new paper goods from ilee!

for the past couple of years the ilee papergoods letterpress desk calendar has literally flown off the shelves at o'suzannah. it is, without fail, always stunning. we've also started carrying more ilee cards, and we got a huge batch a couple of weeks ago. they are to die for, get them while you can...and stay tuned for calendar news as we inch closer to 2010.

some of the cutest hedgies ever!

more accessories to come.....

so the scoop for fall is that o'suz plans to sell more accessories, like in the old days.

in fact, jessica is headed up to new york for a whirlwind trip next sunday, on which she hopes to find some new fresh lines. while we will continue to carry hobo, fluffy co, highway,jenna rose and kit+lili, as well as figs and ginger, polli, susan fleming, molly m, m.e. moore, lucid and laurel denise, we are hoping to add to that line up.  we especially love our favorite textile lines like: moontea, flowie and lotta jansdotter as well as the canvas bags that have won our hearts like shinzi katoh and  funtote. we have noticed fewer vendors headed up for the show though so hopefully a few new lines there will be speak to us and find a home in o'suz come fall. if you have any suggestions of lines that would be a fit please shout out to our email. we love vegan lines but sell some leather. we also like to stumble upon hair accessories like nadeshieko's hair clips. stay posted for when we post what we found and a few pics from the show!!!!! have fun jessica, wish i was coming.

the word is

that the sale is all 75% off at o'suz. spread it around will ya?

summer lovin'

....well, summer is upon us for sure and some of these pics are proof positive. i don't do personal posts often, but summer has been abundant in so many ways, i'd like to share. mind you, they are in no particular order, just a stream of warm weather indicators and loved ones.

hands down my favorite flowers

and this one has 2 colors, even better!

this particular hydrangea was an anniversary present

from my husband i think. it is some rare hybrid...

dandelion picking, reds favorite past time.

where's red? in the boxwood, but don't tell.

summer sandals, preferable to bare feet
only if to avoid the boo boos on his yummy sausage toes.

my mom (far left) her sister (next to her) and my
brother (far right) singing old time bluegrass at a ruritan hunt club bbq.

a beautiful bowl of strawberries from our garden.

juicy goodness, i think red ate them all!

red, climbing the mountain of sand todd made him.

"here it comes, here comes the wave red are you ready?"
YEAH!!!!!!!

oh the boy loved the beach, just like his mama does

no toys needed.

the diaper came off pronto after this pic,
but i failed to get the naked bottom that warms me so, on camera.

strolling towards the crashing sea, fearless.

only red and his shadow
(and his nervous mama, nearby)

ok, we call this his wifebeater,
certainly did not invent the term
but it's what we call these tanks.
i live in them and so does red.

a needle felted octopus i made inspried by, and made at, the beach!!

hi mama...

in my flower garden, coming up so far,
are massive sunflowers (3 kinds)
shasta dasies, sweet peas, nasturtiam,
and 2 kinds of zinnias. 2 kinds of flowers failed to thrive as
u can see by the middle, will have to fill in perhaps
or just let the weeds move in.

todd's pride includes:
corn, tomatoes, cukes, watermelon,
strawberries, squash, jalapenos,
peppers and lettuces'....

ahhhh...summer

serious reductions in the summer sale

quick post about the sale, the following goods have been drastically reduced by 75%!!!!!!
* stuffed peratree studio turtles (all made from recycled materials) were 28 now 7
*dwell pillows were 38 now 9.50
*family organizers were 25 now 6.25
*oopsy daisy monkey placemats sets were 50 now 12.50
*vilmain kids tooth fairy box was 38 now 9.50
*vilmain placecard holders were 54 now 13.50 (great wedding present to tuck away)
*french bull sets of cannisters were 38 now 9.50
*studio vertu coasters sets of 4 were 42 now 10.50
*(some of) ashley g prints were 26 now 6.50

come on in and see the other exciting markdowns that will happen daily until the sale gets packed up and put away at the end of the month.

introducing...sycamore street press

we're so excited to have a new letterpress line in the shop, sycamore street press, out of columbus, ohio (although i think they may be in the midst of relocating to utah at this very moment). the cards themselves often present a single image with a sentiment, but there is an incredible amount of detail in the individual figures. check out the single feathers on the owl! i have been coveting these cards, particularly 'je t'aime' for what feels like eternity. here's a sampling of some of the ones we have in the shop at the moment, although several are already down to dangerously low quantities!

what else would your french bulldog say to you?

pugs make everything better.

this is suzannah's favorite. hippity hop...

introducing...holztiger

over the past month or so we've gotten in several new lines, and one of the hands down cutest is holztiger, a german company that handcrafts little wooden animals. they hand paint the creatures with water-based acrylic stains that are non-toxic and kid-friendly. of course, the appeal of holztiger animals extends beyond little ones -- who wouldn't want a friendly little piglet sitting on her desk?

and here are some more critters:

even skunks need good homes.


who knew moles could be so endearing?


has anyone else noticed charlottesville is being overrun by groundhogs? this one does a lot less damage to your yard.

has there ever been so cute a mouse?

we got some bigger ones, too.

everyone loves a smiling bear.

PUPPIES!

hedgies forever!

this is just a small sampling of the menagerie. come find your critter, and stay tuned for more new lines!

sale update!!!

we got a little crazy today and added lots of goodies to the sale!  we know there are some of you out there who will be thrilled to hear that all the crispina blankets are now marked down 50%.  crispina makes her throws from recycled sweaters up in the berskhires and has been going at it since 1987.  each blanket is one of a kind and super snuggly.  it may be hard to think about blankets in the middle of july, but this would be a great gift to sock away for a wedding or the winter holidays. these crispina blankets (and two pillows as well) are definitely a singular steal!!!

other helpful household goods were added today, including a few metal mail organizers, woven wastebaskets and serving trays, more studio vertu coasters, and so on.

not to mention that there continue to be markdowns on existing sale! come visit!

stars and stripes

just a quick note to let ya'll know about our weekend hours:

saturday we plan to open at 10am as usual and then close anywhere between 4 and 6 depending on foot traffic. if it's busy at all we will stay open til 6. sunday we will be open 12-5 as usual!!

******happy 4rth and happy bday to my wonderful husband********

july love it...amy noel!

this month we're excited to feature one of our local artists, amy noel, who makes the hands-down cutest cashmere critters you've ever seen. it's always a pleasure when amy visits the store (usually with her equally adorable younger daughter in tow) with a new bag of animals for the shop. she has made bunnies, elephants, pigs, owls, chickens, mice, and other forms of fauna, all from reclaimed cashmere. they're even stuffed with cashmere scraps! whenever someone comes in in search of a one of a kind (literally) baby gift that will be both functional and a keepsake, i always show them amy's work. who wouldn't want a locally and lovingly made little creature, perfect for little ones of all ages. i love telling our customers that amy's older daughter often contributes to the "art direction" by telling her mama where to put certain parts or her signature stitched heart. of course, the appeal of amy's work extends beyond wee ones, and many a critter have been purchased for a slightly older demographic. here's o'suz regular nicole's masked buddy in her home, photographed by good pal melissa (check out her blog!):


when we were thinking about how to best feature amy, we knew the best way to convey the appeal of her work was to show it with its ideal audience, and who better to complement critter cuteness than red fisher himself. i spent a day with red while suzannah rocked it out in the shop, and it was good times all around when i handed over the bag of goodies:

pulling them out, one by one...

decisions, decisions.

calling attention to monsieur elephant.

maybe this one?

hmmm, this rooster is rather nice.

red and rooster have some face time.

how are you today, rooster-roo?

yup, he's the one. for sure.

many of amy's creations are visible in these photos, but you really have to feel these little softies to understand how amazing they are. so come check out the menagerie in person at the shop! amy was kind enough to answer our usual questions, so please scroll down for her responses. thank you, amy!

what was your first job and how did you end up making your adorable creatures?

At eleven, I took on the hardest job that I can think of...babysitting. I took on not only one, but three children under the age of five, and was attempting with the best of intentions to replace their mother for four to six hours every day in the summer. Wow, have the times changed. I am a mother of two now and can only hope that I am doing the best that I can. In a way, I feel honored, for my babysitting went on for years and sometimes over weekends as I got older..these parents trusted that I was a good replacement for them while they were away and I did the best that i could. I feel now that this was a good basis for owning my own business and raising two children without the stress of a 9-5 job.

As far as how these creatures came to life, I feel this could be a long and drinking wine kind of story, so I will keep it "simple." I was a traveler before I gave birth to my first daughter five years ago, and I found metal objects on the XX tracks and began making mobiles, rather large and clumsy, but with a raw beauty nonetheless. Then the leather came to me free to recycle from a local boot/saddle maker, from which I began and continue to create books, bags,and baby moccasins...If I want to make it, I will give it a whirl. This giving of leather reminded me of my childhood and all the "hand me downs" I had received and altered to fit my tastes at the time, thus pushing me toward this desire to create things that had little or no waste to them and a bit more function than metal trash mobiles (my heart still loves thee). Granted, one cannot realistically keep every thread that comes from something before, but I can try to impact this world without crushing her with my feet. So, these creatures, with the help of the babe inside, gave thought to all the cashmere sweaters I had found at a frequented thrift store...reinvented and stuffed with the leftover cashmere and just a bit of thread...no choking hazard and pretty edible if so inclined.

what is your favorite piece/group/series in your work?

So far, I have a hard time with a favorite choice of the animals I have made... maybe the green rooster, the pink bunny, the black owls, I can't make choices like that.. [ed. note: you can see a black owl in one of the above photos.]

who or what inspires you?

They are inspired by children. My children, five years and six months, the man and father of my children, who I am crazy about..they are my greatest inspiration. Not only to be a better woman and mother, but also to love and follow the beautiful things I see and find in life. For children see the world with this indescribable beauty and honesty that for us over time becomes a bit jaded if we let it, and they do not discriminate unless taught or told to be so. I find myself learning more acceptance daily just by watching my babes see people and things uninterrupted by the daily obstacles. I also find myself inspired by life itself, but music, dancing, and timeless textures are my other inspirations.

this is a new lavender rabbit. (or a jumbo mouse if you prefer)

closer examination reveals extreme cuteness.

what three websites do you visit daily?

The three websites I frequent often, besides google for my need for information DAILY, are etsy and an informative blog on nature's child (written by a friend and mother ). Being a new cyber space gal, I am still finding my way around...or stumbling, but it's fun no less.

describe your ideal sunday.

The day of sun is my most cherished day, an end and a beginning in one day. To start fresh again and remember the week previous. My ideal sunday is spent with my family, for it is hard to get us all together in one moment. So, as we get to know each other, these times are often spent at sugar hollow (a close and beautiful river hike waterfall berry picking paradise) in the summer or lying blissfully around the woodstove in the winter. The day of sun is really set aside for recuperation in my house, even if that means exerting tons of energy and having fun.

critters inspire hugs all around.

what do you see outside your studio windows?

Outside my studio windows, which is my sunroom, are these two giant quince bushes that bloom twice in the year..once in Janurary (even through ice storms) to remind me that spring is on its way, and then again in early May. And then there is my garden of strawberry, tomato, yellow squash, melon, basil, thyme, mint, and rosemary plants and the occasional cardinal or finch roosting in the rose of sharon. This rain that we have been getting has cast an almost luminescent green quality to my country living. In reading this, it almost sounds a bit surreal, but I feel that my life is just a bit enchanted. I don't have much for possessions, but I sure love making something out of nothing. Enjoy this life for all that it is. Thanks for viewing.

life is pretty sweet.