The website is back. Honestly, I think most of the posts on this blog are about the website having problems!!

We're in the middle of a cold snap (everywhere seems to be, so maybe its not just a snap...) and the snow is bringing out my most intense hermit nature.
It's not really even snowing that much. Mostly its icey slush patches and a wicked cold wind that crawls under your scarf and freezes your nose.
Yesterday I didn't even go to my day job because of the snow and my bus being out of service, only for the snow to become rain and the roads to be pretty much fine by mid afternoon.
Today I'll be stomping my way to a bus that's actually in service (come on 44, what's the deal!!) and schlepping myself to the toy store.

I'm slowly receiving all my supply orders and organizing, planning, reorganizing things in preparation for the printing bonanza taking place next week.
I can't wait to actually MAKE these things I've been plotting for months now!

Quick note: my website is down again but hopefully will be back up in a day or two. If you need to get a hold of me, just contact me via my Etsy shop, or email me directly: amelia (dot) hopefulmonsters (at) gmail.com

I've already said it, but November just blew by. I can't believe its December!

After being out of town for a week (just a week!! seriously!) I have a barrage of phone calls to make and a whole list of stuff to get done before I can really get down to the business of making things.

But it was definitely worth the time off. The wedding in Berkeley was beautiful and I am so glad I was able to go!

After a few days in Berkeley full of tea times, Devonshire cream, and pie Josh and I spent an afternoon poking around San Francisco (mostly we went to the Moma and a Turkish restaurant that we were thrilled to find) and flew off to L.A. to have Thanksgiving with his family and family friends.
We ate to near explosion and then drove up to Portland.

Its nice to be back home with our dog and the pigs (one of which is trying to climb onto my lap as I type).

I'm still hard at work on the new collection and it's finally starting to look put together!! I am really looking forward to the launch!!

Whew!
These last couple weeks have felt so busy!



Halloween was fun. I was sick so it was a pretty early night for me, but we went to Nosferatu (the silent vampire movie from the 20s) accompanied by live music. The band was Mood Area 52, I guess they normally play sort of stylized tango music. It was really cool.
Here we are all in our costumes (ok, Scout didn't have one). You can't see it in this photo, but I have a little foam whale tail too. For a costume that was so easy to make, I think it turned out pretty well.

In other news, I'm getting ready to go to the San Francisco area for a good friend's wedding. Any tips on things to do around there? I'm sure we'll be sufficiently entertained, but I'd love to have some places to see if we get a chance.

Tomorrow is Halloween and I'll be working the evening at Thinker Toys (in Multnomah Village). If you've got kids, you should come down to the village. From 3:30 to 5:30 you can get free coffee and a walking map at Starbucks, then walk from shop to shop in your fabulous costumes getting candy and treats. The walk ends at the dentist's with black bristled toothbrushes!

I'll be at the toy store in my narwhal costume handing out candy!

Today I'm canning the pumpkin butter I made yesterday with pumpkins from the Rassmussen orchard in WA. I'm excited to see how it turned out. It smells a little over spiced, but I do tend to like bland foods, so maybe it's perfect.

And, in honor of Halloween and how much I love seeing people dressed up - free shipping worldwide if for purchases of 2 items of more. (Buttons don't count as a 2nd item, but I'll throw some in with your order anyway!)

Just mention "pumpkin" in the message to seller and I'll refund your shipping costs immediately.

Happy Halloween!!

First, the gears are in full motion on one of my favorite upcoming projects.

The idea appeals to so many of my favorite tendencies and the way it is actually turning out makes me thrilled.
Sneak peek!


Also, I recently received two wonderful packages in the mail worth mentioning because they are awesome.

1. From Argyle Whale

I know! My love of diagrams (ven being one of my favorites) combined with narwhals and their close cousin, the unicorn! It's currently hanging above my desk looking over the everyday goings-ons of Hopeful Monsters.

And, the mole moleskin! I love it!

2. From Made by Hank

My new favorite purse! Lemony yellow! And those ruffles! It also arrived wrapped in the sweetest little packet with a lovely little coin purse to boot.

I had planned to have a really productive morning, but instead I slept badly and feel like I'm getting sick. I have to work at the toy store this afternoon so I might just hang out with the dog and drink tea.
Which isn't a bad way to spend my morning really!

Whenever I'm not working away at Hopeful Monsters or manning the toy store, I've been printing Save the Date cards. I can't wait to get them addressed and sent out - then start the invitations!
Hopefully I'll have some photos of the prototypes I've been working on ready soon, but for now I'm just slowly taking over the apartment with boxes and sketches and lists of things to do!

The website is up! Hurrah!

If you've have trouble with the Hopeful Monsters home page, you're not alone.

Over the last month the site has been more or less unpredictable. I know it still says I'm out of the country, which I'm not, but I haven't been able to get it changed because I can't connect with my host. It's making me nuts.

I promise I am trying to fix it, so just bypass it and look for updates here (rarely, I know...) or in the shop.

In other news, there's a new addition to my little family. He does great modeling with the nautilus throw pillow - so coy!

And we're back!


Leaving Istanbul was bittersweet (goodbye to friends and good food and hello to different friends and cheddar) but we're settled back into Portland now and happy to be here.



I'm slowly working on restocking the store and getting the website updated. Everything is very much on sale right now to clear out some of the older stuff and make way for new ideas.


I'll be adding stuff everyday for the next week, getting things unpacked and photographed and whatnot.



See you soon!

I've been in Istanbul for eight months now and I'm beginning to make plans to return to the U.S. this summer.

I'm totally infatuated with Istanbul - the food, the street cats, the shops, the eskici men, the whole city seeped in history, and little cafes tucked into every corner of obscure buildings.

Just yesterday Josh and I walked around Bakirkoy (the suburb where we live) for a couple hours and discovered a new cafe that plays really great rock music, has wooden chess boards, and the first (and maybe only) Agnostic Front poster I've seen in Turkey.

As thrilled as I am about life here, I'm pining for more of the handmade world I was a part of before. I'm already fantisizing about our next apartment in Portland, planning my studio, decorating the house, and revisiting my favorite old haunts throughout the city.

In preparation for nesting into my next home (a little early perhaps...) I bought this beautiful print from Small Stump. I am so excited about it!

In a couple months Josh and I will be setting off to travel around Turkey a bit, I know we're both really excited to see more of the country!

If you want to see more photos, my flickr is chok full of pictures from everyday life in Istanbul and our adventures in sightseeing.