Thoughtful Thursday - spending money on what is important to us

"The new trend in spending money is to buy things that are painstakingly hand built instead of efficiently mass produced.

It might not be a better price than what you could buy at Target, but the very fact that you can pay for an artisan to create it, an artist to design it, a talented worker to bring it to life - that act makes a powerful statement about what you can afford and what's important to you.

Instead of a bigger house, it's a house that's built from scratch by craftsmen.

Instead of a bigger steak, it's a handmade dish of local poached vegetables..."

If you are making a living making things this is a pretty exciting conversation and if you are a human being concerned with the conspicuous consumption of consumer goods it is a conversation worth celebrating.

Conversation by Seth Godin, Letterpress by StarShapedPress

Whining Wednesday - a few things that are freaking me out this week

I know I decided to turn Whining Wednesdays into No Whining on Wednesdays and I have been good for the last few weeks, but every now and then we all need to whine

(just a little)

freak out #1) Hubby reading in the bathroom. This really, really bugs me. And I haven't blogged about him in a long time

(at least a week)

but this has gotten so out of control.

I am constantly finding strange things in the bathroom - like flashlights and drill bits and unopened mail

(I know this has nothing to do with reading, but these things freak me out, too)

and I am totally yucked out when I find a book in the bathroom. I mean, is it just me, or should nothing be in the bathroom that doesn't belong there.



this is how it starts folks -------->


Soon George will be taking the book into the restroom at the library before bringing it home so he can test it out; see how it feels on his lap, how well it rests on the back of the toilet tank, etc.

This so freaks me out

(of course, this does not apply to bathtubs or parents escaping their children- both valid "book in the bathroom" scenarios)

freak out #2) Amazon - Remember when Amazon was the internet's go to place for books, music, and movies?

Then they somehow collaborated with every other website ever created and now you can also purchase wholesale servings of organic juice drinks, a dog sled, a 200 pound drillpress, my own cemetery plot under a shady tree in Nevada and frankly, I don't like seeing those items as suggested purchases next to my shopping cart with my Snowdogs II Anniversary Edition DVD in there.

(Olive claims to be a big fan of Cuba Gooding, Jr although I suspect she has a little crush on snowdog number one)

freak out #3) That Tiger Woods talking listening to his dad Nike ad (ala Hamlet?). I have read this advertising called brilliant branding. I am just calling it C-R-E-E-P-Y.

(remember when Nike had that great ad with all the little girl babies throwing off their pink nursery caps- what the hell has happened to them?)

freak out #4) - An 11 year old girl super hero (YAY), but wait a minute, an 11 year old girl super hero who uses the "c" word (not so YAY) - I don't think I am a prude

(in fact some of the reviewers of this movie want me to feel like a prude for objecting, but I object anyway)

if women let this word become acceptable and part of normal conversation I resign from my race, really truly .... let's boycott this movie - I'm not even going to say its name.

freak out #5) SEO - I have immersed myself in this stuff over the past few days, so I can pass all the wisdom I have accumulated on to you guys next week

(and maybe sell a few things)

"So is it all about the Benjamins, baby?" you may be asking yourself

(because in my head you all talk like P. Diddy)

and yes, it kind of is, actually....

and speaking of immersing myself (freak out #6) I did take a break this morning from my SEO education to liberally baste my face with some new organic skin care products, because I think this is something I need to start thinking about and because I really don't want to be able to use the folds of my face as a coin purse anytime soon.

I realize someday this is going to happen and I will probably be happy to have the extra storage space, but for now I still have a couple empty shelves in my pantry...

Now here's where I insert the disclaimer that I have been advised by my sister (who moved to Portland, Oregon a few years ago) that people on the west coast consider "freaking" a bad word, as if it were the real "f" word (and yes, I think the "c" word is way worse than the "f" word) that we use all the time here on the east coast and no one bats an eyelash.

She claims that when she says "freaking" to people they look at her as if she said something really bad, so she has stopped saying it.

(she is back to using the real "f" word and giving them the finger)

So, if you are a west coaster and this word is like fingernails on a chalkboard to you, I freaking apologize, sincerely. And if you are a west coaster and think my sister is freaking crazy let me know that, too (I think she is actually saying frigging, which is gross actually).


1. Calming and Clarifying Facial Cream by DressGreen
2. Reading photography by A Life Through the Lens
3. Freak Out and Throw Stuff notebook by Earmark
4. Eager Husky print by ToxicGuineaPigs
5. Toilet Paper on your Neck by LiciaBeads

Take Ten Tuesday - Great Links for Craft Fair Tips and Tricks for Your Crafty Biz!

If the spring and summer plans for your crafty business include a craft show or two here are some great links you don't want to miss:

1. My own post on Selling the Benefits of Your Work

2. Indie Craft Shows Beginners Guide to Craft Shows

3. Booth Layout at a Craft Show from the Craft Report

4. Craft Show Applications Unraveled from the Etsy blog the Storque

5. Craft Fair Tips from the Etsy blog the Storque

6. Craft Show Checklist (what to bring) from Badskirt

7. Craft Show Display pics on Flickr

8. 119 Places to Find a Craft Show by Sunshine Glassworks

List of craft shows from Sunshine Artist

Indie Craft Fair Guide

9. Great Tips from Indie Craft Shows

10. More tips from Craft Show Tips

(Picture of Petit Collage's amazing display at Renegade)

GIVEAWAY - Brookish Mr. Darcy Proposal Mug and Choice of Book

CLOSED - AND THE WINNER IS: Jennifer Hudson Taylor!

Chosen by random.org
True Random Number Generator

Min: 1
Max: 610
158

Brookish is the wonderful 1800's inspired shop of husband and wife team Brooke and Justin.

They live with their 2 daughters in northern California, where they celebrate everything Jane Austen with their amazing screenprinted creations including mugs, towels, t-shirts and gift cards.

Brooke adores the 1800's but also has modern sensibilities. She brings a sense of both of these realms into her creations.

I have a bit of a Jane obsession and recently enjoyed the Pride and Prejudice remake zombie book.

(hoping this isn't sacrilege, but I think some other Jane fans may like it, too!)

WHAT YOU GET:

One lucky winner will receive this gorgeous Brookish mug and your choice of book!




HOW TO WIN:

This is an easy peasy one, just let me know which book you would like with your Brookish mug if you win!

For additional entries:

(5) Twitter this post
(5) Blog about this contest; linking to this post
(5) Follow my blog

Let me know if you have done these things so I can give you additional entries. This contest is open to everyone.

DRAWING:

MIDNIGHT on Sunday, April 25th! Good luck!! CLOSED

Saving Second Base - things you can do everyday

The Daily Green asked Janet Gray, a professor at Vassar College and a board member of the Breast Cancer Fund for some simple tips that can help reduce your breast cancer risk factors. I thought it was important enough to repeat here.

Research shows that many risk factors play a role, including our genetic makeup and whether or not we've had kids or breast-fed. But, a substantial body of scientific evidence indicates that exposures to common chemicals and radiation, alone and in combination, may contribute to the high incidence of breast cancer.

1. Drink clean water. This means clean (filtered, if you don't like the taste) tap water and not bottled water.

Commercial water bottles often are made from plastics that leach chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA), which is known to mimic hormones, and which has been linked to an increased risk for breast cancer. Leaching of chemicals from plastic bottles is particularly common when the plastic bottles are warm, as can happen when bottles sit in the sun. If you are using a plastic bottle and the water or other fluid inside it smells "plasticy", don’t drink it!

2. Use microwave safe containers. Despite the label on many plastic containers claiming that they are "microwave-safe"; use either glass or ceramic bowls for heating foods in a microwave oven. Even so-called "microwave safe" containers have been shown to leach Bisphenol A (BPA) when heated.

Laboratory studies with rats indicate that exposures to BPA, especially during prenatal through early adolescence, predispose an individual to increased risk for developing breast cancer.

3. Eat soy (but not too much). Most studies suggest that a regular intake of soy, especially during adolescence, as a well-integrated component of a regular diet (as opposed to a dietary supplement like a pill), may be protective against breast cancer. On the other hand, some studies examining the effects of ingesting high levels of soy supplements (e.g., genistein pills or isoflavone protein extracts) suggest that this may lead to changes that increase the risk of breast cancer.

4. Use natural cleaners. Many household cleaning products (including chlorine bleach) contain chemicals like alkylphenols (example: 4-nonylphenol) that are endocrine disruptors (chemicals that mimic hormones and have been implicated in increased risk for breast cancer) as well as toxins that affect both our brains and our reproductive systems.

5. Tune up your car. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are products of incineration found in air pollution, vehicle exhaust (especially diesel), tobacco, smoke and grilled foods. Exposures to PAHs, especially from vehicle exhaust and gasoline fumes, have been linked with increased incidence of breast cancer.

Exposure to high levels of PAHs either at the time of their first menstrual period or at the time they first gave birth, were associated with an increased risk of post-menopausal breast cancer in women decades later.

6. Eat clean fish. Foods that may contain high levels of PCBs and dioxins should be limited, especially for pregnant women and children. Both are known carcinogens that have been linked with increased risk for breast cancer. Although PCBs have been banned from production and use in the US since the 1970s, they remain in our environment, including our rivers and lakes.

Eat smaller varieties such as bluegill, pumpkinseed, stream trout, smelt, and yellow perch. Limit consumption of fish that are fattier (and more likely to accumulate PCBs) like lake trout, or fish that are bottom dwellers like catfish.

In general, careful preparation and cooking can reduce the amount of PCBs consumed. Fillet fish by removing as much fat as possible. Also cook using methods such as baking or broiling in a pan with a rack, rather than frying – frying may actually seal some of the toxic chemicals within the remaining fat of the fish.

7. Avoid (most) canned food. In addition to being found in many plastic bottles, BPA is also found in the epoxy resin liner of most canned foods. The BPA from this lining has been shown to leach into the vegetables in the can.

Eden Organic makes beans in cans that are BPA free, so why can't the other manufacturers do it, too?

8. Avoid dry cleaning chemicals. PERC is the most common chemical used at dry cleaning shops. It accumulates in our body fat and may therefore remain in our bodies for long periods of time

Don't buy clothes that need dry cleaning, check if your dry cleaner uses perc, if you get your clothes dry cleaned with perc or other organic substances, be sure to remove the plastic packaging from your clothes and air them out, preferably outside of your home. Also, many fabrics that say "dry clean only" don't really need it.

9. Use stainless steel or cast iron cookware. Aluminum is a metal that mimics estrogen. Labs have shown that aluminum can cause direct damage to DNA in several biological systems. Although studies have not shown a direct causal link between aluminum and breast cancer risk (little work has been done in this area), breast tissue has been shown to concentrate aluminum and it is found in highest levels in the quadrant of the breast near the underarm region, the same area where the highest proportion of breast cancers are originally diagnosed.

These tips seem very do-able to me and you may already be doing many of them. I didn't know about the aluminum cookware, but have been using mostly cast iron for other reasons for awhile now. Hoping this list gets us all thinking!

Thoughtful Thursday - Bling It On or How to Make a Lucky Number Necklace

This is a fun piece that I made for a friend's housewarming party (she collects gnomes), but it would also make a great idea for a lucky number or initial necklace!

My friend likes big jewelry, but this can also be made in a smaller size or would make a great accent piece hanging on a mirror or frame.

(and everyone needs at least one piece of big chunky jewelry in their closet, right, plus I know you are really into the industrial bling ... or was that Fergie?)


You will need:

1. metal house number (these come in all sizes)
2. hardware - washers, eyehooks, screws
3. doodads for hanging (beads, charms, etc)
4. neck chain
5. jump rings and slip rings
6. power drill (drill press preferred)
7. pliers




1. Decide on the placement for your doodads (bottom, sides, front) and mark your locations with a marker. Drill a hole (smaller then your eyehook) on the top for your chain and on the marks you have placed for your doodads.

2. Screw in your eyehooks and washers. Add slip rings or jump rings.

3. Add your chain and doodads.

Your only limit is your imagination- you can decoupage parts of the number and even hang your number horizontally for added interest!