'New' Resolution

Hey ya'll:

Here we are, the final day of 2014.  Another year under the belt.  I gave up on the concept of a 'New Year's Resolution' a long time ago.  Jaded, I know.  But seriously - making a seismic shift at the flip of a calendar day is a big undertaking.    

So, here is an idea: bag the 'year' in New Year's Resolution, and just go for 'New'.

Go ahead and do something new - anything new:

new recipe, new nail polish color (I'm going to try this), new restaurant, new project (check out these ideas!), rearrange some pictures or some furniture, new hairstyle, etc.  Shake it up a little bit: the possibilities are infinite and newness is just so refreshing.

I got inspired and did this yesterday:

Our entryway had been stagnating for awhile: this took moving one nail and swapping out a couple of accessories - voila!  I'm not even sure it is better, but it is

NEW!  

What will you try?  Will you share your wins?  I'd love to see and hear about them.

Lastly, a heartfelt thank you to everyone for being the wind beneath my wings as I have launched Ette Girl.  I have big aspirations for the coming year, and I cannot wait to share them!

Until soon,

Nina

PS: I've been geeking out making treasuries on Etsy: check it out here.

On Leaving Nothing Unsaid...

Hey Ya'll:

Here we are, down to the holiday wire.  The posts prior to this one were packed with gift ideas for all of your people.  Hopefully some inspiration was found!  If so, will you let me know?

This year, I am launching a personal tradition.  In mulling over creative and unique gifts, my thoughts evolved from thinking about what to get my people to thinking about my people in general.  I landed in a place of gratitude, and I resolved to take the time to immortalize my sentiments in a letter to each of them.

Apparently there is nothing remotely original in this urge: in fact, this lady has created an entire business around the idea of Leaving Nothing Unsaid.   One can delve deep, but in the spirit of brevity, below are her guidelines for writing a letter to a loved one:

So, I am sitting down to do this - nothing fancy.  I'm not looking to inspire the kleenex to come out: I just want my dad to know that I appreciate the fact that he always picks up the phone when I call, even though he must know that we have clogged the plumbing or need last minute babysitting.  I want my little brother to know how amazed I am watching him father his little daughters.  I want my mom to know that I admire her bravado: ending one 30 year career only to launch another.  At age 63.   

They should know, right?

Happy & Merry,

Nina

Ette Girl Gift Guide for the Procrastinator

Greetings Ya'll:

When I thought about this post initially, I was thinking only in terms of a gift giving guide for the procrastinator.  And in truth, all of these gifts can be put together in a few moments in front of the computer.  But better yet, they involve the gift of time well spent: reading, cooking, knitting, making art, seeing movies ... all things that can also be done together.  Read on!

Unlimited Book Subscription

I recently discovered this: Oyster Books
If any of yours happen to be serious on-device readers, this is a huge Eureka!
For $9.95 per month, you can download unlimited bestselling books.  I went through the site extensively, and the selection is tremendous - genres include kids books, pulitzer winners, fiction, non-fiction, classics - even Oprah's favs.
I am giving this to my father and hubby, both of whom are voracious readers.  

A proper adventure is a welcome gift.

Below are a few ideas: admittedly, this is Denver-centric, but moments of digging can unearth great adventures anywhere along the lines of those listed below. 

Cooking Class

STIR COOKING SCHOOL in the Highlands offers a broad range of classes: a great gift for any of your culinarily inclined peops.  Even better, do it together!
Check out their schedule here.

Screen Printing Class

INK LOUNGE is a Denver hub of screen printing magic.  Owners Stu and Nicky are masters at teaching their art.  They offer multiple class options, including for kids.  I did a class with a girlfriends, and it was outrageously fun (we even had wine!).  No artistic skills are required (for real).   

You can see their workshop listings here. 

Knitting Class

THE LAMB SHOPPE in Denver's Congress Park neighborhood is a cozy haven of colorful skein lined walls and cushy chairs.  For any of your peops who have expressed an interest in learning to knit or learning to knit better, the Lamb Shoppe offers a variety of classes and is staffed by knitting masters.  
There is even a class for kids.  Tempted.

See their schedule here.

Art Classes

ART STUDENTS LEAGUE

Tucked in the middle of an old Denver neighborhood, the Art Students League resides in a beautiful Landmark building, replete with high windows, sputtering radiators and worn wooden floors.  The ASL offers a broad variety of classes in the arts: everything from paint to sculpting to photography.  Instructors are both accomplished artists and gifted instructors.

Peruse their catalog here.

It is simple and inventive to give an 'experience' as a gift.  

Other ideas:
Sewing classes (see Fancy Tiger)
Movie Night
Concert Tickets
Play/Performance Tickets
Spa Gift Certificate

For the grand finale, link to the Ette Girl Pinterest Board devoted to procrastinators where you will find links to printable gift certificate templates.  Snap, done!

Ette Girl will be sharing one final idea early next week 

- stay tuned!

Outtakes: the Ette Girl Photo Shoot

Hey ya'll!

 Hope everyone is surviving the holiday churn!  

I promised a few outtakes from our first photo shoot.  Being a tiny company means utilizing the least expensive and most available resources (see my post on building a backdrop).

It was in this spirit of ingenuity that I recruited my models.  They also happen to be my daughters.  These patient little lasses have been my fit models for the past year, and the novelty of trying on my creations has long worn off.  And I do mean long.  

Sure enough, my proposal for a photo shoot was met with a groan.  So I did what any reasonable mum in need of a favor from her children does: busted out the chocolate chips.  I'm not above a proper bribe.   

And in the end, it was kinda fun.  Until the sugar crash...

This was where we had to end.  The audio to this pose was, "Mooooooooom!"

In other exciting news, the Ette Girl blog will feature the ultimate gifts for the procrastinator (hint: they will make you look ultra thoughtful and brilliant)

Even more exciting, the 20% off code at Ette Girl will continue through December 20th.

If you want to stay tuned, subscribe to the Ette Girl blog.  (see upper right, friends!)

We have an exciting schedule of posts for the upcoming year.

Come on: It'll be fun!

Until soon,

Nina

How to make a backdrop from hay loft scraps...

Hey ya'll:

When I launched www.ettegirl.com an entire...um...two weeks ago, I scouted around for some feedback.  The honest kind.  And I got it.  In the form of, "your pictures are a little flat".  And this was true: I had thrown them together with my iPhone, and half of them had a wall outlet in the corner of the picture (eek).

It was time to get busy.

I searched around on-line for backdrops, but everything seemed a bit ... staged.  Not to mention, I was looking for a more immediate solution.  

Then I had a moment of recollection.  

We live in an old house.  So old, our current garage was formerly a barn.
(There remains a hay chute in one corner of the garage, and doors that at one point admitted a horse drawn carriage).  Years of various renovations have resulted in the accumulation of random wood boards in what was the hay loft.   

Eureka!

With the help of a friend, we sorted through the old boards.  I had a vision of perfectly matched, smooth wood, but what we found was a bit more ... rough and random.   Plus, there wasn't enough of any one version to make a cohesive set.  

We decided to put together a slapdash assortment, and it came out like this:

It was quite painterly.  I was momentarily temped to hang it on the wall as an art piece. No kidding.  

And as amazing as it was in this form, in the end I opted to give it a proper whitewashing.

                                After which I made my trusty assistant pose for the test shot.

And then:

Check out the new pictures on the Ette Girl site.

Up next, some of the better outtakes from Ette Girl's first official shoot using the new (old) backdrop.

For more DIY inspiration, check these out.

Until soon!

Nina

Being a fan of Colorado Makers

Hi ya'll.

Here at Ette Girl we are big believers in buying local and handmade, and Colorado has a cornucopia of amazing artisans.  
An impressive selection of Colorado makers assembled over the weekend at the Denver Flea show.  Held in the RINO district in Denver, the show featured all types: artists, brewers, bakers, sewers, etc.  It was a truly excellent collection of very talented peops.  

The show is over (sadness!), but below are a few favorites, and all of them are still shipping in time for Christmas - though one must be snappy!

Adorn Jewelry

Made in Boulder, this line is both delicate and architectural.   Check them out here.

 

Puffs Preserves

'Jamstress' Kirsten Farabi creates 'unique small-batch jams, jellies, and preserves by using the freshest, in-season fruits, herbs, Colorado-made spirits and microbrews'.  

Cherries & Brandy?  Yes, please.

I'm stocking up: this will impress even the most elite of the foodies, and is the perfect hostess gift, too.  Find Kirsten here to place an order.

 Knotty Tie

Created by some seriously snazzy dudes, Knotty Tie features a custom line of handmade neckties, bow ties, scarves and pocket squares in awesome organic fabrics.  Their print selection is eye popping.  (I'm loving this.)

Read about their progressive business (and snap up some organic awesomeness for the blokes in your life) here.

 

Field & Field

Equestrian Inspired Leather Goods

Owner Lindsey approached a Denver based saddle maker regarding using their leather remnants.  
The resulting bags and leashes are deliciously hearty and sophisticated.   You can read Lindsey's story and peruse her elegant line here.  

 Mainland Supplies

I'm fairly certain one can never have enough zippered bags and totes.  Mainland Supplies owner/designer Jess Jones created a line consisting of colorful hefty ripstop and chunky zippers (read: super tough).  Jess will create a custom bag (you can choose colors based on swatches). With a variety of sizes, these bags are perfect for stashing pretty much everything.  

In other news, we have lots of new pictures over at Ette Girl.  I'll be posting some of the better outtakes from the shoot in a couple of days.

Until soon,

Nina

The Ette Girl Gift Guide for Lasses & Grand Dames

Coco

And finally, ideas for the amazing ladies in your life.  

Once again, everything (and much more!) can be found here: Ette Girl on Pinterest

Backpack with a tassel? Yes, please.

I have my keys on this.  Love.

Because it is so true.

Stone Succulent.  Even better?  It's made in Denver.

Perfect stash spot for keys, bling, etc.

Any of these.  Or all of them.

Fine China. Crumpled.  So cool.

Porcelain Farm Basket 

Endearing irony.

Otomi Letterpress Cards

We got the fox. 

Spice up the LDB.

Studs.  New Year's, anyone?

This.

Rugged & Delicate done perfectly.

A statement ring.

This.  Or anything by Mineralogy, really.

 

Turkish Towels

Screen Printed Tea Towel.

Salt Cellar for the Foodie 

Recycled Wine Bottle Glass

Brilliant.

Would you believe this is a phone charger?

And for the book lover: a seriously amazing resource!

More to come, certainly.  Have fun trolling for your 

kiddos, your blokes and your lasses and grand dames!

-Nina