Dainty

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2011-04-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

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2011-04-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

2011-02-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago chris & i tried our hand at some flash light photos:

it was fun, and something i'm sure we'll try again soon!

new journal for 2011.

2011-02-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

today i started art journaling again. it feels good.

an adventure to crystal cove

2011-02-07T14:57:00.001-08:00

it was magical.

all photos by the magnificent chris middleton.

2011-01-14T15:16:00.000-08:00

my boyfriend lent me a (film) camera to take on my trip. i'll let the photos speak for themselves:

a delicious weekend

2010-12-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

in "real life" i spend hours talking about food. i talk about food i like, food i don't like, food i'm allergic to, food i wish i could eat, food i like to cook, etc. i love finding new places to eat, i love to cook, and especially to bake. i especially love to bake for friends & family.

i spent the weekend eating good food. i wish more of it was documented, but i have 2 quick pics to share!

last week my friend kelly orange brought a little present over to where we were setting up for the holiday pop-up shop - a hidden rose apple (the inside is PINK!) well, i had to get my hands on a few more to share with some special people ... this weekend i shared them with some friends & chris caught this pic: (thanks chris for the mad photo skills)

i also baked my (famous) chocolate peanut butter cup cupcakes .... again, thank you chris for the beautiful photo!

anyway, i'm off to pack for my adventure - i leave in the morning for 2.5 weeks in london & israel. i don't think i'll be blogging while away, so see you in 2011!!!!!!!! (crazy!)

xo,

dain(ty)

2010-12-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

hi! i wanted to share a few snapshots that i ended up on my camera from the handmade holiday pop-up shop! i'm sure in the next few days i'll get better pictures so i'll post those too! i didn't have any time to take my own pictures really, so i think a friend took these on my camera!

ruthy rocking her dainty* headbands:

me & my friend anasuya (ugh i need to not wear glasses when photos are taken!)

a glimpse of the crowded room!

ruthy & i

dainty* teams up with melinda of dress & nest, our booth looked beautiful!

i'll be back with more soon!

xo,

dain(ty)

2010-12-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

i am a bad blog writer. i really want to get better about posting, and i think after the holiday season i'm going to sit down and do some real planning for this blog.

my good friend, melinda, has started a new business venture, the dress & nest boutique. her website is the absolute CUTEST thing, so go check it out. melinda & i will be sharing a table at this weekend's HANDMADE HOLIDAY POP-UP shop.

speaking of the show, i am so excited to see what our vendors are selling! i've been scouring their websites & blogs and i feel so lucky to have gotten the opportunity to help plan such an incredible event here in san diego. i hope that we are able to help grow the crafting community & will continue to bring artists & crafters together.

if you make it out to the pop-up shop please please please introduce yourself! i love meeting new people.

anyway, back to work i go!

xo,

dain(ty)

2010-11-24T16:46:00.000-08:00

well hello!

i wanted to wish everyone a very happy thanksgiving.

i have so much to be thankful for, but 3 things are at the top of the list right now:

my amazing little sister (i even forgive her for not coming home for thanksgiving this year).

my truly spectacular group of friends .... both near and far, i feel so blessed to know you.

twitter. seriously, twitter has led to some awesome opportunities lately. big big big shout out to susie of boygirlparty, thank you for being an awesome partner/planner in crime. for those that don't know, we are planning the first ever handmade holiday pop up shop.

i wish you all a magical holiday filled with lots of happiness & warm thoughts.

xo,

dain(ty)

san diego: get excited

2010-11-23T11:45:00.000-08:00

so excited about this event. susie (boygirlparty) & i have been busy planning for this event that's happening in conjunction with space 4 art. more info is available here.

hope to see you there.

xoxo,

dain(ty)

2010-11-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

while you're anxiously waiting for my new orleans re-cap i thought i'd share this beautifully eerie youtube video of the abandoned six flags theme park that's in new orleans. i actually saw the park from afar while i was visiting. i am currently obsessed with anything related to new orleans and the aftermath of hurricane katrina.

2010-11-15T20:41:00.000-08:00

of course, i finally decided to blog my new orleans re-cap, and i forgot that my pictures are on my mom's computer not my laptop! bummer. when i got back from nola my 4 year old macbook had had a little accident (not quite sure what happened ... let's just say i think that leaving my laptop in the trunk of my car for 5 days was probably not a good idea ... i think the heat made the screen shatter) ... but the good news is that now i'm the owner of this:

a beautiful macbook pro (13 in) .. i am in love with it. i even signed up for the apple one to one sessions to learn how to use it properly! swweeeet. i'm most excited to get my photos all organized in iphoto.

he/she still doesn't have a name yet. yes, i like to name my electronics. i haven't even decided if it's a girl or boy. we'll see, we're still getting acquainted. (yes, i'm a huge dork).

anyway! i'll be back later this week with pics!

xo,

dain(ty)

love!

2010-11-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

well, i've been home from NOLA for a week and i still haven't gotten it together enough to do a re-cap post! sigh.

my friend, caroline, who i met up with, clearly is more together than i, and has posted a wonderful re-cap of our trip here. go check it out!

i'll tell you this, i absolutely fell in love with new orleans, and i am dreaming of a move in the near future. NOLA captured my heart. from the shops on magazine street, to the precious southern accents & hospitality, to the overwhelmingly present fleur de lis, to the die hard fandom for the saints, i embraced it, and loved every second of it. i am dreaming of owning my own little storefront on magazine street, going to grad school at tulane & eating snowballs all summer.

since getting back i've jumped right in to the application process for grad school (have i mentioned that i'm applying to go back to school?) ... well, i am. applications aren't the most fun thing in the world, but i hope to have mine complete before i go abroad in december with my family (have i mentioned the trip? oy, i seem to be quite behind.... i'll save that for another post).

so i'm here. i'm alive. and at some point soon i'll have more exciting things to share! hope you are all well in blog world.

xo,

dain(ty)

some things to check out:

next week in NOLA!

2010-10-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

this time next week i'll be in new orleans! i am so excited. i have never been before. actually, i've never been anywhere in the south before (besides airports).

i will be visiting my little sister who is in grad school at tulane. one of my very best girlfriends from college, caroline, is meeting me there. we plan to have a ridiculous amount of fun. i haven't seen caroline since the spring of 2007. crazy! we plan to eat good food (i may even eat some dairy and gluten ... ooooh!), cook some of that good food ourselves(check out both of their blogs that i linked, i have a feeling the whole weekend will center around food), and explore the city.

caroline is also participating in a half marathon while we're there. not to mention that we'll be celebrating halloween on bourbon street. i just know we'll encounter some crazy times. i'm also really looking forward to exploring some of the neighborhoods i've been researching. there seems to be some really cool creative projects going on & i know that the people of NOLA are still working to rebuild post-katrina.

i've been reading up on NOLA but i'm most excited about the design sponge city guide. i can't wait to experience the city and do a big wrap-up post here complete with pictures, my favorite finds, etc.

i'm particularly excited about perch.

and pied nu.

anyway! i'm sure i'll have lots to share next week while i'm there!

hope you're all having a fabulous thursday! i'm curled up at my computer with a big bowl of soup. it's been raining here in san diego! (quite the rare occurrence).

xo,

dain(ty)

thoughts & thank yous

2010-10-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

late sunday night at about midnight, i found myself sitting at a familiar coffee shop with two new friends. we had spent the day making things happen & discussing the possibilities of the future. we ate and talked and laughed. and then, at the end of the day, when we were all exhausted, we sat on sofa benches at the local coffee shop and continued talking about productivity, music, integrity, "making it", business, creativity, religion, and what it means to be a good person, among many other things.

it was the first time, in a long time, that i could verbalize some of what i had been feeling inside of my core. i realized that for me, being involved in my friend's creative careers (whether is be my musician friends, photographer friends, or other creative-minded friends), makes me feel so happy. i feel privilaged to be able to be part of people's dreams. really, the way i look at it, it's an honor to be able to help someone move forward on the path to accomplishing their dreams. i feel so lucky to get to be part of something so personal and special. it is such a pleasure to be able to be part of the lives of these people that have already given so much to me. why would i not want to be part of helping them make their dreams come true? i can't imagine a better feeling in the whole world than that.

it makes me feel like i get to be a fairy godmother every day of the week. i hope i can continue to help better the lives of the people who have bettered mine just by being who they are and sharing their gifts and talents with the world.

for the first time in ages i feel perfectly at peace with everything in my life, ups, downs & craziness included. i'm right where i'm supposed to be, and i couldn't be more glad about that.

i'll take this opportunity to say thank you to my friends and family for all of the support, laughter, inspiration & motivation. i feel so blessed to be in your lives.

xo,

dain(ty)

let it rain

2010-10-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

hello my loves,

over the weekend i had the pleasure of helping my friend john (hull)

with a special project.

i'll let the video speak for itself. it was a fun process to get the shirts made. after the video i'll share a few of the pictures from the day!

pictures:

*original inspiration. sticker created by travis @ punk rock paint.

*shirts in progress! this cool machine laser cut the image out of vinyl.

*john and i having a business meeting while the shirts were being made.

*tada! ruthy and i modeling the first set of john hull tshirts.

xo,

dain(ty)

it's a lovely sort of day

2010-10-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

happy monday!

just dropping in to say hi. (make sure to check out today's music monday feature below!)

it feels like everything is falling in to place.

in the past few weeks i've made a few new friends who really inspire me. i'm feeling creative, fulfilled & productive.

more to come soon.

xo,
dain(ty)

ps: i'll leave you with a quick photo from last night .... a post will be coming soon with the details!

*ruthy & i wearing our brand new dexter inspired john hull shirts.

music monday: kenny eng

2010-10-18T04:30:00.000-07:00

last week when i introduced you to john hull, i mentioned that in the video kenny eng was playing guitar. what i didn't share with you then, is that kenny is also a singer/songwriter. kenny is a great guy and i'm very happy to be sharing this clip with you of his band. this video was taken a few weeks ago at the adams ave street fair.

make sure to check out his other music on youtube or his website.

enjoy & xo,

dain(ty)

who doesn't love a good story ....

2010-10-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

hi,

my friend rajan, is a comic based here in san diego. he is very involved in the comedy scene here in san diego, he produces a weekly comedy show at lestats & a monthly show called live comedy live. he also had a podcast. well, i just had to pass along this quick clip of the most recent podcast. it features my friend broni telling the story of his first trip to america in 2009. every time i've listened to the story (both live from broni and this podcast) i've nearly peed myself it's so funny. enjoy!

xo,

dain(ty)

pumpkin patch!

2010-10-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

yesterday afternoon i went to the pumpkin patch with anasuya and alex. (the mom & baby i nanny for). it was so much fun, and we bought some awesome pumpkins! there was a large variety of pumpkins, including GRAY ones! i had never seen a gray pumpkin before! i ended up buying a gray pumpkin, a white one, a dark reddish orange pumpkin & two small pumpkins - a white one with some orange and an orange one. here are a few pics i snapped on my phone (so forgive the poor quality!). i hope we'll go back next week and i'll take better pictures.

have you started getting ready for halloween yet? i am going costume shopping this afternoon with a friend!

xo,

dain(ty)

practice being present.

2010-10-12T04:30:00.000-07:00

last night i made three scrapbook pages. i hadn't scrapbooked in AGES. really, i can't remember the last time. and i feel out of practice. and i'm not happy with the results, they feel rushed, unfinished, and lack attention to detail and love. it's funny, i have the urge to CREATE, to make something out of paper and pictures, but, i also have been really focussed on being PRESENT. i haven't been able to master the balance of being present and then also making/preserving the past. i know it's possible. they aren't mutually exclusive. but, like most areas on my life, i am not able to walk the line between being acutely present and preserving every moment. i pretty much am always one end of the spectrum when it comes that kind of stuff. and so, i'll take living in the present over preserving the memories for now. it's a nice change. it feels good.

love & gratitude,

dain(ty)

i'll say it again, music is magic.

2010-10-11T11:43:00.001-07:00

i had a magical moment over the weekend. i stood on the stage of cricket wireless amphitheater in chula vista, and looked out on the audience, of probably about 15,000 people. people of all ages and from all walks of life, eager with anticipation to be moved by music.

i don't necessarily believe in signs. but, i'll be the first to admit that the past few weeks have reminded me that i have roots in this industry. this crazy ridiculous industry that we call music. it feels like home. and i am so blessed to have been reminded of that.

happy monday my loves,
dain(ty)

music monday: john hull

2010-10-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

hello hello,

it's my pleasure to share with you today a wonderful man by the name of john hull. john & i share a mutual love over the show dexter. anyone else out there love dexter? anyway, john wrote a song inspired by dexter which you should totally check out. (it's called definition of insane) i've been kind of obsessed with it lately.

anyway. i was going to share that song, but i decided to share this song of john's instead. it's called keep me in mind and it was taped a few weeks ago at our friend rob's house. kenny eng is playing the guitar. he has a bunch more video's up on youtube and you can find his website here.

enjoy!

xo,

dain(ty)

molly!

2010-10-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

hi!

so back in june i hosted a baby shower for my best friend alana. well ...

miss molly is already almost 11 weeks old!

this sweet little lady made her way in to our lives at the end of july, just after her mama finished her last day of work, how cooperative is that? i first met molly when she was only 2 hours old. i fell in love with her right then and there and am so thankful for the time that i've been able to spend with her over the past few weeks.

ok ok, on to the cuteness:

auntie dain(ty), mama, miss molly, uncle adam (8 weeks)
auntie dain(ty) and miss molly wearing a dainty* (week 10)

miss molly wearing a knit dainty* (week 4 or 5, i think)

miss molly in her purple dainty* (mama's favorite color. week 4 ish?)

i'm sure there will be lots more pictures of molly here on my blog. she's an absolute doll and i have to say, when she was born and her dad texted us in the lobby of the hospital to say it was a girl, i almost immediately thought about all of the cute hair things i could make her. she's definitely my newest (and cutest) model.

xo,

auntie dain(ty)

2010-10-06T22:06:00.000-07:00

elise posted some DIY paper lanterns, and i love them. i love garland, pompoms, etc, so of course i love these paper lanterns. i'm dreaming up ideas of how to incorporate these into some upcoming projects & events.

i'm sure elise will have lots more fun holiday decorations for us in the next few weeks. anyone else planning on making these?

xo,
dain(ty)

music monday: revisted.

2010-10-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

it's been a while since i posted a "music monday" (and it's almost tuesday ... so maybe i'll call it "tune in tuesday"?)

anyway.

meet broni.

enjoy,
dain(ty)

2010-09-30T18:54:00.001-07:00

oh blog world,

i haven't forgotten you, i've just been busy enjoying being present.

a lot has been going on in my world and i have on a few occasions thought to myself, "damn, i really should be blogging about this. i need to keep track. i need to document."

some thoughts:

1. i realize this blog has had little to do with dainty* in quite some time. that's because i've been on a bit of a headband making hiatus. i hope you forgive me.

2. i have been baking up a storm again. i had taken a bit of a break from that too, but in the past week i've baked 6 dozen cupcakes, all of which were brand new flavors.

a. strawberry basil with my secret frosting recipe

b. chocolate peanutbutter cup

c. hummingbird! (ok, now has anyone heard of hummingbird cake before? i had not until monday when my friend, broni, told me it's his favorite. broni was here on tour. he is from australia, so i thought it must be an aussie thing. google tells me it's southern. it's my new favorite kind of cake i think. as broni wou

ld tell you, it tastes like how you wish carrot cake tasted. meaning, it's like carrot cake, but better.)

3. i have a new VERY part time job at a LEGIT bakery. yes, it's true, i'm taking my love of baking to a whole new level. who would have thought? i'll share more, i've only just started.

4. i have decided to apply to grad school for fall 2011. this is something that i have started to do each year since graduating undergrad in 2006 but have never followed through on. this time i am doing it. one school, one shot, that's how i roll. i'll keep you posted.

5. my allergies have been bad again because i kind of got off track. this is a constant battle and i hope that in the next year i am able to maintain a healthy diet of no dairy and no gluten. i'm working on it! maybe i'll start a blog feature dedicated to it and that will help keep me on track.

6. jakob martin's new cd, leave the light on, will be released in november! this is much anticipated. he leaves on tour soon, for the month of october so check the site to see if he is coming to your city!

7. i have recently become obsessed with veronica mars. i'm almost done with the last season. do any of you watch it? i started watching it because it was filmed in san diego and i think it's awesome to recognize places around my city.

8. i'm stressing about what to be for halloween. i'll be visiting my sister in new orleans with one of my best friend's from college, caroline. we need good costume ideas, help us!

i guess that's it for now my friends.

xo,

dain(ty)

2010-09-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

i think i'm going to like this movie.

and the world spins madly on

2010-08-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

hello,

that page from my journal kind of sums up how life has felt lately. things have been a little ... well ... off, for the past few weeks. lots of changes and unknowns and i've found myself a little avoidant of everything because of it.

but the sun is finally out full force (yey, it officially feels like summer here in san diego!) and i'm trying to soak up as much of it as possible (i'm wearing sunscreen, i promise!) ...

i thought i'd show a few peaks at my journal from the past few weeks.

i hope i'll have more to share soon. i have been playing around with my diet lately because of some food allergies & sensitivities, and i think i'd like to share more about it here on the blog. it's been an interesting journey and i'm no where near the end of it (or will i ever be?) - but i think so many people are going gluten & dairy-free these days that i should talk about it here. it's exhausting for me to write about and i've been working on that post for a while now.

anyway! i am off to the post office & a few other errands ...

enjoy your day!

xo,
dain(ty)

2010-08-17T19:57:00.000-07:00

a few days ago i had the opportunity to write to my favorite musicians' friends and fans. as i've mentioned many time before, i feel very blessed that my best friend, jakob martin, is also my absolute FAVORITE musician. i am constantly inspired and moved by his music.

jakob's at the end of a big campaign raising money for his next album release. today a very generous donor offered to match contributions until tomorrow evening (up to $1000) ... VERY EXCITING news. we can instantly turn $1k into $2k. if you want to learn more about the campaign, donate, and read what i wrote, check it all out HERE.

many thanks to JM for letting me share on his site about what his friendship & music mean to me.

xo,
dain(ty)

2010-08-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

oh hi!

i'm off to lala land tomorrow ... bringing some dainty* headbands for my newest model, molly. hopefully i'll get a pic of two of her wearing one ... can't wait to show her off here on the blog as long as alana says it's ok, of course.

i'll also be spending some time with this good sir. we have some work to do ... CD releases to plan!!! i'll be sure to share as soon as details are planned, but until then, there's still time to donate to the campaign here.

my sister flew in for a few days from her new home in new orleans. we had a fabulous 72 hours and i'm looking forward to visiting her with caroline in october!

that's it for now, i'll be back soon!

xo,

dain(ty)

2010-08-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

i don't think i've shared any of my art journal pages. here are a few.

some are inspired by rachel & elsie's class this past spring.

i scanned them, so they're not perfect, but, you get the idea.

thanks for letting me share! hope you're all having a fabulous week.

xo,
dain(ty)

30 things on the 30th!

2010-07-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

1. i'm really glad it's friday.
2. i'm going to karaoke tonight.
3. i miss baby molly.
4. i get to see baby alex today for the first time in a week and a half.
5. i ordered new elastic for headbands from esty and i can't wait to play with it this weekend.
6. tomorrow i plan to spend the day shopping, going to the farmer's market, and crafting.
7. i am working on a secret project/photo shoot.

8. my little sister starts her road trip tomorrow (chicago to new orleans).
9. i had plans out every night this week which is a really big deal for me.
10. i need to start my sketchbook project.
11. my blackberry roller ball is driving me nuts, multiple times a day it stops working. i gotta get that worked out.
12. dreaming of buying a new laptop (macbook pro perhaps? ... it's only a dream, i can't afford it!)
13. planning many many weekends up in LALA land.
14. i've been checking this daily. obsessed about every bit of progress.
15. filled with pride about all of my friend's accomplishments lately.
16. one more week until i'm officially laid off.
17. hoping to sign up for 2-3 craft fairs for the fall. thinking about: queen bee market and thread. any other suggestions?
18. i feel pretty lucky to have recently reconnected with one of my very best friends from college.
19. in awe of all the good in my life.
20. all week i've been really wanting to go through my closet & pack up some goodwill bags.

21. loving that 90's fashion has officially made a comback, i want to fill my closet with florals.
22. longing to see all the photos from kate's last fashion shoot.
23. we made biospheres with the kids today.
24. i am so sick of this june gloom weather lasting through july. where is the sun?
25. i was introduced to lauren's blog via diana of ourcitylights this week, and now i'm obsessed.

26. if i have time i'm going to experiment with my zoku popsicle maker this weekend.
27. tomorrow marks one years since my grandma melita's passing. we miss her.
28. i really love to grocery shop. i've thought about being a professional.
29. i am serious about that last one.
30. iyq. (figure it out).

xo,

dain(ty)

*all photos found via google image searches for roadtrip,

90's fashion floral, popsicle

2010-07-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

i love being able to support local mom & pop shops, and i love to be able to buy handmade. i love to create handmade, and obviously, i love it even more when people buy the things i've created.

BUT. i also love my nordstrom. i worked at nordstrom for a short, miserable stint as a sales girl during the anniversary sale a few years ago. i was a horrible sales person. but after making it through 3 terrible weeks of employment, i still love the company. and i'm happy to still give them my business.

that being said, i have not yet stepped food in nordies during this year's anniversary sale except to eat at the cafe earlier this week. BUT. this weekend. i have a date. with nordstrom. because i can't help myself, i love a good sale on NEW fall merchandise. 90's florals are officially back, and i couldn't be happier.

support the economy. spend money. earn money. it all goes 'round. right?!?!

have you been? what did you get? do tell!

xo,

dain(ty)

2010-07-28T17:09:00.001-07:00

tidbits of today:

1. alana texted me 2 pictures of molly, one from her first ride in a car (congrats! to my fave lil family, they are officially home from the hospital) and one of her in a cute little ducky get-up. i've requested a daily picture of molly.

2. got gelato (sorbetto) with my friend sam. deliciousness. i got chocolate and blackberry, sam got salted caramel (i had a little taste, and oooh, i wish i could have dairy! it was to die for). i should have taken a picture of sam's too.

3. saw this on the free people blog and just about died. a few weeks ago (for lilith fair, if you remember) i did a hair wrap, and had been thinking about putting another one in my hair but in black, with feather. a while ago i went through a phase where i sewed feathers in to my hair, that was fun. i really love the 90's, and am glad they're coming back.

i think that's about it for now. hope you're all having a lovely day.

xo,

dain(ty)

for all of my fellow sharpie lovers out there ....

2010-07-28T10:08:00.001-07:00

a stainless steel sharpie! (found thanks to my facebook stalking ways .... via danielle & katie)

(i always have a few sharpie pens in my purse. i used to just be a straight up sharpie girl but ever since they came out with the "pen" variety, i'm even more addicted & loyal. they are perfection in pen form).

weekend wrap up!

2010-07-25T23:21:00.001-07:00

well hello!

i'm still up in la, i'll be heading back down to san diego tomorrow afternoon.

i've had an amazing weekend so far - you may remember that a few weeks back i held a baby shower for my best friend, alana. WELL, she had a beautiful baby girl, Molly, on Saturday. i was lucky enough to be at the hospital with her family when she was born, and got to meet her at a mere 2 hours old. talk about precious. (alana was waiting to find out the sex, but we all really thought it'd be a boy ... but a girl means .... yup, you guessed it, DAINTY* headbands. this girl is gonna be accessorie-d out. hehe)

i also went for a quick trip (between hospital visits) to renegade la. it was a lot of fun. i got to meet emily, finally, funny that we meet in la when we both live in sd! and i got to meet the uber-super adorable ruby from cakies. very fun. i bought Molly a little gift and a few little goodies for myself. originally i had intended to spend more time, meet more people, and take pictures, but, the focus of the weekend changed a little bit once Molly arrived.

i've also gotten the chance to spend some time with my other best friend which has been great, he moved up here a few months ago and i finally got to see his place.

it's been a nice little weekend (that i've extended to get one more day in with Molly before i head back home) ... i'll be sad to go back to sd tomorrow but i have a feeling i'll be spending a lot of time up in la in the future.

well, i guess that's it for now, just wanted to share the news!

xo,

dain(ty)

weekend plans!

2010-07-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

i'll be in la this weekend visiting with some of my very best friends & also to go to this:

i can't wait! will you be there too? let me know! i think i'll be heading there on sunday.

xo,
dain

i got to believe in you baby

2010-07-20T11:06:00.001-07:00

yesterday i celebrated my 26th birthday.

i always feel pretty reflective and nostalgic around my birthday. so naturally, i've been thinking a lot about what's important to me these days.

i know i've said it before, but i feel so lucky to be part of such a creative group of people here in san diego. my friends are musicians, artists, photographers, writers, thinkers, inventors. i'm constantly inspired and motivated and in awe of the talent, kindness and creativity of my peers.

one person, in particular, has been a constant source of inspiration, motivation & creativity. i've been lucky to have this person in my life for the past decade. jakob martin is not only one of my very best friends, but he is a role model to myself and many others. he has pursued his passion for music over the past 5 years and has also always found a way to support me and others in our circle of friends, and the community at large, in our creative & entrepreneurial goals. it's great to have a friend who is whole-heartedly invested in their dream as well as yours.

jakob called me a while back and told me, quite boldly, that he was going to begin a campaign to raise $18,000 to finance a new record & all that comes along with that task. i immediately offered to support him in this journey in whatever way that i was able. my belief in jakob's music, talent, friendship, and ability to connect with people across the world through his music and actions has never wavered. i know that he will continue to strive for greatness and i am overjoyed at the chance to help him reach his goal of raising $18,000. he's relying on people that believe in his music, and, importantly, people that believe in supporting independent art.

he's blogging & video-blogging about his experience over at www.jakobmartin.blogspot.com ... i urge you to learn about what he's up to, listen to his music, and, of course, support his new album.

i'll be back soon with more of my current shenanigans! i was in michigan this past weekend for a wedding!

lots of love,

dain

life, lately!

2010-07-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

hello my friends!

last week involved a lot of music and friends.

i went to lilith fair with 3 friends. marilyn won tickets on the radio, so off she, lindy, carrie & i went! we had a fun time. lots of good people watching and some awesome music too. highlights: the weepies, brandi carlile, and of course, it was pretty damn cool to see sarah mclachlan in real life. we decided to dress in "90's" themed clothing - and, as usual, i might have taken it a LITTLE too far. while my friend donned plaid shirts, i wore a lace floral babydoll dress, high top converse, a tweetie bird & half of a sparkley yin-yang friendship necklace, a mini backpack (kipling!) AND, to top it all off, a hair wrap ... with beads. i take dressing in theme very seriously.

i also got the distinct pleasure of getting to see my favorite musician, jakob martin, when he played with the amazing guggenheim grotto at y1 studios. kevin & mick (guggenheim grotto) are great guys from ireland, their music is awesome and they have lots of personality. fantastic music, great friends, laughter, and some delcious food (thanks michael!) ... another wonderful night.

over the weekend i had a little early-birthday celebration which also involved great food, friends & more music! i am such a lucky duck with all the talented musicians in my life ... music around a fire pit, love it. i think the highlight was hearing my favorite boys sing a live version of this:

i didn't snap any pictures but i'm hoping a few friends did. kate did post one picture from her blog, which i'm reposting here ... this was after both pinatas were destroyed. (yes, i am turning 26 and had pinatas at my party.)

the weekend wrapped up with me "playing" assistant/stylist at kate daigneault's bird themed fashion shoot. we worked with a great group of models & i can't wait to see the finished shots. there's a sneak peek up on kate's blog.

anyway, that's what i've been up to! more adventures later this week. i'll share soon!

xox,

dain(ty)

i spent some time among the trees!

2010-07-06T11:49:00.001-07:00

hello!

i wanted to share some pictures from my trip a few weeks ago to sequoia. my mom and i drove up for a few days to visit with some family that was in town from london. we had never been to sequoia before. the trees were remarkable. i was completely moved by their enormous size & the fact that they've lived through so much. most of the trees have incredible scars caused from fire. a lot of the time the tragedy from fires actually helps the trees grow ... quite like people i'd like to believe.

one of my favorite parts of the trip was getting to do some art journaling by the river. the lodge that we stayed at literally sat right on the river. the sound of the water rushing was just beautiful. it was so peaceful to create outdoors among all the nature.

here are some pictures from the trip:

hope you are all having a fantastic week!

xo,

dain(ty)

happy 4th of july!

2010-07-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

the 4th of july holds a lot of happy memories for me. growing up my dad always took my sister and i to get slurpees before heading over to get a good spot at the canyon over looking our county fair .... they have a great firework show. now that we're grown up and all over the world, we don't get to spend the special day together, but i ALWAYS have a slurpee on the 4th of july. it's my own little tradition and i hope to continue it one day when i have a family of my own.

fireworks are one of my most favorite things in the world...

i was looking for a pic of a slurpee, but i found this, from the year i was born ...

anyway, i wish everyone a festive, wonderful, happy & safe independence day!

exes and ohs,
dain(ty)

blown away by the new site!

2010-06-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

my favorite musician, jakob martin, launched a brand new website today, and it's pretty damn amazing. i'd encourage all of you to go check it out, and of course, listen to the music (he's also featured on my playlist on the bar to the left).

it's incredibly well done and i am so happy for him! go check it out!

bebe shower sneaks!

2010-06-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

hi!

i'm excited to share with you a few pictures from the baby shower that i hosted last weekend for alana. i just have a few to share today and i'm sure i'll be sharing more of the details of the day soon, with a full re-cap. i've just been kind of baby-showered out this week.

table tops: (used assorted hambly overlays with rounded corners for placemats)

candy buffet: (lanterns from z gallerie, containers from various stores)

co-hosts: (lori, me, guest of honor alana, lindsey)

the conejos: (best friends from high school)

besties: (alana & i)

hope you enjoyed! i'll be posting some pictures from my trip to sequoia this week too!

xo,
dain(ty)

what home means to me ....

2010-06-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

***

welcome!

a huge thank you to victoria over at sfgirlbybay for organizing pin it forward. i'm very excited to be participating with this amazingly lovely group of bloggers.

so, what does home mean to me?

i've grown up considering two places home. one place was the small townhouse i spent most of my life living in, in a small town by the sea in southern california.

the other, a larger, cape-cod shingled summer home, in a small town by the sea on cape cod.

the idea of "home" has often been something that i've focussed on in my art and my journaling over the past decade - what makes something feel like "home"?

for me, i think home is a synonym for safe and comfortable.

(i have lots more images over at pinterest, so please visit me over there.)

home means being near the sea. (this is the actual street i spent many happy summers on as a child).

home means displaying lots of art. (art that i've made, friends have made, art that i've purchased from etsy, prints of famous pieces, etc... growing up my parents always proudly displayed my art.)

home means inherited eames chairs from my grandmother. (growing up i thought my grandmother's taste in furniture was a little weird. as i've gotten older i've grown to love it, cherish it, appreciate it, and be amazed by her impeccable taste).

home means having lots of books. (i love to read and have lots of memories reading as a child.)

home means having a safe space to create. (a "studio" space if you will).

thank you so much for playing along with me! hope you enjoyed your visit to my little corner of the internet.

make sure you check out kenziepoo's post from yesterday, and look for simply grove's post tomorrow. kenziepoo's post was magical and i can't wait to see what simply grove has in store for us.

also playing along today are the following blogs: diefrauimhaus, modish, florence oliver, ampersandity (could that blog name be ANY cuter by the way?), maybe next week, oh what fun, jamie sinz, deviantly domestic, and last but not least, maggi without an e.

cheers!

xo,

dain(ty)

2010-06-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

hi!

so today, in trying to make my dear blackberry run more quickly, i uploaded all 1,025 pictures on to my comp and then deleted them from my phone. who knew i had that many pics on my phone? certainly not me. i thought it'd be fun to post a few here ... many of these moments were long forgotten and it's kind of fun that i have reminders of them (especially since i've been seriously slacking on the picture taking front with my REAL camera).

there are a bunch i want to share so today i'll start with these 10 and maybe later this week i'll share more!

fresh made gelato/sorbet at scoops in LA with jakob martin ... this place is DELICIOUS.

hat shopping with rob ...
brunch with jarv ...
human canvas for the kids i babysit ...
weird decorative item at a hotel in palm desert when i went last june ...
ceramic veggies that alana and i made in high school that are still in our friend lindsey's house ...
a typical evening with melly jean ....
a night at the movies with rob and melinda ....
glasses shopping at costco...
a concert at the house of blues with lee coulter, chad of brodeeva & jakob martin ...

that's it for now! a little trip down memory lane for me .... :)

xo,

dain(ty)

2010-06-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

oh blog world! i've been neglecting you...

things have been quite busy over in my corner of the world. i like lists, so here you go:

1. i started doing the "couch to 5k" training program. i don't looooove running yet, but i'm hoping i'll get there. i'm just pleased that i've stayed on schedule and completed the workouts as set out by the program! go me. jamie, over at inspired mess happened to start it a few days after me ... i love love love that i have a friend doing it too!

2. alana's baby shower is days away. (translation: i've spent a lot of my awake moments on projects for the shower, making lists for the shower, or stressing out about the shower. stressing because i want everything to be perrrrrffeeecccct. i'm dain, and i'm a perfectionist. did you know?)

3. the baby i nanny for, alex, turns the big O-N-E on august 5th. this means a birthday party is being planned. i'm pretty excited about helping his parents with invites & all things "paper" for the party. the colors are peacock and poppy and i'm in love. oh paper-source, you've done it again. peacock is the perfect addition to your color collection.

4. my 26th birthday is fast approaching and i've decided to throw myself a little mexican fiesta. i've opted out of sending real invites due to the other projects i've got going on, BUT, i'm not skimping out on party decor or treats. i'm even going to have a pinata, and you better believe that i will be blind-folded, spun a few times and let loose to bash it with a baseball bat.

5. the summer is fast approaching. monday is my last day of the "school year" and i don't know whether or not i'll be working summer school. i'm guessing yes, but due to budgets and lay-offs and all that jazz, there's a possibility that i won't be. i'm going to cross that bridge when i come to it.

6. my sister spent the last month in europe. i just spent a million years looking at her facebook album on my mom's dial-up computer. can you say dedication? i'm so jealous of her trip and can't wait to be reunited with her in chicago next month to hear even more details in person.

7. my mom, sister & i are planning a trip to south africa and israel this winter. that, on top of a few other more local trips will take care of my goal of travel for the year. quite excited about going abroad ... haven't been since 2004. too long world, too long.

8. i have a few projects on the horizon. i'm working on some necklaces, some kitchen accessories & i'll be helping kate style a photo shoot soon. i also made a custom headband last week for my friend lindsey to wear to opening day of the polo season, and i hope she got a pic of her wearing it so i can post it! fun fun fun.

i think that sums it up. i promise to be back soon!

i'll leave you with these words which my dear friend, jm, told me a few months back, which i immediately asked him to repeat so that i could write it down, verbatim, in my notebook, and i was reminded of them again today when he posted them on his blog - "to know what we want to create, we must know what we want to live in. and to know what we want to live in, we must live" -jakob martin.

real life has been happening

2010-05-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

hi,

i’ve been spending a lot of time lately by myself. this is something that i’ve done on occasion in the past- but in short spurts, a day here or there. but the past few weeks, i’ve been quiet. i’ve allowed myself the luxury of not answering the phone, of not updating this blog, and last weekend, a break from twitter.

since getting back from chicago, i’ve fallen into a comfortable sort of silence. i haven’t felt the need to talk. i haven’t wanted to share, i haven’t wanted to put on the smile, face my to-do list, and exert the effort of engaging in social situations. i, for the first time in my life, have allowed myself to just be. i have watched tv and movies, cooked myself healthy meals, i have art journaled, i have read, i have walked. i have written pages and pages. i have committed to taking as much time as i need to grow, to heal, to learn about myself.

it’s been a powerful experience so far. i’ve become aware of how hard i’ve been on myself, and on some of the important people in my life. i’ve realized how much of myself is still wrapped up in my failed almost 7 year relationship. i have come to accept that there are lessons i need to learn from my past that i have not yet learned. i feel peaceful, and i feel ready to learn and grow. i feel free of the stress of running my business - i am now moving forward without the previous pressures that i had put on myself. i will be taking this time to focus on making art for myself. i will move forward by continuing to eat healthy, locally grown, organic food. i will walk, and one day soon, run. i will meditate, practice yoga, write, read, and laugh. i will allow myself time.

this blog will mark my journey. no promises, no commitments. it will be what it is, and i’m not going to worry about what it’s not.

i will tell you this, i have some new ideas of things i want to make for dainty*. new products, new opportunities, new energy. i am allowing for change and will practice being flexible.

soon, i have will have a brand spanking new website to share with you, and some pictures of new art & products i'm working on for dainty*. i can't wait! i am glad that i'm able to share with my readers, friends, family, etc here on this blog.

***ooooh, i am also, very very very excited to be participating in pin it forward, please follow along!

thanks for sticking around, and i'll try not to bore you.

exes & ohs,

to grandmother's house we go!

2010-05-17T13:43:00.003-07:00

hi,

today i am going to share with you a small glimpse into my grandmother's furniture collection.

first up is this earmes molded fiberglass rocker:

eames lcm chair:
this picture is so fuzzy, but it gives a glimpse of the living room. there are actually two of the couches & two of the red chairs in the room, as well as 2 of the lamps that you can see in the background. her rug, which i'll try to find a better picture of - always entertained us as children - there are randomly raised blue & red circles & squares & dark gray lines .... we used to always say it looked like we needed to mow it. it's from a designer based out of new york (if memory serves me right).

anyway, i just wanted to share. my grandma had very unique taste & while i certainly wouldn't have made all of the same decisions she did on decorating her home - there are quite a few that resonate with me, and i know once i have my own home i'll think of her when i'm putting together pieces that i love.

thanks for letting me share!

xo,

dain

i've missed you!!!!

2010-05-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

hi!!!

i have been away for far too long. i apologize about that - but sometimes life happens. a few life altering events have occured in the past few weeks - like they say, when it rains it pours. i am home now, after a few weeks away, and somehow, there's even a smile on my face. i'm trying to remain positive and focussed, and am looking forward to sharing my new adventures with you.

for now, i'll share that my beloved 93 year old grandfather passed away. 9 months ago my grandmother passed away. in the past 9 months my grandfather struggled to find meaning in his life - as he had spent the past 8 years caring for my grandmother who suffered from alzheimers and other failing health problems. my grandfather carried with him a difficult history. at the age of 16 he was kicked out of what quickly became nazi germany. his mother left for america, and he left for london. 2 years later he was reunited with his mother in chicago, where he spent the next 70+ years.

my grandma & grandpa had full lives. they traveled extensively, were very well educated, and believed deeply in helping others. my grandma was a teacher & then an assistant principal. she had a love for art & design (it skipped a generation and then i inherited it) ... my grandfather worked as a chemist and has several patents (for nickel plating and such, it's kind of beyond my realm of understanding).

anyway. while i was back in chicago i took some pictures of my grandmother's furniture. i can't wait to share these with you, as she had excellent taste & quite a few original eames, herman miller & some other scandinavian furniture.

i just wanted to share a little bit about where i've been.

it's good to be back.

xo,

dain(ty)

Dainty* on KateDaigneault.com

2010-04-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Loves,

I've been a little MIA this week and probably will be next week to in

order to take care of some family stuff.

In the mean time I am excited to let you know my friend and

photographer, kate daigneault, posted her favorite shots from the
photoshoot we did a few months ago. Please go check them out! And of
course, all the pieces you see are available in my shop.
Thanks for being patient with me, I'll be back soon!
Xo
Dain(ty)

meet eleise!

2010-04-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

hi,

this lovely lady is named eleise. you can find her over here.

"Hello loves! My name is Eleise & I love to fill my life up with these 5 obsessions of mine =) They inspire the way I dress & the way I live wearing them." [all images found by eleise via weheartit.com]

high heels

huge rings

rompers

braids

black nail polish

What are you inspired to wear?

thanks eleise for putting together this list! such a lovely bit of fashion inspiration!

xo,
d

2010-04-19T13:52:00.001-07:00

hi,

i just wanted to share with you the new promo materials that kate daignaeult made using the photos from the dainty* photoshoot. i think they turned out soo great!

go check out the rest of her post for a rare self portrait series. they are pretty terrific!

xo
dain(ty)

Music Monday! Volume 9!

2010-04-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

good morning!

i'm keeping it simple this week. some song lyrics from fiona apple.

i LOVE fiona apple. and have for as long as i can remember. my best friend alana and i both have an affinity for her music and a few years ago even went so far as to get tickets for an event that she was supposed to play at. fiona NEVER plays shows. like EVER. so it was a big deal - and - we also had a huge hunch that it would get canceled. well, let's just say we were right. so we didn't get to see fiona live - and i doubt we ever will. though, i'd be willing to purchase tickets again in hopes that it worked out.

so, i'll leave you with some of the lyrics that i have relied on time and time again to get me out of my funk and remind me about what this little journey [life] that i'm on is all about. (full lyrics can be found here).

"i certainly haven't been shopping for any new shoes
and
i certainly haven't been spreading myself around
i still only travel by foot and by foot, it's a slow climb,
but I'm good at being uncomfortable, so
i can't stop changing all the time

i notice that my opponent is always on the go
and
won't go slow, so's not to focus, and I notice
he'll hitch a ride with any guide, as long as
they go fast from whence he came
but he's no good at being uncomfortable, so
he can't stop staying exactly the same

if there was a better way to go then it would find me
i can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
be kind to me, or treat me mean
i'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine"

anyway, i hope they inspire you as much as they do me. LOVE LOVE LOVE me some fiona.

enjoy your day!
xo,
dain(ty)

2010-04-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

last week i was super post-happy and this week i've slowed down a bit. i was kind of stressed about it- but i realized it's just because i have a lot of things in the works that aren't really post-worthy yet.

my biggest project right now is making invitations for alana's baby shower. i want them to be cool. not cheesy, and i definitely don't want them screaming baby shower. i just want to throw a classy fun summer party in honor of her & her cute little baby bump. ok, so the baby bump isn't so little these days. maybe she'll let me post pics in my next baby-shower update post.

but for now, i'm going to post some awesome baby-shower finds.

invitations
via

candy/dessert buffet
via

via

i would LOVE LOVE LOVE your links to cool baby shower sites. or i suppose any event that could be used as baby shower stuff. everything i've been finding specifically for baby showers is pretty cheesy.

anyway hope you are having an awesome day!
xo
dain(ty)

meet christine!

2010-04-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

hi! i am pleased to be having another guest blogger from my indie biz class. today i'm letting christine hijack my blog!

enjoy,
d

The Indie Story of MiniMak Makings

Hello! I am Christine from MiniMak Makings and here is my Indie story!

As a child, I've always loved to make things. I grew up sewing, drawing, painting and crafting. All of that was strongly influenced by my mom who is a sewer, gardener and a crafter. Both my grandmothers were sewers and gardeners as well. They grew the family's food and sewed their clothes. I think it's just part of my genes.

My maternal grandmother working on a dollhouse she was making for us as my brother and I watch on.

Family Photo.

My mom made my dad's suit, her suit and my jumper.

As a teenager, I would sew my own clothes and make my own jewellery. I would redecorate my room and sew myself a new comforter, paint my furniture and hang my own art on the walls.

Dress I made to go see "Les Miserables". Look at the spiral perm!! whoa!

I have always been someone who is known to say, "I bet you I can make that...". I started most of my hobbies with that statement. I am a dabbler. My etsy shop is currently in vacation mode. I am taking this time to find myself as an indie business owner and to define my style. Since I am interested in so many things, it's hard to pear it down to a one or two types of craft. What I am currently focusing on is my blog. I have found that the online craft community is very warm, welcoming and supportive. I blog almost everyday and have weekly/monthly features such as Card of the Month (every 1st of the month) and I {heart} 50 things (every Saturday). Come see me at http://www.minimakmakings.com or follow me on Twitter!

Christine (MiniMak)

Thank you for giving me this oppurtunity to share my little story! xoxox

it's finally ready!!!

2010-04-12T18:45:00.000-07:00

hello!

BIG NEWS .... the store has been updated!!!! after months of getting ready for SPRING 2010, i have officially listed over 20 items in the store, with about 30 more items waiting to be added in the next week or so!

please go check it out! i am so excited about it. i was originally going to wait until the new website was done, but i just couldn't wait any longer! i've been working so hard to get it ready, and with the help of kate daigneault & my amazing friend melinda, it finally happened!

i cannot thank kate & melinda enough for their patience & help with all of this. this is the first of many exciting things that are happening in 2010 for dainty* handcrafted.

www.dainjb.etsy.com, please let me know what you think, i would love your thoughts!

i am also really excited to be doing some custom work - for presents, a special gift for yourself, bridesmaids, flower girls, or even bridal wear!

thanks for all of your love & support. i am forever grateful!

xo
dain(ty)

Music Monday! Volume 8!

2010-04-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

hello hello my loves,

well. when i was trying to decide what musician to share with you today, i had to double check because i couldn't believe i hadn't already shared with you syd's music.

when i was in college on the east coast i was really involved in student government and all that jazz. we hosted monthly (?) concerts and sometimes they were awesome (and sometimes they were not).

well, one time, we got real lucky and syd played. his band opened for a douchey band who will remain nameless. actually, i think i'm gonna go google that band and see if they are even doing anything anymore. anyway, back to syd.

syd and his band turned out to not only play good music, they were actually nice guys. turns out syd moved to the west coast and i got to see him play in la a year or two ago (maybe longer, eek time flies). and then, last year, he played here in san diego at our local place. HOPEFULLY, he'll come back. nudge nudge. or maybe i'll just have to make sure to be in LA next time he has a show there.

ok, on to the music. the below is the music video for syd's "the big town" from his ep upswing, WHICH CAN BE DOWNLOADED for free (which i think is pretty awesome of him!) here.

you can catch syd on twitter. and on facebook. and on youtube.

hope you enjoy!
xo,
dain(ty)

thread!

2010-04-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

today i'll be spending some time here:

look for a re-cap sometime this week!

hope you are having a lovely weekend...

xo
d

meet meaghan!

2010-04-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

hi,

today i'm introducing you to meaghan from urban farm designs. she's a super sweet gal from the indie biz class and i couldn't be more pleased to be sharing her story with you!

enjoy!

xo,
dain(ty)

Hi there! I'm Meaghan, owner of Urban Farm Designs. I'm here to tell you how I got started!

I've always been a crafty kid. I remember in grade school, my favorite part of summer break was the craft kits they handed out on the last day of class. I would cut everything out, paint and color everything and do all the crafts in the first week! I loved to paint and color.

***

Once I got older, my focus turned to journaling. I suppose you could call it scrap booking, but I just thought of it as cutting out magazine clippings and pretty paper. My journals were full of doodles and the beginnings of design ideas… as well as a few entries about boys.

***

As far as sewing, when I was 20, I started working on a US Forest Service fire crew.

That's me at the end of that rope! :)

By my third year on the crew, I was chosen to be the sewing apprentice. They always chose one rookie to train, and it was my lucky year! I remember walking into the sewing room with wide eyes. A metal cutting table, hot knives for the webbing and rope, bolts of fabric neatly hung up on the wall… and the glorious industrial sewing machine. I was hard to get used to how powerful that machine was! I learned how to sew strong bags and kept sewing even after I left…

***

I didn't set out making aprons and bags with the intention of selling them. One day, a friend of mine saw a picture of a hat I had made on Facebook and said to me, "I want to buy that! You should sell these!" So I sent her the hat, set up an Etsy shop, and have been filling it up ever since!

I’m really stoked about my big spring update that’s happening at the end of April! I’ll have the shop stocked full of new messenger bags, daybags, half and full aprons and eyeglass cases. I’m also doing a preview update on March 30th to whet some appetites. There is also one new surprise item that I’m SUPER excited to unveil!

Thanks for reading!

Meaghan @ Urban Farm Designs

blog it forward!

2010-04-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

some of my new friends in my indie biz class thought it'd be fun to do our own little version of a "blog it forward" adventure. each day one of us is blogging our current inspirations with a link to the next day's contributer. so! today is my day. i'll leave you with this drool worthy inspo.

here is what is inspiring me lately:

flowers

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***

***

***

sparklers & fireworks

***

***

***

***

***

doilies

***

***

***

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handwriting

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***

***

*for more inspiration tomorrow check out the absolutely lovely christine at mini mak makings. to find the whole "blog it forward" schedule check out brooke's post here.

hope you enjoyed!
xo
d

meet katie joy!

2010-04-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

hi,

i've posted a few times about the indie biz class that i'm in right now. a lot of the girls i've met are absolutely fantastic and i think it's very cool that we can support each other in our crafty endeavors.

i'd like to introduce you to katie joy of katie joy photography ....

hope you enjoy!
xo,
dain(ty)

When I was too young to have my own camera, I would sneak away with my parents' camera to snap some pictures in the middle of their roll of birthday celebrations, family gatherings, or school choir performances. I'm sure I asked for my own camera close to 1 X 10^6 times before my parents finally relented. Christmas stockings brought me cameras on more than one occasion. The first time, I was in elementary school (2nd grade is my best guess). As it is with little kids, I laid in bed (or, i would have if i was the obedient type) with eyes wide open, imagining all of the toys and gifts just sitting under the Christmas tree, waiting to be opened! Little did I know there was a Crayola Flash 110 camera waiting for me!

(Crayola Flash 110)

I mostly remember the flash being tricky, if i slapped the camera down on the palm of my hand, the flash would go off. This was often used to momentarily blind friends and family. After a while, I must have damaged some of the connections inside the camera, because the flash stopped working. One of the only photographs that I remember capturing with this camera (post flash damage) was a picture of my then-best-friend Hanna. Unfortunately, at that time, I didn't know that inside a classroom, with Hanna standing in front of a bright window would create an almost unrecognizable picture of my best bud. The next camera that I found in my stocking was the Jazz Jellies 207 camera (I had the blue, Rachel had the purple)!

(Jazz Jellies 207)

This little camera was amazing. It had a (working) flash, a front panel that would slide over the lens for protection, and a...wait for it...panoramic mode! Oh my goodness! This camera went with me nearly everywhere. Going to Nana and Papa's house? Yep, it was in my backpack'o'entertainment. Going to the store? Why not? It was probably in my pocket, or if mom wasn't feeling up to it, we were told to leave the cameras in the car. Pretty much anywhere I went, I carried this little gem around with me. It was also with this camera that I captured the first
picture (girl jumping in front of the sunset) that I still believe is one of my favorite works. Once I got to high school, and began taking photography classes my sophomore year, I used several Pentax and Minolta cameras, though none of them felt right in my hands. My neighbor Sindy had a Canon AE-1 Program, which I quickly became attached to after the first time I borrowed it for a photography assignment, so much so that it spent most of it's time at my house instead of Sindy's. She quickly recognized my attachment, and the camera and a few lenses were presents for my 18th birthday.

(Canon AE-1 Program)

The Canon has been my primary camera for the last 4+ years. I have even had the wonderful fortune of having another photo enthusiast, Dan, as a neighbor. Dan built a darkroom in his basement and allowed me to use it for my final assignment for an Advanced Photography class. Photography continued to be an expressive outlet for me, even once I had passed all available photography classes offered by the high school. My senior year, I took an Art Studio class and and received enormous amounts of encouragement from my teacher Susan Cole to explore Graphic Design as an outlet for my photography and other creative ideas. Since high school, I have spent more and more time taking pictures of my friends and family, my favorite places and anything that has been able to catch my attention.

Lately, I've been finding as much material as I can get my hands on about beginning a photography business. In the last few months, I've made portraits of friends, and I even had an opportunity to photograph a small wedding. I learned about this opportunity one week before the ceremony. No one would rent me a camera because I didn't have $1000+ in my account to use as collateral, and I couldn't find an online rental place that could get me a camera soon enough, so I ended up buying a Nikon D90 and two prime lenses (50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.8, if you speak camera) from Amazon.

(NIKON D90 camera body)

(NIKON 85mm 1.8D AF NIKKOR lens)

(NIKON 50mm 1.4D AF NIKKOR lens)

(My new DSLR has been such a source of inspiration! I've been able to capture such amazing pictures that weren't possible with the limited settings of my point and shoot.)

(NIKON Coolpix S550 point and shoot)

I'm learning all of this business stuff slowly, but surely. I know mistakes and stumbles are inevitable, but I still don't feel like I'm ready to step over the edge and see where it takes me. Most recently, the Indie Business 2.0 class has given me loads of information to work with, and has provided me with a bunch of new, crafty friends! If you're interested in reading more about my photography and my inspiration, check out my blog and portfolio at katiejoyphoto.wordpress.com, or contact me through email at katiejoyphoto@gmail.com!

XO Kate

thanks eleise!

2010-04-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

hi!

i just wanted to write a quick note and let you know that i'm being featured by eleise over at her blog.

i'm even hosting a give-away over there for one of her readers, so you might want to check it out! yey!

xo,
dain(ty)

Music Monday! Volume 7!

2010-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

hi,

i'm really excited to be sharing with you one of Skyler Stonestreet's songs. She's fantastic. i know i've posted about her before (a while back). she's one of my favorite female artists and i know amazing things are in the works for her. she's the sweetest thing, and look how incredible she looks in her yellow dainty* headband!!!

anyway, today i'm sharing her video for "dream away"

skyler can be found on facebook and youtube

i hope you enjoy!

xo,
dain(ty)

blog it forward!

2010-04-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

hi loves,

there are some exciting things in the works and i'm very happy to be sharing with you one that starts next week!

some of the lovely gals in the indie biz class & i are collaborating on a "blog it forward" chain (inspired by sfgirlbybay) .... the fun starts on monday the 5th right here.

thank you so much to brooke at humbleb for putting this all together.

i'll be blogging my inspiration on thursday the 8th! but you can check the rest of the schedule here.

xo,
dain(ty)

a little inspiration for friday!

2010-04-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

hi,

ok, now i am not one of those people that normally loves commercials. you know, we all have that friend that knows commercial jingles and can reference a commericial that was in circulation like, 8 years ago. i'm not one of them. at all. probably because i don't watch tv that frequently.

BUT.

can i tell you how in love i am with the amazon kindle commercials?

i am a huge fan of stop motion shorts. they tug at my crafty-loving heart strings.

i was so excited to do some google-ing and find that both angela kohler and ithyle griffiths, the geniuses behind the amazon kindle commercials have blogs! angela's can be found here! and ithyle's here. oh, of course, should have known they would both have a blog, doesn't everyone these days? but really, i'm ecstatic. they've already been added to my google reader.

angela and ithyle are both incredibly talented photographers.

i am so inspired by their work and hope that you are too!
xo
dain(ty)

some real life thoughts.

2010-03-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

i'm sitting here in starbucks. i'm listening to skyler stonestreet. i'm catching up on blogs, browsing pictures on flickr.

and i feel a bit empty. i don't know how else to describe it. just void. i have no projects that i'm excited about. i have nothing looming on the horizon after the website launch.

***

i haven't scrapbooked or art journaled in weeks. and the last time i did i wasn't really satisfied with any of it.

i'm not doing anything momentous.

does it sound like i'm having a pity party?

i try not to stress when i'm not feeling creative - but this - this crawling out of my skin feeling - i don't like it. it happens periodically, so this is nothing new. but it feels more desperate this time around - more pressing.

i need to be making something. i need to be pushed. my mind is feeling kind of numb lately and i'm debating whether or not to sign up for a class at community college. how does this relate to making art, you ask? well, i think my brain just needs to be exercised in a new way. i'm stagnant - comfortable in my routine, why not mix it up a little? i think when i was in school i was working my brain in a way that i haven't been lately, and maybe, while not directly related to making art - will also encourage my brain to think creatively.

am i making sense?

***

i don't mean to be debbie-downer. and in fact, i don't really actually feel down. i'm just trying to find solutions to this creepy-crawly-uncomfortable in my own skin feeling that i'm feeling.

perhaps a collaboration or 2 would also be good - a joint project, a common goal, a team. yes! that will push me. any takers?

if i still kept my personal blog, *the beautiful is everywhere* this would have been posted over there, but lately i've just made this little home my personal blog and my business blog, so here it is. i'm not apologizing for being me and i hope you don't mind.

i'll leave you with some pretties from flickr.

***

***

***

thanks for reading.

xo,
d

2010-03-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

ooohhhhh my! today is my baby sister's birthday. she's 22 today! happy birthday marta!

in honor of her, i thought i'd post some fun facts.

-when marta was in elementary school (or maybe jr. high, i can't remember) she wrote an essay about me, and if i remember correctly there was a line talking about looking in to my blue eyes and how amazing i was. i need to find a copy of that.

-when we were younger every once in a while we would be really nice to each other and celebrate "sister day" - usually this meant we went to the neighborhood long's drug store (rip ... it is now an evil cvs pharmacy) and bought each other presents.

-she and her best friend katie used to have several imaginary friends, including bobo and shamasha

my little sis, her best friend katie, me (eyes closed!) and my best friend alana on my 23rd or 24th birthday, sad that i can't remember!

-we used to play american girl dolls like it was nobody's business. usually we pretended our dolls were in an orphanage. she has molly. i have samantha (who is no longer available).

-marta studied abroad in south africa. her adventures were remarkable. i am so proud of her for this experience - she grew up tremendously during this time and i couldn't be more extatic about how it has shaped her goals for the future.

-she is going to grad school next year. michigan vs. tulane vs. bu .... where did she choose? i'm not sure if it's 100% yet or if i'm allowed to say ... as much as i'd love her to be in boston (my former home), i've been routing for tulane from the beginning.

-she can probably quote the entire movie of mean girls. or spellbound. or jesus camp. she gets obsessed with movies and then will only watch that movie for a while.

-she loves taylor swift. and kelly clarkson.

-she has given me many nicknames over the years including juanita, juan, hermana, herms, dain the pain, and probably a dozen others.

anyway. i am so excited to be going to beloit in may for her college graduation. marta, i am so proud of you and i hope you have the best birthday! i love you SOOOOOOO much.

xo,
hermana

2010-03-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

thank you to katie joy, christine , and aubrey for the bloggy award.

For the “Beautiful Blogger” award you need to:
- Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog.
- Copy the award and paste it to your blog.
- Tell us seven interesting facts about yourself.
- Pass this award on to 15 fantastic bloggers you have discovered.
- Contact your nominations and let them know they’ve won.

here are my nominations ... (eh, so there is only 12 ... sue me ... OR, just count the 3 that nominated me as my last 3 ... :) they are linked above) you should all check out these fantastic bloggers!

kate daigneault photography
amber (my happy mail partner for april! yey)
jamie of inspired mess
emily sparks
james of bleubird vintage
diana of ourcitylights
paige of bicyclette
brooke
megan
lauren
meaghan of urban farm
eleise of one artsy mama

7 things about me ...

1. when i was 5 my parents brought me to a raffi concert (c'mon, you remember him, right? a la baby beluga and bananaphone fame?) and i got to sit on his knee! yes, for real.

2. my favorite place in the whole world is a little street in the little town of falmouth heights (cape cod, ma).

found via flickr

3. i hate writing most words that have double letters and numbers that are double numbers (ie 22). it makes me feel weird and i hate that the 2 letters or numbers in a row are never IDENTICAL.

4. i say the shema (jewish prayer) every night before bed.

5. i kind of love ashley olsen. a lot.

6. one of my favorite things to do is grocery shop in the middle of the day on weekdays. if people would pay me to do this, i might be the happiest girl on the planet. it's weird the kind of gratification i get from doing this.

7. i hate the way i look when i'm not blonde, but i hate that i like being blonde.

*recent pic of my and my two friends named melinda :)

Music Monday! Volume 6!

2010-03-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

hi!

i am so excited to share with you this new video from lee coulter.

lee, along with jakob martin, derek evans, and brodeeva, make up the vibe night crew, a group of musicians based here in san diego that have been playing gigs together for the past 2 years. if you are in san diego you should definitely check out the next vibe night, which is taking place april 24. info is posted on their facebook page.

anyway, back to lee. i first met lee about 3 years ago when i was working full time for jakob martin. lee is australian and moved to san diego with his wife, sharisse, who is a professional photographer. anyway, lee always has a smile on his face, his energy is infectious, his music always has me singing and even sometimes dancing (and i am NOT a dancer).

last week lee had a show and he debuted the music video for "booty voodoo" ... so that's what i'm going to share with you here. but you should check out more of his music, my favorites are "story of the traveling lovers" and "like they used to"

hope you enjoy!
xo,
dain(ty)

introducing my favorite colors for spring & summer!

2010-03-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

i am dedicating this post to the colors that are making me excited for warm weather!

i'm a little obsessed with orange, coral & peach.

to me, these colors just scream warm weather. coral is one of those colors that literally looks amazing on every skin tone - i always find myself attracted to coral colored clothing. lately i've also had a thing for orange accessories - last november i bought a purse in a gorgeous shade of pumpkin and for the past week i've been sporting a bright orange shade of nail polish.

all images found via flickr.

what colors are you loving for this new season? please share!

xo,
dain(ty)

i've seen this going around the blog-world ....

2010-03-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

five things:

5 Things I am looking forward to:
-unveiling the dainty* website (SOON)
-spring break next week (ok, so i still work one of two jobs during spring break but it will nice to have mornings off!)
-planning alana's bebe shower
-expanding dainty*s product line
-coffee date with my friend lisa on thurs!

5 Things I did (the day before) yesterday:
-held some animals that the humane society brought
-broke out in hives (from said animals ... i think)
-went on a 3 mile walk with baby alex
-watched gossip girl
-didn't eat any dark chocolate covered almonds (seriously, i'm addicted. it's a big deal that i didn't have any).

5 Things I wish I could do:
-use photoshop
-other technology based things - like web design, better use excel, etc
-sing
-gather everyone i love in to one place for an awesome weekend
-live in multiple different places at once

5 Places I'd like to travel:
-italy
-greece
-pacific northwest (washington and oregon)
-alaska
-the south

party planning mode!

2010-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

hi world,

it's official - i am in FULL BLOWN party planning mode.

today i thought i would share some inspiration for the bebe shower that i'll be throwing in june. my best friend is pregnant with her first & i really couldn't be more excited for her and her husband. i love them both so much and am so excited to be an auntie.

the bebe (alana and sam have decided not to find out the sex) is due aug 1 and the shower will be in mid-june. i am OBSESSED with party planning - and am stoked to have something to focus on. i also co-hosted alana's bridal shower in 2007,

seen here with lindsey (one of the co-hosts for the bebe shower & alana) @ the bridal shower

and here i am setting one of the tables

ANYWAY, back to the bebe shower ...

i want it to have a very summer-y feel and here is some of my inspiration:
(unfortunately i've had most of these pics saved on my comp for AGES and don't have the original sources. if you know, please feel free to let me know and i'll credit them! thanks so much ... i know the second is from martha stewart, and i'm pretttttty sure the first one is too)

*alana, don't be afraid because of that last picture, i promise your shower will not be bubble gum pink.

anyway, i think i'll be sharing more inspiration as the plans progress - some of it i'm not ready to share yet because i haven't shared it with my co-hosts yet (i am lucky, i'm the crafty one and my co-hosts are pretty laid back about decor decisions). PLUS, i don't want alana to know all the secrets yet. i'll reveal the color scheme after i confirm with lindsey & lori.

xo,
dain(ty)

Music Monday! Volume 5!

2010-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

sometime in february the mom that i nanny for introduced me to Paolo Nutini ... i popped the cd she gave me into my car and it's been in there since then. i quickly fell in love with his music.

i usually listen to the whole cd all the way thru (which is VERY rare for me) but i find myself sometimes skipping back to hear #7 on repeat ....

the song is called "no other way" ... it's absolutely beautiful, here is a youtube video of the song as well as the lyrics:

Darlin'
Frustration it gets me it gets me when it hurts me most
if I rather did the ......it's not easy to see
I've become far, far too long
Accept you from the even again
Then I hope you'll still find a guy you need for your fool
Cus Life is upon you on the road and it's
It's something about the whole thing that doesn't feel

Bent my knees for you, cus I love you
But I don't want you, I need you
I can see all what it mean (now what it means) (now what it feels)
Frustration it gets me when it hurts me most
if I rather did the ......easy to see
And I've become far, far too long
Accept you from the even again
I guess I hope I'm still the kind of guy you need
Cus life upon on the rode these
It's something about the whole thing that doesn't feel
Bent my knees for you, cus I love
I don't want you, I need you
i can see all what I mean
Oh darlin' I bent my knees for you, cus I love you
But I don't want you, I need you
i can see all what it mean (now what it means) (now what it feels)

hope you like!
xo,
dain(ty)

st. patty's day!

2010-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

hi! happy st. patrick's day lovies! i am here to share some things that are green! green is one of my favorite colors so i thought i'd be fun to share some inspiring pictures that i found around the web (all pictures found via flickr, see sources)!

1. my longish solstice shadow, 2. Green, Green, Green..., 3. Green, 4. Lovely Green..!!, 5. green shoes, 6. Day 161/365 : How gorgeously green is your thursday? ;), 7. Go Green, 8. Forest Green, 9. green goods to portugal

remember, put on something green so you don't get pinched! (hehe, did you guys used to do that in elementary school?)
xo,
dain(ty)

Music Monday! Volume 4!

2010-03-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I was lucky enough to be invited by Jakob Martin to a show that he was the opening act for. The band he was opening for is currently traveling the US ... all the way from IRELAND! let's get ready to celebrate St. Patty's Day (they don't play Irish music a la flogging molly or anything, but they are Irish and deserve some love, year round, i say!)

The Guggenheim Grotto are simply fantastic - seeing them live was such a treat. they have a very special stage presence and their harmonies just blew me away. i can't wait for them to be in town again!

the song i'll be sharing with you today is called "The Universe is Laughing"

i hope you enjoy!

xo,
dain(ty)

i love these necklaces!

2010-03-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

i just had to share these necklaces that my bestie, alana, found via apartment therapy last week. i know a lot of you out there in blog world at just as gaga over mid-century design as i am, so i thought i'd pass it along in case you missed in on AT.

the necklaces are part of the "tiny little chairs" collection by bruxe which can be purchased here. i am for sure going to get one of the eames-designs, i can't wait! i am lucky enough to be inheriting a a handful of original eames chairs from my very stylish grandmother who passed away last july. she had great taste and definitely influenced my love for art and design. i'll think of her every time i wear the necklace!

xo,
dain(ty)

give-aways for a worthy cause!

2010-03-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

hi!

i wanted to share with you that jamie, from inspired mess, will be hosting some awesome give-aways ALL WEEK LONG in honor of MS awareness week. MS (multiple sclerosis) is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. my godmother was diagnosed with MS several years ago so this is a cause that touches my heart dearly. i am honored to be participating in the give-away (thank you jamie for letting me!) ... i will be giving away a dainty*headband to a lucky reader ... you have to check out the inspired mess blog to find out the details!

xo,
dain(ty)

Music Monday! Volume 3

2010-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

hi!

this week's music monday feature is ....

DEREK EVANS!

I have a few favorite Derek Evans' songs, but this is one of the best. I feel pretty lucky to have Derek in my life, he's a great friend, quite hilarious & appreciates craftiness. He frequently lets his girlfriend (and, as you all know by now, amazing photographer and friend, kate) and i take over the living room to craft & have photo shoots. He's been a great supporter of dainty* since I started, and I am so happy to share his music with you. please please please go give him some love!

This song, high school walls, makes me so happy. enjoy!

(you can check out more youtube videos here)

xo,
dain(ty)

check in

2010-03-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

hi loves,

just stopping in to let you know that even though it's been quiet around here, there is a lot happening in the works! slowly but surely my new website is getting finished up, and along with the music monday feature that i started 2 weeks ago, there will be some new blog details coming! i've been working on some totally new projects that i can't wait to incorporate into this little home that i've created for myself. dainty* is growing and i can't wait to share more.

again, i just wanted to thank everyone for their love and support these past several months. i am so stoked on where we are headed!
xo
d

Music Monday! Volume 2

2010-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

hi!

another round of music monday!

this week i'm going to share a collaboration between g.love (of g.love and special sauce) and the very special brodeeva. this is a cover of the beatles' blackbird. i've heard them do this song a few times live and each time, i just fall more and more in love with it. you should also check out some of their other youtube videos, i especially love kick drum, who says that & milk and cereal.

brodeeva & g.love have been playing for a long time and i've had the pleasure of being there for 3 shows in the past year. the shows are so much fun - they have great energy and are always entertaining.

hope you enjoy!

xo,
dain(ty)

Music Monday!

2010-02-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

hi! welcome to music monday!

this is a new feature that i'm going to hopefully do every week! music is a huge part of my life so i thought it'd be fun for me to incorporate it into this blog! i mean, who doesn't love music?

some week i'll share lyrics, other weeks maybe it will be a youtube video or mp3, or maybe a combination! who knows!

for those that don't know (i can't remember if i ever shared), i work in the music industry part time. i've been doing this for a few years now and i can honestly say that i can't imagine my life without this type of work. which is funny, because, if you asked me, even a year ago, i would have said, no way, no how, no more music industry for me. it's a crazy industry, but i've met the most incredible people and have fulfilled a piece of myself that i didn't even know existed. cheesy, i know. i'm really excited to share some of the music that touches my life - yey! i also love finding new music, so please feel free to leave me suggestions in the comments!!!

so, without further ado, i present to you dainty*s first MUSIC MONDAY:

JAKOB MARTIN

the song that i want to share today is the song, Whole Again, from Martin's sophomore album, Masking the Mirror Album (available on itune, just sayin!).

this song is incredibly close to my heart and whenever I have tough days when I forget why I do what I do, I listen to this song and I remember what it's all about. Thank you JM for writing this song.

crazy for garland!

2010-02-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Ok, completely unrelated to dainty* headbands (but i'm going to start posting more general craftiness here anyway!) ... a few weeks ago I was in the mood to start decorating for valentine's day. now i'm not quite sure why, because i am not celebrating with anyone special this year (and it's never really been important to me). i think i just get in to all holidays because it means decorating. plus growing up we always got "valentine's day" presents (something small) and i even have a memory of red heart pancakes for breakfast. so, i set out on the task of cutting out lots of hearts from magazine pages (i used anthro and nordstrom) and then i glued the hearts back to back with a thread in between to make garland. i made a few strands, 3 of which are up in my room and one i sent to my friend melinda who is studying for the quarter at dartmouth.

i know this first pic is blurry but i thought it was cool:

in my room you can also spy the hambly 2010 calendar that i got when i visited the studio in december. also seen is a cute plushie owl that kate made me for hannukah (minus it's tutu that went missing between vegas and san diego) and my cute diana dreamer camera (that has never been used successfully, YET. it's a goal of 2010).

i want to make lots more in other shapes. i am so obsessed with garland these days. maybe even make some and add them to my etsy shop. thoughts?

some garland inspiration from weheartit

i hope you enjoy!

xo,
dain(ty)

behind the scenes

2010-02-03T12:50:00.001-08:00

a few "behind the scenes" photos from the past few weeks.

first, dainty* making in progress (my sister gave a dainty* to each of her friends for hanukah, this pic was taken in progress on my bedroom floor):

here are 3 of the ones i made for my sister's friends in their little celophane baggies, i'm including this pic because i don't think i ever posted the adorable circle stickers that acacia designed & got printed for me!:

these next two are from the photoshoot, one is of all the dainty*s laid out while getting organized and the other is of daniella after her hair & makeup were complete.:

anyway, i'll be posting an inspiration post in a few minutes, i'm just working on collecting some of the pictures!

xo
dain(ty)

kate daigneault!

2010-01-31T18:14:00.001-08:00

hi!

i can't wait to share the pics from the newest photoshoot with you, but i'm waiting until the new site is ready to be revealed (soon! i promise!)

but i will share some photos that kate took after the dainty* shoot. we took about 900 photos and then after some refueling of vegan pizza, i helped with a late night shoot. daniella, our model & friend, has an awesome vintage wardrobe that was begging to be shown off in a dark & edgy shoot. kate posted some on her blog, and will be posting the rest soon. here are two of my favorites from the shoot (appropriately called "daniella's closet")

this last one gives a bit of a sneak peek for the dainty* shoot (the frame) i absolutely love it!!!!

these pics make me even more excited for the pictures from the dainty* shoot because i know they are going to be incredible.

anyway i just wanted to share these awesome pics. kate is so talented, creative & is always inspiring me! i hope she will inspire you too!

xo,
dain(ty)

nikki mcclure!

2010-01-25T16:20:00.001-08:00

i've been wanting to post about nikki mcclure for a while now. i first discovered her work a few months back when the mom that i nanny for showed me the cutest book she had called "the first 1000 days" ... i absolutely fell in love with the artwork and thought the whole concept was precious.

then, about a month later, when i was in SF i was at rare device (which is an AMAZING store, by the way) and came across "things to make and do" which i of course purchased for myself. i am kind of obsessed with it and have made all of my friends look at it and appreciate the amazing art work.

for those of you that don't know, nikki is a paper cut artists and her work is now in print form in books and journals. a few weeks ago i was at my favorite local book store, bookworks, and on the shelf was a children's book illustrated by nikki's papercuts. they are so striking and i just am so inspired by it! i'm happy to share with you this fantastic artsist!

i hope you enjoy her work as much as i do!

xo,
dain(ty)

huge sale! must clear out older inventory to make room for the spring line!

2010-01-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to announce my first dainty* SALE!!!!!!!! ALL dainty*s are $7 or 2 for $12. Originally Priced $10-20 EACH!!!

PHOTO 1:
Pink & Brown Striped dainty* on black elastic (3 available)
Red & Creme Striped dainty* on black elastic (1 available)
Brown with Pink Polka Dot dainty* on black elastic (1 available)
Green with White Polka Dot dainty* on black elastic (1 available)

PHOTO 2:
Black & White Satin dainty* on black elastic (2 available)
Light & Dark Blue Satin dainty* on black elastic (1 available)
Neon Green dainty* on black elastic (1 available)

PHOTO 3:
Off White / Beige Velvet dainty* on black elastic (1 available)
Turqouise Velvet dainty* on black elastic (SOLD)
Turqouise Velvet dainty* on clear plastic headband (with teeth) (1 available)
Red Velvet dainty* on clear plastic CHILD SIZE headband (with rubber teeth) (1 available)
Mustard Yellow Velvet dainty* on clear plastic headband (with teeth) (SOLD)
href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N7hp9gXXge0/S0ZepOKnk4I/AAAAAAAAAd0/eBbZI5a5KOU/s1600-h/ds+3.JPG">

PHOTO 4:
Black/Grey/White Ombre dainty* on black plastic headband (with teeth) (2 available)
White/Grey/Black Ombre dainty* on black elastic (SOLD)
Pink/Purple Shimmer Ombre dainty* on purple plastic CHILD SIZE headband (with rubber teeth) (1 available)
Purple/Pink Shimmer Ombre dainty* on grey velvet ribbon band (1 available)

PHOTO 5:
Leopard Satin dainty* on black elastic (1 available)
Brown & Blue dainty* on tortiouse shell plastic headband (with teeth) (1 available)
Small Leopard dainty* on tortiouse shell plastic headband (with teeth) (1 available)

PHOTO 6:
Small Pink & White Striped dainty* on black elastic (2 available)
Small Sage Green with White Polka Dot dainty* on black elastic (2 available)
Small Kelly Green with White Polka Dot dainty* on green elastic (1 available)
Small Dusty Pink Velvet with Button Center dainty* on black elastic (1 available)
Small Light Green Velvet with Button Center dainty* on black elastic (SOLD)

PHOTO 7:
Small Brown & Creme Gingham dainty* on black elastic (1 available)
Small Tiffany Blue with Brown Polka Dot dainty* on black elastic (1 available)
Small Blue, Brown, White & Light Pink Striped dainty* on black elastic (1 available)

ALL SALES FINAL. PLEASE EMAIL ME at daintydainjb@gmail.com and I will then invoice you via PayPal for your purchase. If you live in the San Diego area I will glady accept cash or check & drop off your purchases. I will try to update this post as soon as dainty*s sell, but please be advised that I don't always have immediate access to the computer and therefor won't be able to update in real time.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am so excited to be offering my first big clearance sale! Clearing out the inventory means room for all of the NEW merchandise that I'm preparing for Spring!!!!

xo,
dain(ty)

dogs & puppets! dainty* is branching out!

2010-01-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

just had to share two phone pics from my girl gina. i made dainty* dog collars for her dogs, and here is shawna modeling hers. gina has also recently taken on a creative project of her own - creating puppets for her son elijah. she was working on a girl puppet and i just knew she needed a dainty* of her own. :) enjoy! thanks g for the pics!

art!

2010-01-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

i wanted to share that i FINALLY purchased a print by leigh. i have admired her work for such a long time and decided that i should buy myself a print. at one point i had like 5 in my cart on etsy but settled on this one. i will definitely be purchasing more in the future, i am in love with so much of her work. she's fantastic. now i just have to frame it and put it up on my wall. i have a lot of art i need to put up, since i hadn't admitted to myself that my current room is going to be my room for a while most likely ... anyway, this is the print i bought:

oh hello 2010, i welcome you with open arms!

2010-01-02T09:57:00.000-08:00

i have a long list of things i want to accomplish in 2010. i love goal making, and frequently re-evaluate my goals throughout the year. i'm not going to share all of them here, because i think that would be a bit boring, but here are a few:

1. get dainty* in to 5 stores in SD and 5 stores in LA
2. visit Santa Fe, Seattle, Arizona, SF, Wisco, Chicago, Michigan, DC, Boston, ETC!
3. send dainty*s to Oprah's dogs Sadie and Layla, Taylor Swift, Sacha and Malia Obama, and a few other celebrities.
4. use the gocco printer that's sitting on my bedroom floor (and has been since sep.)
5. do something with my ridiculously large collection of "flickr" favorites
6. use my diana camera (which i bought in nov of 2008 and still haven't used)
7. plan an event in san diego that brings artists/crafters, musicians, and other local businesses (ie restaurants that use local produce, etc) together.
8. finish my website redesign! (with the help of steven!)

alright, perhaps throughout the year i will share some of my other goals, hopes & wishes, but for now this is what you get! i am quite excited about this new decade. i feel inspired & positive & ready to take on the world!

xo,
d

happy new year!

2010-01-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

hi loves,

i hope you all had a lovely & safe new year! i celebrated the new year with some of my favorite people, and i can't be more pleased with how great it was to ring in the new year with positive, warm, fun & talented friends.

in order to celebrate to the fullest extent (hah) i created a GIANT dainty* to wear. yes, giant & dainty* don't seem to go hand in hand, BUT, i think you'll agree that it's quite fabulous!

i also picked up some new ribbon & placed an order for some more. i LOVE getting new ribbon, and i'm particularly excited about creating some new looks for spring! i have a lot to get ready because in less than three weeks we're having a new photoshoot with kate daigneault. i'm super excited about the shoot - we have a great concept, fantastic models, and a professional hair & makeup artist.

i'll take some sneak peak photos of the new dainty*s this week, great new textures including sequins & some crazy color combos will be making their way in to the line, so get ready!

a few days ago dainty* was featured on richskinnypretty, so please go check out the interview!!! thank you nacole & the girls of rsp for the feature!

i'll also be posting some of my goals for 2010 in a few minutes as a separate blog post. i am undecided about bringing my "personal" blog back, but think i might just start sharing some non-dainty* stuff on the blog! i think it'll be too hard for me to keep up with 2 blogs, but i miss sharing other crafty/life adventures.

alright, i'll be back in a few minutes!

happy twenty ten!!!

xo
dain(ty)

PRESS

2010-01-01T13:04:00.000-08:00

coming soon!

ABOUT

2010-01-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

CONTACT

2010-01-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

email: daintyhandcrafted@gmail.com

phone: 619.259.0125

FAQ

2010-01-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

coming soon!

happy holidays!!!

2009-12-20T09:13:00.001-08:00

Hi!

Wow, I have been a very neglectful blogger lately. It's that time of year - and to be honest, I've been allover the place and hardly have spent anytime on the computer. Luckily I've been keeping up with some blog reading & twitter via my blackberry, but I find it really inconvenient to blog from my phone.

Dainty* has been slow. I got so busy with my walk, a trip to San Francisco, a last minute road trip to Vegas & holiday parties that it's been put on the back burner for a few weeks now.

BUT! I do have some news to report.

1. The weekend of my walk my friend Carrie (the one who is the visual merchandiser at Z Gallerie) sold Dainty* at a craft show in Leucadia (picture below)

2. I completed an order for a New Year's Eve Wedding ... the bride requested that the bridesmaids each wear 2 cream dainty* clips ... i can't wait to see the pictures!!! I AM SO EXCITED TO HAVE DONE MY FIRST BRIDAL PARTY!!!

3. i got my hair done by the fabulous Deana the other day .... the girls that work at her salon, hair mechanix in clairemont, LOVED my headbands and i even sold a few to them! apparently the next day they asked Deana if i was coming back! I AM SO EXCITED that the girls loved them. I will have to ask Deana to snap a pic of the girls wearing their dainty*s.

4. I participated in a craft show at The Rare Hare and met some lovely talented ladies. I will hopefully stay in touch with these crafty ladies and would love to share their work with my readers! More on this to come ....

5. I AM WORKING ON MY WEBSITE AND HOPE TO FINISH IT THIS WEEK. I have been working (and slacking) on this project for weeks now, but I am really going to try to focus on it this week. I will keep you posted!

Here are some pics that I took on Friday night at a holiday party. my friends are so great and I love that the boys request to wear dainty*s more than the girls do. Travis & Jude were creative in their styling - a bow tie and a boutonniere! and Melinda is rocking her triple gold dainty* :

i will be back soon with updates, i am going to work hard to be a better blogger!

love you all!

dain(ty)

2009-11-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

hi! i know it's been a long long time since i last posted! i was so busy preparing for this past weekend! i walked with my team, booblicious, in the susan g. komen breast cancer 3 day. the weekend was fantastic! it was inspiring and beautiful and challenging. my team did so well, i am so proud. we all completed the walk and it really showed me that our hardwork and training paid off. about 4,000 people walked this past weekend and we raised 9.5 million dollars! talk about incredible. i am so moved and touched by the people that i met this weekend.

there are lots of things in the works for dainty. i am in the process of designing my blog/website, etc. i now own www.daintyhandcrafted.com so hopefully that will be up and running soon!

i am also working on a lot of music-related projects. i am working with a few different artists these days and i'm really excited about some big events that we have planned for 2010.

speaking of 2010 .... can't believe how close it is. i love this time of year because i LOVE LOVE LOVE making goals. i know that i can make goals any time of the year (and i do) but i love making my list for the new year.

thanks for checking in, and please check back soon for more exciting posts!

lots of love,
dain(ty)

skyler stonestreet in a bright yellow dainty*!

2009-10-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

hello!

last week i had the pleasure of finally meeting Skyler Stonestreet. Skyler is a fantastic musician & has the cutest style ever. I love love love her music. it was super awesome for me that she really loved the dainty*s she saw on my site & requested a yellow one! i went to her show at lestats and got to give her the dainty* in person! yey. i know, i'm such a dork. but i get really excited about headbands, what can i say? Skyler was sweet enough to send me two pictures that her friend & photographer, Isaiah Garnica (www.igpics.com) took of her. aren't they awesome?!?! she totally made my day (week, month, year, whatever!)

here's a video from youtube of Skyler (singing my favorite song, "my favorite song")
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THANK YOU SKYLER!!! you are the best!!!!

xo,
dain(ty)

meet paisley!!!

2009-10-26T14:10:00.001-07:00

the lovely katie posted some pics of her daughter paisley wearing a dainty*!!! is she one of the cutest things you've ever seen or what? check out a few more pics on katie's blog. thank you so much katie!!!! i really hope you'll be out in SD sometime soon so paisley can model for a photo shoot!!! love love love!!!