this morning, i had a shitty interaction with a protester outside of planned parenthood. i couldn't stop thinking about it. i was infuriated and kept playing it over in my mind.
not long after, while getting a birthday latte to bring to my mom, i started to notice good things. some older man offering hugs to people he was walking by. the first guy, dressed in a suit, said he would pass, but thanked the man. but the second man walked up to him with wide arms and excepted a hug from a stranger. the guy at the hot dog cart gave a free hot dog to the girl ringing the salvation army bell. the city worker fixing a sidewalk trash can had his car door open and was listening to some classic rock as we worked. the couple sharing the heavy load of their grocery bag by each holding a handle as they walked home. an old man showing off the tricks his beautiful dog could with a proud smile on his face.
it is so hard these days with all the bad happening around us to notice anything but the bad. but today, in a short amount of time, i saw so many little things that often go unnoticed by outsiders. it was really easy to see the good when you are open to it. my heart feels full and my heart feels warm.
little.
if you haven't seen me online or in person for the past few months, this is why. little, my baby (pun intended), opened this past friday with a grand opening that i never could have imagined. i have put my blood, sweat, and (surprisingly, not too many) tears into opening this children's boutique in portland. the amount of people who came to the opening made me feel so full. it was such a fun and happy evening. and i couldn't have asked for anything more amazing.
this job came by chance and i couldn't imagine finding a better fit for me. this position has offered me so many more experiences. angie, the owner, put her trust in me to bring to life my ideas for the space and to help bring the store alive with the brands we have found. i got to go on not one, but three trips to new york to pick out lines to carry and be inspired. this job has allowed me to use my entire set of skills and learn so much about opening a store and building a brand. it has been so good.
i am now obsessed with not only kid's clothes, but everything else that comes along with having a kid. obviously, it is so different than women's clothing, but in a lot of ways it isn't. we buy the same way, different collections for each season, but with kids, you get to see fun silhouettes in crazy prints. so many things i wish we would see in women's brands. it all feels a little more brave and a little more adventurous. to be a kid these days must be so exciting.
little is full of some of the coolest baby and kid's brands out there. so many of the toys and things we carry are handmade in america, are environmentally friendly, one-of-a-kind, and made with love. we wanted smaller, specialty brands and things that aren't easy to find around here. it is a place where the young and old can be taken to another place. and the young and old can find pieces to fall in love with. so next time you are in the old port, stop in and say hi.
alexis russell // badass jewelry.
i have been spending a good amount of time looking at product and going to trade shows lately, with my focus on children's product. during these trips, it is very hard not to notice stand out women's and home lines that i come across.
after my last trip to new york, i went through the list on my phone of things (other than kids stuff) i saw that i liked. i googled alexis russell and was so happy to see this line of jewelry that was even better than i remembered.
not only is the line full of amazing geometric shaped rings, bracelets, and jewelry, but also the beyond-cool engagement type rings. the raw cut and grey diamonds are amazing and unique and probably everything i have ever wanted.
i won't lie and say an engagement ring isn't something i think about or that i don't spend time looking on the internet for. and while i have been mostly looking at estate pieces because i want something unique and because they are often much larger in size than new engagement rings (i am not saying i need a big diamond, but a big sized ring overall), one of these alexis russell rings just might fit that bill.
one hippie to another.
mara hoffman.
i feel like every year the 70s is back and this fashion week is no different. mara hoffman and joie are only two of the many collections taking on this look. these two collection share many of the same styles, but couldn't be more different. both have attributes that could have easily been found on ali mcgraw in love story, like plunging necklines made demure with turtlenecks and those knee high suede boots. mara seems to make this look more modern with her amazing, intense prints and chunky knits, while joie keeps it pretty classic, yet still sexy.
joie.
anatomy 101.
photos via style.com, nyfw.
