Sebastian Sunday

I'm not a big fan of Daylight Saving, but hey! who is?! Every time it comes back around, I end up feeling sluggish & lazy for the first week while I adjust. So I'm not doing any work today. Instead, here's what Sebastian is doing today.

Weekend Wind Down

It's been pretty crazy around here lately. Between the multiple client projects and the back-to-back bulk orders, I barely get any time for myself these days. And if I do happen to have some free time, I spend it knitting new accessories in preparation for holiday. This upcoming Monday, I'll find out if I'll be a vendor at Renegade Craft LA & SF for the holiday season and from there, I will have two months to prepare from both shows. I feel like I just got back from Renegade Craft summer and if I'm in, I'll have to do it all over again.

Being that I'm my own boss, I decided to take tonight off and just chill out for a bit. And by chill out I really mean eating a bunch of desserts while making lists of goals and things I would like to achieve in the coming months. Kev and I just went over to D'odici and to our surprise, they make macarons now! And they're actually really good! (I hate it when cafes start offering macarons because they're trendy but they end up being mediocre or totally suck!)

We got rose, earl grey, and pistachio. The rose was light, sweet, and not too floral, which is just perfect. Their macaron cookie is just the right texture; they were light and airy. I hate when places make them too chewy. They went perfectly with my lavender latte. I've been on this weird lavender kick for months…I LOVE lavender lemonade! And honey lavender ice cream is my new favorite thing!

Macarons & Lavender Latte

We also got a creme brûlée because in all our previous trips to D'odici we got there later when the dessert case was bare. I didn't think they would actually top it with berries because it was looking awfully plain in the case. But I'm so glad they did. Their custard was already the perfect texture so the berries were just an added bonus.

Creme Brûlée 

Once Monday rolls back around, I'll have to get back to work on a new client project from one of my favorite clients, start designing for Fall 2014 for another client (which I think is CRAZY EARLY), and then tackle two really big bulk orders. I find myself constantly asking "When do I actually get to work on my stuff?" but hey, I gotta pay off my college debt somehow. I have a few new things made for the cooler weather season. I just need to photograph everything. So I'll have a few more sneak peeks soon!

Renegade LA Recap

This past weekend was Renegade Craft LA and it was the first time doing a summer show and it was also the first time I'd ever done an outdoors one too. All I could say is it was a big learning experience. The biggest factor that affects an outdoor show is the weather. And I feel like the weather played a huge role in whether or not people were in a buying mood. For the first half of Saturday, it was miserably hot and for the second half, it looked like it was going to rain. In fact, it was drizzling. The weather on Sunday was much nicer. It was overcast with a breeze and still a little warm, but it felt good. And I noticed that there were more people out & about and willing to buy.

Here's a little peek at my setup:

And here's Kevin's side of the booth:

Overall, this was the slowest show I had ever done and I probably won't do it again. I might consider doing the LA holiday show just because holiday tends to be busier, but it being outdoors is a bit of a turn-off for me. There was just so much dust in this area that at the end of each day, there was a gross layer of dust on all the products.

So now I'm getting ready for San Francisco which is my favorite show to do. I made a few more pouches, but I didn't really have to make that much more inventory since I still had a lot of leftovers from the LA show. 

And of course, Sebastian wasn't very much help.

The highlight of my day today was meeting up with Debbie Carlos. She came to visit and brought some sweet donuts from Donut Man. We got to hang out over lunch and chatted about our cats. You know, just typical us.

Hang in There

Last Saturday, Flock Shop celebrated their 5yr Anniversary with their last art exhibition titled "Bright Future". They had recently announced that they will be closing shop in January 2013, which makes me really sad. They have been really supportive of my work since the beginning and they were one of my first stockists, and I'm sorry to see them go. But on a happy note, they plan on keeping their online store open and plan on working out some possible pop-up shops.

Stop by and check out the show including work by Jared Andrew Schorr, Jesse Tise, Patrick Hruby, Owlo, Joey Chou, APAK, Linda Kim, and Kevin Chan (as seen below).

Afterwards, we dropped by Q Pop for the Tokusatsu show. The show was absolutely amazing, but unfortunately couldn't take any pictures. The show is up now until September 30th, so check it out while you still can. Of course, while I was there I had to pick up something by Minifanfan. This time, it was this sweet pack of stickers.

Everything about Minifanfan's work reminds me of the work I want to be doing. Things that are fun, quirky, and light-hearted. This upcoming Wednesday will be my last day working at Richer Poorer. And I'm leaving with nothing else lined up and with no real plan ahead. I'm going to be using this time to rebuild my Etsy shop, work on new work, make new things, and just be. It's a very exciting but scary time. I'm applying for both Renegade SF and Unique LA this year; wish me luck! So keep checking in to see what I'm up to next.

OH MY GLOB! SO FLIPPIN' AWESOME!

Over the weekend, OOOTOPIA: AN ARTGEBRAIC TRIBUTE TO ADVENTURE TIME opened over at Gallery Nucleus. Much like many of their other tribute shows to pop culture favorites, the line to get in was ridiculously long. It stretched around the corner to the end of the bank parking lot.

The line around 9:20pm opening night.

The show featured a great line up of the usual suspects and some talented newcomers.

Fwends Forever by Jared Andrew Schorr

Jared's pieces always make me smile. I love his serious paper cutting skills. And this time, he out did himself with this double-sided piece.

Princess Bubblegum by Michal Wright-Ward

Daddy Why Did You Eat All My Fries by Sachin Teng

Cattack! by cmykevin

Kev and I love cats! So he had to do a cat-related piece for the show…and Me Mow, the tiniest assassin ever! totally fit the bill.

Party Animals by Sean Chao

I'm a super huge fan of Sean Chao's work. You've probably seen his work several times on this blog. I'm always amazed by how small he's able to work and I love how he creates these little enclosed environments.

I don't want to spoil the fun. You'll just have to see the rest yourself! So if you haven't had a chance to check out the show or just wanted to avoid the opening night crowd, the show's up until Sunday September 9th!

Weekend Renegade Roundup

On Sunday, I headed over to the LA State Historic Park for the 4th Annual Renegade Craft Fair. Despite the sunny SoCal heat, I was on a mission to shop. Luckily, Front Porch Pops was there to keep us cool with their delicious popsicles. I had the melon mint and Kevin got the creamy chocolate chip. Sorry I couldn't get any pics of them, the heat was melting them quick and it quickly got messy.

My friend Janet also came along with us. We've been working on a side project together that might turn into a webcomic or plushes or both? in the future. One of the first booths we checked out belonged to the lovely Jenny Smith. Her plushes definitely had us dying of cuteness and she also happened to be featured in the current issue of Stuffed. We couldn't decide with one was our favorite, but it was between the raccoon or cat for me.

Kevin walked a little bit ahead of us and it just so happened that across the way was our friend Joey Chou's booth. He had some new prints like the Strawberry Fields Forever piece he did for Gallery Nucleus' Beatles Tribute Show as well as the Small World-themed works he did for Disney. But my personal faves are his Yuki 7 prints.

Then I was off to visit a couple of my favorite ladies…and of course, they were sharing a booth together. I first said "Hi!" to Faheema of Unicorn Crafts. She makes super cute shrinky dinks jewelry that she illustrates herself.

And as usual, Faheema shared a booth with Genevieve of Le Petit Elefant. Genevieve has seriously grown in popularity over this past year. It was difficult just trying to pry her away from fans for a sec just to say "Hi!" and give her a hug. And it's easy to see why…her illustrations are so adorable and relatable!

I came across some awesome jewelry from Upper Metal Class. I took a glance and took photos and walked away really fast before I got my wallet into some serious trouble. They combined two things I can't resist: geometric shapes & shiny metal objects.

Then I stopped by JanieXY because I just had to see what kind of crazy booth she built this time. We caught up with each other and talked shop for a bit. And then she encouraged me to apply for Renegade SF. Way to bring on the pressure!

One of the most unique vendors I've seen in a really long time was Kitty Baby Love. All their products are totally cat-centric. Cat Bowling Set?! Why Not! Although I'd be very sad about burn those Kitty Egg Candles…

And then I saw their Kitty Egg Crayons. I love all the color! And the display was just perfect. I wish they had been around when my nieces were kids so I could've gotten them these. They're way cooler than a pack of Crayolas.

And last, but definitely not least, I finally got to meet Lindsay of Em & Sprout/Sick for Cute/Kid Pirate (R.I.P.)! Linds and I have been internet gal pals for 4 years now (at least!), and we were both super stoked to finally meet each in person. This was also her first time vending at Renegade! Can you guess which shirt I had to get from her?

MAGICAL KITTEN PAWS!!!

This was definitely one of the funnest trips to Renegade I've ever had. Mostly because when Renegade first came to LA, I hardly knew any of the vendors and I was generally unimpressed with the setup. But things have certainly changed and it's much more fun now than it was at the beginning. Over the years, going to craft fairs have become less about shopping and more about just chillin' with friends.

Beatlemania Comes to Nucleus

On Saturday, All Together Now: A Tribute to the Beatles opened at Gallery Nucleus to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles. The festivities included some Beatles-themed desserts, a yellow submarine cut-out photo op, and a Beatles cover band. And if you were lucky enough to be there at the right time, you might have spotted Sir Ian McKellen. The show took up both the main gallery and the small atrium gallery on the second floor. Over 50 artists contributed pieces interpreting some of their favorite songs (the most popular being Lucy and the Sky with Diamonds) while others relived Beatlemania. Here's a brief glimpse at some of my favorite pieces and the illustrious life of the fab four.

I love seeing evolution charts and timelines. Andy Ristaino shows us the joy of Beatles wardrobe changes.

This next piece by Stephen Silver depicts just how I would have imagined Beatlemania in Japan.

I've alway been a fan of Scott C. but I especially love this super elongated shoeless piece. And if you love Scott C. too, prints of  of this piece are available so you can have this hanging in your home for an affordable $30.

And of course you can't have 60s Mod without Shag. He did this awesome purple number and there's silkscreened limited edition prints available for pre-order.

So if you're a Beatles fan, this is a fun show to check out. It's up now until July 29th.

Sandwich Weekend

On Friday, I went to Daily Dose for the first time for lunch with Nisa. I got The Butcher which is Sopressata (salami), house pickle, midnight moon goat cheese on a baguette with some grain mustard. The Sopressata was really thinly sliced and practically melted in my mouth. I love a good salami!

Then on Saturday, I met up with the lovely Beverly E. We went to Honey Badger Cafe, mostly because it's cheap but also because it's consistently good for the price. When they first opened they had serious issues with their service, but they have since hired better staff (and also the help of those table buzzers that some Asian restaurants employ) to provide better service.

I ordered my usual, the Cuban Roast Pork sandwich with a side of potato salad. All their sandwiches come with a side of potato chips but you can choose to upgrade to one of their "premium sides" for an extra $0.95.

Then when Sunday rolled around, I was still in a sandwich mood. I was heading over to Old Town Pasadena but couldn't think of where to eat. I'm not a fan of most of the sandwich choices in the area, but I decided to give Euro Pane a try. I have been to their first/original location in the past and their sandwiches were mediocre. I usually just go there for French macarons. But this time we went to the second/newer location across from Paseo Colorado since I've only had their macarons but never their food. I was pleasantly surprised by their better menu and overall better look & feel. I had a hard time choosing between a Croque Monsieur, French Toast, or Eggs Benedict, but I eventually decided on the Croque Monsieur.

I love Croque Monsieurs! But this isn't a normal Croque Monsieur…it's with BACON! (Instead of the usual ham). I'm usually not a fan of bacon, but I'll have it every once in a while. And after this experience, I would definitely say I like it better with bacon. But if you want an amazing (but normal) Croque Monsieur, head over to Abricott.

Weekend Food Recap

After seeing many of my friends' delicious photos, I finally made a trip over to UMAMIcatessan. Compared to the regular UMAMI Burger restaurants, the menu is way more extensive and way more adventurous. I wasn't really feeling like red meat on Thursday, so I got the Ahi Tuna Burger. It was perfect because it satisfied my burger and sushi craving at the same time! It was a quarter pound of hand-chopped Ahi tuna that was lightly seared with crushed avocado, pickled ginger, sprouts, and wasabi flake.

We got the mini potato knishes as a side. They had a nice cinnamon-y sweetness that went well with the tangy grain mustard. I'm always about warm potato-y goodness.

Then for dessert, since the State of California is banning foie gras starting July 1st, we got the FG&J donut.

That's right, it's a foie gras & jelly donut! It wasn't my favorite but it wasn't horrible. It definitely looked like a PB&J donut on the inside and it kinda tasted like one except a little more game-y. I've had foie gras before, but in a cold-pressed paté like state and I don't mind it. I grew up eating duck paté with a baguette as a mid-day snack so it's no big deal. But this donut was definitely a bit overwhelming for me.

On Saturday after paying a visit to the new Poketo store, I stopped by The Pie Hole. Me being a totally sucker for both curry and puff pastry, I had to have the curry puff. It was a veggie/potato curry (kinda similar to a potato samosa) served with a homemade cherry tomato chutney.

On Saturday, we celebrated my friend Janet's birthday with a beach bbq. I made some simple hot dogs in some toasted King's Hawaiian rolls. I've been in the habit of using them instead of regular hot dog buns mostly because they're not dry like generic cheap buns and they're totally delicious! I got the idea after many trips to DogHaus where they only use King's Hawaiian rolls as burger and hot dog buns.

On Sunday, I picked up my bff who was home for the week from Berkeley. When I asked her what she was craving and missed, her response was "Tacos!!!" LA definitely has the best tacos ranging from super cheap to more artisan/gourmet variety. We took a trip to Guisados where most of their tacos are stewed meats. I got the Mole Poblano and the Chuleta en Salsa Verde.

Their tortillas are handmade and are made as you order. I love them because they have the perfect amount of doughy chewiness. The Chuleta was my favorite of the two. They have a sampler available that comes with 6 mini tacos for anyone who doesn't know what to order. I had the sampler once and it was totally delicious but I couldn't remember which ones I liked because they don't list which ones it comes with. Also, size-wise, I prefer the sampler because a full-size taco of some of their meats can become too much. And they definitely don't skimp on the meat regardless of whether you get the sampler or the regular size tacos.

Summer brings one of my favorite things: Fosselman's Fresh Peach Ice Cream! I've been going there since high school and I love that they do seasonal flavors along with the flavors that are available all year round. Peach is typically available from the first day of June til the last day of August. Their ice cream contains 60% butter fat which makes it really creamery yet airy.

Shop Poketo!

Yesterday, I stopped by the brand new first ever Poketo store that opened up in the Arts District of Downtown LA. For years I've ordered stuff from them online, and now they just made spending money a whole lot easier. This weekend they're having their super soft opening from 11am – 7pm. For those familiar with the area, the store is just a few doors down from the back patio of Wurstküche on 3rd Street…with a bright red doorway you can't miss!

I love these gradient dyed woven leather chairs that they had specially made for the store. And they're actually quite comfy too! All of the store displays are made of a combination of wood and metal. The use of wood all over the store was the perfect look for what I imagined a Poketo store would be like.

All the tables in the store have these great yellow legs! And now they carry health and beauty products too! There's also some beautiful Turkish towels that are new to the store and available in some great patterns.

This was my favorite table for two reasons: Leather & Watches. I have the Colorparty Watch in white and I love it. It's the perfect everyday watch because it's lightweight but doesn't look or feel super fragile. I'm debating about getting one of those snap wallets…the white one, of course!

The one thing I've always loved about Poketo is that they have such a great eye for color, patterns, and cool products. Every item they carry feels carefully curated.

They definitely have THE BEST selection of notebooks and planners. 90% of the notebooks I own are from them (the other 8% from Field Notes and 2% other). They carry a huge selection of notebooks from the Korean brand Millimeter Milligram which I can't find anywhere else except for maybe a couple museum stores (who probably order them through Poketo). Millimeter Milligram's planners have some of the best page layouts I've seen and they give you plenty of writing space. Some of their planners even encourage you to "Draw Your Tomorrow" instead of just writing it down like an average planner.

Of course, I had to pick up a few goodies for myself. I got a Tomorrow planner in white and fresh strawberry lip balm that smells totally delicious. When you get a chance, you should stop by the store at 820 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, 90013. You'll probably find it very difficult to leave without something too.

Super Late to the Supahcute Dream Team Show

Amidst all the craziness of the final weeks of my college career, I totally missed the opening reception for the Supahcute Dream Team Show at Leanna Lin's Wonderland. The show was curated by my friend Hana Kim of Supahcute.com and featured some of my friends & favorite people: Michelle Romo (CROWDED TEETH), Genevieve Santos (Le Petit Elefant), Melissa Contreras (Axelhoney), Martin Hsu…just to name a few. But the entire lineup was totally amazing! After recovering from the final semester, I finally got a chance to check out the show.

Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

The above are pieces by Hiné Mizushima. I love the way she works with felt and her pieces are always whimsical.

Like Hiné, Yoko Nomura also makes awesome felt sculptures. Yoko's focuses more on the shenanigans of forest friends.

I love this deer guy by Gary Ham mostly because it feels very Amanda Visell-esque.

But this guy was my absolute favorite. He looks slightly sad and indifferent, but at least he does it in style.

All the pieces in the show can be viewed online over at Leanna's blog. The show is still up until June 24th.