Phinally!!! (I’m back and Ork Philly Poster)

I was so excited about getting an email today, that I have been awakened (at least momentarily) from my blog-less slumber.

Said email, was from Ork Posters. Designer, Jenny Beorkrem, first designed herself a poster of the neighborhoods of Chicago several years ago, after she was unable to find a suitable one to hang in her home. From there, she branched out to other U.S. cities (Brooklyn was an instant classic), and now even has a “map” of the human heart. But…

My current excitement is focused on the long-awaited completion of her PHILADELPHIA posters!!! And not only that, but our little ‘hood of Northwood has finally made it big-time (we have escaped the confines of Frankford)!

(Zooming in on Northwood)

There are phour Philly posters to choose from (all 18″ x 24″) – two that are hand-pulled silk-screened versions, and two that are professionally press-printed. And if you know anything about me, you know that I can’t make a decision…especially not a tough one like this!

I love the idea of Eagles teal on Packing Brown Wrap paper…but “Street Grey” on Berrylicious blue paper? And the pop of white ink on Gumdrop Green? But then, who can resist the classic appeal of Black and White?

Hmm…maybe I should get one of each, and hang them throughout the house…What do youse guys think?

Classic Design: Emeco 1006 (Navy®) Chair

I have always loved this chair.

So, I was excited to find out that the company that has produced it for the past 65 years, is located only three hours from here, in Hanover, Pennsylvania!

Emeco, Inc. first started producing the No. 1006 chair during World War II, for use on Navy ships and submarines. The design was developed according to stringent requirements that the chairs be extremely light, non-magnetic (so as not to interfere with Naval instruments), and both fire and corrosion-proof. Another stipulation was that the chairs not be able to be dissasembled for use in weapons manufacturing by the enemy. The result was a practically indestructible, one-piece aluminum chair, that has clearly stood the test of time. Form + Function = Classic Design!

I admire Emeco for continuing to make this chair in essentially the same way as they did back then – their 77-step process has each chair passing through the hands of over 50 people from start to finish! I am dually impressed by their lack of complacency. They have not been content to rest on their past successes, but rather, have collaborated with designers such as Philippe Starck, Frank Gehry, and Ettore Sottsass (at the age of 90!), to come up with new designs consistent with their vision. In addition, they now make their chairs out of 80% recycled (40% post-consumer) aluminum. But, with their lifetime quality guarantee, the folks at Emeco believe that their products have classic staying power and hope they will never end up in the recycling bin.

On the Emeco website, there’s a really sweet series of documentary videos that gives a nice peek into the people and processes that go on in the factory everyday. If you like the chairs, I’d suggest checking them out.

Perhaps this is old hat to you, but hey, I’m easily excited.

Eating Outdoors Again!

Yesterday (and so far today), we’ve had a break from the constant rains that have been plaguing (uh, I mean, blessing) the east coast. So, last night, we ate dinner outside for the first time in quite a bit.

Lately, I’ve been semi-obsessed with Vegan Dad. It’s a really great cooking blog, and his photos make every recipe look absolutely mouth-watering. I’ve made several of his recipes recently, including Vegan Italian Sausages, Breaded and Baked Tofu Cutlets, and last night, Maple Balsamic Grilled Tofu (pictured above).

Yum!

Post (Flea) Market Report

I’m finally getting around to posting photos from the OCCCDA Flea Market last weekend. It was a pretty slow day, and it ended a tad early when the sky suddenly broke open with a downpour. This was the first time the OCCCDA had organized a flea market, and we already have some ideas on how to improve it for next time. But, I’m glad to say, I did make a few bucks.

Becky and I shared a space. My table is on the left, Becky's on the right. Say hello, Becky!

Thanks to Tim for building me the button display stand and divider for my letter button tray. And thanks, of course, to all the peeps who came to check out my table!

Eventually, I’ll get the greeting cards and letter buttons into the online shop.

Flea Market this Saturday!

As I promised, here is a peek at a few things I’ve been working on lately.

I will have these items at the OCCCDA flea market this Saturday (June 13th), along with the other products I currently have in my online shop. As I mentioned before, I’m sharing a space with Becky of Lucky Dog Accessories. She’ll be selling her cute handmade ID holders, hand bags, and dog collars. We will be set up in the OCCCDA parking lot starting at 8am and will be there until as late as 3pm.

PTA business cards in tin holder

One-of-a-kind letter magnets made using pages of vintage Boy Scout badge booklets

One-of-a-kind magnets made from pages of a vintage bird guide

Stack of greeting cards (with envelopes) also made with vintage book pages. Available greetings: Happy Fathers Day, Happy Birthday, Congratulations, Good Luck, & Hello

Take home your purchase in one of these little bags !

Please stop by on Saturday to say hello and check out our stuff!

pizza night

Last week, I decided to try to my hand at making some whole wheat pizza dough from a recipe in an issue of Everyday Food. I made one batch of dough (I had wanted to double it, but didn’t have enough yeast), shaped six amorphous mini-crusts, and froze them for later use.

Normally, on a Tuesday evening, we would have gathered with several other families from our neighborhood for Pizza Night. But last night, the hostess wanted a break from hosting, so we were all on our own. With pizza already on our minds, Tim and I broke out the frozen crusts for our own little pizza night at home.

I made up four pizzas (although three would have sufficed): green pepper & onion, fresh tomato with Pecorino Romano & arugula, and two variations on margherita (one with ricotta and one without). Considering it was my first time making the crust recipe, they came out well (although, next time, I will bake them a bit longer to get the crusts nice and crispy). Paired with a Sam Adams Black Lager, they were (as my Grandpa Andy used to say), “Dahhh-licious”.

So, here’s to pizza nights…both big and little.

P.S. – I’ve been working on getting all my stuff ready for the OCCCDA flea market on Saturday, and I should have a few sneak pictures here tomorrow.

PTA, TSA, & OCCCDA

I just finished up a reorder of custom buttons for Tiger Strikes Asteroid, the co-op gallery Tim is a part of. They have a new show opening Friday night. If you’re in town, take a look see.

I’ve also been working on some new buttons and greeting cards that I’m trying to have ready for the OCCCDA flea market next Saturday (June 13th). I’ll have everything I currently have in the online shop, plus some new stuff. I’m sharing the space with my friend Becky, who makes handbags and dog collars.

Come out and check us out…please!!!

Before & After: McCobb Headboard

My use of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on my Pro-Keds was just a bonus side trip on the road to its original intention.

Last fall, we won a McCobb headboard on ebay for $50. We picked it up in Connecticut en route to our anniversary weekend spent in Concord, MA. While we were loading the piece into our car, the guy told us to just take it – no charge. It had been part of his mother’s bedroom set, and he was glad to see it go to a good home. Nice! (But, I do wish we had gotten a few of the other pieces of the set…)

The headboard is not in perfect condition (but, hey, neither is anything else in our house). Overall, though it’s a solid piece. The top had a lot of water rings (many bedtime water glasses) and scratches (more like graffiti), and the sliding grasscloth panels had some nonuniform staining. So, I applied Howard Restore-A-Finish in Golden Oak (the lightest shade available at our Home Depot) to all the wood, and Erased away with all my might on the sliding panels. And here are the results:

As distracting as that nasty wall paneling is, I hope you can see why I am so happy with the way the panels came out (not quite as happy as I was about my Pro-Keds, though!).

As for the wood – most of the water rings have been greatly reduced. But, I’m thinking we should have used the lighter Maple/Pine shade of Restore-A-Finish (the piece is maple, afterall). Because now, the scratches are more accentuated. Now, we can more clearly see that, at some point, someone really wanted us all to “Eat at Joe’s”.

Before & After: Royal Hi

I love Pro-Keds…evidenced by the fact that I have five pairs (and want more).
I really shouldn’t be buying more sneakers right now, so keeping the ones I have looking good, is about the best I can do.

Enter Mr. Clean Magic Eraser:

All the scrubbing I’ve ever done before with soap, water, and a toothbrush has never gotten the dingy outsoles this clean. I mean, it’s like years of ground in dirt has been magically erased…from existance!

(My pair of Royal Hi Pro-Keds before and after an encounter with Mr. Clean)

Excuse me, now I have to go soak the laces! (This has me way too excited.)

Shop Update: Natural Candles

I just added some all-natural candles to the shop. I have several of each scent,
and if I sell out, I’ll consider making more.

Available in four scents:

Stay tuned for some other new stuff…