goodbye,nellie.

our family lost a very dear friend this morning. i'll be taking a wee blogging sabbatical as i deal with the loss of our sweet nellie. she was a jack russell we adopted 2 years ago. she came as a rescue and had been severely abused by a young pup. this resulted in the loss of her sight in one eye and a serious trust issue.

over the past 2 years she became a total mush. she thrived on cuddles and attention and loved to play ball... soccer ball. a jack russell playing fetch with a soccer ball? so funny. a half-blind jack russell playing fetch with a soccer ball? even funnier. she loved everyone in our family equally, but she was totally "my girl".

this morning she was hit by a car and killed. it was a shock and a heartbreaking blow. we cherish the time we had with her and wouldn't trade those moments for ANYTHING. the unconditional love of a four-legged friend is beyond compare and she will be sorely missed.

thank you, nellie for the snuggles, the laughs, and the soft, soft ears that just begged to be rubbed. you are forever in our hearts...

to market, to market

off to the alna market day in town tomorrow. town being the alna store. the alna store being the ONLY store in alna.
the shop will be closed till about 2 while i schlep some goodies from the shop and lay them out for the hungry crowds to feast upon...
the picture? the only one i could find under "alna, maine" in google images.
ayuh, it's a very small town.

getting over it

today was one of those days... you know the kind i'm talking about. i came home from the shop and was drafting a pattern for some kick-butt wool felt slippers (you'll see 'em, don't worry) and reflecting on a nasty comment i had heard made just enough behind my back to not be "behind my back". you know the kind i'm talking about.
i was kind of absorbed in my thoughts and must have looked a bit upset because olive stopped her playing and asked,"mommy? whatsa matter? you sad?". i told her not really, i guessed my feelings were just a bit hurt. we both went back to our "work" and a few minutes she returned... and gave me a band-aid.
"for your hurted feeelings"....
awwwww,shucks. i love that kid.

a break in routine

there has been a lot on my plate lately... for those of you that don't know, i'm flying solo in the shop these days. kim is on sebattical due to some major health issues and that leaves, well, just me. oh, and 4 kids and a husband and a coupla dogs and a coupla cats and my own clothing line and mountains of paperwork... and a partridge in a pear tree.
i'm not going to let it beat me, though. my husband is super-supportive and helpful(he thankfully owns his own business, too and can be a bit flexible), i work in a great little town among very supportive friends and neighbors who cheer me on and cheer me up all the time (lately, cheering me up, most of all).
i want everyone to know how totally dedicated i am to making it work and that i will keep those hours and plug away and market and support our cause and product until i just can't do it anymore...
so, although i want to welcome some new friends to the shop, i want to lighten the load on my chest and the mood even more. i have been thinking about my greatest joys and inspirations in an attempt to refocus my mood and lift my spirits. always,always i come right back to my kids. so i figured we could all join in and share some funny, great or inspirational things or stories about our kids. even parenting stories would be great. anything. your kids, your neighbor's kids, your grand kids, any ole' kids at all. maybe we'll even come up with a prize for the best "kid story"?
i'll start...
the funniest thing i heard a parent say to their kid this week: "we don't hit our ball with lunch meat". yipes.

greetings from thailand...

no, not me, sillies. the grocery store is about as far as i go these days! i'm talking about our newest addition to the children's section! welcome "vivi mimo"! smitten? ah,yes indeed.

"vivi mimo offers unique and lovely children's clothing and accessories for ages 3 months to 7 years.
We never produce many copies of a piece, and some items are truly one-of-a-kind. Fabrics and embellishments are gathered around the world resulting in a delicious mix of pattern and texture throughout the collection.
Much of our clothing is hand-made at Hot Chilli Concepts; a fair-trade project supporting women in need in Thailand. Our beautiful clothing is doing good works!
You will also find some other colorful surprises now and then including bags, creatures, jewelry... our whimsical collection is constantly evolving."

adorable aprons...


"vision of broome street" dress

there's more, too! cute with a cause? love it.

bento... it's what's for lunch

"A bento lunch is a compact, balanced, visually appealing meal packed in a box. Historically, it’s a Japanese box lunch, similar in concept to the Indian tiffin, the Korean dosirak, or the Filipino baon lunch. In Japanese, “bento” or “obento” refers to the packed meal, and “bento-bako” refers to the bento box itself. See the Wikipedia entry on bento for more details."

Ummmmm, does it make me sound shallow to say that we love 'em cuz they're "wicked cute"? at the risk of sounding shallow, I will say it certainly encourages healthy eating, portion control, and an eco-friendly way of toting your lunch around. We think it ties in great with the whole "handmade" thing because it's a great way to "handmake" a lunch for yourself and the kiddos. It encourages creativity and family time





And they're WICKED CUTE.

somewhere over the rainbow...

A little love to our new t-shirt company! okay, a lotta love. Rainbow Swirlz has come on board in recent months and really outdone themselves with the latest shipment.octopus field bags? robot tees in 3 different colors for the wee ones? gauzy baby doll tanks for the ladies? seriously... yum. and we did'nt forget the menfolk either. feats your eyes on a lil' selection and order up... they're gonna go fast!

more colors and styles in the shop and coming soon to the site!

very curious, indeed.

Welcome to Sojourn Curiosities! An Etsy hit and now available in our humble, little shop. Sarah Gorden's whimsical creations combine found objects, beauty, whimsy and elegance to create one-of-a-kind pieces. What a great gift to yourself or that special someone! Thanks for your support, Sarah!

Come down and browse our selection of new arrivals! We have cool tees, tanks and totes, accessories for warmer weather, great jewelry, and funky sprons for gardening or skipping around town.

Wer'e Baaaaack...

O.M.G, guys. It's been a loooong time since we've posted... sorry! There's been a lot going on behind the scenes here. Much re-vamping in the shop, uproar on the homefront, stuff with the kiddos, and oh yeah, the dog ate our homework. Sorry.

Seriously, though. We wanted to give you a brief glimpse of some of the new crafty goodness that has been trickling (and some days funneling) into our humble little shop. Eye candy for the craftilly inclined, if you will. Without further ado, we give you...

recycled record bowls, journals, and gift cards from "The Giggling Gnome"

eyeglass cases, crochet and knitting organizers, potholders and coasters by "madbird"

extremely cool tees and totes from "Rainbow Swirlz"

...and so much more! With any amount of luck (and certainly not because of any laziness on our part) they will all be listed on the shop site within the week.

Thanks to all the great lil' companies for your continued support and quality goods!

Calling All Crafters!

Calling all crafters! Do you have a unique craft? Are you God's gift to knitted cat sweaters? Perhaps nobody can make wrist warmers from the skin of a boa constrictor quite like you can? Looking to showcase your talents to the retail world and make it big time?

In all seriousness, we are looking to add crafters from near and far who feel they have a craft that is unique, eco-friendly, whimsical, practical, beautiful, or any combination of those. Due to overwhelming response and request, we need to add more merchandise to the shop and feel that it is in our best interest to branch out and invite not just Maine crafters (although we love you guys dearly, ayuh) to join our growing shop.

Think spring, think bright colors and practical items. We have a lot of browsers looking for "gifts", so smaller goodies are great! We are also looking to expand our kids section. Both Kim and I have girls and boys in the age 6-12 range and totally feel there's not a lot of craftiness going on for that age range... some cool shirts? journals? bags? games? pants or pj's? hats?

Email us for policies, etc. We have designed the shop around what we felt was lacking in the retail market: advertising, appreciation for handmade, huge markup keeping handmade from being accessible to our target market (the average Jill or Joe), freedom to "create" and not "mass produce". All the things that apply to you apply to us, too. That and a whole lotta sweat equity! This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to bust out onto the retail scene, the secret to success is simple: if you want to succeed you have to keep at it. Be willing to add to your display continually and change things and keep them fresh.

Happy crafting! We can't wait to hear from you.

one small step for your wardrobe...

one giant leap into a new eco-friendly way of thinking!

for those of you thinking "being green" means wearing patchouli and birkenstocks (which is certainly the stereotype, but not bad at all) think again. there are so many new and hip ways to bring a bit of "green" to your everyday life.

maybe an organic or sustainable fabric tee? sooo soft.

fact: over 25% of pesticides used to treat crops anually... are used on cotton. yick.

organic onesie by pinecone and chickadee $18


maybe an item from repuposed materials? felted wool= oh-so-cozy!

sweet leaf felted wool elf hat 22$





"toasties" mittens from felted wool sweaters 40$

"tree"-cycled felted wool sweater (sz sm/med) 18$

fact: 4.5% or 4 million tons of landfill waste each year is comprised of textiles, clothing, and fabric. wowee.

or, try being clean and green! a "homegrown" and good-enough-to-eat bar of soap will wash your troubles away!

fact:parabens have been linked to cancer and high estrogen levels. um, ew.



yummy homegrown soap in tons 'o flavors by long winter farm $5.50






small steps, people. but trust me, you'll feel soooo good you did it. and, you'll be inspired to do more!

d-day for v-day...

some last-minute suggestions for that "special someone"... bath and massage oils from longwinterfarm 8$ each

purple raindrops tee by pinecone and chickadee 32$

felt crown and handmade tutu set by liziedoo's( for size 2-6) 32$

2" felt merino cuff w/ heart by on the round 28$

felted elf hat from recycled wool with sweet leaf design by kindred kids 22$

last but not least, a pic of the shop window, overflowing with red and pink mushy, lovey-dovey goodness!

take that special someone and love them all up!

presenting...

SHOP ALERT! new items from "on the round"! a unique and lovely shop from rockport, maine. featuring simple and beautiful pieces like:

and:

and:

oh, and don't forget:

we say YUM. how can you not love it? valentine's, anyone?

d.i.y.o.d.s (do it your own darn self) wrist warmer tutorial!

these have been the hot seller in the shop this season. there's no debating the whys of that, they're practical, eco-friendly, and super-cute. the other bonus? they're easy-peasy to make! here's what you need:

-a thrifted sweater (at least 80% wool)
-scissors

-pillowcase or drawstring bag

-sewing machine or needle and thread

-a quarter
-measuring tape

-buttons or other embellishments

let's go!

start by laying out your wool sweater. i find that for your first pair (one sweater yields quite a few) it's easiest to use the sleeves. i started at the top because i liked the stripes, but you can start at the cuff and cut upwards.

measure from outer fold on sleeve about 5" in. measure down about 13". after you cut, you'll end up with a 10" x 13" rectangle. you can go longer for longer wristwarmers or shorter for a cute "wristlet" look. go wider for bigger hands or less than 5" for smaller hands. either way, account for the fact that after felting, these babies will shrink (about 1/2" at least).now it's time to felt your rectangles. the easiest way to do this is to put them in a pillowcase or drawstring bag and wash them with other clothing on your hottest wash then dry them in the dryer. in steps the issue of energy-efficient appliances. i happen to have a machine that only hot washes on the "sanitize" setting. it takes 2 1/2 hours. uh, yeah. enter the large pot. fill the pot with enough water to cover your bag or pillowcase and a squirt of dish soap (i like dr.bronner's or another natural dish soap with lavender, it deters moths) and set it to boil.
agitation is they key to felting, so be prepared to use some elbow grease! this is why the machine is soooo much easier. it may be worth it to beg a small space in your neighbor or mother's next wash load just to save you the toil. me, i'm an old-fashioned gal, so away i go. as your pillowcase bubbles away AGITATE! poke and stir and prod for around 20 minutes. it is the agitation that felts the fibers together.

remove the pillowcase, run it under cool water and open it up. you should see that the rectangles now look very "feltish", where you can't really see the weave of the fibers anymore. this is good. now, pop 'em in the dryer for an extra felting, or if you think they can't take anymore tightening without becoming too small, hang them to dry.

now that the rectangles are dry, it's time to sew. make sure to use a good strong thread and set your machine to go through heavy fabric. you can also easily sew these by hand. take your first rectangle, fold it in half the long way and RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER. use a marking pen and measure 1 1/2" down on the selvage edge. take your quarter and line up the center top of it with your marked line. mark around the curve and cut it out (a half-moon shape). do the same for the other rectangle. THESE ARE YOUR THUMB HOLES. FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT WANTING THUMB HOLES, SKIP THAT STEP!start at the top and sew about 1/2" seam down to the top of your thumb hole. back stitch. clip thread ends. skip over your thumb hole and start at the base of the quarter curve and sew 1/2" seam all the way to the bottom of your wristwarmer. do the other one, too.

tah dah! the best thing about felted wool is that you can cut your thumb holes and trim around rough edges without worrying about fraying and unravelling. it's all tightly bound together now. go ahead and add embellishment. i like to add little "leaf" accents cut from felt or felted wool scraps and held on with a button. it's a great way to use up your little crafty bits and repurpose some buttons. you can also hand-applique or needle felt designs on them. both of which look really cool. i'm leaving these plain because they're for a rather "manly" 7-year-old boy.

so there you have it! you're done, you're hip, you're ready to step out in eco-chic style. send us pics of you finished products and we'll feature 'em on the blog.