Thursday, September 29, 2011

How Do I Love Coffee? Let Me Count The Ways...

September 29 is National Coffee Day! I could not possibly allow this day to pass without sharing a little ode to all things caffeinated.



I can't imagine a world without coffee. In fact, you probably do not want to imagine a world where I exist without coffee. Just sayin'.

I'll take mine with two creams and two sugars, please. =)

I orchestrate my mornings to the tune of coffee. ~Terri Guillemets

Blog Hop Party Weekend!

Join in the fun this weekend and discover some fantastic, creative bloggers!

To participate in Finding New Friends Blog Hop, simply meander over to The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug's page to get started.

Here in upstate NY, it's going to be a rainy, chilly weekend...what better way to spend it than to curl up with a nice fleecy blanket, steamy cup of coffee and visit some new, interesting blogs?




Friends are relatives you make for yourself. ~Eustache Deschamps

Friday, September 2, 2011

Have Yourself An Indie Little Christmas

I know, I know...it's only September and some may scoff at even the mere suggestion of starting to think about the holiday season. And believe me, besides being a "Creatrix", I am also a "Procrastinatrix Extraordinaire". You know how around the third week of December, there's a last minute stampede frantically busting through every shopping mall and retail outlet store? Ahem. Yes...that's where you'll usually find me...swearing and cursing under my breath and mother effing every other last minute fool who, like me, just *had* to wait until the very end to do their gift shopping.

So yeah, I'm not here to suggest you start your Christmas/holiday shopping now (but if you are a savvy consumer, you'd probably not mind getting the ball rolling, however slowly).

Speaking of consumption, I have to say that I am not a fan at all of the consumerization of Christmas. It totally ruins the spirit of the season when greed and going into debt become more relevant to the holiday then say, peace and goodwill. I've gotten over the notion that I have to spend beyond my means to have a good holiday season...and in recent years, my family and friends have come to appreciate that gifts from me will be meaningful and personal, rather than blingy- over-the-top and ridiculously expensive. Which is a good thing, because the past few years have been lean ones monetarily.

So today, on this early September afternoon, I suggest that during the holiday season, you experiment with merry-making the Indie Way. Instead of giving presents that are manufactured, mass-produced and fuel for corporate profit, why not seek out gifts that express authenticity and help support truly talented artists and individuals who take pride in the process of creating?

"When I shop indie, I'm buying a hadmade, hand-designed gift for someone I love. I may not be able to design it myself, but I can give it to support that organic creative process. When I think about an indie gift, I have to really know my friends and family members so I can get them something that is not only specially crafted for them, but that they will love. There's no point in buying handmade just to do it--I still want to give someone a gift that will bring them joy. When I buy indie, that means that I'm not buying some gadget or a DVD that, while appreciated, is not particularly personal. I'm stepping out of consumerism and into relationship, because of the amount of thought and planning that goes into purchasing an indie gift."

{via Wisebread}


Do you shop indie when looking for gifts? What do you think about Fair Trade Stores and online marketplaces such as Etsy.com?