The Story Unfolds

Big News + a Breather

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:32:00 +0000

You still there? Life has been crazy this last month and will continue to do so for a while. Lots of big changes and excitement, so without further ado:

1) We bought our first house, a major fixer-upper in South Austin. Hoping we'll be move-in ready by end of May/early June. I hope that didn't just jinx us.
2) I've started teaching full-time.
3) Salt & Time is launching in May, with a debut this Thursday at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden Party. You can already get a taste on the charcuterie plate at the Hotel Saint Cecilia.
4) Miss Natalie's Heirloom Growth charts are featured in the May issue of Pregnancy Magazine--yes, the one with Kelly Kapowski on the cover!
5) Miss Natalie will be at the Renegade Austin Craft show in a few short weeks, May 15-16th.
6) We'll also be heading back to our hometown for Renegade Brooklyn on June 5-6th.
7) Blogger has been refusing to post photos, so I can't show you proof of any of this!

I will be revamping the site and switching servers shortly, so we may disappear for a week or two while the shift occurs. Fear not, though! We will be back with a better looking site and more bells/whistles. Keep up to date by following our twitter @DearMissNatalie

For the love of wood

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:01:00 +0000

I'm currently obsessed with building with wood, daydreaming of all the projects I could create. Today I am in love with BDDW, a small American furniture company that crafts modern heirloom pieces. I love this image from their "About Us" page.

Right now I am trying to find a beginning woodworking class that I can work into my schedule. In the meantime, I'll continue sketching out cabinet ideas and table designs. Who knows where this will take me, but it feels exciting.

Mind blowing

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:41:00 +0000

Installation work by Katie MccGwire. Absolutely stunning.

Backroads lead to home

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:40:00 +0000

Style Rookie meets the Mad Hatter

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:59:00 +0000

This photo brings me endless joy, featuring Tavi and John Galliano after the Dior show. This is the type of world I want to live in, where a teen fashion blogger gets front row at the Paris couture shows and has a tet'a te with the grand master himself. I've been following Tavi for a few years now, and am so happy that she's been fulfilling her dreams and making serious waves in the fashion world. It's amusing to watch established editors get all riled up because of a young upstart with a distinct voice and simple platform (blogger) to share it. Reading her blog this last year has felt somewhat like a movie script, and I doubt it will take long for Hollywood to take notice and make that happen. Here's my casting vote--Amy Sedaris to play Tavi.

Genius

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:31:00 +0000

work by the great Alvin Lustig. Some inspiration as I finish up the Salt & Time ID system this week. Have you visited Ben the Butcher lately? He's got a lot of goods curing, getting ready for spring. You can be his fan on facebook.

Hint, hint, Ben

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:18:00 +0000

Lou & Vanessa

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:49:00 +0000

Lou Doillon is a perfect mix of wit and charm, the epitome of Vanessa Bruno's Spring 2010 line. This short film brings a smile to my face.

The Poppies Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:28:00 +0000

We're super excited to be nominated for this year's Poppies Awards in the "Homemade Housewares" category. Jan at Poppytalk, one of our favorite Canadian design blogs, has a great list of folks and a wonderful judging panel. Many thanks to all our great friends who have been voting. Polls close on Friday, 1/29, at midnight, so you still have a chance to cast your vote for Miss Natalie! Simply follow this link and click on "Miss Natalie".

Classes start

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:59:00 +0000

Last week the winter session started up and I have quite a full load this quarter! Four classes, 85 students, and lots of type. Here a quick flashback to my Intro to Type class from San Francisco, from our experimental type assignment. I am now teaching an entire class on experimental type, one of my favorite topics.

Making it

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:00:00 +0000

For the last few days I have been writing and thinking about my design and teaching philosophies. Good, but hard stuff that makes my brain hurt and my fingers want to get off the computer, stop thinking so much, and just start making. Like this:

2010

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:28:00 +0000

2010 is the year we've been working towards, so I can't tell you how excited we are to see it here. Ben and I have both been putting in the time, nurturing our projects, and we're about to see the first blooms soon. Looking forward to sharing them with you all here, and I hope to be posting more often to document the journey.

xoxo,
Miss Natalie

Happy Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:48:00 +0000

Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:07:00 +0000

This Thanksgiving I have a lot to be grateful for, and I'd like to share a bit of that with you, our loyal Miss Natalie friends. Until December 14th, whenever you buy from the Miss Natalie shop, enter promo code STORY UNFOLDS in the "Note to Seller" section and receive a free gift with purchase! Thank you so much for your continued support and kind words--you've helped make many dreams possible (for both myself and Ben), and we couldn't have done it without you.

xoxo from Texas,
Miss Natalie

photo by Paul Schiek

Mail-A-Mask Postcard

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:59:00 +0000

They're HERE!! Miss Natlie's Mail-A-Mask Postcards are ready to go, perfect for your favorite kid or friend in need of some cheering up. Who knew it only took a 6" x 9" postcard to make anyone instantly smile?

Don't tell the apple boxes, but Mail-A-Masks are my favorite new item this season, as it combines my love for mask-masking (remember this?) and hand-drawn patterns. Printed on recycled paper, the postcards are a total steal at $4 and available in our shop. Since they're 6" x 9", you have plenty of room to write an epic letter to your friend. Who doesn't like to get real mail?

Snowflake Ornaments!

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:33:00 +0000

We've just updated the Miss Natalie shop with some lovely wood-burned snowflake ornaments! Each ornament measures 5.5" x 5" and comes hung on a satin red ribbon with a green gift tag, ready for giving or hanging on your tree.

There are two unique styles to choose from: the Polka Dots or Herringbone pattern, and they are available in sets--just drop us a note and we can put one together for you! Aside from hanging on your tree, these also make charming table settings for a holiday dinner party. We've made a limited quantity for this holiday season, so get yours early!

Renegade Holiday Show in SF

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:32:00 +0000

We're totally jazzed to be back in SF for the new Renegade Holiday show!! Bringing back your favorites, plus a bunch of new products we've been working on. The next few weeks will be insanity as I try to wrap up freelance, get products out to stores, and prep for this show. BUT, you guys know that I thrive when busy.

For all my loyal Bay Area customers, I hope you can make it out to the show, December 19th-20th. I miss seeing you all!

Fall on the River

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:53:00 +0000

Suddenly the leaves have turned and it feels like fall down by the river. Thankful for the cooler weather and a chance to break out my sweaters.

Type Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Gorgeous type inspiration this morning from Sheaff: Ephemera. I need to make a type backdrop for myself and pose all my products in front of it--soo nice. While I love a chunky letterform, my favorite of this bunch is Brown Light Artillerary. I have a lot of hand lettering to do this weekend, so this was a perfect find.

In other news, our house has been invaded by two of our favorite boys, Paul and Kyle. They're out to help Ben finish building out his salami and sausage shop, Salt and Time. Today they are installing a huge cooler--the curing room. I know waaay too much about salami now.

I'm working on lots of fun, new products for the holiday season--can't wait to share with you guys.

Driving Home

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:42:00 +0000

I may be slowly falling in love with Texas. I didn't really think it was possible, but living in the country has won me over.

Cheer up, Charlie

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:43:00 +0000

This little guy has been keeping me company while getting over the flu. If only he could also keep me in a constant supply of smoothies and bad movies, I'd be set. More to come when I'm back from the dead. Is it just me, or is this the week that everyone's been hit with the flu?

I heart trades

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:32:00 +0000

I'm so excited to have my little hands on this wonderful print by Caitlin Keegan! I'm creating a wood-burned Babushka apple box for her, and she's sending me this print. I've been coveting this piece ever since seeing the original at her show (with Julia Rothman) at Rare Device a few years ago. Caitlin's sister, Sian, created our stuffed dog portrait of Hawkeye, so I've gotten to know the talented Keegan sisters this last year. Lucky me.

Back in the Saddle

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:54:00 +0000

Wandering the streets of Gruene last weekend for Market Days. I'm a big fan of Gruene and it's classic Dance Hall, the oldest in Texas. Whenever I get around to filming my rap video, it's going to be in the Gruene Dance Hall. I'll be wearing the killer denim jumpsuit Ben scored for me, the one that is 3 inches too short in the legs. We'll let you know if we need extras for the big finale.

Oh, you know...

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:40:00 +0000

Guys, I know, I know. This is a travesty. I was supposed to have this cleaned up days ago. But then I got busy with freelance, and all my favorite TV shows started up again, and then the Valentino documentary finally arrived from Netflix. You know, important stuff here.

Also, I've been super busy stuffing my face with pickled okra. Pickled Okra! It has changed my world. Ben made 3 different batches and we've been eating them non-stop. As you can tell from this photo, most of the okra is gone. This batch was my favorite, Pickled Okra with chili and lemongrass. And yes, I do believe Pickled Okra should be capitalized because it's that good.

Skies clearing

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Natalie) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:17:00 +0000

I'm revamping the site over the next few days, so bear with some ugliness for a while. Thanks!