Yeah Whatever

I must have something from DOLL FACE DESIGN. I'm completely infatuated with her collages. Then image in my next posting is her's as well. Check out her blog at...http://www.dollfacedesign.blogspot.com

Handmade Is Better

There is something about a handmade item that is so much better than mass-produced goods. Today I came home to a lovely little package on my doorstep. I had ordered a present for my niece from an Etsy store called, Mini'Mocs. The whole presentation from this little shop was so wonderful. The box it shipped in was made up with a custom label, the item itself, a handmade bib and burp cloth made from recycled quilted fabric, was packaged up so nicely and completely ready to give to little Anneka. You can tell that every detail of putting together MY package was attended to. Not only did this item come from a small business that made (and so well) this sweet set, but an actual human put together my order, and made it all look special. I love it....Handmade is Better!

You can check out MyMiniMocs shop at http://myminimocs.etsy.com/

(Here is some interesting info from http://buyhandmade.org/ on why handmade is better)
Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving
The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that canbe seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing.

Buying handmade is better for people
The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture. Our ties to the local and human sources of our goods have been lost. Buying handmade helps us reconnect.

Buying handmade is better for the environment
The accumulating environmental effects of mass production are a major cause of global warming and the poisoning of our air, water and soil. Every item you make or purchase from a small-scale independent artist or crafter strikes a small blow to the forces of mass production.

When did people stop wearing hats?

When did people stop wearing Hats?
Any movie depicting a time prior to, say, 1943, shows men with their fedoras and women with their huge inventories of hats. No one wears them anymore and it is such a shame. I love hats....I miss hats. They are so fancy and fun. I wonder if I can bring them back? Maybe I'll throw a party and instead of "black tie" or "cocktail attire".....it will be "hats required". So if you want to come to my party, you'd better start shopping now.

A couple of my favorite places http://boringsidney.etsy.com/ (she's from Bothell), http://topsyturvydesign.etsy.com/ and http://kankalinhats.etsy.com/

fresh laundry

Just in time for Spring Cleaning.

I have been working on a natural, gentle, yet very effective Lavender Laundry Soap. Perfect for hand washing all your dedicates & dainties. Can also be used in a machine for towels & sheets. Will leave your laundry sweet smelling, clean & fresh. Sold in 1lb bulk bags for $6.00. Each will wash about 6 loads of laundry...much more if you are hand washing.

If you'd like me to send you a sample, please email me, cory@sweetpetula.com and I'll fix you right up.

Speaking of Afros

My brother & I. I'm the one on the left. David has lots of wigs, costumes and such in his Louisiana apartment. He is an artist. No, he is not gay. He likes the ladies. My Mom and I had gone down to see an opening of a show he was doing in New Orleans. David brought out the wigs and I spent the rest of the evening pretending I was Pam Greer.

Too Much Work

I have too much work to post. So what do you ask am I doing here? Well, I needed a break. And a vacation. Which got me to thinking about a great trip I took to Italy with my pal Sarah. While we were there, I was working on a collection of photos all about afros....yes..afros. Enjoy!From the Dolce & Gabanna Showroom in Florence.

Little baby clothing store in Tuscany (some small town...can't remember)

Graffiti in Rome.

have a happy easter

Oh Sweet Friend

I decided a few weeks ago that I may...possibly...perhaps...have a sugar problem. My daily, "I think I'll have a little treat" had turned into, "Where's my GOD D*#%* COOKIE?". So I decided to go cold turkey. No treats, no mochas, no sugar of any kind, natural or processed until I wasn't so dependant. The first few days were rough, but slowly, I started feeling great...amazing in fact. I had more energy, true hunger for healthy foods and a more positive mental outlook. I was feeling great! Accomplished! Satisfied that I have been doing so well. Hooray for me!

Then Tom B. came home (the boyfriend). Of course I was happy to see him....and even more excited when he casually mentions while passing through the living room, "I brought you home a present". For me? A present? Yippee! I love presents! What could it be?

It was a piece of beautiful dark chocolate cake.

I immediately decided I would eat some. Not the whole piece...just half. I have read, "French Women Don't Get Fat". Your supposed to eat what you really crave. Just not too much of what you desire. Just a taste. I can do that. I can be that French woman...having my cake and eating it too. There is no way I was saying, "goodbye" to sugar forever.

The first few bites were amazing.....delicious...hello old friend...I've missed you. Then...it happened. Around the fourth bite. It tasted....bad. Too rich and too sugary. It hurt my stomach. I had to stop. WHAT? But I love cake. I've never met a cake I didn't like. I sometimes attend birthday parties of people I don't particularly care for...just for the cake. I thought absence was supposed to make the heart grow fonder. What the hell is happening here?

Did my Sweet Friend turn it's back on me, was my only vice no longer satisfying?...or did I just learn a valuable lesson? Did I just realize that I really only need 3 bites of cake to feel satisfied?....I think oui.

Grassy Green & Sweet Pink

Just in today...these pretty cami's and boy cut panties from Felina. We have a few other colors available...but this pale green with bits of rosy pink is just too pretty and perfect for Spring.

Panty is super comfortable a little bit of a low rise and sits very close to the skin for a no-show line. This style is flattering on all types of bodies. Price on these sets is amazing....panty is $9 and cami is $29. Stay tuned...we got a HUGE box of new modal pj's in today.

First Day of SPRING

It's official. The first day of Spring! I feel like celebrating.

I'm going to run barefoot through some grass wearing a breezy cotton dress with a sprig of chamomile tucked behind my hair....like a fabric softener commercial. If only I had a patch of grass. I wonder what passersby would think if I performed my little spring celebration in the middle of traffic on Queen Anne Ave?

Okay, maybe that is a little far fetched. But I love Spring. It is so full of newness and promise. Here are a few random acts of Spring-time celebrating I'm really going to try.

*

*

*

Buy a bouquet of my favorite flowers...daffodils

Get a pedicure & have my nails painted pale pink

Clean my entire apartment with all the windows open

Plant some primroses in my window box

Eat a lot of Marshmallow Peeps...yellow is the best...& my Grandpa's favorite

Buy a new dress

Force Cherry Blossoms indoors

Enjoy the Spring Rain

Prepare a simple fresh dinner

Drive around with my windows down and the sun on my face

*

*

*

this list should keep me busy for awhile.

How do you celebrate? I would love to hear everyones Springtime rituals...post me a message

Kobo Candles

Just in this week...Kobo Candles.

Available in wonderfully complex scents like Portugese Olive Blossom, Vetiver & Vanilla, my personal favorite White Birch & Rosemary...just to name a few.

One whiff and you'll understand why Kobo candles have an almost cult-like following. These complex scents come in packaging so gorgeous it precludes gift wrap, along with a sleek little set of matches neatly tucked inside the package. Perfect for a hostess gift.

Made from 100% domestically grown pure soy wax, with environmentally friendly wicks, Kobo candles burn slow and pure, with about a 70 hour burn time.

My $125 Bathrooom Remodel

Okay...so I went a little over budget. But isn't it beautiful?

New botanical shower curtain $30.00 New towels $20.00

Decorative Mirror $0 (hiding in my closet)

Wall cabinet $0 (store display not being used)

Ikea frames & Cavallini Postcards $5


Wall cabinet $50 (and hours worth of labor!) New full spectrum lightbulbs $10

Pretty little things $0 (just needed to unpack)

Paint & Supplies $10 (already had a gallon of paint leftover from a store project)

Unexpected "Snow Day" Causes Bathroom Sprucing!

I was headed to Spokane this weekend for a much anticipated "Princess Party" for my 2 year old niece. Unfortunately, it was snowing on the pass, and I decided to stay home, as snow driving just isn't my thing.

Since I had already set aside the entire weekend of NO WORK and really had nothing to do, I decided to do a much needed bathroom sprucing up! Unfortunately, I suffer from an affliction I like to call "analysis paralysis"....commonly obsessing for years (yes, years!), over the perfect color, the right fixture, etc., etc., so I decided to give myself 2 rules.

#1 Do it in 2 Days

#2 Only Spend $100

(well..that was my boyfriends rule. He sometimes gets to make them)

Before/Organization? Yikes! I bet this is exactly how you all pictured my luxurious bathroom sanctuary to look like huh? To be fair...we did just move in.

Before/Walls were painted this weird grassy green color that made everything look yellow and yucky.

PJ SALE

25% off all pjs & loungewear

today, tomorrow & saturday

(well not today really...since we are already closed)

Elizabeth Taylor & A Fancy He-She

Last night I had a fantastic dream about Rhonda.

See was hanging out with Elizabeth Taylor (a young version) and a georgeous transvestite at a small cafe in France. People kept approaching them with small gifts of chocolate and tiny bottles of perfume & cosmetics in beautiful boxes. Everyone wanted them to notice them and kept piling gifts on the table for them to open. They ignored everyone and just kept laughing and drinking and eating in the midst of all their presents. It was interesting, because between Elizabeth, Rhonda and the Super Hot Lady(?), Rhonda was the center of attention. She also looked really really good in a very french way.

I think this just very well be my version of heaven.

Sad Rainy Day

It's been so windy & cold.

The wind made it's way into my apartment last night. I live in a top floor corner apartment with original 1920's windows. The wind was so forceful, I could hear it howling all night long. It even worked loose a dining room window that I had to get up and shut around 3:00 am. When I woke up this morning everything was gray and wet and drizzly. It felt like fall, not the beginnings of Spring.

Perfect for how I'm feeling.

A dear friend, and Sweet Petula's Washington sales rep, Rhonda K. passed away early Sunday morning. Her sickness came on very suddenly and she was taken from us far too soon.

Rhonda was a very giving, kind, generous, funny, creative and loving woman. She was one of those women who no matter her years (50 something), had an ageless personality and great style. She was always laughing and finding humor in daily situations. One of my favorite Rhonda stories is of her and her co-worker working a trade show with hundreds of customers walking by...and accidentally pulling up some porn site on the booth's computer screen. Neither Rhonda or her co-worker could figure out how navigate off the site...and her telling the story would make you laugh so hard it would bring tears to your eyes.

We talked for years about going to the Maison & Objet Gift Show in Paris. Never finalizing our travel plans....just talking about how much we wanted to go. Today I keep thinking about how daily tasks and work and this and that crept in and stopped us from doing something we both passionately wanted. Now I don't know why I would let that happen...how silly it is to have let that happen...and how I really wish we had made the trip.

We will all miss you Rhonda.

The view from my living room window this morning....space needle in the background.

just when we need a little sunshine

Come see our newest jewelry line....My Little Sunshine
How fitting that we are bringing in a new jewelry line called "My Little Sunshine", just when we need it the most. Made by jewelry designer Rachel O'brien, this new line of earrings brings a much needed shot of color to our jewelry cases.

Just arrived today and already out on the sales floor! Made with vintage beads & antique findings, each piece is one-of-a-kind.

Check out more of Rachel's work at: http://rachel323.etsy.com/

Organic Cotton PJs Just In

Just arrived today....100% Organic Cotton Collection by PJ Salvage.

The collection includes a really pretty blue bird print chemise, and a matching floral pattern available in a cami, sleep short, or long pant. There are also two matching tanks in solid brown and cream. Of course, all pieces are exceptionally soft and cozy.

We are beginning to see more and more organic options available to us when we go on buying trips. Here is a little info on organic cotton:

Conventional cotton farming is one of agriculture's most environmentally destructive activities. The simple act of growing and harvesting the one pound of cotton fiber needed to make a T-shirt (or any other conventional cotton product) takes an enormous toll on the earth’s air, water, and soil, and significantly affects the health of people living in cotton growing areas.
The good news is that positive alternatives to conventional cotton and its related businesses are available. Over the past decade, a small number of farmers and manufacturers have pioneered the market for organically grown cotton, producing fibers and clothing while significantly reducing toxic chemicals.

New SALE rack additions made today!

I'm In Love

...and her name is Anneka!
My newest niece at 3 1/2 months old. She lives in Sibera with her parents and I can't wait until she comes back to see me. I'm really hoping that my sweet darling sister reminds Anneka often how much I love her. Maybe I should send them pictures of my face so she doesn't forget. I knew when Jami (the sweet sister) was pregnant that the baby was a girl. I had dreams about her before she was even born. She means so much to me. I can't believe how delightful she is. I'm fairly certain she finds me just as delightful. I think we will be good friends.

"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil."-James Lane Allen

today is a good day for a long hot soak

It's drizzly and cold outside. A perfect day for going home early & soaking in the tub.

Yesterday I made over 600 of these sparkling bath tablets for Hotel 1000 in downtown Seattle. They are going to be putting our salts & fizzies in their rooms for guests to use. The rooms there are amazing. Each room has these huge bathrooms with a free standing two person "fill from the ceiling" pedestal tub. Very indulgent. My sweet boyfriend took me there last year for Valentine's Day. Definately worth a visit...even if you live in Seattle.

http://www.hotel1000seattle.com/