Riot Siren & the Quiet Collector

Ladies Night

2011-12-06T17:42:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T23:47:00.001-08:00

What the crap is a Turducken?

2011-11-23T14:31:00.001-08:00

...and why would I want to order one for my holiday feast?

Year of the Rabbit

2011-11-21T13:59:00.001-08:00

Doing fitness

2011-11-20T21:26:00.001-08:00

Ladies night: Kelty lives on a farm now.

2011-11-15T18:02:00.001-08:00

Ob-sessed!

2011-11-13T22:06:00.001-08:00

iheartnorwegianwood

Halloweekend 2011: Portland pre-adults love costumes.

2011-11-03T23:55:00.000-07:00

costume, 5pm

costume, 11pm

organ grinder

and her monkey

poseidon and...what is your costume, Kayla? "hot?"

dance dance

oh girl, do not know what you are, pregnant candy lady? just know I love it.

draco malfoy in the house

surprise encounter with a fellow crew member

lady man's leg tattoo

does that perfect t-cutout for the face mean "transformer?"

bored out of her brains

hottest crazy cat lady you'll ever see

so, somehow colleen ran into a guy wearing the same brand of adult asian pajama onsie. different animal.

Harvest party

2011-10-28T00:47:00.001-07:00

Slowly moving into my bedroom...

2011-10-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

2011-10-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

If you're in SF/Oakland, go!!!

Littlest brother

2011-09-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is the same kid who convinced me to climb atop a suburban mailbox by saying "come on, I've never seen a girl do anything cool."

Meanwhile in Germany...

2011-09-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

Angie is getting surprise guests in the house!!! AHAHAHA, oh hey! Hey...you there, who let you in?

Seeing Merkel's face also reminded me that a lot of people talk to themselves in Berlin. Especially on trains. This one time I was riding to Charlottenburg or something dumb and this guy was loudly reciting facts to his captive audience. It went something like: "ANNNNNgela MERKEL is our PRESIDENT! SHE issssss a WOman! She is from EASTGERMANY! EAAAAAASSSTTTERNER!" He luckily had his back to me and another dude I happened to be facing. Fortunate. We were truly doing our best to laugh silently and allow him the glory of an uninterrupted monologue.

Ladies night

2011-09-20T22:38:00.001-07:00

Fall is here.

2011-09-16T19:10:00.001-07:00

I am prepared.

Ping. Pong.

2011-09-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Expected delivery date: Oct 3-17

2011-09-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

Peep show

2011-09-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

are...you guys implying that this is the way you would now like to be fed? What's next? Oh, I prefer that MEEEDIUM rare...

Ladies night

2011-09-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and music makes the difference...

2011-09-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Feels Like Home Ep #3 - White Fang "Feeling Shitty" from Into The Woods on Vimeo.

Ladies night

2011-06-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

Monica's freshest ink courtesy of her hubby Jake. And ja, that's her kitty, Ruca.

Crop tops...

2011-06-27T23:19:00.001-07:00

...in the shop tomorrow. Because an inch of exposed midriff really does make you less sweaty in summertime.

Against the grain (Thursdays are for thinking)

2011-06-23T23:59:00.001-07:00

Everything I read about rabbits tells me "they like little hidey-holes," and "make sure you provide a space for your bunny to get away from it all," and "make sure you cover up their carrier when you take them places so they don't get nervous from unfamiliar sights," and how on edge they get when there's too much going on. When I'm sewing in the afternoons, I leave the front door open with a baby gate so Clyde can't escape. What's her new favorite activity? Watching the world go by and observing the neighbors bbq in their front yard. She turns her head as cars go by, following them. Perks her ears forward at unfamiliar sounds. Never flinches. Stares down the cilantro planter. Telescopes upward to try and peek over the top. I guess it's no surprise that a bunny willing to explore a heating duct and that survived being stuck in furnace has an insatiable curiosity. What blows me away more is that a near death experience has not deterred this thing from exploration. She just wants more.

Ladies night

2011-06-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Mightiest Market Yet

2011-06-20T18:38:00.000-07:00

Apparently there will also be quality knitted goods courtesy of Karolyn Lawson, mother of Shola! I have one of her cowls and wear it CONSTANTLY. Come kick it with us and check out the newest wares. I'm stoked to offer a few summer surprise pieces...

This be custom sheeyat, yo

2011-06-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Puzzle pieces to the most recently completed custom order...

Boreder than ever

2011-06-12T23:15:00.001-07:00

How do they always know when you're going out of town...

2011-06-08T00:40:00.001-07:00

...and why do they always just assume they're invited?

Ladies night

2011-06-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

New dresses for sale ya'll. Haaay.

Lazy Sunday...

2011-06-06T23:55:00.001-07:00

to follow an epic Saturday...

Spring Cleaning

2011-05-27T21:10:00.001-07:00

Everything in the shop is marked at 20% off until Monday, HAY!

Ladies Night

2011-05-24T21:47:00.001-07:00

Musical Monday #15: The Weeknd

2011-05-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

R&B + trip hop = fresh. Click it. Download it.

Ladies Night

2011-05-03T23:58:00.001-07:00

photo by Saga Sig

Musical Monday #14: Chemical Brothers

2011-04-18T00:56:00.000-07:00

Wisely, Rachel and I decided to see Hanna at Cinemagic where the chairs rock. This proved useful for bumping to the Chemical Brothers soundtrack. Enjoy.

Little lagomorph love (April 12th is bunny day)

2011-04-12T23:39:00.001-07:00

Yep. About this time one year ago, Clyde Drexler arrived. At our house/in my life, whatever. There had been signs she would be coming (pressure from Shola to get a pet, me secretly researching bunnies online to determine if this was the right animal, seeing them at the Humane Society and wanting to snatch one right out of its cage...) so when roommate Josh announced out of the blue that his friend's bunny would be moving to our place for good, I knew that was it. What I hadn't anticipated, was what intelligent, adorable, entertaining and sweet pets rabbits can be. Or how attached I would become.

When I moved to the Netherlands last year, taking her with turned out to be an option. At the time I seriously considered but ended up opting out due to costs. Now? Wouldn't think twice.

Clyde, thanks for making me laugh every day, listening to my problems, making sure I get out of bed when my alarm goes off, keeping an eye on things while I nap, always peeing in your litter box (now), eating your veggies, indulging my neverending desire to squeeze your furry little face, forgiving me for constantly putting medicine all over you last month and being wonderfully cooperative...as long as there are raisins involved. You're really the best.

Ladies night

2011-04-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

Musical Monday #13: Ke$ha

2011-04-04T14:24:00.001-07:00

That was pretty nice of all the Enterprise guys to help Ke$ha out with her vid.

Stir crazy (Thursdays are for thinking)

2011-03-31T16:47:00.001-07:00

Is this dreary weather giving me an excuse to hibernate, eat ice cream and watch tv? Or am I using it as one? Are you? Is it spring yet?

Musical Monday #12: PJ Harvey

2011-03-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

I've been a PJ Harvey fan for a while. Uh Huh Her was one of the last actual CDs I bought back in 2004. I never really got into White Chalk, but her new album Let England Shake (aside from being generally quite good) includes one particular number that somehow made its way into my brain. "Last Living Rose" has this element of resigned European dignity mixed with the dark, self-deprecating humor I usually expect only from Germans. I guess it comes from the ability to romanticize shabbiness by idealizing former prowess and glory. Or taking ownership of both the delightful and the disgusting in one succinct anthem. The satisfaction comes in belonging to both. Anyway, I thought I'd pass it on. (The actual videos I found were kind of off the mark in terms of how I envision this song. It seems far more ironic and melancholy. Just listen.)

Sometimes, we all need each other a little bit. (Thursdays are for thinking)

2011-03-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a big day for Clyde Drexler. And for several humans involved in her life. Yes. I can say "life," because she's still alive. Sitting right next to me, attempting (unsuccessfully) to groom herself through a plastic collar. I can't believe it. Or that today I would be so overwhelmingly grateful for such a simple thing as sitting next to a bunny.

On Saturday afternoon, I wrote a message to my roommates on the chalkboard about feeding Clyde in the morning and hopped in the car to the mountain with Seth and Ashley to celebrate the second day of Rachel's extended birthday. It was a blast. Deep, heated pool, amazing view, delicious home cooked meals and a delirious dance party. I got back earlier then I thought I would. Waltzing in, I did what I always do first. I looked for Clyde.

Clyde Drexler is a free-roaming bunny. She didn't start out that way in our house, but now she's totally litter trained and we can trust her not to cause any trouble for the most part. She mostly just explores, chills out in her favorite spots and munches on hay. The ground floor is pretty much...hers. There wasn't really anything dangerous we knew about besides a few house plants. We moved those mostly out of her reach.

Upon entry, the smell of burning...something wafted into my nostrils. I checked the stove. Someone had made popcorn, but that wasn't quite it. Roommate Alex appeared and mentioned that the stink had just started about half an hour, 45 minutes ago. Maybe a squirrel had electrocuted itself in our wall? My chest clenched up, but my brain wasn't there yet. I opened a window because of the smell and turned off the heat out of habit.

I checked all of Clyde's normal spots. I did the things that usually bring her sprinting into the kitchen (make a pellet falling in glass bowl noise, open the fridge and pull out the veggie drawer etc.). Nothing. I looked again, shining a flashlight into more difficult to reach places she might have discovered. No bunny. I settled for what I usually do in the afternoon. Started watching a tv show with the door cracked. She will usually appear and fluff up next to me on the floor. Again, nothing. I couldn't concentrate. Something was wrong.

Vince and Kristin, my other roommates, weren't home. I texted them to see if anyone could ease my slight worry about the smell and missing bunny. Vincent called back, which worried me more because he was worried. As soon as he got home, he started poking around and I walked around the block in desperation, hoping to find her hopping about in a neighbor's yard. When I returned, all the color had drained from Vince's face and the baseboard on one of the kitchen cabinets was askew. "I have a sickening feeling I know what happened." He said. I had a sickening feeling that whatever he was about to say was right.

Apparently there is an opening to a heating duct under our kitchen cabinets that is not fully covered, and it leads directly into the FURNACE. Yes. Vincent postulated that our darling little bunny had crawled beneath the cabinets, gone a little too far and slipped in. This would explain both the smell and Clyde's troubling absence. I prepared myself to find a mangled, bloody, burnt bunny carcass as I followed him into the basement.

It took a little while to get the side panel off the furnace. Vincent had to pull the tape off, unscrew a bunch of little bolts and slide a piece of sheet metal aside. I wondered aloud while he was tugging and turning, if this was my punishment for caring too much. Some sort of twisted karma for disturbing the force somehow. Had I loved that little four pound furball way more than I should? When he finally managed, he was brave enough to stick his head into the opening above the heating element. She was in there. And she was alive.

When I stuck my shoulders into the furnace housing, I expected to see something terrible. And it was, just not the bloodbath I was imagining. Clyde had somehow wedged herself perfectly into a 3 inch metal trough next to the metal coil heating element, feet down, facing forward. I carefully tugged, squished and finally slid her out of there while she woofed and grunted. Holding her up in the light I saw that she had several burnt fur areas, totally singed whiskers and red irritated eyes but was otherwise okay. I burst into tears.

Blubbering all the while, I carried her upstairs and did a once over again. Vincent called the animal hospital. I plopped her into her cage and the first thing she did was devour all the food in sight and pee. She was fine. A little crispy, but so totally alive. She started grooming herself fervently; bits of blackened fur scattering onto the floor like flakes of my formerly compact concern dissipating into obscurity.

Thinking back on the event, it blows me away how all the little things started to add up. How if just one tiny step hadn't been the way it was, Clyde could have been toast. If I hadn't ridden home earlier. If Alex hadn't noticed the burnt hair smell seemed to be coming from the heater. If I hadn't turned the furnace off because of the open window. If Vincent hadn't realized the heating duct was under there. If if if.

It's all I've been able to think about for the past 72 hours. How much I adore that damn bunny. And how important it is to stay in touch and work together. To investigate when something feels wrong. We all need help sometimes. It's...kind of mind blowing to contemplate the occasions when it actually arrives.

Again! Again! (Mighty Market strikes...)

2011-03-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

One...

two...

three...

Four! Oh, haaay! See you all at my place this Saturday!

Control (Thursdays are for thinking)

2011-03-17T23:58:00.001-07:00

We...had known there was a rat in the basement for quite a while now. I saw it once before departing for Amsterdam. Josh had seen it, and for some reason mentioned this to me one day after I moved back but wasn't living in this house. Vincent had written something about it on the chalkboard. It tried to eat boy Alex's peanut butter right out of the container, but failed. I don't know what Kristin's relationship with the rat was. It was just...there. We knew we had to kill it. It was messing with our seed starts for the garden and we'd already been somewhat thwarted by a baby squirrel last year. Yesterday, I finally took action.

Okay, sure. This is kind of disgusting. But, I've killed a rat before. One of these critters was my nemesis in Berlin. I knew where it was coming through the floor, I set the trap, I killed it. I apologized to the rat. I undid the trap after its neck had been broken and its paws frozen stiff and draped its dangly body into a shoebox. Then I put it outside in the dumpster and washed my hands. That was it. Maybe I'll bury this one in the backyard instead?

It just got me thinking a bit. I was really worried about our darling house bunny Clyde getting stuck in the trap somehow, even though she's never gone downstairs before. Looking at her fat, furry little face today I wondered. Why is she allowed? Why do we feed her, clean her cage, stroke her floppy ears, worry about her and look forward to hearing her clickity clack on the floor when we get home? Or maybe only I do? Undeniably, I love that thing. I think everyone enjoys having it around to a certain degree. But...that's not the point. There are plenty of humans who love their pets. It's just...the rat has to die because noone chose it? Because it invited itself and started causing trouble? And will inevitably invite more rats and/or reproduce its own? Just like Garrett the squirrel though, somehow a rat in the house makes absolutely no sense. It has to go. Not just be swept outside into its natural habitat, but KILLED. Because its natural habitat is a human household and its natural tendency is pillaging human food sources. Something about human instinct or whatever. It just seems so strange. That some small critters we devote ourselves to loving and protecting, whereas others we tempt with peanut butter and then break their necks.

Four eyes

2011-03-16T17:09:00.001-07:00

So my roommate Kristin works for a tile company, the owner of which also has an eyewear company, Amy Sacks. Of course, right? Kristin, however, was apparently given the task of photographing a bunch of glasses though and had the genius idea of inviting friends and acquaintances and pets to model in exchange for some frames (and snacks...) This building in SW also houses the tile company below and the eyewear/makeup ladies were given access to the second floor for the photos! Hannah and I got on board (hope I got you some good ones Colleen!) with plenty of time to get our ping pong on.

Back in the fold

2011-03-09T23:32:00.001-08:00

My, what a busy week...

2011-03-06T23:50:00.001-08:00

We'll miss you Howie!

To each, his own.

2011-03-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

This be custom sheeyat, yo.

2011-03-02T22:22:00.000-08:00

When you hear me say "I'm working on a custom order right now," this is what I mean. This is where it starts. Number crunching and line drawing...

Let's start with what's not going so well...

2011-03-01T23:16:00.001-08:00

Today started out terrible and sloppy. I mean, feeling UPSET before anything had even happened. From there, it was just sloshing around until Blazer time. I was feeling various shades of down for all sorts of reasons and hit a low after coming home from the game. Then I remembered what my mom does with kids who are having a bad day and are sent to the principal's office. She makes a T-chart with them to show them EVERYTHING doesn't suck. Just some things. And there are upsides, so I made one. AND IT WORKS! HAHAHAHAHA!

Musical Monday #11: Fist Fite

2011-02-28T17:30:00.000-08:00

I've always kind of liked Fist Fite. Always meaning in this case, since I first saw them at Rotture a couple of years ago. There are times when they are pretty much...exactly what I want to hear. Anyway, I was delighted they were playing with Red Fang right above/after our Mighty Market with HasBeen in the recently deserted/about to be demolished Couch street building on Saturday. It looked exactly the way I felt. And it was fucking cold.

Only he knows (Thursdays are for thinking)

2011-02-24T19:22:00.001-08:00

Something about Kobe Bryant has always fascinated me. I read about him in some facts about major NBA players book that someone had left in our kitchen months and months ago and only became more fascinated. The singular focus? The weird underlying intensity? The Italian? Dressing up as Voldemort for Halloween? The defiant, uncompromising agenda to be his bad self despite criticism? I don't know. I was just watching him fly around the court in the final minutes of the Blazer game last night like a raven of rage and death and had to wonder. Who IS this guy? Anyway, my bf Nicolas Batum kind of summed it up for me on Blazersedge.

"He is very good, sometimes, yeah, he is unstoppable, sometimes. You can crowd him, get on him, he's going to find a way to score. I don't know how. Only he knows."

It's happening.

2011-02-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

Total bummer that the HasBeen has to relocate to make way for gentrification, but hey. That's how it all works, right? Off to scummier digs until the ice cream shops and fancy restaurants start moving in...but before they do that come get yourself decked out head to toe in fancy frocks, discount HasBeen gear and pump your fists in the a-yer.

Ladies night: Gentlemen prefer blondes

2011-02-22T21:23:00.000-08:00

Musical Monday #10: Annie

2011-02-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

If you've been cruising with me in the Ranger lately, you've heard this. To those of you who haven't, you're welcome. Having taught child dance for nearly three years, I was constantly on the prowl for good pop and hip hop with a positive message without profanity. Not an easy task when you take into account I also have to kind of like it/not be annoyed by it. In doing so, I found Annie. I never ended up using any of these tunes for choreography, but I was surprised to discover that her most recent album "Don't Stop" is good synthy pop with better than average lyrics all the way through. Plus she lives in Berlin, where all cool Scandinavians end up going at some point or another...

The Dark Mark (Thursdays are for thinking)

2011-02-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

It's easy to make assumptions about people. That only takes one person to do. It's a lot more difficult to be patient with each others' abilities to reveal character and motivation over time, considering that requires the cooperation of both parties involved...

Ladies night

2011-02-15T17:14:00.001-08:00

Johanna lives in a great house full of ladies in SE! They invited even more ladies over for valentine crafting, snacks and wine this past weekend, which is how I got to see the inside. I also got to help her put the chickens away (apparently all three of them like the roost area so much that they just stay there until they're freezing so they have to be individually put into the coop each night. Hahaha) The other highlights were: eating the most delicious cupcake of my life, folding fifty paper cranes with recently married Monica for her reception (only 950 to go, right?) and watching all of these maniacs craft meticulous mementos for their loved ones. Hope you boys appreciated those.

...but they're the ones that I crave, goddamnit!

2011-02-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

(Psst! This one also comes in mansize! Series coming soon to the shop...)

Ladies night

2011-02-08T22:25:00.001-08:00

You, me, us, everyone. Musical Monday #9: Akron/Family

2011-02-07T23:28:00.000-08:00

My first experience with Akron/Family was "Raising the Sparks" from 2005's self titled album, and something about the energetic hallelujah hippie sound nabbed me. I've had an eye out ever since, especially when they reappeared on Matthias' computer while cleaning the kitchen in Amsterdam one evening. It was 2009's Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free and I listened to the entirety at full volume without regrets. Today I listened to their latest album, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey Of Shinju TNT, and it's...pretty good. I mean, I liked it. It just wasn't quite right for the mood or something. For some reason though, this song followed me home at the end of the day. Maybe because it's true. Enjoy.

Don't know where it stays all over the place...

2011-02-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

I've been so hungry for so long (Thursdays are for thinking)

2011-02-03T16:23:00.001-08:00

Happy Socks

2011-02-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

I found this website on Neet's blog and experienced a strange sort of recognition while browsing through. I entered to check out the hemp/recycled yarn socks (lower right) but stayed for the bright colors and awesome patterns. The "wait a second, something seems familiar here" feeling was explained when I hit the "about" page. Guess where this company is from. Just GUESS. Hahaha, why? Why do you always tantalize me with your offbeat but not TOO kooky or calculated style, Sweden? Even in SOCKS? They really do have nothing better to do besides think of nice things to make in quality, sustainable ways using perfect proportion and color harmony. How am I supposed to keep up with these people?

www.happysocks.com

Musical Monday #8: Starfucker

2011-02-01T23:25:00.000-08:00

I read about Into the Woods a while ago, before I went to Amsterdam, I think. Although my interest was piqued (sans serif pseudo scandophilia with NW flavor, how to resist?), I thought it was just a video of Wampire in a mountain cabin. Turns out, this ragtag mob of PDX music documenting goons has been up to stuff! Also turns out they're not only prolific, they're good videographers. I could, and have already spent a considerable amount of time on the website watching videos (partly because some of the videos take so goddamn long to load). And look who I found! These familiar sounds were the soundtrack of my at-home existence for nearly two years...

It's important to have a place to belong, or at least feel like you do. It doesn't have to be the ultimate anything. It just has to feel like home. Thank you Vince and Josh, for making me feel welcome (back). And thanks Into the Woods, for keeping tabs and making our town look cool.

http://intothewoods.tv

It's only a day away...

2011-01-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

Dresses, shoes, purses, scarves, coats, drinks, snacks, prizes...!!!
6-9 pm Saturday January 29th 5134 SE Hawthorne #1
(Invite by Emily PFDM)

Word on the street...

2011-01-26T08:25:00.001-08:00

advice for 2011 from the city itself.

Looking ahead...

2011-01-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

...expanding the offerings beyond dresses...

Puddles won't stop us. They'll just...delay us, slightly.

2011-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

This past weekend to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, my mother invited my brother, his girlfriend and me to the beach. There was significant flooding on highway 101 just south of Seaside but we figured we'd just go for it anyway. Turns out, the highway was closed to low profile vehicles there (i.e. my mom's WRX). Alone, I probably would have convinced myself that there were things I really wanted to do back at home and turned around. My mom, however, had reserved the penthouse for a sweet deal on her vacation points plan and was not about to let some swollen rivers stop us. My brother was also of this persuasion. So we drove an extra hour and half all the way around the big puddle on highway 202 to Astoria and then down 101 to Seaside. On the upside, we saw two herds of elk before it got dark and my brother was ultra motivated. On the downside, the puddle was seriously, 2 miles south of our destination and was clear the next day so we discovered JUST how close we'd been before nearly tripling the travel time. Anyway, we made it to the penthouse. The fireplace didn't work because it was too windy and the window dripped, but it had a bedroom AND bathroom for each of us plus a really nice view. I also got a Yahtzee. My mom and brother+girlfriend spend their whole morning earning $100 visa gift cards by withstanding a time share sales pitch geared at citizens who earn over $60,000 a year. I decided I would spend my morning taking photos for free.

Ladies night

2011-01-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

Musical Monday #7: Iggy Pop

2011-01-17T23:01:00.001-08:00

Not much to say except hanging out with your bff David Bowie in West Berlin of the late 70's fighting a heroin addiction and recording great albums must have been the real deal. Also purportedly the first artist to "stage dive" (wikipedia), Iggy is classic and so is this record.

Paaaatrick, baaaaaa-by boy

2011-01-16T00:49:00.000-08:00

My Verhuisdoos FINALLY Arrived!!!

2011-01-14T17:39:00.001-08:00

In the interest of not lugging a bunch of bs around during my weird 2-day international journey back to the US and avoiding possibly life threatening luggage fees on one particular short flight, I sent a box of things back to the US from Amsterdam. The Dutch post will deal with up to 20 kilos (44 pounds) of your junk at a fairly reasonable price (half of what said short flight could have potentially charged me) so I bit. I carefully packed in less valuable but still important items into a Verhuisdoos ("Moving box" and for any of you who do Deutsch you can see just how funny Dutch is: "Verhausungsdose" instead of "Umzugskarton" anyone? Hahaha) and taped that biznass up. I even put the Dutch xmas treats I was planning to dole out in there, having great faith in the postal system. Two packages I'd sent previously arrived in 7 business days! Even the guy at the counter I mailed it from assured me it would be 1-1.5 weeks tops. L-I-A-R! It arrived WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12th! One month and one day after sending it. But you know what? It arrived and I am glad to have my vintage dresses, shitty shoes and llama yarn back. You can look forward to Dutch treats for Xmas NEXT YEAR, everyone.

Intergalactic you and meeee...

2011-01-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

Introducing: Space Traveler from another galaxy! This guy's quilts are totally off the hook, I mean, you see them here. Words cannot describe the dude quilting genius that spawned them. I was lucky enough to run into a video of the maker one night trolling through Etsy. Jimmy McBride. Many of you already know how deeply I appreciate unexpected contrasts. Well, meticulously mapped nebula-inspired space quilts hand sewn by a man certainly hits that one on the nose. Please check out more of his work at jimmymcbride.com or his Etsy shop at stellarquilts.etsy.com. Thank you.

New Year, New Dresses

2011-01-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

Oh hay! Whatup everybody. Welcome to 2011. This year there are bold prints, minimalistic shapes and some fantastically faded party dresses coming from idea to reality. Riot Siren is sticking with retro silhouettes + futuristic details and as always, keeping it handmade. As much as possible, fabric and notions are vintage, second hand, or salvaged.

Thank you again to all my wonderful friends and family who have supported my dirty doll dress endeavor in 2010 (and before) by sewing into the wee hours, organizing sales, baking cupcakes, posing like maniacs for photos, treating me to dinners I would never be able to afford and rocking your custom-made dresses with pride. I am so excited to go full steam ahead in 2011!

Oregon coast: Pastel perfect.

2010-12-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Family beach trip 2010. I saw a whale, played the most dismal Yahtzee round of my life and survived high tide.

Xmas 2010

2010-12-26T23:58:00.000-08:00

A Hannah and Alex Xmas III

2010-12-22T18:49:00.001-08:00

Every year, married maniacs Hannah and Alex put together a Christmas film of sorts for our enjoyment...and theirs. They show it at the Living Room theaters on the big screen. It's fo' real. This one was an especially great little noir murder mystery romance featuring husband, wife, friends...and a musical number! I have no idea how they plan to top it next year, it just keeps getting more legit. And to top it off, Hannah doled out some scarf samples from her Ola Collection (more on that soon...) Thanks for a fantastic evening, friends!!!

It's where young people go to retire...

2010-12-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

...and it's where I grew up. AHAHAHAHA! I can't wait to watch this.

Hot toddies and eyebrow grills.

2010-12-21T01:34:00.001-08:00

The right way to reenter Portland.

Welcome back to 'Merica.

2010-12-14T20:51:00.000-08:00

So, long story short, things in the old world didn't go according to hoped. Which puts me here. Where you have freedom. Although, in order to restrict freedom to sue, I guess we have to make signs like this to make sure people don't stand backwards and topple over on flat moving bands. 'MERICA!

Maybe it's the holidays and winter feeling but...

2010-12-05T12:58:00.001-08:00

I'm totally into this new-ish textile series from...Ikea.

Endlich mal was neues...

2010-12-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

New pattern. New dresses. Coming soon.

Big opening for a bland offering.

2010-11-30T10:49:00.001-08:00

Last Thursday here in Amsterdam, they opened a brand new H&M flagship store. In the spirit of Thanksgiving/Black Friday/curiousity, I got up at 5 am to check this out. Namely because they advertised free gift cards for the first 100 people in line with a surprise amount between 5 euros and 500 euros. I thought I'd go at least for the spectacle. Plus, you never know. I had a good feeling that maybe I'd be that lucky 500 euro cardholder if I did in fact make it within the 100 person limit. Matthias was also intrigued by this early stand up and decided to join me once he saw it was for real and discovered both of his classes were cancelled. His bike had a flat tire, so we had to buddy ride mine and it was freezing cold. I wore my raccoon fur jacket (vintage from mom) and we both had yellow hats in different shapes made from the same sweater. We also had a large army bag because Matthias was to pick up some equipment from school, so we looked like street folk out to collect. It was dark out and very few Dutch people were stirring. We arrived promptly at quarter after 7 (grand opening scheduled for 10) and saw quite a few people standing about. "Do you have cards?" asked a girl as we walked confusedly up to the red carpet being laid for customer entry. She showed us a lanyard with a grey card in plastic around her neck. "No, what for?" I asked, but Matthias had already sprung into action. He was on the red carpet and walking toward him was a well dressed woman holding two such lanyards on either side of her head. "Who are the last two?" She was asking in Dutch, looking at Matthias. "US!" He says, and that was that. Quarter after 7 and we were 99 and 100 in line. Hahahahha. "For this, I love how organized Dutch people are. Now we don't have to stand around wondering!" Matthias exclaimed. We had great hopes that one of our gift cards was the 500 euro winner. After 2.75 hours in the freezing cold drinking free coffee, gawking at tourists gawk at the line, and a loud musical buildup to a confetti burst, we discovered our grand total was 10 euros between us. The selection of accessories and small items turned out to be rather paltry and the clothing selection somewhat boring in my opinion. We couldn't decide if we should each buy socks or the whole amount should go toward a tie for Matthias' new job, so we buddy rode home and took a nap on the couch.

Someday...

2010-11-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

I will also be organized and cohesive enough to make me one of them brochures! Anyway, I posted a while ago about Strawberry Earth Wonderland here in Amsterdam and would like to introduce to you a lovely London designer I discovered there! Her label is Lu Flux, she also uses quite a large quantity of second hand, vintage and salvaged materials in her collections, and she happened to be rather delightful as well. She was really friendly and enthusiastic about what she does (which is dope. Both the things she makes and being stoked about it). It was inspiring for me to see what something similar to my aspirations looks like on a larger scale, in Europe...and in reality!

These are scans of her Spring/Summer 2011 Collection: Over the Hills & Far Away

Check out her older stuff here.

P.S. I have a sneaking suspicion that this collection would be a big hit in Portland, especially for dudes. Although, the dudes who would covet it are likely unemployed or "in a band"...

Who's a birthday bunny!

2010-11-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

Do we even know when her birthday is? Do we even know how old she is? Clyde came to us as a sort of rescue bunny from one of Josh's friends. I'm sure someone could track down this information if they REALLY wanted to. Anyway, Ali and Josh both sent me this amazing photo of my most beloved four legged friend. Whatup Clyde Drexler!

More fun, colorful things.

2010-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

Check out Annie Larson, knitting radical sweater creations one by one in Minnesota. It's kind of like Gap or Hannah Anderson, but funny. Fresh.

photos from New Land of Milk and Honey

Photographed by Sam Hoolihan and Ross Yates
Modeled by Ann Marie Freeman, Tim Hudson, Paul Puleo, Maddy Nye,
Fletcher Barnhill, Lindsay Noble, Ann Marie Schwankl, and Aby Wolf

Exhibited at the Soap Factory in Minneapolis, MN

Africa part II: The practical things

2010-11-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

...and speaking of the practical things. Most awesome textile prints ever? Now women can just dress themselves according to activity and it's like a uniform! In order of profession: Housewife, Trophy Wife, Plumber, EMT. Right? Hahahaha I WANT THEM ALL! Really. I do.

photos via ExtremeCraft's flikr page

P.S. You should check out the Extreme Craft blog. Dude perspective on craft! What? It's true. And it's pretty good.

Wax on, wax off.

2010-11-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

Ever since my former roommate Katie brought home a little stack of textiles from Cameroon, I've been curious about African wax prints. Turns out, they are traditionally printed right here in the rainy little Netherlands. Mmm Hmm. Apparently old-school Holland collected African soldiers to fight their colonial wars in Java and they came home wearing some Javanese wax-resist textiles. The way I understand it, these caught on and the Dutch saw a business opportunity. The company Vlisco has apparently been working on technology since 1846 and is reputable among well-to-do West African women who have a discerning eye for textiles. These fabrics are of high quality. Not only do I love these prints for some reason, I find it terribly amusing that a country full of northerly blonde whiteys who wear nothing other than tan knee-high boots and navy blue coats somehow got it together to print crazy, colorful and intricate wax-resist textiles inspired by Indonesia which they sell to an apparently loyal market in West Africa and have for over a hundred years. Not only this, but the fabrics are seen as definitively African. And I love them.

photos: Time, unknown, NRC Next, Vlisco

Old man in da house

2010-11-06T11:48:00.001-07:00

Matthias turns 25. So Konrad and Max came from Germany, we drank prosecco, Dutch people stayed up past their bedtimes to sing happy birthday at midnight, we sat around a campfire, we got out the tablecloth, a cake was made, and we put balloons on the wall. Because balloons on the wall signify "special day" instead of "regular day." Prost to the quarter century.

Maniacs a'Many

2010-11-04T06:08:00.001-07:00

Often I am too caught up in my own brain full of ragged doll dresses to really care too much beyond a fleeting curiosity about all the other kinds of fashion action going on. Sure, I browse images in the net, check out what's up, take the pulse of the world. But it's not frequent that something from fashion week really strikes me as noteworthy. This, however, stopped me in my tracks. I caught wind of it through a blog I follow; the Neverending Story. First I was disgusted/fascinated/couldn't look away. Then I fell in love. Which was a good sign (falling in love and then becoming disgusted is the wrong way around). It's Meadham Kirchoff's Spring Summer collection 2011 and it's glorious. Kudos, gentlemen.

P.S. to M.K.: Did you also go to junior high in Oregon during the 90's, instilling a subconscious filled with sharpie adorned converse, old man sweaters and kool-aid hair? Did English/French people do this too? Just wondering.

photos via Elle.com and Dazed Digital

Sweets

2010-10-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

They might just now be joining the eco-fashion parade, but one thing Dutch people have been doing well for pretty much all of existence is sweets. They have nearly an entire aisle dedicated to cookies, mini cakes, goodies, licorice and pastries in even the smallest supermarkets. One of the more notable, are stroopwaffel (not pictured). They are rather delicious thin waffle cookie sandwiches with caramel cream in the middle. I can't eat them anymore. I had a bad day during my earlier visit in May where I got a bit lost and for some reason only felt confident enough to buy a package of stroopwaffel to quell my hunger and ended up eating the whole thing, nearly barfing in the overheated tram I finally found and boarded home. Thus, I've moved on to other delicacies such as marshmallows (usually strictly forbidden by a health-conscious Matthias, although he brought these home. Possibly he pitied my occasional homesickness by indulging me in something "Amercian") and DONUTS. Yes. Look at these beautiful creations! They are like picture perfect 90's donuts from the Simpsons! How can that even be a thing? I don't know, but can't you see it? PERFECT DONUTS! They are even flavored differently. The yellow one tastes like banana! The pink one tastes like strawberry! Yep. And these are just your standard grocery store donuts. Dutch people, I applaud you here.

Amsterdam gets on the eco-wagon

2010-10-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Strangely enough, Amsterdam's very first major "eco-fashion event" took place last Sunday. Strawberry Earth Wonderland. It was put on by an organizer called Strawberry Earth, which advocates all things earth-friendly and apparently set a pretty tough standard for vendors. I stumbled across an article about it in a magazine haphazardly tossed into my goodie bag at an Expat fair full of booths offering tips, treats and memberships to social clubs. Of course I pulled this magazine out. Of course I flipped right to this page. I mean, coming from Portland it's like "Yeah, eco-fashion. Recycling plastic. What else is new, right?" But for these guys it is a road not yet traveled.

It's kind of funny, because although the Dutch are rather stylish in my opinion, they are also quite homogeneous and tend to favor "expensive" looks in a subtle yachting-on-the-weekends kind of way. There isn't much diversity, and my beloved old-fashioned grunge doll look that would barely raise an eyebrow in Portland gets all kinds of strange (and occasionally somewhat negative) attention here. Which sucks a tad considering I'm still finding my bearings and don't really want to stand out more than necessary when I stumble mounting my bike or roll up to a sales counter with nothing more than a "Goede Dag" to contribute to the Dutch conversation. Therefore wearing familiar things (i.e. cutoff pastel Gunne Sax dress with threads hanging down, messy hair and a shoulder-padded band conductor cum office woman jacket) has to be toned down a bit. Or does it? I still haven't gotten to the bottom of this one. Anyway, I was really excited about this event because I felt like I could not only see what's up in the Dutch eco-fashion scene, but I could also rock all things I love to the max and not be stared at. Which made me realize something.

Dutch people are really just getting started on this eco-bandwagon as far as fashion is concerned. There is hope that they will yet one day find second-hand girl ghost a fashion-forward idea. Even if they would never do it themselves.

The event itself was actually quite fun. It took place in (according to Matthias) the only cool nightclub in Amsterdam, Trouw. I could see how it would be a good place to party, although like all Dutch structures, the stairways were unnaturally steep and would be somewhat dangerous while inebriated. I arrived at the beginning and had the opportunity to talk to several of the designers (more on that later). It was really nice to speak with others who are as genuinely enthusiastic about their crazy recycled work as I am and have also had some success thus far. Etsy also had a presence at the event, teaching people how to make T-shirt yarn and spreading the word to get the Euros excited about the site. Apparently its rather secret here in Europe. Which is cool, it makes me a little more stoked to spread the word.

Alright, Amsterdam. You might be far more square than people imagine and not quite ready for vampire grunge doll in ratty fur coat on a daily basis, but you have accepted recycled, eco, fair trade and conscientious fashion that has legitimate whimsy and doesn't suck. I applaud you there. It's a decent start.

IJburg

2010-10-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

Last week Matthias needed to head out for some fresh air between studying for midterms and writing papers, so we rode across the bridge to IJburg. IJburg is a neighborhood of artificial islands in the IJ lake to offer more housing/a new neighborhood so Amsterdam can continue expanding somehow. So why not reclaim some more land from the water! They even have a word for this "Polder" although it's possible that only refers to land reclaimed from the sea...anyway, IJburg is appears to be a bit of an architectural free-for-all. There are all kinds of crazy facades and fun angles and bright colors on the residential buildings. We peeped in on all sorts of different living situations from the street level windows and admired the reckless abandon/meticulous attention to detail with which the buildings were designed. I bet architects everywhere were falling all over themselves to get in on this project.

photos by Matthias

Roti!

2010-10-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

Did you guys know about this stuff? I didn't until I arrived in this country! We tried to make it several Fridays ago, but more recently I was treated to the real thing by Matthias one lucky afternoon. It's a Surinamese dish, popular here because Suriname is a former Dutch colony and something silly like 1/3 of their population emigrated to the Netherlands prior to independence in 1975. Anyway, they brought some tricks with them because this stuff is real good. It's a bunch of veggies like green beans, peppers, some seitan or tofu type thing (Matthias is a vegetarian), potatoes and...a deep fried egg. It's kind of spicy and you eat it by scooping up veggies with the soft pancakes on the side. I love it. Matthias had gotten the tip for a really good Roti joint from his psychology prof (who is of partial Surinamese descent) and picked up two full portions on his way home from class. Turns out, one is enough to share and stuff us both! So we had Roti for brunch...and dinner. It's that good.

Last days

2010-10-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Ladies wine tasting, hay!

New hair, thanks Jaimee!

Trying to feed Kristofer enough...Vincent style eggplant puttanesca with veggies from our garden!

Minions busy in the dungeon, Rosebud costumes underway...

Brunch with Josh's buddies who came down from Seattle for the Panda Bear show.

Final moments with my fur covered bff.

Brother with his new Swedish bff. We sent Kristofer out to join the bachelor party and sip from the boot so Shola and I could slave away over more sequined dresses in peace.

photos by brother and Kristofer

Today marks the one month anniversary of arrival in Amsterdam! So here's a little glimpse at the final moments in Portland. Kristofer was visiting during my last week, as his motorcycle tour of the states put him in Portland immediately prior to Eurodeparture. He managed to make himself useful though by slaving in the sewing lab and showing solidarity on late nights. Brother also should be acknowledged for generously chauffeuring our wine tasting adventure. Thanks guys!

The Darkness and the Light

2010-10-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

Don't let our outfits confuse you.

Ugh. Moving back into a relationship after several years of independence is kind of...hard. Especially when it actually is MOVING BACK INTO a relationship. In a little room. In a different country. In a different world. No, wait. Same world. I just got caught up in the spirit of exaggeration and drama. THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO. Well, except the common room. But everyone knows you're there anyway because there's a window. I guess on the upside, it is a student residence and there are plenty of cheerful undergraduates to socialize with in the meantime. The beauty in black fortunately lives in our hallway.

P.S. There's more where that white dress comes from. I will reveal slowly but surely.

Dear Clyde Drexler,

2010-10-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Do you miss me yet? Have you noticed that I'm gone? I miss you.

Birthdays are for superheroes

2010-10-08T01:31:00.000-07:00

Study/dressmaking break. Henri and Emma get a year older. More maniacs from foreign countries.

I'm off to see the world #3: Whatup Dutch people! I'm in your country.

2010-10-07T10:00:00.001-07:00

Amsterdam Dance!

2010-10-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Dedicated with utmost sincerity to Eric Michael Lawson.

Musical Monday #6: Little Dragon

2010-10-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

My very first roommate from college kindly sent me a link to this band, thinking I would enjoy them. DING! I immediately fell in love with this video by Johannes Nyholm. Yes, yes, I know. They are ALSO Swedish. What else did you expect? I was even having kind of a down day when I watched it, is it weird that this made me feel better? I don't know. Thanks again Diana!