LATELY..

Hope everyone had a nice holiday! I spent a few relaxing days in New Hampshire with family & a whole bunch of cute dogs. Also my brother brought a copy of Science Ink where his tattoos are featured (I tattooed those snow plows on his chest).

Above is a photo of the beautiful new studio work table Aaron got out of an old machine shop, sanded down, made a steel base for & gave me as a Christmas present. Pretty incredible how just a table can make working so much more enjoyable.

Made a custom monogrammed key fob for a recent customer and am considering putting them up in the shop for sale. Currently these tags come included with every leather bag .. but it might be nice to have them customizable & up for grabs separately.

Also there will be a shop update this coming Thursday (1/5) in the afternoon. Will post preview photos and more details in a few days. Have a great New Years Eve!

FORTRESS LETTERPRESS

Treated myself to some beautiful prints by my pal Bruce at Fortress Letterpress.

BIRTHDAY!

Happy 29th birthday today to my love!

To celebrate we spent the weekend in the Berkshires. Stayed at the Porches (where they will deliver you breakfast in a tool box), had an incredible meal at Mezze, went to Mass MoCA, and did some exploring around North Adams, the town where my Dad's side of the family lived & worked. All in all, a wonderful weekend away.

Now time to get back to work!

TRIP PT 4: OLYMPIC PENNINSULA

Realized that I forgot to post the photos from the last part of our West Coast adventure back in October. We spent a couple of real incredible days on the Olympic Peninsula.. hiking around in the Hoh Rainforest, exploring the beaches. And also just happened to come across my dream place to stay, Lochaerie. A cabin resort from the 1920's that's been kept up perfectly. Each cabin has its own wood stove and many look out over Lake Quinault. I couldn't have dreamt up a more perfect place to stay. If you ever find yourself on the Southwestern side of the Olympic Penninsula, I highly recommend spending a night there.

FAMILY PHOTOS

Working on a little Christmas project meant going through lots of family photos that I had never seen before. The top two are of my incredibly babely mom, and the bottom two are my dad with my oldest brother & grandparents.

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Two new bags in the shop today - top one made with WWII era US military canvas. Bottom one also made with WWII era US military canvas but this one is reaaaaaally big.
Available HERE.

Been working hard to get as many bags in the shop as possible before Christmas is upon us. I can no longer guarantee that anything will arrive before then.. but I'm going to be sewing and shipping til the last minute!

NECKLACE

I found this cow tooth a number of years ago and then had it cast in bronze. I had forgotten about them but then Aaron unearthed a few this past weekend. He made them look pretty & added a found brass chain.

They're $25 each and if you would like one just send me an email.
Alice@Forestbound.com

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New in the shop today - WWII era US military canvas outer with 1920's era leather straps & buckle closure that came from a beautiful old blacksmith apron.
Available HERE.

We are hoping to have a new bag in the shop every day for the next 2 weeks so check back often!

THIS WEEKEND

This weekend you can find some Forestbound items at the Shiny Squirrel's pop-up at Stel's on Newbury St in Boston. Stop by Saturday the 10th from 6-8 for the opening party!

And we will also be at Mass Market on Sunday from 12-6 selling a few things alongside Aaron who is going to have some jewelry and smaller pieces for sale as well.

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New in the shop this morning - 1940's era athletic duffel bag canvas outer, black cowhide shoulder straps & buckle closure.
Available HERE.

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Two new tote bags in the shop this morning.

FUNDRAISER

I wanted to take a little step away from Forestbound related topics just to talk about something else that's going on in my life that's real important to my family and I.

My two brothers and I are running a marathon in the spring to raise money & awareness for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFD). AFD is a non-profit organization committed to promoting research into these debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. AFD also educates about frontotemporal lobe dementias and provides support for those affected and their families.

We've decided to raise money for the AFD because our Dad, Arpiar G Saunders, has been diagnosed with a semantic dementia. Semantic dementia is a specific type of frontotemporal lobe dementia which attacks the brain circuits underlying speech. In addition to interfering with communication, semantic dementia can also cause other pathological changes in behavior.

So, if you are considering donating money to a charity this holiday season we would love to have your support! Any amount you are able to donate would be truly appreciated by & family and I.

Our fundraising page can be found HERE.