Boca Do Lobo

Remember my post about my adventures at the Dwell on Design convention in June? Well, here is a follow up on one of my favorite vendors from the show. The Portuguese furniture design company Boca Do Lobo! I was immediately drawn to the intricate designs and mix of classic and modern elements. All of the designs are custom, hand made, and definitely one of a kind. In their own words: "BOCA DO LOBO furniture is an exclusive emotional experience, a sense of belonging and a state of mind. We strive to encourage sensational experiences by creating beautiful pieces which are passionately inspired and handcrafted in Portugal by a staff that loves what they do; experiences which pass on the feeling of exclusivity. Our designers possess an undeniable talent for composing pieces which stir emotion in their admirers. Our artisan’s wisdom, accumulated from years of experience, is instilled with love and dedication in the art that they perform. No detail or element is overlooked as we offer the best at the frontier between design and art. Each piece will bring you on a journey to sources of pleasure you may have forgotten, and take you to places you have never been before; a journey to BOCA DO LOBO world-a world of emotions." That being said, it's some pretty snazzy furniture. Take a look and check out their site for more cool images!























All images via Boca Do Lobo

Longing for a rainy day...

I think it's pretty much official that we haven't had any legitimate rain in months. I am desperate for a thunderstorm and a good strong pour! Not only for the sake of my filthy car but for our desert, drought-ridden landscape as well. I remember last summer when I moved out here, I'd been here for weeks and nothing. Two more months went by and...nothing. Finally, one October afternoon it began to rain and I went crazy! I took pictures, I sat and looked out the window and I made a cup of tea.
Yes, we've been so fortunate to have a moderately cool and breezy summer here and I'm SO grateful for it as I certainly am not lucky enough to have central air conditioning. There have been a few times when the sky turned from a smoggy blue to a grey and formidable shade of, well, overcast. I got so excited and crossed my fingers for rain (to no avail). To make matters worse, rain is not in our foreseeable forecast either. So this morning, I decided to get some pictures of rainy goodness together in order to live through them vicariously.


Image via Dan Arsenault


Image via Rui Palha


Image via yoshiko314


Image via Tom Van Cleynenbreugel


Image via queen's lace


Image via Rui Palha


Image via NEWviews24

You made it to HUMP DAY!

So close...just stay focused!



Yeah, seriously, you've got this.



Steady on! You're gonna make it! The light at the end of the tunnel should be coming up.....well, soon, anyway.


Images via CuteOverload

I'm Running for Congo Women!!

You may have noticed my new little side image about Run for Congo Women, well...I'm going to do just that! Here's the scoop: I was reading the August issue of Runner's World and saw a story about the foundation Run for Congo Women and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I HAD to join their team for the run in Santa Monica on September 12th. With so many tragic places in the world, why the Democratic Republic of Congo you might ask. It has been called the worst place in the world to be a woman. Here's some info.:

• More than 5.4 million people have died in the conflict in the Congo since 1998.

• Half of these deaths are children under the age of five.

• For women in the Congo, brutal gang rape and torture are a daily reality. Rape is used as a weapon of war.

• The mission of Women for Women International is to help women survivors of war move from victim to survivor to active citizen.

• Women for Women International’s program in the Congo provides women survivors of war with direct financial assistance, job skills training, rights awareness education, trauma counseling and the opportunity to bond with other women who have endured similar violence and hardship.

• Women for Women International has served over 31,000 women in the Congo. Each woman is matched with a sponsor, who contributes $27/month and is encouraged to develop a one-on-one relationship with her “sister” through letter writing.

• Run for Congo Women was founded by Lisa Shannon, a supporter of Women for Women International. The initiative has grown from one woman in Portland, Oregon, to a global movement that has raised over $600,000 for Women for Women International’s Congo program and sponsored over 1,400 Congolese women… and counting!

• Women for Women International’s program in the Congo is working. In a survey conducted in 2008, 86% of program participants reported having improved their economic situation, 88% of women expressed increased self-confidence, and 83% reported having a greater knowledge of their rights. In a survey conducted in 2009, program graduates reported a monthly income of $33.84 whereas the non-participants groups’ income was recorded at $23.42.

The stories these women have shared about their lives are absolutely soul crushing. Here is a link to the original article that I read. It's astounding, horrific, inspiring, and deeply humbling. Please take a few minutes to read it if you can.
So, needless to say, I am fundraising for my run! It would mean so much to me if any readers would consider a donation to the cause. I have a page set up to make donating a SUPER easy process! Here's the link to my personal page. Thank you in advance for anyone who decides to make a contribution! Stay tuned for my race recap as well!

Renegade Craft Fair-Los Angeles!

Ok, folks, I think we all know I've been super neglectful lately. I have been in a massive no-blogging-rut the past week and a half. Between my new jobs, running, personal projects, and general day-to-day business, my poor blog has been ending up at the bottom of the list. I'd get home feeling exhausted, make dinner, tidy up a bit, shower, and then think about posting and it just never happened. Sorry!!!!! I'm determined to get back on track and thanks to a lovely reader's request for me to get my bum in gear (haha, my words not her's) I'm bringing you a brand spankin' new post about the Renegade Craft Fair from two weekends ago. The fair was nestled between the Chinatown Metro station and Dodger Stadium in the lovely LA Historic Park. It was seriously toasty and seriously CROWDED. I can't really complain about the crowds as I'm glad people are so supportive of handmade goods and the artisans who craft them so lovingly. Although the big people-pet-stroller clusters made it hard to photograph the way I wanted to and I had Luke with me (and being the thoughtful partner that I am, I didn't want to make him spend 6 hours in July heat looking at letterpress cards and succulent terrariums). Therefore, to preface my images, I don't have the names/links of all of the vendors I photographed. So sorry! It was just too crazy to keep track. That being said, let's look at my highlights from the FAIR!!!



Here we go!




It looks a bit more like the owl is eating me and thumbing for a ride...no shame.


{paper & type} Display... Their designs are so sweet and basic.


Scarlett Garnet jewelry designs...lovely! They also win my Most Unique Business Card Award because their logo rocks my socks. I love the cool art nouveau design!!




Miniature Rhino had this cool message in a bottle display and their awesome embroidery (see their Etsy link).


Succulent Terrariums!! It took everything I had not to buy one of these. But I knew I probably kill it in a month.


Cool way to display these vials of seeds!


Another great display idea! This would be so easy to recreate at home too. Just find some interesting frames and a bit of mesh or a few pieces of pretty chain, add a few staples or nails and hang them in a cluster by your dresser or in the bathroom. Bonus point: arrange your earring collection by color or style *wink*.


Crafty and inexpensive and recycled display! I thought this was such a great way to house these earrings!


Yay! I can't wait to have my own Etsy shop.


Hah.


Poster Displays. I saw a few that were new to me. I feel like I've seen every poster design out there lately.


I loved this paper crane mobile. Another cool idea to make at home on the cheap!


Ok, now on to one of my favorite parts of the craft fair! Threadless Tees had an Airstream trailer you could go in and post your own shirt design on their templates. It was a really fun idea and there were some pretty funny ones in there.




T-Shirt designs EVERYWHERE!


My favorites:




This one summed up what I was thinking all day.


On a more serious design note, I really liked this one a lot.




So, there you have it! My experience of the Renegade Craft Fair! Oh, I was VERY good and bought one SMALL print from Honeylux (I was a bad photographer and totally blew out my image of her table)! This is the print I bought! If you're interested in attending a fair, the next stop is Chicago on September 11th and 12th. They are also having holiday events in Chicago and San Francisco. Check out their site for more information. Over and out! Thanks, special reader for throwing some accountability my way!