Piewacket Magic

These are my dresses!  Lara Rossignal is an amazing fashion photographer and I  love her blog, http://www.piewacketblog.com/. I sent her a box of dresses and look what she sent back!! She really added some glamour.  It started a big debate at the office. Do you people want to look at images they relate to or that that aspire to? Does this strike the perfect balance?

Chicken Little

I left the factory this afternoon and walked around the corner to my car and look who I passed! I just had to take a picture and share. Last week was the hustle and bustle of New York City (Coterie- I know, I still need to post about it), and this week back to my same old same old. I actually really enjoy my daily routine and the unexpected things, such as this chicken, that come my way.

 

ME at the photo shoot

 Thought I'd share a bit of what I did.... 

1. Standing in for the model.  Quentin needed to check the lighting and the model was still getting ready. It's a tough job. Can you tell how hard I'm working??

2. Looking in the model's magnifying mirror at my wrinkles. 

Thankfully the light is so bright in the photo that they have been blurred away. Note #117 to self: DO NOT look in magnifying mirror with reading glasses. Ignorance is bliss.

3. Fixing the collar on the model's dress.

Note #118 to self:  Never wear anything that resembles the model's dress! I had on the Hope dress in Platinum Tumbleweed (Spring 2011 sample- I was giving it a test run. And by the way, I think I need to add an inch to the length). The model had on Kelsey in Platinum Tumbleweed (Fall 2010). 

Let's just say it wasn't working out in my favor.  

4. Making wind, at least trying to.

This was my pathetic attempt at making wind so that it would appear that Lauri's hair and dress were blowing in a summer breeze. In the end Quentin traded places with me. He set up the camera and told me to push the button while he actually made the summer breeze.  He can do anything.

5. Pinning fabric.

Even the extra small is a bit big on Lauri. Tall and thin just looks good in the photos.  Let's be honest, it just plain looks good. 

6. Tucking in Lauri's turtleneck. Doesn't everyone need a tucker inner? Also carrying spare camera and spare scarves. I'm such a multi-tasker!

7. Reflecting on a perfect day in a beautiful place working with a team of people I adore.

 Thank you Quentin! 

and Donna, Curtis and Lauri! xo

Tights/ No Tights

Riley dress is Black spots. (available online in September)

Photos by Quentin - Napa shoot last Monday.

Purple tights? No tights? What do you think?? 

Which image should we use?

Napa for the day

We spent all day Monday at a ranch in Napa taking photographs and shooting video. Well, actually Quentin took photographs, shot video and did most of the work. Curtis, Donna and I ran around trying to assist him (in vain). Though we were able to offer Lauri (the model who also worked tirelessly) a tissue, powder, or a hand mirror upon request.

We all brought our boys. They happily entertained themselves for hours by catching frogs in the creek. We did manage to persuade them to be in some photographs with Lauri. By the end of the day they had warmed up to her.

Ready to ship

The ladies at the factory are just finishing up several styles that will ship this week- Riley, Grace, Dottie and Kylie. Just thought I'd post a few images of the piles that they are working on. It was a hot day to be working at the steam iron.

Out Fruited

I was at Berkeley Bowl yesterday and decided to pick up some pluots (a fruit that is a cross between a plum and an apricot) for the ladies at the factory. The ladies love fruit. Really love it. Forget sweets, they want fruit. So I thought that they would really appreciate these unusual pluots. Happy to find them, I bagged and delivered them.

The ladies were grateful, of course. But eager to share their fruit of the week with me. I have no idea what it's called, language is a huge barrier. It looks like a huge alien egg. Bumpy and hard on the outside and filled on the inside with odd little pods that are entwined by leggy, fleshy strands. Inside each pod is a pit, somewhat like an avocado pit but more alienish. The fruit weighs about 50 pounds, and costs $1.50 per pound. Have you ever paid $75 for a piece of fruit??? I haven't.

Susan (the factory owner) separated the pods from the leggy fruity arms, pitted them, and put them in a bowl. If you didn't know better, you'd think each piece was just a peeled piece of some odd fruit, but never imagine it came as a pod in the mother load! The texture is firm, a cross between an unripe melon and a mango. And the taste...delicious? Still uncertain and feeling like it came from another planet. It's taking me a bit of time to warm up to it. And I thought my pluot was special.