Hello friends! I'll be spending the weekend at Fort Mason, chilling with my beloved friend Sue and vending my wares. Please come say hi if you are around; I demand it!

NUPTIALS!

I just got word that two of my most beloved friends will be getting married in 2010! I can't wait to go to Austin and Portland to witness the nuptials (the grossest word ever, ever, besides panties!). I am so, so happy that they're happy, and as always, so glad for these long and steady friendships.

I hope they don't mind that I've taken the liberty of picking out their wedding cake toppers for them. I am obsessed with these damn things and their existence is pretty much the most exciting thing about getting married for me.

Congrats!

It's been five years since I left Portland. Although I don't regret moving for a minute, sometimes I really, really miss it. Conveniently, there's a beautiful song about missing Portland to listen to during these times.

drawing by Mike Conway

As I sit here quietly drinking coffee and eating spoonfuls of Nutella out of a teacup, it seems mad to think that a month ago I was scurrying around like a chicken with her head cut off. I guess that's the difference between December and January. Therefore, I'm finally put together enough to share these highlights from a hectic December.

Sometimes your nail polish perfectly complements that of your bff's. Such was the case at this Big Sky Cafe brunch.

Amazing wrapping job by the amazing Erin; the rest of our family had issues this year, so we mostly threw presents into old Starbucks handlebags and haphazardly crumpled some tissue paper. Erin really stepped up to the plate; thank goodness!

A super-cool non-Starbucks gift bag from my mom; perhaps I exaggerated before.

Bathroom wallpaper at the Verdi Club in SF, where I did the Noise Pop Holiday Shop. I'd never taken a photo while sitting on the toilet before, but there's a first time for everything.

I got to hit Miette for one delicious moment. Magical!

My purses adorning the bookshelf at ISSUES during my pop-up shop! We had a great time on a rainy December night; I'm so lucky to live practially next door to a place that is so deeply awesome. They work hard to make this neighborhood more than a yuppie paradise by promoting really cool community-building events and by selling the finest selection of reading materials.

The lovely ladies of Fat Bottom Bakery! Not only are they adorably clothed, but their vegan baked goods are fantastic. I inhaled a wee Red Velvet cupcake, and it was divine.

My neighbor returned from his cross-country holiday vacation the other day, and said, "I hope my astral body catches up with me soon." I secretly laughed at the hippie jargon, but I know what he meant. I think a part of me is still in December.

Renegade Craft Fair!

Reunited and it felt so good! It seems like eons ago since Sue and I worked together at our beloved Finnegan's Toys and Gifts. But we immediately got back into our tag-team shopgirl groove a few weekends ago when we shared a booth at Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco.

We both sold like crazy and had the best time doing it.

It didn't hurt that this was Sue's first West Coast show, and the California crafterati was clamoring for her beauteous creations.

We used to stand like this behind a counter for eight hours a day drinking coffee and shooting the breeze! Man, it was great.

Our cozy corner of Fort Mason.

These two days were truly the highlight of my year; it's hard when your dearest friends are scattered around the globe, but it makes it that much more magical when you get to see them again.

God Gave Rock and Roll To You...

The couch I watched all my vacation movies from.

Whenever I visit Portland, I stay with my beloved friend Derek, who lives in the same building I used to live in. It's a little bit like going back in time, to return to the exact same building where I spent my formative years making all the strange choices one makes in their early 20's, but I love staying somewhere familiar and cozy. Not to mention that Derek's apartment is impeccably decorated with a film memorabilia collection that demands its very own future post.

Derek also has the amazing skill of curating an evening at home with absolutely appropriate drinks and films that you'd never end up watching otherwise, and blowing out your mind with their awesomeness, no matter how avant-garde. On my last trip, I was introduced to the super-trippy short films of Kenneth Anger, and the beautiful underwater cinematography of Jean Painleve. The Criterion Collection recently put out an amazing collection of his works, including a big chunk of films re-scored by Yo La Tengo called "Science is Fiction." Beautiful! Here's a sampler.


Also, I guess when you search "Jean Painleve octopus" on YouTube, the following video comes up as well. A magical non-sequitur to take you into whatever today has to offer you! Enjoy.

Fabulous Friends and Fascinators!

There was a magical time in the early part of the century when I started every day with an apple scone and a cup of Earl Grey with a hint of lavender. I chatted for hours with my dear, dear friend Sue, at the little shop where we worked together. And since no one actually came in to the store, we basically got paid to hang out together every day. We had all the time in the world to come up with big ideas, about crafts and otherwise. I often pine for those bygone times, but both of us had bigger goals than a lifetime of retail.

Sue is charming, beautiful, and hilarious, but these days, she's best known for her super-successful business, Giant Dwarf. Her gorgeous felt creations have garnered the attention of all right people, and there's no one who deserves that attention more. Sue's latest feat is so, so awesome; her Rosette Fascinators are now being sold at Anthropologie. I love you, Suey!

You can buy these lovelies at Anthropologie, or straight from Sue herself, on the website that changed our lives, Etsy. (I'm getting the one pictured, in yellow, of course!)