found street art

such gorgeous pieces found through the fame festival blog. this studiocromie produced festival is the meeting of about a dozen artists in the italian village of grottaglie. i want to go to there.

music to listen to

i gave up my car a couple years ago now, but every once in a while i get to drive bart's to work. you know why i love this most? john in the morning on kexp. wednesday's commute led me to these wonderful tracks...


tonight's today by jack penate off of his everything is new album. he'll be at neumo's on 9.30.09.


nadine by fool's gold. they'll be at nectar lounge on 10.12.09

handmade days

sometimes blogs fall off my radar & unfortunately, mermag is one that missed my daily blogroll in the last couple of months. my advice to you - don't let this happen! she has some great inspiration & even better tutorials & handmade ideas, all stylish & doable.



personalized plates made with thrift store finds & ceramcoat paint.



customized linens done with fabric markers.

etsy wednesday

sweet garlands from kate greiner (also owner of nancy here in seattle). i want them to cover my apartment.

fashion blitz

sometimes a bike & a soft t are all you need. i love this look.

image via garance dore in amsterdam.

found art

our firm rents art from the sam gallery on 3rd ave for our front lobby; this allows us to change it up every 3 months or so. i was super excited to pick this month's, since i'd been too busy in the past. the gallery is stock full of some great seattle artists including liz tran. while i was down there i was introduced to the art of gala bent. i love the combination of delicate pencil & ink with watercolor. her paintings are soft, feminine & filled with hair.

paper napkin ring tutorial

after deciding to host a small dinner last friday, one thing i wanted to have was napkin rings. i thought about different methods, maybe even buying some. in the end i decided to go handmade & this is how it happened...

• using a digital publishing program (i used indesign; photoshop, paint or even word would work), place or insert your favorite image or photograph onto 8.5 x 11 document. i used texture images downloaded free from smashing a few months back.
• print your sheets onto cardstock (+/- 80# paper).
• cut each sheet into 1.5" strips.
• fold your napkin & silverware into a roll like this.
• wrap one paper strip around the roll to see how big it needs to be.
• keeping that measurement in tact, use an embroidery needle & contrasting thread to make a couple straight stitches where the circle meets.
• trim the thread & tie in a quick knot.
• trim extra paper overlap.
• slide the paper ring over the roll & you are set.

finished piece

a little felt, embroidery & linen piece i finish last week after seeing a few simple stitches on purl bee. a simple statement about the way a lot of women think.

music to listen to

making all sorts of goodies in the kitchen this morning & afternoon - focaccia, ginger rum punch, walnut orange dressing & much more. royksopp's junior is my album of choice; buy it here or wherever you choose.

handmade days

i'm hosting a dinner party tomorrow night; i made a trip to value village to stock up on mismatched glassware & linens. if i was motivated i'd turn them into these numbered or etched glasses from martha stewart.

still dottie tutorials published

i got a mystery package today; those are the best kind. i hurried upstairs, opened it up & find 3 copies of sewing: 2010 day-to-day calendar from accord publishing (also the proud publisher of cake wrecks). check out 5.3, 11.4 & 12.30 - that'd be me!!!! i'm honored to be selected, thanks megan!

etsy wednesday

hurray, coloring books from a collection of etsy sellers, brought to you by yael fran. the monthly books are titled we are... & seem to be the cutest things ever - i want one.

fashion blitz

seattle style at needle+thread. finally, someone picking up where pike/pine left off.

i gave le 21eme arrondissement a shot, but can't help to think that it's mostly just the blackbird kids hanging around. still some great outfits & beautiful people.

Found Brunch

we hit up the corson building for their sunday brunch & were simply blown away! i've heard such good things about matt dillon's (of sitka & spruce) new space, especially the brunch. as we pulled up, we had a good laugh as bart & i realized the building used to be the home/studio of our friend augie.

the yard of the restaurant houses herb gardens, a monstrous fig tree & a chicken coop. we had fun poking around while we waited for our spot at one of two communal tables. once we sat down we ordered some coffee & juice before heading to their modest, yet delicious all you can eat buffet. i started with a cucumber & shallot salad, bread & jam, yogurt & preserves, farrow salad with summer beans & cured salmon. as if that weren't delicious enough, our pulled pork with cherry tomatoes, roasted shallots & a poached egg in the most amazing broth entree was quite possibly the most decilious dish i've had in months.

so next sunday if you find yourself in seattle - head to georgetown for a brunch you won't regret.

music to listen to

i've seen their name plastered on posters, in sonic boom windows & in the stranger - but it took an embedded video on line out to get to listen. love, sweet, adoring, tender love for seattle based duo, the dutchess & the duke.

handmade days

last week my company announced that it would be going to a 4 day week (thursday is the new friday), still feeling the strain of a struggling economy. it's been bittersweet; i'll feel this in my cashflow, but i'm super excited to have the time & energy to devote to all of the other things in life that make me tick. i'd like to say that i have a huge project that i'm taking on, but quite honestly, i've discovered that isn't how i work. i'm going to use this time to focus a bit more on iva jean rides. it's a side project that needs a little more personal time (away from the computer) than still dottie; i hope to get in a fun bike ride every friday & map it out along with the great stops around seattle along the way. i'm also hoping to create some fun printed materials promoting seattle biking. lynda.com is also on my list, i'd like to get in a few hours of continued education each week (web design, animation here i come). i'm also hoping to finish up an embroidery project, keep on the sewing kick & try out a few of those new handmade goodies that pop up on my radar. this all brings me around to this - thursdays are no longer for shopping & will be dedicated now, to creating! every week i'll be bringing you one or two fun things to make in your downtime.

this week it's embroidery! i started a mixed-media piece (felt, linen, embroidery, maybe acrylic) a while ago & has been sitting untouched & sad on my side table for months now. after seeing these samplers on purl bee (via one pretty thing), i'm ready to pick it back up! aren't these two color stripes just perfect!!!! purl bee takes you through step by step for each stitch with detailed & clear instructions.

etsy wednesday

spirocreations makes beautiful hand sewn booties, shoes & belts. while pricey ($70-225), these bohemian leather goods are quite fantastic.

fashion blitz - a sewing project

doesn't this heidi dress from burdastyle look like the perfect transition dress - summer to fall baby! the pattern is just $4 & comes in sizes 34-46. i'm ordering one as we speak.

found art (touch of music)

today is craziness at work - i'm still here at almost 8pm. to match the mood, i'm loving jim gaylord's colorful, chaotic paintings. sigh - another brooklyn-based love affair.

sorry i missed friday's music to listen to post. with regards to that, today i'm also listening to the whitest boy alive, the beats keep me moving - the vocals keep me calm.

craigslist finds

today i love these - this sofa/love seat set for $350 & this nightstand for $55.

etsy wednesday

felt cafe, a seattle/japan based seller, has the japanese masking tape i've been oggling for months! pick up a 20 pack ($34), other japanese supplies, plus sweet hand felted goods at her shop today.

fashion blitz

everyone love scott schuman of the sartorialist, but we all know this is too true. a little laugh for you on this fashion blitz tuesday.

via style scout.

found illustration

beautiful illustrations from norway based designer, taylor white.