{Store Feature} Ideal

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on October 02, 2010 in design, ideal shop, store feature, trunk show | No Comments

Ideal- carefully curated goods, is a very special store to me. It encompasses all that I love- great design, smart & wonderful owners (who are moms to children & one to a dog), & cool books. This store is about 30 minutes away from my house & I have been lucky enough to have them carry my work for the last two years. Most of the stores that I work with are either online stores or out of the state/country. So I don’t often get the opportunity to visit in person and see how my work looks in the their shops

.

I usually deliver my goodies in person because I love the chance to browse & visit with the owners of ideal. They know design and how to be great moms so I could chat with these ladies for hours. Not to mention, I never walk out of that store empty handed. There is always something unique & cool to discover. They have a very keen sense of what they like and it all flows together seamlessly. We share a love of Marimekko, books, letterpress, and clean lines. They also have a gorgeous selection of jewelry too. There is always a lot to look at for Sayer and Chris as well.

Last night they hosted a klt:trunk show that coincided with the local art walk. It was so much fun to stand back and watch the hustle & bustle in their store. I have to say, I love to observe little kids. But when they are wearing something that I made & playing with klt:plush, my heart melts. Lisa (one of the ideal owners) brought her two children to the event, Hank & Lulu. They are the sweetest kids and Lisa is all smiles in their presence.

Both Lisa & Kathleen were calm, cool, and collected all night, sporting their gorgeous Marimekko attire, while talking passionately about design. I loved how Kathleen was so nurturing to Lisa’s kid’s too. You can tell these ladies are really good friends which just makes the store feel great to be in and visit. Every time Sayer has come with me to ideal, Lisa & Kathleen have been so sweet with him, showing him the newest toys that they have found. Safe to say, he loves visiting too.

This is not a stuffy design store by any stretch of the imagination. It is friendly, smart, & beautifully curated. I had a wonderful evening last night and am really proud to be one of the designers who’s goods they carry. So if you are local, stop by – you will be really glad you did!

{Store Feature} Ideal

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on October 02, 2010 in design, ideal shop, store feature, trunk show, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Ideal- carefully curated goods, is a very special store to me. It encompasses all that I love- great design, smart & wonderful owners (who are moms to children & one to a dog), & cool books. This store is about 30 minutes away from my house & I have been lucky enough to have them carry my work for the last two years. Most of the stores that I work with are either online stores or out of the state/country. So I don’t often get the opportunity to visit in person and see how my work looks in the their shops

.

I usually deliver my goodies in person because I love the chance to browse & visit with the owners of ideal. They know design and how to be great moms so I could chat with these ladies for hours. Not to mention, I never walk out of that store empty handed. There is always something unique & cool to discover. They have a very keen sense of what they like and it all flows together seamlessly. We share a love of Marimekko, books, letterpress, and clean lines. They also have a gorgeous selection of jewelry too. There is always a lot to look at for Sayer and Chris as well.

Last night they hosted a klt:trunk show that coincided with the local art walk. It was so much fun to stand back and watch the hustle & bustle in their store. I have to say, I love to observe little kids. But when they are wearing something that I made & playing with klt:plush, my heart melts. Lisa (one of the ideal owners) brought her two children to the event, Hank & Lulu. They are the sweetest kids and Lisa is all smiles in their presence.

Both Lisa & Kathleen were calm, cool, and collected all night, sporting their gorgeous Marimekko attire, while talking passionately about design. I loved how Kathleen was so nurturing to Lisa’s kid’s too. You can tell these ladies are really good friends which just makes the store feel great to be in and visit. Every time Sayer has come with me to ideal, Lisa & Kathleen have been so sweet with him, showing him the newest toys that they have found. Safe to say, he loves visiting too.

This is not a stuffy design store by any stretch of the imagination. It is friendly, smart, & beautifully curated. I had a wonderful evening last night and am really proud to be one of the designers who’s goods they carry. So if you are local, stop by – you will be really glad you did!

{Store Feature} Babybot

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on August 03, 2010 in babybot, Eames elephant, store feature | 4 Comments

My path seems to continuously cross great visionaries who open wonderfully inspired stores. I am excited to tell you about a store that a few of those visionaries created called Babybot. Michael & Renee are the brains behind the Canadian (out of Calgary) store but there seem to be a lot of extremely talented people working to make it a real stand out. Michael contacted me in February 2009 about carrying my products in their store. Babybot was just in the planning stages, but I could tell that there was so much love and thought being put into every little detail. So of course I was overjoyed to have my work be included in their vision. Once they had opened, I was immediately taken with their website and the lovely klt:works designer page. I have to say, that when you talk with Michael and Renee about Babybot (for me it was via email) you can almost see them beaming with pride. But most importantly, they are extremely respectful, knowledgeable, and appreciative- which only adds to their stellar design aesthetic.

When a store supports me, it is really important to me to support them right back (which is why I wanted to do these reviews). I would love to buy things from all of my favorite people that I work with. However, interests and taste always exceed my wallet so I have to be patient, creative, and pick my items carefully- so that I can spread the love. The minute Babybot opened, I knew what I wanted to buy there. Now I really didn’t know it was going to work out like this, but Babybot does these great facebook discounts (if you aren’t a fan, I highly recommend it). As luck would have it, these discounts allowed me to splurge a bit and order the Eames Elephant that I have been drooling over every time I scan through their shop. I could tell you why that elephant is so special to me, but that is a whole different post. But as I have mentioned before, Ray & Charles Eames are my art/design idols. Ok, so I said it was for Sayer and don’t get me wrong, it is, and he really loves it. But it isn’t going to stay in his room, it’s going to be hanging out in the living room. After all, who am I kidding? I think the elephant is secretly mine. Renee is the woman that made it all happen and for that I am really grateful! After all, I believe she said it best when she mentioned that, “every designer needed an Eames Elephant”. Oh, she is good, isn’t she?

Now I can officially endorse Babybot as a truly special store. Not only is it great to work with Renee & Michael from a designer standpoint, but it is great to be a customer too. So pop by and give Babybot a visit- I guarantee you will have a really positive experience (not to mention, want to hum the little babybot tune). Thanks for the elephant Renee- don’t worry, it will be loved!

{Store Feature} Babybot

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on August 03, 2010 in babybot, Eames elephant, store feature | No Comments

My path seems to continuously cross great visionaries who open wonderfully inspired stores. I am excited to tell you about a store that a few of those visionaries created called Babybot. Michael & Renee are the brains behind the Canadian (out of Calgary) store but there seem to be a lot of extremely talented people working to make it a real stand out. Michael contacted me in February 2009 about carrying my products in their store. Babybot was just in the planning stages, but I could tell that there was so much love and thought being put into every little detail. So of course I was overjoyed to have my work be included in their vision. Once they had opened, I was immediately taken with their website and the lovely klt:works designer page. I have to say, that when you talk with Michael and Renee about Babybot (for me it was via email) you can almost see them beaming with pride. But most importantly, they are extremely respectful, knowledgeable, and appreciative- which only adds to their stellar design aesthetic.

When a store supports me, it is really important to me to support them right back (which is why I wanted to do these reviews). I would love to buy things from all of my favorite people that I work with. However, interests and taste always exceed my wallet so I have to be patient, creative, and pick my items carefully- so that I can spread the love. The minute Babybot opened, I knew what I wanted to buy there. Now I really didn’t know it was going to work out like this, but Babybot does these great facebook discounts (if you aren’t a fan, I highly recommend it). As luck would have it, these discounts allowed me to splurge a bit and order the Eames Elephant that I have been drooling over every time I scan through their shop. I could tell you why that elephant is so special to me, but that is a whole different post. But as I have mentioned before, Ray & Charles Eames are my art/design idols. Ok, so I said it was for Sayer and don’t get me wrong, it is, and he really loves it. But it isn’t going to stay in his room, it’s going to be hanging out in the living room. After all, who am I kidding? I think the elephant is secretly mine. Renee is the woman that made it all happen and for that I am really grateful! After all, I believe she said it best when she mentioned that, “every designer needed an Eames Elephant”. Oh, she is good, isn’t she?

Now I can officially endorse Babybot as a truly special store. Not only is it great to work with Renee & Michael from a designer standpoint, but it is great to be a customer too. So pop by and give Babybot a visit- I guarantee you will have a really positive experience (not to mention, want to hum the little babybot tune). Thanks for the elephant Renee- don’t worry, it will be loved!

{Store Feature} Babybot

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on August 03, 2010 in babybot, Eames elephant, store feature, Uncategorized | No Comments

My path seems to continuously cross great visionaries who open wonderfully inspired stores. I am excited to tell you about a store that a few of those visionaries created called Babybot. Michael & Renee are the brains behind the Canadian (out of Calgary) store but there seem to be a lot of extremely talented people working to make it a real stand out. Michael contacted me in February 2009 about carrying my products in their store. Babybot was just in the planning stages, but I could tell that there was so much love and thought being put into every little detail. So of course I was overjoyed to have my work be included in their vision. Once they had opened, I was immediately taken with their website and the lovely klt:works designer page. I have to say, that when you talk with Michael and Renee about Babybot (for me it was via email) you can almost see them beaming with pride. But most importantly, they are extremely respectful, knowledgeable, and appreciative- which only adds to their stellar design aesthetic.

When a store supports me, it is really important to me to support them right back (which is why I wanted to do these reviews). I would love to buy things from all of my favorite people that I work with. However, interests and taste always exceed my wallet so I have to be patient, creative, and pick my items carefully- so that I can spread the love. The minute Babybot opened, I knew what I wanted to buy there. Now I really didn’t know it was going to work out like this, but Babybot does these great facebook discounts (if you aren’t a fan, I highly recommend it). As luck would have it, these discounts allowed me to splurge a bit and order the Eames Elephant that I have been drooling over every time I scan through their shop. I could tell you why that elephant is so special to me, but that is a whole different post. But as I have mentioned before, Ray & Charles Eames are my art/design idols. Ok, so I said it was for Sayer and don’t get me wrong, it is, and he really loves it. But it isn’t going to stay in his room, it’s going to be hanging out in the living room. After all, who am I kidding? I think the elephant is secretly mine. Renee is the woman that made it all happen and for that I am really grateful! After all, I believe she said it best when she mentioned that, “every designer needed an Eames Elephant”. Oh, she is good, isn’t she?

Now I can officially endorse Babybot as a truly special store. Not only is it great to work with Renee & Michael from a designer standpoint, but it is great to be a customer too. So pop by and give Babybot a visit- I guarantee you will have a really positive experience (not to mention, want to hum the little babybot tune). Thanks for the elephant Renee- don’t worry, it will be loved!

{Store Feature} monsieur minouchet

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on June 29, 2010 in monsieur minouchet, store feature | No Comments

Catherine Dupont emailed me in June of 2008. I actually know the exact date because I haven’t thrown any of her emails away. She was inquiring about carrying my products in a store that she was lovingly creating called monsieur minouchet. Her emails were so warm and friendly. At the time, Sayer was 5 months and I was still trying to figure the whole, new mommy/ small biz owner thing out. She was kind and patient and shared a little bit about her son Adrien, who was 18 months at the time. I don’t remember everything in her first order, but there were a lot of plush kitties & owls.

Right after Catherine received her klt:boxes, she sent me some pictures of Adrien & Ollie Owl that melted my heart. Adrien had adopted Ollie Owl immediately. He slept with him and took him everywhere. I believe she told me that Ollie even had a spot at the breakfast table next to Adrien! Needless to say, I was pleased to hear that Ollie was receiving so much love in Belgium. I also remember looking at the pictures of Adrien and wondering when Sayer was going to be able to walk and carry around one of my plushies like that.

When monsieur minouchet officially opened I spent a long time looking through all of Catherine’s beautifully curated treasures. I love her style, taste, and the fact that she uses Adrien as a model. Her photos are always clever and show a peek into her life. I find that she and I are drawn to similar brands and designers. She carries a large variety of a local favorite of mine, Kate Quinn Organics. I have pictures of Sayer in that same shirt (except green). I also use Sayer as my model and I enjoy seeing photos of both Adrien & Sayer over time. It is a great way to document how fast they grow. I also get to see some of my klt:works tees on Adrien which is always fun! It appears that Adrien and Sayer share a love of Thomas the Train, cars, and garbage trucks too .

Along with having a similar aesthetic, Catherine and I enjoy sharing music, movie, & book recommendations. We developed a friendship that I truly value over the last 2 years. She is my international pen pal with a keen wit and sense of style. I have the goal of one day meeting her in person and visiting Belgium. I have never been to Europe and so far I have been living through my critters and the interesting people that they bring my way. I have received some pretty fantastic parcels from Catherine over the years as well – including a few things found in her store like this wonderful soap & a print by Blanca Gomez- cosas minimas .

Catherine just received her latest klt:boxes a few days ago and she sent me this sweet photo of Adrien sleeping with the new little critter that he adopted, a bulldog plushie. I have to say, it is nice to have klt:works represented in such a beautiful shop, but the best part has been meeting Catherine. So, if you are proficient in French, live near Belgium, or just want to visit a thoughtfully curated shop, stop by monsieur minouchet. Catherine also has a blog where she often shares yummy recipes that she finds and includes beautiful pictures of things found in her garden and on her travels. If you are like me and don’t speak french this is a very helpful tool . Enjoy!

{all photos – monsieur minouchet & klt:works}

{Store Feature} monsieur minouchet

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on June 29, 2010 in monsieur minouchet, store feature, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Catherine Dupont emailed me in June of 2008. I actually know the exact date because I haven’t thrown any of her emails away. She was inquiring about carrying my products in a store that she was lovingly creating called monsieur minouchet. Her emails were so warm and friendly. At the time, Sayer was 5 months and I was still trying to figure the whole, new mommy/ small biz owner thing out. She was kind and patient and shared a little bit about her son Adrien, who was 18 months at the time. I don’t remember everything in her first order, but there were a lot of plush kitties & owls.

Right after Catherine received her klt:boxes, she sent me some pictures of Adrien & Ollie Owl that melted my heart. Adrien had adopted Ollie Owl immediately. He slept with him and took him everywhere. I believe she told me that Ollie even had a spot at the breakfast table next to Adrien! Needless to say, I was pleased to hear that Ollie was receiving so much love in Belgium. I also remember looking at the pictures of Adrien and wondering when Sayer was going to be able to walk and carry around one of my plushies like that.

When monsieur minouchet officially opened I spent a long time looking through all of Catherine’s beautifully curated treasures. I love her style, taste, and the fact that she uses Adrien as a model. Her photos are always clever and show a peek into her life. I find that she and I are drawn to similar brands and designers. She carries a large variety of a local favorite of mine, Kate Quinn Organics. I have pictures of Sayer in that same shirt (except green). I also use Sayer as my model and I enjoy seeing photos of both Adrien & Sayer over time. It is a great way to document how fast they grow. I also get to see some of my klt:works tees on Adrien which is always fun! It appears that Adrien and Sayer share a love of Thomas the Train, cars, and garbage trucks too .

Along with having a similar aesthetic, Catherine and I enjoy sharing music, movie, & book recommendations. We developed a friendship that I truly value over the last 2 years. She is my international pen pal with a keen wit and sense of style. I have the goal of one day meeting her in person and visiting Belgium. I have never been to Europe and so far I have been living through my critters and the interesting people that they bring my way. I have received some pretty fantastic parcels from Catherine over the years as well – including a few things found in her store like this wonderful soap & a print by Blanca Gomez- cosas minimas .

Catherine just received her latest klt:boxes a few days ago and she sent me this sweet photo of Adrien sleeping with the new little critter that he adopted, a bulldog plushie. I have to say, it is nice to have klt:works represented in such a beautiful shop, but the best part has been meeting Catherine. So, if you are proficient in French, live near Belgium, or just want to visit a thoughtfully curated shop, stop by monsieur minouchet. Catherine also has a blog where she often shares yummy recipes that she finds and includes beautiful pictures of things found in her garden and on her travels. If you are like me and don’t speak french this is a very helpful tool . Enjoy!

{all photos – monsieur minouchet & klt:works}

{Store Feature} monsieur minouchet

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on June 29, 2010 in monsieur minouchet, store feature | No Comments

Catherine Dupont emailed me in June of 2008. I actually know the exact date because I haven’t thrown any of her emails away. She was inquiring about carrying my products in a store that she was lovingly creating called monsieur minouchet. Her emails were so warm and friendly. At the time, Sayer was 5 months and I was still trying to figure the whole, new mommy/ small biz owner thing out. She was kind and patient and shared a little bit about her son Adrien, who was 18 months at the time. I don’t remember everything in her first order, but there were a lot of plush kitties & owls.

Right after Catherine received her klt:boxes, she sent me some pictures of Adrien & Ollie Owl that melted my heart. Adrien had adopted Ollie Owl immediately. He slept with him and took him everywhere. I believe she told me that Ollie even had a spot at the breakfast table next to Adrien! Needless to say, I was pleased to hear that Ollie was receiving so much love in Belgium. I also remember looking at the pictures of Adrien and wondering when Sayer was going to be able to walk and carry around one of my plushies like that.

When monsieur minouchet officially opened I spent a long time looking through all of Catherine’s beautifully curated treasures. I love her style, taste, and the fact that she uses Adrien as a model. Her photos are always clever and show a peek into her life. I find that she and I are drawn to similar brands and designers. She carries a large variety of a local favorite of mine, Kate Quinn Organics. I have pictures of Sayer in that same shirt (except green). I also use Sayer as my model and I enjoy seeing photos of both Adrien & Sayer over time. It is a great way to document how fast they grow. I also get to see some of my klt:works tees on Adrien which is always fun! It appears that Adrien and Sayer share a love of Thomas the Train, cars, and garbage trucks too .

Along with having a similar aesthetic, Catherine and I enjoy sharing music, movie, & book recommendations. We developed a friendship that I truly value over the last 2 years. She is my international pen pal with a keen wit and sense of style. I have the goal of one day meeting her in person and visiting Belgium. I have never been to Europe and so far I have been living through my critters and the interesting people that they bring my way. I have received some pretty fantastic parcels from Catherine over the years as well – including a few things found in her store like this wonderful soap & a print by Blanca Gomez- cosas minimas .

Catherine just received her latest klt:boxes a few days ago and she sent me this sweet photo of Adrien sleeping with the new little critter that he adopted, a bulldog plushie. I have to say, it is nice to have klt:works represented in such a beautiful shop, but the best part has been meeting Catherine. So, if you are proficient in French, live near Belgium, or just want to visit a thoughtfully curated shop, stop by monsieur minouchet. Catherine also has a blog where she often shares yummy recipes that she finds and includes beautiful pictures of things found in her garden and on her travels. If you are like me and don’t speak french this is a very helpful tool . Enjoy!

{all photos – monsieur minouchet & klt:works}

{Everyday Inspiration} Perspective…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on June 08, 2010 in Everyday Inspiration, store feature | 12 Comments

Have you ever had a day (or a week) where you felt overwhelmed and the balance between being a small business owner and a mom was a little out of whack? Well, that was me in a nutshell last week. While I enjoy the challenges that both motherhood & a small business can bring, the combination can sometimes leave me questioning my ability to maintain a healthy balance which can bring on momentary self-doubt. Funny though, I received an email that changed all of those feeling in a split second.

I really can’t mention enough, how many wonderful people that I have met through klt:works and how many great emails and pictures that collect in my inbox. I have been working with a store called Natursutten, in Denmark for over a year now (maybe even two, come to think of it). Anne-Dorthe is the owner and I have gotten to know her a bit through emails and she has a son a about a year older than Sayer. Natursutten has carried all of my organic and eco-tees and her son has owned many as well. Anne-Dorthe emailed me last week with a little note that said, “Your owls are doing very well in Africa!”. Attached were photos of two little, smiling girls, Hadija and Faidha. Her daughter had just been visiting a friend in Africa who volunteers at a “childhome” called, “The Baobab Home” (for kids without parents). She had taken a bunch of clothing with her to donate (the Baobab Home is run on donations) and there happened to be a few outgrown klt:works owl tees in the mix. While I know that Anne-Dorthe thought I would like these photos – I am sure she didn’t anticipate what it all would mean to me. I still don’t have words for the emotions that I feel, myself.

I don’t want to drone on and on about my inner thoughts and what makes me tick. But one thing I will share is that I am a bleeding heart. When I was in graduate school, studying for my MFA, I really struggled with how selfish it felt. I used to watch “ER” and feel like I should be helping people rather than just making art. My wise thesis advisor told me to just watch “Friends” instead. After graduation, I had many jobs in the social/special services fields (working with at risk youth, teaching in detention facilities, working with people with disabilities). It wasn’t until I started klt:works that I really had the revelation that I could still “help” and make people happy by doing what I love- by making things. I still struggle with the fact that my little donations to various organizations can’t really change the world, but I guess I will leave that to Oprah, and those that can really afford to do so. In the meanwhile, it makes me happy to have a connection to the Boabab Home and I look forward to sending off a box of some of Sayer’s outgrown clothes and toys along with some klt:tees. Now, when I have those overwhelming days, I can look at the pictures of Hadija and Faidha and gain a little perspective on everything.

{Everyday Inspiration} Perspective…

Posted by kristinloffertheiss on June 08, 2010 in Everyday Inspiration, store feature | No Comments

Have you ever had a day (or a week) where you felt overwhelmed and the balance between being a small business owner and a mom was a little out of whack? Well, that was me in a nutshell last week. While I enjoy the challenges that both motherhood & a small business can bring, the combination can sometimes leave me questioning my ability to maintain a healthy balance which can bring on momentary self-doubt. Funny though, I received an email that changed all of those feeling in a split second.

I really can’t mention enough, how many wonderful people that I have met through klt:works and how many great emails and pictures that collect in my inbox. I have been working with a store called Natursutten, in Denmark for over a year now (maybe even two, come to think of it). Anne-Dorthe is the owner and I have gotten to know her a bit through emails and she has a son a about a year older than Sayer. Natursutten has carried all of my organic and eco-tees and her son has owned many as well. Anne-Dorthe emailed me last week with a little note that said, “Your owls are doing very well in Africa!”. Attached were photos of two little, smiling girls, Hadija and Faidha. Her daughter had just been visiting a friend in Africa who volunteers at a “childhome” called, “The Baobab Home” (for kids without parents). She had taken a bunch of clothing with her to donate (the Baobab Home is run on donations) and there happened to be a few outgrown klt:works owl tees in the mix. While I know that Anne-Dorthe thought I would like these photos – I am sure she didn’t anticipate what it all would mean to me. I still don’t have words for the emotions that I feel, myself.

I don’t want to drone on and on about my inner thoughts and what makes me tick. But one thing I will share is that I am a bleeding heart. When I was in graduate school, studying for my MFA, I really struggled with how selfish it felt. I used to watch “ER” and feel like I should be helping people rather than just making art. My wise thesis advisor told me to just watch “Friends” instead. After graduation, I had many jobs in the social/special services fields (working with at risk youth, teaching in detention facilities, working with people with disabilities). It wasn’t until I started klt:works that I really had the revelation that I could still “help” and make people happy by doing what I love- by making things. I still struggle with the fact that my little donations to various organizations can’t really change the world, but I guess I will leave that to Oprah, and those that can really afford to do so. In the meanwhile, it makes me happy to have a connection to the Boabab Home and I look forward to sending off a box of some of Sayer’s outgrown clothes and toys along with some klt:tees. Now, when I have those overwhelming days, I can look at the pictures of Hadija and Faidha and gain a little perspective on everything.

{Store Feature} Ideal

{Store Feature} Ideal

{Store Feature} Babybot

{Store Feature} Babybot

{Store Feature} Babybot

{Store Feature} monsieur minouchet

{Store Feature} monsieur minouchet

{Store Feature} monsieur minouchet

{Everyday Inspiration} Perspective…

{Everyday Inspiration} Perspective…

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