the world’s dreamiest blankets

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many, many moons ago when i had no wrinkles and maya was just a wee lass, i had a sweet little business called ellabalou with a wonderful friend and partner, laura.  some of you may remember it; many of you probably won’t. we made utterly delicious blankets for babies and toddlers, got loads of accolades from nice people around us, sold a lot, then crashed alongside a gazillion others as the bubble of 2008 imploded. sales disappeared, we sold off extra inventory and said a sad farewell to the little business that could, and then suddenly, couldn’t.

but enough wistfulness, that was a million cups of tea ago! laura and i continue to get emails from moms who bought ellabalous way back when, hoping they can still purchase. only a lucky few have been able to ~ we’ve scrambled around, digging one or two up, but mostly have had to let people know there are no longer any available.

until now! laura found a hidden stash in this fall’s great garage clean out, and they are for sale! we have 32 pieces, colors are somewhat limited {no yummy dark brown, sorry}, and they are going for $25 a piece! you may comment here on this post if you are interested, or message me via email or facebook.

out of nostalgia, our website is still up. pay a visit there if you’re so inclined.

http://www.ellabalou.com

XO

blanketonwood

blanketsintubes

blanketduo

een mooie dag.

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vintage-bicycles-16

 today is amsterdam pretty. blue sky, puffy white clouds,  cool air swirling around and whipping up the leaves as i walked the pups.

i’d like to be with my bestie signe drinking koffie verkeerd in a perfect glass-window coffee house on a canal in her town.

i’d like to spend a whole day painting in light that comes in so strong and fierce in big sharp angles that the dust motes are like tiny firecrackers moving through the air. i’d like to twinkle my nose and just be there at the big round table eating dinner and drinking wine as the blue gray dutch evening light turns to night time outside.

instead i’ll go to work, and make words and images and color and shape into beautiful little digital tapestries. i’ll have lunch with the lovelies i get to spend my work days with, drink too much coffee and listen to kcrw.

but in my mind i’ll be on that bike up there, gliding over cobblestones through narrow streets, and signe will be next to me with her hand on my handle bars, keeping us connected as we ride and ride, for that’s how they do it over there. 

oh, hi again.

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i couldn’t stay away. at least not for long. having a blog for six years is sort of like having a lovely boutique where you can share what feels compelling, beautiful, important. it is ego-based and can be wonderfully creative, utterly narcissistic, or deeply therapeutic, depending on your world view, self-view or both. for me forty deluxe was a bit of all three: a place to post, process and preen, though that last endeavor i can say is not really all that interesting to me. i’ve always been more of a private-preener; i’m shy that way.

 blogging is so particular to the world we live in now, and as such, contains an immediacy that is both satisfying and a bit irresistable. i love that i can reach out to friends and dog-lovers and was-band and fellow appreciators of all things lovely, philanthropic or design-y. i love design, it’s what i do all day long, combine color and form and words. i love books, and digging through pawn shops & thrift stores. love playing led zeppelin l-o-u-d while cleaning and tosca when i bake. i love rearranging furniture, vintage jewelry, cowboy boots and clusters of things in threes. fives can work too but never fours. and for god’s sake stay away from couplings of two, unless they truly are bookends. the kind that hold books.

finally, i have this ridiculous, overflowing handful of friends who are so talented and doing such gorgeous work that i find it hard to imagine they are all people whom i know, love and celebrate. i want to build a place to spotlight them and their work or maybe just their dreamy faces and souls. perhaps there is a poem or recipe or the perfect photograph you all just have to see. i can already think of a dozen. so welcome to sparrowloom, all of you. this is going to be different than anything i’ve ever done, and already i know this journey will be a game changer, and a work of joy.

work-of-joy

are you already wondering what’s coming? me too!

{ hmm, what to post, what to post? }