ROA tees by Steve Vintage and Capri Pinto...

During the ME & Blue years in Philadelphia, I knew of a groovy store near mine owned by Steve Vintage (yes, his real name), and his wife Capri.  Like me, they grew tired of the cold northeast winters and F*&^ you attitude that came with the lack of sunshine.  Fast forward a few years, I was in LA at the Rose Bowl and ran into them.  They had relocated to the west coast as well, refocusing their efforts on creative screen printing on t-shirts and vintage clothing for guys and girls alike.  They have 3 labels now, including the ROA tees that I'm now carrying at ME & Blue in Venice.  It's fun to work with them.  They produce their designs in downtown LA and even hand deliver the tees to me.   The response has been good, and it's fun to know people that have seen ME & Blue evolve from an industrial-style loft in Philadelphia, to a sunny bungalow in Venice, CA. 

opening party! photos...

The opening celebration on Friday evening was a fun event.  Friends and loved ones came.  From (almost) 1 year old twins Johanna and Lillian, to Eleanor (almost) 99.  And every fashionista in between...Here are some images of the evening.  More to be posted on the facebook fan page for ME & Blue.  

Opening Day! part 1...

Yay!  My first customer came into ME & Blue yesterday.  I was still organizing, tagging, and getting it all together.  Aurora was a hip mom with 2 super cute boys.  6 pieces later, plus a freebie zinnia from the garden that her son picked, she totally made my day.  More photos of opening night coming soon!  As of day 2, I've sold to a supermodel, and the superpeople in the Venice area.  I love this job!  XO, M.E. 

a store in progress...

Countdown to ME & Blue opening in Venice!  I've been checking in the ME & Blue new designs, shopping for last minute fixtures, and working on all of the finishing touches.  Here are some photos --- from the outside signage, to the store in progress, to some of my new designs.  The boutique is open on Friday, 6/19.  Stop by and say hi!  XO, M.E. 

painting the mural... more photos

The exterior signage / mural is complete! My friend Danielle said that it was like day camp. We had a great time. The best part was people stopping and yelling at us how much they loved it from their cars. I'm sure that summer camp isn't nearly as much fun (and hard work) as what we did for a few days. From the initial transfer and drawing of the logo and flowers, to painting several coats of flowers, to finishing it off with sharpie markers. Thanks Melissa, Phillip, Danielle, and our honorary mural painters, Debbie and Michael. I see the mural as a work in progress as the ME & Blue brand develops. I love this job!  I will update with more photos in the next couple of days.  Countdown to the boutique opening...Friday, June 19th!  XO, M.E. 

painting the exterior...planning and day 1

Who knew how many things go into transferring a logo and brand from a graphic file to the outside of a building? Venice is full of fun buildings that have hand painted signs with an artistic, home spun vibe. So off to plan the exterior of ME & Blue...from trips to Kinkos using large format copiers, to buying the perfect paint brushes, matching up paint swatches at Naylor's, figuring out how to use tracing paper and a level, and ultimately making sure that the logo and graphic do their job: stop traffic and get customers to come in and shop. Here are photos so far...my dog Angie Mae chilling out in the car while I drive around, getting my supplies...and Melissa, my graphic designer as she works on day 1 of the ME & Blue mural project. More photos to come! XO, M.E.

String lights and the Stephanie Dress...

Whew! So much for being crafty. I got the idea from ReadyMade Magazine...fun string lights. So yesterday, I turned Dave's patio into a big craft project space. I bought some balloons at a party store, wrapped them in crochet thread, applied Stiffy (yes, I know, I know), and hoped for the best. One balloon popped, the other blew away, and I ran out of Stiffy along the way. So I improvised, and hoped for the best. This morning, I popped the balloons, cut a hole in the top, and hung them up in the store. Not too bad. The finished one is shown here with the Stephanie Dress. That's another story...the dress, that is! XO, M.E.

Make your own (sorry, I'm not selling these in the store) at http://readymade.com/projects/article/string_theory/