Behind the Counter- March
Welcome to the March edition of Behind the Counter. Take a glimpse behind the scenes at Thistle & Bess to connect with people who inspire, hear the thoughtful stories behind the goods that I love and find out what is currently sparking joy in my life.
If you have seen our newest shop window display, it is no secret that we are all about the bow trend at T&B. One source of inspiration for our new shop window is from fashion designer Sandy Liang. Sandy’s collections are a celebration of nostalgia and girlhood, definitely playing into the balletcore trend. I personally love the playful nature of her designs. I was luckily able to snatch up one of the bags from her recent collaboration with Baggu that sold out immediately, and it will be in heavy rotation in my wardrobe this spring. Check out the Lunar New Year Party that Sandy Liang recently threw in NYC, filled with fashion inspiration (like a giant bow bag!) in an article from the The New York Times below.
I am so excited that pieces of Sandy Liang's Spring Collection will be landing at one of my favorite Detroit-based boutiques, Coup D'état, soon! If you haven't checked out this amazing store yet, definitely give it a look.
One of my favorite products at T&B are the handmade paper flowers by Unwillted. They are incredibly realistic and definitely give a burst of color and a reminder that warmer and brighter months are ahead. Peonies that never die? Count me in. I am such a fan of these flowers that I actually used them as the escort cards at my wedding. Each guest received a paper flower with their name and table number on them. It was fun to have the paper flowers in many of the gorgeous photos, as guests put them in their hair and jacket pockets.
I recently chatted with the Lansing-based owner and artist behind Unwilted, Liz Carter. Take a peek at her creative process and make sure to check out her stunning flowers the next time that you are in the shop.
What led you to start making paper flowers?
I was a fresh florist for over 10 years in Colorado, and needing a change, I moved back home to Michigan to be closer to my family. I missed working with flowers, but wanted a different approach. There's a saying "once a florist, always a florist..." which is true! I stumbled across the craft of crepe paper flowers on Instagram, and I was hooked! I love the details in flowers, and it is thrilling to create each blossom exactly how I want them to look.
How do you go about your design process when creating a new flower?
The best way I have found to create a paper flower is to rip apart a real flower! This way you can create realistic size and shape petals. I trace the various parts of the flower on cardstock and then use Italian crepe paper to construct the bloom. This type of paper is made for making paper flowers, will hold it's shape when sculpted, and has a realistic and diverse color spectrum. We use spray paint, alcohol ink and bleach on some of the blooms in order to create even more details.
What flower is your favorite to make?
Peonies are the most rewarding; they are beautiful, showstopping and everyone loves them. When I worked with fresh flowers; peony season was short and fleeting; now I can design bouquets with peonies all year!
Which flower design is the most difficult to make?
Ranunculus! The flower is loaded with so so so many petals- hundreds per flower. It's hard enough taking flat paper and creating a round shape from it, but there's so many tiny petals in that particular flower that help to create the round, full shape without being seen. When sorting out ranunculus, I had to figure out how to make it appear bursting with petals, but in a streamlined way as the shape of it is so sleek.
Is there a flower that you haven't made yet that you would like to?
Believe it or not, I haven't made baby's breath yet! I get excited to create showstopper blooms, but when it comes to things like "filler" flowers, it's quite tedious to cut petals small enough to create the tiny bursts you see on those stems.
A simple joy and act of self-care in my life is to treat myself to manicures. Something about having my nails done makes me feel put together and being forced to sit still for an hour to get them done is a little bonus. I personally love a nail art manicure instead of a traditional color. It just feels a bit playful and quirky. Locally I see Anna Rachwal at Fran Coys Salon and Spa. Anna is so talented and is usually up to whatever wild nail art request that I make of her (one time I asked her to paint mini fried eggs!). Check out some of my current favorite nail Instagram accounts below. Want to achieve a similar look at home? We love these press-on nails from Chillhouse, which is one of my favorite places to get a manicure when I’m in NYC.
The original inspiration behind my fried egg manicure, Betina Goldstein makes amazing tiny works of art. I also love her ombre effect manicures.
One of my favorite places to get a manicure when I'm in NYC- Chillhouse has some great modern manicure options and I am a huge fan of their press-on Chill Tips too!
Paintbox Nails in NYC is such a lovely experience and a place where I frequently get inspirations for my manicures.
Akiko Nails is in NYC and specializes in Japanese Nail Art. It is at the top of my list to visit the next time I am in New York.
I'm dying to get one of these textured manicures and Kkoht Nails in L.A. has some pretty fantastic options.