Wednesday, December 29, 2010

News!

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Camille De Soto, my friend & the proprietress of Lady, took this image of the ERMIE Silk Mini-Dresses for sale in her shop. They would all look great worn with heels & accessorized with a glass of bubbly for New Years Eve!

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Jeana sent me this photo of herself wearing her ERMIE Fragment Print Dress-she looks Adorable of course!

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My compadre Cheryl, conducted an interview with me, for Christine Haynes' Blog. Christine teaches sewing at the Urban Craft Center, and wrote Chic & Simple Sewing- a great book for beginner to intermediate seams-persons that features some very cute projects. Thank-you Cheryl and Christine!

Lastly, the shop is open again, and I've placed select items on sale, including some yardage!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Land and Sky

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Just got back into L.A. early this morning by way of Union Station--A few photos of the train trip we took out to Denver for Christmas. There are more photos buried in my
Tumblr feed.

I enjoy landscape photography. I find people more difficult to capture.

I need a new digital camera, but in the meantime I have been enjoying my iPhone in it's place. I think it actually takes really great photos- reminiscent of a Lomo or Holga.

More to follow recapping Christmas and sharing some ERMIE news, but now it's time for a nap!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and are as excited about 2011 as I am!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Looking for color and patterns on this grey day...
We are getting drenched in Los Angeles!

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Friday, December 17, 2010

Happy Holidays from ERMIE!

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Wreath decorated with a scrap of the ERMIE Electric Garden Print.

Wishing everyone a joyful and safe Holiday Season.
Thank-you for all of your support and kindness this past year.
I truly appreciate it.

The Shop will temporarily close for the Christmas Holiday at 6 pm PST tonight, and re-open 12/29/10.
I'll be emailing those of you with pending orders for an update on your order's status in the next couple of days.
I'll be away for Christmas (and from this blog) for a few days starting next week, but please feel free to email me if you have any questions about ERMIE merchandise at all, and I'll try to get back to you asap :)
xo
-J



Thursday, December 16, 2010

Don't Knock It...

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...Until you've tried it.
If you have read my blog for a while now, you know that my husband and I garden, grow a lot of our own produce, and enjoy cooking with fresh, seasonal, local, & organic ingredients... yadda yadda. Well, sometimes you get lazy and just want to be a little bad.
The following recipe is for those times.
This recipe is not for those who are watching their weight or sodium intake- as it relies on a fair amount of cheese and
pre-made/ canned ingredients. I'm fairly certain that one serving is your entire daily caloric intake, and must have been
originally created in the 1970's (sliced black olives??). Once baked, it really is more casserole-like (70's influence) than
traditional enchiladas. But it is soooo good and comforting on a chilly winter's evening.
We usually make this a couple of times during the "winter" in L.A. Fun for New Year's Day spent at home recovering,
or a casual holiday get-together with a couple of good friends.
It's easy, but not quick...it takes about an hour and a half from start to finish. If you are making it for two,
you'll have plenty of leftovers for the week.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 4 as a main dish
2 cloves of Garlic peeled & smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 Jalapeño Pepper, halved with seeds & core removed
1/4- 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 small can of sliced Black Olives
1 32 oz box of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 regular sized jar of salsa
1 package of large yellow corn tortillas
1 16 oz can of red enchilada sauce
1 16 oz can of green enchilada sauce
1 16 oz package of shredded reduced fat "Mexican" cheese
1/4 cup of crumbled Queso Fresco (optional)
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 3 small to medium boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Heat oven to 375 F.

Take a large pot, placed rinsed, trimmed chicken breasts in the pot with the jalapeño, garlic, & pour in chicken broth
so breasts are just covered completely with liquid. Add a little water if needed to accomplish this. Bring to a boil on
a stovetop over medium- high heat, then reduce to a simmer until the breasts are cooked all the way through.
Cut into the breasts with a knife to check doneness.
Be sure to do this step in a kitchen with decent ventilation. If your jalapeño turns out to be a spicy one, boiling it can
sometimes irritate the eyes & nose (like cutting a strong onion). This usually does not bother me, but some individuals
may be more sensitive.
Carefully drain the pot of the broth, leaving the breasts, garlic, and jalapeño in the pot. A little broth left in the pot is o.k.
Shred the chicken with a knife and a fork. Mash/ cut up the garlic & jalapeño. This is optional.
The original recipe (yeah yeah, I know Jessica Alba, but trust me this is good) tells you to discard the garlic &
jalapeño with the broth- but I think the dish tastes better with it left in. Discard any fatty, gristly bits of chicken.
Mix nearly the entire jar of salsa into the pot with the shredded chicken, garlic, and jalapeño. I just usually use Herdez
brand, medium spicy, but you can use your brand of choice, and vary the amount of salsa you add to the shredded
chicken.
Refrigerate chicken and salsa mixture until ready to use.

Mix 3/4 package of shredded cheese, 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, and most of the olives together in a medium bowl.
Set aside.

Mix together & heat the red and green enchilada sauces in a sauce pan. You can play around with the amount of sauce
and brands, level of spiciness, etc. I like to mix the red sauce with the green.The red has a nice savory flavor and
tends to be a little milder, the green has a nice acidity and tends to be spicier. Mixing them together combines the best
of both worlds.

Heat 8 tortillas. You can wrap them in slightly damp paper towels and do this in the microwave, but I prefer to heat them
one by one in a non- stick pan. Heating the tortillas make them more pliable, and easier to roll. Set warmed tortillas
aside.
Prepare a large casserole dish by spraying the inside with a a non-stick oil cooking spray. Trader Joe's makes an olive
oil spray that I use.
Assemble enchiladas: take a warm tortilla, place approximately 2 tablespoons of the salsa and chicken mixture down
the center of the tortilla and a handful of the cheese, olive, and cilantro mixture on top of that. Fold/ roll tortilla,
place seam down in the oiled casserole dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled and in the casserole dish. You can
play around with the meat/ cheese ratio to suit your liking. Even the # of tortillas that you use & fill if your casserole
dish is big enough! Cover the enchiladas with approximately 1/2 - 3/4 of the warmed enchilada sauce. Sprinkle remaining
shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, olives, and the 1/4 cup of the queso fresco on top. Pop in the oven for 20-30
minutes and bake until sauce is bubbling, the cheese is slightly browned, and the enchiladas are heated through.
Serve with remaining sauce on the side, a mixed green salad, and/ or refried beans.
Tastes even better the next day as leftovers!!

**Bonus: Other "Bad" Recipes that I like: Warm Artichoke Dip, Cheez-It Chicken, and Chocolate Covered Peanut
Butter Balls
(made with Nutter Butters...thanks Joanna for introducing me to this one!)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

What Made Me Happy This Week pt.II *

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Photo courtesy of Mimi Tsang of Shisomama.

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Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Yong of Primoeza.

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Blue Hen.

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IKO IKO.

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Rowena Sartin dress I an coveting. Photo courtesy of Rowena Sartin.

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Above & Below- Katy Krantz's work at IKO IKO, photos courtesy of IKO IKO.

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Didion and Kneeland Co. vintage dress in my studio!

Wow! I am blown away by all of the images of my work popping up on the Internet (thank-you fellow bloggers!), like on Joslyn's Simple Lovely and Shoegazer Creative (if you guys happen to know of other blogs posting images of my work, don't hesitate to let me know- the blogs I've mentioned so far are just currently what have been brought to my attention). It has been so much fun to see Jeana's lovely photos re-blogged, and to see images of my customers wearing the garments!
For Example- Pictured above: the adorable Mimi of Shisomama wearing the ERMIE Fragment Print Dress (don't you just love the necklace she chose to pair with the dress? Fabulous!). Mimi is a talented designer, and I'm delighted she purchased something from me! Be sure to check out her blog and shop. Also pictured, Elizabeth Yong of Primoeza looking beautiful in the Electric Garden Print Short Skirt. It's summer in Australia, where Elizabeth lives, and I like that she styled the skirt with a simple tee. Elizabeth designs gorgeous sweaters and scarves...you should be reading her blog if you aren't already.

From my day yesterday- I had a bowl of yummy warming, organic Pho at Blue Hen in Eagle Rock. Loved their non- traditional Christmas tree on display.

Visited IKO IKO for the first time. I cannot say enough about this great store. Kristin Dickson, owner of the store and designer of the great Rowena Sartin line (also sold in house at IKO IKO) was manning the counter. She was sweet, welcoming and provided excellent customer service. Could not have been nicer- a big plus for me (nothing turns me off more to walk into a store to either be rudely ignored, or treated like you have no business even entering their establishment). I literally wanted everything in the store. Pickles! The Gentlewoman! Japanese textiles! Right up my alley. I purchased a few holiday gifts there. Katy Krantz's stunning ceramics were also on display. I highly recommend catching a glimpse of Krantz's work before it comes down and paying a visit to this local gem.

Last but certainly not least I was invited by the stylish and gracious Joanna Williams to spend the afternoon at her charming abode looking at the Kneeland Co. Textile collection. I did walk away with a chiffon dress - I fell in love with the cut of the garment and of course the swirly-leaf-print textile (pictured above, last image, hanging in my studio next to one of my favorite photos of Joan D.) My mind is still reeling with delight thinking about all of the details, colors, stitches, & prints from her treasure trove of fabrics, embellishments and jewelry. I was there for over 2 hours, and easily could have spent 2 more chatting with Joanna and looking at those amazing textiles. Thank-you Joanna!

Whew! OK, that's it for now! Hope you are having a great week so far...

* a wink and a nod to Elizabeth :)

Saturday, December 11, 2010

What Made Me Happy This Week**

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I received my Beautiful (!!) Ceramic Wrap from Elizabeth of Primoeza in the mail a couple of days ago, and I've been wearing it non-stop (even though it's well around 70-80 degrees here today).
I love it paired with the ERMIE Electric Garden Print Short Skirt.
The knit is so soft, I love the convertible snap-design, and the hand-stitched details around the neckline. Elizabeth also sent along such lovely little look books for Spring '11 and from Fall/Winter '10-11 they deserve a post all their own. I'll show them to you next week.
Thank-you Elizabeth!!

Also: Very Exciting! I'll be selling a few pieces at Lady in Eagle Rock, CA. I love Camille and her store. I've blogged about her & it before. Lady is my secret source for crazy- a$$ jewelry and unique gifts (when I was there yesterday, she had a great dead-stock wallet from the '70's complete with a little plastic comb tucked inside).

In particular Lady will be carrying these silk mini- dresses that I featured on the blog earlier this week. They are specially priced at $150 each! Colorful for the remaining Holidays, and roomy too- so you'll look good and feel comfortable after drinking all that egg nog and eating one too many pieces of fruitcake.
Camille also has one Bling Knit Print Top in a size small at $48 and a Magic Marker Print Shift dress in a 4/6 for $150. Also specially priced because the prints on the garments are placed in a different manner (off center) from what's pictured in the lookbook. Otherwise, they are still the same beautiful garments. Truly unique!
Contact Camille if you are interested in purchasing :)



** In addition to Henry & Clare, & the The Slow Season that is :)


Friday, December 10, 2010

'Tis the (Slow) Season

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WoodPrint
Paperchain
PairofCards
All images from The Slow Season Collection 1 and 1/2.

I missed Katie and Julie's sale at Reform School as I was on a train coming back from San Diego, if you missed it too, you still have the chance to purchase their Holiday Collection here.

I love everything!! Such an interesting take on Holiday decorations.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Vivier Rocks

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Bling Print Scarf -Textile Design © Jennifer Parry Dodge 2010

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Outfit: Sonic Youth Sonic Nurse Tee (customized by me...I chopped off the sleeves & neck. I love SY, Kim, Richard Prince's nurse paintings.Technically, I am still a nurse. That's right. I can design you a dress and give you CPR if you need it).
J.Crew Denim Skirt

Rachel Comey Boots
Clare Vivier Mini Sac (the perfect concert-going bag) and Wrist Wrap.
ERMIE Silk Scarf in the Bling Print. Bling can be casual too!


This is the outfit that I'm wearing to this tonight. I think Mr. Rollins is the best DJ on KCRW. He plays stuff that you have never, ever heard, and will probably never hear again.


Earlier today I paid a little visit to Chez Vivier, and picked up some Christmas presents. For other people, not me this time I swear! But if Santa thinks I've been good enough this year, maybe he wouldn't mind leaving this bag pictured below under my Christmas tree, (as seen on KK Is The New Black)!


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Thank-you Clare- your designs are the perfect thing to give and receive!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Busy

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Above: ERMIE Silk Mini Dress in the Cosmic Print.
Below: Silk Mini Dress in the Electric Garden Print.


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Below: ERMIE Silk Mini Dress in the Bead Print.

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Below: Shots from Tomory's Studio, details of works in progress.

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Textile Designs © Jennifer Parry Dodge 2010

Things have been busy around here! Thanks to your orders!!
Tomory has been busy too, getting ready for his show at CRG in February.
I've been working on ideas for Spring 2011. Different shapes and fabrics. I think this Mini Dress in various silk prints is a keeper!

Other news: I think my digital camera finally bit the dust. That's why the most of the images above were taken with my phone. Any recommendations out there on digital cameras?

Also: I am loving this dress & PJ's!!! , these new tunics by Le Bouton, and the fabric on this piece is killing me.