music to get you over the hump day

Avi Buffalo (once just a kid named Avi, short for Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg) are hometown favorites who are definitely hitting it big. Avi was once just just a "vaguely aspirational skateboarder" living in Long Beach, California. After a hip injury he traded in the skateboard for a guitar and the rest is soon-to-be history. He met the other members of Avi Buffalo (Sheridan Riley, Rebecca Coleman, and Arin Fazio) at Millikan High School, where he just graduated in 2009. After watching this live performance from Little Videos, it's hard to believe Avi is so young. His music exudes a tenderness well beyond his years. We can't wait to hear more from Avi Buffalo.

crafTuesday

The weather is warming up here in Los Angeles and we are getting a major itch to be in the kitchen these days. There is no better way to spend a warm evening, with that magic late afternoon sunshine pouring through the kitchen windows, preparing a tasty feast for friends and loved ones to enjoy on the patio.

In the spirit of summertime feasts, we love this tutorial from Ruffles and Stuff on how to make an old tee shirt into a casual, colorful apron. We're suckers for projects that involve vintage tee shirts!

And if you need any inspiration on what to cook now that you've got your super stylish apron, we highly recommend you check out Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks.

summer lovin'

WE. ARE. SO. EXCITED. FOR. SUMMER.

It's really like, the best time of the year. For sure.

Apprently, we're not alone in our excitement. The girls at Wildfox compiled a list of the 20 Best Things To Do in the Summer.

What would you add to the list?

Things We Love

Teenagers in Love is a "California casual clothing company" founded in San Francisco by Liam Devowski in 2010. The goal of the collection is to "keep the world bright, unique and freshly dressed." We support this idea wholeheartedly! Inspired by vintage surf, skate, bike and motorcycle culture, the collection begins with bright, youthful, graphic crewneck sweatshirts and will expand to bring customers new looks and interesting, stylish casual items.

it's like having your own personal stylist!

music to get you over the hump day

Kristin Gundred first caught our eye a few years ago when she was rocking out as the drummer and singer for San Diego-based indie rock band Grand Ole Party. We were ecstatic when we discovered that she was now going by the moniker Dee Dee and was fronting a garage-pop project called Dum Dum Girls. The band's sound is somewhere between the punk vibe of Blondie and 60s girl bands like the Shangri-las. Whatever it is, we're into it.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

crafTuesday

"P.S.-I Made This...

is a movement

It’s a call to action to re-imagine, re-use, and re-invent.

I see it. I like it. I make it."

that's for sure. we are inspired daily by the innovative projects and ideas we see on this blog. can't wait to try this one out for ourselves. A Marc Jacobs and Maripol inspired spike necklace made from coffee stirrers!

Road Trip: Des Moines!

The BC empire spreads its wings far and wide. We want to show love to our friends across the nation with a special blog feature. This month we are featuring guest blogger Mike Draper, owner and founder of RAYGUN, one of our spectacularly amazing BC retailers. Here he shares with us a little bit about his beloved city, Des Moines, Iowa.

Des Moines? Hell Yes. (by Mike Draper of RAYGUN)

It's hard to get much better than Des Moines. The girls are beautiful and level-headed, the men are strong and trustworthy, and the weather is a perfect 72 degrees for about 10 days of the year -- long story short: The Beach Boys wouldn't have looked so kindly on southern California if they had spent a little more time in the central Midwest.

So is Des Moines the greatest city in the universe? Yes.

And coincidentally, RAYGUN, the greatest store in the universe (we have the website if you don't believe us), is smack-dab in the middle of our fair city. But we aren't pulling all the weight for Des Moines. Though only a few blocks large, our little neighborhood not only has some of the best independent stores and restaurants in the region, it was also home to the 2008 campaign headquarters of Barack Obama leading up the Iowa Caucuses, and is the home of One Iowa, the group that lead the way to make Iowa only the third state to allow gay marriage with a unanimous State Supreme Court ruling.



Is your mind blown yet?

If you want to kill some time, here are some of the hot spots in Des Moines:

1) RAYGUN (obviously): www.raygunsite.com
2) Vitae (a great shop right around the corner from us): www.vitaedesigncollective.com
3) Vaudeville Mews (the best small music venue in the city): www.vaudevillemews.com
4) Gong Fu Tea (one of the best tea shops in the country): www.gongfu-tea.com
5) Dornink (custom made dresses): www.dornink.com
6) DMSC (a non-profit theater and art gallery): www.desmoinessocialclub.org
7) Fong's (a chinese pizza place): www.fongspizza.com

... but you're only scratching the surface with this online poking around. This city has to be seen to be believed, so just drop by.

crafTuesday

dress up that plain old tee shirt with this incredible fabric flower tutorial from Hey! Jen Renee

hot legs

We love our basics around here at the BC offices: tee shirts, skinny jeans and most of all leggings! Here's our top three picks for eye-catching legs.

1. unconventional, unique, graphic styled stockings from Les Queues de Sardines

2. original animal print leggings from Malü

3. tie-dye mesh leggings from I Heart Norwegian Wood

support your local crafters!

BC Footwear is happy to support the Handmade Brigade of Orange County at the Speakeasy Indie Craft Show. Stop by the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa this Sunday, April 11 from 5 - 10 PM. Sample the best goods our local craft scene has to offer, and stay for the music and libations. The first 25 people to arrive receive a free gift bag so come early and stay late!

music to get you over the hump day

Our favorite of the two Knowles sisters, Solange not only has an impeccable fashion sense and an incredible voice, but she's got amazing taste as well. Rumor has it she turned sister Beyonce and Jay Z onto the music of Grizzly Bear, and she recently covered one of our favorite bands, The Dirty Projectors. Listen to the track here, or watch a live duet of Solange with the band below.

crafTuesday

Elsie Flannagan's blog, A Beautiful Mess, is so adorable. We look forward to checking it out every day. We can't wait to try her fun recipe for homemade apple lollipops!

things we love

(from top to bottom):

1. Umm, we die for this charming little owl beaker from Donna Wilson.

2. The Light Fantastic offers lovely prints of photos. We love the retro feel with fun bursts of color.

3. We are obsessed with mint green nail polish for spring. Chanel may have sparked the trend (seen here on Alexa Chung) but you don't have to break the bank to get the look. Our favorite is Mint Candy Apple from Essie.

robot love

Why does everything Spike Jonze touches turn to magic?

What an innovative new home viewing experience! Watch the 30 minute short film here.