Big apologies for neglecting the blogs lately. There's been a lot going on -- Ciara Loves You Headquarters has officially moved, for one, which required many, many hours of assembling IKEA furniture. I also joined a roller derby team -- more on that later -- and if that wasn't enough, I'm on my way to Morocco for a week! It's a work trip, but still very exciting.
All this by way of saying: Fear not, I shall return. In November.
No, seriously, it really is. Pleading with grocery store stockboys to give you their empty boxes? Awesome. Shoving everything we own into said boxes, one by one, in an incredibly time-consuming and exhausting manner? Awesome. Putting my sewing machine and craft supplies into storage for a week so that we can move everything around them? Awesome.
Are you convinced yet? BECAUSE I AM NOT.
One thing that has been genuinely awesome, so far, is the amount of stuff we are throwing away -- all the clutter that finds its way into the corners and sits for months, unnoticed and unused. I think that yesterday we must have thrown out 150 pounds of clutter, no exaggeration -- though the majority of that was unused files, press kits and other paper products. Even so, that means more room in my filing cabinet for accurate records of all the crafty sales and expenses I'll be making in the new place! Whee!
The other awesome thing: unpacking. I really, really love unpacking. It feels like a fresh start, and I can get all optimistic about just how amazing my life will be now that we're keeping the desk in that corner, or that all our tiny framed photos fit on the mantle above our fake fireplace. It's all so superficial, and it probably has absolutely no bearing on how the coming year will actually play out, but it feels good.
Plus, once I unpack everything, I get to redecorate. I've been scouring design blogs, fabric stores and Etsy for all sorts of fun home decorations. My favorite thing so far:
Maybe I'm just feeling a little spendy after Stitch Rock last weekend, but it seems like everywhere I look there's a sale. Case in point: ASOS.com, a sweet little UK setup. The FabSugar blog pointed me over there for a look at the site's clearance sale, and holy damn is there some good stuff -- including a lot of dresses for under 10 GBP. Love it!
If you're like me and would (usually) rather make your own clothing, I'd suggest you get to The Yarn Shoppe in North Miami Beach immediately to pick through their three enormous bins of skeins, all on sale for $2.99. YES I SAID $2.99. Better yarns at better prices than Fun Fur at Michael's. I came home with over $300 worth of yarn for under $100. Which means I should probably be crafting right now. Anyway.
All this inspired me to set up a little sale of my own, so here we go: Through Oct. 31, when you buy one Frankenstein or Ghostie Kitty Monster, you'll get the other free! They do go quite well as a set, don't you think?
What an amazing, truly amazing show Stitch Rock was. Yes, I'm usually upbeat about every craft fair I attend, but Stitch Rock went above and beyond my expectations. From the setup, where I had the chance to meet crafters that I've only known and respected online; to the opening, with a line of customers out the door; to the runway models sporting some of my favorite indie designers' clothes; all the way to the end of the day, when I finally got a chance to shop -- the whole experience left me with a feeling of excitement and possibility about DIY designs in South Florida. That feeling still hasn't gone away, which is why you had to wait so long for this post -- I've been tied to my sewing machine and crochet hooks rather than my laptop! Check out these pics from the show:
My fellow mafiosas were also representing, with Kelli of Kachina Herbs and Rebecca of Dragonfly Crafts putting the South in South Florida:
That's Rebecca's setup on top, featuring all manner of awesome jewelry, journals, and necessary accessories like mirrors that fit in your purse. I spent quite some time at Stitch Rock admiring this great silver ring of hers with big purple and green beads hanging from the band -- a steal for only $6! Unfortunately, somebody snatched it up when I wasn't looking. Next time!
Kelli, on the other hand, has a soap, salve or oil to cure whatever ails you -- and she should know, having studied aromatherapy for years! I can personally attest to her Muscle Pain Relief Salve, and her many followers in South Florida can speak to her services with skin troubles, cold and flu symptoms, allergies and even depression. She's the HCM's own DIY doctor!
Of course, the Hollywood Craft Mafia was only a drop in the bucket of awesome indie designers at Stitch Rock, which also included Almightee, with the fabulous Gnome shirt that will soon be mine; Luca of Lollibomb, who continued her world takeover tour with a stop in Delray; and Pam of Beanblossom, who keeps rolling out goodies like whale sushi pillows (a definite must on my post-move shopping list). I also met and fell in love with new designers like Stray Creative, who makes beautiful jewelry out of antique keys and other found objects; Yen's Little Things, with a classic yet modern approach to jewelry design; and Stinky Lou Lou, whose fabric photo albums inspired a squeal-y breakdown at her booth. Everything was so tempting, but I'm on a tight budget in preparation for moving (and Ikea opening), so my only indulgence is this tank from Cripple Creek Handmade:
It's a cheeky little reminder that we all need to be checking ourselves for that scary, scary c-word, plus proceeds go to breast cancer research. Hard to beat that.
All in all, a really great event, and huge congratulatory hugs to Amanda of With Sugar On Top for putting it all together. Here's hoping we have another Stitch Rock to look forward to next year!
Just in time for Stitch Rock, Kitty Monster has finally met his match:
In a moment straight out of a Meg Ryan movie, the two crashed into each other while chasing the same kitten, locked eyes, and fell deeply into monster love.
Ms. Kitty Monster is made of felt and stuffed with catnip, so cats love her too! Want more monsters? Check out the "Ciara Loves Cats" section of the shop!
They're headed to a craft fair near you...
I just completed a whole new army of Kitty Monsters for the Stitch Rock show in Delray this weekend. Everybody who's everybody will be there, including the brand new Ms. Kitty Monsters! You should be there too. Lookie:
Fans of the Little Black Dress playlist, you're about to be very jealous. I had the chance to see Rilo Kiley perform at Revolution in Ft. Lauderdale on Monday night, and it was a really memorable time -- memorably good music, memorably bad clothing, and memorably awkward dancing courtesy of the oversexed couple in front of me. Hope you crazy kids found a private place to get it on after the show!
Also uncomfortable to watch: Jenny Lewis' outfit on stage. I've seen photos of her wearing all sorts of crazy things and pulling them off admirably, but ... silver Felix-the-cat bowtie? Gym shorts/hot pants hybrids? Those sparkly leggings we all really wanted when we were 10, but our moms wouldn't let us get them because they'd be snagged in two minutes by our scraggly bitten fingernails, and haven't we told you to stop biting those nails anyway, young lady? (For the record, I have not.)
But all snarkiness aside, it was great to see Rilo Kiley show off their new sound. The show was a mix of old favorites, recent hits, and brand-new songs from Under the Blacklight. My favorite moment was the audience sing-along to "With Arms Outstretched," but I was just as happy to hear "Silver Lining" and "Breakin' Up." Lewis owned the stage in a totally different way than when I saw them back in their "Execution of all Things" days -- totally making love to the audience with flirty, faux-innocent expressions and no shyness at all. Amazingly fun to watch, even in a lycra hotpantsuit.
Here, have some Rilo Kiley:
Well, the little black dress is still a work in progress. In the meantime, I wanted to share with you all the amazing time I had at Kraftworks this weekend. If you haven't heard of Kraftworks, it's quickly becoming Miami's most diverse indie arts and crafts bazaar, complete with book and clothing swaps, great music, and of course the lovely designs of South Florida's most unique artists and crafters. This is my second time vending at Kraftworks, and I continue to be more and more impressed and awed by the quality of my fellow shopkeepers. A few favorites from this time around:
- beanblossom's awesome collection of bags has expanded to adorable stuffed whales, cute notebooks and even pillows with a secret condom compartment! You sneaky girl you.
- I picked up some muscle reliever salve for my whiny, achy boyfriend from Kachina Herbs -- Kelli, the owner, really knows her stuff when it comes to aromatherapy.
- Babeski, my booth's neighbor, had some slick 80's inspired jewelry -- and fun graffitied boom boxes to boot!
- Alicia of Unico Creation had me drooling over her super-intricate crocheted necklaces.
My Halloween-themed Kitty Monsters were the hit of the show -- I nearly sold out! And I also tried out a new system of displaying my clutches. What do you think?
