Birke Baehr on the problems with our food industry

You might have noticed from my last post that I've been thinking a lot about food lately. I've been struggling with the cost of maintaining a healthy, ethical, nutrient-rich diet, especially with student loans looming.

This 11 year old finally said what I needed to hear. "We can pay the farmers, or we can pay the hospitals." Well darn. I guess that 'bout settles it!

Seriously, this guy has so many good points it's pretty hard not to agree with him.




P.s. I like Kale chips too. In fact, I'm about to make a batch!

I came across this video while reading Crystal Nelson's Blog.

Are You My Target Audience?

When I first started selling my jewelry I didn't really think it would ever be something that I did full time. Even after completing my degree, it took a while for the reality to sink in. Jewelry. It's what I do. Somehow in five years it just crept up and became an all-encompassing part of my life.

The problem with starting a business so loosely is that there comes a time when you need to take a major step in order to optimize your time and energy spent branding, marketing, creating, and networking. The difficulty comes when you're not sure what that step is. Because my business has grown so organically over the past 5 years, it's hard to decipher exactly what I need to do next. I'm too close to it.

A friend of mine is starting up a new business (Stellar Sunshine Hoops) and I have a blast troubleshooting and coming up with ideas for her, but I can't always do that for myself. I really miss being at that stage where every step was a big one.

I mentioned earlier this week that one major project I have going on is my new website. It's finally much more in line with how I've always envisioned it but the research and development of it has led me to wonder about my focus. Up until now I've been sort of "throwing mud at a wall". Spread my work around and see who likes it, what sticks. This year has been especially experimental because I have so many new events going on and a lot of them have been complete failures.

What it comes down to is this. I have to finally ask the question "who is my target audience?" Who do I have something to say to? Who's life can I improve? Who's questions can I answer?

I need your help!

Why do you read my blog (or tweets, or facebook updates)?

What is it about me that interests you?

If you're a fan of my jewelry, why?

You can e-mail me your answers (robinmsills [@] gmail [.] com), or leave them in the comments. I'd really appreciate it if you'd take a minute to get back to me on this.

Argentina: Retrospective

1. It's a plan!, 2. Old Man Plant, 3. Zorro with his tools, 4. Can't help myself..., 5. My view, 6. Onion, Carrot, Garbanzo Bean Soup!, 7. Mom and Me at Casa Rosada, 8. Packing up, moving out, 9. All bundled up, 10. Cacti!, 11. Glad I Wasn't Driving..., 12. Ninja!, 13. "Little Bird, Big World" Inspiration

Argentina is the single biggest topic of my year, and therefor deserves her own post! This isn't to say that nothing else happened since I left Argentina, but I think it's safe to say that the bulk of my excitement took place during those 5 and a half months (or really, during the last month). I learned to weave, to cook, to speak Spanish, to identify birds (in Spanish!), and to have faith. I taught Federico (the man at the hardware shop) to make hula hoops! I learned to party, I learned to navigate, to observe, and to take things as they come (though robbery is hard to let go). I learned that friendly knitters are universal but good yarn is not. I learned that I can feel at home in another land. I learned to slow down and then promptly forgot in the instant my plane hit the tarmac...we're just not a mellow people!

Looking back, Argentina has had a profound impact on me. Some lessons have been forgotten, but I am left with a profound need to go back with awareness I have now and see what new lessons await me!

...Just another clown throwing fire at the sky...

This is a very special Music Monday! It's my first post from home! That's right, the trip has ended and I am back in New York. I would say the adventure has ended, but I have begun so many new friendships and I have changed so much that I know that Argentina is not done with me.



A Juggler Out in Traffic - Richard Shindell, from his album Not Far Now

This song is a special one. Shindell's music has always struck me but I feel a closeness with those songs he writes from his experiences in Argentina. On my last day in the city I was running errands and walking through my old neighborhood, remembering. I came to an intersection and found two young men juggling pins in front of traffic. They finished their routine and I was happy to see the number of hands reaching out of car windows to offer change. I smiled, remembering this song. Two blocks later I came across another juggler who seemed to just be learning. He finished his routine too late, and the light turned before he could pass his hat. It occurred to me that there is an art to what they do, beyond their talent. On my way home I took the Subte and to my delight my favorite group of street actors just happened to be in my car. I gave them a smile and one last token. They don't know how much they light up my day, how much people appreciate the relief and amusement that they offer to the city.

I am thrilled to be home, and there were times that I felt strong resentment towards Buenos Aires but I am finding that all I can remember are the good things. I'm grateful for this song as a moment to recall the city I called home for those short but powerful five months.

Want more Music Monday? Click here!

I don't need a passport to walk on this earth...

This song is called Hello Bonjour and is available on Michael Franti and Spearhead's album Yell Fire!

I think Michael Franti says it all. I'm leaving really really early tomorrow. I'm so sad to say goodbye to my new friends, but excited to make new ones! Ceci and my Argentine "Banana FoFana" family threw me a "surprise" party (the surprise had to be aborted when I made plans to go out this evening! As for Banana FoFana, I'll explain that another time!). I'm putting (parts of) Michael's lyrics below so you can read through them. I'm not packed, and I'm leaving in about 7 hours. I'm sorry this is late!

This video was filmed in Ireland. Pay special attention to 0:09 - 0:13. That blue and yellow flag? Boca Juniors, baby! Argentine soccer...what what!

___

I don't need a passport
To walk on this earth,
Anywhere I go cause I was made of this earth
Im born of this earth,
I breath of this earth,
And even with the pain I believe in this earth, So
I wake Up every mornin and Im steppin on the floor,
I wake up every mornin and Im stepping out the door
I got faith in the sky,
Faith in the one,
Faith in the people rockin underneath the sun
Cause every bit of land is a holy land and
Every drop of water is a holy water and
Every single child is a son or a daughter of the one Earth mama and the one Earth papa, So
Don't tell a man that he can't come here cause he got brown eyes and a wavy kind of hair, And
Don't tell a woman that she can't go there because she prays a little different to a God up there
You say you're a Christian
Cause God made you
You say you're a Muslim
Cause god made you
You say you're a Hindu and the next man a Jew
Then we all kill each other
Cause God told us to NAH!

-Hello, hello!
-Bonjour, bonjour!
-Hola, hola!
-Konnichiwa, konnichiwa wa!

....complete lyrics available ::here::

___

Want more Music Monday? Click it!

Fiber Friday: Mandy Greer

from The Silvering Path

Mandy Greer is a Seattle, WA based sculptor who's recent works are about "making visceral transitory states of the human emotional experience tangible through the overabundance of crocheted, knitted and sewn fabric." I can't recall how I stumbled across her blog (though I suspect that Ravelry was involved) but I'm incredibly drawn to her work!

This gorgeous image is a part of her newest process-based installation piece, Mater Matrix Mother and Medium. In this work Greer invites the public to take part in the creation of a 200ft fiber river, incorporating recycled yarns and fabrics, as a way of celebrating the urban streams and creeks of Seattle. She writes, "I want to make a space for dialogue, allowing people to tap into their emotional memories of water and their desires and frustrations concerning our relationship to the environment. Our hands will be knotting together ideas as we ask ourselves 'what has happened to our sense of the sacred quality of water?'"

from Mater Matrix Mother and Mater

If you're in Seattle this summer consider taking part! If you can't participate in person, follow along on her project-specific blog MaterMatrixMother

Looking for more Fiber Friday? Click it!

Keep it rolling!

Etsy Buy Handmade RobinMarie

Last Thursday when I announced my "Giveaway, of sorts" I said that it would end today. Unfortunately I've been having some technical difficulties with my mailing list, and I don't want them to miss out! I've found a better system and I'm moving forward, but I've decided to extend my offer until next Thursday instead of ending it today! You have another week, so head on over to see how it works!

A huge thank you to all who have participated! The feedback is really helpful for me! Don't forget to pass this on to your friends, because the person who refers the most people gets a surprise gift!

It's a Giveaway, of sorts!

ETA: CLOSED. Thank you all for your participation and support!
~~~

More like a lottery, except everyone wins!



Here's the sitch. I'm coming home in about 2 months and when I get home I'm jumping right back into the Craft Fair circuit. I need to start ordering supplies, and planning projects now so that when I get home I don't waste any time! What I need is feedback. I want to know what you like, and what you don't like. I want to know what I should keep working on, and what I should let go.

The way in which you can help me is simple! Check out what I've got in my shop, and tell me what you like. There's more than what you see above, so click on over and really look around. Then leave me a comment or a Twitter including the item(s) and what you think!

Why should you do this for me? Because each item has been assigned a random number, and each number relates to a discount, ranging from free shipping to %20 off total purchase. You don't have to use your discount for that item, you can use it for whatever you want! Of course, you don't have to use it at all, if you don't want to! Make sure I can e-mail you (if your address isn't on your blog or something, send it to me) so I can give you your discount code.


One last thing. Spread the word, and ask them to refer to you! The person with the most referrals by next Thursday gets another special surprise!

Some notes:
You have from now until Thursday the 18th.
If you have more than one favorite item that's great! I'll give you the most valuable discount code that applies. Just don't tell me they're all your favorite because that's no help! (Though it is very sweet)
If you don't like anything, or have constructive criticism, I'm always open to that as well!

Please, please help me out people! I need some feedback around here!

~~~~~

Some comments I've gotten off-blog:

Vivbro tweets: "@Soasa Shine Earrings are gorgeous you should have a matching necklace..,Flight Necklace is beautiful too......."

SunShinePatchwork convo'd:
"Now these are unique and beautiful, keep this style up...: Orange Framed
Keep making these and all of your earthy designs....... this necklace is sweet: Earth Goddess Necklace: Flora
These are beautiful, I love them...but theres soooo many on Etsy, scared they are getting played out ya know." Orange"

Nobody wants to change their own mind...

Is Love Enough - Michael Franti and Spearhead

Usually Memorial Day is a family holiday, a day off, a day to spend with the people I love. This year it's different because I'm far away, in another country, and I've been thinking. I've gotten a range of reactions from people when I tell them that I'm from the US. Most of the positive ones are from people who think NYC is a magical place, and they imagine that I live there and ride around in a limo and drink champagne with supermodels. Not so. Most often I get sort of an awkward "ohhh". You really reflect on your own country when you leave it behind, even if it's temporary, because you have to learn to navigate in your new environment, with new cultural norms and new social laws.

I've been robbed twice now (as I've written about) and my initial reaction is rage. Rage at a government for not employing adequate security in a HUGE city, rage at an economic structure that causes so many people to exist with so little. After fuming and storming for a while I realized what I really feel is rage at this society in which so few people extend a hand, or a smile, much less any help. Two weeks ago I started buying cookies and juice for a family of children that sits at the corner near my Subte stop. I've made friends with the business owners on my street, the man in the hardware store, the guys in the produce market, the Chinese family that owns the supermarket, the woman from Peru who sells fruit in the market on Estado de Israel. Once a week or so I visit the used book vendors near my Subte stop at school to have a chat and see what they've got. To get robbed after making these connections, after finally building a little community for myself, was almost enough to make me pull back completely. It has occurred to me over the last few days that if I do that I'll only be perpetuating the problem here. I can't fix the economy, I can't make the city hire more police, but I can show people that I care, that I am interested in their stories. I can show them that I am human, and they are human, and we are all human together. We all have stories, in that we are all the same.

It was difficult to find a song that was appropriate for today because I wasn't sure how I was feeling about the day. I'm not a political blogger, and I'm grateful for that. I hesitate to share political views because so often they shut down opportunities for conversation, rather than opening them. I'm still an idealist. I support our troops as human beings, and because they protect the rights that I have as a citizen of the United States. I do not support the global social and political mindset in which guns and bombs are necessary to secure our beliefs. I do not support the decision to bowl through other countries on the basis that we know what is good for them, without allowing them to search for their own new way of life. I believe in human connections, regardless of how we name it in our churches and temples. I believe we should bring our troops home because if we really, truly respected them as human beings we would not ask them to die for us without first trying to resolve our problems in a human, non-violent way. We are distinct in the animal kingdom because we alone have the ability to chose how we arrive at our future. I believe we should exercise that ability and speak, in memory of all who have given their one, single, irreplaceable life.

Looking for more Music Monday? *They're usually not politically driven!*

South America Sunday: Little Bird, Big World

"Little Bird, Big World" Inspiration, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

I took this photo while waiting on the corner of my street, Loyola, and the closest avenida, Scalebrini Ortiz. I was just sitting watching cars and people rush by, and this little pigeon was standing at the edge of the crosswalk. I snapped this shot and that's when the new name for my blog occurred to me. I feel a lot like a little pigeon here, just one in the crowd with people rushing by and paying me very little mind. Every day when I leave the house I'm not sure what I'll experience, what I'll come across, who I'll encounter. Leaving the house I feel like a little bird getting pushed out of the nest, learning to fly for fear of falling.

Fiber Friday

A Note: You may have noticed that things have changed around here. I've decided not to switch to WordPress after all the technical trouble I've been though already with them. It seemed more practical to keep my account here and just work with it. I still have some things to fix, such as the date to post title ratio (why is the date HUGE and the title tiny?) that so far has proved totally illogical. I'm actually very proud of how much I've learned in the last couple of days. What do you think? Is it too cluttered? I can't tell if I just need to get used to it or if I don't like it...Let me know your opinion(s)!

All that said, let's get to my fun new tradition! Fiber Friday! I have so many fun fiber things going on that I'd love to constantly bombard you with photos, but I'm trying to restrain myself. One on Friday, and maybe a WIP Wednesday... if I'm looking for an excuse.

Oops, originally uploaded by Soasa Designs.

The big pile on the left is mostly pure cotton with one chartreuse skein of cotton/silk blend. All that is destined to become a woven skirt (I hope!) In the back there are two beautifully rich skeins of pure wool, the deep gold a the gem tone variegated. The light green with the shawl pin is for my weaving class on Saturday, and it's an acrylic/wool blend. Before anybody freaks out that I went out and bought so much yarn today let me divulge, I did not spend more than U$S35. Yes, you read that correctly. South America is on my side this time!

Sandra Backlund

Photo by Annika Aschberg

Where have I been? Under a rock? How could I have possible missed this woman and her work!? I came across her on Cubist Literature!'s Flickr page and from there found SandraBacklund.com which you should ALL check out because it's fantastic! Her current collection is beautifully feminine, but has a strange floral/insect/sci-fi vibe to it.

Photo by John Scarisbrick

I find it incredibly compelling both visually and technically. Each piece has its own structure and design that is completely unique to her work. I think that they are compelling images for any person, regardless of their level of fiber-obsession. (Who, me?) Personally I find that they lead my mind towards some sort of tribal armor, but not to the point that they're kitschy or obvious, just refreshing and powerful.

Photo by John Scarisbrick

"My work is very personal to me. I improvise and allow myself to lose control and see what happens if I do not think so much about practical things."
-Sandra Backlund

If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is.