wolfie and the sneak

Seed Bug

2012-02-13T10:40:00.000-05:00

The bug bit and I'm ready to start planting. I bought a couple pounds of Kennebec potatoes (not from Johnny's, from a local source) to put in the ground and I've placed a seed order from Sow True seed. We had several weeks of spring like weather to tease us all into wintry restlessness, and with the return of cold now I have to sit back and wait.

Each year I go back to the Lazy Gardener's Seed Starting Chart on You Grow Girl, though some of the seeds I've ordered that aren't on the list. To fill in the blanks on the missing data, Weekend Gardener is a great resource!

Obsessiveness is borne of restlessness, and if you don't believe me you can check out my Google Doc worksheet. There are some math errors on there, I'm sure, and some dates that are off, but the good thing about planning well in advance is that I have wiggle room!

Food Forest Example

2012-02-10T11:58:00.000-05:00

A while back I posted a worksheet to plan a food forest garden. I've used it a couple times, but thought I'd share this one since it's time to start thinking about spring gardening.

This particular food forest/guild will be planted in a Charlotte, NC community garden and will be about 20-feet in diameter. The plum tree will be the center, the outer circumference will be planted with daffodils, garlic, chives, and crocus and act as a deterrent to deer and squirrels.*** The other layers of plants that will benefit the tree and each other mutually, including gathering nutrients and attracting/deterring insects. The idea is to have a garden that provides it's own nutrition, mulch and soil building, while providing an assortment of food to those that tend the area. It's a commonly used permaculture technique to provide larger yields and require less work; just the way I like it.

Filled with herbs and fruit, this could be quite a tasty garden!

***Though I don't think there's actually true squirrel or deer deterrent!

Fishing, Barbie, and GMOs

2012-02-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

Wikipedia image by Michael Maggs

Lately there's been a lot of talk about fly fishing around the ol' homestead. We've done a little fishing lately (Charlie much more than I), and the idea of fly fishing seems much more entertaining than sitting around with a string in a lake.

From The Essential Fly: Anatomy of a salmon fly

The flies themselves are works of art. There's a whole culture based around tying flies, and while I'm sure the people that tie them wouldn't liken themselves to the comparison, fly tying seems a lot like playing with a Barbie Styling Head.

Wikipedia image by Michael Maggs

Not that I think we'll go salmon fishing anytime in the near future, but I've been especially intrigued with salmon flies. Partly it's the actual flies, partly it's because I've been thinking about what a GMO salmon fly would look like. Let's just file that under "inspiration marinade" for a while.

And yep, I mentioned Barbie, fly tying, and GMO in the same post.

2012-02-08T11:27:00.000-05:00

Early spring flowers are already peeking up through the soil. I read an old bit of farm lore yesterday: When you see daffodils starting to bloom, it's time to sow your peas. I'm still wary of the 2 months of frost we have, but maybe I'll try it out.
{And yes, I'm aware there isn't a daffodil to be seen in this drawing, but I thought it was spring-y.}

A weekend of progress

2012-02-06T08:14:00.001-05:00

This is how we started off on Saturday. Pulling down the old ceiling which was water damaged from a roof leak and a couple of tiles were actually falling down.

Inspired by Abbey's ability to get stuff done, I set a goal to finish the room this weekend. So what if it was totally unrealistic? By 7 PM Saturday the room looked like this. (We're waiting to see how much/if the bead board will settle before trying to pull it flat around the edges.)

Then on Sunday morning I woke up at 6:30 while the other 2 2-leggers in the house slept for.another.2.hours. and touched up the paint, moved the orange rug back in and did a little bit of laundry purging.

When we demoed the closets to make the laundry area we saved the wood from the shelving. My granddad built the shelving from construction scraps and old army crate wood. I liked the idea of reintegrating them into the house somehow--you know, keep his industrious spirit a part of the place. The legs to this low table came from some of those shelves. I asked Charlie to make me a 56" long x 22" wide shelf in different types of wood so we wouldn't feel obligated to make it all matchy matchy.I like how it's rustic. Add a few houseplants on it and then we're really talking!

So maybe it's not totally finished, but it's so much better than this, right?

Still to do: Add ornamental trim around the door area to the washer/dryer to keep the look of woodwork uniform with the rest of the house;
hang bi-fold doors to hide the washer/dryer area;
paint trim white;
add sewing table top;
replace blinds with something (anything!) more attractive;
change the rug - I don't want to keep the orange rug, but since we already have it (no more money to spend on this project), for now it stays.

Furniture Funk Friday

2012-02-03T09:15:00.000-05:00

All this heavy political talk, let's move onto something lighter, shall we? My mom is on the hunt for a media stand for below their flat screen TV. Despite the scale of everything in this room, the TV is big, but so is the wall. I think the TV is something like a 50", the cabinet I've posted in this poorly photoshopped image is 53" long, and pretty much true to scale with the wall.

The rest of their furniture is a collection of modern masterpieces from Eames, Eileen Gray and the ilk.

My mom and I were both thinking the West Elm cabinet in the {may I reiterate: poorly} mocked up picture up top would work, but now we're both thinking something warm and darker will do the trick. Perhaps something in walnut? Maybe even a fauxdenza?

Some immediate thoughts include both the Ledge by Urbancase, Gus* Bathurst Credenza, but when it comes down to it, knowing my dad's affinity for furniture with honest, straight forward materials combined with geometric form, this Skram unit would fit the bill.

The question is, what would work with their other furniture and the scale of the room? Any suggestions?

Coconut Pumpkin Custard

2012-02-02T07:55:00.000-05:00

Here's another sneaky way to get some veggies and vitamins into your diet: Coconut Pumpkin Custard! This post by Susy Morris, aka Chiot's Run, sparked an interest in custard, but I wanted a recipe for something not too heavy on the dairy. Miss M has dairy sensitivity, and easing up on the dairy keeps us all happier. After a little bit of searching for something close to what I had in mind, I found Gluten-Free Pumpkin Coconut Custard. Though I'm not sure custard usually has gluten, am I mistaken?

I roasted the cheese pumpkin I had on hand, and made a puree from it. Then went to work on the custard. I stuck pretty close to the recipe, which is unusual for me. I used closer to half a cup of sweetener (about 1/4 maple syrup, 1/4 molasses) and added about 2 teaspoons of grated, fresh ginger. While the custard was cooking I toasted some unsweetened coconut flakes and cashew pieces for a crunchy topping.

The result? A not-too-sweet, flavorful dish I can give the little one instead of sugar-loaded, organic soy yogurt!

A bonus? I saved the seeds from that delicious pumpkin to grow my own this coming summer!

Follow Up Politics

2012-01-31T11:06:00.000-05:00

Good news! The NWF and Scotts have called it splitsville, which is especially good because all the facebook and twitter urging/activism I was doing was making me feel a bit obsessive. I was just *so* disappointed in them.

The thing is, though, Scotts MiracleGro will continue to try "owning" the profitable realm of organics. While their corporate friend Monsanto will continue to "buy" rights to plants.

Even if you aren't wary of GMOs, we risk losing the resulting joy of simply pushing a seed into the ground to watch it flourish.

Farmers should be able to sue Monsanto, not just vice versa.
Monsanto is more than represented in the FDA. And another, similar petition here.

cramming vegetables every which way

2012-01-27T08:42:00.000-05:00

I posted about watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead and the quest for a juicer, but haven't updated you since then. We found a juicer on Craigslist, a Champion 2000+, and though we haven't used it all the time like I thought we would, we've used it a handful of times. It has certainly inspired a different mindset in my dinner preparation, albeit accidentally. I went a little overboard buying produce to juice...as in the fridge was crammed full of collards, kale, chard, turnip greens, spinach, cauliflower and fruits.The result was a week crammed with veggies in every manner possible. Here's a little recap:

Creamy cauliflower and greens soup with grilled hummus sandwiches (I saw on Facebook Jen was having them and totally loved that idea)

This is a chicken, chard coconut curry sort of concoction. Martha Stewart has a recipe for Chicken Spinach Casserole, that's pretty good, but I didn't want all that cream. Instead I subbed the half and half with coconut milk, added curry powder, ginger and lemongrass and deleted the bread crumb topping.

Last night we had leftover stew. Basically the liquid is a quick chicken broth mixed with leftover cauliflower soup with shredded chicken, carrots and chard.

Thursday night I made a big ol' batch of green juice. The colors (before mixing together into a muddy green) were fantastic thanks to kale, apples, lemon, oranges, and carrots. Oddly enough, kale juice has a faint banana flavor to it. Who woulda known?

What's your favorite sneak-a-veggie recipe?

down wind of chemical stench

2012-01-26T09:48:00.000-05:00

My lengthy dislike for Scotts MiracleGro products started when I was just getting interested in gardening. Scotts was suing TerraCycle for using green and yellow on their packaging, though I never really believed that was all it was about. Perhaps a small start up company with a great idea for reused packaging and simple organic ingredients was putting a hurting on a major corporation's profits. Whatever it was, Scotts image seemed like the popular football star stuffing a nerdy kid in a locker.

Companies like Scotts promote chemical use in the garden, persistent chemicals that perpetuate reliance for gigantic yields and "weed-free" gardens. They promote the idea that a singular plant (grass) is the only acceptable basis of a beautiful, lush yard. A single variety plant space, such as a weed free lawn, is known as a monocrop, and a monocrop's lack of diversity can create all sorts of issues that need other synthetic products to resolve.

I won't get into the many uses of weeds...well maybe for just a second--some of those weeds might replace your prescription medicine, others could be pulled up and used to make an organic plant food, yet others simply feed the wildlife in your yard. Perhaps if the critters had natural forage they wouldn't go after your tomatoes and you wouldn't need that Scotts brand pesticide after all.

The more I learn about gardening, the more I learn that popular kid in the green and gold uniform had a few unsavory secrets. Enter stage left: Monsanto, wealthy, smooth-talking hip best friend to Scotts. Monsanto's own GMO-tainted politics does nothing to endear me to Scotts.

To put my feelings into perspective, let's talk about something most people have some level of concern about: the honeybees. We've all heard about the rapid decline of bee populations and what will happen if they keep mysteriously dying. Bees an accessible environmental issue: less bees, less pollination, less productive crops, less food, higher food prices, food shortages...you get the idea. Scotts sells all sorts of weed killer monocrop the hell out of your yard. Make it all grass, get rid of that nasty clover...that nasty clover that bees find so useful as a source of food. Yeah, food, that little thing that keeps us all alive. Of course, Scotts' BFF Monsanto, the company that sues farmers whose crops have accidentally cross-pollinated with Monsanto GMO crops. The GMO crops that may or may not contribute to the decline of bee populations, certainly contributing to the loss of monarch butterfly populations (another handy insect that pollinates plants).

And then the National Wildlife Federation announced its partnership with Scotts. Frankly I took the news personally. I felt like an old friend went and made out with the dude that used to tease me every day about being flat-chested. Betrayal.

How do you feel about the partnership? Care, don't care, wish I'd saved my breath for some pretty furniture and lovely pictures?

* * *

You Grow Girl and Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens discuss the new partnership on their blogs.

free toy with purchase

2012-01-24T09:47:00.005-05:00

All those Christmas toys were so exciting, until a few giant boxes came. It's the newest throwback/retro, value-added trend in shopping online: free toy with purchase!

Laundry List

2012-01-19T10:32:00.000-05:00

This is going to sound whiny and privileged, so bear with me and know there are also regular life things going on, so the following "issue" isn't really an issue, just an ongoing search for a clutterbug's organizing solution.

Our laundry room is in an upstairs alcove, which means it's visible as a space you walk past anytime you're upstairs. It's a 10 x 10' sunny, warm, welcoming spot when clean, but a stressful eyesore the rest of the time. Let's face it, stressful messy rooms don't get used, and I need to use the laundry room or they'll start complaining at work.

In my eternal quest for a vacation-land home, I'm stuck. We have a few items (pictured above: free desk rescued from the dumpster by the Mr., similar dresser to the one shown via Craigslist, 3 sorting baskets from Ballard Designs) and I want to keep it as simple as possible.

Any great ideas come to mind for helping me make our ugly space pretty? I'm ready to start outsourcing laundry...hey, that's not such a bad idea.

links worthy of collecting

2012-01-18T09:53:00.000-05:00

If you're interested but don't know where to start learning about what SOPA/PIPA could mean to you, this is a great article.

La porte rouge makes me want to draw and paint horses in snow.

I guess I'm a little late to the OldBrandNew party, but I'm so glad I made it!

Since we're knee deep in cold and flu season, the Numen site has a beautifully simple site full of herbal remedies and resources for natural approaches to healing. (Thanks so much for the link Shari!)

My Simpler Life's Declutter Calendar makes decluttering your entire house a doable task in tiny little time segments.

The weekend, briefly

2012-01-16T12:49:00.000-05:00

With an extra special thanks to Mabel's Nana, Charlie and I had some together time this weekend. We watched a couple movies. Starting with (and giving up 26 minutes in) The Tree of Life, moving on to less intense topics like obesity in the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, and opening your heart up to love and life HappyThankYouMorePlease.

Juicers pictured: Champion 2000 and Breville Die Cast Juice Fountain Elite

While watching, we were also sewing, house-winterizing, repairing, cleaning, and indulging in long bouts of laziness. Thanks to Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, we were also dreaming of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, vitamins roaring through our veins, and how to make all that happen on a next-to-no budget. A brief surf on Craigslist provided a promising option, but nothing guaranteed yet.

Wish us well on this journey to tasty, juicy health!

The problem with Pinterest

2012-01-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

Do you use Pinterest? I've had an account for a month or so, but haven't done much with it. Yesterday, though, I was hellbent on finding an attractive solution for sorting laundry and the pinning pining began.Truthfully there probably isn't much more of a so-called First World Problem than too much beauty and overwhelming inspiration, but that's the problem with Pinterest. Pretty pictures will just suck you into a vortex of time wasting and dreams of homey perfection.

Source: oneclaireday.blogspot.com on Pinterest

Back to yesterday...while looking for pretty baskets and bins and creative ideas for our out in the open and very unattractive laundry situation, I came across a couple images of branches as closet rods. Perfect! I thought to myself--I'd just trimmed some dead branches from the cedar trees that flank the house, and wouldn't cedar be pretty? Plus Mabel's room has sort of a fantastical nature meets vintage thing going on anyway. I'll do it!

What mom of a toddler doesn't already have enough to do that she can't add whittling a branch to the so-called laundry list of housekeeping? Look at this brilliance!

Source: thehappyhomeblog.com on Pinterest

After the day job, I went home and trimmed a branch down to what I figured was a good length, trimmed off any poky parts and set my mind to shaving off the bark. This branch is cedar, mind you, so shaving off the bark wasn't as easy a task as I'd imagined.

I got about this far.

And then Charlie became interested. I think it was because I'd literally just vacuumed the room for the first time since Christmas.

He had a magical tool that made the entire process go quickly and beautifully. I kept asking if he wanted me to take over, but he said no. I think he was secretly pretending to be the Woodwright.

Now the branch itself is finished, tung oiled and waiting to be installed. Hopefully that will happen this evening because I've got a strong hankering to get back onto Pinterest and play some more.

Do you use Pinterest? What's your handle?

2012-01-12T12:29:00.002-05:00

Do you grow herbs for medicinal use? What is your must-have plant for common ailments? This year I'm going to try my hand at arnica, but am looking for other suggestions so bring 'em on!

Gardening Chit Chat

2012-01-11T08:12:00.001-05:00

My oldest brother reminded me that it's a good time to pick up some soil sample kits from our local cooperative extension office. Consider this an annual PSA: send off soil samples now, so when the ground thaws you'll know what you need in order to balance your soil nutrients!

Those of you in Mecklenburg County can pick up soil sample kits at these fine locations.

While discussing gardening, I read a few articles on the topic yesterday:
Poisonous food and how agricultural chemicals hurt people at every point in the growing process.
Seeds, who owns them and what you can do with them.

Both articles strengthen my resolve to produce more of our own food this year. If you're new to gardening and interested in a super easy way to get started in filling your belly with homegrown goodness, check out Biophilia {images from Biophilia's site}.

Biophilia is Danielle, a NC-based permaculture designer. Her shop makes it easy to jump right into a more sustainable lifestyle through gardening and producing your own healthy food.

A brief intro to our indoor composting station

2012-01-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, we take our compost pretty seriously. There's a worm bin in the kitchen, and passive piles (sometimes hot...but to be honest I haven't had much time to keep turning them so they're passive for now) in the yard. The chickens do a lot of compost work by eating veggie scraps, but we don't give them spent coffee grounds, onions, garlic and a few other things; our worms get those.

The worm bin, though was too awkward for our new kitchen arrangement. In order to get into some of the cabinets the bin had to be moved, and worms don't particularly care to be bothered with that. They like to have little by way of change, so I'd been considering a vertical worm bin for some time. We'd kept them going for 3 years in the storage tote bin, I finally decided it was time to move them to something a little fancier: a Worm Factory. Lucky for me, I know a guy.

I got in touch with my friend (and fellow Master Composter) Stefan and ordered the Worm Factory and a bokashi bucket. {Because if you're going to have worms in your kitchen you might as well have fermenting waste as well, right?}

Bokawha? Bokashi is an anaerobic form of composting. You're basically fermenting the food scraps. I thought we should add that to our composting repertoire because you can add bones and dairy to the bokashi bin.

Adding meat to my diet way back when created a new challenge for our household food waste. Before, when there was meat in our house, it was only Charlie's meals and I wasn't a fan of touching/preparing the stuff, so everything was of the heat-and-serve variety that no longer resembled the formerly living creature it once was. No skin, no bones, no fat to cut off.

Now, though, the meat comes straight from the farmer; it looks like meat, there are bones, there is skin, there is fat. Usually trimmed fat and skin go to the furry kids, but bones pose a risk so they are sometimes used for broth preparation, but ultimately go to the landfill.

After little rearranging in the kitchen, the worms are in their new home and the bokashi has started a-brewing. I'll keep you filled in as things progress, but for now I love the fact that I can open the cabinets without shifting everything around. A bonus for the new set up? The two new bins take up less space than the old worm bin alone!

Clean Up Duty

2012-01-06T09:29:00.000-05:00

To anyone with neat and tidy tendencies, these pictures probably don't look too different. I'm not a neat and tidy gal, though, and yesterday's picture of the sofa cover reminded me of just how "cleaned up" our lives on the internet seem to be. Even I, queen of pack rats, tidy up my photos before presenting them to the world.

As I read Sea + Prairie, I'm reminded of the pervasive neatness we see all around us on the internet. Tidy pockets of perfect lives, except this one profoundly honest woman who seeks and speaks truth. Eren reminds us that life is full of learning, truths and even some struggle, but that's okay, that's just how it is.

We've all got pretty pictures to share, but how many of us are brave enough to share the messes that go along with them?

Oh, this new old thing?

2012-01-05T09:29:00.000-05:00

I spent a little time over the holiday break working on home projects that weren't on the agenda. This particular one started by cleaning out a closet, finding a piece of upholstery that was about 7 yards long and wondering what I'd bought it for. I couldn't and still can't remember. Surely it was a great price, though? As far as the fabric goes, I think it's a polyester faux brown pony hide sort of texture, but it's soft and almost velvety. Very very comfy.

Like all good procrastinators tend to do with all the more important things needing to be done in mind, I set out to make a slip cover for our hand-me-down sofa. If you couldn't tell which is the better version of the sofa, it's the velvety brown version on the left. I promise the slip cover is an improvement from the worn fabric of its bygone days, despite my lack of photography skills. I didn't have enough fabric to do the pillows, so I'm still deciding what to do about them. Even before the new look we'd just keep them in a pile somewhere in the corner of the room and use bed pillows for a little extra comfort.

I'll save reupholstering those for the next bout of major house projects...you know, for when I need another excuse not to do something.

We've been enjoying the new old sofa quite a bit since winter weather has moved in. Lots of TV time and family snuggling, plus it's nice to have a cover that can be tossed into the washer when a certain little someone decides to try out a glue stick on the furniture! Best of all? It didn't cost a new old dime!

New Old News

2012-01-04T08:33:00.000-05:00

We're doing a little bit of homework these days. M is getting a "big girl" room since she never really took to the nursery. It's given me a good excuse to do some crafting, too! Most of the furnishings are things we already had and thought they'd work better in her space than how we were using them. The light fixture was a Craigslist find, the curtains were made from a vintage floral pattern reissued that I found at Hancock Fabrics, and we did buy a new comforter/sheet set from Target. We also have a pale salmon Milk Paint for the walls, but that might be a ways down the road.
There are still a few messes in the room--things that need a proper place; the toy shelves actually look bare thanks to a post-Christmas purge. Anyone with kids knows that won't last for long.

2011-12-28T09:46:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I disappeared for a while. I've been working on calendars to send to family and a few people who have collected every year since the beginning. I'll have some extras and have decided to use them for fund raising for cancer patients' bucket lists** and CancerCare.

If you're interested in a calendar, send me an email and I'll let you know if there are any available!

nobiting [at] gmail [dot] com

**I prefer for donations to be sent to fund bucket lists. These funds will support those that were in a cancer support group with my very dearly missed Aunt Jann. I think she would be very grateful to those who help her friends as they live with cancer. I also think CancerCare is an important group, and realize giving by credit card online is much easier. Bucket list funds should be sent to:

Providence St. Vincent Medical Foundation

(Making Today Count)

Attention: WOW Outreach

9205 S.W. Barnes Road

Portland, OR 97225

503-216-2227

2011-12-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

When working through ideas for ephemerealization, there were several ideas and prototypes that didn't make the cut. Two of the building prototypes were doily embellished and gave off just a little too much of an Anthro vibe {not the look I wanted}. They were pushed to the side, but came back out when the 2nd log sprouted mushrooms.

Though they're just past their freshness prime in this pic, they sure look cozy, don't they?

2011-12-19T08:17:00.000-05:00

Morning rituals brightened by a freshly cleaned stove and new drip pans for the eyes.

Heavy duty kitchen cleaning means re-waxing the kitchen counter tops. Giving the counters a beautiful glow and the faintest smell of honey.

Little interludes of cartoons plus an in-process slip cover for the couch from some fabric I bought for who knows what reason.

What a nice weekend. How was yours?

sentimental me

2011-12-16T09:11:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling especially sentimental this holiday season, but haven't done much in the way of setting the mood around the house to be very Christmas-y. I have been on the look out for things that would convey the magic of the season to Mabel...and not by way of over-the-top piles of gift wrapped toys. One fine bit of magic comes from the pop-up book Follow the Star. Since M loves to find stars in the sky, I knew the silver stars would grab her attention and the modern graphics and intricate pop-ups would appeal to both C and me.

The message is religious (Christmas...duh) but not literally so, it's more a spiritual reflection. And you know what? M does love it! We read it twice yesterday and once this morning before work. It's finally beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-09T12:20:00.000-05:00

After spending an hour at a big box toy store yesterday I'm in need of a little bit of handmade relief. Lucky for me, this is a good weekend to feel that way. Not only is Ephemeralization tonight and tomorrow, but Mani Designs and Foundling Studio are having an open studio Saturday and Sunday!

Not only are both of these women extremely talented, they're both trendsetters in their field. I first noticed foundling many years ago, when I wanted to add a little pizazz to my hair. She was the only person on etsy selling singed edge poppy hair pins at the time. Look what she started! I met Amber at a craft show here in Charlotte {put on by sophisticated taste-makers themselves: Lark & Key} and we've kept in touch ever since. The girl has serious talent, and I love that each piece captures a moment in nature.
If you're in the Asheville, NC area, it would be a terrible mistake to miss these events. If you need info on how to get there, shoot me an email {link in sidebar}.
Wolfie and the Sneak hope to see you there!

the fun{gi} times

2011-12-08T08:03:00.000-05:00

Ha! So much for regular programming. I guess there's not a lot of that around here anyway. I've been working on a piece for a studio/open house/holiday party this weekend. If I get some time this evening** I might set them up to take some pictures. In the gallery space they'll have mushrooms growing from the "logs". The felt is polyester (for those who aren't familiar with fabrics, felt was originally made from animal hair/wool). I love toying with the idea of synthetic natural environments.

About the show:

Regional Artists and Back to the Roots are presenting "Ephemeralization", a show of extreme mushroom growing! Each artist will be designing a unique housing for oyster mushroom kits. Join in this sustainable event and taste the future of growing food from art. There will be crafts for kids as well as entertainment, food trucks and chef demos. Event takes place in The French Broad Studios on friday December 9 beginning at 5 pm - 9 pm and Sat. Dec.10 from 10am -2 pm.

If you're close to Asheville and want to take part in the fun{gi} times, shoot me an email and I'll send you the details!

**Yeah, I know, that's a real gut buster. Who has free time in the middle of December?!

a few links and back to regular programming tomorrow...

2011-12-06T10:13:00.000-05:00

Oh boy, we're back from Boston and I can't stop smiling. What a great show, fantastic people and incredible organizers {they had a table in a Vendor Only area with all the little emergency things that are often forgotten--ponytail elastics anyone??}

Check out Amelia Presents online! Such a great shop!

The Morran Book Project is now available. Camilla Engman recently lost her farmdog Morran to lung cancer. Morran lives on in this incredible book of portraits by over 200 artists touched by her sweetness.

2011-12-02T08:54:00.000-05:00

A few more Made in the USA suggestions:

Fashioned by leather and ceramic planter

The Original Tree Swing bench

LL Bean Boots (made in Maine)

Sterlingwear of Boston military issue peacoats

Sorry for the short and sweet post, but we've had a crazy week and the crazy doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon! Hope you have a great weekend, and for those of you in Boston, come see Wolfie and the Sneak at Bazaar Bizarre.

If you're in Chicago, this weekend is Renegade Craft Holiday market!

Have a good one!

American made goods for the DIYer/adventurist/homesteader

2011-11-30T09:17:00.000-05:00

Although Charlie and I have decided to give each other a surround sound system rather than a bunch of small things, I keep finding things I think he'd really enjoy. Of course, sometimes I'm totally off about that zany fella, but anyway...

All of these items are American made, too! What do you think? Have an adventurist/homesteader spouse for whom you need gift ideas? Here are the sources:

mako bike tool

tool and tack gift set

betabrand cornucopia bag

wood and faulk stool

otter wax standard essentials set
raleigh denim

2011-11-28T09:20:00.000-05:00

One last little reminder that we're closing up shop tonight (tomorrow, technically) at midnight. If you're waiting on an order placed in the past 10 days or so, don't worry, they're heading out the door today. The fab.com sale was awesome, but put a cog in the everyday shop works, so things have been a bit jammed up.Thanks for all of your patience and support, though.

We're ready to take a breather and open our hearts to the holiday season while, hopefully, finding inspiration for new work with even deeper dedication.

turkey talk

2011-11-23T11:17:00.000-05:00

I'm daydreaming of sweet potato ice cream swirled with marshmallow fluff and candied pecans. No really. I'm really daydreaming of adapting this recipe... and no, I'm not pregnant.

In honor of Thanksgiving, Wolfie and the Sneak are so thankful for you! In honor of your generous support, we're offering 40% off everything in the shop through the end of the day Monday, November 28, 2011. Just use the code "backforty" at checkout and you'll get your discount.

Then, at the end of the 28th we're shutting up the shop online until next year sometime. We'll be traveling for shows and enjoying the holidays in front of the fire with each other since family is the most important thing.{And you are sooooo welcome for that link.}

We'll see ya back here on Monday! For those of us here in the US, have a great holiday!

counterfeit intelligence

2011-11-22T11:05:00.002-05:00

Tis the season to spot rip offs...this little ditty started when I saw the new Crate and Barrel sweater vase heavily inspired by independent designers. In my quest to find out who manufactured the one for Crate and Barrel I also found an original that seems to have heavily influenced renowned ripper-offer Mr. Foster.

Am I naive for thinking companies should be better than reducing themselves to cheap design knock offs? Yes. Will I stop talking about how they should be better than that? No.
This, people, is just another reason to buy from independent designers at craft fairs this season, or from sellers that work directly with the artists. Big box stores have no conscience regarding authentic design and artists' rights...that is, unless it's their own designs getting ripped off.

so fab you don't want to miss it!

2011-11-18T09:24:00.000-05:00

Today starts the Fab.com sale! For 2 days (starting today at 10 AM) they're offering 16 of the newest and best selling Wolfie and the Sneak items at a pretty terrific discount. If you're waffling about whether to pick up some new art for your walls (or a little gift for your favorite scientist/gardener/aesthetic person) let me appeal to your sympathetic side: our van's transmission is acting up and we'll likely have to get it replaced.

Aside from the little car problem, what should you know about our prints? We've spent an obsessive amount of time deciding on which printers to use based on quality of print and lasting color of inks. According to third party testing agencies, our prints should last nearly 100 years under regular glass before fading. Papers vary, but they have a high percentage recycled content from post consumer waste, some papers are even 100% PCW (the average paper has less than 30%). Some of the paper is from a hydroelectric powered plant right here in the USA. Good stuff.

Prints come packaged in bio-based (aka they'll break down and become part of the dirt again, unlike petro-based plastics that just become plastic particulate matter) clear sleeves with cardboard backer for safe arrival at their new home.

2011-11-17T08:05:00.000-05:00

Even through a couple of frosts there are still flowers blooming--mostly the African marigolds, the last of the zinnias, and an extended show from the hydrangeas. The dramatic color still grasping to twigs and tree limbs, the deep purple of Moses in a blanket, the grasses in an array of burgundy.

The saffron crocus bulbs are blooming, though I didn't expect anything from them this year. Hopefully that means they're happy and will fill a spice jar for me next year!

It's raining here, gray and drizzly, but exciting things are in the works. Tomorrow a special fab.com sale starts and we've got all sorts of plans for new work for the shop. Stay tuned!

2011-11-16T09:23:00.002-05:00

Do you know Scarfshop? Martha, the maker, just tweeted sneak peeks of her holiday line and they're so gorgeous I had to post them today.Of course, the color block collection is just as pretty. Oh my, the Christmas gift wanting has already begun and we're not even to Thanksgiving!

entrepreneurial ferocity

2011-11-15T09:38:00.001-05:00

I wrote a quick little post about Up in the Air Somewhere over here. I pretty much fell in love with Susan's work the first time I saw it online, and when I saw it in person at Renegade Chicago I knew I had to have a few pieces. Since then I've seen a few people make similar items that can't be dismissed as coincidence.

I'd love it if you have a second to check it out and add your own thoughts.

I realize that blog will never be popular, the premise of it is one that is still too controversial for most makers: making cases against duplicity, questioning the authenticity of independent designers. It's mostly meant for conversation, though questioning any design usually means hurt feelings and emotive response rather than discussion.

As a response to a NY Times piece, Justin Kan defines a generation of makers. Here are a few of the points he makes that resonate with me:

We don’t look down on people creating small businesses.

Before we’re ever selling anything, we have an idea for it, and that is where our love and emotion is revealed.

Our idealism is more individual: that every person should be able to live their own life, working on what they choose, creating what they choose.

I think his points are spot on, but wonder if our collective niceness, the idea that an independent artist is worthier of success than "the man", as a means of entrepreneurial ferocity keeps us from protecting our own creative work. We don't look down on people creating small businesses.

Does the success of the independent spirit rely on niceness?

2011-11-14T08:51:00.001-05:00

Not a lot to say this morning, the weekend was fun and {as always} too short. We need more play time around our house. But after a weekend of renewed interest in the work we do, I have a brief thought to start your week:

Do what you believe, believe what you do, and maintain a natural curiosity all the while.

Do you take this approach to life? How so?

Hand Makin It

2011-11-11T11:07:00.001-05:00

Sorry for all the missing images/wonkiness. Yesterday there was a flourish of artists finding their wares copied elsewhere (BeHappyNow's image of Yakoo on a dress on a wholesale site, Gennine, Jill Bliss (whose experience is more positive), Mimi Kirchner, Skinny Laminx...dare I go on?!)

I thought it would be wise to mark my flickr photos so strangers couldn't favorite them. Then I realized the way I did that actually made all my photos private, which wasn't what I meant to do, so I switched it back, but that messed up some stuff and now I have to sort through everything. Yuck.

Tomorrow we'll be at the Handmade Market, hand-making it up as we go. As I usually do, I've picked out a few pieces we're excited to see! So much good stuff, come out and see it too! And if you're too far away, check out the vendor list and see what you're missing. Most of us ship, too. Ahem.

Off the Map bicycle painting

tiny peepers tea towels

Judah Ross plum skirt

flytrap pineapple flowers cut out dress

Michelle Smith Tie Dye Pillow

Miss Fitt Deer toddler hat

two turkey tales

2011-11-08T08:39:00.001-05:00

We're suddenly smack dab in the middle of sling your wares, make some money, it's that Holly Jolly Holiday buying time of year! As such, Wolfie & the Sneak are getting ready for 2 upcoming craft shows. They've also figured out a way to part the whirling seas (aka giant chasm) of time, somehow creating room for more time and the opportunity to get around to a few ideas that have been mulling around in our brains. Exhibit A? Hand Turkey place mats! I mean really, what's more fun than doodling over dinner?

Next up is a new print from an original drawing based on this photo by talented photographer Don Blecha. It's a Florida wild turkey (also know as Osceola wild turkey). I started drawing this piece and it ended up much more like the original than I'd expected. Although I took some liberties with the feathers and didn't try to do a photo-realistic bird, the further into the process I got, the more C and I felt like we needed to get an okay from the photographer to ever sell a print based on his original. I sent a quick email to Don and got a speedy response. We came to an agreement, finished the print and put it in the shop!

There you have it: 2 turkeys, 2 tales and a whole lotta fowl.

new stuff!

2011-11-07T10:54:00.001-05:00

We have a few new little goodies in the shop! A correspondence set to make the combination of thank you notes + kids a lot easier on their parents this holiday season. {Actually, who am I kidding? I need a lot of help getting my own thank you notes out the door!} The other correspondence set is a set of 6 Color it Yourself bears with scented markers. Sound familiar? These guys are a variation on one of our first products, and we're so excited to have them back!

Enter to Win

2011-10-31T10:57:00.003-04:00

Still trying to drum up a little Movember attention, so I've decided to give you all a little extra time to enter the contest for a Something's Hiding in Here mustache on a stick!

To celebrate Movember and give you a chance to continue your own year-round awareness campaign, we're giving a Mustache on a Stick away! How do you enter?

Comment here and tell us who's your favorite mustached celebrity.
Link to Movember on your site, twitter feed, facebook page...somewhere, anywhere! Come back to the comments and let me know where you posted about it.
You get 2 extra entries if you or your SO register to participate in Movember!

Easy peasy sneezy, right? My favorite mustached Mr. will pick the winner through a random drawing on November 4, 2011 at noon. That means entries close at 11:59 AM November 4, 2011.
Got it?

Mr. Mustachio & another contest!

2011-10-27T09:17:00.003-04:00

When Something's Hiding in Here first made a mustache on a stick over 5 years ago, it was because Stephen couldn't grow one of his own. He dreamt of all the 'staches he wished he could grow, carving them from wood. Shauna, brilliantly, told him to put 'em on a stick and the rest is photo booth history.

Why are Shauna and Stephen offering a mustache giveaway? The duo behind Something's Hiding in Here want to spread awareness about men's health issues such as prostrate cancer. What's a better way to do that than promote mustache-growing, conversation-starting, fun filled Movember?**

To celebrate Movember and give you a chance to continue your own year-round awareness campaign, we're giving a Mustache on a Stick away! How do you enter?

Comment below and tell us who's your favorite mustached celebrity.
Link to Movember on your site, twitter feed, facebook page...somewhere, anywhere! Come back to the comments and let me know where you posted about it.
You get 2 extra entries if you or your SO register to participate in Movember!

Easy peasy sneezy, right? My favorite mustached Mr. will pick the winner through a random drawing on October 31, 2011 at noon. That means entries close at 11:59 AM October 31, 2011.
Got it?

**What is Movember?

Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne Australia, Movember has grown into a global movement inspiring more than 1.1 Million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate. No matter the city or country, Movember strives to change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, to educate men about the health risks they face, and to act on that knowledge, thereby increasing the chances of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment.

On November 1st, you can register at Movember.com with a clean-shaven face. For the rest of the month, selfless and generous men, known as Mo Bros, groom, trim and wax their way into fine mustachery. Supported by the women in their lives, Mo Sistas, Mo Bros effectively become walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November. Through their actions and words they raise awareness by prompting private and public conversation around the often ignored issue of men’s health.

In 2010, over 64,500 US Mo Bros and Mo Sistas helped spread the word.

Fall Reset

2011-10-26T08:49:00.000-04:00

Fall is the time of year when I find my stride and somehow balance drawing and family. I don't know if it's the crisp change of air after a long hot summer, or if it's the resetting of my internal clock thanks to my autumn birthday. Whatever the reason, I present another drawing for {hopefully} your enjoyment!

Up High

2011-10-25T07:25:00.003-04:00

Yes, there are enough prints with messages of hope floating around the internet these days. However, the other day I tweeted a message I needed to personally hear,

"Look in the mirror and give yourself a mental high five. You're awesome and you need to remember that."

Lo and behold, a print was born.

2011-10-21T12:08:00.001-04:00

As artists and crafters we are the 99%, but as online retailers we also rely on the credit card industry. How do we rationalize that? After an increasingly frustrating several months with my bank, I've realized how entwined I am (we are) in the system.

Any thoughts, comments, ideas solutions? Are you even remotely interested in the 99 vs 1% divide?

a quickie

2011-10-20T10:35:00.001-04:00

And the winner is....commenter #2, Finding Words. Except there's no email, so if you're Finding Words then email me and let me know where to send the book! If I don't hear from Finding Words by Friday then I'll pick another winner so I can keep the contest momentum going! Yep, that means another book and another quick give away!

In the meantime, a new print for you to enjoy!

Slow Gardening Give Away!

2011-10-18T11:04:00.001-04:00

Felder Rushing's Slow Gardening is a broadly informative book that echoes my personal philosophy of gardening: don't worry about perfection, just get out there and do it. The book is chock full of pictures and explains the basics in a thorough, enjoyable way.

Beyond that, the book takes a conversational approach. Rushing doesn't lay out rules, he takes a gentle, encouraging approach, telling the us to get into the dirt and explore the life around us. He guides you through the seasons with an emphasis on enjoying each and every moment rather than getting bogged down with spring preparations. Don't get caught up in trying to make sure every last detail is right, just enjoy the details for what they are! There are creative ideas for recycling and reuse in the garden, plants to grow, and plants you can usually find for free. (Just make friends with other gardeners!)

If you need step-by-step guidance, this book isn't for you. If you want a diving board into the pool of gardening joys, this is the go-to guide you've been looking for.

I have my review copy of the book to do a quick, one-day giveaway open to residents of North America, only. (Unless you want to pay shipping, 'cause that gets too expensive for me.) How do you enter to win? Comment below--do you take a slow approach to gardening? Are you a new gardener and need a little guidance? Just tell me a little about your gardening self. I'll draw a winner tomorrow at noon!

PS Don't forget to include an email address or link in your comment so I can get in touch with you if you win!

perfect birthday

2011-10-17T09:17:00.001-04:00

I'll admit I was dreading my birthday this year.Part of it is having a toddler: her youth and vigor remind me too often of how my own body aches just a little more than it used to. Part of it is the number: 3.4. Seems so adult, dare I say broaching middle age?

Thankfully, I eased into 34 by taking a weekend in the mountains with the Mister. M partied all weekend at Nana's. The rural pace was just what the doctor ordered. One afternoon was spent in a nearby town where we stopped in for dinner and happened upon Another Roadside Attraction playing. Finished dinner and walked a block to local wines and ciders. The next day was my actual birthday. I woke up to few reps of jogging, jumping jacks and whatever other exercises I could think of. Then got my birthday gift: a 35 pound kettle bell! We decided it was time to take advantage of the mountain beauty, so off we went on a long hike on a hard trail.

The whole weekend gave us plenty of time to read, draw {me} and photograph {C} the surroundings, find inspiration, and soak up the quiet times with each other.

My disdain for 34 melted away into the fall colors. {and Charlie's charming self helped!} It's amazing how a breath of crisp fall air can change one's perspective.

Knit Picker

2011-10-13T10:40:00.002-04:00

One of the first craft pieces I fell in love with on the internet {when it still seemed so new! 2006, anyone?} was a knitware piece by Alyssa Ettinger. When her milk bottles and Ball jar lanterns came out, they were so original yet nostalgic, the delicate use of porcelain amazed me and stuck with me.

Around the same time, Annette Bugansky was developing a similarly themed line.

Annette Bugansky {1}, Reshape Studio {2}, Leigh Radford {3}, Forest Clearing {4}

Since then I've seen a few other knitted ceramic pieces. Anyone else out there picking up on the growing knitwear knit ware trend?

Art and Life

2011-10-12T09:30:00.003-04:00

A little bit of work, a little bit of play.

{Yep, that's a fabric banner we printed of a custom logo design.}

an equation of simple human kindness

2011-10-11T12:59:00.001-04:00

I find Occupy Wall Street compelling. I feel connected to it in a way, mostly because of my own history working for corporations that have no seeming regard for the quality of life of its employees. . . well, the employees doing the face-to-face work with the consumers. As a store manager for one such corporation I was admonished on several accounts for hiring employees at $8 an hour. That's $8 an hour, with no guaranteed number of hours per week, no benefits, and one free beverage a day. I hired a few twenty-something musicians, but also had a fair share of family bread winners working for me. for. $8. an. hour. people with kids, no guaranteed income, no family health insurance.

Yep, they're making your $4 latte, ringing up your clothes at the mega store, and bagging your groceries.

I no longer work for that company but could tell you countless stories of profit margin winning out over the opportunity to treat their workers with simple dignity. Needless to say, I don't buy their products either.

Those experiences as corporate peon have shaped the values we hold dear in our household today. All preachiness aside, asking corporate giants to be kind and respect each individual for their skills, talents and abilities isn't anything new. This is exactly why we DIY. It's also why we vote with our dollars.

Companies that value me receive my valuable money. It's an equation of simple human kindness that we can all opt to invest in.

Want to know about the goodies I've picked out to go with this post?

Quill and Arrow Press Vonnegut postcard made in Penland, NC
Aurora Shoe Co. West Indian shoe made in Aurora, NY
Raleigh Denim made just up the road in Raleigh, NC with fabric made in Greensboro, NC
Shuron Eyewear made in Greenville, SC.

Kids's shoes handmade in the USA by Austin, TX-based Bear Feet kids's shoes

these are a few of my favorite things

2011-10-10T10:15:00.000-04:00

art supplies that provide little disturbance to the beauty I try to capture {Belly of Flea watercolors and inks}
navy skies filled with twinkling stars {Christine Buckton Tillman nails it with screen print}
blue-gray transitioning to the peachy tones of sunsets - the hues of Sandra Juto wristworms

2011-10-07T11:40:00.001-04:00

I finished my 30-day grain fast last weekend. After a couple experiments with wheat since them I've decided to stick with very limited wheat. Seriously, people, a couple days after the detox I had a sandwich followed by an hour of very sharp pain.

Seems there might be something to this gluten sensitivity after all, sayeth the nay sayer. *sigh*

Here's to a wheat free weekend.

Behind the scenes

2011-10-05T10:03:00.001-04:00

The holiday season offers us crafters endless opportunities to push our wares on the masses.It can get tricky figuring out which show is when, the word on the street about which shows to do (good organizers, bad organizers, buying crowd, I-can-do-that crowd), and just how much driving is too much.

Some consideration even goes into which areas of the country dig what you're selling. We have had one good show here in Charlotte...the holiday one we organized several years ago. Just a short 3 1/2 hour drive to Raleigh and we've had some of the best shows we've ever done.

Some winter shows have already closed the application process (The Handmade Market in Raleigh and Boston Bizarre Bazaar are 2 examples) while some are still open (Baltimore Holiday Heap and Richmond Handmade Holiday are but 2).

It's all a process that basically boils down to two questions for me: Where is the fine line between doing what I love and crossing over into bitter holiday exhaustion? Just how much excitement vs. exhaustion can we lovingly share amongst our little family?

Are you a craft show creeper? How do you plan your show season each year?

2011-10-04T08:33:00.001-04:00

It's official, the little one is now 2. We celebrated on Sunday with about 10 other kids and (I think) a good time was had by all. Of course, getting to party time while maintaining [my already questionable] sanity was another story.

We have general rules for living, nothing hard and fast, but some things that keep us in line with our beliefs. We don't generally buy single use products, we don't usually have processed foods in the house. We love thrift stores and used books and Craigslist. Waste is a topic we tackle with a good deal of forethought. Parties and waste, however, are besties 4-evah.

Yep, we had balloons. I caved and okayed the plastic curling ribbon C wanted to buy for tying up the balloons. There were also paper plates [gasp!], paper cups [gasp!!], paper straws [gasp!!!], and paper napkins [gasp!!!!]. No biggie, you say? People, we don't buy napkins or paper towels, we have piles and piles of rags and cloth for that. It was a hard threshold to cross, but I did it, and I made it out alive!

I was feeling a little Peanut Free Mom when people asked for gift suggestions and my answer included the phrase "which I bet you can find at the thrift store". I went into planning the food with the best intentions of no corn syrup and limited sugar, like a good ol' granola mommy, and did really well until I got to the cake.

Just check out that ADORABLE Plastic Foliage shirt the kid has on.

Not knowing how many people would be there, I bought several store-made cakes with no, or minimal food coloring in the decorations. Apparently carrot cakes must have bright orange carrot decorations on top so you know there are, in fact, carrots in the cake as well. I didn't read the list of ingredients. I saw how long the list was and put it in the cart anyway. I bought a variety of juices and made dye-free, no added sugar fruit punch. There were gluten-free, vegan brownies. Actually, now that I think about it, all the refreshments (minus the store bought cakes) were vegan.

Really, though, it all boils down to a little bit of flexibility. Fewer hard and fast rules and lots more magic! That is, after all, what birthdays are about, right? The magic of being alive...can you feel it?

Party Time - Excellent!

2011-09-30T09:19:00.000-04:00

We're getting all geared up for party time, taking spare moments to finish a few projects that'll make hosting energetic toddlers a little easier. Included in those projects was a child sized iron bench Charlie found on the side of the road on trash day. He used some scrap wood for new slats and voila! Good as new! I think post-party we'll paint the iron a glossy color. He wants to paint the slats a solid color, too, but I like the different colored wood so we'll have to wait and see. Plus with the track record of that project it'll be 2 more years before we even get paint in it's vicinity.

A little peek at the bench as it was happily accepted by our little ragamuffin in her brand-new-to-us, vintage thrift store dress. Success!

I'll see y'all back here on Monday, post juice box excess. Have a good one!

Pass the Party Hat

2011-09-29T08:22:00.001-04:00

We're gettin' all gussied up around Chez Sneak for a certain little one's 2nd birthday! She's a fairly girly girl, so we're bustin' out pink decorations galore! There will be flowers ("mels" which I think is maybe "smell"), bubbles ("bubbies"), balloons ("bloos"), and unlimited juice. Oh and dancing, lots of dancing! Playing in the sand box. There may or may not also be a frilly party frock.

This party's gonna be off tha hook!

Here's what I'm thinking: Harvest cake from Roost,Balloons, tissue puffs and straws from Shop Sweet Lulu,Watercolor party cops from Love and Lace,Golden Alligator Pinata from Oh Happy Day (maybe a golden apple?), Big Dipper Waxworks beeswax birthday candles.

What am I forgetting? Any music suggestions?

A little housekeeping

2011-09-27T08:33:00.000-04:00

C and I have a personal challenge to get rid of 25 things a month through the end of the year (4 months, 100 things total). A few of those things I think you guys might want?

Craft, Inc.

Moosewood Cookbook

Medium flat rate priority mail box of vintage patterns

Medium flat rate priority box of fabric (you'll just have to trust me that I have excellent taste!)

I'll also be adding a few things to my etsy shop that might be of interest. One thing I know is going in the shop (no pics yet, grrr) is a pair of men's size 10 Vintage Pecos Red Wings western style top stitched leather boots for $50 (just like these but in a different size).

And another round of clear-out-the-studio-for-dirt-cheap-prices is coming up this week. You'll find some old prints I'm ready to send to new homes and some seconds quality newer prints.

Want to be notified when the sale starts? See something on the list you want? Let me know and we'll get it all worked out!

Breathing easier

2011-09-26T08:51:00.000-04:00

After an emotionally tough week (capping off with the toddler's first cold of the season), I cheered myself up wandering around my favorite nursery while Sniffly slept in the Boba on my belly.

I also spent the last $2 and some change at the farmers' market on a couple stems of flowers, then came home and snipped a wild looking bouquet of zinnias, marigolds, a naked lady (shocking!), and some anise hyssop.

The weekend wasn't any easier than the week (since we're all getting sick now) but it sure was prettier, and with all the added greenery I believe it was also easier to breathe.

Changes in season

2011-09-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

Fall is here! Time for apples, root crops and greens.

Get your garlic and onion starts planted.

Enjoy the crisp evening air.

Feel the changes to weather and welcome those changes

reflected in the day to day.

What are your senses telling you?

* * *

Don't forget the gift certificate offer for the Owego fundraiser. If you've been waiting for pay day to give, I've extending the offer through Monday. Give $20 or more to the Owego Flood Relief and send nobiting {at} gmail {dot} com an e-card (it's an option at checkout) and I'll send you a gift certificate for $20 towards any print in the shop!

Of course, you'll also get lots of karma and good tingly feelings in your heart, 'cause that's what doing good for others does.

Find ease

2011-09-22T10:11:00.001-04:00

For those of you who do yoga, the following phrase may sound familiar: Find ease in the difficulty of the pose.

To say it's a difficult time would undercut the breadth of living. Sounds cryptic, but there are so many aspects of the day-to-day that require thought and attention and difficult is not necessarily bad. Not everything should be easy. Call the process of experience a tool for internal growth, one that I hope will prepare me to be self-attuned while finding wisdom to carry through parenthood.

These moments in life are nothing short of Dandayamana-Dhanurasana - a strength gaining exercise that also requires coordination, balance, grace and patience within. All the while your teacher reminds you to keep your face muscles and jaw relaxed, finding the ease...

One shining light {ease} this week has been the response to my gift certificate offer for the Owego fundraiser. If you can give but are waiting for pay day to be able to, I'm extending the offer through Monday. Give $20 or more to the Owego Flood Relief and send nobiting {at} gmail {dot} com an e-card (it's an option at checkout) and I'll send you a gift certificate for $20 towards any print in the shop!

To brag on you Wolfie and the Sneak friends, that's already $160 in gift certificates! It's amazing to be able to help in such a creative way. Thank you all for helping us find ease in the difficulty of the pose.

Colorful Subtleties

2011-09-19T08:33:00.000-04:00

The weekend involved a few house projects (none of which were painting M's room) and a bit of garden tending. Three of the five beds in the front yard have been taken over by crab grass. It's still there, I need to plan an attack.

No matter how many pictures I took I just couldn't seem to capture the subtle variation and intensity of the colors of the broom sorghum. The colors are enough to put it in the Definitely growing again category.

Next time I'll space it out correctly, too. The ones with good root space developed fuller heads, which is what I wanted for broom making. Looks like I'll have plenty of seed to start the next crop, too!

I know I read Seesaw Designs' blog every now and then, but for some reason when I re-found it this past weekend everything looked fresh and new. I sat down and read all the way back through May. (Might be one reason we didn't get any painting done: too much computer time.) They have a definite aesthetic (unlike us Sneakies over here). Even the color selection from post to post remains consistent. Through Seesaw I found and fell in love with Kirra Jamison's work (esp these).

How was your weekend? Fully of colorful experiences and delights? I hope so!

Go. Give. Good.

2011-09-16T08:29:00.001-04:00

Just thinking about the recent devastation from flooding in Owego (and other parts of the country) brings tears to my eyes. I do a lot of talking on this blog about our home and our "stuff". I can't begin to imagine the devastation of losing all of it to erratic weather.

Devastation that continues and continues: as people move their water logged furnishings to the curb so mold doesn't become even more of an issue; as all of the debris, gathered at the curb, becomes a potential fire hazard.

Abbey lives in Owego, and when we heard about the flooding we knew we couldn't sit idly by. So here's the deal, to to the Owego Flood Relief site and donate. Your contribution is tax deductible in any amount, but we want to see you give $20 or more if you can. So, if you give at least $20, when you "check out" check the option to send an e-card. Send it to nobiting [at] gmail [dot] com and let us know you donated. We'll send you a $20 gift certificate as a thank you! The gift certificate is good for any print in the shop, and is printable, so even if you don't need any art yourself, you can give it as a gift to someone else.

Of course, you'll also get lots of karma and good tingly feelings in your heart, 'cause that's what doing good for others does.

Heirloom tomatoes adorning our kitchen

2011-09-15T07:46:00.003-04:00

My absence yesterday was brought to you by the 2-year molars coming through my little M's gums. Fever and general crankiness were present and understandable. Throughout the day M would look at me, say "ouch" in a genuinely heartbreaking tiny voice, and open her mouth wide.

During a brief break from her clingy-ness I shot a few pics of the tomato poster before the heirloom tomatoes I had on hand went bad.

One of these days I'll have actual photos of ALL of the posters, but it'll just have to happen as it can. The colors would've been so much better if Charlie had been the picture taker, he knows the technical stuff. I just know how to [sometimes] focus and change a setting or 2.

Just to show off a little behind the scenes action, here's our kitchen. I know I show it off fairly often, but I love that wallpaper. What can I say? Retro melons and flowers in greens and blues? More more more!

He lights up my life

2011-09-13T09:34:00.000-04:00

I don't remember if it was Thursday or Friday of last week, but on one of those days work was slow. On slow days I wander around the internet and sometimes revisit my favorite items/houses/blogs...whatever pops up in my mind. I visit The Brick House. A lot. Her lamp haunts my bedroom daydreams. After a quick search for cantilevered sconces (and variations thereof) I had a small collection of favorite "one day when we're rich" lamps bookmarked. Starting in the upper left going clockwise: Jean Prouve original; different color scheme and scale lamp like The Brick House's made by One Forty Three; bottom right is Andrew Neyer's Crane Light; bottom left is Brendan Ravenhill's Cord Lamp.

So I sent C an email that said something along the lines of, "When we're rich we should get lamps like this for the bedroom." Not that $100 for a handmade lamp/sconce is ridiculous by any stretch of the imagination, it's just we have some things we have to pay for and we need to get it all sorted out before spending on any non essentials.

I guess I lit a spark, because he emailed me back later and said he had some sapele that would be perfect for bedroom sconces. Saturday morning, after I finished my volunteer time at the farmer's market, he went to the hardware store, spent about $5 on parts and came home and started building. They have the same minimalist vibe as the Prouve inspired lights, but a Danish Modern vibe that really fits well with the rest of our house.

By Saturday evening we had new lamps on the wall. The images immediately above are of his design, but are not the finished version. I'll take a picture of the finished version, but first we have to repaint and redo the bedroom...and the rest of the house.

Another day to love

2011-09-12T08:42:00.000-04:00

Weekends filled with sunshine and play. Mild weather and fun outside. Let's all take a moment to breathe in the fall air. Deeeeep breaths. And again.

I feel better already, how about you?

Happy Monday!

Starting the worrying early. Why not?

2011-09-08T10:43:00.000-04:00

It's okay if I do a little posting about the wee one today, isn't it?

I'm sure it will seem a little neurotic to admit I worry about things like how Mabel will fit in at school when the time comes. I mean, come on, she still has a few years to get there. I know that worry boils down to my own public school misery.

Some of my misery was the result of being painfully becoming aware around 8 or 9 years old of acceptance and being cool.

Some of the misery came later, in junior high, when I moved to a racially divided school (racial tension was a concept foreign to me most of my life, one that I'm only now realizing was part of my discomfort in school.) It was also the time where kids were labeled cool or nerd. Hormones were flowing, boys were sometimes sexually aggressive in an innocent enough way that the ol' "boys will be boys" excuse seemed to work. Daily fist fights in the hall kept the atmosphere tense, especially the few times teachers were injured breaking kids up. Random acts of bullying were not unheard of.

And this was your average suburban/urban bus-in public school. Not necessarily a poor one, not in a bad part of town. Just one of the few junior high schools in Charlotte, NC.

Hell yeah, I worry. I worry that my own ideals might prevent her from feeling accepted. I worry that she'll have similar experiences that will affect her confidence, inhibit her experiences, and cause a sometimes painful awareness of her body as it travels throughout this space.

Admitting any of this is pretty hard, but somewhat necessary for me to grasp the role of what being a parent can actually entail. It also reminds me of this post from Pacing the Panic Room, which gives me hope she'll go to schools filled with Tessas. It kind of makes me feel slightly less neurotic.

Slightly.

Against the grain

2011-09-07T08:43:00.000-04:00

Let's continue the talk about coming home from vacation and having the energy to maintain cleaning mode, shall we?

I've started a 30 day grain detox...yep, internal cleaning. I'm on day 3 after a vacation packed with sugary, wheat-filled delights. I've been a bit crabby, not unlike the agitation that comes along with quitting smoking. Fun times, right? You should all wish Charlie well through this, it might suck up all the extra patience he's ever had!

Homegrown cow and black eyed peas as well as simmered

and mashed figs (our own) with applesauce.

The Matthews Fitness Together is doing a 30-day Paleo Challenge. I thought about going full force and taking part in the challenge, but after 10 years as a vegan I've decided deep down I don't have the personal fire it would take to stick with this particular way of eating. I mulled over the challenge and the part that stuck out most to me was eliminating cane sugar and grains (see numbers 9 and 10). Eliminating cane sugar eliminates a bunch of nasty processed non-foods, and eliminating grains (fingers crossed) will help me get creative and add more veggies to my day.

I'm also hoping it will jump start the all-too-stubborn weight loss effort that stalled out about a year (A YEAR!!) ago. Wish me luck. Anyone else out there off the grains? Any tips for a newbie?

Vacation, all I ever wanted

2011-09-06T09:27:00.000-04:00

Pardon the disappearance,we made it to the beach and had a lovely vacation. In fact, we came back so well rested we spent the past couple days doing some intense cleaning including, but not limited to: the refrigerator and steam cleaning all the rugs in the house.

Cleaning is not a normal pre-vacation activity, but I knew I'd be much happier coming home to a clean house than a messy one. Then spending a week in a house without stacks of papers and clutter made it hard to come home to a clean yet cluttered space.

With clean spaces all around and a well rested body and spirit, I'm finally ready to really tackle a few personal goals: really digging into Beautiful You, a book introduced to me by Amber Karnes. I meant to do the book club but didn't get my book until too late and excuses and more excuses.

Now I feel ready. What about you? Do you feel as beautiful as you actually are?

the underbelly of the Sneak

2011-08-26T12:50:00.000-04:00

I've been getting up at 5 every morning to work on printing orders for shops. I've worked out 3 days this week. I've gone to work my desk job every day and then home to work my real job (mama-ing). Then it's time for laundry, dinner, and any other cleaning I can fit into 2 minute increments.

I'm tired. (Enough with the whining, I know.) We're supposed to take a quick little jaunt to the beach, but that's all up in the air now, thanks to Irene. She seems to want to see the NC coast, too. On a non-related (but far prettier) note, another skirt:

Since I had Fat Roll Friday once before, I thought I'd share the strength part of my Wednesday and Friday workouts this week. We do a 45 minute work out that consists of a 15 minute warm up, 15 minute skill building and then a 15 minutes of strength building. I'm writing it out because it makes me look tougher than I really am.

Wednesday: 90 sit ups, 160 lunges and 68 25-lb kettle bell push presses in 15 minutes. My bottom hurts, but that's it! A few months ago I would've been immobilized.

Since Wednesday's lunges didn't do me in then today's 11 minute workout of 60 sumo lifts (15 pounds each arm), 120 15 pound kettlebell rows, and 120 side lunges with a 15 pound kettlebell probably will. Yeah, I can hardly move around and today I've already run upstairs and downstairs at work more than I usually do in a whole month.

To distract you from the pain, I present to you some feathery culottes. If for no other reason, simply the word "culottes" should make you smile. Say it with me: CULOTTES!

There you have it. Some pretty, some ugly, just a bit of life from the underbelly of the Sneak!

turn potential to reality

2011-08-25T08:31:00.001-04:00

When you visit Amelia Presents' site, these welcoming words explain what the shop is all about:

This is not your idea of craft...

this is design meets the new wave

of craft culture and makes it an art.

Welcome.

If you're not familiar with Erin, the owner of Amelia Presents, to say she's a champion of independent artists would be an understatement. Amelia Presents is also the newest Wolfie and the Sneak stockist, which means I have something of a vested interest in her winning the Start Small, Go Big contest on Daily Candy. Even if she didn't carry WatS goods, just look at that amazing shop; how it's styled and the assortment of beautiful goods. How can you not want to see what's beautiful designs are swirling around in her mind right now? Go vote! Let's turn that potential into a reality

Bringing out the Girls

2011-08-24T09:27:00.000-04:00

Here are a few of the garments I made out of Wolfie and the Sneak fabric. Each time we add a new design we use the name of the person who inspired it. Clockwise from the top left you see Kristen, Jena, Ashley (my sister), and Bonnie.

No tinkerbell-fairy-princess-diva-glitter-bombs

2011-08-23T10:08:00.000-04:00

Are you familiar with tea collection? I don't remember the first time I saw their children's clothes
but I'm pretty sure it was before Mabel was even a thought. I remember being impressed with their selection of kids' clothes because they don't necessarily look like kids' clothes. Don't get me wrong, they're not dull, they're not typical uniforms, they're playful, but with sophisticated choices in materials. No tinkerbell-fairy-princess-diva-glitter-bombs to be seen.

This, in my mind, is a peek into heaven; especially after being inundated with box store clothing choices that seemed to force kids to walk around as Disney billboards. Dare I mention the the lack of selection in pants/shorts without some sort of logo and catchphrase scrawled across the butt. {Can I get an amen?}

So yeah, tea. They contacted me about doing a review of some of their girl's stuff and I jumped at the chance. Maybe even literally jumped...I was pretty excited.They gave me $100 store credit to buy whatever I wanted to show off. I got 3 shirts, totalling $99.50.

And you want a review? Here's the thing--we've had the clothes for over a month. I ordered them at the beginning of July and they shipped promptly and arrived quickly. They were instantly added to the rotation* of Mabel's clothing, worn, stained, washed, worn, stained, washed... and the kid moves faster than lightening, so getting her to stop and model for the camera? Not going to happen.

But what did happen? The clothes feel soft and comfy, hold up to markers and the usual toddler beatings, and keep on kicking. Mabel gives her tea collection 5 (out of 5) crayons!

*Here's how that works: item is added to rotation and is worn quickly. Toddler draws on, spills on, and smudges with anything that could stain. Lazy mom doesn't use stain treatment, clothing goes in the wash and is never handled delicately. If said clothing comes out with stain intact, said clothing item ends up in a "fix it" laundry bin full of clothes that need hemming, mending, buttons, and stain removal. That particular bin rarely gets the attention it needs and clothing seems to stay in it until it's simply given to a thrift store or repurposed (hello reusable rags).

2011-08-22T08:23:00.000-04:00

I'll mostly let the pictures speak for themselves, but now I have a

whole wardrobe of clothes in womens sizes 2-6.

What to do with them...

playful and pretty

2011-08-19T11:26:00.000-04:00

In case you don't check into [tend] every day like I do, you might've missed my guest post! It truly was an honor to be invited to write a post, so I do hope you'll check it out. Those gals are so thoughtful!

If you entered to win a poster over at Mine Creations, don't forget to check back soon. Julia will announce the winner in the next couple days.

This weekend we'll be out in the field {literally} finishing up a project that's been in the works about a year!

We're also chipping away at making a big girl room for M. She never cared for her nursery, preferring co-sleeping to a crib and playing in the same room we are in, so the nurdio is back to full-on studio and the middle bedroom will be her room. We've ordered Safe Paint Milk Paint and it's on the way, and Monday we'll start painting the walls a light salmon color (90% white, 10% salmon).

We have a used (vintage?) ceiling fan similar to the one pictured. While looking for a picture of a close match to share I found forums and sites of people desperate for vintage ceiling fans. Apparently, if you've got one you're getting rid of, there's a market people--don't just give away potential beaucoup bucks.

The plan is to make her room have the fragile, fleeting, magical softness of an Abby Trys Again photograph with the playfulness and durability of an active child's room. It takes restraint and that's not my strong point.

Wish us luck and we hope you have a phenomenal weekend. What are you getting into?

Just what I want

2011-08-18T09:34:00.000-04:00

I was reading Lizzy House this morning and came across this little morsel to chew on:

Are you living the life that you want? Are you taking steps to make what you want so? Is any of this really as complicated as we make it?

I don't think it has to be complicated, except for maybe deciding the path to choose. Since Good Magazine tweeted a similar question* I've been thinking lately about how incredible my life is. I love making things without the pressure of income. Sometimes I wish I had more time to garden (or to garden more, or to learn more about gardening or to learn to be a better gardener...you get the point) or cook. Sometimes I wish our house was organized and spotless, or we had fancy furniture and more refined taste. Sometimes I even wish I had blond hair. Often I wish I had more endurance to run, a better understanding of CSS and the ability to wow people with dazzling conversational skills.

But really, when it boils down to it, I'm surrounded by amazing people. I have a decent job with health benefits, and though it's not the most exciting job in the world it is a good job with good people. I have an amazing family (not just limited to, but certainly including C + M), and I have the time and the means to do my hobbies. I have found many things that I love, things that enhance my life and all of these things--the people, the animals, the activities--keep me on a path of contentedness.

There are amazing times and terrible times, but as long as the majority of the time is somewhere in between, well, my life is just what I want it to be.

*from @good Q: If income didn't matter, what job would you pursue? #GOODasks

Savory Goodness

2011-08-17T09:21:00.000-04:00

The Mine Creations blog has a Four Seasons Poster giveaway! Have you visited and commented to enter to win?

In the meantime, a fun-filled deadline is quickly approaching...one that is not lacking color by any means. But this little peek and cryptic message are all you get, so savor them for now!

Natural Beekeeping a book review

2011-08-16T10:59:00.003-04:00

A little while back Chelsea Green kindly sent me a copy of Ross Conrad's Natural Beekeeping for review.They aren't paying me to talk about the book, unless you consider a free copy of the book payment. So keep that in mind as I talk a little bit about what I think.

My (non-existent) beekeeping back story (if you're not familiar): We're still trying to catch a swarm that annually splits off the hive living in the wall of our house. We haven't seen one since the early spring sighting, but I've tried pheromone lure and lemongrass lure, both to no avail. It will happen, but we don't have the time to invest in really watching out for swarms, plus the heat is keeping us inside more often than previous summers.

All excuses aside, beekeeping is our goal, though it just might have to wait until a certain little girl is old enough to understand directions like "Stay there, stand back." In the meantime, I'm trying to absorb as much information as possible.

This book is exactly what I was looking for: a succinct, in-depth guide to all things beekeeping that echoes my own approach to life: Let's just keep things natural. I don't want some sort of chemical "treatment" for every type of ailment we have around our home. Natural Beekeeping focuses on organic approaches and preventative measures to care for your hive without all the crazy weird (scary) chemicals.

Natural Beekeeping is a comprehensive (though not intimidatingly thick) tome that starts with a broad approach to keeping a healthy hive. From there Ross Conrad pinpoints the specifics for maintaining your hive. I sat down to read it straight through for the purpose of this review and many things seemed over my head, but that's because I'm a hands-on learner. Some of the terminology I wasn't familiar with, some of the techniques seemed like a foreign language. The beauty of having the book, though, is that I know where to find the information when the time arises.

It's an invaluable reference for any beekeeper, even the conventional ones will want to have a copy around. Why?

As we're learning is the case with the meat industry, overly prescribed treatments are only a temporary solution to a problem. As these problems continue they evolve to develop tolerances to the prescribed solution. All of the sudden we have a widespread seemingly unsolvable mystery on our hands. Colony Collapse Disorder ring a bell? Varroa mites are another intimidating problem. If the conventional solutions aren't working you better have a Plan B to try, so why not try something natural?

Looks like there is also a soon-to-be-released companion DVD. I have a feeling the DVD will reinforce the knowledge I've gleaned from the book, giving me the hands-on experience I need, possibly before we get our hands on some bees.

If you're already a beekeeper I can't recommend Natural Beekeeping enough. You'll find all the answers you need to take an organic approach to caring for your bees. If you're a beginner like me, the book is chock full of information, but you might need a guiding hand or a local Backwards Beekeepers group to help you understand the complexity of caring for a hive the natural way.

A Serious Point

2011-08-15T08:30:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard, Wolfie & the Sneak have partnered up with the Mine Creations for a poster giveaway! Leave a comment on Julia's beautiful blog for a chance to win a Four Seasons poster!

Charlie is finishing up his newest boat, a little canoe. He did a little test yesterday in our friends' pool to make sure it's seaworthy (well, technically Intracoastal Waterway-worthy). There are still some cosmetic pieces to add, but all in all it's pretty sharp lookin', don't you think? I mean, that nose*...that's a serious point!

*For clarification: the boat's nose, not Charlie's. His nose isn't really what I'd call pointy.

2011-08-12T08:48:00.002-04:00

Even though Petals & Pedals is in limbo (continue on? leave it alone as a nice memory?), I still find myself thinking throughout the week about what would be an interesting and experiential Friday post.

Well, several weeks ago we ran out of dish detergent for the dishwasher. I had on-hand the supplies to make laundry detergent, so I wondered if there was a recipe for something similar for dishes. Lo and behold, Homemade had the answer I was looking for.

I've tried variations since then, but the first batch was my favorite (and is now my go-to) recipe:
equal parts Borax and Washing Soda** for the dish powder, add white vinegar to the rinse aid compartment. With the powder you simply mix them together. I added about 10 drops of lemongrass essential oil to the powder and mixed it again. It made a heavy lemon smell, but not overpowering...I'm pretty sensitive to fragrance and it didn't give me a headache or anything. You can add some baking soda for an extra boost, but I actually prefer to leave the baking soda out.

All in all, I think the recipe that works for you depends on whether your water is hard or soft. This site has some good recipes to play around with. Mix up a small batch and test it out 2 or 3 times, then try another variation.

**If you're unable to find washing soda, try looking at the pool supplies. That giant plastic container in the back is sodium carbonate, aka washing soda. We found it at one of those liquidation centers towards the end of summer last year.

2011-08-11T09:08:00.000-04:00

I have some reviews to do, so maybe next week will be review week? They include 2 Chelsea Green books: Natural Beekeeping and Slow Gardening. I also have a review of Tea clothing!

In the meantime, since I'm on a sewing kick, look at these cute kids clothes from Addie and Ella! Seriously, so cute, right??

Sorghum Suggestions?

2011-08-10T08:11:00.001-04:00

This year I precariously scattered sorghum seeds (more specifically Hungarian Broom Corn Sorghum) throughout the empty spots in the garden. That's kind of my approach when I'm out of ideas of what to plant--just scatter and see what happens. So I did, and it grew like it was supposed to. For a while I thought the plants were more corn and was wondering why I planted so much corn! Then the seeds became apparent and I remembered what it was.

Now I'm wondering why I planted it...aside from the initial charming idea of making my own broom. Uh, yeah, I was daydreaming of making my own broom. What of it?! And don't tell me you don't daydream of brush making.

Call me a garden geek if you want, but you'll be all sorts of jealous of my beautiful broom.

Link Hoarding

2011-08-09T09:23:00.000-04:00

Here are a few links that caught my eye lately:
Boston Bazaar Bizarre applications are open! Get thee to the application page now!

I think I've linked to Dusen Dusen before, but maybe not? So cute, so nice.

I love these strawberries. I wonder if whittling with an idea-soaking-sponge-toddler around might teach her the wrong thing.

I'm still hiding away making drawstring skirts and simple tank tops; maybe a few sheath dresses. Charlie hitched up the serger, so there are a few jersey/knit skirts in the making, too!

2011-08-08T07:58:00.001-04:00

I say it every Monday, and I'll say it again...weekends just aren't long enough. I finished another custom logo and a few garments for an upcoming photoshoot while C played with Mabel. That kid will color all day long if she gets the chance to. We've just got to master the art of keeping the crayon/marker/pencil on paper and not on headboards/body/everywhere else.

It's much too hot to do anything outside, and the snap beans are finito, so there are gaping holes in the garden begging for attention. It'll happen, but in the meantime we're sticking to the air conditioned spaces around Chez Sneak.

How was your weekend? Fun stuff happen?

You say good bye...

2011-08-05T11:31:00.000-04:00

Today is my last post as the Petals and Pedals guest post series on Modish. Jena is flourishing with Miss Modish PR and Modish will soon emphasize that aspect of her multi-faceted life. It's so exciting to see friends find their path in such an organic fashion, you can see the success in their future!

I'm planning to take the extra time each week to further Wolfie & the Sneak and really dig into some work that reflects our experiences and beliefs. I also feel like I missed the boat on some of my own marketing initiatives, and hope to back pedal a bit to make the name Wolfie & the Sneak synonymous with our original designs. You know, settle on a logo...I can do it for other people, seems I should be able to do it for our own series of creations.

This might sound a bit cryptic, but as I learn and read more and more about owning your originality, I feel like "establishment" keeps popping up, and I need to focus on that a bit!

What? you didn't need to see that?

Plus it's time for some serious ME time, as in I'm serious about getting myself in tip top shape to be a good and present mommy. As in many practices, taking care of others requires you take care of yourself first, right?

Am I making sense or just babbling? Anyway, go visit me at Modish and wish Miss Jena the best!

2011-08-04T09:33:00.000-04:00

In the dead heat of summer it's hard to think about the holidays, but just as the retail world starts pushing Christmas right after Valentines, seems the crafting world has to keep up...or at least nipping at the heels of the corporate retailers to stay competitive.

I just sent off my first application for a holiday pop-up shop. In years past I would see notices and tell myself it was too early to apply, that I would wait til closer to the deadline and the beginning of Fall. Not a good idea to procrastinate, because that also meant (in years past) that I would miss the deadline and also miss out on the wonderful opportunities presented.

Are you an artist/crafter? Ready to start thinking about the holiday season? Some early bird organizations include a few of my favorites:
Craftland is taking applications for their month long holiday sale that spans the end of November to the end of December.
ICE Atlanta is taking applications for their 2 day November 2011 show.

2011-08-02T13:28:00.000-04:00

I'm fiddling around with the homepage today, trying to get a good "hey, we make art" feel to it. Web design is definitely not my forte, so it's a struggle.

Anyway, if you get a sec, check it out and tell me what you think...but be gentle. My nerves are shot after 5 hours of mangling and wrestling with code. I'm going to have some extra time each week, and I'd really like to spell it all out for people: this is what we do and here's how we do it.

What do we do? We draw, take pictures, make stuff and try to do it all with as little an impact on the earth as possible. Hmmm, maybe the homepage should just say that. Rats, back to the digital drawing board.

2011-08-01T08:27:00.000-04:00

The 3 day intensive potty training approach was a little more stress than we were prepared for (M included!) so we did a little more of a casual take and had one total success! We'll get there, but just take our time with it and try not to cause any toilet traumas in the meantime.

C took off for the morning on Saturday to go bass fishing. He came home with a cooler full of fish. As he scaled and filleted them I asked if he felt more manly*. He wasn't sure he did, but while we were eating the tasty dinner of fish tacos he made, he said, "Yeah. I feel pretty manly." Without turning this into a sexist conversation about macho behavior, I'd like to state for the record I would feel pretty *strong, self-confident, and proud if I'd provided such a feast for the family, too, and I just might proclaim, "I feel pretty womanly."

I had a few free moments (that's how I work these days, in free moments) to print up an alphabet poster I made from cutting and pasting hand drawn fonts from other projects. The world may not need another alphabet poster, but Mabel needs one, so why not share, right?

Busy Week Into Busy Weekend

2011-07-29T08:49:00.000-04:00

This is not what I've been working on--but is our weekend project. M has been ready for potty training for a while, but we haven't. This weekend we're giving the Three Day method a go. Of course, we'll be watching for signs that it's not a good fit for her, as well. We've had one full-on potty success this week, so here's hoping for many more! Note the basket of books in the background. There's going to be a lot of sitting and waiting for things to "go" according to plan...pardon the pun.

Wish us luck, comment (or email) with tips and I'll see you back here on Monday! In the meantime, I've got a post going up on Modish today, so be sure to check that out, too!

Visual Diet

2011-07-26T09:13:00.001-04:00

I've been working on logos for a couple people {I'll share them after the designs are finalized}, which means intense computer time. When what you do is based entirely on appearance, sometimes you just have to look at something else for a while to come back to the initial project with fresh eyes.

This time around that "looking at something else" turned into a new print of heirloom tomatoes! If you're a tomato junkie, this one is for you: the subtle varieties of reds, black, purple, green and peach tomatoes. Hang it in your kitchen and find a bit of reprieve even on the coldest winter day.

Like a little more variety in your visual diet? Try the Four Seasons poster, the perfect guide to in-season veggies all year long!

2011-07-25T09:03:00.002-04:00

Don't forget to enter to win a gal-style bow tie from Forage right here on this ol' blog. Also, increase your chances of winning by visiting other blogs giving them away!

Aesthetic Outburst (ends Tues. night, 7/26)

Bustle Designs (ends Wed. 7/27)

Big Day for 10k (ends Fri. July 29)
Crafty Foxes (ends Fri. night, 7/29)

Hello Craft (ends 7/28)

Katie Cupcake (ends Thurs. night 7/28)

Skunk Boy Creatures (ends Wed. 7/27)

Smile and Wave (ends Tues. 7/26)

Studio Sweet Studio (ends Wed. 7/27)

Sugar Social (ends Wed. night)

Ulmer Studios (contest already ended)

Wolfie and the Sneak--that's me! (contest closes this evening, 7/25)

There's a lot to think about these days, I'd like to say something about Oslo, but right now words are failing me. My thoughts might turn into a post for another day or they might simply become a source for meditation and contemplation: how can we further illuminate love in times like this. As the news settles in, my thoughts and heart are with those affected by such a terrible act of violence. It's an unimaginable tragedy.

We've got a contest hiding in here!

2011-07-22T10:07:00.004-04:00

Here's a contest that makes me a little jealous of you...Forage Bow Ties is celebrating their first birthday (cue the music and get the balloons!) and I've got a ladies tie to give away!

One year ago Stephen and Shauna, aka Something's Hiding in Here, revved up the sewing machine and branched out into bow ties. Forage soon evolved into a ladies line as well, which brings us to today's giveaway--the Lilien. Lilien is an absolute gem: an emerald gingham bow tie for the gals, made of silk shantung from a limited edition of 10. She's Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn and Rosalind Russell all summed up in one darling accessory.

Pair it up with a white collared shirt, pencil skirt and peep toe stack heels and you'll be Girl Friday perfect. Wear it {sans collar} with a strapless sheath and look all sassed up for a night full of city lights and martinis. If nothing else, Lilien is flexibly fashionable.

So here's the deal: In the comments below name your fashion/style icon and what it is that makes her stand out. It can be anyone and there is no right or wrong answer, just a fun little chance for me to learn about you!

Make sure you either include your email address in the comments form or write it out in the comment itself! I'll need to be able to get in touch with you if you win. I'll be back on Monday to pick a winner at random.

Have a great weekend and send all your pals over to enter, too! xoxo

Life with critters

2011-07-21T09:10:00.000-04:00

Oh boy, I've already had a nature overdose today--one of the chickens wouldn't get back in the pen last night. Lucille (One or Two, they're pretty hard to tell apart) was in the run that's adjacent to their pen, which is safe so I just let her stay there overnight.

This morning I went to check on her and was stung by what my best guess was a Cicada Killer Wasp**. Not the worst sting in the world, and apparently it's pretty rare to get stung by them...we must've surprised each other.

And Lucille? She'd gotten back in the main pen all by herself.

**Those are honeybees not Cicada Killers, just thought I'd show the changes I made to the drawing originally shown here.

2011-07-20T09:09:00.001-04:00

One question today, kids...what's your favorite heirloom vegetable?

2011-07-19T09:25:00.001-04:00

Seems I can't get away from the sugary sweet colors of summer. We're still dealing with some sickness around the house (each day I think it's gone and it pops its ugly head back up), so maybe that dark cloud is forcing a sunshiney-ness in my drawings. Who knows.

What do you think? Candy colors giving you a tooth ache?

2011-07-18T08:48:00.001-04:00

Pinkeye made the rounds at our house, so I was rendered useless all weekend. I did spend a lot of time in front of the computer working on a couple freelance projects. Here's the first phase of one. . .

Now for a drum roll--the winner of the contest for a copy of Sarah B. Hood's We Sure Can! is Meighan's Garlic Scape Pesto {yum!}. Meighan, I'm still waiting for my copies, but they should be along shortly and I'll send yours as soon as I get it!

Also, I can't wait to try your recipe, I just gotta get my grubby little hands on some scapes! Looks incredible, doesn't it??

Sunshine and honeysuckle

2011-07-14T08:05:00.000-04:00

See? I told you I had some drawings in the work--a pretty little bit of California honeysuckle for your Thursday morning? It's a west coast native, our east coast counterpart is coral honeysuckle, but for the purpose of this illustration {and it's other use, a project still in the works} I liked the form of the California flowers better.

Later today the kid and I are going to pick as many green beans as we can. I have a friend who is so tired of green beans he's just abandoned the picking--dilly beans and pressure canning are in my near future.

You know what else is in my near future? Homegrown, fresh field peas. "H" to the ellz yeah!

Sick Days

2011-07-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to enter the contest to win a copy of Sarah B. Hood's We Sure Can!

Contest closes July 20, 2011, 11:59 PM, and limited to North American readers {to keep postage down}.

As happens with kids {spoken like I have a lot of kid experience} Mabel had pinkeye this past weekend. Ever have it? Swollen eyelids, pink and itchy eyes, oozy tear ducts. Really strange {and probably a bit scary when you can't open your eyes in the morning} for a toddler to experience.

We spent the days being lazy {and yes, the TV was turned on} snacking on fresh summer fruit. Cherries are giant hit! If you don't believe me, just check out that juice stain.

Since the little one wasn't feeling her best, she took a few long deep naps. That meant I had good amount of time to work on some of my own projects. This one is a logo, did you know W&tS does custom logo work? There are a few prints in the works. I'm just hoping I won't have to wait for another sick day to get around to them...I'm not planning on another sick day {for me or M} for a long, long time.

2011-07-08T09:47:00.000-04:00

I'm skipping out on volunteering at the Farmers Market this week (one of my favorite things to do) to sleep in and take it easy tomorrow morning. The tomatoes are ripening quickly these days and the cucumbers seem to be inflating faster than Mabel's water wings.

I have a quick little herbal gift idea going up on Modish today. Look out for it! Any great things going on this weekend?