your friendly neighborhood library

neglecting your neighborhood library? take another look. it's still the best deal around for free stuff. i've always loved the library. who hasn't? that little card gives access to so much...

the hoboken library is right across the park, less than 2 blocks from our home. it's housed in a lovely old building with museum-like art. when i didn't have internet access, the library helped me out with its free computer lab.

other perks for free membership:

**entertainment... movies, CDs and DVDs. while i have to wait on a list for the more popular movies, at least i'm not paying $$ to blockbuster!

**interlibrary loans... if hoboken doesn't stock my latest graphic novel picks, i search online from a database of many county libraries. after a quick online request and short wait, my book arrives!

**according to ideal bite, library use saves paper and oil: "More than 3.1 billion books are purchased in the United States each year, and most are made from nonrecycled paper and petroleum-based inks." and think of all the plastic saved from sharing DVDs and CDs!

**programming... our library has monthly special events, author appearances, and art exhibits (old photos of hoboken, local art, and more).

find your public library here and enjoy the perks...

experience the artisan life in hoboken

as i continue my quest to find the best in hoboken for local shopping and anti-mass consumer flavor, i have discovered a lovely store at 211 bloomfield street, samper artisans, that offers much more than yarns and knitting supplies. step inside this homey brick building to meet owner and artisan mercedes colyer, a hoboken native and pattern maker for the nyc fashion industry for many years. once inside, you will discover many unique treasures and gift ideas -- vintage clothes, jewelry, hand knit items -- while feeling that you stepped into someone's happy home. mercedes keeps her workspace in the center of the store so we chatted casually as i looked around.

she opened artisans years ago after working in the fashion world. mercedes is a master creator. i watched her work on several dresses, one of a kind retro-inspired clothes created in her in-store workplace. she explained that her love of crafts (needlecraft/knitting) converged with her love of vintage clothing, bags, shoes and collectibles. you can find cozy 100% woolen hand knit sweaters, hats, blankets and pillows.

mercedes recently expanded to producing one of a kind clothes, tailored to your size and liking, as well as selling fabrics, accessories and needles for sewing.

visit samper artisans and be cured of the mall, mass produced and online shopping habit forever!!

JUNK YOUR CATALOGUES

ugh! holiday madness & ultra consumerism creep up so quickly right after halloween. today alone i received 3 catalogues (2 from the same company). last season, i called a bunch of retailers for removal from their mailing lists. seems like the calls don't really help. but now i found a new approach... catalogue choice (see image top left to link to site) is a free online service that allows customers to choose the catalogs they no longer want to receive in the mail.

check it out, reduce your clutter & impact the earth! the online process is quick and easy...

from emagazine.com:

A study performed by Environmental Defense in collaboration with Catalog Choice examines the impact of junk mailings. Almost 20 billion catalogs are mailed each year, amounting to 3.6 million tons of paper and accounting for the destruction of 35 million trees. Deforestation contributes to about a quarter of all carbon pollution, the main cause of planet-wide climate change.

The study found these mail order solicitations have the lowest recycling rate of all printed raw materials, just 32 percent. The power used to produce these catalogs is enough to power 1.2 million homes a year, and it results in 5.2 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions—the equivalent to two million cars on the road. The production, delivery, accumulation, and disposal of catalogs contribute to global warming and water pollution from various sources. Reducing catalog numbers would be a first positive step.

Catalog Choice has amassed a large database of catalog companies and its users “opt-out” through a process similar to a “do not call” list. The initiative aims to improve the efficiency of catalog distribution by reducing the number of repeat unsolicited mailings, and promoting better environmental practices in the catalog industry.

...sugar sugar...

halloween is approaching. candy has been packed in the aisles at CVS since labor day. can we munch on chocolate without the guilt of sugar's history? i don't think so. last year i read sweet and low by rich cohen where he detailed his family's history of sugar substitute fortune. more guilt about the sugar trade and production, as well as our addiction to sweets. i basically have stopped eating "regular" chocolate. i've switched to fair trade or organic brands (dagoba, yum) and i would never look back.

i found some icky facts about sugar production from the green guide but also lots of fair trade treat options for the holiday:

Pesticides and fertilizers used in the production of sugar have led to the destruction of aquatic ecosystems. The loss of topsoil to cane fields has destroyed forest habitats. But sugar's sins start with the slave trade, as Europeans brought captured Africans to work in the cane fields of the Caribbean throughout the 18th century, where slaves died in greater numbers than in the U.S. Sadly, this legacy hasn't come to an end: The chocolate trade has encouraged forced labor in Africa as cocoa farmers sell their product at prices well below what they can afford.

Forty-three percent of the world's cocoa is produced in the Ivory Coast, where over a quarter of a million children work on cocoa farms without access to education and apply pesticides without adequate safety gear, conditions deemed abusive by the International Labor Organization. A staggering number, as many as 12,000 children, are likely to be forced laborers. Much of the impetus behind the use of child labor stems from insufficient income for cocoa producers. In 2002, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture found that cocoa revenues in West Africa average between $30 to $100 U.S. dollars per household member per year. To compensate, cocoa farmers seek out cheaper labor and resort to higher-yield sun-grown cocoa beans, which require significant deforestation. Because sun-grown beans are more susceptible to pests and diseases than those grown in shade, farmers use heavy doses of hazardous pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

The Goods

Divine Chocolate, partially owned by the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo, sells 100 percent fair-trade-certified chocolate. Pass out bite-sized milk chocolate eggs ($6.50/200 pieces; http://www.lwr.org/). Or give kids a chocolate treasure. Global Exchange is carrying Divine's Fair Trade Gold Coins, which read "Ghana Freedom and Justice" on one side and "Fair Deal for Cocoa Growers" on the other ($3.99/22 pieces; store.gxonlinestore.org).

Visit http://www.divinechocolateusa.com/ to search for retailers by state.

Equal Exchange's organic and fair trade Dark Chocolate Mini's are available for a limited time this Halloween. ($12/68 minis; eeretail.stores.yahoo.net).

For whole chocolate bars, try Alter Eco's certified organic and fair trade chocolate ($4.29/bar; http://www.altereco.com/, 415-701-1212).

Beyond labor issues, help reduce environmental frights by choosing candy made from organic sugar, which is produced without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers with methods that conserve soil. Try the Candy Tree's Organic Mixed Fruit Toffee, sweetened only with organic fruit juices and corn syrup and containing no artificial colors ($2.89/2.6 oz bag of individually wrapped pieces, http://www.veganessentials.com/) and Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops, made with 100-percent natural colors and flavors ($2.69/bag of 15; http://www.veganessentials.com/). Or buy a pack of organic candy mix including organic gummi bears, lollipops, root bear float candy and milk chocolate ($28/80 pieces; naturalcandystore.com/c-natural-candy-mixes).

...meet hoboken's karen marsh & her mackeyblue store of treasures...

we all have stuff we love to collect and treasures we adore from the past (for me it's vintage belts or ashtrays)... but hobokenite karen marsh has a distinct gift for finding the lovely among flea markets and antique sales. her store, mackeyblue, is a perfectly designed and visually pleasing shrine to her flea market finds. karen opened her store (on 12th between washington and bloomfield streets in hoboken) in december 2006 while working full time as an internet java developer. the origin of mackeyblue is a combination of a scottish surname (mackey, and her great grandmother's maiden name) and the color blue to which karen is drawn.

the store is open on Saturdays, 10:00 am - 7:00 pm; Sundays, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm; Wednesdays, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm & Fridays, 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm.

on my recent shopping trips, i discovered an old powder blue book of golf rules and etiquette (for my dad), a cute little, mustard colored mini-crock pot, and a handmade millinery brooch by sew nancy, an amazing local crafter (see left photo). the store is a visual delight-- there is so much to see yet the store does not feel cluttered or disorganized. karen's displays (such as the vintage cameras, jewelry, clocks & more) look natural and not forced as they transport you in pure nostalgia (i felt a pleasing wave of the past when looking at old baseball cards, pez dispensers, star wars glasses and other kitsch). i just love the way color is incorporated in her displays (karen designs by instinct, she's not trained in it, to my surprise) -- shades of one color grouped together or calming, peaceful colors that seem to elevate one's mood.




recently i asked karen a few questions about her passion for collecting:
SG: you're in the internet world for your career... so how did mackeyblue happen?


KM: Well it's sort of a long and windy road that got me there. I grew up always going to garage sales/estate sales and flea markets with my Mom and sister Julie. One day I was talking to a friend on the phone and she said she was refinishing a trunk she bought at an auction. I said auction? Where/when? Am I allowed to go? So that started the auction addiction. I pretty much started attending weekly. I only bought small things and started furnishing my house and then I'd buy gifts. Then friends started asking me to find them things. I love hunting and finding something that is a perfect fit for someone else (and a good deal to boot). As I would find things I would race home to look them up on the internet to try to find out what they were; did I find some hidden treasure; is it worth alot of money?!? This lead me to start selling on ebay as I found that some items were actually worth a little bit and I could actually make money. After awhile I accumulated quite a bit of left over items (often you buy box lots where you only want one thing, but you have to bid on the entire box of items or I would buy something that wasn't exactly right). I couldn't throw these items out. Throwing things away is not my nature. So I started having Gate Sales in Hoboken. People loved them. So I started a mailing list and holding them at least once a month.

SG: what is your best find?

KM: An old dental cabinet. It was gorgeous and had been painted over in that old green/blue paint. I sold it my first month at MackeyBlue, to Larry, a regular customer. Another great find was a portfolio of fashion sketches from the 30s - 50s. I love fashion (at one point I thought I would try fashion instead of IT and took a class at FIT in the city). But fashion is more fun to wear than create for me. Anyway, I found this portfolio and I had to pay quite a bit for it and I really didn't know what I was doing. But by taking a chance and going with my gut, I found that old fashion sketches and watercolors are very desirable, not to mention I really like them a lot. That's the crux of it right there, going with my gut. I see something and I can feel that it's a good thing. Most of the time I'm right. Also I listen to friends and customers and they share their creative ideas with me and I get exposed to lots of other ideas or new ways to view items which helps me in my shopping.

SG: tell me about your customers.

KM: Lots of regulars. I have customers who stop in every week to see what's new. We add new items every week and sometimes items only last a few hours on the shelf before they're snapped up. You need to come in often to see everything and even then it's probably impossible to see it all. Two of our large window pieces have lasted under a week: a retro china cabinet went in 5 days and just this week an empire oak side board lasted only 48 hours. That's the great thing about MackeyBlue... the ever changing inventory. You never know what you might find! I have lots of new customers too. Lots of people are just stumbling upon MackeyBlue for the first time and they often tell me how happy they are that they found my shop and how glad that this store is in Hoboken as all the little shops like mine unfortunately came and went.

SG: your favorite item to shop for?

KM: I am drawn to green things and blue things. Sometimes I have to ask myself if this item were orange or red instead of green would you still buy it. It's the aesthetic of the item, the shape, the color, the look, the detail about it that draws my eye. I also keep in mind the customers. I remember what they are searching for and I try to pick those items up. Often times what one person likes, lots of people like. For example, a friend of mine collects old cameras. So I started buying lots of them and holding them aside for her when she'd come visit. She'd go through them all and buy some and then I would sell the remainder at a Gate Sale. But then I started collecting them too. The old camera faces have such great appeal. Lots of them are very art deco/art nouveau. And I like the black and silver color combination.

SG: thanks for sharing your story and passion for finding treasures. you bring a new, creative spirit to hoboken!

What might you find today?

Karen Marsh, MackeyBlue

1200 Washington Street, Store #E

On 12th btwn Washington and Bloomfield, Hoboken, NJ 07030 (201) 469 - 6947

Give It Away

have alot of stuff you don't want anymore? don't trash it. freecycle it. The Freecycle Network™ is a grassroots and nonprofit movement of people who give and get stuff for free in their communities while keeping items out of landfills.

from the new york times: [in 2003], a self-described tree-hugger in Tucson named Deron Beal was working for a nonprofit that focused on recycling as a way to minimize what was going into local landfills. While plenty of people were willing, even eager, to get rid of things they no longer wanted but that weren’t really trash, finding people who wanted those things was a challenge. Beal set up a Yahoo Groups mailing list, hoping to create a giveaway marketplace where people could list usable items and others could lay claim to them and then come pick them up. The mailing list became the basis for Freecycle, a Web-enabled network of about 3,900 such e-mail groups, each dedicated to a local community and managed by a volunteer moderator, and claiming 2.9 million participants in more than 70 countries.

i joined a local group in hoboken-- it's easy, fast and free. i've posted a few times to get rid of stuff (old cell phone) and it worked like a charm. folks give/get all kinds of "treasures" such as steam curlers needed for a beauty pageant wig. while searching grist, i found these lovely earrings designed from cell phone buttons. i guess everything can find a new home.

for stuff you can't give away, try earth 911 where you can find info to recycle most anything.

RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR

over 200 vendors from all over the country gathered saturday and sunday at the mccarren park pool in brooklyn to sell their handmade goodies... i ventured out there saturday from hoboken, nj, met some friends and spent beaucoup bucks on lovely, one of a kind treasures.

some of the highlights (click the links to see vendor websites and purchase your own stuff):

rosybird where i bought this owl clutch.

bossanovababy where i met my new friend, cathy, seamstress extraordinaire and creator of sassy belt buckles like this...

fisk and fern where i found colorful citrus cards.

mccarren park pool where i saw cool urban graffiti and urban renewal.

spotlight on hoboken style

when strolling down washington street in hoboken, you will certainly see enough banks, nail salons, bars and non-descript chain stores, but... if you walk down the quieter, tree lined streets you will find the real hoboken style:

on first street, between grand and adams, check out solid threads, a clever store "created by a t-shirt connoisseur who slowly honed his craft of creating random, funny, vintage shirts by drinking heavily at least three to four days a week, sleeping no less than 12 hours a day, and getting to as many 'two for Tuesday' sales at the local Salvation Army as he could." see the full collection of completely original t-shirts (many jersey styles), hoodies, hats, baby clothes and accessories. solid threads' new project is communitee service which will link a local charity or cause with a custom-designed tee-shirt that will be marketed to promote the non-profit organization. to apply for CommuniTEE Service, e-mail brian@solidthreads.com with a brief description of the cause.

then, amble up to the corner of seventh and willow streets where you will find a cozy boutique and studio of m avery, where you can buy a variety of handmade bags, laptop carriers, yoga duffles, specialty bags, belts, and more. you can also request a custom made bag or take classes to make your own.

and, if you are in the nyc area this weekend (june 16 & 17), check out brooklyn's renegade craft fair at the mccarren park pool with over 200 vendors, including one of my favorites, bossanovababy. go get yourself or someone you love a one of a kind gift and be part of the burgeoning (anti-mall) DIY craft community!