NEWS

In an effort to simplify our time on the computer, I've decided to focus my creative internet energies on the ISWAS+WILLBE TUMBLR account. Do stop by!
Cheers,
telle

Oh my!

It seems like my blogging capabilities have gone down the drain, along with the rest of my sanity. I truly intend on keeping a nice little corner of the internet alive and well to share my personal musings, trend watchings, etc, but when the sun shines in Portland, one must follow suit and ditch the interweb for more jubilant efforts, no?
ISWAS+WILLBE had a blast at Crafty Wonderland the weekend before last; meeting some great locals, networking with other crafties, and sneaking bites of donuts between sales, ha! We are proud to say that we now have some jewels in the adorably clever boutique Little Things in NW Portland. Stop by and have a looksy, where our creations mingle with all sorts of other awesome local accessories. Andrea, the shop owner, is probably one of the sweetest and most genuine people I've ever met and we are so happy to be doing business with her!
We also met Kiki Ami at Crafty Wonderland, and she's just opened a fabulous art gallery on N Killingsworth called Theoria Collective. We hit up the opening party post-craftshow despite our delirium and had a fantastically riveting time. Theoria is a romantic little space that incites the dreamer in me; a rich decor of found objects, giant pillows, worldly snacks, homemade absinthe and not to mention some intriguing art! ISWAS+WILLBE will have some things in there soon, and we look forward to volunteering our time at the shop as well!
I despise a photo-less blog post, so I will leave you with a photo from the opening of Theoria; we got into the face paints, and into the spirit of the night! Fantastic.

It's been too lovely...

to blog. The sun has been fantastic, the family is settling in the house now and the big bro has been visiting, which means a surplus of homemade bread and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. The weather has been fantastic in a warm-winded blue-skyed way. We've been to Forest Park (which, if you don't know, is like 5,000 acres and really close by....HEAVEN) and we've been to Portland Nursery 5-6 times, getting our hands dirty and planting some succulents, ferns, and BONSAI!

Today I discovered my foxy little pup gnawing at one of the aforementioned succulents. WHAT?! Who DOES that? She gets stranger and stranger every day, but its ok because it just reinforces my feeling that I am rearing a rare and mystical breed of wild animal.

This Saturday is CRAFTY WONDERLAND and we are excited to make a splash in the PDX arts scene and meet all the other talents we've only heard rumors about. Come see us!

The Grand Royal Wedding

Ok, so I don't really get the whole fascination with the royal wedding, but I kept running into mentions of it all over the internet, so I decided to have a peek for myself. Blah blah, lots of funny hats and old people. But I did like this one photo, featuring the newlyweds driving off in their getaway car. The thing I find so striking about the picture is the gaudy choice of streamers following the car, which look like the kind of cheesy metallic balloons you pick up at the gift shop in the hospital. With all of the minute attention to detail that went into the "Wedding of the Century", you'd think they would have had some high-class solution to the tradition of dragging things behind your bumper. Maybe some of the Queen's fine silver? Some vintage tin cans? I can just imagine the panicked wedding planner sending an assistant down to the corner shop for the balloons, a last minute detail she'd completely glossed over.

Good Eggs

We've been mad busy over here lately, kids! I don't even know the day of the week. Between getting the parents--and their 450 moving boxes--settled into their new house and working up a sweat building up stock for Crafty Wonderland, we managed to carve out some time to enjoy the rare PDX sunshine (via the Japanese Gardens, oh my!), have a preliminary meeting with the architects who will likely be designing our 350 sq ft dwelling, and even found time for a conference call tonight with a lovely woman from CCI Exchange who will be assisting us in our upcoming role of local coordinators for the international student exchange program! The future is packed full of brilliant potential, and I think we may just pull it all off! Is it time to wish everyone a happy weekend yet? Oh, it's only Tuesday?
Yes, Frank Black, where IS my mind?
I leave you with an awesome picture I took at the Portland Nursery a few days ago. It's a octopus-like air fern that has grown attached to this lovely antique birdcage. Cool, no?

Favorite Find of the Day

Best discovery today is a tumblr account called "Dads: The Original Hipsters."

Genius.

"Your dad went to dance parties before you did."

'every bit' pendant for Japan: v.2 is here!

It's easy to get caught up in the trending of global issues, and we've had awesome success raising money for the recovery of Japan through sales of our 'every bit' pendant, but after the media turns it eye to other issues, it's important to remember that Japan is still in dire need of help!! We've just released a second version of our 'every bit' pendant, this one with a beautiful pop of color. 100% of proceeds go to GlobalGiving for the Japan relief funds. Check it out!

'every bit' helps!

Bright Light Tuesday

OMG. The sun is shining in Portland. And its been happening all day. How fantastic! Things are moving and shaking around the studio, with the arrival of the terHorst elders (aka the rightful owners of ISWAS+WILLBE studio and dwelling), bringing in tow an additional doggie and two curious cats. The house is brimming with life. And fur, pleh!
With many promising opportunities on the horizon and long days via sunsets around 8:00pm, things are looking positive over here. The future is looking frenzied and full of balls-to-the-wall moments. And we wouldn't have it any other way!
Check out this awesome beetle diorama I discovered from Bug Under Glass! How perfectly odd and adorable all at once!

Weevil Kenevil

Party Friday

Well, it was kinda like a party. Today was the overdue culmination of a readying of sources, so to speak. We finally got the new photo staging studio set-up (it sounds fancy but it's not; just some smoke and mirrors), and got to play with the new camera. It was fun and inspiring and I don't know why we've been dragging our feet to get this business off the ground. Today was fabulous. Check out a sampling of our new creative directing.

trio of faceted jasper necklace

science fiction pendant in brass

trio of turquoise necklace

Adventure Thursday

Today we awoke with the full-hearted intention of getting an earnest day of work in the studio. In reality, our day came to include inventing a new kind of breakfast, walking through a rainy afternoon, snagging a vintage table I have been eyeing since I moved here in January, and collecting a sampling of the beautiful flora that Portland is brimming with (because, Spring is here, I guess.) As far as that workday...well, there's always tomorrow!

Pancake Frenchtoast

A coveted find from Red Fox Vintage

I △ MY JOB

'every bit' pendant

A dear customer of mine from sent me this photo of her adopted Japanese daughter wearing one of our 'every bit' pendants! Isn't she freakin' adorable?? We are still trying to raise another $250 for the Japanese relief funds, so if you haven't checked out our 'every bit' pendant yet, click on our adorable model above and you will end up right where you need to be! 100% of proceeds go to GlobalGiving. If you have already purchased one, thank you x1000 for supporting the handmade revolution and humanitarian needs; rock on!

Etsy Discovery

Avant Garde Cream Felt Hat

Cream Loop Headband 

Grey Felt and Chain Epaulette

I came across these visually stunning accessories on Etsy today, from Pooka Queen's shop. They have the intrigue of sci-fiction costuming with a grace and beauty calling to mind the era of Art Nouveau. I love the vapid stare of the model, the intentional disconnect she has with the camera. It gives the pieces a rightly futuristic feel, while upholding a decidedly feminine vibe. How lovely!

Spring Shopping

   I've been on the hunt for a springtime shoe. I have a hard time with shoes, I own 5-6 pairs of boots and I can't seem to find a shoe style that satisfies me the way a boot does. I feel invincible in my boots; they are a fail-proof aesthetic when pairing with skirts, dresses, leggings, and skinny jeans, all of which I prefer to wear over pants. I can't stand the casual look of a tennis shoe. My entire life I have existed somewhere between tomboys and frilly girls. I am in no way athletically gifted, but I also can't rationalize the upkeep of a 'girly' lifestyle. I seek out an existence of simplistic beauty, one of a universal nature. I found these Frye oxfords and I am smitten. They look both powerful and agile, a harmony of rugged grace, an aesthetic that speaks to me!

Film Talk

               Yesterday we watched a movie called "Hanna." I had never heard of it before, and after watching about half of the preview--those things tend to spoil all the surprise these days--I was convinced to go see it. Hanna is an intense character study in the skin of an action movie. The opening sequences involve dreamy scenes of Hanna, a young girl, wrapped in hides and toting bows+arrows, navigating her snowy world of wilderness. The costumes in this film are phenomenal, down to the very tiniest detail of little knots and tangles in Hanna's endless bundle of white-blonde curls. The imagery from this movie is so beautifully romantic; living in the wintery woods of Finland, wrapped in animals hides and being a general badass while doing things like killing my own supper. Sign me up!
The film has momentum and a good build of suspense. I am a sucker for movies with female protagonists, and I think there need to be more of them. (While loads of girls squeal at Hannah Montana, woefully wishing their lives were as glamourous as hers, I offer you a different role model. This Hanna travels 'round the world unchaperoned and can kick bad guy ass!)
             Along with the brilliant acting job done by Saoirse Ronan (Hanna), the film is complimented by a fantastic score by the Chemical Brothers, oodles of delightful side characters, a badass Cate Blanchett (of course) and a convincingly German Eric Bana. If you like a good action movie with beautiful imagery, stunning costumes, and an excellent cast go see Hanna. You won't be disappointed!

Freeday Friday!

Today we stepped out of the office and took a trip down to Eugene to visit our friend Patrick, take advantage of the STUNNING weather, relax and socialize. We got to check out the campus down there, which is full of beautiful old trees, kicked around the college town for awhile, shared some drinks and a card game, and then headed back! We brought our pup Magnolia with us and I caught a sweet little glimpse of her nestling (here at Patrick's pad), as she is want to do.

Etsy Discovery

My favorite Etsy discovery of the day:
These charming circle photos from Marco Suarez. He's based out of Greenville, SC and the picture above is taken from the Blue Ridge Parkway, a piece of road that will forever have my heart. Love the effects he uses on the image; it makes me feel like I am in a dream!
△△△

Etsy Discovery

source: a world of beautiful things on etsy

Check out these INCREDIBLE shoes spotted on Etsy. A beautifully cosmic scene handpainted on black velvet platforms. WOW.

A BENEFIT FOR JAPAN

Wednesday night at the Mississippi Pizza Pub there's a fantastic benefit for Japan going on! We will be donating one of our 'every bit' pendants and hanging out for the fundraiser with other crafties; should be a good time! Come say hello!

Click for details...

SPRING 2011 COLLECTION COMING SOON

Inspired by geometry, bold colors, brass, and those cool people in Scandinavia. You're going to love it. STAY TUNED.