Whirlwind weekend

What's girl to do when her weekend is just booked? There's so much going on for me. It starts off with a BBQ tonight. And then the Baltimore Book Festival tomorrow. I'm especially excited about the last Saturday night presentation called, Only In America! A hilarious look into modern pop culture. It features, Ryan Nerz who wrote Eat this Book: A Year of Gorging and Glory on the Competitive Eating Circuit. There are two competitive eating books I'm interested in, so I'll have to see what this guy has to say and I may pick up the book. There's also Christopher Cihlar author of The Grilled Cheese Madonna and 99 Other of the Weirdest, Wackiest, Most Famous EBay Auctions Ever and then Mario Garza who wrote Stuff On My Cat: The Book and runs Stuffonmycat.com. How is that not going to be a good time?

And then on Sunday Crafty Bastards is going down in DC. (Ssshhh, don't mention the "r" word, ok.)
I've got a whole list of people to go chat with and shop from. The short list:
Drop Trow
mogo
Cotton Monster
Letterpress Lab
Ex-boyfriend Collection
Red Prairie Press
Sewing Stars
Dear Birthday

Like I said that's the short list. I'm excited to see everything.

Because I haven't posted any kitty pictures lately, here's a gratuitous shot for you. Moco has really come into his own in the new place. I think the move was good for him. Look at him--disgusting...

I want CAN-DAY!

You gotta love the internet. There's a blog for everything. I was over are dooce and saw the link to a blog that explains each day's Marmaduke comic in 500 words or less. No kidding. And while that's fine and good and all the newest blog I stumbled upon really serves a purpose for humanity.
Candy Addict.com. I'm something of a snob when it comes to chocolate*. American chocolate, for the most part, sucks compared to European chocolate. We're coming around over here to the good chocolate finally. But Candy Addict.com delves into all kinds of candy. And I want it!

*I can be easily be bribed with chocolate at work. Good chocolate. A resident I did a favor for repaid me with a lunchbag filled with brightly and prettily wrapped Russian candy. Yum. I made it last for three days. I was so proud.

Kookii: Kooky

I'm a little late in getting this up, it's one of my new shop links, Kookii: Kooky. This is a great little shop with brightly colored and crazy patterned bags and accessories. I absolutely love the little stuffed brooches.

Here's a closer look at a kitty brooch.

Yeah, I think that's astro turf behind them! But it fits! The woman behind Kookii:Kooky is Yen, a freelance designer based in Singapore. It's clear she puts so much into her shop and all her handmade goodies. Her site is a very fun professional design as well. Plus, she loves her cat! I can relate.

I'm not Mr. Lebowksi, you're Mr. Lebowski. I'm the Dude.

My package for the Big Lebowski swap I participated in over at Craftster.org came a little while ago. And it was awesome. I had a great swap partner. She made me my very own El Duderino bowling shirt.

Isn't the embroidery beautiful? I've only done a little bit myself and seeing what you can do with it, like said shirt, makes me want to try it some more. And that' Larry's homework there--if you've seen the movie you'll get that as well as all the other little things--like the green nail polish there, the Foldger's coffee can, the Credence tape.

The funny thing about Credence Clearwater Revival is that George secretly likes them. Even since he worked for this old hippie in a Birkenstock shoe store with the hippie's music collection he's taken a liking to CCR. So there was even something in the swap for George.
Thanks rocknroll!

Fall=Apples=Yum!

Fall is coming. George and I walked over to the theater last night to see Half Nelson (very good) and it was rather brisk. While walking home my teeth even started chattering. So I have to get over the fact that I seemed to miss out on a lot of my summer traditions (I didn't even swim in the ocean once! Or make popsicles!) and embrace the fall.
One thing I really like about the fall is apples. And baking with apples. The Washington Post Food section had lots of recipes with apples the other week. I haven't tried any yet. I'm hoping to make the apple cake this weekend. But I do have a favorite to share.

I call them Apple Pie Squares because that's what they taste and look like.
Here's the deal:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4-6 apples, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 inch pan or two 8x8 pans. Combine all the dry ingredients. Add eggs, butter and vanilla. Add nuts (if you feel like it) and apples and mix well. The batter will be very chunky. Spread it out into the pan(s). Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. I find these squares to be kinda wet sometimes. If needed I take it out and cut them and put them back in again to dry them out a bit. But that's just me.
Enjoy!

There's still time to win $50 worth of Bake Sale Designs goods, people!

I can't believe it's already the 20th of September! I'd love to get some more birthday blog wishes on the first birthday of Bake Sale Designs. I will pick a winner from all the entries on the 30th. That lucky winner then gets their choice of $50 worth of Bake Sale Designs goodies. I've got a lot of stuff to update the shop with, little zipper pouches, some more bangle bags and handbags, I just have to do a photo shoot and caucus (thanks Tim Gunn) with the computer. I'm also strongly considering giving a little something to everyone who has wished the biz happy birthday. So what do you have to lose?
Check out the details here if you have a blog or any kind, MySpace, Live journal, etc.
PLEASE remember to email me to be entered. I hate for anyone to write an entry and then not be entered into the contest. But I'm not omnipotent, so send me a line!

Damsel Designs at Etsy!

I've made an unofficial resolution to buy cards from indie businesses. I still have cards that I got at Michaels on the cheap, but I almost feel bad using them. There are so many quirky and pretty and creative note cards out there that are so much more unique. And who doesn't like getting some real mail in this age of email and text messages? And if you get cool cards it's like a little present people will want to keep. So why not get some note cards? I recently got a vintage photo card from Abbie's Damsel Designs shop at Etsy.


It looks even better in person! I hear that about some of my bags too. No matter how many good photos you take of a products, it's different once you finally have it in your hands. So now I have to decide who gets this saucy little card or if I keep it for myself.
Abbie not only makes good looking cards, she makes really classy looking aprons. See!

I love the big bow. Can I wear it as a skirt? Or is it gonna go "hospital gown" on me in the back? In any case, if you want to look good in the kitchen, these Not Your Grandmother's Aprons are the ticket.

Jay makes me happy!

I've been waiting for Jay McCarrol's (winner of Project Runway first season) collection since his win. And it was worth the wait. From what I've seen of his show, Transport, at Fashion Week it was all Jay--kooky and fun and wearable. I love how Jay creates his own patterns and shapes with fabric and colors. I might not wear the outfits as they go down the runway, but there are great pieces. There are some many layers in his looks that you have so many pieces to choose from.

I love the cardigan/hoodies in the first (both of them!) and third photo and the details in the two dresses are beautiful. You can see more photos and a little video here. I can't wait until some of his stuff gets into stores or is sold online. I hope I can afford something!
I also love this quote from an article in the Baltimore Sun: "He also wants to make clothes for the 'uncool girls,' McCarroll says.
'I'm not a sexual designer. I hate that,' he says. 'Sexy comes from within.'"
Yay Jay!

Red Prairie Press

Hampdenfest ended up being a bust for me. I guess I really need a more targeted audience. But the best part of the day was talking shop, among other things, with another Baltimore based biz woman, Rachel from Red Prairie Press who was staffing the booth with me. She's new to the whole scene but she does amazing screenprinted apparel, tees, dresses, baby onesies, etc. Plus Rachel's an artist and sells prints and paintings online. I love this one:



I've got my eye on a collared tee dress that isn't in her online shop. But if you're in the DC area you can see all her stuff for yourself at Crafty Bastards on October 1st!

Hey Canada!

A few months ago I got an email press inquiry from a magazine in Toronto called Viva, described to me as a natural health magazine. Of course, I don't live in Toronto, although I have visited the charming city. So I tried to find out some information about the little magazine but really came up empty handed. Eventually I decided that if I just sent one of my fabric flowers pins to be featured and it ended up a scam I was only out one pin. I know--I'm so paranoid, right?
But this month was the month for my pin to be featured in Viva's Eco-Chic section. I got a pdf of the layout with other fellow eco-chic designers. And it looks good, very pretty and legit.
I've shrunk it down and cropped it, but you get the idea.

You probably can't read the content, but it says that I like to make people smile. I was a little bemused by that. I suppose it's true in a way. I certainly never say things like that. Most of my life I've been the person people tell to smile. "Why don't you smile." Yeah, that doesn't make me want to smile. So that little blurb just struck me as funny, personally.
But any of you out there in blog land know about this magazine? I'd love to know if you really do see it.

Exciting Stuff!

I've got some exiting news about shops and shows coming up. First of all, you'll be seeing Bake Sale Designs products at Copacetique very soon. This is so cool for me because Copacetique was one of the shops I went to online before I even started my business. They carry so supremely cute things. And now my stuff is going to be mixed in with it all! I hope this is the start of a good biz relationship.

Second of all, I recently found out that I will be participating in Squidfire's Peculiar Holiday Craft Show in Baltimore. Why is this exciting? Well, I think Squidfire boys are going to do a bang up job. Plus, this is the first alternative craft show in Baltimore that I know of. It's about time mob town. Baltimoreans, you might want to mark your calendar for December 9th and scoot over to Mt. Vernon to get some holiday shopping done. Details to follow.

Lindsay's Candles and Stuff

It appears that September is a great time to start a crafty business! Lindsay's Candles and Stuff is also celebrating a first birthday this September and running a blog contest--great minds think alike. As the name implies, there are lots of candles in Lindsay's shop, but there are also some good looking bath and body products. Who couldn't use some lovely looking and smelling (vanilla, lavender, blackberry sage, almond, etc) soaps?

But what I really want is the 10 Minute Facial. I've got 10 minutes. I want a facial!

It's a Tough City and other randomness

Just a couple of days ago we noted a disturbing development in the back of our apartment building--teddybear abuse. The poor thing. I guess it came from the building next to us where our rental company is doing extensive work-gutting and renovating. But for some reason the poor teddy wasn't just thrown in the dumpster weeks ago with all the other junk in the place. No, the big guy is just stuck outside now. Witness:


Yes his ears are missing, but that could have been done by years of love--I hope anyway. He was out there during the rain we had over the weekend and the rainspout is right by his head. I wonder how long he'll stay there? The construction works probably think it's funny. It might be different he was propped up and sitting, like a mascot for them, but he just wedged in there. Maybe I'll stage a late night rescue--to the trashcan, at least it's dignity!

I've been working on a bunch of new handbags, they're like mini-messenger bags really because you can wear them across your chest. They're all in fabric I associate with fall and winter--corduroy and heavier upholstery fabrics. The one below is one of my favorites. It's a one-of-a-kind.

There was only so much fabric. I think I'll have enough for a new heftier clutch pattern I'm working on though. Anyway, this bag is now at Doubledutch boutique in Baltimore.