A Fresh Batch of Orange

Jenny of Orange Peel Enamel just dropped off a bunch of new pendants.

These sold out quickly at Christmas. What a perfect Valentine's gift.

Introducing Wendy

Finally, I've figured out a way to make a durable multipocket wallet. Customers have been asking for something like this for years. I'm excited that Wendy has now been posted on the website and is ready to go out into purses and pockets everywhere.



One of my favorite things about this new design is that it is fully lined in a bold print. This black and white material has been so popular, both in the store and in our wholesale line, that I decided to use it on this version of this wallet. It'll make spending money fun!

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Luxe Clutch Sampling

Olympic Sculpture Park

Seattle's new sculpture park opened on Saturday. Jeff and I headed downtown this afternoon to check it out.


The cafe is closed on Mondays, but the park is open and free seven days a week.


In the last decade, this part of downtown has become a sea of high rise condos. The sculpture park is built on an old hazardous waste site. The native plants, small now, will add a lush look here.


The typical Seattle grey January skies seemed less dreary somehow when juxtaposed against this stunning place.



These melting ice sculptures were left over from the opening festivities. The dripping silvery forms were temporary sculptures of their own.

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Northwest's Squarest Deal

"This building used to be a drugstore," a gentleman told me the other day. One of our window washers, he was fastidiously squeegeeing our front door.

"I used to come here a lot in the '50s. It was a malt shop too with a long counter," he told me. "They had one of those record machines that would turn the 45 over automatically."

I have been obsessed with his story ever since. This old building has been through so much in its history. One person told me about a shop that sold antique gumball machines. Many have mentioned the little cafe that was here in the mid 1990s. One of our favorite regulars, Wilma, used to own the building in the 70s and 80s with her husband.

But a drugstore; The quintessential 1950s hangout! That is the coolest thing I've heard so far. How I would love to have a photograph of good ole 6418 20th Ave in those days. I've combed through some online photo archives looking for an image, and I haven't had any luck yet. I did find a few cool things to share with you though.


That's George Bartell, founder of still thriving, locally owned Bartell's Drugs, a Northwest tradition. He's pictured here tacking up a fabulous "Buy American" poster in 1933. Apparently, the newspaper Seattle Post-Intelligencer printed this poster as a tear out.


Here's a jewelry store pictured in 1937. According to the records, this building was about five blocks from the current LBD digs. I love the big sign and great slogan. I think this building may still be standing, although the store has long since closed. I'll take picture of it now if I can track it down.

More historical photos to follow. If you want to do your own searches, visit this website.

Otis on his throne

New stuff on the website!

In 2007 I plan to spend more time on the website than in 2006. That means getting better about snapping photos regularly, and then taking the time to add new items to the site. I still do all of the site management myself, so sometimes this work gets lost in the shuffle.

Anyhow, I'm happy to say that I've added quite a few new things recently including some new versions of the Helen Hobo and Eve (two of our best-selling bag shapes). Visit our web store the see the goods.

Wristlet Subscription #1

I love to sort through buttons, and to imagine what their previous lives have been like. Did this one close white coat? A gingham blouse? A child’s dress? How did these buttons end up in a this little jar in this very shop?

For this, my first wristlet subscription design, I’ve selected two juicy red buttons to adorn each new purse. To create the blossoms, I stacked each button on cream felt and used my scallop shears to create petals. I stitched stems and leaves from ribbon and bits of faux suede.



To learn more about the subscription program, click here.

We love our new windows

Kids Corner

Silver Sparrow

One of our bestsellers, this silver sparrow is asymmetrical and bold. $18. Visit our web store to learn more.

Store Time Capsule

Happy New Year!