HM....

I've ranted about my moral dilemma concerning Mall of America's fast-fad chain stores such as H&M and Forever 21 in this prior post and I've stuck to my guns (and my wallet) since then. I haven't given either of those brands a single cent since writing that rant, but with the spring/summer seasons creeping up on me I'm realizing that I'm in dire need of some necessities. Necessities such as sunglasses. And jeans that aren't full of holes. Necessities that I could probably scour thrift stores for but lack the time, or buy from local boutiques but lack the cash flow. Necessities that could be found in a snap at H&M...

Luckily for me (and my morals) the Low Impact Living blog has done some research for me. This article rates some of the top fast-fad fashion brands such as Gap (includes Old Navy and Banana Republic), Target, Forever 21, and H&M in relation to their environmental responsibility and social practices. Hmmm, it seems that H&M isn't exactly the big bad wolf I've made it out to be. Not that they are perfect by any means - or that shopping there is better than thrifting or buying locally or handmade - BUT the article does let me feel okay to rationalize buying a few things from them here and there.

Hole-free jeans here I come.

Stuporbowl XI

150 bike kids and a smart, sassy, lady from Chicago invaded my house last weekend.

Since my house was a 'sober stop' this year (wtf??) Becca and I made anyone who entered our territory don a "finger 'stache".

Here is the Chicagoan, Becca, helping my lady Stella model a "finger 'stache":



Stuporbowl XI kicked ass for many reasons this year. But mostly because a woman won all around first place! Hell yes! It made me crazy proud to be a lady biker in Minneapolis.

Here's the champ, Susan, with her "thumb 'stache":



Finger 'staches for all.

namesake

My two new favorite names:

Char Coal
Corri Ander

Yes. These are real people.

I know because I send them snail mail.

so very metal

If you can crochet metal you are my hero.

DEMAKERSVAN

the ice museum

One of the cool things about living in Minnesota is that, well, its cold. Without the mercury dipping below freezing on a regular basis there would be no ice. With no ice there would be no ice skating on frozen ponds, no amazing icicles hanging from my porch roof, no ice block sledding, and no Art Shanty Projects
. Really, what's a better time to make art than in the dead of winter? When even the thought of leaving the couch brings on a bout of the shivers, the Ice Preservation Fund is taking ice to a whole new level with The Ice Museum.

uniformly

This is my uniform. That one outfit that you always lean back on when you've overslept your alarm or are just too hung over to think straight in the morning hours... Each item may change a bit here or there, but the components stay the same - and the boots never come off.

tee: buffalo exchange
cardigan: target thrift
bandana: goodwill diggers
skirt: made by me
sweater tights: ?
boots that are surgically attatched to my feet: frye

What's your uniform?

ringing in the new year with a bang...

...more like a crash actually...

Icy roads and biking do not mix. Hopefully the rest of 2008 won't be quite as eventfull as the first few hours were. At least my gold dress was sparkly enough to draw attention away from my face...