Posts Tagged ‘travel’
Monday, September 19th, 2011
Last weekend I attended my very first out of town show: Renegade Craft Fair, which was also my first time visiting Chicago. The first two days were spent vending at the show – where nearly 50,000 customers came to shop. I couldn’t get over how genuinely friendly everyone was – and it made the weekend fly by! I had been warned by veteran Renegade vendors that I’d be swamped with customers, and they were totally right: I actually ran out of business cards on the first day, and by the second day I had nearly lost my voice! I sold nearly every bag I brought with me, and I spent an extra two days exploring shopping Wicker park, taking an architecture boat tour, and indulging in some delicious food along the way!
the view on our walk thru Wicker park to Renegade
a huge suitcase packed full of purses
Metier totes in my booth at Renegade (photo via MakingItLovely)
Medium hobos were a hot seller at Renegade (photo via Makingitlovely)
a happy owner of a OOAK Metier at Renegade
this breakfast bagel is what held me thru a 10 hour day of sales
twilight and a full moon at Renegade on Sunday night
leopard coats in vintage shop on Milwaukee
the 'bean' in Millennium Park
deep dish Chicago-style stuffed pizza
beautiful front yards in Wicker Park
unique skyline of Downtown Chicago
a gleaming tower in the Chicago skyline
we took a boat tour on the Chicago River
huge blue skies above the skyscrapers
Returning home, I found out I was named one of the Top 50 Renegade Vendors by one of my favorite bloggers. Thanks Nicole!
Tags: architecture, Chicago, craft fair, food, renegade, travel
Posted in events, travel |
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
The gray skies parted and the sun was glowing brightly overhead as I made my way to Portland, OR last weekend for my trunk show at Moxie. I spent the first day visiting Presents of Mind, Pie Footwear, and Tilde – to give them their first look at my new Matinee and Foxtrot hobos in colorful tweed. There must have been something about that Portland sunshine, because each store purchased a mix of purses in my brightest color combinations.
new bags coming soon, to a Portland store near you!
Portland has some pretty great grub!
In between stops, we managed to try a sampling of several of Portland’s culinary delights. My favorite meal was Saturday morning breakfast at Screen Door, which was totally worth the wait. Then I walked across the street to Moxie to set up my display of purses onto hooks and dress forms.
I spent the afternoon greeting customers, sipping on mimosas, and chatting with Dee and Sally – the hostesses with the mostest(es). After the show, Dee purchased several of my one of a kind Troubadour Tote bags and Bohemia hobos – so if you missed out on my trunk show – you can still get one for yourself at Moxie.
a beautiful day for a trunk show at Moxie
Tags: bag, event, food, one of a kind, Oregon, portland, purses, sunshine, travel, trunk show
Posted in events, fashion |
Saturday, July 18th, 2009
We have decided to squeeze in one last getaway, before we start packing for our move – to take a loop through Central Oregon. Part business, part pleasure. Our first stop was my parent’s house for a little R & R for the weekend. After a good night’s sleep, my Dad washed off 4 bicycles and we set out onto the winding country roads that meander through the tiny 1 horse towns of Crabtree, Scio and Lebanon.
my cute mom and dad lead the way
huge barns everywhere you look
approaching a covered bridge
there's a swimming hole down below!
perfect rows of hay drying in the field
Tags: bicycle riding, bike, country, country road bike ride, farmland, travel, vacation, wilamette countryside
Posted in travel |
Monday, June 1st, 2009
Deborah, World Library Superhero, at Brazilian Senate Library
The lovely Deborah Jacobs emailed me to see if I could create a sophisticated laptop travel bag for her new job, because ”it is your work I admire and makes me feel great”. How could I say no to that? I invited her to come visit my studio, to hammer out the details of a professional bag for her world travels, but still help her express her funky style on the inside. Features to include:
- Appearance: sensuous like the Metier tote
- Hold a laptop, plus room for folders and paperwork
- a padded, removable laptop sleeve in a funky pattern, with zipper closure
- Sturdy, but flexible enough to completely flatten and pack inside a suitcase
- 2 large pockets on the outside, and pockets galore on the inside
- Straps: two short padded handles to carry the laptop bag by hand, and one long, removable shoulder strap that can attach with clips
Although Deborah travels for work about 40% of the time, I still managed to complete her bag in record time, communicating via email and photos over a few weeks. And I am so pleased with how it turned out! It was immensely satisfying to create a bag that met the very specific needs of a very busy woman.
p.s. You don’t have to be a Seattle VIP to have me create a custom laptop bag for you! Please feel free to drop me a line at ck (at) crystalynkae.com. I would love to hear your ideas!
Laptop Tote with zipper front
a zipper pocket within a zipper pocket
Pockets galore!
Tags: bag, briefcase, custom, favorite customers, laptop, professional, tote, travel
Posted in custom handbags, design studio, seattle |
Monday, April 20th, 2009
This weekend was a whirlwind of adventures. This past week had been epic – I was in the midst of finishing a tremendous custom laptop/travel bag for a Seattle VIP (more on that later), when we got news that my husbands great Uncle Kaz had passed away. We originally had booked a beach rental in Seaside, OR with friends for a well-deserved getaway on the ocean. So although we’d have to cut our trip short, we were determined to squeeze in a bit of the Oregon coast, and make the best of it.
And what a getaway it was! We spent our first day exploring the beach at Hug point, where we discovered a little waterfall and a few sea caves that we’d not found before. Then further north we ventured into Ecola State Park (Cannon Beach, OR) where we combed the beach for treasures and spotted a few purple jelly fish. Then we ventured out for a hike above the sea cliffs. About a mile into the trail, we were scared half to death by a HUGE elk, about 10 yards away. I think we scared him just as much as he scared us! After we’d gathered our composure and marveled at the lush clover and trillium underfoot, we headed back to the parking lot. It was starting to get dark, but driving out to the overlook – we encountered a herd of 15 elk, grazing in the field!
The next morning, we introduced our friends to low tide at Haystack Rock, where starfish, mussels and sea anemones covered every nook and cranny. I also geeked out on finding my first nudibranch (a furry orange and aqua sea slug) in the wild. Then we relaxed with our friends, devoured too much wonderful food and drove back to Seattle in the wee hours of the night.
Tags: beach, Cannon Beach, jellyfish, mussels, ocean, pacific, sea anemone, starfish, tide pool, travel, vacation
Posted in travel |
Friday, March 20th, 2009
Thanks to everyone that ordered a bag this week! We are on our way home to Seattle, and will ship your orders first thing tomorrow morning. Please check your ‘in box’ for something special and thank you for your patience!
Tags: airplane, clouds, plane, travel, vacation, window
Posted in travel |
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
I say this every time I come here, and this time is no exception. It also amazes me, that although I swear I would drop everything and move here – that I can never seem to find my way around when I get here. Call it stimulation overload: sunshine, shopping and the laid-back vibe. It’s too much for this Seattle girl to handle! This is the last day of our California adventure (and A’s birthday!) and we are going to squeeze in every minute of natural goodness that we can manage before our flight.
After my appointment to show off bags at a boutique, we were free to roam. First stop was the Lighthouse beach, where we gawked at the surfers and admired the flocks of pelicans overhead. We continued on to the Natural bridges and marveled at the sea-salt corroded handrails, nearly as much as the succulents that covered the cliffside.
Tags: beach, california, natural bridges, ocean, pacific, santa cruz, sunshine, surfers, surfing, travel, vacation, waves
Posted in travel |
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
After visiting the Elephant Seals, we made our way to Hearst Castle visitors center in time to take a 2 hour tour of the hilltop estate. I had no idea that it was such a big deal. There were buses awaiting to take a load of tourists up the winding 5 mile road to the top. We first stop on the guided tour was the esplanade and gardens – filled with exotic plants, citrus trees and ancient Greek and Egyptian statues that Hearst had collected. The Neptune pool was immense and sprawling, and was festooned with large columns and archways that incorporated actual Roman ruins. The 18 room, 18 bathroom (yes!) guesthouse, Casa del Sol, was spectacularly furnished and had the most amazing carved wooden ceilings. This was nothing compared to the extravagance of Hearst Castle itself. Incorporating a mix of priceless art, Spanish antiques and Flemish tapestries - the Casa Grande was truly a fascinating pastiche of eclectic styles.
Hearst built the estate on the 250,000 acre land he inherited from his father. Designed by the patient and ingenious architect, Julia Morgan, was able to interpret Hearst’s ever-changing vision, often tearing down and re-creating structures as his ideas grew more illustrious. The ever-evolving building project began in 1919 and continued until 1947. During these years, Hearst entertained celebrities, aviators and politicians with his sprawling grounds, tennis courts, billiard room, 2 pools, movie theater, and world’s largest private zoo. After Hearsts’s death, it was donated to the state of California and is a National Historic Monument.
Tags: beach, california, castle, decor, historic, home, mansion, travel
Posted in travel |
Monday, March 16th, 2009
We continued north towards San Simeon, hoping to see the Elephant Seals we had accidentally discovered a few years back. This time we were lucky to find over 50 young pups basking in the sun, with 8 HUGE males keeping watch. There were so many – they almost looked like drift wood! The rugged coastline was truly breathtaking. . . surpassed only by the glowing orange sunset that evening.
Tags: beach, california, elephant seals, travel, vacation
Posted in travel |
Monday, March 16th, 2009
After saying goodbye to our friends, Aaron and I embarked on a mini-road trip north up the California coast on Highway 1. Our first stop was Montana de Oro Beach, near Morrow Bay – which was rumored to have great tide pools. We drove through an immense grove of Eucalyptus trees lining the winding road. The road ended at a pebble-covered beach, scattered with seashells and deep pink seaweed.
Although the tide was high, we were able to walk out onto huge pillars of rock to explore the sea life below. From there, we noticed that the tilted layers of sea wall had been carved by the waves – creating an arch!
Truly, this beach was so amazing – I almost kept it a secret!
Tags: beach, california, ocean, pacific, travel
Posted in travel |
Helloooo! I'm Crystalyn. My blog is a peek behind the scenes of how I make my
