{Good Read} Uppercase Love #7....

Oh UPPERCASE, how I love thee! I know, I know, this is the third post about my affection for this gorgeous publication. But seriously, I don't know if I can describe effectively, how much I look forward to getting it's splendor in the mail. Each time I open every issue, I ooooh & ahhh, with creative anticipation. This magazine is so timely in my interests, beautifully photographed, and thoughtfully written. I find that I am nodding and saying yes a lot when I read it. So far it's the only magazine that actually gets me thinking about how I am going to adoringly photograph it (which I do believe is now a tradition). For me, reading this magazine is a perfect little getaway that always recharges my battery.

Issue #7 is so full of things that I love- it was hard to pick my favorite articles to show a snippet of. So, I am showing you what I {thoroughly} read first. There is something that was written in each of these features that I either completely identified with, wrote down, have said myself, or just plain agreed with.

1. Stanley & Sons (pg 52 &53) There were so many things I nodded to in this article. First, we both attended School of Visual Arts in Manhattan (got my MFA in '96). "Our products have always been made-to-order. I think the quality that comes with this is unbeatable." & in response to what the future holds - "We hope that we will be allowed to just keep on making our products for as long as possible."

2. Christopher Scott (pg 32-35) "Remember to turn off your computer, put your head down and hone your craft!"

3. Greg Morgan (pg.38 & 39) - "He is an avid collector of design & art books..... His artistic heroes include Duchamp, Schwitters, Hoch, and anything Dada: influences obvious in his love of collage."  

4. Factory 20 (76-79) "Inspiration is found by accident."

5. good things come in pairs (pg 81-83) "It's a bit cheesy, but we really believe we're a part of something special with yet unrealized potential."

6. Bookbinding and bookmaking terms (pg 30 &31) "Mind your P's & Q's"

Thanks UPPERCASE, for giving me a mini, creative vacation & for putting me in dream mode for a little while.

{Fabric Friday} vibrant color & simple designs...

I just recently discovered the textile designs of Hitomi Kimura aka, Kalla Designs via her Etsy Shop. I was immediately was drawn in by her gorgeous color & bold, clean, timeless designs. Cruising through her shop made me smile and start dreaming up what I would make with her lovely hand printed textiles. Hitomi is a designer & screen printer who works out of her home studio in Ibaraki, Japan. Upon further snooping, I also found she had a website, blog, & Kalla Design FB page. Happy Fabric Friday everyone! 

{KLT Picks} Halloween Round up...

October seems to fly by in a creative flurry without fail every year. Whether it's planning Halloween costumes or just making things for klt:works, ideas are constantly flowing in our household. There are lots of colors, images, & textures that I associate with Halloween and they tend to creep into my studio every Fall. Here are a few of my favorite klt:halloween picks...


Row 1:  Organic Toddler Owl Tee, Eco-totes (for your treats), Organic Woman's Night-Owl Tee
Row 2:  Flora Slug, Vintage Ollie Owl Plush, Organic Kitty Toddler Tee
Row 3:  Night Owl Toddler Hoodie, Organic Raven One-piece (toddler tees too), Kiki Kitty Plush


Hope you are enjoying October! 

{Wednesday} A little pick-me-up...

I'm on the last stretch of a nasty cold bug. While I've tried to take it easy, rather than my normal - powering through the bug, I can't say I've done a very good job at laying low. There are plushies to sew & orders to fill. I need a little pick-me-up right now... something to get me revved up and to forget my stuffed nose & hacking cough. This just might do the trick...

Alix, from Modern Kiddo, posted this video from Up & Over It on Twitter about a month ago and I bookmarked it for an energy break emergency. Wow, did I need it today. Now I'm heading back to the studio...

{Vintage Inspiration} Winky-Blinky...

Oh, I have been just itchin' to show you this vintage Fisher Price find. I found Winky-Blinky Fire Truck 200 about a week ago in an Etsy Shop called lovinglola and I really couldn't get it out of my mind. This fire truck was manufactured in the US in 1954 and it's so unbelievable cool. I knew Sayer would go nuts for it as well because he loves firetrucks. So, I went ahead and purchased it. It wasn't my $6 bargain that I usually find, but it's charm & history made it worth it. We just received it and Sayer has been playing with it ever since I opened up the box (which included a sweet, handwritten note). 

Sayer is really into details and loves all of the illustrations on the side of the truck & I love the old Fisher Price logo & face.  Now, you may have noticed that Winky (who Sayer has named, Bobby) is being parked on a circle. It's the firetruck's turntable that all of Sayer's firetrucks use. He made that one at his grandma's house and it has traveled here. The minute "Bobby" was ready to play, the turntable came out.  

So, it is official - my Fisher Price toy collecting has reached a new level. When "Bobby" is not in use, he will sit next to my cool old 50's FP register, on top of my parent's old hi fi console that sits in our living room. But I have to ask (as my dear friend Catherine asked me), is it really a "toy collection" if the toys are being played with?

{Music Monday} Music & Fashion...

Since posting the musical tribute to John Lennon on Saturday (for his 70th birthday), I have been watching snippets of the Yellow Submarine movie throughout the weekend. I just love the illustrations, colors, shapes - all of it. It's really cool to see how the Yellow Submarine influenced not only the music world, but book illustrations, art, and fashion as well. When I saw the photos that my friend Catherine just added to her FB page of her son Adrien,  I knew that I needed to visit her shop, Monsieur Minouchet. Sure enough, Adrien was modeling the new Sgt. Pepper Shampoodle jacket! How cute is that?

So, if you find that you have some time and would like to watch the whole movie you can view it here. However if you find that you are so taken by the imagery & music that you are oozing with Beatle nostalgia, you might just need to pop on over to Monsieur Minouchet and get your kiddo one of these very cool Sgt Pepper outfits! Happy Music Monday!  


{images via Monsieur Minouchet website}