DevonRose SP2014: Plaid Poof

Silk dupioni "bubble" jumper, fully-lined w/ adjustable straps and back bow closure.
Top: Cotton thermal pull-over w/asymmetrical button front and woven cotton contrast.
Leggings: Cotton thermal leggings have over-sized "shoe-lace" houndstooth print drawstring 
and knee pads.

Making lists...

 It's VERY cold in SF right now, so we haven't been out of the house all weekend and I've been making lists,
 all kinds of lists...lists of what I'm sewing this week, and what I'm finishing by the end of the month.
 Lists of how many children's pieces/ verses women's pieces/ verses private client work I'm doing over
 the next three months. Lists of what I want to buy for who for Christmas, and lists of what I want to do
 by when with the website.

 I always get very "listy" around the end of the year, and the list I'm most excited about right now is the list
 of what I want to do for vacations! The idea for our first vacation came to me while I was trying to figure
 out locations to shoot the new childrens line on Devon. I wanted us to rent a car and just drive along
 the coast, shooting where we felt like it and staying in some quaint little bed and breakfast along the way.
 The line will be ready to shoot by end of February (which just so happens to be our 10 year wedding
 anniversary) So this year we'll be shooting Devon's Spring 2014 line in Bodega Bay: riding horses, sailing,
 and most certainly at the old Potter Schoolhouse (from Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds") equal parts
 romantic and eerie.

Le Petite Posh

 When our family relocated back to San Francisco in March 2011, we took a long break from doing
 children's clothing to focus on doing private clients for women's wear, now we are finally in a place
 where we can do both! So we are excited to be a part of SF's A-list voted "Best Children's Boutique" Le 
 Petite Posh's trunk sale this Wednesday, November 20th. Please come by and check out ours, as well
 as three other SF-based children's designers wares. This beautiful boutique also hosts a special weekly
 "story hour" every Tuesday from 2:30 to 3:30....stories and snacks for your little ones while you shop!

Shot in SF

I wanted to share some pictures I've shot during my time alone in San Francisco. I've been here since March 11th (without Devon or Isaac) and now it's finally only a week away from their arrival and the start of our new life together in SF. It's been a really interesting experience, even though at times it has also been very lonely. I've made some amazing new friends and keep bumping into old friends (from like 8 years ago) randomly on the street (one of the many things that I love about San Francisco) But it's like a new friend just told me the other day "San Francisco...it's just what you need"


This is what I see first thing most mornings, the ground floor of Britex....fabric heaven (there are 3 more floors of fabric happiness)This floor is all wools and silks and thousand dollar laces. You can get Chanel fabrics, Missoni, Etro, Proenza Schouler, and the list goes on and on...

I work on the second floor, it's all beautiful cottons, linens and amazing knits. We have a wall of Liberty of London (which always makes me think of Lucy and Catherine) The owner of Britex appointed me do the visuals on the floor as well. I made this mood board with Italian imported cottons, satins, and eyelets.

Speaking of visuals, I just had to share this amazing window display that went up at the Anthropologie on Market Street. It's 48,000 corks made into trees, vines, and various foliage. These pictures don't do it justice at all. It's easily the most amazing visual display I've ever seen...







....and then there's also tons of great street graffiti all over San Francisco. This guy stuck in my mind because it's how I felt on Mother's Day. Not only because I was alone and couldn't be with Devon on that day, but also because I had accidentally phoned my own Mom at 1am (I was texting a friend and accidentally brushed across her number on my touch screen without realizing it) She called me back, but it went straight to my voice mail. So, not only did I wake her up at an ungodly hour, but it made her worry the rest of the night (and all morning on Mother's Day) until I finally got the message and called her back...not my finest day...so sorry Mom!

These shots are my favorite, they are what I visualized when I decided we needed to go back to San Francisco...



...and this is the very spot I was at when I decided that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Isaac:)

Counting the days

It's been over a month now since I've seen Isaac or Devon. Before this the longest I had been separated from Devon was three days, from Isaac...maybe a week? I miss them terribly, but talk to them often on the phone (once going a few days without being able to speak to them at all, while Isaac was in between getting his new phone) During that time I felt completely isolated and helpless (and guilty too!) One of those days, a co-worker asked me, "How is your family doing?" I responded by bursting into tears and then running to the bathroom, leaving her very confused I'm sure. So, I'm super excited to report that I will be reunited with Devon and Isaac this weekend! It's only going to be a few days but it's all I can think about, two more days...
 
As much as I miss them, I also have to make sure that I enjoy my time alone (something I really haven't had at all in the past three years) my time to finally go out with some friends, grab a drink...dance to some really amazing music, and be thankful that I finally made it back to the city where we fell in love:)
 
...shot on a beautiful day spent re-exploring china town...

...the view from my rooftop...

Drape Pocket Loungers

Here's some cute pics of my most recent Spring item for Sweet William. This fabric was one of the most difficult that I've dealt with so far. It's a rayon with a beautiful "basketweave" effect, great drape but super slippery! I ended up damageing two pairs of pant's in the final "clipping" phase...very frustrating. These little pants went from size 12m all the way up to 8Y. I wanted to apologize for being such a bad blogger lately. I've recently relocated to San Francisco and it's been really tough for me since Isaac and Devon are still in Southern California and will not be joining me for several weeks. Our Etsy boutique is also on vacation mode until I can reunite with my babies!

Fresh Start

Well, we're finally settled in at our new home and Devon's been enjoying the on site pool, playground, and the fact that there's a ton of kids here (it's like she finds a new little friend everyday) There's also the novelty of the fact that there's an awesome fireworks show every night right outside our door (since we're now neighbor's to Disneyland) As soon as she hears those fireworks start, she's off to grab her favorite owl hoody and then she's out the door, ready to sit on Isaac's shoulders underneath her favorite tree (which she seemed more interested in last night then the fireworks themselves) So I guess the novelty is already wearing off. I mean, our little family huddled under that tree, watching the show everynight is a total declaration of the fact that we're brand new to the area. Noone else even gives them so much as a glance that I've noticed. Also on site is this lovely green field with it's tall Eucalyptus trees, which I already know will be a favorite location to shoot our new pieces throughout the Summer...

... starting with our newest item the Sand Dune Dress. I absolutely love the look and hand feel of this fabric (which my supplier dubbed the "Willy Wonka" fabric, but it reminds me more of those sand sculptures that you used to make in glass jars as a kid)

Her reward for being such an awesome little model:)

Moving Again

We finally found our new home! Let's hope this is the last move for a VERY long time. I know that Isaac and I are over this transient lifestyle, I can't even imagine what the lack of stability is doing to poor Devon. We took her to see the new place on Friday, and she went nuts running all over the place....she's gonna love it! I'm super excited to start shopping around for idea's on home decorating (probably going to have a lot of post's on that from here on out) I don't know if I'm going to have Internet access for awhile (so I might have to disappear for a few) but we'll be back soon and I'll be working on new items for the shop while we're away! bye bye!

Discovery

Devon went to the DiscoveryCube for the first time on Sunday. I really wish I would have remembered to shoot video of her, so I could share with everyone the sheer ridiculousness of certain moments. Needless to say, she was "lights out" super early that night. Man, we gotta get out of the house more often! BTW, this was the first time Devon had worn her new sweater from TheAnecdotes out, and everywhere we went I could hear people commenting on how cute it was! So Jacquelyn (if your reading this) it was a huge hit!

Adventures with Mike and Kitty Cat

Well, I'm back from my Virgina/New York trip with my brother and Kitty. It was a trip much needed (and the only way that I can think to describe it) so full of emotion. I feel like I really got to make a connection with those two (my brother can be very mysterious) and I hadn't really had the opportunity to spend too much time with Cat before....she's a Virgo like Devon. As a matter of fact, I was reading about Virgo just the other day. One line in particular caught my eye "They are still waters that run deep" I've always been so happy about the fact that Devon turned out to be two weeks late and a Virgo :)

I spent the first night in Virgina, before we drove into Manhattan for Mike's show. It was the first time that I had the pleasure to hang out with Wuggy, since she was (the CUTEST) little pup. She's actually the daughter of my dog, Bik Wu. They couldn't be more different, however. Wuggy is delicate, does not bark (only grunting!) and is extremely soft and clean. Bik Wu is a total bruiser, with a course/thick coat of hair, barks ALOT, and (even when I do give him a bath) never stays clean.

Here's me and my brother in front of his piece which is on display for "Spectrum" at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators. Featuring the best contemporary "fantastic" art from renowned fantasy, science fiction, horror, and surreal artists from around the world. You can read more about the show here. I can only imagine what it must be like for him to have his piece hanging alongside some of the very same artists that he was inspired by as a child! He'll probably think I'm the biggest cheese ball for writing this,

but I'm so proud of him :)

Of course when the free bar stopped flowin' I had to make my way upstairs to the actual bar, where I found this awesome little sketch book on display. It was full of moody little doodles, awash with the most beautiful watercolor back grounds. I loved the whole "street fashion" vibe, very seventies. It's sort of how I would envision my new portfolio to be (if I ever redid my again) Full of scribbley line drawings of tough/sexy street fashion and amazing, vivid color schemes.

I got to hook up with a dear old friend of mine, Taylor. Once upon a time, he was my intern in San Francisco. He's been living in NY for the past three years and LOVES it. He's the sweetest guy (another Leo) so intense about fashion, fighting, and Asian women.My brother was very hard to photograph throughout the entire trip. He just hates having his picture taken. This one was one of my favs, inside our room in Times Square....I ran around snapping a bunch of city shots for Isaac (he's never been to NYC) but it was really hard to get a pic that totally captured the true enormity that is Manhattan...

...a shot from our window on the 43rd floor...On Saturday, I spent the entire day running all over Brooklyn, trying to locate the shop that I sell to, Sweet William. It's actually in Williamsburg, but I got sent (by the hotel concierge) to Coney Island! Which I think is the farthest the F line can actually travel. YAY! I never made it there that day, but it all worked out in the end since Mike drove me there on Sunday (thanks , Mike!) I'm so glad he did too. It's always nice to be able to meet the person that your doing business with face to face. I got to see the boutique, how it's merchandised, how my things (in particular) were being merchandised, and how they "hang" with other brands. I got to check out the location, what else was around there, what the people looked like that were walking around the area. All very important, and I was so pleased with everything.

...back in Virgina, for Kitty Cat's birthday. I just had to snap a shot of the salad bar. OMG! It was food heaven! Sushi, prosciutto, every kind of cheese, and waiters that walked around with huge skewers of every kind of meat known to man. A perfect ending to the perfect trip. Thanks Mike and Kitty Cat! We miss you ...

Life's a ball

YAY! I'm leaving for NY tomorrow morning, to hang out with my brother and his kitty! I won't be posting for a bit, but I'm sure I'll have lots of pics to share when I return. Until then, I leave you with this insanely happy Devon pic (trying out her new jumbo ball)...I'll miss both of my babies so much!

Brown baggin it

I like to torture myself sometimes, and dream that I have extra money right now to go shopping. If I did, I would get these items from Brown Bag Vintage. They would be perfect for my upcoming trip to New York, when I finally get to hang out with my brother (whom I haven't seen in like 3 years) Oh well, maybe I'll have time to sew up something new to wear (yeah right) Anyways, the prices are actually quite affordable and with stuff this awesome, I figure I'd get the word out (even if I can't have them for myself)

We're back in So Cal

Devon's been hangin' out with her cousin's Frankie and Zoey
...finally got a chance to get out of the car (in old town Albuquerque) on our looooong road trip!
...watering Grandma Gloria's garden in Las Vegas...
Our new bedroom view in Aliso Viejo, CA
...enjoying the water with Daddy at Laguna beach...
...this particular part of the beach is called a thousand steps (literally, you have to take a thousand steps to get down there....KILLS coming back up)

good to be back :)