ALL FOR EVERYONE!

OPEN!
Well, this is it!
There's no turning back now...
I will post updates to the store here as new items and patterns become available.
Now go on! Click on the happy faces to dive in!

ALL Shop!

The ALL Shop will open this Thursday, April 29th!
I will send the shop link to anyone on the mailing list and post the address here on Thursday morning. In the meantime, here are a few of the items that will be available in the shop. Jennifer Parry Dodge, the last one is for you!

Shop till you drop!
SUMMER SCHOOL IS IN SESSION...

Report to Summer ASAP

I'm already there, I've been there for a few weeks now. This is the first spring in a long time that has been true, and green, and warm. I've already enjoyed many iced coffees, a treat I usually reserve for the hottest of summer days. The exceptional springiness this year has brought me back to a selection of soft colors I have always loved. I can't bring myself to touch the navy blue yarn quite yet, I'm too busy basking in sunlight and softness.

Something tells me that the best summer ever is on the way. With softball on Thursdays, skateboarding on Saturdays, and karaoke on any day, a bad summer seems impossible. Maybe we'll even start going to our hip-hop dance classes again for some real exercise...

Closer

Store preparations are shaping up!
I'll continue to shoot new items in between skateboarding and sunshine, and will definitely be open by the end of the month. I will post the web address when it's official and send an email reminder if you have requested to be on the mailing list. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please send an email to annieleelarson@gmail.com, or leave your address in the comments.

SEE YOU IN THERE!

NUGZ

Nugz has been with me through many fashion debacles over the years, and has modeled for me more than anyone else. The first time I saw Lindsay was in the cafeteria line at Pioneer Hall where I was working as a card swiper in 2003. She looked really cool. We acknowledged each other but didn't become fully committed until we both happened to move to the same block after studying in Florence at the same school.

Yesterday morning, we shot some new material together and it sent me on this nostalgic bender, trying to remember all of the times we have done this before. Lindsay is my best gal, and daaaaang she is fine. Let's take a walk into the past...



April 2010

New Land of Milk and Honey at The Soap Factory, February 2010

Studio Jams at Celebritiez Incorporated, September 2008

New Multiples + Joy Jams at Stone Arch Bridge, July 2008

Neon Packages at Soo Visual Arts Center, September 2007

Double Dutch at Cliche Boutique, April 2007

Miss Shape at the University of Minnesota, February 2006

Sticker Round!

Stripes and polka-dots have been close to my heart for many, many years. My entire senior collection for college was designed using only stripes, polka-dots, and various shapes including squares, triangles, circles, and diamonds. Things were a little more "Talking Heads Dance Party" back then (literally), and incredibly amateur (I hand-painted my polka-dots with a pencil eraser and acrylic ink because screen-printing was terrifying). I have attempted to grow out of this phase, but it's just no use! Most of the time I try to forget about college, but it's impossible to deny that certain creative instincts have stuck around for a reason.

Speaking of sticking around, here are some new spring patterns inspired in part by the perfect sheet of stickers I found at the thrift store last week. After years of searching for inspiration images at Target and assembling mood boards for each new season, it's easy to feel unaffected by visuals that are supposed to represent a body of work...especially when you are selecting from the same pool of resources that every design company uses. This lone sheet of stickers I found in the middle of a huge $1.69 package at Value Village speaks volumes about who I am as a person and designer...and a pleasant reminder that there are still real-life treasures out there if you're looking...

Mini Ha Ha

The last week has been a complete whirlwind of activity.
NLMH Bazaar was a happy day, but I'm done talking about that show now that it's officially closed. Instead, here are a few images from a day of BIG FUN this past weekend. Sometimes talking about work can get boring, and sometimes I'm not even sure why I do it. Maybe I just fell too hard into the "Internet Formula" for how to be a self-employed designer in these webby times. Speaking of the Internet...

FUCK YOU, PayPal!
FUCK YOU, USBank!

What a horrible morning I've had dealing with customer service representatives. You see, what I really want to discuss here is not the happy, wholesome weekend I had climbing rocks in Minnehaha Falls. I want to talk about how angry I am at the Internet. Alas, I've been spouting my opinion on the phone for hours now and it has gotten me nowhere. I guess in e-commerce, the Internet always wins.

But speaking of Minnehaha Falls...
What an awesome place! I'm embarrassed to say that this was the second time in eight years I have visited this beautiful Minneapolis landmark. I've never even seen this graffiti corner we are so callously inhabiting. Having friends visiting from out of town forces me to view the city from their perspective, just a little bit, and we find new things together.

But speaking of getting back to work and carrying on with my normal life...
I've got to start knitting now, bye bye!

NLMH Bazaar!

The NLMH Bazaar is an all day community event to celebrate the closing of the New Land of Milk and Honey at the Soap Factory. NLMH Bazaar will engage all five senses through activities scheduled in the Zen Center, Exploration Center, Creation Center, Dining Center, and Inspiration Center. Special presentations and group exercises will occur periodically throughout the day at the NLMH Main Stage in the heart of the Activity Center. A pot-luck style community dinner will begin at 5:00 p.m. and lead us into an evening filled with unimaginable sights and sounds. NLMH Bazaar is a celebration of togetherness.

Join us!
This event is FREE, donations welcome!
Full schedule of events available here!