You might have been wondering....

hey dudes,
you might have been wondering where I've been the last two months. To be honest, I haven't really gone anywhere but time has been flying. It's just been a lot to take in. I am moving in two weeks, so that whole "hunting for an apartment" thing happened, which was pretty horrible but in the end I wound up with a great little one bedroom in Venice with a WASHER & DRYER (I am so classy now) and a garden and all the things I have wanted in an apartment for a very long time. It's a bit wee and needs some work, but I am going to love it. I am already halfway there since I've practically interior-designed the whole thing already and I haven't even moved in yet. Now I am packing like a madwoman, and going through all of my belongs with a cut-throat attitude. DO I NEED THIS? Most of the time, the answer is no. So that's it. Moving. I will have lots and lots of before and after pics as I fix-up the place and build my garden. I'm moving at the end of May, in the place for two weeks, then going to France for two & half weeks, and having various peoples come and visit here and there (Dad! Rachel!) and going to a wedding, and then maybe by the end of July things will be settled again. Look for me then. In the meantime, you can always email me or call me for the update (I know, gawd forbid, actual contact).
love&bones,
L

She's Gone Country

Last night Nell, Frank, and I went all the way out to Chatsworth to go to the Cowboy Palace Saloon, which was the. greatest. thing. ever.

This place is a-maz-ing. In the middle of nowhere, boots strung up along the bar, neon everywhere, wood dance floor, live country band 7 nights a week. Line dancing, two step, the whole nine yards. It was the first time I've been in a bar where there were truly people of all ages- older grey-haired couples in dance skirts and boots, middle aged folks, and youngins like us. Everyone was so polite and courteous! Despite not knowing any of the dances, we gave it a go (if you're a girl all you need it a good leading gentleman). I danced with an older gent who reminded me of my grandpa, in a ten-gallon hat and lariat, and spun me all over the dance floor. They played a few songs I recogized, particularly my favorite country song of all time, Chatahoochee! You couldn't help but smile.

Now I need to learn some of those line dances!

Boo.

My favorite magazine, Domino, has folded (see NYTimes article here)



It was my most favorite magazine, one of the few I subscribe to! Full of the future house & decoration I will have when I am grown up! argh. I have all my old copies, but now this means I can't tear them up to make inspiration boards for my new apartment I'm moving to in July, right? or can i? are they precious now? I just tore up the last issue (unknowingly, literally an hour ago) before I knew they had folded.
And Rachel tells me Craft magazine is also folding.

Boo recession, boo!

Look At This Cuteness

The little one is August, the tallest baby in the world, son of my friends Bill & Andrea from Brooklyn. Isn't he a sweetie?



And this is Carter, Dana & Jason's son (also NYC friends), sporting a sweetass bear hat that some awesome auntie gave him (that would be me).



Just like old times! Dana, Bill, and I!

Most delicious

Hello there! Back from my jaunt across the country, and hopefully will be checking in more via the interwebs these days.

Today's post is about the most wonderful tea merchant I found via Etsy, TeaForAllReasons.


image from TeaForAllReason's Shop

I bought a batch of some of her different teas for a birthday prezzie for a friend, and (such a kind etsyian) TeaForAllReasons sent some extra little baggies of tea for me to keep! (She knew it was a prezzie to give away). So...I am currently drinking Cream Earl Grey, which is exquisite. I didn't even put sugar or honey in it, just a bit of soymilk and it is so tasty! I've recently begun to drink quite a lot of tea and have become more picky about my choices (sorry Lipton). I like the loose leaf teas that you use a strainer-thingy for, and I really love black teas (although I do like a good rooibos or jasmine green now and again). The shop profile says the tea is hand-blended. I'm not sure exactly what that means but if the flavor is any indication that it must be something good.

The long and short of this whole post is that if you like tea, you should mosey over to TeaForAllReasons' etsy shop and pick a few to try. She has some samplers up that I have my eye on, and even some valentine's flavors too!

Not jumping

Man, everyone's been talking about all their New Year's Resolutions. Tra-la-la. I'm not getting on that band wagon this year. Resolving to do something is too daunting, and surely it will mean I won't be able to do it, if it takes on the status of New Year's Resolution. I'm so confused about my life right now, I'm lucky if I can choose what to order at Starbucks or whether I want Special K or Special K with red berries at the grocery store. These are the decisions I'm making, folks! Fuck it. I'm gettin' the red berries.

Important: Please save handmade!

Hello my lovelies! Well, it's that time of year, everyone's buying Christmas prezzies, and I hope some of the ones you have bought are from independent crafters and etsy sellers. If you love & support the handmade craft movement like I do, please read this important message below, reposted from Red Prairie Press (my good friend Rachel). I would not repost something like this if it weren't important, so I do ask if you have a moment to read it and think about it.
There is a well intended law called the Consumer Products Safety Improvements Act, which will have drastic consequences for handmade crafters, toy makers, and artists in the US and Canada who make toys & clothing for children.

From Rachel at Red Prairie Press:

I've been trying to write this post for 3 days now, and I guess I ought to just do it.
I know it's a busy time for all of us, and you may not have a lot of time to read this right now, but please know I would not put anything like this on the blog if it weren't frightening to me and in need of addressing right at this moment.

I left my job in an art print sales (you know the "art" at motels, conference centers, banks...) three years ago to make tshirts and haven't looked back. Since my first craft fair in Washington DC (crafty bastards) the craft community has been nothing but overwhelmingly supportive and nourturing to me. Most crafters I know work more than one job, and do what they do as a hobby. 99% of the people I've met in the community use recycled materials, organic cottons, natural and soy based this and thats. They hand make everything, and try to keep costs low to their customers, and because of this, do not make that much money off of their sales.

Phil and I have made it our goal to buy more local and handmade products in the past few years, not just because we like supporting our peers in the craft & handmade worlds, but we also think it's better for the environment and our community, to buy locally, rather than things shipped from faraway countries. Going with this goal in purchasing for ourselves, we have also begun purchasing more gifts for others, especially our niece, Annie and other children in the family. Every new kid in our lives gets a cotton monster; a handmade recycled shirt from Sweet pepita; and of course, screenprinted onesies from Red Prairie Press. We feel better buying from the maker themselves, and as sellers of children's clothing, we also rely on others feeling the same way!

Assuming you're reading this blog because you DO feel that way...you can imagine the horror that we in the craft world felt, then, when the US government announced the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act. This act, written in response to the rash of lead tainted toys from China will basically put small businesses out of business with the costs of mandatory testing. From the Handmade Toy Alliance Website:

" * A toymaker, for example, who makes wooden cars in his garage in Maine to supplement his income cannot afford the $4,000 fee per toy that testing labs are charging to assure compliance with the CPSIA.
* A work at home mom in Minnesota who makes dolls to sell at craft fairs must choose either to violate the law or cease operations.
* A small toy retailer in Vermont who imports wooden toys from Europe, which has long had stringent toy safety standards, must now pay for testing on every toy they import.
* And even the handful of larger toy makers who still employ workers in the United States face increased costs to comply with the CPSIA, even though American-made toys had nothing to do with the toy safety problems of 2007."

This bill would also affect makers of children's clothing. Including red prairie press, and many of our friends.

This change would go into affect in just over 50 days. This is very frightening, and has already been addressed by The Handmade Toy Alliance, Craft Mafia's around the country, Etsy.com, and more in the craft community.

PLEASE- Sign this petition and/or write your US congressperson and encourage them to rework the law, to better include makers of small edition or one-of-a-kind toys and children's products. Help us stay afloat while complying with safety regulations so that kids of the future can also safely enjoy handmade things, and indie businesses can stay "safely" in business. Otherwise, it's one more step toward big business overtaking.
Once you've done this - you may want to go rub the back of your local craftsperson.