sustainable systems & storytelling
An old friend once said that your area of expertise should be an inch wide and a mile deep. Basically, one should have a very narrow specialty and be the most knowledgeable person in the world on the topic. It makes sense unless, like me, you are interested in dozens of different distinct things. In... Continue Reading →
My good friend has an 8-month old daughter and I have been meaning to make her a little outfit. This last weekend, it finally happened! I sewed up the Ruffled Romper pattern from OhMeOhMySewing on Etsy. It was such a fun project, through it took far more time and thread than I had anticipated! There... Continue Reading →
Well, a few months ago, I received notice that my local library was opening back up and would be offering curbside pickup. Score! I began excitedly placing requests in the online system, none of which were ever fulfilled. I finally tapped into the old folks' skill of picking up the damn phone. Despite a full... Continue Reading →
I recently read a few lines on creativity that really struck a chord with me. I believe in a creative metabolism working in a way where I have ingestion periods. Then, I have gestation periods. Then, I have output periods. I feel like these three things are really, really important, and they work hand-in-hand, but... Continue Reading →
For the last several years, I have been experiencing a strange and frequent hiccup-like sensation, wherein I involuntarily gasp and release a loud, squeaky squawk. Imagine the sounds of a hiccup reversed and them amplified. It sounds absolutely ridiculous. It's nearly impossible to convince those around me that I'm not faking the most embarrassing sound... Continue Reading →
Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your participation in my recent poll. You've stirred my creative juices and given me some good ideas to run with. You are the best, and I appreciate you being here. So, without further ado, here are the top choices that YOU asked for, along with my thoughts on... Continue Reading →
While most of America is thinking about wool and Goretex, this desert rat is thinking about linen, cotton lawn, and the impending Phoenix summer. Last year, we suffered the the most brutal summer in history--145 days of triple digits, 53 days over 110, and 14 days over 115, and only two days of measurable rain.... Continue Reading →
The other day, I read a blog post by artist Austin Kleon on how blogging is a forgiving medium, as compared to ink, pastels, or performance. You can quietly go into correct a typo and no one will be the wiser. You can update an opinion, or simply click delete button if an old thought... Continue Reading →
Lately, I've felt a bit lonely and nostalgic for the good ol' days of blogging. In my early-20's, I would work my full-time job from 9am-5pm, then work my part-time job from 6pm-12am. I would go home to write for another hour or two, only to wake five hours later to repeat the same routine.... Continue Reading →
Ashen clouds billow and sprawl across the northern sky,sauntering slowly over Pike's Peak and Black Mountain.Elegant dress hems are momentarily caught on rising hilltopsas Phoenix welcomes her queen and savior. Clear blue skies bow to their guest and retreat,feathery white ice crystals trailing behind.The navy-gray scene becomes a black and white film,thick gray clouds fading... Continue Reading →
My brother has taken up walking during quarantine and requested an attention-grabbing fanny pack to take along on his adventures for Christmas. I searched far and wide and landed on the Proper Fit Clothing Fanny Pack Utility Bag Pattern, which has multiple pockets, adjustable straps, nylon webbing to secure carabiner hooks, and a water bottle... Continue Reading →
On the path from my front door to the adjacent artificial lake--home to the migratory geese that couldn't recognize spring--my eyes drifted up from the inky asphaltto a flock of iridescent angels, shimmering whiteagainst the sky-bound seas of the high desert. On the final day of the year in which machines forced last breaths into... Continue Reading →
For several years now, I've seen fellow sewists discuss the Make Nine Challenge. I love the idea of committing to projects, and I've historically set similar goals for writing, reading, budgeting, and all other areas. I took sewing lessons each summer as a child and would show up to the first class with a list.... Continue Reading →
my dreams lie dormantamongst this rotting metropolisnestled beneath the 13th floor awningcramped in the crevice betweenthe croissant connoisseurs and the well-dressed menwielding pink tape measures my dreams are dying in this suburban shoe box,lined with thin, decorative paper depictingmidwestern corn fields and a whale journeying homebrown-tipped pothos dangle daintily from the ceilingpeering down at tiny... Continue Reading →
After six months of donning a P100 respirator, chemistry googles and nitrile gloves in public, my boyfriend recently mused as to why--of all the verbal assault we had heard about--none had been directed at the most cautious person around. Yesterday afternoon, I received a text stating "It finally happened" and I knew exactly what it... Continue Reading →
existential ergonomics 
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