4/25/11

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Summer is just around the corner and I wanted to share a few of the things from last summer that inspired us when we were designing bags for Summer 2011.
Vintage Scarves
Especially those by Vera Neumann, who began designing scarves in the 1940's. Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly were big fans. Last summer I bought this book of her life's works for Melanie.
Our vintage Schwinn Bikes
Did you know that Schwinn used to make all of their bicycles in the USA? Now they don't make any. In fact less that 5% of all the bikes we use in the USA are made here. Hooray for the 5% that are. Areofast is a company that continues to build bikes here in America. You can check them out HERE
Outdoor Markets
Our favorite is Patchwork where hand-crafters gather from around the Country to show off their wares. Last year we had fun hanging out with everyone and we have some big plans for this year. Look for an upcoming blog post for more on this.
Picnics in the park
Freshly baked pies
Especially Apple and Cherry from Polly's Pies (just across from the Santa Ana store). A scoop of ice cream makes it even better.

4th of July celebrations
In 1976 a ton of stars-and-stripes themed products came out in celebration of our bicentennial. I just love all that old stuff. I have a collection of old metal cases but my prized possession is my stars-and-stripes motorcycle helmet.
Trips to the Beach
Refreshing Summer Salads
We plant lots of mixed greens in our garden and love to make yummy summer salads.
We're really looking forward to an amazing Summer 2011 and can't wait for all the fun new bags to come out. It all starts this coming first Friday.