First.Thursday.3

The countdown has begun! Officially, three days till First Thursday, September 2nd and the MAKE.GOOD studio Trunk Show at Salmagundi!
If your curious as to what great MALA handmade bags you'll see...here is a sneak peak.

First.Thursday.2

MAKE.GOOD s t u d i o will be at SALMAGUNDI in Jamaica Plain this Thursday September 2 from 6-9 pm. Our MALA handmade bags will debut the custom Salmagundi Hip Bag made exclusively for this JP shop! Come by, sip champagne, listen to DJ Bruno spinning tunes Live on www.UtopiaBostonRadio.com, and meet the designer, that's me!

First.Thursday

MAKE.GOOD studio will be participating in Jamaica Plain Center/South Main Street First Thursday in September!!! (That's Sept 2nd!)
Find out soon which fabulous shop will be featuring our MALA handmade bags!
If you haven't been to a First Thursday in JP come on by. It's an evening of Live Music, Art, and a peak into a great community! Hope to see you there.

designer.dinner.2

Most people, when asked, say they don't like to cook for themselves. It's probably less the thought of laboring over a meal just for one, than it is the thought of eating it alone afterward. Just a guess.
I'm not one of those people. The joy of cooking, and eating is not diminished by the size of the party. I love cooking for a group of friends as much as for myself. I put on some music, pop open a bottle of good wine, sharpen my knife and roll into the relaxing tasks involved in preparing a meal. It's almost meditative, the act of chopping, sauteing, and stirring. And when the moment comes to savor the meal, I sit down at my table, cherish each bite, and daydream.

This past weekend I discovered a recipe for stuffed pork loin. Inside the meat went a layer of prosciutto topped with a mixture of dried fruits, breadcrumbs and goat cheese.

Wrapped and tied safely inside the meat, the savory stuffed package was browned and roasted in the oven until just a hint of pink remained. Or, for the practical, it reached 155 degrees.

Roasted asparagus was what I had on hand, but if I could do it all over again I would have had a pureed something or other. The port wine sauce to finish the dish was calling out for something to pool in...and so was I. It will have to wait till the next time.

photo.shoot

As fun as it is making handbags, it's the moment you put them out into the world that really gets me excited! Yesterday my lovely and talented friend Kennan and I styled a photo shoot in Boston's Back Bay. We had bikes and gray sweaters, beautiful wrought iron and lots of old Boston brick to set the mood. It was the perfect spot to showcase the Hip Bag and the Saddle Bag. Both are so practical for when you are ridding in the city, but stylish when you lock up the bike and stop for an Americano. So when will these be out in the world, you ask? Stay tuned...MALA handbags will be featured at a great event in September! 
More details to come...

this is Penny.

I have never had a dog. Growing up we were not a pet family. The closest I got was the summer my brother surprised me for my 14 birthday with a little yellow cat I named Garfield. Two months later he was gone. I cried, a lot.
Later, as an adult with my own apartment, it one day dawned on me that I could have a pet if I wanted one. So I got two cats, Phoenix first, then Harley. I loved them.
It was wonderful having those two little furry creatures around. Opening the front door after a long day, they were always there to greet me, and to remind me that nothing is more important than the relationships one has with living things. And yes, that includes cats and dogs. Their wide loving gaze satisfied by a pat on the head, or a rub of the belly reminds us to appreciate the simple things.
Phoenix and Harley are gone, but now there is Penny, a sweet little Vizsla with long spindly legs and unbelievably floppy ears. She demands my love and attention, and in return she makes me smile every day and never fails in reminding me what's important in life. Love.

just.thursday

Doodling on a rainy Thursday afternoon...

chair.love

Oh the joy of owning an Eames Molded Plastic Rocker!  
I am so in love with everything the Eames' have made, and now I have a little piece of history in my very own living room. I love the way this chair feels both delicate and solid. It's smaller than I expected, but has a huge personality! What's your favorite piece of furniture?

I'm pretty sure my Womb Chair has a crush...