handmade holiday preview party tonight!

the rain is subsiding and Christmas is inching ever closer. so get out to the Visual Arts Center tonight for the Richmond Craft Mafia's Handmade Holiday Craft Show. it's sure to be a hit. Tickets can be purchased at the door. so grab your friends and head out for wine and snacks and fabulous crafts! see you there! k&m

a different kind of family portrait

thanks to cool mom picks, i came across kiki & polly, a fabulous, alternative option for kid and family portraits. ever since LJ arrived, i've been thinking about starting an art collection for her. finding one work a year that represent ceratin milestones in her life or ours as a family. i've commissioned her first work that i'll share soon when it's ready. but these delicate line portraits might be the winner for next year. i love how the faces are left blank and that only certain objects are filled in with color. just lovely.

you can also find some great readymade items on their etsy page

buy local, buy handmade

so openhouse isn't the only gig in town to get handmade goods by local artists. of course we want you to buy from us, but if you're out and about on broad, stop by the fawn shop and check it out. the shop is only open this week at 201 west broad street, so catch it while you can! happy shopping! k&m

[photos courtesy of richmond craft mafia]

in the news...

check out the december issue of richmond magazine for recession-friendly gifts. you can find our fab blabla rattles mentioned along with other great gifts. they aren't available yet on the website, but come by the shop or send us an email and we'll get them to you in time for the holiday. happy shopping! k&m

this just in...

new holiday stockings from india rose. they are going fast, so stop by the shop or visit us online to grab yours. only 3 styles left to choose from. enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

openhouse is now online!

hey folks! sorry we disappeared. little lucy james was born october 19th and things have been a little hectic! not to mention that we have launched our online shop!!!! we've been thinking about this for a while. and it's been a grassroots effort. with little to go on we've put up a little store to get to you all the great things we've been blogging about. it's not fancy, nor high-tech, but it's purpose is to promote indie designers and handmade items and we're psyched to have something up.

you'll notice that our site addresses have changed. www.openhouse-richmond.com is now the link to our web store. http://openhouse-richmond.blogspot.com has now become the only link to this blog. make sure to update your bookmarks.

we're back next week with lots of new arrivals, some intersting etsy finds and info on the new web shop. enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

lorcom lane design

an interesting booth caught our eye at the ivy market a couple weeks back. lorcom lane design, a local richmond collaborative, was selling some stunning handmade items. napkins, runners, coasters, pillows and blankets lined their booth. all beautifully constructed with exciting patterns that you don't usually see. we're hoping that we'll have a chance in the future to highlight them in the shop, but until then, visit their etsy site to see more. perfect gifts for the holidays. enjoy! k&m

momentum resources forum in richmond

hi folks! happy friday. for those richmonders that follow the blog, we've got a great event to pass on, sponsored by our friends and fellow 5807ers, momentum resources.

check it out:

Detours & OnRamps, a forum supporting women on their quest for work-life balance.

this one day event will address the needs and issues of mothers, especially those grappling with their decisions to work-- full time, part time, or from home.

through networking with fellow working mothers, discussions with the companies leading the way, expert panels and sessions on the most common challenges working mothers face, the Detours & OnRamps Forum provides an opportunity for women to meet and explore a variety of choices.

visit www.onrampsforum.com for a complete agenda and registration information.

the event will be held at the University of Richmond on october 28, 2008, from 8:30am - 3:00 pm. register today and receive $25 off the $125 registration fee.

enjoy! k&m

this just in...

some yummy, snuggly wool totes from lotta jansdotter!

should be in the shop this weekend. enjoy! k&m

etsy love...

you'll just have to bear with me. only 3 weeks left until the newest openhouse family member arrives and i just can't help having baby on the brain. came across these amazing blankets from the long thread on etsy. she primarily sells embroidery designs for machine embroidery, but these few blankets she has online are just insanely cute (and reasonable). for someone with no craft talent whatesoever, the finished product is what i'm looking for! enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

reminder: openhouse at the ivy market tomorrow

just a quick reminder that we will be at the ivy market at the jepson alumni center on the univeristy of richmond campus, tomorrow night, wednesday, october 1st, from 5-9pm. it's ladies night with cocktails and shopping. if you can't make it out then, try back on thursday, october 2nd, from 9am-4pm.

click here for directions and parking information.

we couldn't be more excited about our new arrivals debuting at the market: raw silk, woven pillows from john robshaw, brand new colorful serving bowls just in from mud australia, tables and lighting from roost and great gift items from susy jack papers and beautea organic.

see you out there! k&m

modern economy

finally modern economy is online! the event has normally been just for those lucky enough to be on the west coast, but now all of us around the country can get in on it.

starting wednesday, october 8th, at 9am PST, modern economy will have a 48 sale of your most fave designers. products include bedding, wall art, shelving, lighting, rugs, tabletop and kitchen goods, pet accessories, ceramics, crib sets, baby bags, baby blankets, baby and kid clothes, fashion accessories, clothing, and more! lots of openhouse family members are involved: perch, dermond peterson, j.mendicino, virginia johnson, sharon spain and many more. you can also pick up great finds from some of the best designers out there: textiles from simrin, tiles from xenia taler, gorgeous vases from sara paloma, paper prodcuts from jill bliss and baby goods rfom dwellbaby. This is just the a sampling, so make sure to go online next week and stock up at prices up to 70% off retail. even openhouse can't do you that good ;o)

in the meantime, if you're in town, don't forget to come by the ivy market at UofR and see what we have in new for fall. we'll be there wednesday night from 5-9pm and all day on thursday. enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

this just in...

placemats, napkins, laundry bags and notebooks from our newest family member, india rose!

check it out in the shop as well as debuting at the ivy market next wednesday and thursday. enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

etsy love...

had to share this tooooo cute lil pumpkin cocoon wrap from etsy shop jolie anne photography and props. she has a bundle of cute cocoons in various colors, but for any of you out there, who, like me, might be welcoming a halloween baby, this is too cuddly to pass up. each one is custom made, so get your orders in soon as they take 2-3 weeks to ship. enjoy! and happpy shopping! k&m

farmtable at openhouse

we are so excited to have a new addition to the shop. farmtable designs is a local furniture design company that highlights wine racks and farm tables among many other custom made pieces. they build all the pieces to order, with an emphasis on quality and functionality. we have a gorgeous 6 foot table as the new centerpiece of the shop (highlighting great new stuff from flowie, beautea organic, susyjack and india rose!) that you need to come in and see. check out their website for more pictures, pricing and order information.

openhouse at the ivy market

just a quick note to let everyone know we will be at the ivy market, october 1st and 2nd. wednesday's hours are from 5-9 with shopping and a cash bar. it's ladies night out, so dress your best! thursday we'll be there from 9am-4pm. the jepson alumni center is located on the university of richmond campus. visit www.ur.edu for directions. should be such a nice time and we'll be debuting some great new lines: placemats and napkins from india rose, tea towels and makeup bags and other great textiles from flowie, a new line of soaps and lotions from beautea organic and great new arrivals from old favorites like john robshaw and mud australia.

back later this week with some highlights of the new arrivals as well as details on the forthcoming website which is actually making some progress!!!!

hope to see you all out there! happy shopping! k&m

the green perspective

talk about reinventing the fruit basket! had to share this great site that puts together the perfect gift for that greenie in your life. the green perspective, based in philly, is a new website with a small, but totally cool, offering of gifts for baby showers, thank yous and hostesses. check them out and "be the change". happy shopping, k&m.

this just in...

tons of new goodies from john robshaw. we've got pillowcases and queen sheets in all the available patterns and great new pillows from a variety of his collections. they should be in the shop by the end of the week, so hurry in, they don't usually last long. it's amazing what a new throw pillow or set of cases can do to completely change the look of a bed. you don't have to buy the whole set, just bits and pieces can make an impact and you're not spending a fortune for a little luxury ;o) enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

**11/28/08** Check out our new web shop to find Robshaw items available for purchase, http://www.openhouse-richmond.com.

this just in...

new items from blabla. we've expanded our offerings to include the most adorable baby hats and booties!! also, we've got a few backpacks for those little ones heading off this fall for the first time. and a number of new dolls, both large and small. come by and check it out. enjoy! k&m

this just in...

new products from beautea! we are so excited to welcome this new line to our little shop. beautea is a line of organic bath and body products.

using 100% organic certified ingredients and free of pesticides, synthetics, and any other unnatural chemical derivatives that can be harmful to your health, BEAUTEA organic bath & body care products are infused with the finest organic tea blends sourced through farming collectives from around the world.

at openhouse you can find liquid hand soap, bar soap and body lotion in white darjeeling and black ceylon.

the packaging makes for a great gift, but we suggest indulging yourself. the scents are so subtle and you now it's full of goodness, so why not?

while you're in store, check out our sale table with some great finds from some of your fave designers. a big end of summer sale with even more deals starts next week, so get in there! enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

etsy love...

found these great decoupage frames from trixie & radar on etsy. handmade in fort greene, each one sells for $25 on their etsy page. might be something for openhouse to look into carrying. with the coming of the new website we're going to have the opportunity to branch out a little and take some risks! can't wait. until we see you again, happy shopping! k&m

hip cribs

[the winner! amy coe westport crib for babies r us, $349]

summer is passing fast and we've been super busy with projects. we're getting the shop ready to roll for fall. we're putting together the basics for an openhouse website to be launch sometime in the near future (pretty specific, hunh?) we're prepping for some local fall shows and one of us has been working on a little baby due in october! since i've been on the lookout for all things baby and cool, i thought i'd share a couple of good finds. and we promise that as the cool air of fall, falls, we'll be back in action with the blog.

ideally the baby's room would be filled with high-end design made of environmentally friendly options. but we don't live in an ideal world and i've had to re-adjust the thought process. while maintaining a healthy, eco-friendly environment is numero uno importante (sorry, never took spanish) there have had to be some compromises.

the biggest was with the crib. the argington sahara, netto collection cribs and oeuf options were on the top of the list. they were also at the top of the price scale. so here are a couple of options that i found that make for great alternatives. they are made of wood, non-toxic and available in your local store, which makes their footprint a little less large. i'll be back next week with other great finds that we've stumbled across this summer. enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

[olivia crib from walmart, $300]

super sidewalk sale this saturday!

come out to the shops at 5807 (5807 patterson avenue at libbie avenue) for a huge sidewalk sale this saturday. megan and i will be there working our table of goodies. lots of great names on sale. we really need to clear out and make room for some sweet fall inventory, so come by and clean us out ;o) we'll have items from perch!, lotta jansdotter, mud australia dinnerware, three sheets 2 the wind, lorena barrezuetta ceramics, anne black and many more designers seriously discounted. can't wait to see you all out there! 9am - 4:30 pm, this saturday, july 19th! happy shopping! k&m

this just in...

new textiles from dermond peterson!!! we're so excited to get some new designs in from this great sister-duo. just in time for the heat of the summer we have lovely, large, cotton tea towels in a variety of designs. pick up a pair of lemon and lime slices, garden fresh artichoke or eggplant designs or go totally virginia and grab one of the great crab or other sea life designs.

for the first time we are also stocking some of their pillows. my personal favorite, the gold octopus on white linen is here. we also have some beautiful coral and shell designs. i can't imagine these are going to last. the quality and uniqueness of the pillows is just too much to have them hang around. so get by the shop and check them out asap.

enjoy! and happy shopping! k&m

marimekko

hey folks. we wanted to alert everyone to a great sale going on over at always mod. they have over 400 marimekko items on sale. bedding, fabrics, paper, you name it. all on sale until july 15th. shipping is only $5. so check it out. and stay tuned this week for a new arrival at openhouse and a fun event coming up next week. happy shopping! k&m

etsy love...

we got an email this week from a charlottesville designer we saw at the spring bada-bing here in richmond this past april. reminded me how much i liked her designs and i thought we'd highlight her etsy site today. there's a chance you'll be able to see her work in openhouse in the near future, but until then, head on over to bycary on etsy and pick up some of her great coasters and card sets. happy friday! k&m