In the Studio 2.27.13 Zelma Rose University

The 2013 Zelma Rose Look Book is a wrap!  Saturday was an incredible time and I cannot wait to show you all the finished product.  In the meantime I thought I would post some of my own photos from the shoot along with a few pics from the models and friends that stopped by for a visit. It was a special day and I am so grateful to everyone who was involved.  Sarah, Meg, Rebecca, Ashley, Stephanie, Jared & Bobby, I'm talkin' to you!

A Look Book is a big endeavor as a designer.  When I think about all the work and planning that went into an afternoon, it's pretty remarkable. All of this started back in early December when I met Bobby & Jared.  After knowing them for 5 minutes, sticking my foot in my mouth by telling them I loved their style and was on the lookout for real life models with incredible style and not "Brad Pitt handsome" men, we all had a good laugh (whew) and the planning began.  I still can't believe I said that.  (I think you will see from the finished product that Brad has nothing on these two). I had decided the mission of the Look Book would be to showcase local Bay Area business people.  Using the Makeshift Society to house the shoot seemed a natural. I wanted to show Zelma Rose designs in action, being worn and worked by real life creative people I admire. The finished Look Book will include links to the amazing talents that strutted their stuff on Saturday.  I'm so excited to share the work of Sarah, Meg, Rebecca, Ashley, Stephanie, Bobby & Jared with you. Their talent is astounding.

My Grandmother's Scissors

Testing the Lighting With Bobby & Jared. Photo by Stephanie Bodnar

My Vintage One of a Kind Gibson Hummingbird Made a Guest Appearance

Bow Ties, Necklaces & Pocket Squares! Photo by Edyta Szyszlo

Thanks for stopping by today.  I cannot wait to share more details of the Look Book with you all! Before I get back on the sewing machine, a reminder that today is the last day to enter the Mind Your Business Giveaway.  Here are the rules below, the winner will be announced Friday!

This giveaway is for a place in the boot camp, a $325 value.  Woo Hoo!! Here's the skinny:

The giveaway will run from Monday February 25 - Wednesday February 27.  A winner will be announced on the blog Friday March 1.  To enter here's what you need to do:

1. Follow the Zelma Rose Blog
2. Comment below about why you want to Mind Your Business in 2013
3. Like the Zelma Rose Facebook page
4. Do one of the following: Follow ZR on Twitter  // Instagram // or Pinterest

Happy Wednesday

xo

Lisa

Now Hear This 2.25.13 Mind Your Business Boot Camp Giveaway!!

I'm so excited to share with you this morning the details of the Mind Your Business Boot Camp Giveaway! Mind Your Business is a pants wearin' getting it done, decision makin' small business owning boot camp with a little glamor and a lot of fun.  Join Sarah & I March 9 & 10 as we dissect the ins and outs of your business, doin' business in the Bay Area and kickin' ass as women business owners.  We have two full days of amazing guest speakers, exercises and activities to help grow your business in 2013.

For more info about the Boot Camp check out the trailers below:




Mind Your Business Class Promo from Sarah Deragon on Vimeo.



Mind Your Business from Sarah Deragon on Vimeo.

This giveaway is for a place in the boot camp, a $325 value.  Woo Hoo!! Here's the skinny:

The giveaway will run from Monday February 25 - Wednesday February 27.  A winner will be announced on the blog Friday March 1.  To enter here's what you need to do:

1. Follow the Zelma Rose Blog
2. Comment below about why you want to Mind Your Business in 2013
3. Like the Zelma Rose Facebook page
4. Do one of the following: Follow ZR on Twitter  // Instagram // or Pinterest

Don't forget to spread the word about the giveaway.  Feel free to share on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you miss out on the giveaway and want a taste of what you will find on March 9 & 10, you can join me at the Makeshift Society Wednesday night (2/27/13) for my Boundaries for Better Business Class.  I drop serious science about creating and maintaining best customer service practices like writing that difficult email, giving employees feedback, and setting reasonable expectations with your customers.  Plus it's a ton of fun!

Thanks for stopping by and good luck everyone!  I can't wait to read about your business plans for 2013!

xo

Lisa

Style File 2.22.13 It's My Bag

My requirements for a bag have changed drastically in the last few years.  I went from carrying around the softest most buttery leather satchels that really only saw the coat hook of my office, to a diaper bag to now a pair of bags that can carry everything from designs, a camera, a day worth of snacks, and enough paperwork for a few meetings. Admittedly not just any bag would do, so it took sometime for me to find my groove and get something going that worked with my ever changing wardrobe (you know I can change as many as 3 times a day)?, and functioned as I need it to. For this week's Style File, I rounded up some of my favorite bags plus the two that I have come to love.  Can you guess which ones I'm seen toting around?

Leather Tote // Knot Handle Tote // Print Tote // Wax Tote // Lock Tote // Carryall // Duffel // Horse Tote // Clutch

Happy weekend and check back on the blog Monday for details about the Mind Your Business Boot camp Giveaway!!

In the Studio 2.20.13 Look Book Shoot Prep

I am really excited to be shooting the ZR Look Book this Saturday.  My girl Sarah Deragon from Portraits to the People will be behind the lens, along with Rebecca Taff on hair and makeup.  We are shooting at the Makeshift Society in SF, which is one of my all time favorite spots.  Besides teaching there, it is also the location of the Mind Your Business Boot Camp coming up in March, and Success Squad.  Plus, Victoria Smith of SF Girl by Bay did an amazing job on the space.  It's warm, inviting, filled with interesting objects, beautiful chairs, and everything you need for a day of work. I'm excited to see how it translates on film for a look book. I'm lucky enough to be working with 4 wonderful models and bay area business people.  I will introduce you to them after the shoot, just know for now that they are brilliant, have killer style and make me laugh to pieces.  The mission of the Look Book is to focus on Bay Area Businesses with unique style.  It's a good ol fashioned San Francisco LOVE fest. I have been working hard curating what will be shot for the look book, also finishing up my new full size bow tie line, which will debut in March on my website.  Here are some pics of the process.

I'll fill you in all all the behind the scenes goodness this Saturday.  You can follow along live on Twitter at @ZelmaRoseCurios and Instagram @zelmarose #zelmarose.

Happy Wednesday

xo

Lisa

Now Hear This 2.18.13 Mind Your Business

Before I founded Zelma Rose, I was a psychotherapist.  Well, first a fine artist, then a psychotherapist, and now the crazy business woman you see before you today.  While I no longer practice as  a psychotherapist, I still love to wax intellectual about all things of the mind and offer psychologically minded business consultation and coaching to small business owners and companies through Lisa Anderson Shaffer Consulting. Last year, my business partner and I , Sarah Deragon of Portraits to the People started a blog called Awfully Grand.  It was an experiment meant to chronicle the beginnings of our businesses.  We no longer post daily on AG anymore, but our blog has grown into a consulting and business boot camp known as Success Squad & Mind Your Business.

Success Squad is a monthly meeting held for Makeshift Society Members in San Francisco to present current business challenges and receive constructive and creative feedback from peers.  Sarah & I love facilitating this group and are always inspired by the challenges and solutions that members pose. As facilitators, we are constantly approached by fellow business owners with questions about how we run and maintain our businesses.  So we thought, why not come up with a class? Mind Your Business is our newest venture and partnership and is designed to help women take their business to the next level. Wherever you are in your business, we want you to feel confident, free to take risks, and make your dream a reality.  In short, we want you to MIND YOUR BUSINESS.


Mind Your Business Class Promo from Sarah Deragon on Vimeo.

I'm excited to say that Mind Your Business kicks off March 9 & 10 at the Makeshift Society!  We have a great weekend planned full of inspiring speakers and fun activities designed to get you thinking and moving on your business goals for 2013.  Sarah & I are all about action.  There are a lot of DIY business and marketing classes out there that give you quesiotns and no answers.  What???!!  We love answers, direction, and action!  Be prepared to get going, take some risks and elevate your game.  It's on!!


Mind Your Business from Sarah Deragon on Vimeo.

For more about Mind Your Business go to the class listing on the Makeshift Society website, and don't forget to join us for our first Mind Your Business Twitter chat Tuesday February 19 at 3pm PST.  We will be using the #mindyourbusiness and I'll be moderating from my consulting Twitter handle @LisaAShaffer.  Follow along to meet our speakers and get a sense of what you will be in for March 9 & 10!

Happy Monday

xo

Lisa

Style File 2.15.13 Intergalatic

This week my Pandora station has been taken over by Jamiroquai.  At the trunk show last weekend, my friend Giselle was playing this station and it kind of brought me back. Since then, everything has had kind of a cosmic girl feel and I've been stuck on designs of an interplanetary nature. I have a Pinterest board dedicated to my favorite spaced out designs and thought I would share a few of then with you for this week's Style File.

Tights //  Calendar // Rug // Bear // Aquarius // Matches // Wallpaper // Teapot // Stars

And now a word about the upcoming Zelma Rose Treat Yourself Giveaway!!! I'm so grateful to all of you for making the past year as amazing as can be for Zelma Rose.  To ring out February right, on the 28th I'm going to be hosting a giveaway for one of my Heart Cross Stitch Necklaces.  It's the big one folks!!  

Stay tuned for all the details, but in the meantime, mark your calendars for February 28!  

xo

Lisa

In the Studio 2.13.13 Starry Eyed

My hands have been in nearly all aspects of ZR in the studio this week.  I've been working on some new designs that will be released for spring, making some display pieces with my dad (more to come on this) and working quite a bit on one of my more popular designs, the Big Dipper Cross Stitch Necklace. 

A customer told me this past weekend that the Big Dipper Necklace was her favorite because it was the only constellation she had ever recognized in the sky.  I love that!  Like all my cross stitch necklaces, the Big Dipper starts out as a small piece of cross stitch fabric.  I then stitch free hand with gold metallic thread, creating a one of a kind constellation for each and every necklace.  Even while using the same stitch count, each piece comes out just a little different.  Here are some pics of the process, along with a shot of one of my customers this past weekend who just couldn't wait to wear it!  

Photo by Portraits to the People

Photo by Portraits to the People

Photo by Portraits to the People

Big Dipper Cross Stitch Necklace

Big Dipper Cross Stitch Necklace

Lovely Rhea, Rockin the Big Dipper

Thanks for stopping by today.  I'll see you Friday for Style File.  I'm rounding up some of my favorite star themed picks.

xo

Lisa

Now Hear This 2.11.13 Rare Device Indeed

First up, the lovely Umba Box is having a Zelma Rose Valentine's Day Giveaway today!! I love teaming up with Umba Box and I'm really excited that some lucky lovely is going to nab one of my heart cross stitch necklaces.  Umba put together such a sweet write up and asked some questions that I have never been asked.  Want to know what my favorite love songs are?  Head on over to the Umba Box Blog to enter the giveaway and read up a little on ZR.

Umba Box ZR Giveaway

I was finally going to publish that Alt Summit recap post I have been working on, but when I got this video of the Rare Device Trunk Show from Sarah Deragon of Portraits to the People yesterday, I had a change of heart.  Never fear, that Alt Summit post is coming, but I thought it best to start off the week with Sarah's video and a recap of the Trunk Show.

This was my first Trunk Show, which seems hard to believe, but with my schedule and taking care of my daughter, AKA the Bean, full time, I usually don't sign myself up for too many shows.  Rare Device, on the other hand, I just had to say yes to!  For one, RD is one of my favorite stores anywhere, and second, owner Giselle is simply brilliant and a wonderful friend to boot.  San Francisco loves itself some Rare Device.  I did a post about Giselle a few months back on lets neighbor for Small Business Saturday.  You can learn more about her and RD here and Giselle will be speaking at my Mind Your Business Boot camp March 9 & 10 at the Makeshift Society. Click on the caption below to view Sarah's video of the Trunk Show.

Rare Device Video by Sarah Deragon

The Trunk show was a lot of fun.  I got to spend the day with some of my favorite ladies and made a few new friends along the way.  I couldn't help scooping up some goodies for myself and some friends courtesy of Jen Hewett & Emily McDowell. Also, my friend Karrie Myers Taylor was on hand to deliver some of her incredible gluten free baked goods.  Yeah,  chocolate chip and bacon cookies.

ZR Display at Rare Device

Jen Hewett Studio

Emily McDowell

Karrie Bakes

That's all the news that is fit to print this week.  Don't forget to enter the Umba Box Giveaway!! What bacony chocolate chip goodness is happening in your week?

Stop back Wednesday for In the Studio.  I'll be showing you one of my most popular necklaces in process.

xo

Lisa

Style File: I Have Love in My Heart For You

The studio has been pretty heart centric lately, and I have kind of fallen head over heels for the sweet little red shape myself.  In honor of my birthday today & Valentine's Day next week I thought I would dedicate this Style File to some of my favorite heart shaped finds.

1. Heart for the Hills Heel 2. Zelma Rose Big Love Necklaces 3. Jonathan Adler 4. Young at Heart Sweater 5. Heart Card 6. Shoe Clips 7. Umbrella 8. Jeans 9. Coin Purse

Where do you wear your heart?

Happy Friday!

xo

Lisa

In the Studio 2.6.13: Rare Device Trunk Show

Things have been busy as ever this week with the SF Style piece and the Valentine's Day trunk show Saturday February 9, at Rare Device.  Not to mention, my birthday is on Friday and I have just begun to celebrate.  The week started off with a great birthday party for my bestie Sarah and her wife, then I got to spend some time with my bestie from Grad School and another friend's party before I celebrate.  All of us Aquarius.  Whoa, that's a lot of water carrying.

Here's the gorgeous poster for the trunk show along with some shots of my work in progress.  Each necklace does really start out on a 3 inch piece of fabric!

Valentine's Day Trunk Show at Rare Device

Cross Stitch Necklaces in Progress

Finished Cross Stitch Necklaces

My Mess

Exclusive Rare Device + Zelma Rose Heart Design in Progress

Can't wait to see you all at the show!

What are you up to for your Valentine's Day shopping?

xo

Lisa

Now Hear This 2.4.13

If you were able to take a short break from the Super Bowl insanity yesterday, you might have noticed that yours truly was featured in the Style section of the San Francisco Chronicle!  You can find the article here. This was Zelma Rose's first feature in a major Newspaper and the process was pretty interesting.  When I heard that the distribution of the Chronicle was hitting record numbers yesterday due to the 49ers making it to the Super Bowl, I kind of threw up in my mouth a little.  Yeah, I was nervous.

Zelma Rose Feature SF Chronicle 2.3.13

I met with writer Maura Hurley right after the first of the year and sat down for what was to be a 40 minute interview.  We had so much to talk about, once she asked me about my daughter I couldn't shut up! We spoke for two hours.  It was kind of mind blowing to think back on my first memories of art making, high school, and college.  It kind of felt that I had jumped in the DeLorean and traveled back in time. I left having very little idea of what the story would focus on, but also feeling like Maura had a pretty good idea of who I was as a designer and what Zelma Rose was all about. 

About a month later, photographer Liz Hafalia came to my studio to snap a bunch of shots of me working, my inspiration boards, and a ton of my work in progress.  It was fun and interesting to see what a different set of eyes focuses on.  

Zelma Rose Studio

So far the response has been great and I'm excited to see what's next for Zelma Rose.  New York Times I'm commin' for ya!

Five things I learned from this:

1. Don't burn your tongue on really hot tea right before a 2 hour interview.
2. We totally lose perspective of the road we have taken to get where we are.
3. Clean your studio immediately after the holiday push otherwise you are on your hands and knees at 3 am sweeping up before a photo shoot. Glamorous.
4. I am uncomfortable in tights.
5. That Madewell bag I was feeling uncertain about totally rocks. (I'll post about it in Style File soon).

Stop back Wedensday for my new feature In The Studio.  I'll be filling you in on the prep for my Valentine's Day Trunk Show at Rare Device this weekend. 

xo

Lisa

Creativity Explored

While I have been pondering exactly how to summarize the incredible time I had at Alt Summit last week, the past few days have been full of fun and excitement.  Here's all the news that's fit to print...

For the past month I have been working with Bay Area based luxury home decor duo Serena & Lily on favors for their art auction to benefit Creativity Explored.  Last night was the auction at the Makeshift Society and in case you missed it, here's the skinny.  Creativity Explored is a San Francisco based nonprofit providing artists with developmental disabilities the opportunity to make, exhibit and sell their art around the world. I have a soft spot for Creativity Explored because I firmly believe that all people who have the passion to create art deserve a space and materials to do it.  Passion should be encouraged.

The auction brought together a beautiful collection of pieces from Creativity Explored at the Makeshift Society for a members only event.  If you didn't already know, ain't no party like a Makeshift party cause a Makeshift party don't quit!  I had a great time seeing friends and meeting new members and the team from Serena & Lily. Here are a few shots of my favorite pieces below.  

I also collected a few of my favorite shots of member instagrams of the favors I put together.  Thanks so much to Serena & Lily and Makeshift for putting together such a lovely night!

@bicoastalbirdie

@ashr0se

@makeshiftsoc

More excitement to come this week.  Sunday will be full of surprises!

Happy Friday

Lisa