Issue Eight

SEED BEADS, BARGELLO PILLOWS, CHICAGO AND BELT BAGS

I’m back in the saddle and excited to share a few hauls with you today: SEED BEADS, BELT BAGS and BARGELLO PILLOWS.

Over at Eckhaus Latta this week we celebrated the tenure and are now grieving the loss of our longest standing team member Emma. She has been with us for a few months shy of a decade and has brought so much light into our lives. Now she’s onto big things in the non-profit world- Take flight my brilliant friend!

In other news, I did a little sobering retail tour of Chicago last weekend- woof! What a harsh landscape! My read is that most spots cater to lobotomized rich people. There seems to be an extreme interest in marked up distressed sneakers (the more disgusting, the more expensive) sometimes sold alongside hot sauce?! Maybe people should have to take a test and get a license before they’re allowed to have a concept store or operate a lifestyle brand?

For all that the windy city lacked, it made up for it in a few beautiful ventures that didn't seem completely crushed by late capitalism, and couldn't exist lo anywhere else in the world.

Highlights include TUSK, a store south of Logan Square owned and operated by Mary Eleanore Wallace, a nurse (!) with exquisite taste who’s run this spot for 13 years on the weekends… she doesn't sell online but she did just start her own substack and it’s a treat.

The mostly vintage store EVERYTHING in Pilson had a great selection and great prices.

The Weaving Mill, an artist-run industrial weaving studio also south of Logan Square. A very ambitious project that’s been going strong for 10+ years.

Notre has an exstensive shoe selection and is doing the god damn work to dress the non-lobotomized consumers of CHI.

Almost every meal I had there was mid at best with the HUGE exception of Cellar Door Provisions. Directly next door is Diversey Wine, which is magnificent but almost doesn't count because its an offshoot from a CA business (Ordinaire in Oakland.)

EVERYTHING SUNAO KAWAHARA JACKET

EVERYTHING DONNA KARAN CINCH PURSE

THE WEAVING MILL WATERMELON WAFFLE KITCHEN TOWELS

THE WEAVING MILL GRADIENT STRIPE BLANKET

ANDRE WALKER VEST AT TUSK

I’m transcending into prepper mode for a number of reasons. We’re also looking into developing a little sister or two for the Snap bag so I’m rooting around for the perfect multi functional bag for being a mom of two, hiking, going to the club and the Great Depression II.

MASTER PIECE ASH MINIMAL SLING POUCH

BUBBLE GUM PRADA FANNYPACK

MARGIELA TRIANGLE SLING BAG

GORP WHEN GAP LOST ITS WAY SLING BAG

PALOMA PICASSO POUCH

TOUCHING PORTER UTILITY POUCH- THEY REALLY DO MAKE THE BEST BAGS

RENFAIRE ALL YOU NEED LARPING BELT BAG

MAYBE SO LAME ITS COOL UNDERCOVER MONEY BELT?

SIMPLE BEIGE SLING (I’M UPSET BY THE LOGO PLACEMENT)

A WEIGHTLESS SOCK OF A BAG

MAYBE THE PERFECT SIZE FOR A TINY ADVENTURE

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS SIMPLE, YET I AM ANNOYED BY HOW SIMPLE AND COVETABLE THIS ROW BAG IS

CAYCE POLLARD VIBE PORTER FANNY PACK

BUTCH SUEDE PINK TOOL BELT

These pillows have haunted me for many years now, they're usually accompanied by a story about an elderly man in the 70’s or 80’s who took up embroidery late in life. As it turns out the Bargello method is 3x faster than most needlepoint techniques… Bless the designer who came up with these Op Art patterns.

BROWN AND BEIGE ZIGS

PSYCHEDEL RAINBOW

YELLOW BROWN HEART LUMBAR

SIGNED RED PLAID

PIXEL TULIPS

YELLOW AVOCADO ZIGS

STARS IN MY EYES GROOVY COLORS

CROSS STITCH FAUX WOVEN SAMPLER

HOLY LATTICE SQUARE

DESCENDING RAINBOW PUSSY

PINK HEARTBEAT SQUARE WITH VELVET TRIM

Here’s another practice in addition to whittling and needlepoint that I might take up and start selling out of the back of my car… Thinking of parking on Venice Beach, maybe offering portraits too?

PERFECT PRACTICALLY FREE HORNY SNAKE SEED BEAD CHOKER

PAUL SMITH KNOWS WHATS UP!

ANATOLIAN NOMEDIC(?) CHOKER

UNDERCOVER EYEBALL BRACELET

MAURITIAN WEDDING NECKLACE

IF YOUR INITIALS ARE M.S. TODAY’S YOUR LUCKY DAY

I HOPE THIS CAMIEL FORTGENS INSPIRES YOU TO GO TO A BEAD SHOP YOURSELF

BUMBLE BEE ANTIQUE GLASS PATINA CLASP BEAUTY

SEWN IN NO CLASP DAINTY 70S ROPE BEAD

OBLIGITORY CHAINLINK OUSHAK RUG

I have made a major mistake in not providing credit where credit is due…. The title of this newsletter is not of my own making, but from an Ariana Reines poem SUN SCREEN, 2008. The poem feels relevant now more than ever. Ariana also does readings called Birth Rights, and I can attest they are very useful and moving.