Cartagena-mania!

I apologize that this post comes over a month after my last entry, but I promise it's with good reason. I have just returned from an awesome trip to Cartagena, Colombia and I have been quite the busy bee with freelance work and ErinElsie projects. Why Cartagena? We were there to celebrate the wedding of one awesome couple in the company of many close friends. Here's a brief look at the inspiration I found in this colorful old city.

YOUR 10 SECOND HISTORY LESSON ON CARTAGENA...(for more in depth info check out http://discovercolombia.com/cartagena/)

Cartagena de Indias was founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredia, a Spanish nobleman. In 1552, a fire reduced the village (whose buildings were made of wood at the time) to ashes, and Pedro de Heredia ordered that all structures be made of stone from that point onward. In a way, this directive enabled the city to preserve its lovely architectural heritage to this present day as most of the buildings have remained intact nearly 500 years later. In 1741, after defending an attack by England, the Spanish crown finally decided to fortify the city and its surrounding area with a stone wall. The scale of this project soon converted Cartagena into one of the most well protected colonial cities in all of South America. This area today is known as the "old walled city." 

Google MAPS -CARTAGENA+COLOMBIA

HITTING THE COLORFUL STREETS OF THE OLD CITY...

photo by Ben Kulo

photo by Ben Kulo

awesome vines that cover many of the old buidlings

photo by Ben Kulo

photo by Ben Kulo

photo by Ben Kulo

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One of the apartments we stayed in was a great example of how the old mansions in the city are structured. On the outside, they are colorful stone structures with giant wood doors and barred windows. Everything is very protected from the street. Then upon walking in, you hit a spectacularly unexpected courtyard. 

photo by Ben Kulo

The courtyard

photo by Ben Kulo

Interior dipping pool of our courtyard

photo by Ben Kulo

Looking up from the courtyard

photo by Ben Kulo

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Standing on top of the wall of the old city.

photo by Ben Kulo

Sunset view from the wall surrounding the old city. 

photo by Ben Kulo

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THE SHOPPING REPORT

As always, I managed to squeeze some time in for shopping. Below are some of the highlights :)

To my delight I came across a little shop called Amitabha Joyeria. It is a collective that sells handmade pieces from local Colombian artists. Although there was a bit of a language barrier between us, the owner was lovely and helpful. I felt like we bonded over our love of special, one of a kind treasures.  My favorite items in this shop were these beautiful hand printed/ batiked wraps. My boyfriend and I make throw pillows to represent our travels together, and I knew immediately that I had found my fabric for our Colombia pillow.

Flory, is a little accessory shop, featuring local Colombian jewelers. A nice selection made with real stones. 

My earring purchases below- real coral and turquoise at a price that didn't break the bank. 

Tennis was a trendy little shop in the old city, well curated with great print bottoms and special tops. I could have done a lot more damage here, but edited down to the pieces below :)

     

FABRIC SHOPPING IN THE OLD CITY

There were way more fabric shops than I expected in Cartagena. A pleasant surprise, and I should have brought an extra bag...

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SNACK TIME

Street snack...the old town is covered with fruit vendors. Pick the assortment of fruits you'd like, and they will cut them up for you on the spot.

One of the best things we stumbled upon was a gourmet pop cycle shop, La Paletteria. An array of awesome flavors, artistically displayed.

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To detail all the restaurants and food would take an entire other blog. My favorite was Cuzco. A Peruvian restaurant with the best live music and best ceviche I have ever had thus far in life...
http://www.tripadvisor.Cuzco-Cartagena

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In closing, I leave you with a sneak preview from the spectacular wedding festivities...more to come so please stay tuned!

Happy couple :)

Street procession to the reception

Part of the multifaceted reception

photo by Ben Kulo

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It's such a pleasure to be inspired by new places and experiences.  I can't think of a better way to have kickstarted summer 2013. Now back to work for me.

Happy Trails!
 -Erin

http://www.erinelsie.com/

A little spring in my step...

When profoundly sad events happen, it causes me to personally reflect on my own life and re-instills my resolve to never take love ones for granted, never give up on my dreams, and to never live in fear. Recently, my dad sent me a sweet text. These days, text messages are a very common occurrence, but not for my dad. He rarely sends them to anyone, and so his make a big impact with their small, yet powerful messages. The most recent one was, "Just finished playing golf, and decided to drop a line to say mom and I love you." and the previous a few months ago, "Just a message to tell you I am proud of you. You got it together. We love you." As an adult, I sometimes forget how nice it is to hear encouraging words from my parents and they often come at just the right moment. My dad's text brought me back to a dad moment 10 years ago when I was in a distraught, post college breakdown of "what to do with my life." His words have stuck with me and have finally come full circle (paraphrased), "Erin, calm down- just keep working hard and following your heart and I have no doubt that you will end up doing exactly what you want to be doing." Sometimes if I over-think about the current state of my life, I realize it is a great risk- but it never phases me in the end. It is a joy to wake up excited about what I am doing and to fall asleep overwhelmed with ideas spinning in my head.

With all that said, I am feeling more inspired than ever in these past couple of weeks. This past Saturday, I woke up with the idea for the below tee-shirt transformation, made it within a couple of hours, and wore it out that night. It's been a while since I have made anything for myself, and it felt good. The front is made from a remnant of an awesome, silk blend fabric and the back is taken from one of my boyfriend's old tee-shirts. Recycling with an old tee-shirt can be lux...even chic. Going to make more of these to sell ;)

Also, with a pending lookbook photoshoot coming up and a million ideas, I have been furiously trying to finish up my latest little collection. Everything handmade, and everything special and unique. Special props to my neat and tidy boyfriend for being patient as my materials remain strewn all over our tiny apartment. A few sneak preview photos below :)

One of my takes on the crop top trend. It's a little less intimidating when you're mostly covered in the rest of the top. The main print fabric is from a vintage Hawaiian shirt (before photo is below).

A super cute, high-waisted skirt- my favorite features are the pockets and super fun lining. 

(before)

current top in progress:

Also, I was super excited to receive these leather remnants from one of my dear friends! It's such a joy when friends take part in what I do. I can't wait to work it into some special pieces such as my leather earrings. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/128629441/graphic-chevron-leather-earrings?ref=shop_home_active

Alright, back to work for me. Thanks for taking the time to read about my journey. Wishing you all the best!

-Erin

http://www.erinelsie.com/

In the kitchen with ErinElsie

Today, I am finally getting back to my work on ErinElsie.  I was on a brief hiatus due to a freelance job, intertwined with an awesome and impromptu visit from my mom. I started the morning off with one of my favorite things- a coffee moment at my sunny kitchen window and buttery, toasted bread topped with a fried egg! I definitely have a passion for food, and since I don't have any newness yet to share about ErinElsie, I thought I'd just share a little recent food and cooking inspiration

 My simply yummy breakfast: buttery, toasted bread topped with a fried egg and lots of pepper. (especially good if it's a farm fresh egg!)

While my mom was here, we had no set schedule or agenda, and that's one of the best ways to enjoy New York- strolling around a great neighborhood, checking out the many beautiful old buildings and discovering great little cafes. We both love to eat and that is no doubt a family trait.

 Mom and I found some of the best hot chocolate spots in my neighborhood. This will help me get through the long and chilly winter!

I love to cook as much as I love to eat. Although there are so so many great restaurants in New York, sometimes it's also just as nice to stay in - especially in the winter. Last night, I cooked dinner for one of my favorite vegetarians. I find myself drawn to foods that are just as lovely in color as in taste. Inspiration can come from anywhere, and for me cooking is a creative therapy when I'm stumped on a project or just need to take a break.

Check out some of my colorful menu from last night:

 

Pantone Color Institute's Color of the Year 2013 is Emerald green. This is definitely the most vibrant, colorful dip I've ever made- green pea hummus.  

 Not your average salad: asparagus, cucumbers, and purple cabbage tossed in a light and spicy dressing.

Bow tie pasta, in a light sauce made with white wine, butter, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Everything is better with butter and wine ;)

Okay, so sometimes I pick out certain wines just because of their creative labels...

Alright, back to work for me. Hope you are having a lovely weekend with good food and company. I think I'm getting hungry again...

Cheers!
 -Erin
www.erinelsie.com

Hawaii on my mind and in my workspace...

Hello!

As I continue to work on my little spring/summer collection, I have begun to dive into all of the wonderful materials I collected during my August Hawaiian excursion. With this beautiful fabric strewn all over my apartment, I felt a little overloaded with ideas and unsure where to start. I spent some time reminiscing through photos from our trip and it helped me to re-focus my creativity. Hawaii has such a diverse landscape - so much more than just the initial tropical "beachiness" it gets stereotyped with. There are dark lava deserts, green ranch pastures, hidden waterfalls, and crazy big canyons. This discovery left a lasting impact on me and made the collection of these materials along the way all that more special to me. They are special and one of a kind, and the clothing and accessories I create with them will be equally as special.

***the current dress in progress***

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 Some of my Hawaiian inspiration photos and fabrics:

Love the soft aqua color of the warm, amazingly clear water- good times!

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, Oahu.

 Material: Vintage Hawaiian shirt with soft, yet vibrant color

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 Dreamy green pastures and soft clouds in the mountains on the Big Island, so wonderfully unexpected...

 

 Waimea Canyon in Kauai

 Soft floral, a departure from the usual super bright Hawaiian florals.

 

A lava crater from the Big Island. 

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Amazing color and such a diverse landscape, not a bad view to wake up to!

Beautiful vintage print, combining color much in the same way.

 

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Striking blue skies!

Vintage fabric that I did not acquire on my trip, but was gifted to me by a cousin who bought it in Hawaii int he 70s. 

 

 One of the bungalows we stayed in. We woke up to our own little rainforest.

Hawaiian shirt, these flowers were everywhere :)

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Back roads of old Historic Hanapepe Town, Kauai

 

Huge Bamboo, from one of the best hikes I've ever been on in Kauai. 

Lovely, leafy green print. 

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In closing, I leave you with a photo from my favorite beach thus far- Secret Beach, Kauai.  

If you are new to my blog, check out some of my August posts from this trip, where I go into more detail on my hunt for materials. Below is the link to the first entry and there are many that follow!

http://erinelsie.blogspot.com/2012/08/aloha.html

Back to work for me and happy weekend to you!

 -Erin

Keep on keepin' on...

Greetings!

After traveling for work in the Caribbean for the past 10 days, I'm trying to integrate back into my New York life...and the cold! If you ask my mom, she'll tell you I'm not the luckiest person when it comes to the little things- like I'm currently dealing with having my wallet stolen in the Dominican Republic. Why couldn't they just take the cash and leave the wallet- really what are they going to do with my NY license and cancelled credit cards? At least this is not the first time, and I'm pretty proficient in replacing my license and credit cards quickly. Okay, I just had to share that little rant and I am done with it. I resolve to be positive. On the bright side, at least I do have my passport, my cell phone, and a very nice tan. I was also lucky enough to work and travel with my guy on this most recent trip and I know not many can say that.


It's always good to get a little perspective and amidst this recent frustration I remain grateful for my life. I do feel lucky that I wake up each day very excited about the goals I want to accomplish. No more just living for the weekends, but living for each day. I am never bored and have forgotten what that feels like -working, working on ErinElsie, learning a second language, taking time to enjoy my relationship and this awesome city in which I live, teaching myself how to make hats...oh and about that- check out my new hat form! It may be a while before I'm brave enough to post and share my first hat, but I'm working on it :)

Also thought I'd close with a few scenic shots from the Dominican Republic.

Happy Monday!
 -Erin

Studio sneak peek...

Happy Friday!

  There's a lot going on in the beginning of this new year for ErinElsie. I'm planning a lookbook photoshoot, I will be seeking out some retail venues for my pieces, while also working on my first little Early Spring collection. Materials for this latest group include an array of fabrics and trims in rich jewel tones, that are coming together so beautifully it seems they were always meant to find one another. It's the most inspiring and exciting part of my work; combining materials, collected from so many places near and far. Cobalt and royal blues, rich purples, reds, emerald green...here's a little sneak peek below!

Another day, another dress! Dresses are my absolute favorite thing to make and I'm very excited about this maxi I'm working on :)

I still am using thread from my grandmother's assortment. I always seem the have the color I'm looking for - it's a little way I still feel connected to her.

 
Have a lovely weekend!
 -Erin
www.erinelsie.com

Hello 2013

Happy New Year!

It has been a hectic whirlwind holiday vacation, but I wouldn't have it any other way. There's nothing better than being surrounded by family and friends, eating great food, and relaxing by a cozy fireplace. On top of all that, the thoughtful gifts were overwhelming :)

Aside from Christmas gifts, I unexpectedly received some special materials from dear friends and family along the way. It's the best feeling to know that someone is thinking about me and my work, and it motivates me to keep going! Check them out below:

Vintage glass buttons, originally made in Germany- can't wait to use them!

 Great wooden hangers and cute wool fabric

More cozy wool fabric, perfect for incorporating into my winter pieces.

Fabric purchased in Hawaii in the 1970s, will fit in perfectly with all my Spring materials. 

 A little over a year ago, I left my more secure corporate fashion job and set out on this new creative journey. It was scary at first, and it's not always easy, but I have never been happier. As I enter this new year I have fresh goals for myself, and the confidence and determination to achieve them. If you've been keeping up with this blog, thank you so much for the continuing support!

Wishing you all the best in 2013!

Cheers!
 -Erin 
www.erinelsie.com