Long Time No Blog: Two Things

Well hello there dear and faithful readers (insert illusions of grandeur here). I have missed you. I have been absent on this space (not intentionally but rather inevitably) for two reasons.

One: Winslow

Several months ago, my dear friend and neighbor Sarah and I started kicking around the idea of starting an Etsy shop together. Actually, I think it happened in my living room like this. Sarah, "Wouldn't it be fun to start an Etsy shop?"Me, "Yeah. We should do it." Sarah, "Wait, are you kidding?" Me, "No, I"m not kidding. Are you kidding?" Sarah, "Nope, totally serious." Thus we became business partners. Obviously there were a few things that happened between now and then, including us changing the focus of our shop from vintage to handmade because we realized how much we both love making things. Now, the Winslow shop is stocked full of handmade bowties, neck ties, and pocket squares designed and made by us. There are a few things that we think make our stuffs extra special. First, we use all reclaimed and / or vintage fabrics. That means that bowtie you see below above to be a shirt. Hand knit ties are also on their way for fall, which we're making from unravelled sweaters (all thrifted of course). Second, we do things by hand whenever possible because we both just think there's something special about handmade goods. That means our pocket squares all feature hand-rolled hems, and our neckties are also all stitched using a hand slip stitch (that's right, no sewing machine involved folks). The bowties have less hand stitching due to the logistics of their construction, but still have the same attention to detail as our other products.

Clearly, I could go on and on about Winslow for paragraphs. It's just so darn exciting to work with a wonderfully inspiring and driven friend on such a cool project. But, I'll spare you any more ramblings here and instead point you to our Winslow blog, Etsy shop, and Instagram feed for more.

Two: Tunisia

Yep. You read that right Tunisia. Kevin and I took an extended hiatus to visit our old friend Thomas in Tunisia, and to meet his lovely lady and our new friend Rachel. The trip was jam-packed full of wonderful experiences, quality time with our friends, and good memories. Also, lot of pictures. Here are a few highlights.

Exploring the Roman Colosseum at Al Jem.

Overnight trip into the Sahara Desert on Camels

Ancient cliffside houses in Chenini

Beautiful hand woven rugs

Traditional Tunisian decorated blue door while exploring Sidi Bou Zid

Beach time at Raf Raf

Truly, it was one of the best trips of our lives. Kevin has shared lots more pics here on fb if you're interested!