PSST!

I'm having a New Year's Sale! Get 30% any and everything in the shop from right now through the end of January.

Use code: CHEERS

If you had your eye on something during the holidays, but didn't find it in your stocking - now is the time to snatch it up.

And just because I love you, every order will get an extra special little something tucked in with your purchase! Yay!

*I'll even allow this code to be used through the Etsy store, just type the code in the message to seller box and I'll email you an updated invoice with a link to pay. *

Illustration by http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurageorge

The holiday craziness is more or less over now, and I'm looking towards 2010 with hope, glee, and tons and tons of giddy ideas.

I hope 2009 was a blast for you, and that you ring in 2010 with a big grin on your face!

Yesterday was Crafty Wonderland, and it was a pretty darn good time!

Josh put on his game face and helped me out all day and lots of our lovely friends came out to visit. They even brought us homemade treats! Lemon sandwich cookies! Candied Nuts! Caramels!

How lucky are we!

We also managed to snag some great loot for ourselves and for holiday presents! Here's some of our favorites!

Oddvark! From Perfect Children!

Hedgehog Knuckler Keychain!

Slug Hoodie from Frock!

Brown Bag Bottle Cozy! (Here, Josh is doing homework even after our long long day.)

This morning I've got to face the studio mess. Honestly, it looks like someone shook it up. And then tipped it upside down. So....yeah. I'll get back to you after I've faced that.

This weekend I'll be at the Super Collosal Crafty Wonderland Show!

You can come see me and get some new goodies not available anywhere else, and everything will be just a bit cheaper than you can get anywhere else - just a little gesture to make your holiday shopping a little bit easier on your pocket this year.

And seriously, if you're in the area and aren't already planning on coming, check out the vendor list. 200 amazing crafters and artists! I am personally super duper excited!

Dear lovelies!

It's finally time to unveil one of my newest and most exciting endeavors in the continued development of the Hopeful Monsters reign.

The Adelaide Cowl Dress:

The first Hopeful Monsters 100% designed from the ground up and made in Portland, Oregon garment.

I love it. It's flattering, comfortable, and makes you feel very polished and pretty and ready for anything.

You can tie the drawstring waist in front, or wrap it around and tie it with a tiny bow in the back. (That's my favorite way to wear to it.)

It's available in my 2 web shops, the home shop and the Etsy shop, as well as at The Portland Garment Factory. The Portland garment factory also has it in a couple of different lengths. You should go check it out, not only for my dress but to have a gander at all the amazing local designers that they stock. It'll be worth the trip!

New stuff is in the store now!

A couple ladies tops, a couple gentlemen's tops, throw pillows, coasters, and some brand new printed wood jewelry.

I'm really excited about the new wood products - the coasters and jewelry are hand printed on natural wood so that the grain and color can really show through and they look great.

A little fancy, a little natural - and they make lovely gifts. I'm already plotting away on my gift list!

There is still one more item coming soon, trust me, it will be worth the wait! But until then, check out some of the new goods and the fun pictures from our photoshoot.

And thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of my work. I mean you - my customers, my family, my friends, and even you lurkers who visit from time to time just to take a peek.

I feel so darn lucky and full of warm fuzzies to be where I am and doing what I want to do.

Thank you!

Some special winter items will be in the shops soon! Here's a sneak peek!

Sunday before last was the Content event in Portland, OR.

28 rooms in the Ace Hotel, each with a different designer or duo.
Music. Drinks. Live Models. Fashion. Jewelry. It was great!

Below are a photos from a few of my favorites from the evening! You can see much better, more representative photos here, on the Content site!

This time of year in Portland we're all scrambling to make time in our schedules to get out to the orchards and the pumpkin patches. It's apple picking time and the pumpkins are ripe for the taking!

I was lucky enough to make it out recently for some apple picking and snagged some pumpkins along the way. So today, the theme is A Day in the Orchard.

(Clockwise)

1. Cast Iron Spice Grinder from Canoe

2. Frye Harness Boots

3. Jackee Muntz vs Thomas Samson from Andrews and Dunham Damn Fine Teas

4. Limited Edition Stanley Classic Thermos

5. Wooden Radio from The Curiosity Shoppe

6. Freya Dress from Gaia Conceptions

7. Hand picked apples from the Draper Girls Country Farm, Oregon.

8. Zebrawood Gem Necklace by Somethings Hiding in Here

9. Wide Chocolate Leather Belt by The Pila Shoppe

(As usual, all photos belong to the linked purveyors of these lovely goods. Well, except the apples. I took that photo.)

Between today (Oct 18) and the end of the month, 25% of all sales will be donated to the Wheels for Henry fundraiser.

The money will be used to buy a convertible wheelchair van for an awesome Portland family, Chloe Eudaly (of Reading Frenzy) and her son Henry.

Check out the website for a list of other particpants and stock up on holiday gifts now - what better way to shop for others when some of that money will also go to helping others!

Today's theme is based on my very own name, Hopeful Monsters.

Hopeful Monsters: [hohp-fuhl mon-ster] noun -
Creatures displaying novel, possibly fortuitous mutations or behaviors that may allow them to be more successful and survive better. These "monsters" are different, but hope to thrive because of their differences and become successful, happy monsters. -Origin 1933, in reference to evolutionary changes and biology.

In honor of this, I give you an assortment of goods relating to the world of evolutionary biology. (And all from Etsy this time!)

1. Darwin's Finch Tee by Isotope

2. Anger Fish Tee by Siempre La Lucha

3. The Charles Darwin Organic Tote by Snoozer Loser

4. Copulating Earthworm Necklace by Heron Adornment

5. Axon Terminal Earrings by Nanopod

6. Survival of the Fittest Beer Drinker I.D. case by To Funky Town

7. Domestic Science Beaker Candles by yours truly (Hopeful Monsters)

8. Cytomorphic Ring by Disco Medusa

9. Charles Darwin Brooch by Rikki B

Enjoy!

*All photo credits belong to the artists linked above.*

As an avid blog reader (design, fashion, humor, small animals - you name it) I've been thinking of instigating a weekly feature here on my very own blog.

A sort of habitat appropriate fashion and accessorie montage showcasing some of my favorite finds from my internet "window-shopping" of the past week.

Where: A day at the Natural History museum. (Something which Portland is sorely lacking.)

1. Snake Rib Ring by Macha Jewelry

2. The Warm Your Bones Jumper by Necessity is the Mother / Fancy Clothing

3. Original Seaweed Pressing by AlgaNet

4. Miner's Bottles from Anthropologie

5. Danburite Bullet Pendant by scarletbegonia11

6. Reading the Stars embroidered constellations by Miniature Rhino

7. Tramway Heels from Mod Cloth

8. Handcrank Automato by Cartoon Monster (see it in action here)

*all photos belong to the respective artists*

Tomorrow is the Skating with Scissors roller derby carft show!

Admission is free, there will be fantastic crafters, artists, and me! It's all day, so come down and hang out with me for a while. I'll have all the new clothes, most of the summer collection, as well as some brand new housewares you haven't seen before!

Mention the blog and get 10% off anything you buy!

This Sunday was the photo shoot for the end-of-summer / pre-fall clothing (women's only, sorry gents!)

We had a great time and I love the photos! I'm working away to get everything up on the site and into the store, but in the mean time you can enjoy some behind the scene shots!

Hopefully everything will be ready by Thursday! I'll keep you posted!

The new site is up! Complete with it's very own store front and shopping cart!

Josh, my husband/intern, spent all weekend making this a reality and I think he did a fantastic job!

In celebration, all orders placed through my store will receive 10% off with the code "lovethesite"

Hooray!

Now that my wedding is over and I'm slowly catching back up with life, I thought I might write a bit about some of the amazing crafters, artists, and makers that helped us to throw such a bang up shindig.

We planned a wedding in Colorado while living in Portland, so many things were sourced from either location or off the internet.

First, the dress.

I really lucked out in finding my dress while I was out doing some regular browsing and shopping around Portland. I stumbled across it at Seaplane and knew almost immediately that I loved it.

Reconstructed vintage gowns? Check.

Feathers and lace? Check.

Comfortable? Check.

Handmade and local? Double check. The dress was made by Frocky Jack Morgan, whose in-house studio is located in Flutter - one of my favorite Portland stores. If you're in Portland, drop by if only to fondle the gorgeous dresses and leer at some of the amazing artifacts hidden around the store.

Second, my hair piece.

As you can see above, the hair piece was a lovely combination of little feathers and two handmade flowers. The flowers were made by Cultivar to repair/improve the hair piece that I paid an inappropriate and unfitting amount of money to a local artisan for and then was wholly unsatisfied with. Cultivar turned something I couldn't stand into a beautiful and perfect hair piece!

I also had a brooch made by Cultivar to attach to my bustle. You can see it here:

Next, the rings.

Both our rings are titanium, made by craft people; mine by Jerry Spaulding through The Real Mother Goose in Portland, and Josh's by Titanium Knights.

The Cake

The cake was made by Tee and Cakes in Boulder, Colorado, and they were great about working my decorations. Specifically, the recycled book page flowers made by Kit and Caboodles (I think...her Etsy shop has disappeared.) and the personalized topper made by Vintage by Crystal.
The cupcake stands were made from thrifted glass ware and plates. I glued the glasses to the plates to make cupcake platters at a variety of heights. They matched, but because the bases were different, were more interesting to me than the garden variety dessert plates from caterers.

The invitations were designed by me, and while I hand printed the Save the Dates, I couldn't stand to do the invitations. We had them printed by Anders Printing in SE Portland and I assembled the layers with a tape gun in their lovely air conditioned office.

The flowers, which matched my bizarre vision (I must have marimos!) and truly exceeded my expectations, were done by John Gray Turner at Bouquets in Denver, Colorado.

The table number were photos we took in some of the places we've traveled together.

Guest book made from a recycled encyclopedia with an embossed image of Atlas holding the world. We had guests take photos of themselves in an on-site photobooth and glue the photos into our book.

Our ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract, was designed and made by Josh. It incorporates a mangrove tree which holds personal significance for us. We wrote our own text and vows as well.

For favors I made one inch buttons from raw silk, satin ribbon, and vintage lace collected by my mother as well as some buttons with a mosque silhoutte over a yellow sky with a heart. (We got engaged in Istanbul.)

We also had some pencils imprinted with phrases said by our English students and ourselves when we were teaching in Istanbul. And, lastly rock candy crystals with tiny metal scoops and hand stamped "loot" bags.

I've probably forgotten someone in this list, but I want to lastly mention Katie Jenkins Photography. She was our photographer and I just love the way she made everything look as perfect as I remember it. (And the dancing a lot more...shall we say, interesting?)

We had a really fantastic time and it all came off more wonderfully than I had expected!

There's been blog silence here for a while, but good things are happening out in the real world!
A short list of the going-ons:

Candle making galore.
And, more candles will be available online very soon. Including some delicious new scents.

New summer tops, skirts, and dresses!

Annnnd one of my new favorites that I'm not going to give away, but I'll give you a hint: wood.

Snorkeled with whale sharks in Mexico! Amazing! (Check out photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hopefulmonstersapparel/3739793808/in/set-72157621622473777/

I'm back from a fantastic bicycle tour in Southern France (sometimes I just can't believe how lucky I am and how generous family can be!) and am working towards opening the shop again.

As you may have noticed, my website is down AGAIN. I'm in the process of finding a new host and it may be a few days before everything is back up and fully functioning.

I can promise that some new, summer exclusives are in the works and I'll be debuting them as soon as I can!

(Here I am at the Louvre! Having an audio tour and avoiding the crowds.)

And....Success! We are married!

We're in Colorado right now waiting to leave for the airport.

We had to cancel our Mexican honeymoon due to thunderstorms of the unrelenting nature. But, we have new plans in the works and are dedicated to getting out to Holbox this summer for a tardy honeymoon.

The wedding came off like a dream and was soooooo much fun!

We'll be getting the photos from our fantastic photographer in a couple weeks, but until then I have a couple teasers from our family and friends!

Hello Blog-world!

Summer seems to have finally gotten it's foot in the door here in Portland. Last week I was wearing my winter coat, boots, and scarves....yesterday I wore shorts, a tank, and sun glasses!

Crazy Portland!

I am so happy for the great weather though. So happy. Josh and I had 2 lovely BBQs this weekend, and I took an amazing kombucha making class from Lion Heart Kombucha and now I have my very own batch brewing away in the cupboard!

I am so excited about it that I am telling simply everyone and giving them details like "And did you know that chickens love to eat old SCOBYs? Isn't that neat? They go crazy for them!"

Yep, I'm that friend.

(p.s. a SCOBY is the symbiotic culture or bacteria and yeast that makes kombucha what it is.)

If you like kombucha, or even if you're not sure, buy some from Lion Heart, it's delicious, better than store bought, healthier, and local. (And even cheaper than the store brands if you can believe it!)

I regret only getting a half gallon when I was out there last....

I'll leave you with this photo. Our dog is gravity defying.