Of all the places I’ve lived – and there have been a few – I’ve got to say Oregon still tops my list. So it’s pretty great to be here for the long weekend. We’re in Hood River now and will be hanging around in Portland Saturday, and Seattle on Sunday. I’m sure I’ll find some fun shopping spots and restaurants to share next week on the blog… If I don’t post until Monday or so – you know where I am!

I Heart PDX art is from papercutworks.

~Posted by: Amy

I was lucky enough to “meet” the very talented and kind Kellie, of 74 Lime Lane this summer. Not only does Kellie have a really great blog, she’s also got an Etsy Shop stocked with her own original prints. Kellie calls Australia home, and somehow finds the time to not only work as a graphic designer, journalist and photographer, but she’s also a wife and mom to two boys! There are so many great photos in her shop to choose from – I’ve got my eye on both the teacups and the pictures of vintage cameras.

Click here to visit her Etsy Shop, and here to visit her blog.

~Posted by: Amy

Was browsing through dace’s site and saw some great looks I wanted to share with you today. The site currently has a preview of their fall collection, and the rest of the fall looks will be available on the site soon. You’ll probably want to take a peek at their sale section, they’ve got some great summer styles on sale too! dace is one of Vancouver’s most popular indie fashion lines – both designed and manufactured here in the city.

Click here to shop.

Here on Handmade Evolution I usually feature artists from North America – but today I’d like to focus on an international artist whose work has caught my eye, big time! There are so many pieces from Wapa’s store that I’d like to call my own. Wapa is owned and operated by Ada Shapira who lives in Moshav AVihail, Israel. From the moment she sat at a potters wheel Ada knew that pottery was her calling. Since receiving a degree from The Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem she has been working with pottery – creating lighting objects, home decor items, jewelry and more.

Click here to visit her shop

Portland local and indie fashion designer, Riordan Roache’s fall collection is stunning! With a focus on sophisticated and wearable designs each piece is both classic and unique. Riordan has been knitting since she was six, and was homeschooled until going on to study Fashion Design at London’s Central St Martins for four years.

Click here to visit her shop.

Hope your weekend is a good one! I’ll be getting packed for a road trip next week- we’ll be stopping in Seattle, Portland and the Columbia Gorge. I can’t wait.

~Posted by: Amy

As many of you already know, Vancouver local, Tyler Wright has been missing since August 16th. He set out on a grueling solo hike on August 10th that was to take him from Squamish through the mountains to his final destination in Coquitlam (read more here). When he didn’t contact his family on the 16th they knew something was wrong. North Shore Search and Rescue has been looking for Tyler in the woods for many days now. They have found footprints (he has distinctive size 16 feet) and spots where he has spent the night and continue to search diligently, every day.

Hikers have been known to survive for up to a month in the wilderness as they have access to berries and fresh water. Everyone that knows Tyler knows that he is a fighter and has an unwavering positive outlook that will serve him well in the days to come. Those of us who are friends with Tyler know that he has the kind of energy and resolve that are needed to survive an extended period in the wilderness.

Tyler’s family is now asking for help from the public in viewing aerial videos. As you have time in your day please take a minute to view a video or two. The more people that watch these videos, the more chance that an additional clue might be spotted.

For more information on viewing the videos and other ways you can help please visit: Missing Tyler Wright

~Posted by: Amy

Canada’s no stranger to indie fashion – Valerie Dumaine hails from Montreal, and season after season she brings us beautiful, wearable collections. The fall fashion preview is up on her site now – and will be in her online shop and in stores soon too.

Click here to view the full preview.

~Posted by: Amy

Image from Emporium51

Image from Gene Pierson

Image from Siobahn Photography

Flicking through the channels the other night I found myself stopping to watch So You Think You Can Dance Canada. Not my normal fare personally, but something about the show lured me in. And over the next several days I found myself watching more episodes.

Halifax. Toronto. Vancouver. Auditions from all over the country. Watching these dancers, all with their own stories, taking the stage and pouring their hearts out, hoping to be chosen for one of the coveted spots as a finalist. After watching more than a couple episodes it dawned on me why I couldn’t turn my eyes away from the screen. It wasn’t the dancers stories, or their amazing techniques – though these elements of the show are fascinating in and of themselves. It was something else entirely. It was the abandon with which some of these individuals danced – somehow, their movements seem to not only work with the music they were dancing to, but also to enhance it.

Their coreographed dance routines, carefully trained for and rehearsed – became something else. Watching, it seemed to me that these dancers had given themselves the freedom to let go of everything else for the moment, and to express the best part of themselves with an openness and a love for life – if even for just a minute on a stage with thousands watching.

~Posted by: Amy

I think it’s safe to call me a details person, so when I come across a sweet little shop like The House of Bouton – I get pretty excited. Cassie Bouton has formal training as a printmaker and earned her MFA at the University of Southern Maine. She creates lovely screenprinted tea towels and art to add a fun burst of color to any kitchen.

Click here to visit the shop.

~Posted by: Amy

…the weekend! 3 words that I never seem to tire of, it’s something to celebrate each week. Hope your weekend involves something sweet!

Macarons above are from: Sparkles Kitchen

~Posted by: Amy