This super cute reversible turquoise and pink flower hat was nominated by StrandRedesign:

Flipside Hats are made by Trillium Artisans member Kori Giudici from salvaged materials.

Ojamiya nominated this romantic set of ivory jeweled ranunculus flowers which can be made into pins or bobbies:

BrassPaperclip uses vintage or recycled materials for her designs as much as possible.

This delightful kid’s messenger bag was nominated by Tamdoll – what a gorgeous shade of green!

SewnNatural keeps coming up with the most irresistible designs – this organic cotton bag is no exception.

A great big thanks for your participation – enjoy this beautiful blooming time!

http://blog.ecoetsy.com/2010/08/themed-nomination-winners-full-bloom/

Kori Guiduci of Flipside Hats & her adorable new little baby

We have been carrying Flipside hats for a couple years now and they just get cooler & cooler! Kori is a wonderfully talented ambitious woman taking reuse reduce recycle to another level. Her hats are made using recycled curtains, clothing etc… They are all reversible making them even that much cooler. The cut is flattering to anyone and she offers a wide range of sizes so even people with giant heads (like mine) can find a cute hat that fits. She tops it all off with applique, stitch or ribbon details for some truly stylish hats. Due to the limit of each fabric many if not most are one of a kinds. Not to mention her and her little family are about as cute & sweet as they come!

Check out Seasons Presents of Mind blog here:

Presents Of Mind & Flipside Hats at Crafty Wonderland

Here is the original article:

This year was the first Super Colossal Crafty Wonderland Spring Show and the first time Presents of Mind was part of Crafty Wonderland. It was great to sponsor such a wonderful event!

Cinnamon Chaser & Seasons Koll Presents of Mind

As you may or may not know my mother Cinnamon Chaser & I own Presents of Mind. We are also both artists, and I have a clothing line Seasons K. Designs as well. My mother retired from the store for the most part a few years ago and has been able to devote far more time on her beautiful art, and the occasional art show. We showed my clothing line and a selection of both our artwork at Crafty Wonderland this Spring.

Seasons Koll & Cinnamon Chaser

Seasons K. Designs Clothing & Art

Artwork by Cinnamon Chaser

We have attended many of the Crafty Wonderland shows looking for new vendors and gifts for our staff, friends and of course ourselves. It was a change of pace for me especially, to be on the other side of the table. It was fun and exciting to show my work in this way and to get the feedback of the attendees. It was also really great to be surrounded by so many artists we carry in the store and that I interact with on a regular basis. As most of you know Presents of Mind is famous for carrying local designers and many of our favorites were showing at Crafty Wonderland. Here are some of the wonderfully talented artists we carry at Presents of Mind showing their creations.

Heidi Cain creator of Passion Flower

Passion Flower is one of our favorite jewelry lines! We have been carrying Heidi Cain’s line of shrinky dink jewelry creations for quite some time now and are always surprised by how innovative and creative she is with her line. Every time we see her she has a whole new set of designs each even more awesome than the last, she even started doing wire wrapping and using stones in her work. She had a stunning display set up at Crafty this year using drift wood and her very clever handmade jewelry racks.

Lauren Hay of Badge Bomb & One Inch Round

Portland landmarks made with Cardboard

We love fellow Crafty Wonderland sponsors One Inch Round & their sister company Badge Bomb! If you came to Crafty Wonderland and got a free button from us, they are the ones who made them. They do great custom buttons at unbeatable prices and they help design, produce, and distribute buttons for many talented artists from near and far. They have my favorite booth by far, it’s a cardboard Portland!! Portland landmarks made out of cardboard with trees & clouds = LOVE !

Jen Woffinden of JDUCT

Jen of JDUCT was showing her clever, contemporary and ever popular duct tape wallets & flasks at Crafty Wonderland. We have been carrying her wallets for a long time now but have been extra excited about the addition of flasks to her line! Jen has created some truly cool images using only duct tape and I for one am really impressed, seems customers are too, as JDUCT is hard to keep in stock.

Barbara Soule of B. Hive Designs

B. Hive Designs is a lovely clothing line for women & children made by the lovely and talented Barbaba Soule. Clean & contemporary designs with subtle tonal color pallets on beautiful clothing are the trademark of B. Hive designs. We have had the joy of carrying her line for some time now and are hard pressed to find more precious baby clothes or pretty women’s blouses made locally. She had a charming booth set up where all the clothing popped against a clean bright backdrop.

Betsy of Betsy & Iya

We LOVE Betsy!! Beth (Buyer for Presents of Mind) & I met Betsy some time ago when she was repping jewelry that other talented folks made, little did we know we would soon be buying her stunning creations. Betsy & Iya is a newer line for us and already a best seller! The scale, style and pricepoints have quickly won our customers and us over!

Diana of Moss

Moss is a newer line for us but we have already reordered these treasures a few times. Handmade by Diana Schreiber these miniature works of art take you back to a time when all jewelry was an heirloom carefully and painstakingly handcrafted with love. They all have the look and feel of some incredible vintage find, her grandmother thinks it’s funny that she does the kind of art she did when she was younger. We are so happy she learned and shares these incredible talents.

Nicole Cipriano of Cipriano Designs

Cipriano Designs wallets are a staff favorite , 1/2 the staff own one, including me (My favorite wallet ever!). Soft, durable, beautiful and incredibly well constructed they are the sort of wallets that just get better with some wear & age and yet look sophisticated at the same time. Her designs are unique, her leather is recycled and her work is impeccable, what more could you ask for? Her men’s wallets would make wonderful Father’s day gifts for that stylish dad in your life!

Katie Raetz of Burdy Fly Away

You may remember Katie from one of our earlier blog posts Ten Questions for Burdy Fly Away. Here with her oh so sweet hubby at their lovely Crafty Wonderland Booth. Her baby and women’s clothes are like no other. She creates contemporary bright clean designs using applique and hand dyed materials with amazing skill! We have seen a lot of applique but her work surpasses any we have ever seen.

Lindsay Jo Holms of Maple XO

We just recently stated carrying this awesome line using recycled skateboards and wrote a post about it just recently titled MapleXO in the House. Maple XO is one of the coolest lines ever and Lindsay is the cherry on top! Darling, spunky, talented and a little bit bad ass Lindsay is making super cool jewelry while saving the planet , what could be wrong with that?!? Her booth was great with old skateboard decks and other clever displays, very impressive all around.

Kori Guiduci of Flipside Hats & her adorable new little baby

We have been carrying Flipside hats for a couple years now and they just get cooler & cooler! Kori is a wonderfully talented ambitious woman taking reuse reduce recycle to another level. Her hats are made using recycled curtains, clothing etc… They are all reversible making them even that much cooler. The cut is flattering to anyone and she offers a wide range of sizes so even people with giant heads (like mine) can find a cute hat that fits. She tops it all off with applique, stitch or ribbon details for some truly stylish hats. Due to the limit of each fabric many if not most are one of a kinds. Not to mention her and her little family are about as cute & sweet as they come!

Kiersten Crowley

Kiersten Crowley jewelry

Kiersten Crowley blows my mind a little. She makes the most intricate sterling jewelry I have ever seen. Her pieces look small and simple but the closer you look the more stunning intricate little details you see. She mixes metals, stones and stunning metal smithing abilities to make jewelry that is everyday wearable while being exceptional.  Her booth at Crafty had the same feel as her creations clean, simple, classic & effortlessly cool.

Jackie Imdahl of Scrumptious Suds

Jackie Imdahl is the creator of Scrumptious Suds, the soaps that smells so tasty you want to eat them & make your skin feel just as yummy. With scents like Mojito, Cosmopolitan, Sweet Margarita, la Fée Verte~Absinthe, Memphis Sweet Tea,  Bebida de Primavera, & Almond Biscotti you are sure to smell tasty. I feel blissful well moisturized yummy smelling skin from luxurious bath products is essential, at least it should be. Jackie is a doll and a powerhouse herself running Handmade NW shows as well as her successful soap line!

Julz Nally of Handmade Julz

Julz Nally is an incredibly talented lady, designer & jewelry maker extraordinaire. We have carried her line Handmade Julz for some time now but when we found her line she wasn’t even living in Portland, yet. Her designs are bright, contemporary and fun. Placed under glass then wire wrapped with various wire colors making each piece a standout. She also uses her designs on art prints & magnets. She even started making coasters, that we can’t seem to keep on the shelves!

Elizabeth Soule

Elizabeth Soule is an incredibly talented photographer with dreamy wonderful images that mesmerize. We have carried her line of art prints and cards for a couple years now and they continue to captivate. Whatever animal we are drawn to she gives life and soft subtle beauty to. She was showing her stunning art on prints, cards and mounted on wood blocks at Crafty Wonderland and the whole booth was stunning.

Barb Burwell of Ciao Birdie

Barb Burwell of Ciao Birdie is an inspired designer with earthy graphic designs that have a style all their own. Well thought out collages with block print details. She continually finds new mediums for her designs including some of our favorite mini journals, buttons etc… We have been selling her cards for a couple years now and they continue to inspire.

JoAnn of Dolcetti Jewelry

Dolcetti Jewelry is a favorite craft show find of mine. JoAnn makes some truly lovely simple charming pieces of jewelry using sterling & stones. Really easy simple daily wear pieces and truly unique geodes, pearls, mixed stones & metals. Loved her Crafty Booth with her fantastic sign, and even over 8 months pregnant as sweet and darling as ever!

Teri Sprouse of 2Monkees

Teri Sprouse of 2Monkees is a creative powerhouse! Every time she brings her latest creations to Presents of Mind I am bowled over by how many new creations & designs she has. Wonderful hair accessories, belts, necklaces, rings etc…  with great graphics, vintage components and lovely craftsmanship.

Rachel Austin Artist Extraordinaire

Rachel Austin makes art that is easy to find a home for. Stunning color pallets, simple interesting designs and clean graphic images make her paintings delightful! I would love to have the wall space in Presents of Mind to give her the show she so richly deservers, but am also so pleased to carry her cards & jewelry. Her booth at Crafty Wonderland was a perfect showcase for her art and it was wonderful to get to see her larger pieces in person.

Scott McCarty of Locket 2 You

Scott & Miranda McCarty  are business Rockstars! Locket 2 You is the brilliant result of their creative and business firepower. They put everything into this wonderful idea, and I’m so happy they did. Vintage Locket meets graphic contemporary jewelry. While some designs are purely reminiscent of your grandmother’s locket with a vintage graphic others have contemporary graphics and imagery to fit every taste. The sentimental possibilities of a locket need no explanation and their lovely chains, beads, colors & graphics make it possible to make that gift far more personal. Brilliant.

Marie of Ripe Glass

Ripe Glass is a charming line of fused glass jewelry with lovely and unique imagery fused in. The color combinations & images are what really sets this line apart. We have carried Marie’s fused glass jewels for quite some time now, I found her work at another local craft show. The addition of earrings & new graphics made this line even more fantastic. Her booth like her work was charming, beautiful, clever & unique.

There were a few other vendors that we carry showing at Crafty Wonderland but with manning my own booth I regretfully didn’t get a chance to feature or snap photos of them all.

It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to sponsoring and participating in more local craft events.

Landed writing to you from Paris : Twigs and Honey

Sleepy looking. But hey, cute hat, yeah? It’s the one from flipside hats and I’m wearing my new Amy Wing Designs necklace (I need to get a close-up photo!)

I stayed up for a straight 58 hours before we hopped on the plane for France… that was one of my longest stretches of no sleep ever. Isn’t that nuts? That was after sleeping only a couple hours a night for several days. When we boarded the plane, I slept off and on until Houston and then for the 9 hour flight to Paris, I slept for about 8 hours. ha! I don’t like flying, so this was nice. We got one of the middle rows of seats and the plane was fully booked but due to delays, we nearly missed our flight BUT someone else must have too because we got 3 seats for the two of us and I got to curl up on 2 seats for a nice, long sleep.

When we landed, we got our rental car and drove around the city and after finally finding a single parking spot, we stopped at a quaint cafe for lunch… or breakfast? Matt got quiche and I finally got my cheese… toasted goat cheese on a baguette. So yummy. Our hotel room is tiny but nice and after a quick shower, I’ve come out, ready to hit the streets, but Matt is totally dead asleep. Perhaps I should wake him up? We are in the city of love! Maybe I’ll wake him… this girl needs to see the sights!

Sabrina and Emily head to the Convention Center to check out Crafty Wonderland! We meet some of Portland’s most creative types and it becomes increasingly harder to not buy anything! So hard that Sabrina was making bazaar grunting sounds at the booths she loved. Emily kept busy with the plethora of pretty ladies selling pretty things. From mustache wax to octopus dolls this convention was very Portland!

Convention Crashers – Flipside Hats Interview

Convention Crashers Explicit Content Full Audio here:

Convention Crashers Episode 12

Flipside Hats business model grew from taking curtains and clothes re-purposed to create the latest fashion. Now we take the curtains and the jeans and pair those with an organically produced fabric and create sustainable, beautiful Hats. Flipside’s fashion keeps growing with sustainability as the heart and driving force of our business.

If you have material (your favorite jeans) you would like made into a hat. Consider a custom Flipside. To recycle and donate materials give us a call at 503.272.1359

Come Visit Last Thursday

Be sure to visit the HiiH Gallery who have graciously hosted us on their door step for the past years. http://www.hiihgallery.com/
Every Last Thursday in the Summer
Time: 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Location: HI IH GALLERY
Street: 2929 NE Alberta Street
City/Town: Portland, OR

http://www.artonalberta.org/last_thursday.html

Ties in Design: Being Resourceful

Flipside Hats takes scraps of discarded material and turns them into reversible hats so you can change styles day to day or even throughout the day without added clutter to your hat rack.

We’re so satisfied with our newfound resourcefulness, we’ve decided to nix cruel mass texts about our roommate for now.  We’re too busy trying to figure out who can manufacture those awesome stainless steel chopsticks from our iPhones instead.

From top left to right: Wrapables 2 sided Reef in Moss throw pillow, $59.95; Resource Furniture Single Coffee Table is a real space saver, contact manufacturer for pricing; Fab idea and International Design Excellence Award winner, Roll n Roll stainless steel strips roll up into a variety of utensils- we would love for this to come to fruition!; Flipside Hats reversible Subtle Race hat lets our changing mind switch looks whenever we please, $48.

The running theme this first week of 2010 is how to actually apply our resolutions to our lives. No pitiful excuses or outright laziness this year. We’re making our resolutions happen. Next up- resourcefulness.

Being resourceful is such an important part of our society today we wouldn’t know what to do if we couldn’t email, IM, get directions, play a game on the subway and tweet pictures of random happenings all from the power of our iPhone.

We’ve been thinking about other ways to bring resourcefulness into our lives that isn’t mass messaging a picture of our roommate in the shower to our entire address book.

Wrapables two sided and reversible pillow covers save time and space by offering two looks in one and the opportunity to change things up in only the time it takes to turn things around.

Resource Furniture’s Single Coffee Table takes our lack of space from being a let-down to being a cool asset by easily morphing into a workspace or dining top when needed.

A bronze winner in the International Design Excellence Awards of 2007, we can’t shake Wu Tung Chih’s idea for stainless steel strips that can be rolled into chopsticks, a straw or napkin rings. Where art thou Roll n Roll for purchase?

Flipside Hats takes scraps of discarded material and turns them into reversible hats so you can change styles day to day or even throughout the day without added clutter to your hat rack.

We’re so satisfied with our newfound resourcefulness, we’ve decided to nix cruel mass texts about our roommate for now.  We’re too busy trying to figure out who can manufacture those awesome stainless steel chopsticks from our iPhones instead.

From top left to right: Wrapables 2 sided Reef in Moss throw pillow, $59.95; Resource Furniture Single Coffee Table is a real space saver, contact manufacturer for pricing; Fab idea and International Design Excellence Award winner, Roll n Roll stainless steel strips roll up into a variety of utensils- we would love for this to come to fruition!; Flipside Hats reversible Subtle Race hat lets our changing mind switch looks whenever we please, $48

Reduce-Reuse-Recycle: Seattle Style

Dear Fashionista and DC Goodwill Friends:

I know you think we dress all Grunge-y, like a Michael Lavine photograph — specifically “Benson & Hedges, Seattle 1983.”

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2010219547_grunge08.html

And, yes, 25 years later, our street style is as indie as ever. But, maybe, just a tad cleaner. Not quite as worn, ripped and nicotine-stained, as we were back in the days of denim and flannel.

Don’t get me wrong. We still dress like burlesque-anarchists-trekking-across-a-mountain-pass. Think: Betty Page meets Che Guevara meets Himalayan Sherpa. You know, sexy but fierce, and weather appropriate whenever possible.

Yes, here in the Pacific Northwest, we wear our boots tall, our gloves fingerless, our hats warm, and our vintage cocktail dresses to shreds.

And, as you can probably guess, we take our thrift-store shopping seriously. (When the Seattle Goodwill does its annual Glitter Sale in November, squabbles erupt over sequins and catfights go down over beaded gowns. No lie.)

In Seattle, Reduce-Reuse-Recycle is our dedicated mantra, and we are taking it to the next level in the 21st century. The latest fashion trends in our neck of the woods are eco-friendly and eccentric: one-of-a-kind garments made from salvaged fabrics and used clothing.

To give you some examples of clever fashion re-purposing, I spent a recent Sunday afternoon at the 5th annual Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle Center’s exhibition hall.

http://www.urbancraftuprising.com/

One of my favorite vendors of re-vamped vintage, Ms. Kalliber (kalliber.etsy.com) shows how you can push vintage shoes, handbags and other accessories into the realm of wearable art. Her fingerless gloves with badass embroidery across the knuckles speak to my inner juvenile delinquent. [Ed. note: I gotta get me some of these!]

If that’s not naughty enough for you, consider the Technicolor boxers and bikini briefs created by Shesho Designs (www.sheshodesigns.com). According to Shesho’s Seamstress Extraordinaire, Krista Kelly – who by the way has such amazing personal style that I had to take her picture –

the crotches are always made from virgin materials, brand-spanking new. So you can wear those far-out and funky hot pants, without worrying about the funk getting into your junk.

Continuing on with original designs made from new and recycled fabrics, Eon by Selena (http://www.selenaeon.etsy.com/) has streamlined our uncontrollable impulse to wear multiple sweatshirts at the same time. Here is my gal-pal Karra modeling a Eon racing-stripe top –

which was so soft and welcoming that she couldn’t bear to take it off. Yes, she bought it on the spot. Selena also makes fantabulous basket-weave back hoodies and jackets from recycled sweatshirts, as well as new material like organic cotton.

Haberdashers from our little sister city of Portland, OR, Flipside Hats (http://www.flipsidehats.com/) also use salvaged materials and recycled fabrics.

Given that one cannot survive in the Pacific Northwest without a decent hat, Flipside was a popular vendor at the Urban Craft Uprising. (I myself bought two.) Their reversible hats are handmade, each uniquely trimmed with felt flowers, stars, ribbons, fake fur, you name it. Plus they definitely have the Mountain-Guerilla thing going on.

Making new garments from old pieces and reclaimed fabrics is not a trend confined to the Pacific Northwest. No doubt, as the world goes green we will see more repurposed fashion. I don’t know about you, but creative recycling has made me re-think my second-hand store shopping. Why limit the hunt to mint ready-to-wear? With a little ingenuity, something torn, worn, missing all its buttons and full of cigarette holes, might be the perfect raw material to craft something truly unique.

Annie Fanning’s style icon is Bjork and her totem animal is Big Foot. Currently she is obsessing on Visqueen’s new album “Message to Garcia.” You can read her occasionally insightful ramblings on her blog at http://astrafandango.blogspot.com/

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of Annie Fanning and do not necessarily reflect those of Goodwill of Greater Washington or the DCGF.

Goodwill’s fashion blog provides detailed knowledge and insight on vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories that are valuable to fashion shoppers. The facts and opinions shared present readers with entertaining, exciting and value based information on vintage and contemporary fashion and shopping trends.

Posted in Bjork, Eon, Flipside Hats, Kalliber, Shesho Designs,

FLIPSIDE HATS

These toppers are super cute in that make-a-kid-look-like-a-hip-grown-up kind of way—which I personally can’t get enough of. The reversible brimmed caps are made from mostly salvaged materials, which is, of course, incredibly cool. Plus, the different patterns let the little ones get creative with their look. They’ll love you for all the attention they’ll get. $34 at Milagros (Concordia, 5433 N.E. 30th Ave.), Plue (Woodstock, 4411 S.E. Woodstock Blvd.), Bella Stella (Grant Park, 2751 N.E. Broadway), and Polliwog (Sunnyside, 2900 S.E. Belmont St.).

Original Article Here:

THE LOCALIST: Gifts for Kids

The holiday season is about to kick into high gear, and brings with it a whole series of questions: What to buy? What to wear? Where to celebrate? Though you may be sorely tempted to visit a big box store or a mall for the convenience factor, we implore you to keep your dollars and holiday spirit local.

Portland’s proud DIY culture has sprouted a wealth of creative retail endeavors—from clothing to art to food to accessories to home furnishings and much, much more. Whatever you seek, locally inspired, locally crafted treasures (and necessities!) can be found in neighborhood shops in all six quadrants.

It makes sense to buy local on so many levels. This sensibility promotes sustainable spending practices creating a positive ripple effect. We vote with our dollar, so when we support our local artisans and the locally owned neighborhood shops that choose to carry them, we are supporting our local industries and suppliers—which in turn boosts our local economy and adds to better options, varied choices, more possibilities. When we think and act (hyper)locally, we can all truly thrive.

You should know that buying homegrown does not mean resigning yourself to gifting misshapen crochet pot holders to all of your friends and loved ones. Portland’s talent is exceptional, as are the shop owners who curate their local inventory based on craftsmanship and quality.

To assist you on your quest to shop local, Neighborhood Notes has created a series of holiday gift lists that exclusively features locally made goods available at locally owned retailers. We call them Localists.

Everything you’re looking for is right here, neighbors.

LOCALIST: GIFTS FOR KIDS

Of all the lucky recipients on your list, it’s the young ones who may get the most out of local presents this holiday season. Sure, you won’t have to worry about lead scares, and Portland’s children’s shops, mamapreneurs and crafters definitely deserve the support. But it’s the kiddies who will end up having all the fun with the imaginative toys and adorable duds that encourage their creativity, their style, and their PDX love—basically, you’re not just giving a gift, you’re ensuring they grow up to be incredibly cool Portlanders. Here’s a dozen local goodies for the kiddies.

COLOR ME ROCKET

What kid doesn’t dream of blasting off into space? Now they can—in their own custom-designed rocket. The 100% recyclable cardboard spaceship is a blank canvas for their creativity. Parents will love that you don’t have to be rocket scientist to fold it flat for easy storage. $50 at Child’s Play (Northwest District, 2305 N.W. Kearney St.), one of Portland’s oldest toy stores (since 1979!), now with off-street parking that will come in very handy on NW 23rd Ave this shopping season.

MS. WOOD’S BABY & TOT KIMONOS

They’ve already got a sense of whimsy and a flair for the dramatic—why not encourage them both with a unique kimono wrap? The soft cotton robes are a much more striking alternative to footie pajamas! Available in traditional floral patterns as well as simple one-color and modern patterns, designed and sewn by local mama Alicia Wood, in sizes from six months to Youth 6/7. $24-$35 online at Ms. Wood’s Kimono Shop.

SOFT AND CUDDLY FRUITS & VEGGIES

Grown-ups might not always love it, but there’s nothing like a little pretend cooking to get the kidlets excited. We’re currently loving these cheeky handmade versions of our favorite foods from Pickle Things and Monita Bonita. Pickle Things transforms reused felt into sandwiches and pizza, but also exotic options like falafel pockets and sushi rolls. There are even tea bags! And of course, fruits and veggies to start those healthy habits young. $10-$30 at Black Wagon (Boise, 3964 N. Mississippi Ave.) and online. Meanwhile, Lysa Stiffler crochets all sorts of goodies—from strawberries and bananas to eggplants, carrots, and radishes—that are soft and squishy and all-around pretty lovable for plants. Of course, maybe we’re biased by the cupcakes and ice cream cones. $6-$8 each at Milagros Boutique* (Concordia, 5433 N.E. 30th Ave.) and online.

WILDE FIG CRAYON ROLLS

It would take two busy moms to think of these, and we’re so glad they did. Instead of scrounging through your purse for a dried out pen and scrap of receipt to keep your child occupied for hours—okay, more like minutes, but every one counts!—carry along an assortment of crayons in these roll-up holders so your budding Van Gogh can go to town. $10 at Milagros Boutique* (Concordia, 5433 N.E. 30th Ave.).

WOOD TOY SHOP GADGETS AND GIZMOS AND ROBOTS

They grow up so fast, it can’t hurt to slow it down a little with some old-fashioned, hand-crafted wooden toys from a local craftsman. There are, of course, blocks and puzzles, trains and trucks, but also rubber band-powered race cars and boats, catapults and tops, even robots and pretend iPhones if you just can’t stay away from tech. Prices range from $3 for a small top to $160 for a train set, but most hover around $12-$30, at Black Wagon (Boise, 3964 N. Mississippi Ave.) and Milagros (Concordia, 5433 N.E. 30th Ave.).

QUEEN BEE’S CHICKPEA BABY BAGS

Welcome a new mama and papa to the Portland Parents Club with a local classic—a baby bag from Queen Bee. These leather-free, PVC bags, featuring vibrant colors and simple flora designs, are so PDX they’re practically a rite of passage. Start ‘em off right. $160-$178 at Milagros (Concordia, 5433 N.E.30th Ave.), Bella Stella (Grant Park, 2751 N.E. Broadway), and Haggis McBaggis (Sellwood-Moreland, 6802 S.E. Milwaukie Ave.).

MISTER JUDY VINTAGE-INSPIRED DUDS & APRONS

Started by two sisters and named after their grandmother’s beloved dog, these locally-made blouses, skirts, button-ups, and aprons recall a simpler bygone era—and isn’t that what childhood is all about? Sweet skirt aprons, puff sleeves, a faux-fur cardigan for the girls; hip bowling and Havana-style shirts for the boys, in sizes twelve months to Toddler 5. Aprons $20, call for current clothing prices, at Grasshopper (Vernon, 1816 N.E. Alberta St.), Polliwog (Sunnyside, 2900 S.E. Belmont St.), and SpielWerk Toys (Boise, 3808 N. Williams Ave. & Sellwood-Moreland, 7956 S.E. 13th Ave.).

BABY DEAR VELCRO DRESS-UP DOLLS

Paper tears and rips, and the clothes never stay on with those dinky little tabs anyway. Thankfully, Baby Dear decided to fix the flawed paper doll concept by making themout of natural cotton—in a variety of skin and hair colors, including boys—with clothes that attach with velcro. Voila! Endless dress-up possibilities. Sets include six mix-and-match outfits, two shoes, and a carrying bag. $33 at Mississippi Treehouse (Boise, 3752 N. Mississippi Ave.), the newest kids’ shop to hit the Mississippi block!

MINNIE + LOLA BLANKETS & HAIRCLIPS

All the retro mod essentials you’ll need to hit the town with baby—polka dot blankets, striped bibs, damask burp cloths and reusable wipes (changing a diaper never looked this good), even hair clips to get pretty after getting cleaned up. Right now, the zebra print/hot pink blankie has me wanting to regress bad. Blankets $32-$48, bibs $15, burp cloths $11, wipes $12, and hair clips $4-$6 each, at Milagros (Concordia, 5433 N.E. 30th Ave.) and Mississippi Treehouse (Boise, 3752 N. Mississippi Ave.).

MAMA RUNS WITH SCISSORS KOOL KID LEGS & TUTUS

Some little girls refuse to wear pants, but what to do when the Portland winter hits? Tights are a big pain during potty runs. And that’s where Kool Kid Legs step in, full-size leg warmer in kick-ass patterns like rainbow stripes, bikes, and lightning bolts. (They can also be worn on the arms—try the tattoo pattern to shock the in-laws). And of course, for that girly girl who will have nothing to do with jeans, there are awesome tulle tutus that she’ll never take off (especially if she designs her own combo). Legs $6-$10, tutus $27 at Milagros (Concordia, 5433 N.E. 30th Ave.) and online.

PIRATES AND NINJAS ON T-SHIRTS, OH MY!

Have you noticed how much we love Milagros? They’re simply the old-school (since waaaaay back in 2004) experts when it comes to local, sustainable pregnancy, baby, and children’s products and resources. And they have a great sense of humor. Pick up one of their house “P is for Pirate” or “N is for Ninja” or “C is for Che” t-shirts before they’re snapped up for the holidays. Sizes three months to Youth 8. $20 at Milagros (Concordia, 5433 N.E. 30th Ave.).

Don’t miss the Milagros Holiday Bazaar next Saturday, December 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You’ll be able to meet the crafty folks behind many of the products featured here, and even better, take them home knowing 10% of the sales will go to Mercy Corps.

Intro by Eve Connell.

http://urbancraftuprising.com/

Impressive how well run the show is. The selection of vendors and quality of work were also very impressive.

We found a cute place to stay last minute in th Serenity House. It’s a vintage house with a full kitchen and everything we needed including organic soaps.

http://www.innharmonyguesthouse.com/serenity.html

On Sunday my good friend Ilan came out to visit, and helped us break down our booth and see us off.

We were busy in Seattle but had a nice weekend too.

Thanks everyone for your support.

Mississippi Avenue Street Fai

MISSISSIPPI AVE STREET FAIR!
Street Fair, Childrens Parade and Performances All Day
Host:
Flipside Hats
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Time: 10:00am – 1:00pm
Location: Mississippi Avenue Street Fair (between N Fremont and N Skidmore)

Email:
hats@flipsidehats.com
Description
10-7pm Local Market – featuring interesting arts & crafts vendors plus community service displays & food vendors
Tupello Alley Reusable Art Fair & Water Features
Kids Area – Boise Eliot Eliot Elementary features bouncy castles and kids games for all sizes at Beech
Bingo – lots of prizes
Sustainability Fair at the Mississippi Avenue Lofts (4138 N. Miss Ave)
Salted Ice Cream outside at The Meadow (3731 N. Mississippi Ave)
Rose wine tasting inside at The Meadow

12:00 Children’s Parade – starts at Beech

Four stages – featuring a multi-cultural roster of entertainment

10am-9pm MAIN STAGE at Shaver (middle)
1pm Norman Sylvester
2pm Freak Mountain Ramblers
3pm The Dimes
4pm Linda Hornbuckle band
5pm
6pm The SEI Sounds of Soul Gospel Ensemble
6:40 Matt Sheehy Band
7:30 pm Weinland

11am-10pm SIDE LOT STAGE (Mississippi Station)
1pm Nathaniel Talbot
2pm Sneakin Out
3pm James Low
4pm
5pm Bridgetown Saints
6pm Swing Papillon

11am-7pm DANCE STAGE at Fremont (south end)
Celilo
Tezeta Band
Samba Sol
Taylor Newville
Sudden Anthem
The Beauty
Funk Plastic
Cloaked Characters and Mosely Wotta

11am-7pm ACOUSTIC STAGE at Skidmore (north end)

Businesses and eateries along Mississippi will be open on the street for patio dining & summertime refreshments:

Por Que No? Floating Margarita Garden
Mississippi Pizza & Pub Beer Tent
Amnesia Brewing Patio
Lorenzo’s Patio
Mississippi Station Patio
Crow Bar Bar
Casa Naranja Patio
Pastaworks Wine Tasting Patio

11am–9pm CRAFT BEER TASTING – Local Organic Beer Tasting at Shaver (by the Main Stage)

Featuring:
Roots OG Brewing
Hopworks Urban Brewery
Lucky Labrador Brewing Company
Deschutes Brewery
McMenamins Breweries

The Pride Fest was busy. We stayed at our friends house in the sunset which was just a short drive away. We set up our booth next to a mens group and a chiropractor.

Our event on Facebook

We worked hard and had a lot of fun. We spent the day in Berkeley walking the fire trails in Strawberry Canyon and grilling great food with Jacob’s sisters.

Coby came out and helped us with sales and security, thanks Coby.

Coby working the booth, make up, security and sales, what talent!

What Up Santa Rosa.We met so many great folks from all over at this show. We saw so many familiar faces. We sold so many hats to the rich and poor. So Glad all our bay area people made it out to the show.

Big up to the crew who made it possible. THANK YOU!!! What A fun time, and HARD WORK.

Harmony Festival 2009 Lineup
Michael Franti & Spearhead

India.Arie

Matisyahu

CAKE

Dead Kennedys

Bad Brains

Pepper

Rebelution

Kitaro

The Orb

Balkan Beat Box

K’Naan

Gaudi

Shpongle

ALO

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars

Steve Kimock Crazy Engine w/ Melvin Seals

Shabaz

The Duhks

Legba’s Light “Spirit of Miles Davis” w/ Airto Moreira, Mike Clark, Mike Stern, Charnett Moffett, Brian Jackson, Kentyah Fraser, Vince Wilburn, & Killah Priest

Key Speakers:
Michael Beckwith & Rickie Byars Beckwith

Caroline Casey

Julia Butterfly Hill

George Noory

Daniel Pinchbeck

Joanna Macy

Starhawk

Richard Heinberg

Plus:
Abai

American Drag

Blane Lyon

Bourgeois Gypsies

Coyote Grace

Cipes & The People

David Starfire

Dreaming Dead

Egypt Central

HighTower

Liquid Fire Mantra

LoCura

Luminesque

LYNX & Janover

Medicine Drum w/ Wisdom

NANDA

Natasha James

Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers

Nina Lakshmi

Pha-Droid

RadioActive

Random Rab

Rocker T

Shimshai

SkySirens

Tall Black Girls

Tina Malia

Wassabi Collective

Whiskey Thieves

Women Rock feat. Valerie Orth, Pamela Parker & *bernadette*

Zepparella

Come join us for a celebration of Spring! Once again, we will be bringing to the UC Davis Quad a diverse and powerful group of thousands to Educate, Inspire, Entertain and Share the Love of the WHOLE EARTH. We will be featuring two live music stages, a DJ pit of electronica, the soular Dance stage, and other musical and performance spaces. Participate in workshops, craft opportunities, dance, and much more. Alternative education opportunities to help spread information about making our lives more sustainable. Free Event.
more info & ride sharing:
http://wef.ucdavis.edu/

Thanks Gregory for hosting us and our hat booth.

Spring fashion blooms bold.

By Melissa Tessitor

If a closet full of black, gray, and neutral shades gives you the blues (especially after months of a similarly hued sky), strategic strokes of color can see you through spring. Color therapists believe warm tones like red, orange, and yellow help with focus. Blue and violet are said to create calmness, while indigo heightens imagination and intuition. Green represents harmony, bridging the warm and cool sides of the color wheel. “Bright accessories are fun—they don’t ask to be taken seriously,” says Tara Connor, assistant buyer at Sloan Boutique at NW 23rd Avenue and Johnson Street. “The more saturated the color, the less you should use.”

Try pairing a candy-apple clutch with a navy pencil skirt, or tucking a sunny yellow square into the pocket of a gray suit. Even hidden color may lift your mood—so say yes to the red undies or the orange socks. The post-winter flair may, well, tickle you pink.

Reversible Hat

$48

by Flipside Hats
Presents of Mind:
3633 Se Hawthorne Blvd
503-230-7740
presentsofmind.tv

And what a charming place. We had a great time staying in the back studio of friends of friends. Out the window was rolling hills and livestock.

We had a great time meeting the folks of Petaluma and hope to make it back soon.

Butter & Egg Day 09