designer sample bag collection

introducing my newest bag collection! each one was made from upholstery fabric samples, mostly found at SCRAP. i won't be putting these up on etsy just yet because i have two craft shows coming up- the first one is the After Hours Talent Mixed Media Sale- a show sponsored by three portland-based interior design product reps to showcase the works of current and unemployed interior designers (most of us make up the latter group).

so if you're in portland on december 8th, stop by! we'll be at Urban Studio (at the corner of nw 10th and davis) from 4-9 pm.

pickle things

pancakes, anyone?

felt food! have you ever seen anything so cute??

these delicious treats are handmade by stephanie of 'pickle things'. i volunteer with stephanie at portland's SCRAP warehouse every saturday, where she gets her reclaimed felt for making these adorable toys.

yummy, sushi!

peanut butter with grape jelly, nom nom nom!

pigs in a blanket! with tots!

any of course, you must have your veggies.

for safety reasons, these toys should only be played with by children 3 years or older. hey, that's me! i love playing with real food, so this is probably way more fun!!

check out pickle things etsy shop here

or

shop pickle things at the crafty wonderland holiday sale on december 13th!

buy handmade for the holidays!

i don't know about you but i cannot handle the "black friday" craze. my mental well-being is way more important than saving a few bucks on the so-called "early-bird specials", the "door-buster extravaganzas" or all the other ridiculously-named, potentially claustrophobia-inducing cattle-herds.

i am quite happy to shop from home thank you and there is no other place i'd rather buy my holiday gifts than, my favorite and yours,... etsy!!!

from now until december 25th, i will feature an etsy shop daily that, in my opinion, is the best of the best. today's shop was a real treat to find. it's called roddy and ginger. their scandinavian-inspired prints bring an instant smile to my face. the colors are bold yet simple. i think i could design an entire house around one of their pieces, they are just too perfect! have a look ::

shop roddy and ginger at their etsy shop

or their website

or visit their blog

so darling!

pink winter dress

if you haven't figured it out yet, i love pink. this is humorous to me because i used to hate pink. especially in my semi-rebellious teenage years {i wasn't very rebellious, really}, i regarded it is "too girly". well, i'm a girl. and this dress is the perfect pink and looks so comfy! this is going on the wish list.

by tulle

persimmons are pretty

i've never eaten a persimmon before, but i saw one in the supermarket the other day and was struck by the beauty of it... the colors were gorgeous, the shape was that of a perfect bulbous fruit, ripe and sweet. i bought one just to photograph it. i still can't bring myself to eat it, it's just too pretty.

via my flickr photostream

new :: the "gas mask" bag collection

new to the etsy shoppe today!

these are my re-fashioned belgian army gas-mask bags. {they were actually used for carrying gas masks.} they are the perfect size to use as a small purse, with two side pockets {each about cell phone size} that i refitted with all vintage buttons. each one is lined with the fabric that you see at the top of the purse and decorated with vintage lace and a matching fabric flower pin.

again, i was trying to go for the "darling" + "savage" theme- a little bit tough and a little bit girly. i think it worked pretty well...

they all have an adjustable strap that can be fit from very long to very short for carrying across the chest or on the shoulder. they are all finished with a magnetic snap closure.

what do you think?? i picked up the bags from the local army surplus store, but they couldn't date them for me. {i was hoping they might be vintage, maybe WWII era, but they said that was unlikely, boo.} i made one for myself and it is the perfect size for quick outings on my bike. i love the olive green color too, it's far from the usual drab army color.

check out more pics in the etsy shoppe, hooray!

super rad craft show tomorrow!

my first craft show of the season will be tomorrow, saturday the 21st at the portland nursery on 90th and division! if you live in the portland area, come down and get FREE BEER. yes, it's true! the nursery is having a happy hour/social event along with our craft show, so come check it out!

marina and the diamonds

my new favorite song :: "mowgli's road" by marina and the diamonds. and the video is sooooo good. trust me, watch this.

beyonce, eat your heart out.

the best of portland fashion

what do you get when you cross the hottest portland fashion designers with one of portland's most chic boutique hotels? content '09 at the ace hotel ::

the pinnacle of portland fashion week, content '09 showcased portland's best fashion designers in their very own hotel rooms, many of which were decorated to follow the theme of each designer's line. and each room featured live models wearing the lovely ensembles on display.

gorgeous, no? i wish i could have gone, it looks like it would have been amazing to see in person! why didn't i go? eh... well, i couldn't decide what to wear. lame, i know.

*all photos from the sunroom by urban weeds*

**see lots more fabulous photos at the sunroom**

plume

i love plume! this portland jewelry and accessory maker creates darling little rings, earring, and bobby pins out of vintage and new materials. {i own a set of earrings and bobby pins and i get complimented whenever i wear them!}

shop plume on etsy

you're positively glowing in that dress!

24,000 LED lights were used to make this glowing gown, currently on display at the museum of science and industry in chicago. created by designers francesca rosella and ryan genz of the company cute circuit, the "galaxy dress" includes several layers of silk chiffon and thousands of swarovski crystals to enhance the radiant quality of the lights.

the dress has not yet been worn by a real woman but is battery-powered to be lit for an entire thirty minutes at a time. are they looking for volunteers? me! me!

found via wired.com

sew sew sew

i've been sewing like a mad women to get ready for three upcoming craft shows! i just finished this bag, what do you think? i'm going to make a few more out of reclaimed upholstery and drapery fabrics, they're going to be fabulous!

love

wedding party photo by jonas peterson. found via green wedding shoes.

oops i went shopping again

i only went in to anthropologie to look, i swear! but then, what's this? a giant sale rack! {and you may well know that a sale at anthropologie is still going to be expensive.} but wait... $9.95 for a top? are you kidding me?! so, i went a little crazy...

ooh la la! each item was on clearance for $9.95 except for the last one which was $19.95. so, fifty bucks for four tops- i just couldn't help myself! and i really love all of the clothing, each one has a unique drape and soft, quality fabric. and look how well they layer!

i love a good sale.

yorktown road

these hand-dyed linen clutches by etsy shop yorktown road are simply gorgeous. words cannot even describe how much i love them. the texture, the colors... each one is a masterpiece.

friday goodness

i can't help it... these are too cute not to post ::

look at these faces! olaf above, larry below. i just played with these guys today and took their portraits. they are still available for adoption! contact me at darlingsavage@hotmail.com if you are interesting in providing a home for one of these guys! {if you live in the portland area, of course}

i'll leave you with armando enjoying the flowers. and he's been adopted, hooray!

have a wonderful weekend!!

kitten update

i got such a big response from my kitten story a couple weeks ago, i thought it was about time for an update. so far, three of the five kitties have been adopted, leaving only larry {above} and olaf {third pic down}. i'm actually surprised that larry wasn't the first to go... this little guy has to be the funniest kitten i've ever met. for one thing, he likes to take over the dog bed...

...also, he plays really hard and then just falls asleep wherever he happens to be at the time :: under the couch, in the middle of the floor, on top of one of his siblings. like my brother said, he and his wife "often see a kitten acting like a fool and ask 'who is that?' and it's almost always larry."

olaf is definitely the shyest but he's coming around. he's not afraid of the dog at all and he loves to play with his siblings, but he's a bit wary when it comes to people. we're trying to find a potential owner that understands that it will take a little time to earn his trust. but he loves to sleep next to a warm body, so he will undoubtedly be a lap cat in no time.

see what i mean about larry? what a goofball.

if you know anyone in the portland area that might want a kitten, please let me know! also, see my brother's adoption blog and this video for a little peek at jasper {the pup} and armando {adopted} playing around. it's pretty cute.

anthropologie november 2009

it was such a beautiful autumn day in portland yesterday that i decided to ride my bike downtown and walk around some of my favorite shops :: of course, anthropologie is definitely on that list. mind you, i almost never buy anything there (a little too spendy) but i'm always inspired by their displays and especially their merchandise. so when i got home, i was ever so happy to find the anthro november 2009 catalog in my mailbox! ahhh... 88 pages of wonderful loveliness. here are a few of my favorites ::

i saw that purple dress above, except it was in navy blue- it was even more fabulous than the picture- so soft and light for a knit dress! i'll be adding that one to the wish list...

you can view the full catalog on anthropologie's website. there are also lots of great accessories, home decor, and even some new kid's items!

www.anthropologie.com