Green Options

During a bit of internet perusal I recently came across a blog, Green Options. Perhaps it is more of a collection of blogs, all focused on discussing greener options for our world. They discuss food-growing methods, handmade goods, starting green businesses, fuel-efficient cars, and so much more. My favorite section is the Family and Lifestyle section which includes four distinct blogs, Crafting a Green World, Eat. Live. Better., Eco Child's Play, and Feelgood Style.

I recently discovered two contests through Green Options which I decided to post here. Threadless.com is hosting a design a green t-shirt contest that I'm dying to enter if I can only come up with a good enough idea. Today, Kelly Rand, a featured curator on Etsy, posted another contest for Upcycled Projects through Sublime Stitching.

Strawberry Banana Goodness

Ever since I tasted the freshness of in season, local food, I've been on the move toward a more natural lifestyle. I began by shopping at farmers markets when possible and choosing All Natural food choices at the grocery store. The benefits, I think, far exceed the added costs of purchasing natural products. Also, there is a difference in natural and organic. I haven't yet committed to organic in the same way I have committed to natural, but it's certainly not out of the question. When possible I still aim to purchase organic as well. Organic has more to do with farming methods, while natural ingredients refers to items that are free of preservatives and other chemical additives.

My newest personal 'fad' is smoothies. I've been playing around with them for a month now, and since my roommate provided me with some handy smoothie recipe cards, I've decided to have a smoothie of the week. I'm hoping this will allow me to have plenty of ingredients on hand without having an overflowing freezer. I can focus on having only one recipe's ingredients at a time, while perfecting the proportions and experimenting with alterations before moving on. I'd also like to add this to my list of in season food options, using seasonal fruit whenever possible. This week's smoothie: Strawberry Banana Goodness.

Journals, Conferences, and the possibility of travel

My shop is now open!

awfullybigadventures.etsy.com

And I've already made two sales. With the shop open I don't see much in that way of hope for my kitchen table getting any cleaner, but I do see the potential for some books to be made. I recently made two out of green with slightly lighter green text pages. I'm also looking in to experimenting with the fabric from a broken umbrella to make something slightly waterproof. I just have to determine the best way to accomplish that.

My work for FOCUS, a conference for children's educators, is picking up rather quickly. This past week I worked in the office and we got the workshop descriptions I had been editing ready for and then up on the web. The final web preparation was an all day affair. complete with a lot of editing and moving things around and pdfs. Next on the list is assisting in room assignments for the actual conference and then beginning to pull the program book together. I foresee some long days ahead.

Despite the project requiring a lot of time (and much more to come), I've really enjoyed working on it and hope to find more like it in the future. I've had the opportunity to write and edit content for the website, e-mails, and other publicity; I'm hosting a facebook group for the event; I will have the opportunity to compile and work on the program book; and I'll be attending the event and just discovered I'll be in charge of taking care of the exercise groups. Each task is unique and challenging in its own way and has given me the opportunity to see how much I enjoy this type of work.

Workshop Descriptions

Also, I'm hoping to plan some sort of travel in the near future. Any ideas?

awfullybigadventures.etsy.com

I'm finally in the process of opening up my Etsy journal store! I've been working on this for a few months, making books and refreshing on the different techniques I learned in my class in Italy. I spent yesterday evening sewing a few more single signature books and one Japanese style with newsprint that turned out pretty nice. I'm also in the process of making a custom wedding guest book and photo signature book for my friend Julie's wedding.

It feels great to be back in the bookbinding swing of things except that my apartment is too small and is now a complete mess! I have taped bricks on the dining room chairs and paper across the table and glue on the counter and a stack of books on my couch to keep them from getting lost amidst supplies. Paper, glue, paper knife, awl, string, ribbon, scissors, pens, exactos, rulers. They are everywhere. I've never had so much trouble finding a spot to photograph.

I'm sitting on the floor between my "dining room" and kitchen right now typing this because there's no where else to sit. I'm taking my computer with me to work so I can work on typing descriptions and editing photos. I need space!

She calls me Sarah...

I was working last night, closing. We have this customer we occasionally refer to as Crazy Mary who comes in and sits and talks to everyone around her and won't leave until you walk her to the door at close. I dread her coming in. I see her come through the front door, and I bolt to the back room to avoid getting stuck in a long conversation of smiles and nods and "Alright Mary, I've got to get back to work." But people seem much more eccentric when you are ignorant of their situation.

Last night we were slow and our cafe was mostly empty when Mary arrived. She talked to me briefly, mentioning multiple times how empty the place seemed then proceeded to the back where she sat down. When I told her we were closing and she had to leave, she seemed sad and lonely, and I saw, for a short moment, how she's not all that crazy, but mostly lonely. She comes to our store because she can sit there and drink a mocha and usually find someone to listen to her, if even half-heartedly.

Perhaps Crazy Mary is really just a lonely woman who finds its easier to talk to herself than no one at all.