Sneak Peek

The new collection has taken shape. These won't be up for sale on my site for awhile, they will be in shops first and transition into my site as a Fall/Holiday collection. New tea towels, new 12x16 pillows (all bursts of color) and drawer liners...plus a new scented product that's curing right now and will debut in a bit. Off to price and design a catalog.

A brand new me...

I took a look at what moves me in terms of decor and found I came right back to what I already know. Texture. So my new product pictures are based on texture, shape, and mood. I'll proably be changing my website to reflect this is a few months but I'm using these realizations to develop my brand. Very, very much into warmth and lots of texture. More to come soon...

Seriously Simple Cooking

This is my absolute favorite new cookbook. I love to do my version of "fancy" cooking, which means it's actually really simple but I make it look fancy. Today I'm making the lemon garlic chicken and adding my own side dish of roasted butternut squash with onions and red potatoes. Seriously Simple is here.

here comes the sun....

little darlin'...here comes the sun. finally got the sunlight i've missed so much streaming through and took some better pics of the notepads. the catalog pics will have to be taken outside when it's warmed up. i had so much fun making these, I've decided to give them a go in the etsy shop.

The Boss of You

Just poked around online and found out that "The Boss of You" has a blog as well. I haven't read the book as yet, when I find the 25th hour I'll be sure to do that, but I'll definitely peruse this site in the meantime.

It's a small blog world...

Design Sponge features Ink & Peat house tour- click over to Ink & Peat blog called Housemartin- officially addicted and reading back posts- Ink does feature on SF stores, including Stem one of my favorite retailers-scroll through Stem pics and come across one inlcuding my drawstring laundry bag. Must love blogland!

Wholesale Advice

I wrote a biz ladies post for Design Sponge about wholesaling your work through tough economic times, but its certainly applicable at all times. It links to my indie design blog Clothes-Pin but here at Hammocks & High Tea headquarters is where that advice is applied in full.

Summer 2009 Inspiration

I think Spring/Summer 2009 is one of my favorite collections. The entire story is pulled from nature:

1. It started last August as I was flying to Vegas. The day was crystal clear and the water rings of the Grand Canyon were incredible to see from the plane.

2.caribbean rain storm

3.crashing waves

4.natures creatures

5.coral reef

6.arca shell- this became one print that combined this shell, the inside of a mussel shell, with the grand canyon rings. I started researching shells and just combined them all.

Playing with a new product

warm but very cloudy day :)

These are some notepads I'll be testing at Shecky's on friday. I made journals last year for NSS and although they got great reaction from press and stores I never put them for sale on the site, a few stores got the screen printed journals. I've reimaginged them and will test them out at the show. I love them as notepads with the vintage, barely there graphics and flat printing makes them so much easier to produce. Think I'll do two more less floral styles to add here. Top right is pearlescent paper so excuse that it's catching the glare.

Chirp Chirp

I tried to avoid it as long as I could, I really don't want to spend MORE time attached to a gadget but I've decided to try tweeting. www.twitter.com/hammocks

Green Tip- baking soda

I ran out of tub scrub this weekend and grabbed the baking soda instead...whoa, the sparkle was something else! I've been using this stuff since I was a kid (grandma was big on baking soda to brush teeth) and am only now discovering just how very useful it is.

- baking soda and peroxide for white teeth (not neon just good old white)

- non toxic tub scrub

- incredibly gentle face exfoliant, I mix with olive oil for extra moisture

-great body scrub, I pour it onto my loofah with soap for an extra scrubby scrub and no scratches OR mix just enough in a bowl with olive oil and scented oils, scrub after you've showered, rinse and you're ultra soft and moisturized

-a dash in the tub to soften bath water, followed by some essential oils