Some Fun Images

Dan, Nikolette's Tech Man, recently acquired an impressive new camera along with a goal to take a picture everyday for a year. Yesterday was day three of this goal and he was running all about snapping pics and grabbed this cool one of me at the machine:

*You can click any of these pictures to view them larger
He also snapped some of our furry room mates that I thought would be fun to share.
This is Miss Niko (Nikolette's namesake) asleep in the window:

And here is my male cat Bananas, also in a window!

And Margot making her best sad face by Dan's messy desk:

This picture a day thing could be pretty fun! We may find ourselves in need of a back up hard drive at the rate he's going though!

Margot: The Test Run

So today was the test run around town with the updated Margot. I was quite pleased! I won't get into too much detail (you'll have to wait for all the refreshed styles to be unveiled for that!) but I will say she performed beautifully!
We took her for a spin at Bar Carlo for a very yummy breakfast, then all over downtown Portland for shopping and roaming about, you know, the nitty-gritty stuff.
Here is a little teaser for you:

You can click that image if you'd like a bigger view. This Margot is tan with deep red accents. Hot.
So that's your update for now. Soon we'll show some previews of the updated Kimball and Randall bags, but until then, stay kewl!
-Courtney @ Nikolette

Busy Saturday and New Lucy Sneak Peek

Saturdays are always a fun busy day in our household. We have had a pretty cool routine so far this summer and today was no exception!
We usually start off with a big breakfast and today we went to Besaw's which has been in business since 1903 if you can believe it. After breakfast we went to the Mopar car show at the Portland Art Museum then up the street to the Portland Farmer's Market where we procured all of this!

Oh my... I love farmers. We have tried our hand this year at gardening in pots, and have come up short handed thus far. A few small tomatoes and green peppers are almost ready though.

On our outings we were able to snap a few pics of the overhauled Lucy clutch. This was also my test run of the updated design, and let me tell you this bag is blowing me away. More details to come as we get closer to getting everything done. Here is a sneak peek though! Click the picture for a bigger view.

After all that we were able to go pick up loads of fabric to get more bags under way. Let me say one thing: indigo. It may be a limited run :( but it is a breath taking color.
We will give a few more peek a boos of the updated designs as they are getting completed so stay tuned!

Friday Update and Fun Stuff!

Hello Everyone!

If you have had your eye on our shops recently you may have noticed a lack of new listings, and there is a good reason for that! We are currently in the process of updating all our patterns as well as materials. The Lucy, Kimball, Margot and Randall will still remain in our line, only they will be stronger, longer lasting and more streamlined. We have found an excellent fabric supplier right here in Portland that specializes in outdoor and waterproof materials. We are stoked to have such a bounty right here where we work! All the styles (exciting!!) will now be water resistant both inside and out. We are talking waxed cotton exteriors and water tight cordura linings. I have been road testing these materials for a while now and I LOVE how this bag is aging!
I will try to post previews of the updated styles as I get more made, but until then please enjoy the plethora of remaining in stock items at nikolettebags.com. I will warn you though that they are selling faster than I budgeted time wise! I also have a few playin' around one of a kind bags I plan to list in the Etsy shop in the coming week.

On a different path of thought: I figured since I was a long time Etsier it's high time I share with you some of the shops I have been stalking. For those of you who do not know me, Courtney - the fabricator/seamstress/designer here at Nikolette (the technical corner of the company is Dan - you may hear from him in the future) I wear my clothes until they are scraps that barely hold on to my body anymore. I'm talking holes, rips, stains, and too big/small... should not be considered anything other than rags. I guess what I am driving at here is I am long over do for a wardrobe overhaul.
I also have been thinking alot harder about where my money goes. Do I want to buy from the Big Box store that outsources all its labor and sees me as just another dollar sign? Or do I want to spend just a little bit more and go hand made or American made? I have been trying to do the latter as much as my wallet allows. And let me tell ya, living in Portland makes this very easy. What a crafty town we have here!
My first purchase was a pair of red Tom's shoes. Love them. They are made overseas, but as I'm sure you know, a child who really needs shoes gets a pair when I buy some for me!
As far as clothes go, here are some Etsy shops I have been stalking... waiting for the right moment to pounce:


styleiconscloset - UK
I can't turn away from this dress, if it were white I would get married in it.

crystalindumentaria - Argentina

I've been considering all kinds of silly bra ideas just so I can wear one of her backless shirts. And who doesn't love the colors in this ruffle shirt? Who, I ask?!

And how can I not include local Portlander sheshepdx? The printed tees are fantastic, but its the dresses that drive me wild!

So, I'll go start matching handbags to all these, and until next time, keep it handmade!

New Materials, New Look!

First off, the website got a little facelift! You can now see all the styles on the home page with out having to wait for the images to scroll. The brown waxed canvas Randall you see there has sold, but another one is on the way... with improvements!

Secondly we are pleased to announce that Nikolette will be making the transition to all water resistant fabrics. We found a distributor right here in Portland that carries a SLEW of water resistant fabrics in more colors than you could count. We have a few styles listed in these fabrics already available at nikolettebags.com.

The Margot Tote in red waxed canvas with blue water resistant lining

The Lucy Clutch in tan waxed canvas with orange water resistant lining

We are very pleased thus far! The waxed canvas is almost leather like, you can just wipe it down. The linings can be wiped down as well, and water beads off of both materials.

Improvements are always a welcomed change in these parts and we are thrilled to be working with these new materials and really think they make a much better, longer lasting bag. So take a look, and check back often as we add more styles in the new fabrics.