Me in Melange

homework...

Friday is my first official day of 'working from home'... Lila is 4 and a half months now, and although she has been a trooper tagging along with me to work everyday, it is time for her (and momma) to slow down a bit. I set up my at-home-office, which makes me laugh a little, since Ryan and I refuse to move out of our very small but very awesome apartment... the 'office' is between the kitchen and the living room, which really is just one big room. But it's perfect, I can watch Lila on her playmat, she likes to bat at the wooden arch- it's one of her favorite games right now... and I can still be in touch with with everyone at the shop and get my work done.  I consider myself one super lucky gal!!  And I think it's going to make my roly-poly babygirl happy too.  Isn't she the sweetest...

I am a little worried about clothing-withdrawl though... that may be a problem.  ;)  signed, me {CA}

putting baby in the corner...

I'm really lucky that LV is awesome and lets me bring Lila to work.  I couldn't imagine having to drop off the little one at daycare... in fact I probably wouldn't, hence not being able to work and leaving me and Ryan to eat ramen noodles every night and never being able to shop again.  tragic.  So the little lady comes to work with mom and naps in baby bjorn travel crib (an awesome pack n' play by the way, highly recommend it!) But the web office isn't the most stimulating place for a baby. And this week I started the effort to make her little corner cheerier.  I hung one of the inke heiland wall art pieces, so cute! I had not seen one of these in full action yet, and I have to say I like them even more now.  It's the perfect way to instantly introduce some color and the print is big and bold without being obnoxious.  I also strung some ribbon and hung some black and white cards with clothespins.  All-in-all it's looking more entertaining for her... next is to find a mobile to hang on the crib, something that she can bat at with those cute chubby arms. :) signed, me {CA}

jean hemlines 101...

It's back to school for many this week and for us that usually means an influx of girls looking for a brand new pair of jeans.  New jeans are the best way, in my opinion, to boost your confidence.  They make you feel great and they're an instant staple in your wardrobe.  The worst thing you can do though, is not get your jeans hemmed properly.  I'm not sure why anyone would spend so much on designer jeans and not spring for the extra $15 to get the original hem at the correct inseam. In fact, we believe so strongly about original hems that we now offer FREE HEMMING to all of our IN-STORE customers... come see our smiling faces in person and we will not only put you in the perfect pair of jeans for your bootie, but we will also hem them for free. 

(Emily pinning for one of said, back-to-school-ies)  Now, unfortunately we can't offer this to our out-of-town web customers... but what we can do is give you all of our good 'hemming jeans know-how'.  First.  Pick a good seamstress, try not to just go out on a limb... get references from girlfriends or go to a local boutique and ask them who they would recommend.  Next, be sure to wash your jeans before you get them hemmed.  Denim tends to shrink up a bit after the first wash. So always wash and dry first.  And speaking of drying... I always air-dry my jeans.  If you put them in the dryer they will continually shrink upwards getting shorter and shorter, until one day when you're like, 'when did I buy high-waters?'  Air-drying will save your inseam and help keep the wash it's original color. Finally, ALWAYS ask for the original hem.  ALWAYS. I've been going to the same lady for 4 years now and I still specify that I would like the original hem.  Why risk it... cause once it's hemmed, you cannot take it back.  We have a super cute new shipment of Citizens coming in tomorrow.  I might have to treat myself to a back-to-school pair just for fun.  signed, me {CA}

lila mckenzie...

I'd like to introduce you guys to my little Lila! :)  She was born on June 21st (daddy's day!!) and weighed in at 8 lbs. 7.5 oz.  She's an absolute doll and of course I'm totally infatuated with her. Today was her first day at work with mommy... she did really well, even got her to model. ;) 

 

I was lucky to have MY mom visit me for the past 2 weeks... she was awesome, totally got me organized, we introduced Lila to one of our favorite pastimes... shopping!  and we even had some fun sewing some things for baby girl.  A true summer staycation, thanks Mom!!  I'll post more pics soon... right now Lila and I are going to go enjoy some sunshine. signed, me {CA}

Satori Rue

We admit it... we have a little addiction to Satori Rue.  As fast as we get pieces in they fly right out the door again, and we think it's for numerous reasons... mainly being that it's so darn adorable!  My favorite thing about Satori is how easy it is to layer, layering your jewels is an quick way to create a statement without trying too hard (and also perfect for summertime styles!)   All it takes is choosing a few pieces that are different lengths and pendant sizes... you don't want them all to be big or small, but different variations.  For instance, in this pic of lovely Emily, we layered the 15" tiny nugget, with a 18" small mandala, and a 20" medium flower.  And voila, an instant showcase that decorates your decollete in just the right way! 

We just got in an fabulous new shipment of these jewels, check them all out here.  signed, me {CA}

a special thanks!

So I have to start Monday morning off with a VERY special 'thank you' to LV for throwing me one fabulous baby shower this past weekend.  It was at this little wine bar in the south of town called wine styles (fantastic customer service there, and really wonderful wine... I thoroughly enjoyed my sparkling pinot noir grape juice, and need to run back and pick up a bottle for home.)  LV had a yummy spread laid out, flowers from the Saturday market were everywhere thanks to my sweet friend, Meredith, and it was just a great few hours filled with girl chatter and baby showering.  I absolutely adore all of my stylish Eugene gal pals and so happy they came out to celebrate.  I truly cannot wait to introduce my little lady to all of them in just a few weeks. :)  signed, me {mamacita CA}

what's that twitter I hear?

Ever wonder how we spend our day? (besides unpacking new things and packing up your orders...)   Well now you can have a play-by-play!  Check out our new twitter box on the bottom left of our site... It's still a work in progress, we'll have all the kinks worked out soon enough.  You can also follow us directly on twitter, if you're into it. ;)  I think I just like saying that word, "twitter".  signed, me {CA}

ahh.... vacay.

So besides the bright blue Carolina sky to warm my skin and give it some much needed vitamin D, I now truly feel like I'm on vacation when I glanced to see all the new goods that arrived in my absence at the shop.  The girls have been busy bees!!  And I do enjoy just being able to browse the new things like they just magically appeared (although I know all the hard work that got them up there, thanks to Jess and Lauren!)  Anyhoo, I love being here on the east coast, but I can't wait to get back and see these lovelies in person... thought I'd share a few of my favorite new arrivals. 

              

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!  (and I hope you start feeling better LV :)  signed, me {CA}

Indigenous just arrived!

 

It's here! But for a limited time and in limited quatities... so shop fast before they all get snatched up!Coupon code: indig09 will get you 15% off all indigenous pieces.  Now what a sweet start to spring is that?!  Happy shopping!  signed, me {CA}

How to wear the boyfriend...

as in jean. ;)  We haven't gotten around to doing an outfit with the brand-new boyfriend Citizens so I wanted to share this pic... 

 

{it's from the satorialist} This is the super cute way that all the reps at market were sporting this new trend.  Fitted top, jeans rolled at the hem, with fabulous heels.  It's such an adorable look!  Of course you can always dress them down as well, with your favorite sneakers for a Saturday jaunt to the market.  But I love the alternative, fun and carefree, yet still very put together.  signed, me {CA}