50% OFF SALE 12/27 - 12/30

check out the store for some really great end of year specials. all children's shirts and select women's shirts are 50% off through 12/30/08!! all orders placed by 12/30/08 will be shipped on new year's eve.

visit b hive designs or my etsy shop today!

what to do on a snow day

the past week has been the snowiest week in portland since i've lived here. luckily i'm not a complete stranger to snow. even though i grew up in southern california, husband and i lived in the mountains in new mexico and in colorado for a bit, so i've lived in snow and more importantly driven in snow. but when you live in a city that doesn't normally see snow, you get a little trapped. portland is just not equipped to deal with the snow. we have a lot of hills, very few snow plows, no salt trucks, freezing rain, and a lot of inexperienced drivers on the road. so to say the least we're getting a bit of the cabin fever.




so what do you do when you're not sledding in a canoe in the snow....

....you eat, cook, bake, and create indoors. here is what i decided to create today.







chocolate-pecan toffee. i have made this little treat to give as gifts to friends and family for christmas the past few years. this candy is a personal favorite of mine and my family. every year husband gives me a hard time about giving away all of the candy. i have actually made him his own special batch in years past, but it usually disappears in one evening......obviously a case of selective memory. so try a batch for yourself, and see if you can manage to keep them in the house.

chocolate-pecan toffee
2 sticks of room temperature butter (unsalted)
+ a little more to butter the pan
1/3 c. water
1 c. sugar
2 c. chopped pecans
a handful of halved pecans
8 oz semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp corn syrup

butter a 9-inch pan. line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper (butter paper too). heat the butter and water until the butter is melted, then add the sugar. stir constantly on med-high heat until it turns a med-dark amber color. (you can use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush away sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan). remove from heat and add the chopped pecans. pour into the 9-inch pan & spread across the bottom of the pan. let cool.

warm the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan with simmering water. you can add the corn syrup to the chocolate at this point (optional). once the chocolate has melted, spread it over the pecan toffee. arrange the halved pecans on top of the chocolate.

once the chocolate is cool, you can cut into small squares.....then eat.....enjoy!

only a few more days to shop handmade in 2008!!!!

the past couple of months have been pretty hectic for me and my family. i have been working at an event for almost every weekend since the beginning of october (except for a short reprieve in paris....oh, paris). when you have children weekends do not tend to be restful. as a matter of fact they tend to be incredibly busy, with soccer games, swim class, play dates, art classes, music classes, etc., etc. while most families are tidying up their homes from a week's worth of mess, eating lunches together, and playing in the park, i have been printing until 1am or 2am, and then setting up for a show at 8am and selling my goodies on saturday or sunday for the past few months. don't get me wrong, i absolutely love the making and selling part, but what i have not loved this year is being away from my family. so, i can honestly say that i am thrilled to announce that my last event of the year has been cancelled!!!! there will be no solstice arts & crafts market at psu on saturday.

there may be a few people in portland who were looking forward to the solstice arts & crafts market, especially after the weather made it hard for people to attend the absolutely amazing crafty wonderland show this last sunday. since i was lucky enough to be a vendor at the super colossal sale, i was also lucky enough to be a customer (see my lovely new fernworks necklace and una top!). but the great thing about all of the handmade nw events is that even though they have canceled you can still shop handmade by checking out the vendor list for the event. when i looked at the vendor list last night i was a little disappointed that i would not have an opportunity to meet e.soule, who sells her truly precious still life photos. i absolutely love her little zoo collection, and to be honest i don't think i have ever met someone other than a family member who shares my last name. i have been asked numerous times if she is my sister, so it would have been nice to put a face with a name. but alas, the show is canceled, so i will have to settle with an on-line purchase. my little miles will adore this little elephant....oh, there are just too many to choose from, so be sure to check out her etsy site.

so stay in doors this weekend and shop handmade and local on-line. here are a few of my favorite artisans to choose from....just a few, because linking is tedious.....

octavine illustration - art deco inspired artwork
plywerk - amazing photography or custom photo mounts
una - see the pretty shirt pictured above.....love, love, love it.
amy olson jewelry - very feminine jewelry
fused glass house - the perfect pendant for you or as a gift!
moss - sweet jewelry, very anthropologie!
stubborn - very modern, cool jewelry, and bags too...
hadley hutton - super sweet prints
thinking mama - most adorable baby hats
pearly grey - retro baby designs
peri ponchos - unique ponchos for your little girl
mugwump - totally hip bags & accessories
yedomi - the most beautiful glamorous jewelry
mimi muse - beautiful vintage inspired notecards
scrumptious suds - best soap ever, husband loves it too!

ok, there are just way too many to list, and some of my favorites like big woo wear (super cute hats), don't even have any product in their shops.

Happy Shopping!

did i say "snow day is over...."

i should know better....not 15 minutes after i posted about the snow melting and school being open again it starts to snow again. and, of course school is closed for the fourth day this week. thanks to very good and generous friends i do have a few hours of childcare. no matter how much we love those little guys, my husband and i definitely need a few hours without them. especially to do a little shopping. we tried shopping with them a couple of days ago....big mistake. there is nothing like chasing after a two year old in a store, who is screaming, laughing, slamming dressing room doors, and crawling under clothing racks. so we are off to shop for a couple of hours, and to have an adult conversation at lunch (in other words we won't be saying, "....please take another bite" and "....sit down in your seat"). happy snow day.....again!

snowy, snowy, snow day is over special!!!!

oh, snow....beautiful snow!!
doesn't everyone love the snow?

i can tell you that my son has been on the edge of his seat everyday with the prospect of yet another school cancellation, and we have definitely taken advantage of every last snowflake on the ground. i love nothing better than looking out my window to see happy, laughing children flinging themselves down the driveway, and then standing up with a handful of snow to be eaten...ew!

however, there is a downside to all of the fluffy white beauty....we are all starting to feel a little trapped. it's not that we are not able to leave the house, it's just that there is really no place to go. we've exhausted the sledding in the neighborhood, and our little two year old can only tolerate so much cold before he says that he is "freezy". so needless to say we have spent a lot of time in doors....drinking hot chocolate.

the problem with so much time in doors, no school and no nanny, is that it is difficult to get much work done....not to mention the freezing temperature in my studio. i have had no luck re-creating my cherry blossom screen, because i need the hose that is outside....frozen. but, all of this changed this morning when we awoke to no more snow, and the report that school is open....much to the dismay of many children.

so, in honor of our glorious snow & the melting there of, i am offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders placed through the end of friday (12/19). check out my etsy shop and my website for lots of new goodies including gifts for under $20.

can't everyone use a sweet little kitchen towel set for only $15, and some even sweeter little note cards with handmade envelopes made from re-purposed children's books (books that were falling apart of course!) for only $8?

so many sweet things to splurge on......

the best thing about the work that i choose to do is that i continually meet other artists and crafters who make amazing things. one of my favorite places in portland is splurge artist boutique. the owners of splurge, mugwump, oneroot, plywerk, and yedomi have created a treasure trove of local artisans. you can find jewelry, clothing, photography, books, bags, housware items, candles, artwork, and of course B Hive Designs shirts, all handmade and all local.

walking into their store is always inspiring, and all of the owners have been incredibly supportive of my own little business. so, be sure to stop by splurge before christmas to stock up on some incredibly unique gifts & to see some of my new designs!

The Elusive Cherry Blossom

Do you ever have one of those days, when you just can't seem to do anything right? Well, it seems like I have been having one of those days, every day this week. I think it is a symptom of having too much to do. Granted, it's my own fault that I have too much to do, but it is also just "that time of the year". The holiday season puts us all on edge a little, doesn't it? Or maybe it's just me. I am worried about having enough product to sell, I'm worried about selling enough product, I'm worried about spending enough time with my children & husband, I'm worried about finding the perfect gift for my children & husband, I'm worried about getting my kids to school/daycare on time with healthy lunches packed for the day, and I'm worried about not looking like a total wreck every day while I try to juggle the rest of my worries.

Maybe I'm just thinking about my worries too much, I don't know. But one thing I do know is that in the midst of my fury to print enough product to sell, I managed to completely destroy my cherry blossom screen.....and splatter white ink all over my studio at the same time! Since I started printing my cherry blossom design, I have not been able to keep this particular color combination in stock. There is something about this blue shirt with white blossoms that everyone seems to like. Every time I have printed this specific shirt, it has sold out. Which is why it has never actually been listed for sale on my website......hence, the elusive cherry blossom.

I really can't imagine having enough time to create a new cherry blossom screen prior to Christmas, so if you are lucky enough to live in Portland Oregon there is still one last chance to buy this shirt. I just delivered an order to my favorite shoe store in town, Switch Shoes in Multnomah Village. The lovely ladies of Switch just happen to be throwing a party on Thursday (12/11) from 6pm to 11pm. They have some amazing deals on shoes up to 70% off, a DJ, plus they'll be serving champagne and goodies! So check it out, and scoop up a cherry blossom shirt before they are all gone.

Thank You Seattle!!

I just need to say a very big thank you to the city of Seattle and the Urban Craft Uprising. I had the most amazing time working at the UCU show this last weekend....I actually SOLD OUT!! That has never happened before. I was so overwhelmed with all of the love from my customers, many of whom told me that they came to the show just to buy my shirts. There is no better motivation to printing into the wee hours of the night/morning....So, from me to you THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!

Stay tuned for another special sale prior to Christmas and Hanukkah!

Oh, and don't forget about the Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Sale this Sunday, December 14th from 11am-7pm at The Oregon Convention Center. I will be selling women's and kid's shirts, notecards and some newly printed kitchen towels. You will love these towel sets. They are the perfect gift item for only $15, wrapped in a package of two!

Check out all of the other amazing vendors scheduled to be at the show. I was going to list some of my favorites, but there are just too many to list. I can guarantee that you will love most of them too!

SALE, SALE, SALE -- until 12/7/2008

25% OFF SALE
PLUS FREE SHIPPING
One Week Only!!
11/30 - 12/7
Receive 25% off all Women's Shirts, plus free shipping on all items. Many new items have been listed on my website and on etsy.

Check out my new Parisian Bird design soon, because it's selling fast! And don't forget about the little guys as well. I have posted more babies & kids items, including my new little piggy design.