Satisfy Your Lingerie Sweet Tooth at Heroine!

I am so pleased to announce that Honey Cooler Handmade has landed at the lovely Noe Valley women's clothing boutique Heroine. Heroine is geared towards ladies, moms and babies, making it a rare gem in the sea of San Francisco clothing stores. Proprietress Angela carries some awesome brands like Johnny Was (a personal favorite), She Bible, Plenty! by Tracy Reese, and Orion London, so I'm in very good company.

Sneak a peek at a selection of pieces now at Heroine below - they're fully stocked in Knickers, Deco Camis, Garconne Tap Shorts, Bow Belts and Ribbon Corsets!

Clockwise from top left: Heidi Bow Belt, Imogene Deco Camisole, Lovina Knickers,

Dixie Ribbon Corset, Lonnie Private Eye Sleep Mask, Stella Moonshine Chemise,

Desdemona Deco Camisole, Winnie Ribbon Corset

A note: Since so much of my stock is no longer on Etsy, if you'd been secretly pining for something you no longer see online, please let me know and I can try to track it down for you. Happy shopping!

Honey Cooler Handmade at A La Folie on Sunday August 5th!

Been dreaming of trying on a Honey Cooler Handmade Ribbon Corset in person? Had your eye on a pair or two of Knickers, but been feeling unsure about sizing? There's no better place to become an HCH devotee than at a lingerie store and my next trunk show is just the ticket.

Next Sunday August 5th from 11am-4pm, catch me at Oakland lingerie boutique A La Folie for a shopping event featuring Honey Cooler Handmade lingerie and Stella & Dot jewelry. Join me, the A La Folie team and Stella & Dot stylist Briana for a trunk show that will have you stocking up on everything your intimate wardrobe has been yearning for!

The A La Folie Showroom

I'll have my gorgeous trunk in tow, full to the brim with stunning lacy, silky things, including a bunch of new pieces. Got any special requests? Let me know. Hope to see you there!

A La Folie Showroom
211 40th Street Way #1
Oakland, CA 94611

A Trunk Show Isn't Complete Without...

...a trunk! (And I have a few of them coming up soon!)

Those of you who follow Honey Cooler Handmade on Facebook and Twitter know that I purchased a shabby, yet stunning 1920's magician's trunk on ebay awhile back. When I opened the big box it arrived in, I realized that along with the gorgeous trunk came a not-so-gorgeous smell, presumably from the ancient glue that was holding the old black silk lining inside.

Left: Trunk exterior, Right: Scraping the old glue

While I was initially bummed about having to tear out the ancient lining and the hours needed to scrape out the smelly, shattering glue, I realized that redoing the interior would allow for an awesome amount of artistic freedom and... PINK PEAU DE SOIE! My hesitation in finishing this project mainly arose from my fear that I'd somehow screw it up, either by snagging the expensive fabric, ruining the trim or grossly mis-measuring. My husband's months-long insistence that this trunk not lay around in pieces on our bedroom floor was the reason for its swift completion this week, and I couldn't be more proud of the results.

Take a peek at some snaps below, and if you want to check this puppy out in person, you can do so at my trunk show next Sunday - details to follow!

The finished product: re-lined in pink peau de soie!

Preview: Itzel Deco Camisole

With all the traveling I've been doing lately, sitting down to sew something substantial has been impossible. The past few weeks have found me jumping in the ocean, drinking and eating more than a reasonable person should, camping, playing with babies, eating some more, attending a wedding and hanging out with some of the coolest people on the planet.

Now that I'm back to the grind and a somewhat normal schedule, I figured it would be best to start strong; That's where Itzel comes in.

Itzel Deco Camisole details

The Itzel Deco Camisole uses the same gorgeous starry silk jacquard and makes it even more cosmic with a harder-to-make-than-you'd-think lace star, a bunch of tulle cutouts and some sweet chevron action.

Keep you eyes peeled for Itzel in the Etsy shop later today and stay tuned for more fancy fun in the coming weeks!

Etsy Finds: Stripes Ooh La La

Starting the weekend off with a feature in the Etsy Finds email is quite an awesome feeling. My Imogene Deco Camisole was featured in a Bastille Day-themed mailing and I couldn't be more delighted!

Imogene Deco Camisole

The Imogene Deco Cami is one of my favorites - it's made of a lovely white and black striped silk charmeuse, cut on the bias for a truly flowy feel. The sheer crescent moon is a lovely touch of Edwardian nostalgia on a piece that is accessible, modern and comfortable.

The 100 Club

Just call me an Etsy badass.

From How to be a Retronaut

I finally attained the oft-discussed-on-the-Etsy-forums magic number: 100 items in my Etsy shop! Even though I've made tons more than 100 pieces at this point, this is the first time I've had that many on Etsy at once. The lady that made it all happen, Wanda, is below. She's made of a gorgeous fuchsia-tinged purple silk jacquard with a triple bow detail and sheer tulle panels at the sides. At once sexy and lovely, Wanda makes the perfect gift for the special lady in your life, especially if she's you!

Wanda Garconne Tap Shorts

As I begin to work on my next 100 pieces, I'd love to hear what you want to see in the shop. I love hearing from all of you, so requests for specific sizes, colors and motifs are always appreciated. Bralettes are in the pipeline as well, so stay tuned!

Looking Good Doesn't Come Cheap

It turns out that champagne taste is timeless.

Image via How to be a Retronaut

If you thought $346.50 was a lot to spend one outfit, consider that this breakdown dates from 1926, so the same outfit would cost about $4300 today.

Fly Away Home

Having spent most of my childhood growing up in Pennsylvania, each time I visit the East Coast my bearings get a little tangled. I love California, but I love Pennsylvania. I love my friends in San Francisco, but I love my core group of high school pals who live all along the East Coast. When my husband and I hopped our flight from Philly to SF last night, I swore up and down that I didn't want to leave my family and friends, but the second I stepped in my house again, the comfort of a home base settled my mind. The eight years I've spent living in the glorious city of SF have muddied my concept of what home really means. Is it possible to feel like you belong in two places at once? Life certainly seems that way to me a lot of the time.

The Ocean City, NJ boardwalk.

Our last few days back on the East Coast were spent in Ocean City, NJ. A group of high school pals, my husband and I got together at the same shore house we've been hanging out at since well before college. It feels good to have that kind of familiarity with a tight group of people after all these years. We basically grew up together and we're now adults together. Now instead of bonding over high school crushes, we bond over beer, cigars and the complications of "grown-up" life. It's so strange, but the saying is true: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In addition to finishing off all the alcohol in the shore house, we had one other duty on our final day in Ocean City: to hit up the boardwalk. There, nothing has changed. It's still loud, crowded, bright and annoying. But it's full of nostalgia too: the good kind. The kind you can only really grab when you're shoulder to shoulder with people you really like. We filled up on Manco & Manco's pizza, Kohr Brothers custard and crab fries while taking in the sights and sounds of the Ocean City boardwalk.

Now I'm back in SF and back to the grind. Back to loving this fair city and back to waiting patiently for another visit back East. There are lots of exciting things on the horizon for me and Honey Cooler Handmade and I can't wait to share them all with you!

The trip back to SF