Hello, friends!
S and I stopped by a famous little shop, Alpargateria Casa Hernandez, here in Madrid the other day. We were purchasing espadrilles–known here as alpargatas–to wear at home as slippers.
I’m sure you’re familiar with espadrilles, yes? Casa Hernandez has a huge variety of these shoes in a stunning array of colors, fabrics, and styles. Choose from simple flat styles like the ones we purchased, or select from various heel heights, materials like linen and leather and suede, slingbacks and ankle straps and almost anything you can imagine. Next spring I’m planning to go back and purchase another dressier pair; I particular liked the wedge styles made with leather. In fact, I was searching for a similar pair this summer and couldn’t find anything I liked quite as much as a pair they had in the window the other day.
Since the basic espadrilles are made with a fabric upper, wouldn’t it be fun to make your own? As it turns out, you can easily do so! I got all excited when I came across Ada Spragg’s espadrille DIY the other day and had to share it with you.
Cute, yes? I’m especially excited about this because I have a new fabric collection coming out in just a couple of weeks, and I think I may need to make espadrilles with some of the new fabrics! I’ll tell you all about the new collection as soon as I get the OK. I promise.
In the meantime, here are some links to keep you busy this weekend.
As a life-long fan of ice cream (I submit my ice cream Pinterest board as evidence of said obsession), I started following @jimbachor on Instagram because he was using ice-cream-themed mosaics to fill potholes in Chicago. It all started as a way of calling the city’s attention to the problem of unfilled potholes. He’s since moved on to other subjects for his street mosaics, but his work continues to delight and inspire me.
Pinterest links
Isn’t this a cute ideas to finish an armhole or neckline? Use fold-over elastic (or maybe even stretch lace?) instead of a bias facing. Very clever and pretty. And probably less bulky, too.
I love this outfit for fall. Use our Lunchbox Culottes pattern for a similar look.
Here’s a little trio of pins for you: This first one is basically just half square triangles. But watch the cream, mustard and black.
Keeping in mind that quilt, this jacket takes it to the next level using the same triangles and color palette!
Swap out the colors just a bit–ballet pink in place of the cream and slate gray in place of the black–and you have an equally darling and sophisticated dress for a little girl. I might play around with the Carousel Dress for a similar look, but the Pinwheel Dress could also work well. I love the color blocking here, still with the use of subtle triangles.
Weekend reading
- A month or so ago I linked to a newish company that’s offering men’s fashions using performance fabrics. Do you remember that one? Well, here’s another company offering formal clothing using performance fabrics! What a fantastic idea, especially for musicians and people who need to move and to work while wearing formal apparel.
- Have you ever wondered why you’re often asked for your zip code when you shop? Here’s a possible answer, as well as a few other secrets of the retail trade revealed.
- This list of ways to protect your relationship with your teenager is really good. And I think it doesn’t just apply to teenagers; S is ten and would be horrified if I did a lot of these things.
- What do you think? Is it all a myth that we’re not getting enough sleep? I’m still pretty sure I’m not getting enough, and the late Spanish nights aren’t really helping me to change that.
- Back in NYC it’s Fashion Week, and this overview gave me a good chuckle. Sadly, it’s accurate.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!