hope & spray

Two Men's Outfits at Nordstrom (The Rail)

2008-01-14T22:02:00.000-08:00

Nordy's!! Legend has it they will accept anything for a return. Someone even once returned a pair of snow chains!! Well, I don't think anyone would return the outstanding items we found there in The Rail (the younger men's section).

Outfit #1:

Joel's boyfriend, Sean, picked out this hip, striped cardigan. I grabbed some dark 7 jeans, and voila...instant fashionplate! I can totally imagine a skinny Parisian musician wearing something like this on the Metro while writing a song in his notebook. Stripes on stripes: what's wrong with that??

Striped Modern Amusement Cardigan: $98

Dark 7 Jeans: $167

Outfit#2:

Vests!! Everytime I see a vest I think of the dialogue in "Mean Girls."

--Regina, you're wearing sweats. You can't sit with us. Those are the rules.

-Those rules aren't real.

--They were real that day I wore a vest.

-Yeah, because that vest was disgusting!

Well, I think Regina George would be the first to admit that this Hugo Boss vest is anything but disgusting. It is glorious in its fitted simplicity. I was joking at first when I picked out the light Diesel jeans, but I think they contrast with the vest in a very interesting way.

Hugo Boss black vest: $195

Light Diesel jeans: $220

Two Men's Outfits at United Colors of Benetton

2008-01-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

Benettoni!! Benetton has long been my absolute favorite store (except for a brief period in 2003 when I was infatuated with Agnes B.). And in Italy, it is all over the place like the Gap used to be here. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a location that sells men's clothes. The UTC location had just a tiny rack of men's apparel, but it was deep in gorgeousness. Oh yeah, and everything was on sale and further reduced by 20%.

My theory on this store is that only the most adventurous fashionistas shop here because everyone else is afraid of the weird Italian sizing system. Seriously, who wants to put on a pair of size 52 pants and find out they're too small??

I must add that the saleswoman gushed over my sweater vest and told me that I have wonderful style and that I dressed very European-like! She was European herself so I believed. Also, I wasn't trying on anything so I think she was telling me the truth. While she was doing all of this gushing, though, she wouldn't leave us alone to take the pictures so we had to shoot them in the tiny changing room.

Outfit #1:

Here is a shimmery puffy bronze moto-style jacket with leather trim and equally shimmery gray pants. The stripes on the shirt help to make the solid colors of the jacket and pants stand out. I don't think this outfit would work as well with a solid shirt.

Bronze jacket with leather trim: $112 (sale price)

Grey shimmery pants: $48 (sale price)

Outfit#2:

Joel did NOT want to say goodbye to this ultra-fitted tweed blazer. It fit him beautifully and went really well with the shirt, too. It reminds me of my tweed blazer that I wish was as fitted as this one. I told Joel that he could get a $5 tweed blazer and get it tailored to look exactly like this one, but I think I should take my own advice! I've long believed that tweed jackets and striped shirts go together like pb&j.

Fitted tweed blazer: $128 (sale price)

Two Men's Outfits at Banana Republic

2008-01-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Joel offered to model for me, but it has taken months for us to schedule a session! Finally we went to UTC mall in La Jolla last Friday to try on outfits while Joel wore a " Hebrew Chai on Gray/White Striped V-Neck T-Shirt." Our friend works at that BR so he hooked us up with privacy while we got our shop/blog (shog?) on!

Outfit #1:

These blue-gray jeans are paired with a heavy, thick-knit, chocolate brown cardigan. I love how the buttons shine under the lights. It's too bad you can't feel how silky soft was the cardigan. Neither were too expensive either!

Jeans: $78

Cardigan: $88

Outfit #2:

I couldn't decide which picture to post, so I posted both! It's hard to see, but these are navy pinstriped casual pants and an olive military-style jacket. Notice how much more elegant this outfit is compared to the first one. The biggest difference is pants instead of jeans. I really wish more guys would wear cute pants out instead of always jeans. They are often just as comfortable if they are the right size. Since the waist on pants don't stretch the same way that jeans do, most men have a closet full of pants that are too small so they wear jeans whenever pants aren't absolutely required. Anyway, I love the jacket and wish it were mine.

Olive military jacket: $148

Pinstriped pants: $68

how to get your t-shirt on TV

2008-01-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

this is how (my segment starts 30 seconds in):

My incredibly awesome workout studio, Iron Core, was featured on the TV Guide Network last week. I seized the opportunity to be part of the taping and show the nation one of my hope&spray shirts.

I wore my "Red Kettlebell on White Bamboo T-Shirt," picked a spot in the front of the class for easy cameraman access, and worked my butt off to do the moves with as perfect form as possible.

The best result is that Sarah Lurie (the owner and instructor in the video), who has been a hope&spray supporter since I was just giving shirts to friends, liked the bamboo shirt so much that she offered to sell a limited run of them in the studio. Yep, my first wholesale endeavor! Check out this video of Sarah on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch (it will open up in Windows Media Player).

The results were priceless! I got lots of great close-ups. It was really fun to watch myself on the small screen and even more fun to send the clip to my friends and family!

Unfortunately I didn't get to meet Daisy Fuentes. She didn't come to San Diego. But, my sister's friend's cousin is friends with her so Rosie has hung out with her which is pretty cool. I really love Daisy. I saw her on TV yesterday speaking very intelligently about how girls shouldn't obsess about being thin.

I am especially excited about this because I am getting certified as a Kettlebell trainer next month. I plan to launch an in-home personal training business using kettlebells exclusively. Since they are so portable, people will be able to get great results without having to waste time going to a gym. Hoohah!

it's a hope&spray christmas (part two)

2007-12-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from hope&spray!!

Today I gave each member of my family new shirts! They each agreed to model them right away!

For my sister, Rosie, I gave her the "Pimp" Japanese character on gray/white striped v-neck t-shirt. I think it looks great! Isn't she a natural model?

I also gave her the Prince "Love Symbol" on black Bamboo raglan women's shirt. I advised her that when she washes the shirt, much of the sparkliness will come off leaving a beautiful gray imprint of the image. I love the shirt both ways, and I'm sure she will, too! I can't wait to list some silver on black shirts.

Here is my brother-in-law, Max, in his "Pimp" on gray/white striped tank top! Max is a cyclist so I thought a tank top would be great for his athletic lifestyle. Look how great the tank looks with a blazer! As I said in an earlier post, the best thing about a tank top is the neckline!

For my dad, I knew he'd love to display his Jewishness on a shirt. Ironic, huh? A Hebrew shirt for Christmas! Yeah, we're Jewish, but we used to spend every Christmas at my Catholic grandparents' house in Arizona so exchanging gifts has become a family tradition even though we don't really celebrate the birth of Christ.

He's also athletic so I knew he would love the super soft Bamboo t-shirt. It wicks sweat like expensive workout shirts, but at a much lower cost.

Now, since my mom's birthday was Christmas Eve, she got two shirts!

First, she's been begging me for a long-sleeved shirt because it gets so cold here in the SF Bay Area (Hercules, if you're wondering). I made her a Peace Dove on silver long-sleeved fitted women's shirt. She loved it, of course.

Here it is with a plum Land's End cashmere cardigan and matching scarf:

Her second shirt is probably my favorite one currently listed on my shop: Om on white women's raglan shirt.

With the cardigan:

That's all! My baby nephew, David, was not in the mood to model his Om on ecru long-sleeved organic cotton shirt. Hopefully I'll get a picture to post soon!

it's a hope&spray christmas! (part one)

2007-12-23T22:17:00.000-08:00

Every year my sister and I tell each other exactly what we want for Christmas. This year, I told her that it's gonna be a hope&spray christmas! And it is! I think every year from now on will be, in fact.

We exchanged a few gifts last night because my neice came over and my boyfriend was going away. I gave them both shirts! Also, my baby nephew wore his custom hope&spray sleepsuit. Here are the pics!

Brian is an 80's freak, so I thought he would love the "Love Symbol" that Prince borrowed when
he was The Artist. While Brian does love Prince, he loves Prince's proteges even more! Go Sheila E! I sprayed it on an American Apparel white/charcoal baseball shirt. It's a super soft 50/50 blend. Our second favorite comedian (after Nikki Glaser) is Sarah Silverman who wears nothing but baseball shirts. Oh, how I regret not bringing her a Hebrew baseball shirt when we went to her show in September! You'll get it Sarah! I won't forget Big S!

Here is my beautiful neice Jada wearing her Books on Bamboo raglan women's shirt! The shirt was pretty long on her so we added a ribbon around her waist to tie the look together (pun intended). The image of a person walking up a stairway of books is inspired by Books First. It's a literacy organization that my original model, Sam, is a part of.

Baby David is putting his Dauphin Sleepsuit in Ecru Organic Cotton to good use as he naps against my sister's arm. He dressed it up with a yellow-trimmed pacifier and a Tiki print wool jacket.

I can't wait for the rest of my family and friends to open their gifts! I'll make sure to take pictures and share them with all of you!

Molly at Charlotte Russe

2007-12-19T00:45:00.000-08:00

Damn, Charlotte. We thought that since you are a San Diego company, you would want to help out a fellow San Diego enterprise while getting free publicity in the process. Guess not.

Luckily, we snapped two photos before you could stop us! Hit it Molly!

Outfit #1:

This simple black crop shirt goes over the Om shirt very well. I didn't think it would work, but I was pleasantly surprised! It makes me think of the Destiny's Child "8 Days of Christmas" when Beyonce says "a crop jacket with dirty denim jeans." These jeans are NOT dirty denim. It's not 2001 anymore!

Black crop shirt: $14 (on sale)

Outfit #2:

It's hard to see, but this micro-hoodie has sparkles! It's very sparkly! I loved it. Molly was about to give me a hood-up pose, but the manager intercepted!

Black sparkly hoodie: $17.99

The trip was so much fun! I can't wait for the next one!

Molly at Bebe

2007-12-19T00:29:00.000-08:00

Here's Molly at Bebe!

Outfit #1:

This jacket is simply spectacular: the structure, the texture, the leather trim! All you need are some cute jeans, and you've got yourself an outfit!

Grey jacket with black trim: $189

Outfit #2:

Molly especially loved this seafoam green (official color name: Envious) wool coat. It's easy to understand why. Just look at how flattering it is with her coloring! I've said it once, and I'll say it many more times: white people look good in green!

Green wool funnel neck dress coat: $188

Sam at Bebe

2007-12-19T00:07:00.002-08:00

The next store we hit was Bebe! Who needs Mischa Barton when we've got Molly and Sam! Bebe has long been my favorite women's store so I was especially excited to pick out clothes there. Once my ship comes in, I will become a drag queen and dress myself only in Bebe (Here's Charlize!).

Here's Sam, still in her hope&spray Peace Dove shirt.

Outfit #1:

Ready to paint the town purple?? You will be in this outfit. A deep purple satin pencil skirt and fitted satin four-pocket jacket add dimension to the simple cotton shirt. The look is topped with a floppy hat made of charcoal felt. Notice how the skirt brings out the purple dove!

Black satin jacket: $189

Purple satin skirt: $98

Floppy hat: $30 (sale)

Outfit #2:

My favorite piece of tonight's trip is this purple tweed moto jacket! It really makes the shirt pop! On the bottom, Sam is wearing ultra-tight indigo jeans with gold stitching. She said they were so tight she could barely move. I told her that if she wants to move, she can get some sweatpants.

Purple tweed moto jacket: $159

Dark blue tight jeans: $119

Sam at Bebe

2007-12-19T00:07:00.001-08:00

Molly at Banana Republic

2007-12-18T23:34:00.000-08:00

Here's Molly at Banana Republic! She wore the Om on Women's Raglan Bamboo Shirt.
Outfit #1: Even from afar, you can see the effect of the herringbone detail on this business suit. I love how the hope&spray shirt cuts the severity of the suit like lime juice in a glass of tequila. If you like it, I suggest you run (don't walk) to your nearest Banana because it is on sale (50% off!). Remember what "The Nanny" says: if it ain't half off, it ain't a sale!

Skirt: $99.99

Jacket: $49.99

Outfit #2:

I can't believe how beautifully the beige goes with the blue in the shirt. The braided detail on the cardigan brings so much texture to the look. With some nice blue jeans, it's great for a Casual Friday or a Sunday brunch.

Beige 3/4-Sleeve Cable Swing Cardigan: $108

Jeans from Abercrombie & Fitch, model's own.

Sam at Banana Republic

2007-12-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

So what if the malls are overflowing with obnoxious shoppers? It didn't stop me from bringing my two female models, Sam and Molly, to try on hoards of outfits and photograph them for your pleasure and education! We had a blast even though a manager at one store yelled at us (jeez, sorry we're trying to give your store free publicity, won't happen again).

The first store we went to was Banana Republic. While it used to be just an upscale version of the Gap, it has evolved into an elegant brand of its own. I chose this store to show how hope&spray shirts can fit with a professional look.

Some of my customers have reported wearing their shirts to work (to rave reviews, I must add), so I want everyone to see that you don't have to wait for Casual Friday to bust out your h/s!

Sam is wearing her Peace Dove on gray striped fitted women's t-shirt.

Here's her first look:

A black 3-button blazer and grey flannel dress pants make for office-appropriate attire! I wish I could photoshop in some heels to complete the look, but it's good practice for your imagination.

Gray flannel trousers: $98
Black wool blazer: $198

Here's her second look:

OK, this is definitely an outfit for Casual Friday. It's great because you can also wear it out for a low-key Friday night. Black skinny jeans and a cream cashmere shrug accentuate the purple dove on the shirt. I think if I were a woman, I'd never wear a shirt without a shrug. It's such a cool item that few take advantage of. Check out the clunky cream bracelet, too!

Black skinny jeans: $78
Cream cashmere shrug: $98
Clunky bracelet: $34

the bulge report

2007-12-18T00:56:00.000-08:00

banana underwear

banana boxer briefs

no one thought I would take it to this level

but I did

are you man enough to fill them?

salvation army - OM men's tank top

2007-12-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

On the walk home from Kate Ross, I convinced Brian to pop into a store where I can actually afford to buy clothes: Salvation Army. I found some great items, too!

Outfit number 1:

These baggy cargo pants are navy blue with thin gold pinstripes, and they are Michael by Michael Kors! Yes! Michael Kors from Project Runway! I first paired this with a tweed blazer, but no matter how hard I tried, it didn't work. I think the blazer was the wrong size. Anyway, the pants are so awesome, you don't need anything else!

Michael by Michael Kors Navy with Gold Pinstripe Cargo Pants: $6.50

Outfit number 2:

I never would have thought that white polyester pants and a grandma cardigan could work, but they DO!! I wish I had a close-up of the ornate gold buttons, but believe me when I say that they were awesome! It wasn't until I was putting it back on the hangers that I realized that the buttons were on the wrong side; it was a women's cardigan! Whatev...it's 2007!

White Polyester Pants: $4.75

Whitefish Blue Cardigan with Gold Buttons: $4.75

Shopping at Salvation Army is always unpredictible, but, as you can see, you CAN find great stuff there. It took much longer to find cute pieces there than at a nice place like Kate Ross, but what's the rush!?

Get ready for my next shopping trip when I play dress-up a woman! I can't wait to be behind the camera again!

kate ross - OM men's striped tank top

2007-12-02T20:43:00.001-08:00

For my first shopping-blog trip, I chose Kate Ross, a hip independent boutique in my neighborhood of North Park. While I have been window-shopping here since it opened last year, I had only entered the store once during a Ray at Night when they held a mini fashion show inside. Kate Ross sells trendy men's and women's clothes and accessories by both famous and unknown designers. The store has an elegant and friendly atmosphere, and I really didn't want to leave!

Brian agreed to be my photographer, and I modeled my Om men's striped tank top.

Before I show you the outfits, I first want to comment on tank tops. Tank tops are IN. I'm NOT talking about tight wife-beaters. Those I don't approve of unless worn at a gym. But stylish loose-fitting tank tops are highly fashionable and often flattering! The low neckline of tank tops gives the illusion of a long neck (which a hunky guy like me really needs). Also, it's a MYTH that you need big arms to look good in them! The cut will enhance the shoulders of the skinniest guy. Personally, I think small arms are sexy because they signify that a guy has better things to do than spend his life in the gym.

Now, for the outfits!

Outfit number 1:

This would be the perfect outfit for a hipster night on the town! Tan dress pants cancel out the uber-casualness of the tank top, and the hoodie covers you up and keeps you warm year-round. I love layering a tank top with a jacket because it maximizes the effect of the neckline. Also when you take it off, everyone will be shocked (bare shoulders!).

Tortoise-shell dark 80's sunglasses: $12

Penguin Heather Blue Hoodie: $89

Ben Sherman Tan Dress Pants with Subtle Plaid Pattern: $118

Le Coq Sportif Black/Brown Sneakers (my own)

Outfit #2:

If you saw the spring 2008 collections, you'll know that the sporty look is IN! That's why I chose this awesome track jacket made of a super-soft, satiny material. It's one of those items that looks even more expensive than it already is. This black fedora with a skull trim actually looked kind of cute on me which was a first. That's a hat that makes any guy the life of the party. Just try putting on a fedora and not having fun...you can't do it!! Again, I chose dress pants because I didn't really like the jeans there.

Cassel Goorin Black Fedora with Skull Trim: $62

Gussino White/Navy Track Jacket: $132

Ben Sherman Black Dress Pants: $118

That's all from Kate Ross! Let me know what you think. Stay tuned for the next instalment!

let's go SHOPPING!!!

2007-12-02T20:42:00.001-08:00

I came to the realization, thanks to marketing expert David Meerman Scott, that this blog was becoming a little tired and uninteresting. Really, who wants to hear all about my new shirt designs?? I want to write about something that people WANT to read about. So, I came up with the idea for a blog about shopping with hope&spray.

Here's how it's gonna work: I go to a store with a model who is wearing a hope&spray shirt. We put together a few cute outfits together around the shirt. I post pictures and details on the pieces of the outfit.

I will show you different ways to wear hope&spray while also giving you a taste of San Diego shopping. There will be chain stores, thrift stores, and independent boutiques. Men and women. If there is a store that you'd like me to do, LMK (let me know, it's my new favorite internet acronym, replacing TTFN).

Sooooooooooo...let's get shopping!!

party time!!

2007-11-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

They say necessity is the mother of invention. It's also the mother of new shirts!

So last Friday night was an event in San Diego called FashionWhore! I had heard about it for a long time and finally decided to go. I planned to trot around the event in one of my wonderful creations to spread the hope&spray gospel!

After the event, I was going to meet up at a friend's birthday celebration. SO, as I was ironing my signature Chai v-neck striped t-shirt, it hit me that I had worn that shirt the last time I saw this friend and probably the three times before that, too. I wear that shirt excessively because the stripes are so stylish and the Hebrew image lets me showcase my Jewishness! I really wanted to wear it to FashionWhore, too, because it's one of the best examples of my work that I own (sometimes I feel like the cobbler's children who have no shoes).

Alas, I just could not allow myself to be seen yet again in that shirt. It needs to take a break from my wardrobe for a little while. My only alternative was the Om Tank Top which I love, probably even more than the Chai, except it was dirty. I didn't want to wear any of my other hope&spray shirts because they were made in the early stage, from my greasy old Hanes ballet shirts.

I scanned my closet and immediately grabbed my white and navy blue striped v-neck sweater that I got in Montreal this summer. I was nervous about painting it because I love that sweater and could not get a new one if I messed up. There was no other option, though, so I threw it on the ground, pulled out my Japanese "Pimp" stencil and red spray paint, and started spraying!

Here's the result:

I wonder if I can get that sweater wholesale from Simon's in Canada or elsewhere so that I can add it to my inventory. BTW, I took that picture myself. Who new that my cameraphone had a 10-second self-timer? Not me until tonight!

5 reasons NOT to get a hope&spray shirt

2007-11-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here are five reasons NOT to get a hope&spray shirt:

1. You don't want to express yourself.
Not everyone wants their clothes to tell the world a little bit about who they are. They don't want to ruffle any feathers. They want to go unnoticed. Maybe they would like to spread the message about recycling, but they are afraid of anti-environment hecklers. Maybe they are proud of their religious heritage, but they fear offending those of other faiths. The truth is people respect and like people who believe in something strong enough to wear it. It shows confidence, awareness, and conviction. All of which are highly attractive qualities in a person.

2. You don't feel worthy of luxuriously soft fabrics.
You might ask yourself what you have done to deserve to be wrapped in silky bamboo fabric. Or who died and made you the princess of Turkish cotton? Or maybe you have done something horrible in the past and feel the need to punish yourself by wearing rough and scratchy shirts for the rest of your existence. Like Bobby Brown says, it's your prerogative. But I think you are worthy. I think you deserve it. I think no one deserves the punishment of uncombed cotton.

3. They are too affordable.
$19 for a shirt?? You wouldn't be caught dead in a garment that cost less than fifty bucks! What will your friends think when they find out? While I would love to make the kind of profit that I would if I charged $50 per shirt, I am just too ethical to do such a thing. The purpose of hope&spray is to make beautiful and expressive fashion accessible to everyone. Plus, I don't believe clothing should be expensive. Homes, education, and jewelry are worth spending big bucks on. A shirt, even a beautiful and unique one made of the finest and most decadent fabrics? No way! I believe in frugality so I would not feel right charging a high price even though I believe my shirts are worth it and that people would pay it. If you want a hope&spray shirt, but you think the price tag is too low, let me know and we can negotiate a higher price for you!

4. You like paying for shipping.
Maybe you think that if the shipping is free, it will take ten weeks to arrive (are you listening, Amazon?). That's not the case here. I ship first-class, so it takes less than a week within the U.S. If you want it faster (priority or express mail), we can do that for only the marginal cost of the extra postage.

5. You can make it yourself.
You probably can, and I encourage you to. It's really fun to wear something that you have made yourself. It is even more fun when you get tons of compliments on it. That's how I got started. I will warn you that it isn't as easy as it sounds. Spray paint is not always cooperative, and I have ruined many, many, many shirts while perfecting my process. If you have an idea for a shirt image, but you want me to do the dirty work of making the stencil and painting the shirt, let me know. I love making custom orders, and you will love wearing a shirt that you designed.

a new design

2007-11-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

So far, I have made shirts to reflect Judaism, Hinduism, and Shintuism. But I neglected the most popular religion in America, Christianity! I have many wonderful Christian friends. I want to make beautiful shirts that they can wear to express their faith.

I decided to make a cross. I drew two crosses, one plain and one stylized, and asked Brian to choose which would look better on a shirt. I was slightly leaning toward the plain one, but I have a rule about taking advice that I ask for, so I went with the stylized.

Here is my drawing next to my trusty craft knife. Yes, I draw and cut EVERY stencil used in my shirts. I never trace. Sometimes it takes a long time, but I usually get them symmetrical and almost perfect. I think that little bit of imperfection elevates my shirts from products to art.

This cross was much harder to cut than I expected. After I cut it, I noticed big asymmetry. The more I tried to even it out, the more off it looked. I eventually got fed up and stopped, but I'm pretty sure that it turned out great.

Some say that an important part of being an artist is knowing when to stop working on something and say that it is done. Did you hear about the recent documentary ("My Kid Could Paint That") of the little girl who painted beautiful abstract art? I read that she would just paint and paint, and when it looked like art, her dad would take the canvas away. This critic suggests that she was less like an artist and more like an elephant with a paint brush. Interesting.

I haven't decided what shirt to put the cross on yet. I am thinking the light and dark gray striped women's fitted t (like on the Peace Dove shirt). Keep your browser here to see a preview soon!

new shirts!

2007-11-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Last night, in between making vegan apple fritters to celebrate my birthday, I squeezed in some photo shoots for three new shirts!

I'm most excited about my Om on Bamboo Women's Raglan Shirt! It is such a cute shirt, and the bamboo fabric is incredibly soft and silky. I've had it ready for over a week but haven't been able to coordinate with my female model, Sam. Last night, she came over and offered to model before I had the chance to ask her! Her modeling fee was paid in apple fritters. A huge bargain considering her natural talent! Here's my favorite shot:

Before Sam came over and while the fritter dough was rising, I begged Brian to take pictures of me modeling my black and red Kettlebell on Bamboo Classic T-Shirts. See, he was the male model for my first shirts, but he didn't want his face shown in the photos even though he's a great model, too. Since it was my birthday, he finally agreed to be the photographer. At first, it was hard for me because I felt I needed Jay Manuel there to direct the shoot. I tried to do serious, but my face in the pictures looked stale (although the shirts were so comfortable) so I looked at Sam's older photos for inspiration and decided to cheese it up. Much better!

What's a kettlebell you ask? It's a piece of equipment used for a Russian style of weight-lifting. It looks like a bowling ball with a handle or a tea kettle without a spout. I have been practicing kettlebell training for eight months now, and I love it so much. It works the whole body as a unit instead of isolating muscles like traditional weight-lifting, and the movements feel natural and not static. Here are the shirts (the kettlebell was my birthday present from Brian)!

7 reasons to get a hope&spray shirt!

2007-11-02T15:03:00.001-07:00

I recently added this to the announcements of my online shop.

Here are 7 reasons to get a hope&spray hand-painted shirt:

1. Express yourself with an image that is meaningful to you!

2. Extrememly unique spray-paint process adds an edge to your look that will turn heads.

3. Turkish cotton, organic cotton and bamboo fabrics: SO SOFT!

4. No sweatshops: produced in Turkey under high ethical standards.

5. Made to last: permanent images on the highest quality shirts.

6. Choice: got an idea for a special design that fits YOU? I'll make it happen!

7. Fit Guarantee: If it doesn't fit, send it back within 5 days, and I'll send you a size that does.

Got any other reasons?? Comment!

my first sale

2007-10-26T15:43:00.001-07:00

A week ago Friday, I was thrilled to find out that someone had purchased one of my shirts!!

Many friends and family members vowed to me that they would be my first sale, and as nice as that would have been, I was especially excited that my first buyer was a stranger (another wonderful etsy member, or etsian) who happened upon my site!

Unfortunately, I was going out of town straight from work on Friday, so I convo-ed (etsy speak for messaged) the buyer that I would mail it priority on Monday at no charge to make up for the lost time. After I mailed in on Monday, I was worried that it would take forever because of the fires.

Happily, the buyer just sent me great feedback on etsy!

I have to say that I was surprised with how nervous I was to send out the shirt. I mean, it's one thing to give a friend a shirt I've made for him as a gift. I hope he'll like it, but if he doesn't like it, it's not that big a deal because it's a gift, and it's the thought that counts.

But when someone pays you money for a shirt, the pressure is much greater! What if they don't like it or it doesn't fit? Will I have to take it back? Will I have to do damage control if I get bad feedback?

I know that the shirts I sell are of very high quality and well worth the price. I wouldn't list them otherwise. However, these questions motivate me to be even more diligent in my listings. I need to add more pictures, more fit descriptions (I've heard measurements are a good idea), and a return policy statement so that buyers have a better idea of what to expect from me.

In this situation, a lot of my fears were quelled because on Friday night (the same day as the sale), I donated two of the same t-shirts to my chorus's retreat event. The two guys who received them as a prize for an ice-breaker activity gave me incredible feedback on them. I could tell they really liked them because they WORE them! One even told me that he got lots of compliments from guys at the bars. All of that made me feel really good and confident that the customer would love her shirt, too.

In case you're wondering, it was the Recycle shirt on bamboo fabric.

spread your wings and prepare to fly

2007-10-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

you will become my butterfly.

A lot of people hate on Mariah Carey's Butterfly album and song, but it is among my favorite albums ever! I just had to quote it for this post title.

Back to shirts. My friend and kettlebell instructor/classmate, Jessie, told me that she LOVES butterflies. So she asked me to make a butterfly shirt!

I decided to try it on a blue/periwinkle striped women's fitted t-shirt. The hardest thing was deciding how many butterflies to paint. Should I do a lot of small ones or one or two big ones. I opted with five small ones in a cluster.

The next hardest thing was choosing a color. My first pick was white, but it is very difficult to get white to show up. The only way I have been able to do that is by first spraying another color, wait for that to dry, and then go over in white. Unfortunately, I think it is impossible to get a clean image this way. Anyway, I tried white, but it didn't show at all, so I went to my back-up: pink. In hindsight, I think yellow would have been a better choice, but I don't have yellow.
My female model, Sam, couldn't model it for me last night, and my craigslist ad didn't attract any aspiring models who wanted to be paid in shirts. So here it is, in all of it's un-ironed glory!

oh baby, baby

2007-10-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

Since my supplier makes very cute baby clothes from organic cotton, my beautiful sister, Rosie, asked me to add some to the line. Not for her, of course, but for her adorable baby boy, David. So I ordered a sample long-sleeved sleeper suit (it comes in 6, 12, and 18 month sizes) in ecru to see what I could make.

Then I drew a blank. Every once in a while I suffer from "spray-painter's block" and have no idea what to paint on a new article of clothing. Like TLC, I ain't too proud to beg, so I asked Rosie what I should paint. We went back and forth on some ideas, but nothing jumped out for either of us. Then I pulled out my file of past stencils and found a complex French-inspired design I originally made for my friend, Will. You see, Will is a chocolatier who just opened a chocolate cafe in San Diego (on El Cajon by Alabama), and this design is on his chocolate bar wrappers. I never would have thought about putting it on baby clothes, but it WORKS!

Here's a photo. I wish I had a baby to model it. Hopefully, Rosie will send me pictures of David wearing it.

the story of hope & spray

2007-10-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

I started spray-painting t-shirts in the summer of 2006.

It all began in Israel. I went on a Birthright Israel trip and spent 10 days exploring the country with a busload of young Jews! One of my tripmates, Matt, had images of birds on his suitcase and on one of his shirts. He was very artistic. I asked him where he got the suitcase with birds, and he said that he just spray-painted them on using a stencil. He told me that the images are permanent, too! I thought that was the coolest idea ever since I HATE wearing clothes that other people have. What a wonderful way to customize my wardrobe and accessories!

Right when I got back to America, I bought some spray paint and made some stencils and cut-outs using notecards. I pulled out some of my plain white ballet shirts and started spraying. I made two shirts for myself (one with doves, the other with Stars of David). When I wore them on a trip to Chicago (Go Northwestern!), many of my friends asked me to make them shirts.

After a year of making shirts for friends and family, and much trial and error perfecting the process, I put up a shingle and started an online shop on etsy, a vibrant marketplace of craftspeople.

I call it hope & spray. The name reflects both the spiritual inspiration of the designs and the leap-of-faith process of spray-painting clothing.

Here's a picture of me wearing my very first shirt! After over a year, it still looks great! That's my partner Brian with me.

spray it, don't say it!

2007-10-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to the official blog for hope & spray! I am Charlie, the creator of hope & spray, a line of spray-painted fashion. This blog serves to keep fans of the line updated on new designs, new shirts, and any exciting events.

The tagline and title of this post is "spray it, don't say it." Punny, huh? Well, it actually pinpoints my initial motivation for hope & spray. I was getting tired of wearing "message tee's." It's annoying when everyone is constantly reading your shirt. I think a shirt can give people an idea of who you are with a simple image. My first shirt had three doves on it. I subsequently made shirts to reflect my Jewish faith (Chai) and my yogic endeavors (Om).