Wednesday, May 27, 2009

the greenest of green

Memorial Day was one of the most beautiful days we have seen yet this Spring, and I spent it wisely. Walking my dog, digging in the dirt, feeling the sun on my skin- all the while feeling deeply grateful for being able to enjoy it all in a safe, healthy and peaceful environment.
I was also thankful that I had remembered to charge my camera batteries as I headed out the door to seek out and capture on film, the quintessential 'spring green'.
Luckily, the Beech trees that are so abundant on my property had been preparing themselves for this debut, and had at once decided to don their greenest of green foliage (or so it seemed!).
I will never tire of my 'seek and capture mission' that I embark on every Spring. Nor will I tire of speaking words of gratitude that when I decide my mission is accomplished, I can just walk home.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

see julia sew!

Finally got to watch the interview! I missed the broadcast last night (I don't own a TV) and my internet connection is a little slow... but it woke up this morning ready for streaming!
Watch it here... Or read it here !

Friday, May 15, 2009

lights! camera! action!

Woo-Hoo! I did it! I made it through my very first television interview without passing out from shear nervousness or babbling incoherently (at least I think I sounded somewhat intelligent)! Thankfully it was a recorded interview and not LIVE.
So this little slice of prime time media coverage came my way via a wonderfully observant reporter from the local NBC affiliate WLBZ Channel 2 in Bangor, Maine who had been dining at Finelli Pizza in Ellsworth. He spied my handmade recycled tote bags for sale there and thought that they were so totally cool that he just had to do a story about them (and their creator) for the evening news! The next day I got a call asking if I'd be willing to talk a bit about my business and especially my recycled tote bags. On camera...? Like for TV...? Ahh, yeah. Why, sure... Great, see you on Friday!
Well, good gravy! You would have thought I was awaiting my very first Brazilian-wax, given the way I was losing sleep and carrying on about this!
Turns out it was painless. Fun, actually! (the interview- not the wax)
Scott is an incredibly easy-going reporter AND camera-man. He is also really good at making you feel comfortable. Yup. He does it all- And at the same time! (He also promised- at my request -not to do any profile shots, and if I said anything really dumb, he would edit it out.)
But best of all, he didn't laugh at my dog when she came out to greet him wearing her clown collar- actually it's called an e-collar, one of those cone like rigs that keeps her from ripping out her post-op stitches. But really- it makes her look down-right comical. I mean, even I can't help but chuckle when I look at her! Well, Scott thought she was just the sweetest thing (she is) and ended up capturing Piper in all her cuteness on video, too.
The piece is tentatively scheduled to air Monday or Tuesday of next week- but stay tuned to this blog for an update on exactly when it will air. I will also post a link to it as soon as it is available!
And thanks again to WLBZ Channel 2 for giving me this wonderful opportunity to promote my business!
Check out and buy your own recycled tote bag (and lots of other cool stuff) here ...

Monday, May 4, 2009

but wait! there's more!

I had one of those odd little experiences the other day while out and about in the big city of Brewer, Maine. While the rest of my party was making a bee-line for one of those 'let's-see-how-many-imported-from-who-knows-where-useless-cheap-plastic-$1 objects-we-can-fit-into-one-store' stores, I felt an overwhelming urge to head next door and pay a visit to the Winterport Boot Shop- a locally owned and operated, hands-on (they actually measure your feet!) boot shop. Not that I actually needed or could afford new boots- but a girl can dream!
Anyway... I got to talking to Donna (who owns the shop with her husband, Mike) about my (apparently futile) search for American-made footwear. Her ears seemed to perk up when I mentioned that I flat out refuse to spend any more of my $$ on imported STUFF! Conversation quickly turned from boots to weightier issues like recycling and mass consumption- This is when she asked if I had seen this great little on-line film called 'The Story of Stuff'. I had not! But this kind and like-minded woman sent me off with a sticky-note emblazoned with the web address and an emphatic "You must watch this film!". And I did. Over and over.
This 20 minute diddy about 'stuff'- "From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view" is described by its creators as a "fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever." It did and it has. Thanks, Donna!
I wasn't sure what I was looking for when I walked into that boot shop, but I left with the answer.