Weekend Mix Tape: Vanessa

Sunday, March 10th, 2013

Our good friend Vanessa of The Owl Mag took time out of her busy music-review writing schedule to make this weekend mix tape for  you to chill out to. And to write the following note:

“As a kid I loved making mix tapes. There was always a reason for a good one whether it was mood, season, occasion or love interest. When I was older, making my first mix cd practically blew my mind. But regardless of the medium, a good collection of tunes is such a wonderful thing. I experience angry punk moods, electronic dancey moods, earthy folk moods, 80s’ new wave moods and so on. This playlist is compiled of old favorites, along with some new ones. On a bad day, any of these musical gems can pull me up and take me to another place for that moment. It’s a beautiful thing and I hope you enjoy them.”

Check out Vanessa’s mix tape here.

Check out Vanessa at The Owl Mag here.

She’s also kind of obsessed with improv, performing in San Diego with The Hinges and Swim Team. For fun, and because she’s crazy, she drives to UCB: LA to take classes in being better at making things up on the spot.

 

Posted in All, barley&birch Lifestyle, Our Friends, Tunes | No Comments »

Wear It Wednesday – Saraya the Champion.

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

 

You’ve met Saraya before when she was rocking her Orca onesie and the sweet leggings her mom, Janene, made her.

When Saraya was soaking  up the SoCal sun in our Feathers tee and adorable straw hat, she had no idea that she would enter and win our first ever Photo Competition. But now that she’s won, she has yet another b&b shirt to add to her collection, she had the honor of being the face of both our Facebook and Twitter for an entire month, AND she’ll be getting a special present at the end of the year.

 - – -

Visit Janene’s blog here .

Check us out on Facebook here to keep up with future photo contests.

 

Posted in All, barley&birch Lifestyle, Our Clothing, Our Customers, Our Friends, Wear it! Wednesday | No Comments »

Wear Something Wednesday: GUEST POST! Reconstructed Runway

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

Hello b&b family! My name is Kitt and I am an art therapist based in New York.  I work with kids and adults, helping them express themselves through art, when they are struggling to verbalize their feelings.  I’ve been asked by the lovely Jodie to share a project I have been working on for a little less than a year, called Reconstructed Runway.

I am thrilled to be able to talk about Reconstructed Runway, because it is so close to my heart, and I hope that you share my passion for it as well.

This arts based project is looking to empower those individuals who are looking to put the pieces of their lives back together in sobriety, by using art as their main source of expression.  Through fashion and art we at Reconstructed Runway are hoping to use t-shirts as a safe metaphor for the refashioning of their present and their past to create a new, healthy life.

 

 

Funding for this project goes directly towards art supplies, an art space to be used during the projects 6 week timeline, and the final art gala event, which everyone who donates will be invited to!

As an artist and an art therapist, I have always been drawn to how we express ourselves through artistic means, and what those expressions look like, this is a chance to help others who may never have been able to express themselves in healthy ways, do so, and show the world.

Please check out our Fundly donation page at this link:

Reconstructed Runway

Donate if you can, and please pass it on to others!

 

<3,

Kitt

Posted in All, Changing the World, Guest Bloggers, Our Friends, Our Inspiration | No Comments »

A Message From Jodie

Friday, November 2nd, 2012

Kyle is always saying how much all of you love my blog posts – Make Something Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Fun Facts Friday were all my ideas and I have spent so much timing sharing with you all, but never actually sharing much about myself. Well here goes:

I grew up on 74th street in Rockaway Beach, NY. The two bedroom apartment was on the 11th floor and if you looked outside to the right there was the most amazing view of the beach (that was just across the street). To the left was Jamaica Bay, and a great view of the NYC skyline.  I learned to swim in the ocean, to fish and sail on the bay. I walked everywhere, and on days I couldn’t stand cutting through the projects, I would walk out of my way to just walk on the boardwalk. When teenage angst was overwhelming, I would sit on the beach (day or night, even in the snow) and just watch the waves until I was calm.

The media isn’t covering it very much, but Hurricane Sandy destroyed the Rockaway Peninsula. The ocean that Rockaway natives love, are proud of, that made us who were are , has shoved its way all the way across to the bay. The beach that The Ramones sang about has swallowed the city. All that is left of the iconic boardwalk is the supports. Over 100 houses burned down to their flooded basements. Well over 1,000 buildings have been condemned. There’s no public transportation in or out, no gas for those who have their own cars.

My own mother has been without power or running water for 5 days now. She has to walk down those 11 stories in the dark just to get outside. Today she walked all over Rockaway looking for the RedCross and FEMA sites that are rumored to be there, and there’s nothing. NOTHING.

A good majority of residents are either a part of NYPD, FDNY, EMS, or related to someone who is.  Our community has given so much to NYC, by way of these services. We lost over 70 Rockaway residents on 9/11, inlcuding people who worked at WTC and FDNY/EMS personal dispatched. We’ve given so much to NYC, and NYC isn’t responding to this disaster nearly as much/fast as they should. It’s….. horrible.

We at Barley & Birch, in true world-changer fashion, are working on our own fundraiser. Details to come. In the meantime, keep an eye on my twitter posts for more information on what is going on back home, and how to help.

 

Love,

Jodie

 

 

This was my view growing up.
All of that is gone now.

Posted in All, Assorted Thoughts, Changing the World, Jodie, Our Friends, Our Inspiration | 2 Comments »

Want to read an awesome blog?

Friday, September 14th, 2012

“I did not want an arranged marriage…but my father, in keeping with Arab custom, was determined to see me wed before I turned twenty-five and exceeded my marriage expiration date.

On New Years Eve when I was turning twenty four, my dad announced ‘starting next week, I’m going to bring a man for you every Friday so that you can see if you meet one that you like and get married.” For the next fifty-one weeks, my dad kept his word.”

- Faiza

 

The witty, intelligent, beautiful, fabulous Faiza started her blog to record the “51 Fridays” of meeting the suitors her father brought home. Her writing shines a light on a culture that most of us know nothing about. During that year, she kept a clear head and a humorous view of it all – she’s an inspiration to people anywhere who are being told to do something they don’t want to do.

Her blog was re-launched this week to include not only the “51 Fridays”, but two new categories as well.

  • “Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda” – where she lets us know her a little better and talks of things she’d like to find in her true love.
  • “Secrets & Confessionals” – where readers like myself (and maybe you) of all cultures and ethnicities can write in their stories of falling in (and out) of love, going against their cultures/religions/parents , etc.

 

So go ahead and check out Expired -N- Fabulous for your weekend reading.

 

Love,
Jodie

 

PS. I’d like to thank my good friend Ryan for introducing me to Faiza, her blog, and being awesome in general.

 

 

Posted in All, Assorted Thoughts, barley&birch Lifestyle, Changing the World, Cool Blogs, Jodie, Our Friends, Our Inspiration | No Comments »

Cool Company: NoHo Hair Salon and their fight against Cancer

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

The NoHo Hair Salon will be offering purple spirit streaks starting today, May 1st in hopes to raise money for their Relay For Life team! NoHo Hair Salon proprietor and Master Colorist Robbie Wilson is generously supplying the spirit streak materials, and stylist Monica Paul will be donating her time to preform the applications.

Wondering what a spirit streak is? It’s an amethyst extension, made of 100% human hair. For a donation of $5 a streak is applied with a professional grade adhesive, which lasts one to two weeks. For a donation of $15 a streak is sewn in and can last one to two months.

I went in today and got an awesome haircut from the lovely Monica, as well as my first sewn in extension ever! The best part is (other than Monica, I adore her) was that I got to enter my donation straight to NoHo Hair Salon’s Relay for Life page, so I can guarantee you that your FULL donation is going straight to The American Cancer Society.

You can go into the salon or even just donate remotely here: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY12CA?pg=team&fr_id=37130&team_id=1163432  …. but why not have some fun if you live in the area?

 

 

A little background on the salon:

Robbie is one of the region’s most sought-after colorists and Monica is becoming the Art District’s favorite hair artist with an edge.

Visit their website here: http://nohohairsalon.com/
“Like” them on facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/NoHoHairSaon
Or just plain visit them in person here: 11049 Magnolia Blvd., Suite 200 (Ground floor), North Hollywood, CA 91601

 

Love,
Jodie

 

PS. I strongly encourage tipping ;)

Posted in All, barley&birch Lifestyle, Jodie, Our Friends, Our Inspiration | No Comments »

Cool Company: ThredUP

Friday, April 20th, 2012

I’ve recently had the pleasure of working on a new project with the CEO/Co-founder, and the Directors of Content over at ThredUP. But don’t think I’m telling you about this company because I’m biased. It’s simply a great concept.

“Clothes don’t grow. Kids do.”

Every parent finds themselves with a ton of clothes their kid(s) have grown out of. ThredUP makes it possible to trade such items for ones in the size you currently need. Members bundle 15+ “new to you” items in a box, then log the contents online by size, brand, gender, and style. Other “thredders” can then purchase the box for $9, plus the cost of shipping, and must eventually contribute packages of their own. You can also join the Super Thredder Program and earn double cash back for every 3 or 4 star box you send when you list your box at the Super Thredder rate.

Go on, check them out. Can’t hurt.

Love,
Jodie

Posted in All, barley&birch Lifestyle, Jodie, Our Friends | No Comments »

Whoa whoa whoa, we have a birthday in the family. {GIVEAWAY}

Tuesday, December 6th, 2011

There are few people we are indebted to the way we are indebted to our friend Amanda. She has created our website and email graphics for years and has recently started dealing with all the design work that comes along with starting a foundation. Her work, LITERALLY, by virtue of her taste and skill, has improved the lives of thousands of kids.

So we wanted to have a little giveaway on Twitter to help her celebrate. AND we recently hit 4,000 followers and have been meaning to do a Twitter giveaway!

Let’s see how this goes. (:

The rule:

1. Tweet the following at her. “@studioame happy birthday! you are so {insert any adjective, make them different for every tweet & the funnier/weirder the better!}”. For example, when I finish this post I will tweet “@studioame happy birthday! you are so good at dancing!”

THE AWESOME BONUS: every. single. tweet. gives you $3 to our store. (At midnight we will DM you a code for your value per the tweets.)

(Max 10 tweets each, max 20 winners.)

So are you hearing this?!  The first 20 people to tweet some funny birthday wishes to a fun girl just walk away with some free barley & birch threads.

THAT is how we celebrate the day of birth of someone in the barley & birch family. (:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMANDA! You are so…. NEW YORK! (:

Posted in All, Kyle, Our Friends | 8 Comments »

Make Sometime Monday: Office Supply Wall Art

Monday, November 21st, 2011

We will talk more about our love/appreciation/endless admiration and gratitude to our friend Amanda of AME Atelier in a blog post soon, but wanted to share two of her recent DIY Project posts for today’s ‘Make Something Monday!’

(Side note: Amanda is the brains behind everything from our e-blasts to our homepage graphics to our new foundation site… and more!)

Anyway, how pretty are these banners? Yes, she made it all with masking tape and paper.

What a fun idea to keep in your back pocket for the first snowday of the year. (We all know that you never expect it and that the little ones are going to be needing some projects to do!)

And this little guy? Masking tape and paper again.

Yes, I would be willing to bet that she is the only person you will ever find that can make such pretty things with tape & paperclips and then, in the same paragraph of her blog post, let you know what niche art form they are actually a nod to. Seriously.

Be sure to follow her blog for great and funny posts, videos, drawings, everything as she explores her newest home– Brooklyn!

Posted in All, DIY ideas, Our Friends | No Comments »

Cool new company: True Hero Ties

Friday, November 11th, 2011

It’s no secret that I (Kyle) love my alma mater, DePauw University.

I love singing the praises of DePauw as a university,  but love even more when I get to sing about something that a young alumni is up to. And when it is something that gives back in a big way, I just about die of pride and happiness.

Such is the case today.

I am so proud to tell you about a new company started by fellow DePauw grads called True Hero Ties.

True Hero Ties was founded on a simple concept – donate 50% of every sale to U.S. veteran support organizations. Every tie purchase allows American consumers to easily give back to our veterans.

They currently support the following organizations:
Wounded Warrior Project
Homes for Our Troops
Military Order of the Purple Heart
Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund

We at barley & birch think any company that is premised upon using their profits to improve the lives of others is fantastic. I (Kyle) love that True Hero Ties gives to groups supporting veterans as they return from overseas and face countless obstacles and challenges back at home. It seriously warms my heart.

These guys make me proud to have gone to DePauw with them. (:

To celebrate Veterans Day, you should head on over to learn about their company, background, and mission. Oh, and order a tie. It will make you feel great. (:

Love,
Kyle

Posted in All, Our Friends | No Comments »

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