In 1906 a very brave little girl immigrated from Italy. She was my grandmother, Louise Monforte. She was 6 years old. She landed in Ellis Island like so many others looking for a better life in the United States. She married my grandfather, Anthony, who I never met...he died before I was born. I hear he was an amazing painter. They had four boys. My grandmother who was all of 4' 10" had it all under control even when the depression hit.... I love the stories my father would tell about his family during that time. Even though conditions were way worse than what we are seeing right now, they somehow had a way of making light of things. Hmmm....

I was looking for some thread in my mother's sewing room and I came across these wooden spools... These spools, according to my mom, belonged to her...Louise Monforte...almost 60 years ago....My grandmother was a textile designer and she worked very hard her entire life...now seeing these spools of thread and getting ready to launch my own textiles...I feel a bit humbled, very grateful for the sacrifices she made, and very much connected to the past. 

I finally had the opportunity to take a picture of a little girls room I did a while back. On her bed is the fabulous Pine Cone Hill Edelweiss Collection from my boutique. I just love that company! Above is one of my new Monogram Banners printed on 100% organic twill with Matching Monogrammed Pillow. Just some of the new product that will be on my website July 31st! :-)

A little while back I wrote about making over my bedroom. Much to the dismay my most endlessly understanding husband - "How many times is this Mari? 10?" Wow! He's right... I didn't realize I was soooooo ADD (Attention Deficit Designer) Let alone the fact that this is my dining room table...I'm such a gem to live with. :-)

But my Mod Moroccan fabric just arrived and it's time for another make-over...sorry honey! I'll be busy sewing away this weekend making drapes and some accessories. I'll keep you posted as this project evolves.

Most Importantly!!! Happy Father's day to all you wonderful Dad's out there!!! Especially to you Bill, who is the best Daddy to our 3 little girls and the most easy going, supportive husband I could have ever been blessed to know and love. 

They're here, they're here! Yay! Finally my new fabrics are here! Over the next few weeks I'll be changing the look of things around here, and launching a new shopping site that will also be full of inspirational DIY projects. Which leads me to a wonderful new person in my life, and a party, and a big give-away for you.... I have been so blessed to have met Lindsey Cheney of  The Pleated Poppy. Not only am I very fortunate to showcase her wonderful work at my boutique, we have also teamed up to do something fun for all of you. So Save the Date, July 31st, for a Big Party at the Boutique to celebrate all the new updates! But don't worry, if you can't make it to the boutique, we will be doing a virtual give-away! My fabrics and Lindsey's great products, put together just for you! Make sure to check back often for updates!!!

I also want to thank Lindsey for the lovely post on her site. It has been such a pleasure to have her very special product in my boutique!!! Lindsey makes adorable Posies which have been featured on many sites, as well as some really great crayon rolls, (wish I had those when my girls were little!) note book covers, pouches, and so much more, and my favorite are her super hero capes! Check this talented lady out, she's amazing!

I was kicking myself last night because I didn't have my camera with me when my BFF, Stacy, was presenting one photo opportunity after another. (I took this picture of these stunning peonies she gave me this morning!) I went to her beautiful sea side home to watch the sun set over the gorgeous ocean and ate one delicious course after another! As well as enjoying our favorite local wine, J Lhor, yummy! It was my early birthday dinner and Stacy always spoils me rotten. An incredible dinner, thoughtful gifts, beautiful setting....heavenly. I absolutely adore my friend, Stacy. We have been through it all together and then some... and through it all, when one may need a lift, the other is always there. I'm so blessed to have such a beautiful person in my life and forever in my heart. That's just about the best birthday gift anyone could ever receive. Thany You Stacy!

I'm anxiously awaiting my new fabric to show up and thinking of all the fun things I'm going to make with it. Because I opted to manufacture and print in the good, old USA, as well as go with 60" organic fabrics, my textiles are a little more expensive than your ordinary twills and cottons, but I can feel good about the way they were produced and hopefully you will too. Due to that, I never want to waste a scrap which has inadvertently led to me creating all kinds of little products with small amounts of yardage. I make my patterns organically, based on what I hope my end result will be. I also act pretty spur of the moment and sketch my ideas down whether it's 3:00 am or not. 

A few years back I had the unfortunate experience of some kidney issues which led to my doctor telling me, "You're that woman who has that water bottle with her at all times..." 2 liters a day! I'm pretty good about it too, but I get so tired of my water bottle rolling around my car (which BTW you're not supposed to drink water bottles that have been left in a car) and trying to juggle carrying my phone, my purse, my keys, my laptop, and that darn water bottle. This will make sense soon, in I promise...

So last Friday when I got home from work I went to my studio and grabbed some "Lemon Drop" scraps from my Dessert Collection (thought they looked refreshing) and went about making a water bottle carrier that also fit my phone. I L-O-V-E it! I'm going to put together a pattern for you to make one yourself, because, let's face it, a girl has to have her phone, her lipstick, and her water bottle at all times! Oh and I reuse that bottle as long as I can before sending it off to recycle heaven. :-) 

I can tell it's Friday afternoon because my mind is quieting down and all I want to do is read blogs and chat with friends...very unproductive considering I have several projects sitting in front of me waiting my attention...regardless, I wandered over to Apartment Therapy and OMG it has fully expanded into several fun blogs and locations...so if you feel like procrastinating too check it out. Happy Weekend everyone! The boutique will be closed tomorrow but we'll see you next week!

Perfect timing! I finally finished my new fabric designs and they are off to print! Yay! And what better way to celebrate than to spend the morning with my daughter's third grade class at the amazing Shell Beach tide pools. What a blast! All the children were very careful and placed everything back where they belonged. I couldn't believe the beauty we found. Yes, that's an Octopus!!!

It made me think of an interesting conversation I had with my new neighbor the other day. They just finished building their house (and if you've ever built or remodeled a home, at the end you're always feeling a bit financially depleted...) she said she didn't think they would be taking any summer vacation this year. I just had to laugh and say, "Why would you need to take a vacation when you live in paradise?" Honestly, this is such a beautiful place to live and so many amazing places to explore, like the tide pools!

I work everyday, except Sunday... probably just like most of you. On Sunday I Really try to spend time with my little family, garden, cook, clean....and if I'm really lucky, I may choose to grab a cup of coffee and my journal and crawl back into bed for a little bit. The problem is, I'm tired of my room...blah... I spend almost every waking hour designing for wonderful people so when I get a little time to myself I see the never ending project list. So I'm taking my own advice for once and designing (OK redesigning) my home, one room at a time...this just thrills my husband...not really, but he's a trooper especially to put up with me! So it's a master bedroom re-do I have on my own list these days. I'll be using my own fabrics which is really exciting! In the time being I enjoy looking through all the amazing rooms on Houzz, my new, most favorite site for ideas and inspiration. I'm not a fan of blue but I love this one room. 

Strawberry Festival is this weekend to all you local folks brave enough to venture down here! There's a good chance I'll be open Saturday, we'll see how it goes. Sometimes these festivals are just a little more than my tiny store can handle... But if so, I'll be having a SALE, so swing by if you're in town. :-)

Yummy!

I came across a great Textile Blog today that I spent waaaaay too much time on. Written by Karin Miller of California she has compiled the best of the best. If you love textiles like I do you will really enjoy her insightful blog.

She features many designers in the industry from Fashion to Home Decor. Below is one of my absolute favorite designers, Tord Boontje, and his laser cut flower curtains. Just terrific!