a few of my favorite things: refashioned shoes

In fact, there is no record of Marie Antoinette ever uttering the dismissive phrase,"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche." Nevertheless, what we do know about l'Autruchienne is that she had marvelous taste in shoes and, évidemment, so does Oxford Is Heaven.

All images courtesy of Oxford is Heaven.

a few of my favorite things: snow day follies

Question: what's a wonderful way to spend a snow day? Answer: make warm things!

Check out these lovely designs by Bonita Patterns. She's made it super easy for crocheters of any level to master these cool stitches with affordable patterns for hats, gloves, neck warmers and shawls. So go get your yarn and hooks and make something toasty!

a few of my favorite things: nautical tie clips

There's some serious talent running rampant in this family. Artist Brett Lojzim (married to Allison Fomich of Tigerlilly fame) started out as a painter, but metalsmithing (as many of us know) can be highly contagious. These badass tie clips have a recurring theme: ships. Yep, ships. There's a bit of sea life thrown into the mix too. Each clip is carefully crafted and supremely cool. Kinda makes me wish I wore a tie to work.

To see more of Brett's work, visit Dreadnought Workshop on Etsy.




Images courtesy of Brett Lojzim.

a few of my favorite things: soulful screenprints

Local artist Samantha Cimino's whimsical screenprints are full to the brim with emotion. Just the color alone makes me grin from ear to ear. Turns out that Samantha won't be local for long though: she's headed west to make a go of Portland's art world. In the meantime, check out her Etsy shop where you can purchase some very special pieces and maybe help fund her trip 'cross country.

a few of my favorite things: nifty claywork

These delectable jewels are made entirely by hand from polymer clay by local crafter Erin McManness. The sushi and cookies look good enough to eat! Check out more of Erin's work in her Etsy shop, Miri-love's Little Bird.

a few of my favorite things: symbolic hankies

Piercer, fucker, spanker, hustler...the list goes on and on of what these colored hankies indicate to those in the know. In its heydey, the Hanky Code functioned as a color coded system for communicating illegal or stigmatized sexual desires. The hankies you see here have been recontextualized to "promote and acknowledge that identity can be claimed more assertively."

Each one is indivudally silkscreened with exceptionally detailed and humorous illustrations - so even if you're not privy to the color code itself, you'll most certainly recognize the wearer's preferences once you look at what's on the hanky. To read more, visit Hanky Code on Etsy.

a few of my favorite things: vintage-inspired handbags

These gorgeous handbags by Pistol Designs are vintage-inspired with a decidedly modern twist. Each handle is individually designed and then cut, sanded, and varnished by hand. Fabrics are vintage or from scavenged ends of drapery and upholstery bolts. In a word: darling.

a few of my favorite things: badass crochet

Spoken word poet turned designer Hone Gryn Eyz of HGE Designs has crafted one wicked badass collection of crochet couture. Check it out:

Photos by Daria Johnson.