Brunch at Amada

Weather madness!

Weather in the northeast has been more than a little confusing these last 3 months- record rain fall, tornados, earthquakes, and snow in October!

Cappuccino at Chestnut Hill Coffee

I admit that I Iove a good Starbucks coffee most days, but when I can find a local haunt with a pitch perfect barista, it makes me swoon.

Ilsa Loves Rick in {Insert Style Here}

Alaina Lackman, a great designer and the geniius behind the blog {Insert Style Here} spent a day with me and Sara in our studio right after the official launch of Ilsa Loves Rick.  She was good enough to include us on her blog in a Designer Spotlight segment. Check it out!

http://www.insertstylehere.com/2011/10/designer-spotlight-ilsa-loves-rick.html

In The Bag - Foley + Corinna Large City Tote

It may already be a decade since the launch of Anna Corinna's original City Tote that premiered at Kirna Zabete in NYC, but it still feels like just yesterday that I first fell in love with it's uber cool retro styling. I have collected 5 city totes in all - black, maple, butterscotch, pearlized gray, and the classis tobacco which are constantly on my arm in heavy rotation.

L'Occitane Creme Mains:  The very best hand cream around.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, herbs, and rosewater:  I keep this hydrating spray in my bag for a mid day pick me up in dry cold weather, or when I just need an aromtic lift.

J Crew Leather Pouch:  I bought this great little bag years ago to hold the mess of little things I tote around.  Each season J Crew has some version of this must have girl-on-the-go item.

AJ Morgan Readers:  Sara and I spend our days doing work that requires the use of readers (closing jump rings for hours on end takes its toll on your eyes!) so we have amassed quite the collection.  AJ Morgan makes a great won't-break-the-bank line of on trend readers.  These green little guys are my favorite for adding a pop of color on dreary days (it is autumn in the northeast after all!).

Ilsa Loves Rick Product Cards:  Sara and I make it a habit to leave these colorful cards behind when we are at a cafe, or boutique to help generate a little buzz for our line.  I never leave home without an inch think stack.

New stock of The Couplet

This weekend is a big build weekend! Couplets, The Interlock, and The Broads! I just finished this custom Couplet for our good friend Kate.

Fall in New England

I have loved New England autumn since my first encounter with it as a Freshman in college. Spending a decade here in those great formative this-is-who-I-am-and-what-I'll- be years makes me excited to return whenever I can. This weekend was peek foliage time with the most gorgeous clean light.

Bricks + Mortar International Video Festival, Greenfield MA

When I am not making jewelry, I make large-scale immersive art works with two other collaborating artists, Yvonne Love and William Cromar.  Together we are TangenT and have been developing projects for about three years now that explore socially current themes.  Whenever I can, I travel to see new media environments and how sound and projected art works live in non-traditional spaces.  These festival curators did an excellent job of re-purposing old industrial spaces.  You can see TangenT work at www.tangent-art.net

Late day sun after big storms in New England

In The Bag

I love this roomy Tusk Black Leather Convertible Tote - great size, north south styling, gorgeous leather, no bling....perfect for toting my:

*Hartman Leather Passport Folio that I use as a wallet - flat, long, stream lined, can grab it alone as a clutch.

*Clinique Almost Lipstick on Black Honey - love its goes with everything just bitten color.

*Kate Spade Readers - super cute retro styling with optical grade quality frames and lenses.

*Moleskine Date and Notebook - love the simplicity of the design, paper color and weight, pencils and pens love it too!

*Jump Drive - I have been driving a Mini Cooper since their launch in the US in 2002.  I am on my second one (having driven my pepper white baby into the ground at nearly 200,000 miles - I do a crazy amount of driving).  When I bought my robin's egg blue Mini Clubman last spring, I was sent a swag bag full of Mini goodies.  I love this sleek little black jump drive made with what feels like the same material as the steerling wheel!  I tote all my ILR images around on it for quick updates to the store, our site, the blog.

Gaby wearing her Ilsa Loves Rick designs

New stock of the Circle Drape!

RIP Steve Jobs and Thank You!

Friends please take a minute to go to TED.com and view any of the talks by Steve Jobs. His vision, creativity, genius are beyond measure. I actually think we have only just begun to understand the way he has transformed lives. Posting this from my iPhone while streaming breaking news on my iPad, and posting new items to our store on my MacBook Pro. I bought my first Apple in 1988 and have been using their products ever since.

New stock of The Stud

I love the way our new stock looks lined up and waiting to ship at my bench.

We saw this on our way to the launch party for Ilsa Loves Rick

Gaby's husband Paul has one of his movies playing at the Ambler Theater, "Another Earth" starring Brit Marling and William Mapother.  Check it out:  http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox/anotherearth/

Handmade lamps in our studio late at night.