Eerie Similarities cont'd


Oops, where did I go?? I've been sucked into Cody  Foster & Co. land. Seeing examples of online friends' work and their uncanny resemblances; it's a very strange, Patty Duke like world out there.


I'm not sure there's an end in sight to finding comparisons and the breadth and depth of similarities is nothing short of astonishing.


Several years ago, their catalog was probably not much more than 20 pages or so. Fast forward 6 years and the catalog is closer to 200 pages. How does a 15 person company (which I assume includes warehouse workers, management, import coordinators, and the design department among others) create unique, prolific design at that pace? Does it matter? Cody Foster & Co. makes millions annually, the same cannot be said for the artists who have found eerie similarities between their work and the products filling the pages of the Cody Foster catalog.

4 years of shameful behavior


Lisa Congdon

Cody Foster is still going strong (2010; 2011, 2012), allegedly (as it hasn't been proven in court) selling designs not theirs as their own. Check out yesterday's post on Jezebel on the subject. In the past, retailers  Jayson Home and Garden, Leif Shop, Madewell, and countless independent retailers have carried their wares. This year, after a cursory internet search, Fab, Nordstrom, and Terrain have their wares in stock. Doubtless, other shops will soon have Cody Foster ornaments in stock since their catalog is mostly seasonal items.

Let the retailers know that selling Cody Foster degrades their brand and compromises their corporate integrity.

Let these artists know you stand behind their originality:  Abigail Brown, Cassandra Smith, Kissa Designs, Lisa Congdon, Macon & Lesquoy, and Mimi Kirchner.

Abigail Brown
Cassandra Smith
Kissa Designs
Macon & Lesquoy
Mimi Kirchner
Abigail's Story

Lisa's Story
Jezebel Article
Yahoo Shine article

**Updates**
Thank you West Elm, Orange and Pear, and Fab for no longer carrying Cody Foster wares! Seems Fred Flare and ModCloth severed ties years ago when suspicions first arose.

High Society


In all my pondering, wishy washy back and forthing, I've decided to upload old favorite prints to Society6. I mean I miss them, so there's that. This way I don't do all the printing, and Society6 even offers larger sizes than I can! I'm actually tempted to order a few ID posters in the XL size just so I can see how they look!


I don't have everything up yet, but I do have a few, and will add more as I find time (which is infrequent...) Right now, through October 23, Society6 is offering free shipping for my wares.  Keep an eye out. I might even break out the really old stuff!

The making of a marmot




What started out as balloons from the dollar store, a tweet asking what sort of pinata I should make for M's birthday, and an answer from my sister. "A marmot," she responded, though I think maybe she was kidding. As it turned out, her suggestion was perfect for our loosely squirrel themed party. Did you know marmots are a type of squirrel?? Thus, making a giant ground squirrel became a week-long pinata challenge.



With 2 kids, finding time to make something is hard enough, but finding time to make something with glue, colorful tissue paper, and a curious nearly-4-year-old was an exercise in patience and letting go of perfectionism.

We used the craft as an excuse to look at cute marmot pictures online and learn a little about them in the process. 


M did a fantastic job trimming the fringe, applying the glue and making suggestions for the form. She regularly told me, "It looks great!" But really she was complementing herself as much as me; she really did quite a bit of work.


So we worked together through the week and the weekend, me and that darling little girl, and finished the marmot.


I have to say, I'm pretty proud of the critter. I never knew I had marmot-making in me. I am, though, reconsidering it being a traditional pinata and maybe turning it into a pull string one. I mean who could, in good conscience, smash this cute little mug with a stick?