putting this blog to bed.

my posting here has slowed way, way down on this ol' craft blog. i will always be making things--mostly now it's hoops. And much of what i do--writing, hooping and pole--is my craft that i don't feel compelled to blog at all.

and to be perfectly honest, i don't follow many blogs anymore. to be super duper honest, i get annoyed when i see the posses of bloggers and twitter-ers (one and the same) that seem to think exactly alike. if i've read one, i've read a thousand. i can't pick out their unique voices, because there doesn't seem to BE a unique voice.

i'm not interested in sponsorships, giveaways, book deals, getting listed on babble (not sure what that is) or getting paid to review products.

i don't want to blog daily. i don't want to tweet multiple times daily. so much of it feels all the same to me.

i want to go deeper. as much as i love the 'net (too much really), the time that i invest here takes time away from the things i really want to do. i don't want to feel that guilt. when i first started blogging my goal was to learn to knit. i tried really hard, and i gave up on it. it's not my thing.

i realize that when i started this i was trying to emulate an ideal. some of it's authentically me, some of it was not.

much of what i discovered is authentically me doesn't fit into the narrow description of 'craft blog' that i labelled this.

i have many opportunities converging on me at this very moment. letting this go opens me up even more, to so much!

i love my life. here's to creativity in ALL its incarnations, and to lives authentically lived.

the end.

From lips to landfill 364 days a year. One day isn't enough, Starbucks

(so I got fired up this morning. this will be a column.)

            The night before Earth Day I learned that Starbucks has a yearly campaign to give a free fill-up of coffee or tea to anyone who brings in their own reusable mug on Earth Day.

            In the words of Shania Twain: that don’t impress me much.

            It sounds good, at first.  But a closer look and some critical thinking makes it obvious that Bucks isn’t as green as they claim, and in fact this is a great example of greenwashing, when a company tries to appear more eco-friendly than they really are.

            Let’s start with the paper cups, which are bleached.  Not good.  Why doesn’t Bucks use unbleached cups?  And if you think the paper cup is recyclable?  Think again.  Well, technically it is, since everything is recyclable, but right now?  Nope.  

            The cup goes from your lips to the landfill.  It’s got a plastic coating, making the recycling process much harder (and nixes its compostability.)  Supply creates demand though, and if Starbucks collected the cups—numbering around three billion a YEAR—recycling centers would respond. 

            And?  There are compostable paper cups in green coffee shops RIGHT NOW…but not in Starbucks.

            Coffee shops truly trying to be green will—first and foremost—promote reusable mugs and cups.  Do Starbucks employees ever ask ‘for here or to go?’ and serve ‘for here’ customers drinks in ceramic mugs?

            I’ve never seen that happen.  

            Bucks also touts on their website that they give 10 cents off customers drinks when they bring their own mug.  Even though ten cents is lame, how many people know about the ten cents off?  If Bucks really wants to make an environmental change, where are the signs reminding customers to bring their reusable mug or to get their drink in a ‘for here’ mug?         

            Admittedly, I rarely step inside a Starbucks, but I’ve never seen such a sign.

            Clearly, paper throwaway cups are the standard, which is totally backwards.  And if you do bring your own mug, baristas often forget that you did and put your drink in a paper cup anyway.  Or, they measure your Cinnamon Dolce in a paper cup before pouring into your reusable cup.  Both defeat the purpose. Palm to forehead.

            Back to Earth Day and the Starbucks free drink promo.  Seems like a way to get all warm and fuzzy, like you’re actually helping the Earth by driving to Bucks for a free cup of Joe.  It’s a good gimmick, but little more than that.  

earth day giveaway: bling, string and spring

I love this divine twine!  For an Earth day giveaway that includes these ten colors, a necklace, and a cute reusable bag, The Green Bag Lady is giving away ten of these sets.  Check it out here.

my new 'office'

Last week, in a week of heavy writing deadlines and other such things, i got this wild and crazy idea that i needed an office.  right now.  let me back up--we've never had the space to dedicate to an offic or anything, so a desk has always been in our bedroom (didn't like) or in our dining room (didn't like that, either).

i decided that i would move the desk into what was Lily's room, and then Calvin's room (though it was still pink and purple) and that Calvin would be happy sleeping upstairs 'with the big kids.'  then we'd all be happy, right?  oh, i tried it almost a year ago! Fail!

i bought the paint the next day--picking colors that surprised me even (hello--brown??), and started painting.

in the midst of this i'm still working like crazy on writing deadlines and did i mention, we're switching from a pc to a mac?  i guess i know that i work better under pressure, so i was on fire.

today i got the finishing touch, a rug, so it's pretty much done aside from some finishing quarter round that may or may not get done this year.  here we go....

Before:

one end of the room

the other end.  what a mess!

getting prepped to paint

computer desk in the dining room

After:

the 'office' side

the playroom side

my music and files and some books, etc.

one of my favorite quotes, "here's to the crazy ones"

Yay, I feel like a pro now!

my seaglass ring

Custom made by Buffalo Lucy from this beautiful piece of sea glass I found on the Maine seacoast once upon a time.  I've wanted a seaglass ring for years and I am so thrilled!

I open the box and my immediate thought is: "I hope this bubblewrap has been recycled."

...then I see this note and it makes me smile.  Let's hear it for the eco-freaks!

cute box!

and there it is, isn't it lovely?

See more pics from Buffalo Lucy here, you can also see the lettering on the glass in one of the photos.