hey all! today i’m exited to introduce you to a new sponsor of mine, native clutter, a line of jewelry designed and made by denver local, stephanie, who also blogs over at makes the things. her stuff is earthy and fun while also being classic and just the right amount of pizzazz for your jewelry collection. take a look:
she sent me the quarry and grid necklaces to rock about town and i haven’t taken them off! they add a nice pop of color to my usual black wardrobe and they’re excellently made to boot. psst, did you check out her prices? completely reasonable! there’s stuff to splurge on as well as great steals.
this, of course, is just in time for christmas. her earrings and necklaces make great gifts for your best friend, sister, mother, favorite gal in your life. and she’s offering A Denver Home Companion readers 20% their purchases now through the month of december in her etsy shop. just enter ADHC20 at checkout. or you can see her goods in person at super ordinary, the new boutique that just opened in the source.
stephanie is also offering one ADHC reader an item of their choice! after a visit to her etsy shop, just leave a comment below saying what piece you’d pick from her collection. extra entries can be gained by following her on social media (see links below). be sure to come back here and leave a comment for each one. muah! winner will be emailed 12/17. good luck!
can’t get enough? neither can i. you can also find native clutter on twitter, pinterest, instagram, and facebook.
i gave ramona her first home haircut a while ago. i trimmed up the bangs and made sure all the weird, long old-man wisps were cut to the length of the majority of her hair. since then, it’s grown into a mullet, even with random trims i give her here and there. so it was time for the salon. i talked up the event to ramona for some weeks leading up to, ever since we ran into my stylist, kristy, at crema. since then, ramona would often ask about going to get her haircut.
she was a pro! she sat so still and serious: lifted her head, tilted her chin, looked straight ahead. i was giggling over how stoic and sober she was throughout the whole thing. and the final product? omg. it’s amazing. short bangs and a little bob. it suits her and her personality and her style so perfectly.
we celebrated with a trip to the zoo!
have you taken your child to get their hair cut? do you do cuts at home? how do they go? how do you get your little one to sit still?
with little bug on the way, it’s clear that it’s time to find ramona a room for herself. she shared a bed with us for nearly the first year of her life. since that time, she’s slept in a crib in the middle of our basement that, though it has finished walls and ceilings, is hardly more than a concrete room with low ceilings (we live in a one bedroom home). but now we’re nearly done with a back part of the basement storage area that we were able to throw up some walls and create a small room for ramona. i can’t decorate until next week –after the carpet and baseboard is installed– but after that, i’m on a mission to make this teeny space perfect for miss minka moo. here’s what i’ve come up with so far:
clockwise from top left: || ekby jarpen shelf || gypsya bright paisley pillow || onefortythree brass wall sconce || vintage black dala horse || tarva dresser || moroccan leather pouf || roopantaran kantha quilt || adhesive black polka dots for the wall by walls by mur ||
what else, besides books and lovies and a few toys, does a little girl’s room need?
have you all gotten on the insta-buying bandwagon? it’s pretty amazing. basically, you follow shops that sell goods. when you see something you like, you leave your email. if you’re the first person to do so, the seller will invoice you, you pay w/in 24 hours, and then they ship it off to you! obviously, you need to be careful about spammers but it’s pretty obvious who is doing a good, honest job at this. i’ve bought a kimono, two dresses for ramona, and an ace & jig top from instagram. watch out: it’s addicting.
as you suspected, i decided to try my own hand at selling my goods on instagram, w the handle, @olliesvintage. after all, i’m pretty much addicted to thrift store shopping and need a quick and easy way to list my items (i love etsy but it can be rather time consuming). if you use instagram, i highly recommend adding @olliesvintage to your instagram feed. keep a look out for fun, unique items for little ones and leave an email. i can’t wait to ship you some goodies!
you can, of course, also find me on etsy. and this sunday, 7/28, i’ll be doing a pop-up shop with brick & mortar outside of ace from 2-7. stop by and see these finds in person, say hello, and purchase some clothing for the baby or toddler in your life.
shawn reagan, the designer and craftsman behind the beautiful neckware at primary ties, chatted with me about the recent opening of his new company. i’m swooning over these unique and beautiful and thoughtfully made ties (jp received one for christmas last year and it’s his go-to tie). read on!
1. what is primary ties? Currently Primary is only neckwear, but my vision down the road is to expand to other fashion accessories.
2. how did you get the idea to make ties? what was your inspiration? I have always had a strong interest in design and I have a background in art, however I’ve found myself in a day job that doesn’t exactly satisfy my creative passions. so for the past few years I have been exploring several personal creative projects. About a year and a half ago I stumbled upon ties. I can’t remember exactly when the idea to make a tie came to me, but I have fallen in love with the process, because it touches on so many of my passions.
A lot of my fashion inspiration comes from childhood memories. My family spent summers in Connecticut and although the New England culture played a part the biggest influences were my two uncles Joey, and Clay. Joey worked in a ship yard, so his attire consisted of solid heavy workwear. He was always in a knit cap with a bulky button down shirt, jeans and boots. It was great. This never changed unless we were going out to Italian, and he would wear a tie. A solid navy blue, or forest green is usually what he went for. Clay on the other hand worked in Manhattan, and had some dough. His style was completely prep, and completely different from Joey, but even as a child I appreciated and aimed to emulate both.
Another one of my biggest influences is Japanese designer Hiroshi Awai. I think the reason I identify with his design is because he melds workwear and classic american dress wear really beautifully, and every now again you see a funky Japanese twist.
3. where are they made and what are they made out of? All ties are made in Denver, CO. Currently I’m using some linen fabrics as well as a few chambrays. I was also lucky enough to stumble upon some unique Japanese double gauze on a recent trip to LA which has been a challenge to work with, but the final result is amazing.
4. what has the process of developing this company looked like — from idea to conception? When I first began making ties I would walk into a fabric supplier, and my eyes would light up. I would end up buying any and every fabric that caught my eye, but this left me with a collection that didn’t seem harmonious. Since then I have developed a more clear vision of what I want the aesthetic of Primary to be, and my restraint has improved.
5. has creating, developing, launching this brand been what you expected? easier or harder? what have the challenges been? Overall it has been easier than expected. This is because I am fortunate to be surrounded by the most supportive friends and family a man could have. It seems that whatever problem, or question I come upon there is always a person in my life to give me a really intelligent helpful solution. It’s really a great blessing. My biggest challenge has been finding the time to develop the entire brand aesthetic from top to bottom.
6. are you doing this alone, or do you have partners/collaborators/helpers in the brand? I am designing and constructing the ties alone, but I am inspired daily by my creative friends, which is priceless help.
7. who is helping you w branding/website development? I have a degree in graphic design, so I decided to tackle most of the branding myself, but I’ve received a lot of web development help from my good friend and roommate, Dan Garza. He is a gifted web/graphic designer and his guidance and expertise has been a huge aid. I have also been lucky enough to lock down photographer Luca Venter to work on some look books with me which has been a treat. Both very very talented guys.
8. where can you buy these handsome ties? Online. I’ve also been in talks with several Denver boutiques — but that’s still in the works.
9. what new businesses (besides ties!) would you like to see happen in denver? Honestly just more of the same good stuff. Denver had been blossoming before our eyes in my opinion. The restaurant and bar scene is better by the day, and it seems that I’m hearing about more and more well curated men’s and women’s apparel stores that are ready to pop up soon. Tikwid, and Steadbrook to name a few. There is a a great creative energy in Denver right now, and as long as it keeps up I’ll be a happy camper.
10. what’s your favorite shop in denver? favorite place to eat? My favorite shop is Ironwood. It is beautiful, and interesting space, and I would buy every plant, stone, and antique if I could! With the rapidly growing Denver food scene it’s tough to pin down a favorite, but a few months ago I tried Oak at Fourteenth in Boulder, and enjoyed every bite. It was my favorite meal of the year for sure, and the good news is that they are opening a sister restaurant at The Source in Denver called Acorn which I cannot wait for.
thanks, shawn! shawn is generously offering readers of A Denver Home Companion 10% off purchases made in his shop now through july 30th! just pop on over to shop primary and enter promocode GOLDENLIGHT.
welcome
