Tea & Cake

One of the great perks of being a freelancer is scheduling "lunch" at my favorite bakery, Crixa Cakes, to celebrate the birthday of my talented and dear friend, Ben. Ben has introduced me to all manner of hidden spots in the East Bay, from the abandoned train station in West Oakland, to Mango Queendom dessert in Chinatown. Crixa Cakes, however, is on the top of my list.

Saffron buns the size of softballs in the display case.

Dark chocolate Bourbon Cake. Decadent beyond belief with frosting that defies gravity.

Pear and Rose Cream pie. Light and perfectly sweet. Reminds me of dessert at my grandmother's house, where all sweets were sprinkled with rose water.

New Project

I picked up some beautiful vintage quilted pieces from the Addison Endpapers Studio Sale earlier this week. I am always in awe of the pattern combinations that bold quilters use; individually these fabric choices wouldn't be my first pick, but together they work to create a beautiful graphic image. My mind has been spinning a bit since these little gems came into my life, and I'm starting to envision a new direction for Miss Natalie. There will be lots of sewing and writing and thinking ahead as I work out these ideas, and photos and hints to come right here, so stay tuned.

Hand drawn Type

For a bit of type inspiration, here is an amazing video called "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz", created by Job & Roel Wouters and recorded in Amsterdam at studio Xelor in early 2008. I first saw this on a post @ High + Low a few days ago and have been dreaming about it since. On the right is Job Wouters, on the left is his 4 year old nephew Gradus.

I do a similar exercise with my type students on the first day of class to help get them loosened up. It also involves lots of paper, india ink, and big brushes. I'm envisioning recreating this video with my niece, Audrey, and hanging the finished alphabet on her bedroom walls, or in the large stairwell of my home. Now I just need to come across a ream of nice paper that won't yellow in the sun.

You're #1

Something's hiding in here

Hawkeye in the window, part of the "Everyday" show by Something's Hiding in Here @ Rare Device.

Braille blank cards

New Braille blank note cards have just been added to the shop. Made of 100% reclaimed paper and featuring braille pages from Seventeen and Rolling Stone magazine. Cards measure 4.5" x 6" and come with smooth white paper insert for writing and matching envelope.

Roost

I saw the Roost catalog for the first time last night and I fell deeply for all things dark wood, porcelain, bamboo, and made to look like a sea urchin. I was crestfallen to learn there was a $500 minimum order, and of course one is supposed to be reselling these items, not simply decorating your house with them. Although if I switch careers and become an interior designer, I think decorating my entire house in Roost would classify as a tax write-off, no?

Paint under my fingernails

It feels so good to be back in the studio and making, making, making. I love this feeling. Today it is small heart bags for the growth charts.

What a week

Here stands the largest wooden roller coaster in the world, the Texas Giant. Because it's made of wood, the entire structure shakes and rattles as you fly across it, giving the illusion of collapse and egging on your fears of death. I first rode this when I was 12, with my sister who was 16 at the time. When the safety bar came down to secure us in our seats, there was a very large gap between my skinny frame and that padded metal bar. My sister held me down for the full 5-minute ride as we screamed our heads off and were thrown about the cart. I loved it.

My apologies for being totally awol for the last week. I got hit, or should I say knocked over the head, with a case of bronchitis, and I am just now emerging from the weight of it. Lots of sorting through papers and catching up on e-mails and orders now.

Miss Growth Chart sneak peek

Our show this weekend at Babes & Babies went really well! Thanks to all our new friends for stopping by--we had a wonderful time meeting you all. We launched our new product, Miss Natalie's Growth Chart, which sold out very quickly! I'm busy working on creating many more of these kits and will post shortly when they are available. You can see the growth charts on the far right of the above photo, and a detail shot below.

We'll be posting photos soon with more details of the kit in action. I'm really excited about these little treasure chests and had a great time designing and crafting them.

Pick a feeling

New card on the shop, made of reclaimed paper. Love, hate, admire, want...you choose how to fill in the blank. Pick up a set to convey all those conflicted feelings. For Valentine's day or whenever.

Super Tuesday

Very exciting day here in California. I just dropped Ben off to phone bank all day, and we'll keep holding our breath until tonight. This feeling reminds me of the first day of school, when you're excited and anxious and have no idea how it will all turn out. (Vote card set from Rare Device)

Babes & Babies show, 2/10

Things are super busy here in the studio as we gear up for our next show, Babes & Babies, on Sunday, February 10th in San Francisco. It's one of the biggest and best kid's shopping events in SF, according to 7 x 7 magazine. I'll be debuting some amazing new products--sneak peeks to come this week--along with selling my handmade quilts, embroidered onesies, hankies, and tea towels. Hope you'll mark your calendars!

Babes & Babies
Sunday, February 10th, from 9:30am-2pm
Jewish Community Center of SF, Kanbar Hall
3200 California St @ Presidio

Tickets are $5 at the door, or 2 tickets for $8 online at www.appelandfrank.com
Get FREE tickets ahead of time by RSVP online with promo code: DESIGNER