summer is right around the corner and to celebrate, we have a giveaway that you will want to use every day until the cold creeps back in – our display team has donated one of the incredible swings from our new summer install and one lucky reader will get to call it their own!
these swings are completely sturdy and usable, with wooden slats as a base and colorful netting to cover it with. as with many of our displays, our team drew inspiration from india, where our senior store designer spends half of each year. the netting, trimmed with beads, pompoms and tassels, is the same kind that is draped over the backs of camels in india. the rope used to hang the chair is also the same kind as camel reins in india, and consists of colorful string carefully wrapped around thick rope. we used similar pieces on the camel in our august 2010 catalog shoot and the same netting was used on the horse in our march catalog shoot!
camel in jodhpur, india
left- august 2010 catalog; right – march 2010 catalog
i can just imagine this swing on the front porch of a house or hanging from the limbs of a tree in the backyard of one of our devoted readers… dreaming the summer days away, reading, listening to music and swinging gently in the summer air.
and not only are you getting one of the coolest store display pieces EVER, you also get something that is quite symbolic of the free people aesthetic. this swing is truly special!
TO ENTER:
1. fill out the brief form located on our facebook page here.
2. at the bottom of the form, make sure you “like” us on facebook
3. come back to the blog and leave a comment on this post letting us know you’ve completed the steps!*
*the winner will be selected at random from the comments on this post – make sure to leave your email address so we can contact you!
the giveaway will remain open for one week- a winner will be selected wednesday june 1st.
the swing will come with all the pieces you need to hang it, as well as instructions.
good luck!
i’ve got lots of great diy inspiration for you all today so lets get right to it!
one of our readers made this bike lock inspired by our dog leash DIY! i love the fabrics she used…this is a great way to jazz up your bike lock, just wrap different scraps of fabric around it!
another reader, autumn, sent this awesome project she made for her environmental perspectives class, in which they were required to create an interior or apparel item made entirely out of recycled materials.
she made an up-cycled outdoor chandelier using an old wire basket, recycled glass jars, various necklaces and chains found in her dresser, a coat hanger to hang it up and a little bit (or a lot) of creativity! she spray painted the wire basket to match the necklaces and coat hanger, used some wire to hang the jars from the necklaces, filled the jars with collected sand and seashells then topped it off with a votive candle…..perfect for an outdoor summer garden party!
speaking of outdoor parties, i can’t get over these string chandeliers from the blog wednesday!
the seem like they would be so much fun to make:
check out the tutorial here.
and here’s a similar project from shannon south that uses lace doilies! beautiful.
hmmm…which project to try first…
time for another edition of “what are you listening to?”! this is my favorite way to get ideas on new music and good albums :)
vintage buyer
listening to: phish, getting ready for the show in bethel this weekend!
&
admiring the village people’s “macho man” album cover :)
last purchase: godspell, at the punk rock flea market!
(i had to include a photo of her awesome jacket)
assistant merchandiser
listening to: mumford and sons pandora station
(and rocking the nightcap lace bellbottoms!)
vintage intern
listening to: anything from “glee”!
last purchase: adele
senior web merchandiser
listening to: “i can’t stop listening to bob seger’s ‘night moves’! it’s the perfect summer song- and CSNY.”
last purchase: a van morrison live double album on vinyl
campaign specialist
listening to: wiz khalifa, “black and yellow”
store ops intern
last purchase: mumford and sons, “sigh no more”
left: visual merchandising coordinator
listening to/last purchase: thao & mirah, they just released an album and are playing in philly soon!
right: visual merchandising assistant
listening to: foster the people and langhorne slim
your turn readers! what are you listening to?? i need some new music :)
a new vintage loves vignette went up today! this one is called animal instincts and i think its pretty apparent why :) i found a bunch of great vintage photos of ladies rocking the leopard print that i wanted to share, maybe they’ll provide some inspiration!
i love this more modern vintage take- jeans and converse kicks go with everything! here are some of the vintage pieces we’re carrying that i have my eye on…
i’m sad that this is the last batch of behind the scenes images from hawaii! i loved the photos so much (taken by the talented thomas northcut). the pics of elsa hosk and tallulah morton frolicking in the surf are making me SO ready for memorial day weekend!
Some of our buyers have just come back from Brimfield’s one of the world’s largest flea markets. It’s in Massachusetts and happens 3 times a year May 8-13, July 10-15, and September 4-9.
Here are some pictures they took and wanted to share with you!
It’s unbelievable the amount of great things you can find there with so much history and stories behind them.
Have any of you guys been?
I wish I could list all of the reasons why I love this salad, but you might all think I’ve gone crazy and stop reading this post. I’ll stick to the highlights. Reason A) you can stick a huge bowl of it in the fridge, and continue to eat it for days – cold or hot. Reason B) Orzo is a huge comfort food although you never hear it portrayed as one. And reason C) It gets its amazing flavor from fresh Rosemary I have planted in my backyard – I love, love, love the freshness (don’t worry it’s still good if you buy it too). Basically, I highly suggest giving it a go – you’ll probably come up with some of your own reasons to fall in love ;).
Ingredients:
1 Cup Orzo
2 Cups Water
¾ Cups Shrimp shelled and deveined (I like to take the tails all the way off for this recipe)
½ Cup Feta
1 Large Tomato seeded and diced
½ Cup Chopped Kalamata Olives
½ Cup Olive Oil
2 Sprigs of Rosemary
2 Cloves Garlic minced
1/4Tspn Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions:
**When serving, a nice option is to put it over a bed of greens.
i’m sure some of you may have been curious as to what ROAM hawaii is when brooke mentioned it in her post- i was too and checked out the website, and i got completely lost going through their photos. ROAM is a “mobile marketplace” from which brooke and a few of her friends sell handmade and one of a kind pieces from its traveling van (their “tiger mobile”!) that roams around the island. how cool is that?! do you ladies have room for one more? ;)
check them out on tumblr here and etsy here.
brooke dombroski is a photographer and designer who lives in hawaii, on the island of oahu where our may catalog was shot. the second i saw her tumblr, brooklyn hawaii, i was completely enthralled with her laid-back surfer girl lifestyle – and brooke was kind enough to share some photos with the blog to give us a little peek into her life in hawaii! needless to say, i am beyond jealous…
Location: North Shore of O’ahu, Hawai’i
A 7-mile stretch of the best waves in the world!
What I love about living in Hawai’i:
We are the most isolated island chain.
Life is so simple. Nature can keep us entertained for a lifetime!
Surf + Sand + ROAM + Shells + Waterfalls + Crush Sunglasses + Bare feet + Hand-sewn Bikinis + Coconut water + Fresh fish + Mountains + Ocean + Sun + Friends + Ohana (Family) + ALOHA
be sure to check out her beautiful tumblr here: www.brooklynhawaii.com
pineapple fields, roadside markets, lei shopping, surf boards, island snow, coconuts, luaus, flowers, ocean, sun and sand…
…paradise.
photos by thomas northcut.
