Carve Welcomes New Athlete

We're welcoming a new athlete to our team at Carve Designs...and we think she is just plain COOL. And, I am not just saying that because she wears our clothes. This woman rocks.

She learned to surf just 4 years ago and is now competing on a near-professional level. Having learned to surf late in life, I can tell you from personal experience how difficult this is. Surfing has a super long learning curve. You can surf and surf every day for months and never catch a wave. It's frustrating, to say the least. Then one day, you'll catch a wave and it changes your life.

And, that’s what it did for Danielle Marvin, our latest and greatest. Having grown up on the East Coast, she earned a soccer scholarship to Southern Florida state (where she got the surfing bug). She was asked to play professional Soccer for Spain and instead, she followed her passion and moved with her husband to Hawaii to pursue an unlikely career in professional surfing.

I'm not sure how familiar you are with the Women's surf tour, but it's super competitive and not exactly lucrative. The purses are much smaller than the men's tour. Despite that fact, Danielle is working hard to join to tour to be one of the few woman in the world that can lay claim to such a feat.

In her spare time, she is an artist and works as a waitress. We are totally psyched to have Danielle on the Carve Designs roster. Watch out for her as she is a force to be reckoned with, and keep updated on her wins and life at http://www.daniellemarvin.blogspot.com/ . We know you will think she is as cool as we do.

Our favorite Danielle Marvin piece of Art (see more at:http://www.cafepress.com/daniellemarvin )

Ethnic Prints

I am really into Ethnic prints these days, Navajo blankets, Pendleton inspired stuff and especially Ikat prints.

I was a hippie back in the day. I went to the University of Oregon, followed the Dead and Phish (should I even admit that?). The whole time, I was wearing Ikat tunics and Navajo jackets. I love how fashion comes full swing...here we are again revisiting these old motifs.

Luckily, usually when the fashion world circles back, the result is better. And now, everything is much cuter. You can get an ice bucket with a great ikat print from www.shopiom.com. Madeline Weinrib has an amazing line of Ikat fabric out at www.madelineweinrib.com. Gucci is even making a dress out of a great grey, black and blue ikat. My Fall 2011 line will be full of these prints, but you'll have to wait a little while for that!

Cabo and the 2011 Collection

Sorry it's been so long...we've had a busy couple of weeks. Lucky for us, we were busy surfing in Cabo and shooting our 2011 collection.

We invited four amazing women to join us. They rip on surfboards and can hop in front of the camera and look pretty.

Here is a sneak peak into our new Spring 2011 line, hope this gets you all excited for what's to come!

Where is Spring?

So spring is suppose to be here, but I am not sure where it is. It's still a little chilly and rainy here. The silver lining is that the skiing in Tahoe is pretty sweet, which reminds me of my recent ski trip to Switzerland, a must do for all skiers.

The trip began in Ports Du Soleil, the largest ski resort in Europe boasting lifts connecting 12 mountains. Yes, that's TWELVE. We skied from Switzerland to France mostly off piste. It was incredible. The mountains in Switzerland are vast and stellar. Skiing out of bounds is the norm so peeps (a beacon, not the marshmellow candy) are a must.

We stayed at this quaint, very swiss hotel that had the most scrumptious chocolate cake.

We hopped the train to Verbier, where all the Brits go. It’s very swank, but in an understated sort of way. We stayed at a gorgeous condo at the base within walking distance of town and the lifts.

The best part is that ski tickets are half the price in Europe than here, which is mind boggling because the skiing is twice as good. I don’t think we ever skiied a groomer once while we were there.

Lastly, we hit Super Saint Bernard, which was by far the most epic spot to ski. It’s one gondola ride to the top. There is no bombing there so you ski at your own risk with your peeps on, shovel and probe in your backpack. The skiing here is powder all day long. One run takes 45 minutes, so probably a good idea to get in shape before you go. This resort was like those old east coast resorts back in the 70’s- nothing but an A-frame with soup and bread- in this case sausage and pretzels. There is no lodging here so we stayed in Martigney which is a great spot to access a ton of ski resorts. We had the most amazing meal at La Vache Qui Vole. Very Swiss/French, amazing ambiance, incredible wine selection and of course amazing chocolate cake.

Welcome Back, Friend

The longer days and warmer weather remind me of childhood and I feel myself gravitating towards my younger days. I grew up in the late 70’s and early 80’s when hippies were around and a more natural way of life was more prominent. The lifestyle of the 90's was so far from hippie, that I even began to question my love affair. And then, I noticed that softer fabrics and colors seem to be making them way back into mainstream. And that's when I saw it, my old friend, one that I welcome back with open arms: Tie Dye.

I used to spend hours upon hours at summer camp tie dying t’shirts, shorts, shoes, etc. It appealed to my creative side, as well as my hippie side. Then it went out and anyone caught in it was considered a “dirty hippie” – Well my friends, it's back and coming in all different forms. OK, today's version doesn't inspire the same feeling that you're in a parking lot about to see a Grateful Dead show, but it's not that different. And yet, it's totally mainstream. Check out Glamour's most wearable 2010 trends in case you doubt me.

And, the original trend is inspiring prints and patterns in all forms and sizes. I've let it inspire watercolor plaids, stripes and a bit of splatter paint in our Fall 2010 collection.

And, there are some people doing a great job of it this spring. Blumarine’s Spring 10 line has beautiful tie dye tops, dresses, coverups and bags to match.

In case you were never a fan of tie dye, I'd brace yourself and get used to it, 'cause it's here to stay for a little while. And, I, for one, am going to enjoy it!

The Orginal Surf Chic

I was walking at the beach this morning and came across this beautiful sign:

It's the “Western Snowy Plover”. This has got to be the cutest bird ever, and so aptly named “The Original Surf Chic”. So, we did a little research and this is the deal with this little thing...It’s a small shorebird that has been living on the pacific coast for thousands of years. It nests in the sand, taking advantage of any cover it can find- driftwood, seaweed, shells or rocks. This bird is so small that it is commonly mistaken for a cotton ball. Not surprisingly, their livelihood is being compromised by us. Cars are crushing their homes and humans and dogs off the leash are chasing the birds away. Sadly, these birds are now endangered.

I'm not usually one to preach, but, seriously the Surf Chic devastation was making me sad. So, I spoke with our local Audubon chapter (www.ca.audubon.org), and here is what they said we all can do to help:

1.“Obey Signs and fences protecting nests” like the picture below at Ocean Beach.

2. “Take part in a beach clean –up”

3. Raise awareness among other surfers and beach dwellers” (hence this blog entry)

4. Notify authorities about any problems with plover nests

5. And lastly - take your dog to a park or dog friendly beach during nesting season.

I think this is pretty manageable and am hoping you think so too. These little Surfer Chics are way too cute to vanish from our beach.

Thanks for reading.

My Recent Visit to Phuket

It might take forever to get to (25 hours from San Francisco to be exact), but if you have the time and inclination Phuket, Thailand is a pretty sweet place to visit. I just got back from a super relaxing beach vacation there, with a short stop-over in Singapore.

I suggest renting a villa in the southern, less traveled part of the peninsula (check out http://www.phuket.net/rentals/villa-1215.htm for some seriously nice places to stay). The ocean was absolutely pristine, with white sand beaches as far as you can see. And, if salt water's not your thing, most hotels and villas have a pool. We hired a cook who prepared authentic Thai food daily and indulged in a full course of relation. A highlight, of course, is receiving the $10/hour masseuse that comes to visit you in the hotel.

For a bit of a tourist attraction, you can ride an elephant (only recommended if you happen to be traveling with families). Be sure to visit one of the more animal friendly places (it's pretty easy to tell the difference)!

And, if you're in need of an urban fix, check out Pantong. The nightclubs will mix a stiff, fruity cocktail.

The sun is strong, so be sure to pack plenty of sunblock. But, given the weather around here lately, I'd trade having to clog my pores with sunblock over wearing rain boots in a heart beat. So, here's to hoping that we get to wear sunblock around here soon!