Kickin' Around Old Town

I've loved the gritty little vintage shops in Old Town ever since I moved to Bellingham in 1991. I admit I've never really gone into any of them with the intention of buying anything... although I have made a few purchases over the years, I've always thought of my visits to these places as more of field trips to long gone days. I love that these stores hold such an eclectic collection of old treasures- there are so many things to look at, touch and consider that my visits are often a bit overwhelming. Today I decided to take along my camera to see how I experience the stores with a more focused eye. Not surprisingly, I was pretty overwhelmed by the sheer volume of items and their helter-skelter display but I found a few things I couldn't leave undocumented....

The look on this doll's face reminded me of some of my babes (thankfully none of them are missing a finger!)These salt & pepper shakers made me think of my grandma... she had quite a collection of them when she was alive! I just love repeating patterns ... these bowls made me think of sun rays.The jumbled mess of furniture in this dollhouse immediately reminded me of some of the abandoned homes I've been into lately!
We had these dishes tucked away in a cabinet when I was little...I think they originally belonged to my great-grandmother. I remember thinking they were SO old-fashioned back then... now I just think they are beautiful!
Okay I don't know about you but I find it a little disturbing to find relics from my childhood in an antique store! Is this what it feels like to get old?! Does anyone else remember these glasses we used to get at fast food restaurants? I had completely forgotten about the A&W bear! And how about those Nike sneakers? I had a pair just like them when I was 9 years old!

The Willows Inn on Lummi Island

I think my penchant for islands started as a little girl when I read a Pippi Longstocking story in which Pippi takes her pals Tommy, Anika and Mr. Nilson on an adventure to a "deserted" island in the middle of a lake to show them what it is like to be shipwrecked. I must have liked that idea because ever since then, every time I've seen an island in the middle of the lake I've had a strong desire to hop in a rowboat and go on an adventure of my own : )

Given this lifelong fascination with islands, it's not surprising that my very favorite place in Whatcom County to get away for awhile is Lummi Island. A few weeks ago I got to shoot my first wedding at a cozy little bed & breakfast on the island, The Willows Inn. I had driven past The Willows more than a dozen times on my trips to the beach but never had an occasion to stop there and explore, so I was very excited about getting to shoot a wedding there!

I was taking a break to have a bit of dinner and let the guests enjoy theirs when Riley, one of the inn's proprietors, pulled up a chair and sat down to talk. After I stopped raving about the meal (it was fabulous!!) we got around to talking about my work. He mentioned needing some updated photos of the inn for the website and of course I mentioned my willingness to work in trade (with that meal on my plate in front of me, how could I not?!) Riley was excited about the idea so I made the trek out to the island on a sunny spring day last week to do my best to capture the spirit of the place!

I've not done a lot of work like this in the past so I really enjoyed the challenge. Each room is uniquely decorated with great attention to details so I had plenty of fodder to work with! Here are a few shots that I think give a good feel for The Willows experience... My favorite room at the Inn is The Cottage. It's so bright and airy and has a nice view of the grounds of the inn and the distant islands!
I couldn't resist this shot... I could just imagine visitors putting their feet up to relax while taking in that beautiful scene! (In the distance are Matia and Sucia Islands, both of which I have visited by sailboat. They are as beautiful up close as they are in the distance...)
Downstairs in the Inn is the Taproot Pub and Espresso. It was closed for business on the day I was there so I sneaked down to get a few shots of the interior. It's such a warm, inviting place!Wanting to capture the entire Willows experience, I headed down to the private beach to snap a few shots...My second attempt at a panorama proved to be a major pain but because this view in front of The Willows is so beautiful, I just couldn't let it go until I got it right (or at least good enough!)

(Click to see in large size!)

Before I left I insisted Riley & Judy take a few minutes to sit for the camera because it just wouldn't be right to not have a picture of the innkeepers on the inn's website!

If you're looking for a nice, peaceful place for a weekend getaway or just somewhere new to eat an ultra-fresh, fabulous meal, this is definitely the place to go! Not only does Riley supply the Inn's restaurant with his reefnet salmon catches but the organic produce, chicken and eggs are raised on their property called Nettles Farm. It just doesn't get any better than that...

Riley & Judy, it was great meeting and working with you! I'm really looking forward to spending more time at the inn whether it's for dinner, a wedding or one of the many fun events you offer!

My afternoon at Laura Bee Designs

I discovered Laura Bee Designs a few months ago while on an afternoon walk in Ballard and fell in love on my first venture into the store. When it comes to my girly-girl accessories, I tend to be pretty picky (I prefer the phrase "highly selective") so I was amazed to find so many things that I liked all in one place. I went home, looked up the website and discovered that not only can you buy the many wonderful readymade items in the shop, you can design a bag of your very own! This sounded right up my alley!

My second visit to the store was on my birthday and I treated myself to a cute little wallet. From then on, I was hooked! Of course it didn't take me long to wonder if Laura Bee's owner, Laura Buzard, would be interested in working out a trade for photos of her creations : ) She expressed interest when I contacted her so Laura and I met one afternoon to discuss some ideas for photos for her website and a couple weeks later I went back with camera in hand!

Shooting a place provides much different challenges than shooting people, but as with my work with people, I am most interested in trying to capture the spirit of a place. With this shoot I really wanted to create images that allow the viewer to feel the Laura Bee experience and, of course, encourage them to experience it for themselves! With a new camera to get used to and no shortage of "eye candy" (as Laura calls it!) I spent about two hours wandering around chatting with the girls and taking pictures of everything in sight. It was the simple lines of Laura's designs that caught my eye but all the fun & funky variations of colors & trims that really drew me in! Besides handbags, purses and wallets, there are tons other fun accessories- both designed by Laura and others. Everywhere you look are unique belts, jewelry, hairpins and other fun girly stuff.Part of the space at Laura Bee is devoted to the design studio where Laura and the girls assist clients with the creation of custom made items. There are so many different fabrics, ribbons, buttons and other accoutrements that it seems impossible for any two items to ever be identical!
I learned from Laura that the color of tag changes after every box of one thousand tags and this is how they can tell when a bag or other accessory was made. I was present for the start of the newest color: orange!
One of the things I really enjoy about Laura Bee is that the sewing machines and cutting tables are an integral part of the space. I've never been in the shop and not seen the creative process in full swing, so Laura and I agreed that capturing her and the girls at work was absolutely necessary!
I call them "Busy Bees"...
Laura and Debbie go over an order.Debbie cuts fabric using one of many design templates.
Ashley puts the finishing touches on a bag.All done!Laura works on the Happy Dog zipper case she creates in support of Seattle Pug Rescue. Laura's shop dog Otis the Pug wasn't in the store on the day I visited but I did get to meet Ashley's sweet little puggle named Tucker!

My final shots of the day... I thought I would try putting together a panorama of the entire shop from the entrance. It's not perfect but it's my first attempt and it gives you an idea of what it's like to walk in the door. (Be sure to click on this one to see it in bigger size.)

Next on the agenda? Designing MY bag : ) I'll be sure to post photos of it when it's done!

Thanks so much to Laura, Ashley & Debbie for letting me hang around with my camera while you were hard at work. It was a joy to witness the creative process in action!