This owl is apparently the first thing you see when you arrive at work. Which I guess would really depend on your mood. Oh, they all get their own lab coats, apparently - but wearing them seems to be optional. It's just like art class!


Now, we have a cool office. But we don't have a T-shirt press. So if we wanna press a tee on our lunch breaks, we're SOL.


Speaking of lunch breaks! And they probably all have really nifty lunch bags, too.


I know! It's exactly how you dreamed when you read their Recommendations blogs! There's also this quilt they all quilted in another picture, so these are not purely decorative.


I bet they paint murals all the time, too. And they have an office ecologist. Really. And a rock-band projector.


And, naturally, mucho creative stimulation wherever the eye falls. Plus, you probably get first dibs on all those one-offs, right? And get to know all kinds of awesome crafters! (Maybe some of them are difficult, actually. There are a lot of crafters on that site.)


Etsy: Brooklyn's $135 Million Arts & Craft Powerhouse [The Business Insider]

"Lipstick entrepreneurs," the FT tells us, are on the rise. A new report - by, it should be said, by the "Future Laboratory for Avon" which arguably has an interest in fostering female entrepreneurs, as well as and the Federation of Small Businesses - predicts that the number of female enterprises" could double over the next 10 years, taking the number of self-employed women running businesses - from single-person ventures to more substantial ones - to more than 2m." I know, that doesn't sound like many - although it's a substantial gain since 2000.

So what at first sounds plainly derogatory, or maybe lesbian-specific, is in fact literal: a "lipstick entrepreneur" sells makeup, or similar. The rise in this kind of self-employment is an obvious result of the economy, since many families are in need of more income. And, the FT argues, due as well to an increasing number of female role models in the marketplace. To this we'd add the E-word: Etsy. While some might disagree, it's made part-time and flexible creative income seem compatible with a busy lifestyle and an enriching addition to other jobs. Or maybe it's just this female exec's rationale: women are "good at nurturing talent within our organisations, and perhaps we are not as threatened by talent as men can be. We are really good salespeople and we can be good at communicating."

Recession Spurs Rise Of 'Lipstick Entrepreneurs' [Financial Times]

Relying on user submissions and declining to link to the actual artist in question, as "that wouldn't be funny," the Regretsy crew wants to make it clear that they aren't out to "shame" anyone and that they site is simply a means of poking fun at those who aren't necessarily up to snuff. It's a bit like Cake Wrecks for the craft crowd, though some of the crafts featured don't seem all that bad, just a bit weird or a bit corny.

As for the "we don't link" policy, it doesn't really hold up, as I found these Twilight sneakers on Etsy in about 2.1 seconds. The seller has already sold several Twilight-related items, including a pair of sneakers to a customer who claims "i knew i would love these shoes, and they came so quickly after i ordered them! they are truly AMAZING!!! they are well done and are perfect!" Regretsy might think the shoes are "hideous," but the customer, it seems, has no regrets at all.

[Regretsy]

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Sadie,

Having read Sara Mosle's takedown of Etsy.com on Slate's "double x,", I have to profess myself quite surprised with the specious conclusions drawn by the author. [Megan translation: For fuck's sake, Sadie, did you read this shit on double x about Esty?] It seems that Mosle has decided that since the people that use Etsy to sell their handmade products are prominently women, but the founders are men, that the men in charge are peddling a "feminist fantasy" of making a living through doing what one loves to a bunch of irrational women who don't know any better. I am forced to wonder when it was that engaging in artistic endeavors in the hopes that some day enough people will find value in your art became a predominately feminist fantasy, and that men became too rational to ever attempt to start down such a path. [Megan translation: Seriously, what the fuck?]

Yours,
Megan

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Megan,

I have to agree. But what I also found problematic was the implicit condescension of the argument; there's a definite sense that these educated women of means are wasting their time, and that the work they do, if not renumerative, can't possibly be fulfilling in any other sense. [Sadie translation: I got this awesome spyglass necklace at an Etsy craft fair over the weekend.] Then too, Megan, doesn't it seem like she ignores the fact that Etsy functions as a community as well as a selling site? If one reads the boards, it's clear that Etsy is a real support network and intellectual forum for any number of like-minded people. [Sadie translation: also, these really neat magnets covered in calico.] And in any case, the question comes down to, does DIY have value? It's easy to dismiss - part of what rankles is that Etsy seems like low-hanging fruit, and an unfair target - but its larger cultural import is of a piece with a lot of progressive movements which Mosle would be hard-pressed to dismiss. [Sadie translation: Ooh, and some notecards!] The bottom line, Megan, for me is that unless we're defining "harm" in the most paternalistic of ways, Etsy harms no one - and brings a great many people a lot of pleasure. Indeed, because the satisfaction of such enterprises cannot be quantified does nothing to invalidate them. [Sadie translation: *goes to start Etsy page.*]

Yours,
Sadie

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Sadie

I absolutely agree [Megan translation: My roommate has an Etsy store and takes a great deal of pleasure and pride in creating and selling her hairpieces as a creative outlet that is somewhat financially remunerative. Upon hearing my description of this article, she said, "What the fuck?"] I think what I found problematic with the analysis is the idea that a site to which women of their own accord flocked in order to start engaging in entrepreneurship with their artistic endeavors is referred to by Mosle as "a female ghetto" — but without the corresponding male-dominated alternative environment from which women are isolated. One assumes that Mosle wanted to contrast it to eBay or another marketplace, but somehow failed to look for or find comparative statistics. Furthermore, I think it problematic because at no point does Mosle touch on the buyers on Etsy, which might well track with the gendered selling against which Mosle inveighs — or not, in which case, it turns the entire concept of Etsy being a ghetto-izing influence on its head. [Megan translation: Did she look up the meaning of the word "ghetto?" Do any other research?]

Further to that, I feel that Mosle's entire piece rests on the basis of gender stereotypes: men acting "rationally" by not participating; knitting being something at which only women can or do excel; women being "preyed on" by Etsy's male founders. Even the "siren call" that Etsy holds for her is a sexist trope about women's supposed ability to prey upon men sexually.

But what I feel is most problematic is the idea inherent in the work that women should, in some sense, face the reality that their dreams of successful entrepreneurship will never be realized. In truth, most small businesses fail. Many people — men and women — engage in the marketplace with a unique product, idea or service and fail to amass enough profit to stay afloat. The difference between men and women is that men are more often encouraged to do so then women, and encouraged to try again. Mosle's piece attempts to convince women not to take a relatively risk-free wade into the entrepreneurial waters of the American marketplace because they'll "fail," as though economic failure is something with which women cannot or should not be expected to cope.

I guess I should also add that I find it a little ironic that Mosle's worries about women artisans being ghettoized on Etsy is printed on double x, where Slate has collected its women writers and separated them and their stories from their site at large. [Megan translation: There are plenty of things I find ironic about double x deciding who is a good fucking feminist]

Yours,
Megan

____________________________________________________________________

Dear Megan,

As ever , a well-reasoned argument. May I add that the notion of feminism (that which is "undercut" by the gullibility of the deluded sellers) on which this argument is predicated is a dated and simplistic one: the "having it all" ethos of 20 years ago, which most of us would agree has evolved. And Megan, you bring up the economics of small business, and rightly so: I'd add to this that the current economic situation adds another dimension to the discussion. Not only does Mosle fail to address the sizable population for whom Etsy is a sideline rather than a get-rich-quick fantasy, but fails to acknowledge that it might be, not just a source of modest income for those affected by the recession, but a means of empowerment in a demoralizing market. In this sense, the modesty and unique handmade nature of the typical crafts (and price-points) on Etsy are uniquely well-suited to this economy. If one were so disposed, one could certainly choose to regard the site's popularity as empowering, and such objections as manufactured. [Sadie translation: Megan's roommate's hair-pieces are amazing.]

Sincerely,
Sadie

____________________________________________________________________

Etsy.com Peddles a False Feminist Fantasy [double x]

Related: The State of the Cookie [Slate]

Earlier: Who You Calling A Bad Feminist?

[Image of Utera Maxima via VulvaLoveLovely, who is not my roommate]

• Madonna and Jesus have broken up, if you believe that she Twitters, which this paper does. Meanwhile, she's allegedly on her way to Malawi to adopt another kid. [Daily Mail]

• According to the papers, her Madgesty is 2 days away from adopting a second child from Malawi. That seems… speedy. [The Sun, Mirror]
• Lindsay Lohan's latest flick, Labor Pains, will never hit theaters: It's going to premiere on ABC Family, then go to DVD. This is the flick in which LL plays a woman who fakes being pregnant to keep from being fired. Hilarious? [Access Hollywood]
• Rihanna was seen "smiling and flirting" with a group of guys — including Brody Jenner — at Nobu in New York on Wednesday. She also has a blond, female security guard, which is kind of awesome. [Page Six]
• Last night, Rihanna was seen dancing at a Hollywood night club. [TMZ]
• Amy Winehouse's latest Facebook status reads "If you love him, let him go." [The Sun]
• Warning: Celebrities have Twitter ghostwriters. Where do we apply? [NY Times]
• Wow, Shawn Johnson is making quite a bit of cash to appear on Dancing WIth The Stars — if she goes all the way she could take home over $350,000. [E!]
• Speaking of DWTS, Holly Madison has been experiencing pain in her rib area. Bad enough that she's on meds. This show is dangerous! [E!]
• Kate Middleton, Prince William's girlfriend, has a pal named Emma Sayle. Apparently Emma runs sex parties called Killing Kittens, for single women and couples. Racy! [The Sun]
• Courtney Love versus a designer on Etsy: Guess who called someone a "vile horrible lying bitch"? Hint: The rock star. [E!]
• The designer also claims Courtney Love called her an "asswipe nasty lying hosebag thief." [TMZ]
• Jennifer Hudson has set a date for her wedding, but it's a secret. [Mirror]
• Queen Latifah has been cast in a romcom described as modern day Cinderella story; she'll play a physical therapist who falls in love with a basketball player while helping him recover from a career-threatening injury. [Variety]
• What the world needs now: A Ben Hur mini-series. [Variety]
• Rapper T.I. will be sentenced today for weapons possession; he will probably get a year. He's already done 1,000 hours of community service. [CNN]
• Donna Martin, aka Tori Spelling, returns to 90210 on Tuesday. Plus: Diablo Cody drops by. Stuntcasting means someone really really wants you to watch. [E!]
• Seriously, what is Courteney Cox's Cougar Town show really about? Every shot we ever see is CC in a robe. [Socialite Life]
• Something stinks: NBC is yanking cooking competition show Chopping Block off the air and replacing it with repeats of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. [Yahoo via Reuters]
• Survivor winner Richard Hatch wants to get out of jail. [Yahoo via AP]
• So you know that shaggy coat Pixie Geldof wore? She had a matching dress underneath. [Daily Mail]
• A witness claims to have seen two dudes get off of rapper Flo Rida's tour bus, kill a rabbit, and then get back on. Now Flo Rida is being questioned by police. [Socialite Life]
• Former Eight is Enough and Charles in Charge star Willie Aames is broke and having a big garage sale in suburban Kansas City; he filed for bankruptcy last year and his home is in foreclosure. I want Charles in charge of me? [Yahoo via AP]
• Eddie Cibrian, recently accused of cheating on his wife with LeAnn Rimes, was photographed holding hands with his wife at Miami airport yesterday. Damage control? [TMZ]
• Got $150 million? You can buy the late Aaron Spelling's mansion: 56,500 square feet of space on more than 4.6 acres. There's a bowling alley, wine cellar, wine tasting room, gift-wrapping room, a humidity-controlled silver storage room, China room, library, gym, and, of course, screening room. [Yahoo via AP]
• Green Day is back, with an eight studio album out May 15th. [EW]
• Blind item! Which A-list hunk got elbowed in the face by a girl after demanding she get him a bag of blow? The damsel clocked him after he called her a few (unprintable) names. [Gatecrasher]
• I like any job where you can just shut yourself away from everybody." — Robert Pattinson. [Mirror]
• We schedule it out. We force ourselves to do it. There's always an excuse for a couple not to take time for themselves, but it's really short sighted. The first thing you'd better do is make a date as soon as that baby comes. You'd better make a date and take your wife out within a month - whether you want to, or not - and you can't talk about the kid. And you'd better have a romantic weekend within two months because it tears couples apart, these babies do. Felicity and I have been really good about finding time. We'll go away for two days - for one day, even - and we try to do it four, five, six times a year." — William H. Macy, on keeping a marriage alive when you have kids. [Mirror]
• She has the partying part down right. But I don't think she's got the focus. I mean, it requires a lot of focus and a lot of people think they can do it, but they really find that it's a lot harder. Ask anyone - it's a lot harder than it looks. I guess that's why they call us supermodels - we make it look easy. But it's not as easy as it looks, so I wish her all the best." — Tyson Beckford on Lindsay Lohan. [Perez]
• "Because I got high, I forgot to pay. It was stupid. I'm an idiot for that." — Method Man, on owing back taxes. [Gatecrasher]
• "I think the last thing I should be doing right now is planning a wedding. I'd become one of those cracked-out housewives with a vacuum cleaner, hopped up on Dexedrine." — Kelly Osbourne, who just left rehab for her painkiller addiction. [Mirror]

• Paris Hilton, aka the rich man's Heidi Montag, premieres her line for Dollhouse. "Some pieces, like the tees with her face plastered on them, are quintessentially Paris, and others are a bit more rock 'n roll like her sister Nicky." Huh? [FabSugar]
• Meanwhile, in the world of the equally inexplicable, Jessica Simpson announces a dress line. "I'm extremely excited to be expanding into the dress market," Simpson tells WWD. "I plan on creating beautiful dresses in distinctive fabrics and silhouettes that are reflective of my personal style and offer something special to the marketplace." [VogueUK]
• Perennial charmer Naomi Campbell on upstart "supermodels": "Models need to earn their stripes – I just think the term is used a little too loosely. Kate Moss is obviously a supermodel but, after Gisele, I don’t think there’s been one." [The Sun]
• Um, if we're asking the pope to throw off antiquated traditions, I'm not sure his fur cape should be our highest priority. [Times of India]

• Recessionistas get all DIY; add beads to stuff. [Telegraph]
• Tsubi, or Ksubi, jeans founder Gareth Moody is apparently not that interesting. [New York Magazine]
• Paging 1984. "Nantucket preppy style." [Style.com]
• Can a nation with as much grinding poverty as India's justify a couture market? [Hindustan Times]
• Retailers get antsy about holidays; hope to distract customers with elaborate decorations. [WWD]
• Former Etsy Knits CEO changes title to "chief creative officer," "a nice loose moniker that will allow me to focus on what I'm best at: product work and long-term, big-picture thinking." [Alley Insider]
• Thought Crocs were the nadir? Meet FitFlops. [New York Magazine]
• Golfer Ryuji Imada hooks up with Lacoste. [WWD]
• Style.com gets a makeover. [Fashionista]
• Alert your mother at once! Dockers launches women's separates, so she and dad can match. [WWD]
• For some reason, Hermes thriving. [Forbes]
• Menswear shows sound horrifying: "Baggy shirts, wrinkled T-shirts, campus-throwback sweaters and boat shoes ruled at New York's nascent Mens Runway." [Reuters]
• New Diesel swimwear mixes "bikinis with props like baseball helmets, boxing gloves, football pads and other sports gear to tie in with the "collegiate varsity" theme in the brand's sportswear collection." [WWD]
• Unlike some of us who work online, apparently the "ShopBop girls" are really chic. [FabSugar]
• If you wanna see Mischa Barton's photo shoot, you're in luck: Nylon's starting podcasts. [Fashionista]
• Random teens for Bongo jeans? At least Perez is happy. [Perez Hilton]
• More on the Diesel/Viktor and Rolf marriage of convenience. [Sassybella]
• We're guessing the 12-year-old fashion blogger Tavi would have had contempt for us in middle school. [New York Magazine]
• Rachael Ray's non-status bag. [Radar]
• Short hair? All the crack. "But instead of the asymmetric (typically 60s) ‘pob’ made famous by Posh last year, the new bob hair style is more fashion forward thanks to YSL who has made the glossy, pudding bowl cut the look of next season." [ElleUK]

Mattel is doing everything in its power to fight Barbie's increasing obsolescence. The Wall Street Journal reports that, in order to combat its "rare quarterly loss" — unlike last year, sales of Barbie flattened both inside and outside of the United States — Mattel is ramping up web-related offerings and is going to start charging a small subscription fee for its Barbie Girl website, which offers games, videos, chats and "digital extras". It's also experimenting with more interactive products — which aren't guaranteed successes. According to the Journal, "The recent Magic of the Rainbow, a fantasy doll marketed under the Barbie brand, doubled as a remote control, came with a CD-ROM game and featured wings that fluttered at the push of a button. 'Girls asked — is this a doll?' said [Chuck] Scothon [senior vice president of Mattel's girls division]. 'We put too much in.'"

[Image via Wilde Designs Etsy Shop]

Earlier: New Game Encourages Young Girls To Embrace Their Inner "Bimbo"