Byrd & Belle

Ho, Ho, Hum.

The snow, snow, snow has sufficiently squashed our holiday plans and we've all been stricken with some kind of illness.  The side effects include inability to leave the sofa, cravings for cheese and a compulsion to continue to watch The Sopranos on dvd. 

I couldn't even get up the energy to take a photo of the snow... the photo above is recycled from two winters ago.  We don't even live in that house anymore although that little brown dog-face peeking over that gate is definitely still ours.  I loved that gate.

I hope wherever you are, you are warm and if you have somewhere to go, that you get there safely.

Wrapping it up

I finished up the last of the sleeves that needed to be shipped before the studio closes down for a few days.  Although really none of these needed to be shipped until Thursday, getting them out today meant they just might make it before the 25th which might bring me some kind of karmic boost. 

For those of you with your own shops and especially those of you who print your own postage, don't forget about your mailman/mailwoman/lettercarrer  I'm still trying to decided what a suitable "thank you for schlepping these packages out for me" gift would be.  Any suggestions?

Winter Solstice

Tomorrow marks the most hopeful day of the year.  Yes, it is the darkest day... but it won't be getting any darker.  Slowly but surely, we will be officially on our way back to those long-lit Minnesota evenings.

I took a bit of time off this weekend and D and I transformed the studio into a place to gather some new friends for a meal inspired by the foods of his Hanakkahs-past.  Sewing machines and cutting boards were stashed, multiple Jewish mothers were consulted and D put together the most delicious meal of Potato Latkes and home-cured Gravlax, cheeses and charcuterie and topped it all off with Chocolate Bouchon and homemade ice cream.  My good fortune of sharing my space with such a capable gentleman is not lost on me.

Although it was back to work for me this morning, it was nice to have a completely clean and clear table to bring all my tools back to and this beautiful bouquet that decorated the table last night are reminding that I really should start buying myself fresh flowers for the studio more often as it makes things seem a bit brighter.

And so now it's t-minus five days until the 25th and I've just returned for my second consecutive Sunday night trip to the MSP Airport as that post office is open 24/7 and can I tell you that it was PACKED.  Luckily, I print my own postage so there was little to do but skip the line... "see ya suckers"... and drop it off.  It is nice to know dropping it there makes it just that much of a shorter trip as it will likely be on a plane and on its way tonight.  Also nice was the fact that D and Gertrude made the trip with me so I wouldn't have to go it alone (see aforementioned comment on my good fortune).

I was in the New York Times tonight which is exciting and slightly surreal.  I've been meaning to stop and chat for a while but what with the pending holiday... my attention has been elsewhere.  I suppose now is a good time to stop and say hello.

There have been quite a few things I wanted to share... my first appearance in a real-life, hold in your hand, slick paper magazine and oh, I think I've decided on a new sewing machine for those of you privy that debocle last month.  My mom drove through that snow storm from Iowa last week to help me out but her sacrifice was mostly overshadowed by her insistence we listen to Christmas music while we worked (I had no choice but to escape into my headphones for some back episodes of the Radio Lab podcast).

Much has happened but probably most notable is that the one-year anniversary of my losing my job passed and I didn't really think about it until I had to go buy pens today.  In my adult life (at least since college), I had never bought pens... or post-its for that matter, or those pads of gridded paper I'm so found of.  These things always migrated home with me from the office.  But today, I bought my own pens.

nano case is here

Thank you, thank you to those of you who waited so patiently for the nano case.  They are available at www.byrdandbelle.com. 

wish list: tis the season.

for your ears... cocoon earrings by Lunaticart 

   to keep you warm... textured tube scarf by TortillaGirl

for your table... spot bowl by Perch!

for your coins... i miss you, dear by emedemarta

for your walls... Night Swim by Kiki & Polly

for returning those calls... vintage phone offered by Schmintage

He's not heavy. He's my Brother.

I was gently reminded today that it has been a whole week with nary a word from the Byrd & Belle blog.  I do apologize but I have a good excuse.  I've become obsessed.

A week ago last Wednesday, my sewing machine broke.  Not 'catastrophe' broke but broke to the point that new parts were required.  A part was found, a part was purchased and installed but it wasn't the same.  Things were not going well and me without my sewing machine is like a boat without a rudder.... like a pirate without his non-hook hand. 

After 3 hours of fussing about, I gave up and decided I was getting a new machine.  I would take this as a sign from the Handmade Gods to step up to a machine so powerful and smooth, those cases and bags would practically sew themselves.  I called it a night and headed out to meet D and his creative coherts who had taken over a bar called the 'You Otter Inn' in NE Minneapolis.  I sat and drank a Grainbelt and watched some really intense Karoke and breathed the low, shallow breaths of a person preparing to spend a large sum of money in the morning.

I returned to the studio around 1 am and as I was hanging up my coat, I stopped and looked across the studio at my brother (not my actual brother... my sewing machine.  It's made by Brother).  I thought of all the great times we had... that quilted coffee press cozy in February.  The first laptop sleeve in June.  That pink bunny costume last month.  As Willie Nelson said/sang... Gooood Tiiiiimmes.

I sat down and thought I'd just give this one last shot, you know, for old times sake.  And as I lowered the presser foot and gave a bit of gas... IT WORKED.  It was as if we had never fought and never a cross word had been uttered.  He hummed with the delight of a brand new machine.  I still don't understand it.  Perhaps we just needed some time apart. 

For a moment I breathed a sigh of relief that I no longer had to make a quick decision on a new machine but I had to yet to learn the huge downside of this recovery:  I no longer had to make a quick decision on a new machine.  The seed had been planted.  I wanted needed a new machine.  And now, I had all the time in the world to decide which one to get and I did my best to spend every minute of free time thinking, googling and talking about a new machine.

I got out of bed at 3 am more than once this week to look up the benefits of this one over that one.  I stood in the shower weighing the short term costs with the long term benefits.  I hovered over the espresso machine trying to foresee the future and what the world will be after Christmas.  I also went so far as to go somewhere to talk to a salesman and that's when I knew I had a serious obsession on my hands.

So I'm in the thick of it and I am no closer to making a decision than I was a week ago last Wednesday but I will let you know what I decide and I'll try not to be gone for so long again.

www.byrdandbelle.com

Slowly but surely, I've been working up to launching a new site to make shopping even easier for all those who cringe at the idea of having to 'sign up' and create yet another username and password for yet another website.  Friends, I give you.....

www.byrdandbelle.com

I put it up quietly about a month ago and even without publication, it's been getting hits and sales and everything is rolling smoothly.  It is already reachable by using the Byrd & Belle button on the top of the side bar and although the coasters from Gertie Byrd aren't there yet, they will be soon-ish.   I will still maintain both of my shops with Etsy which has served me amazingly well over the past year, but I'm excited to have a retail site where I can control how it feels.  Take a look.

yeah so, this is new...

I've had this on my mind for a while and on Saturday I sat down and made one.... just like that... sat down and it just appeared. 

Riiiighht.

No.  It was at least three weeks of talking to myself and making weird twisty hand gestures while sitting at red lights.  Three weeks of the something like those dance instructions... you know the ones with the foot prints and the arrows... but rolled up in a circumference-decreasing-cylinder-shape in my brain.  Heaven forbid I'd (gasp) put pencil to paper and figure this out. 

It came together eventually and what in my mind was a swirling mess of snaps and layers turned out to be a super simple thing.  The whole goal was to create a cuff that when you're not using it, it takes up as little room in your life as possible.  And one where I wouldn't have to send out something like dance instructions... you know the ones with the foot prints and the arrows... for someone to be able to figure it out.  I'm calling this one done and moving on.  Find them here.  

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Kate who is the winner of the October Giveaway.