lazy sunday

the fountain square art fair yesterday went well. it was a beautiful day, there were visits with friends old and new, and even some sales. i'll take it. but what a welcome reprieve now. ready for that normal rhythm once more. and with a little help the morning's gentle rain here in the circle city, i think i've almost found it. a good sunday to you, too.

freitag bags

we watched the helvetica film last week and caught a brief glimpse inside the freitag factory. i had seen these types of bags around before, but upon searching for information about their specific company, subsequently revisiting and then revisiting their online shop some more, i became very intrigued by what they do.

F17 Joe messenger bag

since 1993, before the 3 R's really even caught on, let alone were cool, the freitag brothers have reused materials like nobody's business. old tarps, airbags, bike inner tubes, and car seat belts, to be exact. and there are several different types of items they make available, too.

F53 Denver wallet

F72 Donna bag

the prices may be steep, but if you're lucky you might be able to find some of these swiss beauties in a nearby shop of yours and save a few bucks, which always helps. and if nothing else, freitag's creative work certainly serves as inspiration in the realm of taking something old and making it new again. cheers to that.

now go and try that out for yourself, huh?

(all images via www.freitag.ch.)

over here

on the grounds at the indianapolis museum of art a few weeks ago

it's been awhile.  just wanted to let you know i'm still alive.  and thanks for checking in here and there.  i've missed you.

my excuse this time?  the short of it is that absolutely every last ounce of energy has been spent on work and settling into our home for the past couple of months (and on some wonderful visitors, too).  thankfully, i'm making a job change soon that will provide much more regular hours, not to mention what i think will be a slight increase in opportunities for artistic inspiration/expression.  all of this should help to get my feet back under me quite nicely.

that's really  just what i need---routine and inspiration---because i've signed up for another fair.  if you're nearby, be sure to check out the upcoming one in fountain square on september 19th.  if not, you'll still find pics of new lovelies here, and eventually in my etsy shop, too.

can't wait to find my rhythm in this space once more.  i'm excited about what's to come.

best to you,

abby

snail's pace

we find these discarded snail shells all over one particular section of our garden.  i love it.

in recent years i've not been one to read into things, or one to share any of my quieter daily thoughts, but the natural beauty of these small discoveries is too much.  

they are my companions.

for years it seemed like life was moving at a snail's pace.  day in, day out---with little joys along the way, sure---but the rhythm was the same.  slow and steady, despite all my efforts otherwise.

but we're here.  and after all this time, hundreds of job applications, and a handful of interviews, i finally have a job.

all i have to say about that is, tall, grande, or venti?

with thanks,

abby

gang's all here

we made it. we're in that house of ours and working steadily. you wouldn't believe all that's been going on. in the last two weeks we/i: - moved into a house - decided to paint nearly every room of that house

- started weeding a very full garden that had been sitting while our closing was delayed and central indiana experienced an unusual amount of rain (= lots of work to do) - resumed the morning ritual of an iced latte to accompany my online job search

- watched our bees build comb, brood, and store up honey

- bought a old patio set at the fabulous midland antiques - adopted a feral kitten that showed up on our back porch - celebrated a soggy 4th of July with my family where we played cornhole indoors - discovered CraftStylish, thanks to my sister, and upcycled a t-shirt into a cardigan - HAVE NOT touched my blogroll, unread posts easily reaching some mystery number over 1,000 much too long ago, and - HAVE missed this virtual space and am trying to rethink it's purpose, since it and you all have helped me stay sane while waiting for this dreamy living space to come true.

there's so much more, but at least you get the gist of things. for now i plan on sharing bits and pieces of what our new life in indianapolis looks like day to day, so stay tuned. one goal of mine is to get to you see just how great this little city is, ever full of surprises.

and not much longer until i unpack all my craft supplies, too. did i tell you this place has a studio above the garage? hope all is well with you, abby

the sun'll come out

it has rained in central indiana like you wouldn't believe.  june, you've been so soggy!  but i won't complain.  when it comes to weather, i love the rain the most.

**ANNOUNCEMENT**  today we are moving into that house.  can you believe it?  finally!  rain or shine, i WILL be dragging boxes and furniture and several cans of paint inside to make a house our home real quick.  (maybe a pizza, too.)

it's been a long road, and though i'm still looking for a job, things are definitely on the up.  we're living proof that you can weather life's storms to make it through and be better for it in the long run.

with thanks,

abby

did you know?

mmmmmm, kettle chips.  seeing as i'm that annoying guest who picks out the folded up, extra crunchy potato chips from the community bowl at get togethers anyways, kettle chips are right up my alley.  

wanna know what makes 'em even better?

"At Kettle Foods, we consciously use the healthiest sunflower and safflower oils, which is why we think it's fitting that we run a growing fleet of company vehicles on distilled vegetable oil, known as biodiesel. In fact, 100% of the waste vegetable oil from our production process is converted into biodiesel. This rich nectar that we like to call "Flower Power®" is a natural alternative to petroleum diesel fuel. Its use benefits all of us by saving as much as 8 tons in CO₂ emissions every year."

(quoted text, images, and lots more about sustainability at www.KettleFoods.com.)

summer on canvas

i've talked about my warm feelings for canvas shoes before.  now i feel it's time to revisit those youthful summer days.  here's just how it'll go down:

and when summer's over, i'll have evidence of the fun we've had rubbed all over those pretty sneaks.

(T56 shoe image and info about Tretorn's commitment to corporate social responsibility via www.Tretorn.com.)

your plot in life

with the growing season well under way in some places, a tip for community gardens might seem a little late.  either way, there may yet be lots of people out there who are desperately looking for a little local land to tend to, whether they've got some of their own already or not.

that was what i needed before i found the 61st street community garden in chicago.  if that's where you're at now, don't fret.  i just found out about this great group called the american community gardening association.  check out their mission to learn more of what they're into, as well as their database to find out how you can connect to a group in your area---be it rural, suburban, or urban.

and maybe you're not interested in gardening yourself, but you desire to dine on the in season fruits and veggies of those who do so for others professionally and closeby.  if that's you, check out local harvest to find a farm in your area that will happily deliver their oh-so-fresh produce and more to you on a weekly basis.  

i'm looking forward to a time when we've really moved into that house (remember how the bees and our boxes are already there?) and a time when i can harvest from our backyard and the front porch, too, thanks to farm fresh delivery.

(image via the ACGA website.)

weekend pattern

what's a weekend like for the unemployed?  still a weekend.  generally no new jobs post, so i either catch up on applying to ones i missed through the week, or i anxiously wait for monday and all of the new opportunities that could possibly unfold.  weekends = waiting also when you're in the final stages of buying a house.  no news comes as to when the closing has been rescheduled on a saturday or a sunday.   

so that will be my weekend.  but weekends = company, too.  most everyone else, including my working (thankfully) husband, is slowing down and we all have loads of time to hang out.  that is a good thing.  and when that good thing drives my introverted self into a stupor, i plan to sneak off into a corner and cook up a particular little handmade something from the book above.

if you just dabble in sewing, or you like the idea of dabbling, be sure to check out heather ross's weekend sewing during your next trip to the bookstore.  better bring your wallet, too.  save those so-called "simple" patterns from the craft store for another day when you've got a little more time, patience, and ambition to devote toward the matter.  in the end, this book might be a little more gratifying for you/me.

what are your plans?