Collected Magazine

This new online lifestyle magazine, Collected, launched this May founded by Krista Schrock and Jessica Comingore.

I love all their well-curated hand picked items. Pretty much.... I just want everything on these pages.

Fantasitc Knits

I've been MORE than obsessed with Annie Larson's knit brand, All Knitwear, for a long time now...and it's seriously amazing how she knits everything with a knitting machine. I totally get lost in time between looking at her blog with great photos of her space & process & her shop with all the fantastic wearables. Her sense of color & pattern and the way she puts it all together is simply beyond fantastic!
....and with Seattle's weather being so stupid cold & wet...I'm seriously considering getting these knitted sweater leggings! Just look how happy Annie is wearing that! I just love that photo. And of course THESE!: One of these adorable colorful hats wouldn't be too bad either....
It's all too good...

Cool Gang of Wool

This isn't your typical old lady yarn store filed with the scent of potpourri..... these ladies from Wool and The Gang had created a shop in making a yarn store and the act of knitting totally cool again!....not just ordinary cool....but hipster cool....
They offer bunch of more than stylish pieces in DIY kits including yarn, kitting needles, instructions, and all the coolness you'll ever need. And especially seeing their clean & cool branding designed by Be-Poles...it's just so hard to resist!

This is a perfect project for the winter and reason to stay cozy at home, knit, and drink some (or a lot) spiced wine! But of course if you want more of an instant gratification, they also have already made pieces you can just purchase! What bunch of cool smarty-pants they are!

So Warm and Cozy....

Love everything this lady makes and comes up with...this new body wrap is no exception.

That's SO Fair!

Check out these beautiful textile designs and wearables by Bhalo with a powerful fair trade mission to facilitate women in rural Bangladesh.

"Bhalo is a fair trade design label that aims to create desirable fashion whilst empowering disadvantaged people, especially women, allowing them to work their way out of poverty.

Our cotton is hand loomed and hand embroidered by women in rural Bangladesh, not only giving them much needed employment and training, but providing them with simple things that we take for granted - education/childcare for their children, basic health care, and most of all, dignity. We oppose human exploitation and feel everyone should be given the right to fair employment terms, and given a decent price for their work. Wouldn't you expect the same?"

You can read all their fascinating process, here! I would love to go there in person one day and learn all about their process! One of my dream is to travel from place to place and learn the regional crafts whether it be weaving, carving, dyeing, or casting....It'd be like the show "How it's made" but specifically for arts & crafts from around the world....wait....I think I should totally pitch that idea to Discovery Channel!!

Via Johnny&Stacie

One Dress for Every Day of the Year

Check it...remember the summer dress I wanted, and how I wanted to wear it everyday and everywhere? Well...someone is validating my idea with this concept of wearing one dress for 365 days, called the Uniform Project by Sheena Matheiken! It's a brilliant concept!
She wears the same dress (she has 7 of the same dress that is...) and find ways to reinvent the outfit everyday for an entire year! She started in May and it's been fascinating to see all the outfits she created.
Shenna got inspired by her childhood memory of wearing school uniforms and how everyone would always try to express themselves by accessorizing their body. So she collaborated with Eliza Starbuck to create an everyday "uniform" that was designed to be worn all year round.
The idea of wearing the same thing everyday can go a long way in changing our perception of fashion and the value of garment.
Clothes should last longer than one time wear, but why is there such a stigma behind wearing something twice in a row or too many times?
I've caught myself thinking before meeting up with someone "Did I wear this the last time I saw them??"
But why do we have those thoughts? Does it really matter whether the person wore the same thing twice...well...it matters to Jerry Seinfield...BUT...WHAT IS THE DEAL?! (In Jerry's voice)
This whole concept is very refreshing and inspiring to see. I mean, just look at all the variety and adorable outfits she's able to put together! Granted she still wears a lot of other shirts and garments with it...but the idea that one garment can be worn so many way is pretty fascinating!

I have about 10-15 pieces of garment that I always tend to grab and would mix and match them and layer them differently. This habit came about because of my own personal laziness of thinking about what to wear everyday....but maybe I SHOULD consider making it more of a fashion philosophy! I mean, why not? It does make more sense to have fewer but more versatile garments where they can be worn for different occasions, weather, and settings.

This could be a worth while challenge...and I think it would just be good to purge a little and re-evaluate the things I REALLY need.
If you're finding yourself wanting to do a little purging, too, make sure you donate it to the UNIFORM PROJECT!

Impulse Buy

Impulse Boutique, Seattle, recently posted a bunch of amazing designer clothes for the new season....my favorite season...Fall! It's the time when I can start wearing layers, boots, and scarves and still stay warm and dry...for the most part. They've been adding great designs from Junya Watanabe, Yohiji Yamamoto, Isabel Marant, and tons more on their new online community shop called Totokaelo.

I'm really likeing the loose, drappy look. It seems very versatile in terms of being able to wear over and under layers. And I'm all about layering!!

DIY Apron with Ikea Fabric

Finally!! The moment that I've been waiting for....Seattle Ikea gets the fabric by the yard department! For the longest time, the Seattle Ikea never had the fabric department and I was always bummed about it. I would go to Vancouver Ikea just so to get some yardage of some sort to fulfill my itch. (even though that's usually just a detour after a dim sum meal, a walk in Stanley park, a visit to the art museum, and another Taiwanese meal in Richmond.) Nonetheless, it wasn't the most accessible.

So Last week, Dylan & I went to Ikea to do some shopping for our new home and I found this fantastic FIALENA line with this adorable bold black and red heart pattern for only $7.99/yd! I had to use it for something, so I decided to make an reversable apron for Chika (my biz partner)as her birthday gift!! So this is it! My first stab at making an apron....

It's reversable...
with pockets and button hoops on each side to hang hand towels or oven mits.

It took me a good 5 hours to figure out the pattern, cut it, iron it, sew it, and iron some more...I think I'll have to modify the design so it's not so tedious to make. It made me kind of depressed to see Ikea selling their clever aprons for mere $7.99. But I suppose that's not the point...the point is that I had fun making the apron! On top of that, I think Chika did appreciate it much more knowing I put all my "hearts" into make the apron for her...Well, she better!! I'll be checking her kitchen regularly to make sure she's not cheating on me with some other aprons!

Too Koo!

I found this fabulous etsy seller, Yokoo, who knits these great thick massive scarves that just gets me so excited about winter! It's been super rainy and I'm trying to keep things positive by looking at fun cozy winter accessories such as these scarves and neck warmers. (especially that mustard one!) Alright! I'm ready for you....crappy Seattle weather....YOU!