Squid Sighting + Awesome Connection + AWESOME WORK

I tend to overuse the word "awesome", but in this situation I mean it in the full ALL CAPS FOLLOWED BY 17 EXCLAMATION POINTS DEFINITION OF THE WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, since I've front loaded this post with high expectations - I'll just start with the AWESOMENESS!(x17)

Synn Labs is a group of folks in LA who are becoming increasingly well known for making Rube Goldberg sequences for music videos and commercials. Their other projects include installations and sculpture that blend  art, engineering, tech, and cool kid aesthetics. I apologize for the white wash of terms I just listed - but since I can barely understand the tech involved in most of their pieces - I'm just going to leave it at that, post some videos, and trust you to follow the link to their site if you want greater depth.

The video that (I think) started it all:


Synn Lab's most recent video for Google:


What's not to love?

Here come the awesome connections:

1. Deservingly, Synn Labs has been getting a  lot of work, a lot of "buzz", and was recently featured in Fast Company Magazine.

2. I went to school with Hector and Doug from Synn Labs. I know that doesn't give me cool points, but we're friends on Facebook.

3. We're friends on Facebook - so when Hector posted their article in Fast Company - I read it, admired their work, felt very happy for them, and spent a little time watching awesome videos.

4. I got an email last night from a lovely customer who purchased one of our Squid Jackets for her boyfriend last July. She just wanted me to know that her BF was wearing our Squid Jacket in a recent article in FAST COMPANY Magazine!

5. Her BF is Hector, and he's wearing our Squid Jacket!

Small world!

2 down 1 to go!

Whew! Just got back from a GREAT show at Crafty Wonderland in PDX! Way to go Portlanders!

Next up:

Hope to see you there!

R&L at Seattle UCU this weekend Dec 4/5th!

This holiday season, both  R&L goods and Ladies & Gentlemen Studio will be rockin' it at the winter Urban Craft Uprising show in Seattle this weekend!

Date: December 4th & 5th, Saturday & Sunday

Time: 11am-5pm

Where: Seattle Exhibition Hall

We'll have some new track jacket & hoodie designs & linen scarves with hand-printed Piano Nobile designs!

Check out this post on UCU to find out what we're looking forward to this holiday season.

Come by and see our new things and say hello!

R&L Blank Canvas Line

As much as we LOVE patterns and prints and color and texture around here, sometimes the visual equivalent of toast + butter can really hit the spot.

Ahhhh, so restful and satisfying.

As always - handmade in Seattle by our Right&Left hands

R&L Goods + Wooly Bison Bags = Velouria Trunk Show-stopper!

This Thursday and Saturday - get a double dose of Fall's best! I'm not talking about a farmers market - I'm talking about the seasonally appropriate bounty to be found at our trunk shows this week!

You'll see our notebooks and wallets - featuring the lovely hand printed textiles of Piano Nobile. I don't want to ruin the surprise - but we're working on something that just might revolutionize the accessory world as we know it! Not to oversell it or anything - but... it's shaping up to be pretty nice. And we're hustling to finalize some new hoodies and track jackets!

Also:

Ingrid from Wooly Bison Bags has cooked up another glorious set of satchels and cases from repurposed wool. She transforms old coats, pants, and skirts into timeless accessories for you and your gear!

It's like a little sleeping bag!

Slumber Party!

Ah yes, the details:

Thursday 11/11/10  ~  5-8pm

Velouria on Capitol Hill

1521 Melrose Ave. 

In the Melrose Building next to Sonic Boom

AND

Saturday 11/13/10  ~  6-9pm

Velouria in Ballard

2205 NW Market St.

Also next to Sonic Boom ~ Part of the Ballard Art Walk

We'll be there - hitting the artichoke dip and sipping Rose-ay-hay! Hope to see you there!

Where to find us in Austin TX

If we were ACTually there - in our physical form - we'd be found ordering "dos carnitas por favor" at a taco truck, shopping at Spartan, cannonballing into Barton Springs, and catching a movie and some fried pickles at the Alamo Drafthouse. And eating BBQ.

What's the next best thing to finding us within Austin city limits? Finding our notebooks at Spartan on South Lamar! You'll also find the work of our fellow NY Gift fair booth buddies - Plainmade and Grain!

The Spartan Shop blog has been a regular visit for me of late. A fresh (to me) mix of fashion, art, photography, and music mentions. Just enough for a quick blog break when I'm wondering what's hot in Texas.

Crafting a Meaningful Book Party!

If you're in San Francisco tomorrow evening - get yourself to this book party! It's sure to be packed with stylish designer/crafters, food, drinks, demos, and an installation!

Plus our very own Jean Lee will be there in person to demonstrate her super-sized crochet technique! Look at the flier above - that's her! And she's on all the promo materials for this party, AND the back and inside covers of the Crafting a Meaningful Home book! Total money-shot!

I'm going to be a little lazy here, and link over to Jean's well photographed entry on our contributions to this book. In addition to Jean's mega-doily, we teamed up to create a family crest to symbolize our home and the interests of its inhabitants!

This party is sure to be off the book!

(I'm totally cringing about that terrible joke - but I'm not deleting it!)