Sakura Matsuri

I've been following the Brooklyn Botanic Garden blossom status map closely and bang! over the weekend the mall of cherry blossom trees finally bloomed.

And just in time. This weekend at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is the celebration of the cherry blossoms: Sakura Matsuri. There are over 50 scheduled events. It gets crowded for sure, but is fun, the food is great and the blossoms are breathtaking. My long time favorite is the Soh Daiko japanese drumming group. My husband and I even took a drumming lesson - I mean who wouldn't want to bang on those drums at least once in their lives!!??

Enjoy!

Bow Tie Sewing Night

Mark your calendars!

You are cordially invited to attend the first-ever BurdaStyle Charity Sewing Night!

Meet the BurdaStyle team and other members as we come together to complete our goal of 150 bow ties for the American Cancer Society. All skill levels are welcome, but space is limited.

When: April 29th, 2009, 5pm

Where: 325 Gold Street Suite 201 Brooklyn, NY 11201

RSVP today!

Not able to make it to Brooklyn? There is a free pattern and a step by step how to on their website which is PACKED with tutorials and patterns.

Booked

Thanks to all who braved the indoors in lue of the beautiful weather outside on Saturday and made sail covered books with me at the Brooklyn Museum. I had a great time and thought your creativity and stick-to-it-atness was wonderful. (Those grommet pliers are ... uh... challenging at best!)

What a setting! To be in the Rubin Pavilion was better than battling the crowds at the nearby Botanic Gardens. Big thanks to to Alisa and the education staff for all their cheerful support. They donated posters from past exhibitions for us to use in the books - fun! I would definitely recommend these classes - keep your eyes on the Brooklyn Museums Calendar page for upcoming classes and events!

WIP: Brooklyn Museum Class prep

I'm so excited to make sail covered books over at the Brooklyn Museum tomorrow (sat) 4/25 from 2-4 pm. More specifics on the BM's site here. It's promised to be a beautiful day and the workshop will take place in the sun drenched Rubin Pavilion in the front lobby. It will be a treat!





Also today is Etsy Day! If your response was 'What's an Etsy" (pronounced like Betsy w/out the B) Just click here and explore the vast wonderfulness of handmade and vintage goodies. It can be overwhelming so use that handy search engine. Have fun!

Happy Day

In honor of Earth Day I am offering free shipping in both my web store and Etsy shop.

But what is MOST important is we all renew our commitment to doing our part for the planet. There are a million ways to help out big and small and there are so many resources for info. Earthday.net is a good place to start.

Enjoy the day - everyday!!


Wish I was there!! (Taken earlier this year in Delray Beach, Florida. Can you see the sailboat on the horizon??

How Green Are Your Shoes??

Just came across Summer Rayne Oakes' new sustainable shoe line zoe & zac. Cute!




Summer Rayne is a scientist turned eco activist model who, among many other things, is author of the recently released book 'Style Naturally' (which I wrote about here).

Every part of this shoe line is eco friendly: organic cotton uppers, nickel free hardware, recycled rubber and water based, non-toxic glues are just part of the story. Even the shoe boxes are 100% recycled and printed with soy-based inks! I like her commitment and attention to every last detail.




All styles are under $30 and available at Payless which is currently running a buy one get one 1/2 off sale. Be green and save some $$ green!

Brooklyn Flea - Opening Day!

No better way to kick off the season than the promise of sunny and 70 degrees!

Wish I was selling at the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Green today, but couldn't swing it due to family commitments. I don't think I'll be able to resist dropping by for a peruse and a bite to eat, though.

Sharing the Spotlight!

I was thrilled to see Reiter8's Blue 8 tote was part of a fantastic list of eco chic items guest curated by Style at Home's Laurie Grassi over on Etsy's Handmade Blog: The Storque.

The stark, graphic quality of this tote from Reiter8 really makes it shine. Crafted from upcycled sailboat sails, the tote’s number is appliqued on the front and red organic cotton lines the inside, which is divided into three sections so you can easily organize all your gear.

Thanks Laurie! In addition to being the executive editor for Canadian magazine, Style at Home, she writes the Natural Chic blog. Well worth checking out.



I loved all her picks but particularly drawn to the brights:


White record bowl by vinylrocksmyworld

100% recycled felt appliqué pillow from alexandraferguson

Recycled can night light by MariposaAvenue

My favorite from the group are the organic linen napkins by natsuminishizumi. They are hand-screenprinted using water-based inks, and 5% of the profits go to Friends Without a Border, a charity that provides medical care to children in Cambodia. Nice.

Check out the entire post and more beautiful eco chic picks by Laurie!

Anchors Aweigh!*

This bright Anchor tote is making it's debut today. Initiated by a customer request, I have made a couple extra and they are available here.
Enjoy

*Etymology of Anchors Aweigh according to the United States Navy Band's web site

The word "weigh" in this sense comes from the archaic word meaning to heave, hoist or raise. "Aweigh" means that that action has been completed. The anchor is aweigh when it is pulled from the bottom. This event is duly noted in the ship's log.

You learn something new everyday!

Renegade '09

Oh, Yeah! Reiter8 will be at The Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn on June 6 + 7 from 11am - 7pm, at McCarren Park.

More info and booth number etc to follow.

Grand Location

Reiter8 bags can now be found at Grand Heron in Aberdeen, WA
Find a full list of shops that carry Reiter8 products here.

Record Deal

I love the genius behind these custom upcycled record necklaces from Junk Prints. How cool is that!?

$34 will buy you 9 letters and a choice of 3 typefaces, but Chanel from Junk Prints will also quote you a price for longer custom names or phrases.



Think of it as you're very own record deal!

This Ain't Your Mother's Sail Bag!

Oh, Yeah. I'm loving this new limited edition upcycled sail purse made with this lining material which is visible though the clear mylar and kevlar recycled sail.


Two of them will be available at noon today in my Etsy shop.

Creative Entitlement

"If it's out there, it's mine. You know, everything I see and hear. I don't care if Shakespeare wrote it or Tennessee Williams wrote it or if Bob Dylan wrote it or I see it on a sit com. If I hear words - they're mine. And so I will take ideas from anyplace, anywhere, anytime and life has become a song to me. I am always looking for a song."

-John Mellencamp in an interview by Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air. Hear the interview here.

"Life has become a song to me." Struck me like a ton of bricks when I heard it yesterday. I think I will look around a little differently today.

What will you see and hear today??