturday that I am pretty stoked about. Hopefully I will be able to report back on the space :)

Thursday I have a phone interview to present some of our craft projects on TV which is totally exciting and nerve wracking.  I am glad that I will have over a month until tapping if everything goes well because I really want to come up with some fun projects for the show.  I will have more details after the call- wish me luck.

Speaking of luck, did you know that in 2011 there was only (1) Friday the 13th all year and this year in 2012 there are (3) Friday the 13ths? This Friday will be the first and while I am not overly superstitious I never look forward to them either.

More soon! Kevin and I are trying to rush off and see Drive at the ArcLight. We were bummed thinking we missed it, then tried to make it our double date last Saturday, then there were complications that had us pick another movie.  It has been on the top of everyone's must-lists so we can't let it vanish from the theater before seeing it! Have you seen it yet? We should swap stories after I get back!

Speaking of  things with Ryan Gosling have you seen the Feminist Ryan Gosling site? OR the Handmade Ryan Gosling site? BOTH ARE A MUST!!! TOO FUNNY :) 

Stop everything and check them out if you have missed it somehow. Seriously, you wont be disappointed...

XOXO,KC

How-To's Day: Fabulous Fabric BOWS

This past Saturday afternoon I had the pleasure of hosting our first annual Christmas Craft Party. Personally, I think it was a huge success! For the layout of my apartment it felt huge, but we had a small group of crafters over and amongst the evening's projects were these simple fabric bows that can be uses as embellishments to necklaces, hair clips, pins, and many more ideas.

I will illustrate the project, then include some pictures taken Saturday at the party.

What I Wore- Friday 11/11/11 Metermaids Tee

 (I am trying to figure out if I should do a wrap up on Friday and take pictures in advance.  There is quite a bit of readers for this segment and I am trying to figure it out still. Comments are welcomed. I don't have an option for a photographer  during the day and I don't have a good mirror for those cell phone to mirror pics- that I don't really like anyway... So shooting in advance seems to be the best option to add some more outfits to the mix. This will be something that I put into effect next Friday so stay tuned.)

 'Yo! It's just past the last 11:11 on 11/11/11!!! What did you do to celebrate today? I have been putting the pedal to the metal and working my little fingers to the bones getting ready for Patchwork Culver City on Sunday and some wholesale orders that have to go out first thing on Monday.  I was beginning to have  a migraine today so I focused on pincushions and allowed myself to dress comfy.  My new favorite shirt to wear around the house has been this Metermaids tee.

One of the main things I have missed about NYC since I have left is the music. While living there I was into Brooklyn Hip Hop and between hip hop shows & going dancing at the bar at all hours with my friends (Not quite hittin' up  Misshapes but still out on the town) I got my fill of amazing music while in NYC.  Towards the end of me living there I got super into a band the Metermaids and I would go see them anytime, I mean ANYTIME they were playing.  Pretty much if I didn't have a good excuse like work or something extremely important I was there enjoying the music because I knew one day I wouldn't be able to see them whenever I wanted to. 

I am glad I went to all those shows - their music makes me super happy. When I first moved out here singing along in the car was the only thing that made the traffic enjoyable. I note updates and buy the CDs from afar now with the distance to get my fix. Hopefully on one trip back East there will be  a show I can catch or I have been waiting quite sometime for another West Coast tour, maybe that can happen soon too. I geeked out on my last trip to Brooklyn because while I didn't get to squeeze any concerts in, I was flipping channels at almost 3AM and their music video came on a indie music program. I Wish I knew  the name of the program at the moment but it was the middle of the night and a show that New Yorker's would know but I don't remember currently- I do however remember that it was a pretty awesome moment to stumble upon. Until another show, I'll rock the music here in Los Angeles and enjoy my new favorite T-Shirt. I got when I ordered their most recent album and it has basically been my lounge shirt since it arrived.

I found these pictures from when I first moved to LA and Kristin came to visit LA and we went down to the Prospector in Long Beach I thought I'd share:

When Kristin and I caught this Metermaids show it was  back in 2009 and she came out for a job interview while she was trying to relocate. It feels like forever ago and just yesterday at the same time. I really can't believe how fast the time has passed since I have moved out here. Kudos Kristin for all the accomplishments you have had since then!

Here are some pictures of Sentence, Swell and Domer at after the show at The Prospector: 

I feel like I should call them by their artist names, but since I worked with Mike, not Sentence and then found out about their music where he is Sentence -I still feel like that's weird when putting a tag to these pictures.  In hindsight I wonder if  the Metermaids secretly laughed at my almost Mel from Flight of the Conchords obsession once I heard their music. The Urban Outfitters I was working at in Manhattan was one of the largest grossing stores and while we worked together closing a lot I don't think I give off a vibe that this type of music is something I am really into and I was super glad I happen to have checked it out when I heard people from work were go to a show.  I really don't care what anything is labeled if I like it I like it and I just absolutely loved what was happening in Brooklyn Hip-Hop wise at the time. The best part of getting into the Metermaids was the other artist they collaborate and perform with are super dope too so going out to the shows were really enjoyable.  

It was like a transcending art documentary unfolding and the first time I saw them play and I was hooked instantly.  It was such a bizarre experience that could only happen in New York.  It was where the mix of the company/ friend I was with + the venue + the atmosphere was something I just couldn't get enough of. I love how music really can just take you there when you hear it. Those were some good times!

Now back to the present-

This morning was the first time I  had a migraine and an acupuncture appointment where I used acupuncture to treat it.  It definitely helped! I think a big part of it helping is the level of relaxation it helps me achieve if I am able to relax my mind and sink into the treatment.  Sometimes you have a session where you run through your to-do list and that is therapeutic but not as dramatic when it comes to fully helping.  Today my mind was definitely racing some so I didn't fully sink into full relaxation, but Sun (The acupuncturist I blogged about briefly here) treated my hands so good that they are feeling day and night better.  I am really enjoying Costa Acupuncture and going all last week has definitely made a huge difference in how I am feeling today. I strongly recommend checking them out.

Even if I wanted to sleep in there is a Unique LA meeting downtown at the Grammy Museum followed up by Patchwork set-up in the afternoon. I really should wrap this post up now and retire to bed so I can be rested for tomorrow.

Best wishes to everyone & thanks to all the Veterans Today on Veteran's Day!

XOXO, KC

Sunday Thrifting- Jet Rag $1 SALE

My favorite vintage clothing shop in LA is by far Jet Rag.  I feel like the prices are really reasonable, especially compared to  previous Brooklyn vintage shopping!  Bonus: They separate the clothing by decade and color which helps not get lost for hours in this huge store. FYI-Their organization got me to realize my go to favorite is '70's dresses.  

The store is always on my guests "must list" which helps me get my regular fixes.  I try to only go with friends to curb my excitement because each visit always seem to result in a exciting haul. Like for instance, I have huge feet (embarrassing I know) but I have been able to find several pairs of kick-ass boots for ~$30 or less on multiple occasions!!! 

All this is pale in comparison to being able to get some awesome finds for just $1.00 at their weekly yard sale.  Plus, each Sunday they unveil "mystery box inventory" which is the same stuff the store picks from but you have an opportunity to get it first at also just $1.00.


Coming to this sale is absolutely why the top of my list of why I love LA is yard sales & unbelievable vintage markets!  The $1.00 SALE at Jet Rag is definitely the icing on my cake pop. I am going to start sharing some of my favorite spots for those of you who are looking for a treasure hunt and this $1.00 sale is #1 for thrifty fashionistas.