You can also bring in your own paper or photos copied on regular paper.

Stop in and do some DiY!

“We aim for the hearts, not the charts!”

Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Website: http://myspace.com/thisisfirstaidkit

Bio: First Aid Kit is comprised of Swedish sisters Klara (17) and Johanna Söderberg (19) who call Enskede, a district of Stockholm, home. The duo have  been steadily inspiring teenage and adult hearts alike since the April 2008 Swedish release of their Drunken Trees EP on The Knife owned, Rabid label. Upon conquering local clubs with their wise-beyond-their-years, country tinged pop, Wichita Recordings signed the young sisters to a worldwide deal in the Fall of 2008. This union resulted in a broader release for the EP, steady UK/European touring, festival appearances and ultimately the completion of their debut album, The Big Black & The Blue. Spring brings the release to North America on May 25th 2010. The album was released abroad this January and is not going unnoticed:

“A masterpiece” 5/5 – Sunday Telegraph

“The Big Black and the Blue is a sparkling jewel that belies the tender year of its creators” 4.5/5 – The Sun

“The Succulent Wife’

Always on the lookout for interesting “indie” brands in all categories, we thought it would be fun to pay tribute to another type of art, that is, the art of fine booze-making. Micro-distilleries, like micro-breweries have become more and more popular in the last decade. With reason. Many of these micro-distilleries make award-winning vodkas, far superior in taste and quality to the commercial brands. But, since award-winning in the vodka world pretty much means colorless, odorless and –we mean this as a compliment – tasteless, we want instead to turn our attention to the new and exotic flavor-ways of vodkas. And, let’s not confuse “infused” with commercially “flavored”.

	Indiana Infusions are made from the company’s award-winning Indiana Vodka. Five of the seven Indiana Infusions’ flavors were created by pairing a complimentary flavor to the prominent flavor for a completely unique offering: Chai Tea, Cherry Vanilla, Orange Cream, Honey Lemon, Raspberry Citrus, Chocolate Espresso, and Double Vanilla. See drink recipes by clicking on your flavor or choice.  List of retail spots here.
	Sub Rosa Spirits is handcrafted vodka made in Oregon. This distillery offers two infused vodkas. The first, Tarragon, is flavored with fresh organic tarragon (notes of licorice, fennel and mint), while the Saffron vodka is a mélange of eight spices (notes of cumin, coriander and saffron) that recall tastes of India and Asia. Look for local retailers here or buy them online through Vintage Wines. You can find cocktail recipes for these unique vodkas here. These mixes only make the uniquely flavored vodkas even more tempting.
	Charbay Vodkas are made with organically grown fruit and of other whole, fresh ingredients. Though this is a flavored vodka (as opposed to infused), there is NO use of essences, perfumes, dyes, fragrances & so-called “natural flavors” here. Charbay attributes the success of their flavored vodkas to their unique ingredient flavor and color extraction process. The extractions are integrated in the award-winning Charbay clear vodka. Flavors include blood orange, meyer lemon, ruby grapefruit, green tea, raspberry and pomegranate.  Purchases can be made directly from the website and recipes are listed through a link on each flavor page.

You may remember our mention of the DIY berry infused recipe. And that is certainly an easy route to go if you want to investigate your own flavor blends. Here are some other ideas for DIY infused vodka recipes from my favorite handcrafted vodka brand, Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

Read more: http://www.thesucculentwife.com/#ixzz1HReBBI00

Jan 4th 2011 11:25AM / by Kristen Aeikens

The Twin Cities is bursting with a crazy number of crafty-types who live and die by the DIY mantra. Luckily our fine metro boasts a bevy of top shops that are perfect for lovers of the handmade vibe, seasoned crafters and crafty wannabes alike.

Crafty Planet: Lovers of the needle arts will flip for Crafty Planet, a stitcher’s paradise that prides itself on its DIY attitude. Housed within its walls you’ll find hundreds of bolts of eye-catching fabrics, sewing accessories, handy how-to books and an ever-expanding selection of knitting goods. They also offer tons of crafty classes perfect for honing your skills.
2833 Johnson St. NE, Minneapolis; 612-788-1180

i like you: Your list of loves will be a mile long in i like you. Shoppers of this handmade haven will find a slew of unique items handmade by talented crafters, artisans and independent designers. Beautiful jewelry, art, cool cards, decor items and even funky baby clothes all mingle to make i like you a super-stylish indie destination.
501 1st Ave. NE, Minneapolis; 612-208-0249

Bella Lana: If you’re a knitter or crocheter, check out Bella Lana, a yarn boutique that houses a floor-to-ceiling selection of gorgeous yarns in a rainbow of colors and myriad textures. The shop also offers up tons of needles and notions and stylish patterns, as well as some great craft classes that will have you knitting and purling in no time.
21 Fourth St. SE, Minneapolis; 612-331-3330

Truly…: Touting a “shop indie goodness” motto, Truly… is a quaint suburban boutique that sports a spot-on selection of handmade and artisan goods from both local and national DIYers. People with a penchant for independent style will find everything from cool handbags, jewelry and tees to cute baby goods and body products.
2175 4th St., White Bear Lake; 651-426-8414

The Bead Monkey: If the art of beading has a cult-like following, then The Bead Monkey is probably their leader. This local shop has a huge selection of beads, pendants, crystals, beading kits and more, perfect for DIY jewelry design. If your skills are a little rough around the edges sign up for a metalworking class or bead camp.
867 Grand Ave., St. Paul; 651-222-7729
3717 W. 50th St., Minneapolis; 952-929-4032

Photo Courtesy of Diane Wellman, flick

The Shop Girls and I came up with Windy!

for those of you who don’t know of nikki mcclure, she cuts her images on a single piece of paper using an x-acto knife.