Heart Home

Launched in September 2011, British lifestyle magazine Heart Home is a quarterly publication celebrating unique interior decor and lifestyle. Founded by Arianna Trapani, Carole King, and Daniel Nelson, this publication champions independent British Designers and inspires readers to create their own great homes.

The latest issue of Heart Home (below) is filled with inspiring photos, great products, and content ranging from a Parisienne's tips for chic rental living, an interior designer's colorful country cottage home, and thrifty but stylish tips for a garden wedding.

In addition to the quarterly magazine, Heart Home also features a blog that is updated three times every weekday and is full of interiors, fashion, gardens, food and craft features. There's also a shopping directory that is the ultimate sourcebook for interior design & decoration. In an effort to support young designers, Heart Home is offering a free listing in their directory to all 2012 graduates (limited spaces apply). To learn more, send an email to directory@hearthomemag.co.uk. Visit Heart Home's Facebook page for updates & more info. While you're there, you can even enter to win a Kindle! (*UK only. Terms and conditions apply.)

Malissa Long, Fashion Designer

Malissa Long is an Austin-based fashion designer that uses funky & unusual items to make clothing. She says she has used men's ties, bottle caps, paper, & aluminum to make her designs interesting. This September Malissa will debut her first collection & her website shows a sampling of her work from 2003 to present. The little blue & red dress is one of my favorites and the grey dress is smokin' hot! Malissa currently sells some of her pieces through two sites, Shopflick and Sense of Fashion. An excellent example of this designers eco-friendly ability is the zip front recycled aluminum dress. This denim sundress features recycled aluminum bunny punch flowers stitched with denim thread, as well as a lined bodice. Check out MLW / Malissa Long Wear on Facebook for more info.

This Week's Events

Tuesday, April 26 through Friday, April 29
Toronto Alternative Arts & Fashion Week, 6pm-Midnight
99 Sudbury St., Toronto, ON

Thursday, April 28
Vintage Fair, 10am-4pm
University of Essex Student Union, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ

Thursday, April 28 through Saturday, April 30
Battlecreek Boutique, (Thur/F) 9am-8pm, (Sat) 9am-5pm
Old Pleasant Grove Rec Center, 65 E. 200 South, Pleasant Grove, UT

Friday, April 29
BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market, 5-9pm
King George Square Between Ann & Adelaide Streets, Brisbane, QLD

Brocante Lux Eco-April Market, 11am-8pm
Market Square, 91 King St., St. Catharines, ON

Friday, April 29 & Saturday, April 30
Petticoats on the Prairie, (F) 1-7pm, (Sat) 9am-5pm
Black Locust Farm, FM 1606, Ira, TX

Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1
Brookside Art Annual, (F) 5-9pm, (Sat) 10am-9pm, (Sun) 11am-5pm
63rd and Brookside Blvd., Kansas City, MO

Sugarloaf Crafts Festival, (F/Sat) 10am-6pm, (Sun) 10am-5pm
Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD

Make It!, (F) 4-9pm, (Sat) 11am-6pm, (Sun) 11am-5pm
Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre, 197 1 St. SW, Calgary AB

Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 8
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
New Orleans Fair Grounds, New Orleans, LA

Saturday, April 30
3rd Annual Spring Bash, 11am-5pm
South Side on Lamar, 1409 S. Lamar, Dallas, TX

Designers Downtown Market, 9am-3pm
Ornamentea, 509 N. West St., Raleigh, NC

Craft Saturday, Noon-6pm
Fourth St. Theatre, 216 4th St., Des Moines, IA

Craftstravaganza, 9am-5pm
Minnesota State Fairgrounds, Fine Arts Bldg., 1265 Snelling Ave., St. Paul, MN

Mayday Underground Crafts + Art, 10am-4pm
Main Street Armory, 900 E. Main St., Rochester, NY

Dustbowl Arts Market at Norman Music Festival, 11am-7pm
Corner of Gray & Crawford, Downtown Norman, OK

Crafty Balboa April Showers, 11am-5pm
Passyunk Fountain, Passyunk & Tasker, Philadelphia, PA

Fenton Street Market, 9am-3pm
Veterans Plaza, Corner of Fenton St. & Ellsworth Dr., Silver Spring, MD

Mt. Lebanon’s Earth Day 2011 Celebration, 10am-2pm
Mt. Lebanon Park, Pittsburgh, PA

The Toronto Etsy Street Team Spring Craft Show, 10am-4pm
The Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen St. West, Toronto, ON

Spring Arts Open House Alumni & Craft Sale, 10am-5pm
Sheridan College - Trafalgar Campus, 1430 Trafalgar Rd., Oakville, ON

Princeton Spring Onion Festival 2011, 9am-4pm
Princeton High School, 1000 E. Princeton Dr., Princeton, TX

Hip Happening Spring Bazaar, 11am-5pm
Sellwood Masonic Temple, 7126 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland, OR

Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1
Anne Arundel County Spring Craft Festival, (Sat) 9:30am-5pm, (Sun) 9:30am-3pm
Anne Arundel Co. Fairgrounds, 1450 Generals Hwy. Rt. 178, Crownsville, MD

Weekend in the Park Arts & Crafts, 10am-5pm
Jim Barnett Park, 1001 E. Cork St., Winchester, VA

Indie Craft Revolution, (Sat) 10am-5pm, (Sun) 10am-4pm
St. Louis Artists’ Guild, 2 Oak Knoll Park, Clayton, MO

Towsontown Spring Festival, (Sat) 10am-7pm, (Sun) 1-7pm
44 W. Chesapeake Ave., Towson, MD

33rd Annual Siesta Fiesta, 10am-5pm
5124 Ocean Blvd., Sarasota, FL

Athens Artsfest, (Sat) 10am-5pm, (Sun) 10am-4pm
Harlan Rowe Jr. High School, 116 State Rte. 1064, Athens, PA

Sunday, May 1
First Sunday Arts Festival, Noon-5pm
Calvert & West St., Annapolis, MD

Indie Reno, 10am-5pm
Lake Mansion, 250 Court St., Reno, NV

SoWa Open Market, 10am-4pm
460 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA

Clover Market, 10am-4pm
12 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, PA

May Day, 10am-5pm
Caffé Medici, 2222 B Guadalupe St., Austin, TX

Spreadshirt

With Earth Day just a few days away, I wanted to introduce you to the eco-friendly fashions at Spreadshirt.com, the leading multi-channel clothing commerce for designing personalized tees & other apparel. While the phrase “organic fashion” is gaining popularity, many of you may think that “eco-friendly” doesn’t equal “fashion-friendly”. But, with the help of celeb support & over $521 million dollars spent on sustainable fashion each year, Spreadshirt is changing the way consumers view such fashions.

Spreadshirt offers a variety of organic fashion for women, men & even babies. The site allows you to create a customized tee that expresses your love for Mother Nature, or you can create your own design on an organic tee. It’s that easy! To celebrate Earth Day and the rise of organic fashions actually being fashionable, Spreadshirt is offering 20% off your entire order with the purchase of two organic items through May 4th. Celebrate Earth Day with Spreadshirt and show the world that organic fashion IS fashionable!

N.E.E.T. the book

N.E.E.T. Magazine is an eco-friendly, free online publication that began in December 2005. Each quarterly issue is packed with independent, handmade, DIY, eco-friendly and vintage fashion & design for everyone.

To celebrate the 5th anniversary, the first ever printed N.E.E.T. the book has been released in both soft & hard cover. With the theme of ‘FIVE’, the book features five sections with five inspiring N.E.E.T. people, designers, bloggers, photographers & homes, with interviews by five writers, in a N.E.E.T. retrospective. Also, you have the option of choosing one of five illustrated covers by, you guessed it, five different artists.

Place your order this month & you will receive free shipping*. This offer is good for one-time use & cannot be combined with other promotional codes, offers, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous codes. *Offer valid through January 31, 2011, & is applied toward the shipping total in the following amounts: US $6.99, GBP £3.99, EUR €5.99, CAD $7.99, or AUD $9.99. Coupon codes listed on graphic.

Upcoming Events

WHAT: Indie Emporium
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 29 & Saturday, Oct. 30
WHERE: VFW Post 577, 1109 East 6th St., Tulsa, OK

WHAT: Dia de los Craftos
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 30; 4-11:30pm
WHERE: Pedicab Bar, 415 E. Cevallos, San Antonio, TX


WHAT: Liverpool's Big Vintage & Fashion Fair
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 30; 9:30am-6pm
WHERE: Metquarter, 35 Whitechapel, L1 6DA Liverpool, UK

WHAT: Market Day
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 30; 9am-2pm
WHERE: 300 SW 5th St., Des Moines, IA

WHAT: Clutter City
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 30; 10am-4pm
WHERE: Norwich Arts Centre, St Benedicts St., Norwich, NR2 4PG

WHAT: Art Heist 2010
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 30; 7-11pm
WHERE: Lofty Spaces, 816 Montgomery, Dallas, TX

WHAT: Etsy Denton Barn Sale
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 30; 9am-3pm
WHERE: 4573 Coyote Point, Denton, TX

WHAT: Blim Monthly Community Market
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 31; Noon-5pm
WHERE: Chinese Cultural Centre, 50 Pender St. East, Vancouver, BC

WHAT: Market of the Living Dead
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 31; 10am-4pm
WHERE: SoWa Open Market, 460 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA

Upcoming Events

WHAT: The Philadelphia Collection
WHEN: Through Saturday, October 2
WHERE: Philadelphia, PA

WHAT: INDIEana Handicraft Exchange Fall Mini
WHEN: Friday, October 1; 5-10pm
WHERE: Harrison Center for the Arts, 1505 North Delaware St., Indianapolis, IN

WHAT: Bead Fest Texas
WHEN: Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 3
WHERE: Arlington Convention Center, 1200 Ballpark Way, Arlington, TX

WHAT: St James Court Art Show
WHEN: Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 3
WHERE: Historic Old Louisville, Kentucky

WHAT: Art's Goggle
WHEN: Saturday, October 2; 4-10pm
WHERE: Near Southside, Fort Worth, TX
ETC: Printable map and program

WHAT: Horseshoe Craft and Flea Market
WHEN: Saturday, October 2; 8am-3pm
WHERE: 4345 W. 46th Ave., Denver, CO


WHAT: Stitch Rock
WHEN: Saturday, October 2; Noon-6pm
WHERE: Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, FL

WHAT: The Fort Worth Stomp
WHEN: Saturday, October 2; 4pm-1am
WHERE: Pearl's Dance Hall, 302 West Exchange Ave., Fort Worth, TX

WHAT: Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair
WHEN: Saturday, October 2; 10am-5pm
WHERE: Marie Reed Learning Center, 2200 Champlain St. NW, Washington, DC

WHAT: Maker’s Market
WHEN: Saturday, October 2; 9am-Noon
WHERE: Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park & Arts Center, 13480 Dowell Rd., Dowell, MD

WHAT: Freret Market
WHEN: Saturday, October 2; Noon-5pm
WHERE: Intersection of Freret St. & Napoleon Ave., New Orleans, LA

WHAT: Make's Urban Street Bazaar
WHEN: Saturday, October 2, Noon-8pm; Sunday, October 3, Noon-4pm
WHERE: Bishop Arts District, Dallas, TX

WHAT: Lancaster Fall ArtWalk
WHEN: Saturday, October 2, 10am-5pm; Sunday, October 3, 11am-5pm
WHERE: Lancaster, PA (see map for participating galleries)

WHAT: Design Harvest
WHEN: Saturday, October 2 & Sunday, October 3; 11am-7pm
WHERE: Grand Ave. between Damen & Wood, Chicago, IL

WHAT: First Sunday Arts Festival
WHEN: Sunday, October 3; Noon-5pm
WHERE: Downtown Annapolis, MD

WHAT: Crafty By Nature
WHEN: Sunday, October 3; 9am-4pm
WHERE: Shupp's Grove, 607 Willow St., Reinholds, PA

WHAT: Philly Swap 2010: A Swap O Rama Rama Event
WHEN: Sunday, October 3; Noon-5pm
WHERE: Building 543 @ URBN Philly Naval Yard, 5000 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA

Upcoming Events

WHAT: The Philadelphia Collection
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 23 through Saturday, October 2
WHERE: Events held throughout Philadelphia, PA

WHAT: Chicago Craft Social
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 24; 7-10pm
WHERE: Evanston Vineyard Church, 2495 Howard St., Evanston, IL


WHAT: 4-Legged Fashion Show
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 24; 6-9pm
WHERE: Lexus RiverCenter, 633 W. 3rd St., Covington, KY

WHAT: 32nd Annual TACA Fall Craft Fair
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 24 & Saturday, Sept. 25, 10am-6pm; Sunday, Sept. 26, 10am-5pm
WHERE: Centennial Park, 2600 W End Ave., Nashville, TN

WHAT: Halloween & Vine 15th Annual Halloween Collectibles Art Show
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25; 9am-2pm
WHERE: Hermann Sons Hall, 860 Western Ave., Petaluma, CA

WHAT: Liverpool's Big Vintage Fair
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25; 10am-5pm
WHERE: Liverpool Students' Union, The Haigh Bldg., Maryland St., Liverpool

WHAT: Market Day
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25; 9am-2pm
WHERE: 300 SW 5th St., Des Moines, IA

WHAT: Whole Foods Market - Laurelhurst Craft Fair
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25; 2-7pm
WHERE: 2825 East Burnside St., Portland, OR

WHAT: Fourth Wall Arts Salon
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25; 7-9pm
WHERE: Trinity Center for Urban Life, S. 22nd St., Philadelphia, PA


WHAT: Day In the District
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25; 10am-5pm
WHERE: Fort Worth Cultural District

WHAT: FAB! Festival & Block Party
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25; 1-5pm
WHERE: East 4th Street between Bowery & 2nd Ave., New York, NY

WHAT: All About Uptown Festival
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25; 11am-10pm
WHERE: Fairmount St. between McKinney Ave. & Cedar Springs, Uptown Dallas, TX


WHAT: 1st Annual Manayunk EcoArts Festival
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25, 11am-7pm; Sunday, Sept. 26, 11am-6pm
WHERE: Main St., Manayunk, Philadelphia, PA

WHAT: Strange Folk Festival
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25 & Sunday, Sept. 26; 10am-6pm
WHERE: Community Park, 401 E. 5th St., O'Fallon, IL

WHAT: The Raymond Thunder-Sky Folk Art Carnival
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25 & Sunday, Sept. 26; 11am-6pm
WHERE: Building Value, 4040 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, OH


WHAT: World Maker Faire
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25, 10am-7pm; Sunday, Sept. 26, 10am-6pm
WHERE: NY Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Queens, NY

WHAT: Bust Magazine Craftacular at World Maker Faire
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25, 10am-7pm; Sunday, Sept. 26, 10am-6pm
WHERE: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY

WHAT: Old Pecan Street Festival
WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 25, 11am-10pm; Sunday, Sept. 26, 11am-8pm
WHERE: E. 6th St. from I-35 to Brazos St. & N. side of 5th St. to S. side of 7th St., Austin, TX

WHAT: The Manchester Vintage Fashion & Textiles Fair
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 26; 10am-4pm
WHERE: The Armitage Centre, Mosley Rd., Fallowfield, Manchester, M14 6HE

WHAT: Crafty Conspiracy Craft Night
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 28; 7-9pm
WHERE: The Ruby Kitchen, 1263 Univ. Ave., San Diego, CA

Upcoming Events

WHAT: A State of Fashion - Austin Fashion Week Event
WHEN: Thursday, August 19; 6-9pm
WHERE: The South Steps of the Texas Capital on Congress, Austin, TX

WHAT: Willimantic 3rd Thursday Street Fest
WHEN: Thursday, August 19; Begins at 6pm
WHERE: Main Street, Willimantic, CT

WHAT: Steamboat All Arts Festival
WHEN: Thursday, August 19 through Sunday, August 22
WHERE: Downtown Yampa St., Steamboat Springs, CO

WHAT: The Treasure Chest at Governors Island
WHEN: Friday, August 20, 10:30am-4pm; Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22, 10:30am-6pm
WHERE: Historic Governors Island

WHAT: Four Seasons Markets
WHEN: Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21, 9am-2pm and Sunday, August 22, 10am-3pm
WHERE: Fri. - Watters Creek, Allen, TX; Sat. & Sun. - The Village on The Parkway, Addison, TX

WHAT: CooLWaTeRs: 2
WHEN: Saturday, August 21; 7-10pm
WHERE: 1727 on The Levee, 1727 Levee St., Dallas, TX

WHAT: Sunset Bay Experience
WHEN: Saturday, August 21; 10am-4pm
WHERE: Cabana Sam's Sunset Bay Grill, Irving, NY

Upcoming Events

WHAT: Girlfriends, Glamour & Gold
WHEN: Wednesday, April 14; 6-9pm
WHERE: Cincinnati Museum Center, Union Terminal, Duke Energy Childrens Museum Lobby, Cincinnati, OH
ETC: Tickets are $10 and can be purchased through CincyMuseum.org or by calling (513) 287-7021.

WHAT: International Quilt Festival/Chicago
WHEN: Thursday, April 15, 5-9pm; Friday, April 16 & Saturday, April 17, 10am-7pm; Sunday, April 18, 10am-3pm
WHERE: Donald E. Stephens Center, 5555 N. River Rd., Rosemont, IL
ETC: Admission - $10 adult; $8 seniors & students; $10 Preview Night pass (includes one free additional day, no senior discount); $25 full show pass, includes Preview Night

WHAT: Go Green Expo
WHEN: Friday, April 16 through Sunday, April 18
WHERE: Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks, PA

WHAT: The Lone Star Ladies Present: Shop Austin
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; 10am-6pm
WHERE: Saengerrunde Hall, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, TX

WHAT: Not Yo Mama's Craft Fair
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; 11am-6pm
WHERE: 161 2nd St., Downtown Jersey City, NJ

WHAT: Crafty Supermarket Spring Show
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; 11am-6pm
WHERE: Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati, OH

WHAT: Craft Saturday!
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; Noon-6pm
WHERE: 216 4th St., Des Moines, IA

WHAT: Philadelphia Designer's Market
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; 11am-6pm
WHERE: First Baptist Church, 123 South 17th St., Philadelphia, PA

WHAT: Made in the Shade Springtime Jamboree
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; 10:30am-5pm
WHERE: The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Ln., Glascow

WHAT: ARTROPY
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; 10am-3:30pm
WHERE: SqWires Annex, 1415 S. 18th St., St. Louis, MO

WHAT: Alternative Media Expo
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; Noon-6pm
WHERE: The Contemporary Arts Center Warehouse, 900 Camp St., New Orleans, LA

WHAT: Paw Paw's Pooch Pow Wow
WHEN: Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18; 10am-5pm
WHERE: Paw Paw's Dog House, 1906 W. Park Row Dr., Arlington, TX

WHAT: Pennsylvania Guild Craft Market
WHEN: Saturday, April 17, 10am-5pm and Sunday, April 18, 11am-4pm
WHERE: Corner of Price & Walnut Streets, Lancaster, PA

WHAT: Handmade Promenade
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; 10am-6pm
WHERE: Luna Music Midtown, 5202 North College Ave., Indianapolis, IN

WHAT: Do It Your Own Damn Self
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; Noon-4pm
WHERE: 2312 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL

WHAT: Salty Not Sweet & Walk All Over Waterloo
WHEN: Saturday, April 17; Noon-8pm
WHERE: 15613 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland, OH

WHAT: Randolph Street Market Indie Designer Market
WHEN: Saturday, April 17, 10am-5pm and Sunday, April 18, 10am-4pm
WHERE: Plumbers Hall, Chicago, IL
ETC: Admission - $10 (covers both Saturday and Sunday markets). Children under 12 free. Students & Seniors - $5 with valid IDs.

WHAT: Spring Bada-Bing
WHEN: Sunday, April 18; 11am-4pm
WHERE: Plant Zero, 0 E. 4th St., Richmond, VA

WHAT: Manayunk Celebrates Earth Day
WHEN: Sunday, April 18; Noon-5pm
WHERE: Cotton at Main St., Manayunk, PA

WHAT: Cincinnati Fashion Week
WHEN: Monday, April 19 through Saturday, April 24
WHERE: Cincinnati, OH

Jalouise

Jalouise features Krishala Burchill's unique fashions inspired by her passion for art, her love of community, and her own life experiences. Men can get in on the action with the Reflections tee or with a messenger bag featuring similar artwork. My favorite t-shirt is the long-sleeved flower design, although I also dig the pop art Freedom tee in bold red.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats Deb K: Krishala is giving away a Jalouise tank in navy blue or grey - winner's choice. To enter, visit Jalouise and leave a comment on this post noting your favorite design. Giveaway ends at Midnight EST, Thursday, Feb. 25.

Black Dog Publishing

Black Dog Publishing is currently offering a generous 40% discount on a selection of their established and forthcoming titles focusing on the world of fashion and craft. From explorations of the personalities, events and movements that make up the fascinating history of fashion to design theory to the impact of the environment, sustainability and ethics within the industry, the books featured cover all aspects of fashion practice. The selection also includes titles that delve into the more specialist fields of fashion and design, from textiles to jewelery, and from paper to ceramic design. Black Dog continues to profile the work of the most innovative artists and designers from exciting, emerging talents to established figures. Black Dog has also released eclectic craft books for the new millennium of craftsters, a testament to a trend that is only getting bigger. Email Jessica Atkins at jess@blackdogonline.com with your order and Funky Finds in the subject line to receive the 40% discount that is valid through December 31.

Designer Call - The Pin Show

The Pin Show is back and looking for local talent to take the stage in 2010. Wanted: Emerging designers who have an original take on style & a knack for creating innovative garments & accessories. The annual Independent Fashion show is taking over downtown Dallas' Union Station on February 25, 2010, and will feature more than 25 independent designers.

The Pin Show celebrates the works of myriad "slow fashion" designers whose blood, sweat & tears go into the work they produce. This is a great opportunity for designers that combine marketable garments with ideas of sustainability & social responsibility. Impacting their local workforces and economies by paying a fair wage and creating a smaller quantity of garments in higher quality is the ultimate goal of independent designers.

Aside from the astounding runway show, designer's works will be the subject of live photo shoots on two styled sets and, in a rare opportunity, event goers favorite runway looks will be available for purchase at the pop-up, on-site boutique PINS. With over 1,200 people in attendance, The Pin Show gives up and coming and designers a chance to their showcase original lines to the masses, and provides a launch pad and introduction into the Independent Fashion industry, as many in attendance are regional boutique owners and potential buyers. In addition to the emerging designers and top students The Pin Show has promoted in the past, the new show will also be featuring independent style makers already in boutiques - locally and nationwide - with a runway event to showcase their latest collections.

Independent Designers Rachel Nichelson and Julie McCullough Kim founded PINS in 2007 with hopes of connecting emerging and independent slow-fashion designers with those prevalent in the Dallas Fashion Industry. All fashion industry designers, photographers, artists, stylists are encouraged to apply for various opportunities.

The Pin Show Spring 2010
WHEN: February 25, 2010 - Runway Event at 8pm
WHERE: Union Station Dallas | Wolfgang Puck - 400 South Houston St., Dallas, TX

Designer Call - We Make Stuff...

The We Make Stuff...art,music, & fashion event is set to take place on September 19th in Austin, Texas. The event, held at The Scoot Inn, will include a fashion show featuring six of Austin's best designers and boutiques, with music by Household Names & Lost Werks. The event coordinators are also looking for another band to add to the lineup, so spread the word. There will also be a juried skateboard painting contest and handmade vendors. Applications are currently on the We Make Stuff... website. If you have a question about a certain aspect of the event, you may send an email to eventinfo@wemakestuff.us. Make sure to label your subject clearly. This is a juried show and upon acceptance specific event details will be emailed out to the participants. Acceptance notification and details will be send out via email on August 18th. A wait list will be maintained in addition to those accepted, but it will be capped off at ten. All applications are due by August 14th. Payment must be submitted with application to be accepted. Booth fees are located on the application.

Etsy Trashion Team Summer Sale & Giveaway

To promote environmental awareness, the Etsy Trashion Team is having a summertime sale and giveaway this week (July 20 - 27). The Trashion Team is a group of artists that creates art, jewelry, fashion and objects for the home from materials that were leftover, discarded, or found, and sells them on Etsy. Trashion members will run promotions in their Etsy shops, and the giveaway winner will receive a goodie bag filled with Trashion treasures submitted by the participants. To enter the giveaway, visit and comment on the Etsy Trashion Team blog and make purchases in participating shops, such as Re-Maker who is offering 20% off all products and Rikrak, a shop offering 15% off various items. The prize winner will be randomly selected at the end of the sale. Help promote environmental awareness by visiting the Etsy Trashion team blog and participating shops during the Summer Sale Event. Trashion is all about bringing out the beauty in unconventional objects and materials. For team members, recycling is an art and an ideal.

Austin Fashion Week

Next week marks Austin Fashion Week, a week-long series of fashion events hosted by participating boutiques and salons. Between July 13 and 19, many Austin designers will be displaying their work in gallery formats within various boutiques and salons. This is a great opportunity to discover new, up-and-coming labels coming from Central Texas. Also, be sure you check out each participants’ work and VOTE for your favorites to win Austin Fashion Awards. And, of course, you don’t want to forget to SHOP! Buy a Passport to Fashion to receive 10% off all of your purchases and get a chance to win a $5,000 SHOPPING SPREE every time you visit a new boutique or salon!

Also, on Thursday, July 16, from 8:00-11:00pm, Austin Handmade will be celebrating the Grand Re-opening of its new store location at 2009 S. First St. The party will offer special in-store discounts, along with giveaways from participating sponsors such as the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls, select Austin based artists and a membership for a free year of classes provided by The WonderCraft. Party guests will be able try out the new Austin Handmade Do-It-Yourself Room using simple kits created by Austin artists with instructions and basic supplies available for purchase at the event. Continue with the on-site DIY fun with make n' take projects provided Austin's newest creative craft-force, The WonderCraft. There will also be entertainment provided by local band Lost Werks and DJ Beef Eigler "Hot Britches" of High Society. Enjoy drinks from Austin's favorite, Sweet Leaf Tea and Treaty Oak Platinum Rum. Rum truly made in the spirit of Texas. Texas's first & only distillery that both brews and distills locally, using only Texas ingredients.

Visit the Austin Handmade online store to find an array of Austin's talent with a wide diversity of art including screen printing, book binding, candle making, fabric art, graphic design and more, including detailed information on upcoming featured monthly artist events and the bi-weekly local Handmade Market.

Eleven Collection

I have previously featured See Kai Run, a children's shoe company, several times. Their sister company Eleven Collection carries on the same tradition of flexibility and good looks, but for the older set. The Portland-based, family-run company offers shoes that are perfect for toddlers through early school age children (age 3-8). Little girls will love the Anya Mary Jane's available in pink-fuchsia embellished with intricate chartreuse flowers. The Trainers are perfect for your high-energy, active child. And oh how I wish the pink & black Josie pair were available in my size! Eleven's shoes offer independent styles in unique color combinations and feature soft leather uppers with flexible, durable rubber soles for superior traction. With no break-in period, the shoe's cushioned insole makes each step a comfortable one. Exactly what every parent wants (or should want) for their little one!

ANTLER

ANTLER, another online magazine, recently debuted its first issue. The publication focuses on composing a collection of beautiful, inspiring ideas and designs from all aspects of life. The magazine comes in the body of a fashion magazine, but also looks for ways to inspire through art, design, literature, and culture. Publishing solely online helps reduce their carbon footprint, but also makes ANTLER accessible to readers from all corners of the globe. ANTLER is not only for a source of amazing fashion, art, culture and beauty, but will enchant and inspire as well.

Tara to the T - Dress Giveaway!

To celebrate the launch of Tara Tonini's new Sky Girl line, she is having a fantastic giveaway! Simply visit her myspace or website and sign up for her e-mail list. One lucky winner will be drawn from the e-mail list on March 31st and will win a FREE Sky Girls dress of their choice. That is a $60.00 value and you receive a brand new, funky design! Sky Girls is a 1960's inspired stewardess line of dresses that are flirty, fun and very colorful. Be sure to watch the video posted on Tara's blog showing her line at The Pin Show we attended on February 26. Check out all the designs on the Tara to the T website.