austin bound...

We're headed to Austin this weekend for the Renegade Craft Fair. This is the first time we'll be sharing a booth, with our friend Silas Tom. You've seen Silas Tom designs already on L+L t-shirts, so we can't wait to see his paper goods line, which he'll be debuting at the show. Stop by our booth, number 37! Can't wait to see you!

readymade for my closeup...

I'd like to extend congrats to fellow Etsy Dallas members Jeff Barfoot and Shay Ometz from bee things, for their feature in April/May issue of ReadyMade magazine, and also give them an enormous thanks for outfitting their little one in a Loop and Lil tee shirt for the pics!

I started Loop and Lil with mostly sewn garments – dresses, skirts, pants. But after requests from customers for more clothes for boys, I made a few screenprinted and button embellished tees. Those met with a lot of success, so I talked to some good friends who were screenprinting posters about screenprinting tees for Loop and Lil. The red shirt pictured in this article, designed by Rob Wilson, as well as the other screenprinted shirts in the Etsy shop, are a product of that partnership.

To see full scans of all the spreads and get a peek at their cool pad in East Dallas, check out Shay's blog here. (Just a warning that their studio is pretty jealousy-inducing.) Or better yet, pick up a copy of the April/May issue of ReadyMade with the delicious strawberry tart on the cover. And if you've never screenprinted before, the article has a great tutorial that will make it easy to try!

public service frog announcement...

This weekend, I went to Lubbock, Texas to watch my best friend's public defense of her thesis in order to get her PhD in microbiology. And I'm proud and happy to say that I now have to call her "Doctor". 

She's been researching infections that are wiping out frogs (my simple way to describe it). It's no surprise that I didn't understand 90% of what she was presenting. But what I was reminded of during her presentation on these tiny fungi (I think) too small to even see, is that every living organism, no matter how big or small, is connected to us and we are to them. These researchers say that amphibians are the canaries in the coal mine for our planet’s health. And many of these amphibians are on their way to extinction! It was a definite eye opener. If you want to find out more, watch this video, or click here.

things to do: style stay-cation trunk show

I'll be out of town celebrating somebody's birthday this weekend, but if I wasn't, I'd be headed over to Move Studio to check out the Style Stay-Cation Trunk Show. If you're in the DFW area and want to beat the heat inside while doing a little shopping, check it out on Friday evening, August 21st from 5-9pm and Saturday, August 22nd from 3-7pm. I've never been to a trunk show with this much fun stuff going on. Not only are there great vendors including Harrilu and Tara to the T (who were the other two Dallas artists at Renegade LA), but there are also going to be chair massages, makeup and hair consultations (I could desperately use), and other fun stuff. 

Click here for more information!

under the sea...

I wish I had as many arms as this guy does to help me out with preparation for Renegade! In addition to my other dresses, shirts, pants and skirts, I'll also be bringing a new group of t-shirts, whose little sea creatures were designed and printed by a good friend. I've added fabric pieces and button embellishments to some of the designs, and I'm really excited to be able to offer more things for little boys. Stay tuned for more of the designs later this week. These will also be available in my online shop after the show.

save the frogs...

I was made aware that today is Save the Frogs Day by my best friend, who is finishing up her PhD in Microbiology. Turns out there is some pretty bad stuff going on with the world's amphibian population. Maybe the frogs need a poster boy like this guy. Until then, see what you can do to help their plight here.

guess who's coming to dinner...

Well, we're in clean up mode here after the annual Newberry Drive block Christmas dinner party. This year, hosting duties fell to us, so we hosted our first official dinner party as a married couple! And we've been married for over three years... 

On the menu, pork tenderloin, the maple-glazed carrots from the November issue of Real Simple, super hearty mashed potatoes, and this variation of Julia Child's green beans. Plus cookies for dessert. I made the centerpieces from grocery store white carnations and cranberries. We're in the middle of our first load of dishes, and it will take another load or two before we're back in business. All in all, it was a great success!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. 

the dream tree...

My oldest friend came into town last night to stay for the weekend, and on the agenda: attend King Tut today, then be part of my crowd support tomorrow during the run. After dinner last night, we strolled over to the flagship Neiman Marcus store for our annual scope out of the Christmas tree, and our drive around to look at lights. (We usually do this while drinking hot chocolate, but after last night's dinner, no one could eat/drink another bite.)

This year, NM asked 52 kids from St. Philip's School and the Scottish Rite Children's Hospital this question: What would your fantasy Christmas Tree look like, and why? They then chose 6 of those entries to build and display in the windows, using the drawings as blueprints. View the winning entries here. The theme for the grand prize tree was "The Clean Tree", and it was made of large balls made of recycled materials, and had facts about the environment in the balls. NM also powered all the lights and trees with wind technology. 

Each year, I am surprised and delighted with what the folks at Neiman's show, and this holiday tradition is one of my favorites for our little family. These "dream trees" were a reminder to me of how when you're a kid, you're not worried about how a tree made of pencils will hold together, or whether a tree made of clouds makes any sense at all. You have the freedom to dream without self-doubt, or worry, or second guessing. I need to dream like that more often. 

home for the holidays...

As I've mentioned before, our good friends Hailey and Dean have recently launched a new venture, Holiday Helpers, offering catering and decoration for the holidays. Last night, we had a great time at their open house for clients and friends. 

I am always surprised by the thoughtful details Hailey puts into her get-togethers, and this evening did not disappoint. From the delicious cake bites and holiday-themed cocktails, to the fresh holly greens for decor, to the delicious smells as soon as you walked in the door (a mix of orange juice, red wine, apples, cinnamon and other spices, and apple slices all boiling away on the stove), the open house was a hit! If you find yourself overwhelmed with everything you have to do for the holidays, give them a call!

need help deckin' the halls?

Can you believe that it's time to start thinking about getting everything ready around your house for the holidays? If you need any help, my friends Hailey and Dean have just recently launched their own business that can help you out with exactly that – Holiday Helpers. They can help with all things holidays – wrapping those special gifts, decking out your house, inside and out, throwing that perfect party, or baking yummy holiday goodies!  Hailey is hands down the best party thrower I have ever known, and a box of her delicious homemade cookies would make a fantastic hostess or neighbor gift! Good Luck Hailey and Dean!