RIP, ReadyMade

I was catching up on my blog reading this morning when I saw a really upsetting post on Apartment Therapy: "ReadyMade Magazine Folds & Cuts 75 Staffers".

I'll admit that I've been a little upset recently that the magazine started featuring less (feasible) DIY projects and more ads, but as far as I'm concerned it is was the best magazine out there. I can maybe count the projects from the magazine that I've made on one hand, but I can also tell you that every issue inspired me. I can probably attribute my crafty-making-stuff-creative self to the day I found my first issue on a lunch break from my old job.

I still have it: Issue 6, spring 2003. Grass couch?! Umbrella skirt!? Lite Brite table?!!?! It really changed my life. (Of course, my life would be changed again if I ever made/got one of those Lite Brite tables...)

I'm pretty sure the ReadyMade book was the first present Brian ever bought me, for our first Christmas together.

So, although I won't have anything to look forward to in my mailbox every couple of months, at least I still have these reminders...Oh, and every other issue I've gotten since I started subscribing 8 years ago.

I knew that hoarding would pay off someday!

For now, but who knows for how long, the ReadyMade website is still up (along with a sad farewell). Go soak up all of the goodness while it's still there!

Local Food Co-Op

I've recently discovered something that's been 15 minutes from my house for years: Homegrown Co-Op. I'm really excited about this for quite a number of reasons.

• I've been jealous for years of my pal that moved to North Carolina and has been able to take advantage of a local CSA (community supported agriculture). I was intrigued by the idea of getting a random box of fruits and veggies to cook with.

• The produce is all local. I could drive to the farms and back on less than a tank of gas. This is in stark contrast of the grocery store veggies that come from who-knows-where.

• The produce is mostly organic. I like not eating pesticide.

• It forces us to eat seasonally. In Florida, this is a little different than elsewhere since it's summer about 350 days per year. Still, we get a variety of things and don't eat things from out of the country when they're not available. (PS, there's a great app, Seasonal Harvest, that tells you what's in season in your area and for how long.)

• We're saving money on groceries. We get a box of "season's pick" (random) produce each week on Saturday. I plan the week's meals around what shows up in the box, so we're mostly shopping for non-perishables.

• The food is AMAZING. Seriously. The colors are so vibrant. Oh, and it has taste. I didn't even realize we were missing this with grocery store produce, but even Brian has noticed it.

(Cuban roasted sweet potatoes; salad with lettuce, zucchini, and onion; grapefruit; pizza with roasted tomatoes, onion, and zucchini.

Thanks to Pugly Pixel for the photo template)

There are co-ops and community supported agriculture popping up all over the place. I highly recommend searching for one in your area on a site like Local Harvest. And don't just take my word about how good actual food is for you: I highly recommend reading The Kind Diet, In Defense of Food, and/or Food Matters, or just watching Food, Inc

Lions, Tigers, and No Bears

I haven't posted much on the internet about our upcoming wedding because it's going to be really small and, well, cause we are still in the process of figuring out a lot of things. But one thing I do know- we're getting married with cats...big cats! Like these guys:





That's a video from Big Cat Rescue, the big cat sanctuary that will be the (awesome) setting for our ceremony & reception. And no, there won't be cats in the wedding, but they'll be around and certainly give us their feline blessing.