mollie dash

what's left

2012-01-20T23:10:00.009-05:00

the store is starting to look more un-store like today. we've managed to sell about half of the furniture. bryan dismantled the wall unit and reinstalled it in our apartment. some of the art and the decals came off the wall. things are disappearing.

so I thought I'd let you know what's left.

buttery yellow china cabinet. 1980's? we painted the inside black. has fluorescent lighting.
~~asking $325~~ SOLD

2-tier altered table by mr. x. ~~$150~~ GONE! 2-drawer classical style hall table with second wooden tier. shelf is stained an ashy grey, and is held up by tree limbs. this piece looks better than these crappy photos indicate. very useful for a retail store.

final lap and championship sprint driving games! ~~taking reasonable offers.~~ SOLD

those are the largest items, except for a mid-century dining table, at $180. we also have an array of small chairs, end tables and trunks. will post more later regarding small items.

stop on by tomorrow or sunday!

interested in an item? contact us: info@ebmerc.com

everbrite mercantile co.

351 van brunt street

brooklyn, new york

718.522.6121

onward and upward

2012-01-09T17:22:00.009-05:00

as you might know, we will be closing our Red Hook Store on January 15.

WHY?

1. economics
bryan and I are working within a limited budget. we have been paying rent on both our apartment and the store. The space we got on Van Brunt Street is amongst the most affordable in New York City. Not to say it's the cheapest in all of nyc, but the most affordable amongst neighborhoods that would suit us. The foot traffic on Van Brunt Street was not sufficient to make it possible to cover our expenses.

2. burnout
we scoured long island, upstate and eastern pa to find vintage treasures to sell in brooklyn. we launched 8 art shows and produced 4 multi media performance evenings. we met a lot of people. we sold a lot of crap. we are tired.

**************

this afternoon I found myself taking a walk down memory lane. Going from the present to the past, I looked through all of the photos on my flickr page. In there I found some pics of the Red Hook Mercado from the spring of 2010, in which Everbrite Mercantile Co. was merely a flimsy folding table. and who's that? could it be...... why..... it's EVERBRITE CELEBKID DIANE TOMASI. (see how awed I am in her presence?)

LOGGY WAS THERE.

but it got me thinking that everbrite mercantile co. had shown its face before that, (in late 2009) at GIFTED, the Brooklyn Flea's holiday market.

We've come a long way since then.

A sincere thank you to the intrepid who made it to Red Hook to visit our store. We know it's not easy! Well actually it is easy, but we won't go into that now. Most of all we thank our Red Hook neighbors, who took us in with open arms.

to answer the next question: What's on the agenda for Everbrite Mercantile Co.?

1. rest

2. travel

3. website redesign

4. make things, as in art

5. remember why it is we live in new york city, and get out a little

6. regroup and decide on the next move

OH YES, and don't forget our moving sale. We will be open Wed. through Sun. of this week.

Merchandise, fixtures, (meaning vintage furniture) the last few pieces of Andre Van Hoek's Pennsylvania farm country antiques, odds n ends, and vintage arcade video games, all at ridiculously low prices!

ciao.

$10 tees

2011-12-19T19:12:00.005-05:00

Time to move out some old inventory! Our beloved Chouette shirts are on sale for JUST TEN BUCKS! We have a few Paste and Poketo tees available during this sale too. An in-store exclusive, to be found only in Red Hook.

et.per.se.and closing party!

2011-12-01T23:02:00.005-05:00

Join us this Saturday at 8pm for et.per.se.and's closing party.

The Artist, Diane Tomasi, Pamela Bailinson, Bryan X and I will be performing the *sweet spot* of what has been an unbelievable residency- the interactive video dance piece Useless Worms and Weeds. I implore you to make the trek to Red Hook for this very special event.

et.per.se.and closing party
Sat. Dec. 3, 8pm
Everbrite Mercantile Co.
351 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231

new POKETO!

2011-11-23T11:18:00.009-05:00

flying sketchbook, $22.00

wave and draw your mind notebooks, $8.00

mini planners, $10.00

hippie and cloud pens, $6.00

sunshine stickers, $5.00

lovers wallet, $20

stocking the store up for the holidays, and we've got a new stash of Poketo items. Really, it's like we're becoming a Poketo store. ordering from them is hard (no, it's easy- they're the nicest and most efficient people on earth) no, it's hard, because I want to order everything. And so I do.

the current array of Poketo products includes stationery- sketch books, notebooks, planners, stickers and pens! plus some new wallet designs because I just can't help myself. oh, and super cool, lightweight Dreamcatcher sweatshirts!

I'm spending parts of my Thanksgiving *holiday* updating the website. So these awesome new and reasonably priced goodies will be available to you even if you don't live in New York City.

occupy this tee shirt

2011-11-03T18:19:00.009-04:00

So I'm whizzing up Court Street on Tuesday lugging new his 'n hers boots, when I spot these Plutocracy tees on a tray table. Recognizing them from an email I had received, I doubled back and looked up at the faces behind the tees. "Gale?" said I. Who was out selling t-shirts on a beautiful fall day in Brooklyn but Jao Ltd.'s own Gale Mayron. She introduced me to Julie, who designed a grey water system for Occupy Wall Street. The shirt design, which Gale originated in 2004, is being reissued to help support Julie's efforts. 100% of the $20 sale price goes to the OWS Sustainability Working Group. Intending to pick up a tee for Bryan, I ended up leaving with a giant bagful. Yes boys and girls, the Plutocracy tee is now available at Everbrite Mercantile Co. Get 'em while they last!

Update: The shirts can now be purchased on the ebmerc website.

Shirts being screen printed at Works In Progress in the East Village

et/per/se/and

2011-10-28T23:38:00.005-04:00

join us for an opening reception friday, november 4, from 6-10 pm.

adorning the walls

2011-09-17T11:14:00.007-04:00

We're building a little art collection in the store. As each show comes down, I ask the artist to leave something.

Small collection, with Jenna Kole's origami ornaments hanging in the foreground.

Leah, Vilkas D'Angelo-Horvath. Oil paint and laser print on wood.

Untitled3, Alejandro Teichberg. Oil paint on canvas.

Untitled2, Alejandro Teichberg. Oil paint on wood.

Untitled1, Alejandro Teichberg. Oil paint on wood.

No Way Out But In, Kegan Fisher. Acrylic on wood.

One of Greg's paintings sharing shelf space with vintage ephemera from Pennsylvania farm country.

Fuck My Brain Out, Gregory Barnett. Acrylic, ink and canvas on board: SOLD!

And one of my favorite pieces... This is Where You Breed Me, Gregory Barnett. Paper, pen, packing tape.

All pieces are available for sale in the store, and will be added to the website shortly.

central park

2011-09-06T23:24:00.002-04:00

Not Out Of The Woods Yet

2011-08-29T23:38:00.005-04:00

Can you believe it? Another art show is opening at Everbrite Mercantile Co. this Saturday.

Not Out Of The Woods Yet reflects Alejandro Teichberg's semi-urban perspective of nature from which he is inseparable, yet alienated. Teichberg weaves natural themes together with personal memory, and allegory into landscapes that represent his psychic environment.

Just like our bodies react to exposure, so do our minds, well- marinated in processed foods and sensory overload. As every minute is layered with contradiction- tinged truths, the definition of nature expands while the very edges of the woods shrink. Despite these discords the mind ties the loose ends into a relatively uniform whole.

Alé, a old friend from my Richmond days, will be showing his collection of richly painted canvases. The opening will include intermittent sounds by ambient-experimental project Muilch.

Alejandro Teichberg
Not Out Of The Woods Yet
September 3 - October 2

Opening Reception 5-10 pm
Everbrite Mercantile Co.
351 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231

best spam evar

2011-08-25T10:57:00.002-04:00

There really is an art to writing spam. One of my accounts has been spam-heavy lately, mostly laden with offers for low-cost insurance, criminal justice education, GPS systems, and ads for Walmart- most of them in Spanish! But this one... this one was special. read on...

Hello,

I must let you in on the real facts about your delayed payment, I was an ex-member of the FBI on local and foreign debt attached to the World Bank office in Washington, DC, USA. Prior to my resignation, I discovered the unholy activities of my colleagues during a private investigation. I suspected some kind of foul play in their discharge of duties which they never informed me due to my Christian believes. I am very concern now over their incessant chargers on you and the fruitless dealings with my ex-boss.

I discovered that my boss connived with some top officials of the World Bank to divert funds approved to settle Lottery Winners, International Contractors and Inheritance payment. The World Bank (WB) has already given approval for your payment while my colleagues deliberately withheld your payment file. They incessantly ask you for fees from different quarters in order to justify their selfish interest. I wonder why you haven’t notice their games.

Well, I just hope you believe me, if not, your fund is gone. Your fund has been authorized to be paid to you from a WB financial consultant either in the UK or US, approved with a World Bank Key Tested Reference/Claim Code Numbers, which was supposed to have been issued to you, but my colleagues decided to divert your attention by telling you of something to do with one committee or the other especially in Holland (Amsterdam), Spain, UAE or in Africa and they make you believe that the fund will be transferred into your account – FALSE!

The reason why I am giving you this information is because of the fact that I was aware of it and my doctrine does not permit me to withhold such information. The only help you can get from me now, is the actual link to your payment, please do not give this information to my boss as he may influence a total blockage of your payment, so you have to be very careful with this information.

Upon your response, I shall give you all you needed to contact the World Bank payment centers in UK or US.

Yours truly,
Ms.Tracy Sanson
EX FBI/WB AGENT,W-DC, USA.

ebay auction ending at midnight tomorrow

2011-08-12T23:33:00.002-04:00

heya! b and I decided to set up an ebay shop for everbrite. I posted the first item, the Gumball Engagement Ring by O-Live. The auction ends tomorrow at midnight, and the opening bid is just $10.

O-Live was one of the first designers we picked up when launching the everbrite site in October of 2009. We found her magical wonderland of a booth (minus Olive- she came and found us) at the Gift Show (giant trade show in case you don't know) earlier that year. One of the many lessons we've learned being shop keepers over the past couple of years is that just because you love a product, doesn't mean it's necessarily going to sell. So! here were are with some great, perfect, never used items that we are going to be auctioning off on ebay. stay tuned for more and more goodies as we get the hang of being ebay sellers.

in the mean time, go ahead and bid on O-Live's ring! It's completely hand made by the genius Olive herself, from colorful charms encased in a lexan bubble, surrounded by crocheted vinyl cord, and finished with sterling silver wire. beauty!

John Stein's Grampa

2011-08-05T11:31:00.002-04:00

New in the Everbrite Mercantile Gallery: John Stein bring us his altered universe, where grampas and teddy bears wage war with cowboys and dinosaurs. In addition to John's signature ballpoint pen panoramas, the show includes 3-d printed sculptures, paintings, and a large, digitally-printed banner. Miniature cast resin bears and posters are available as souvenirs.

The art shows are lining up fast and furious- we're nearly scheduled through the end of the year. What really excites me is that we are able to hold onto pieces from each show, to add to the store's collection. We currently have one of Greg Barnett's large quilts, a painting on board, a smattering of his 8 1/2 x 11 drawings, and two plush toys. Kegan Fisher was kind enough to loan us No Way Out But In, and L.A. Sunset. And of course we still have a smattering of Jenna Kole's origami ornaments on hand.

Stay tuned for more art and make it out to Red Hook this weekend if you can.

clicky on the picky for a larger view.

more gardening!

2011-07-07T10:34:00.009-04:00

yesterday I noticed how overgrown the English Ivy had become and decided to cut it back. I found the original plant, which had been placed at the end of the bed that hugs the east fence. the root cluster was still stuffed full of vermiculite, from the potting soil it originally came with.

here is some of what I cut away.

this little tree is the first thing I noticed that had survived the snow when we moved in in the spring of last year.

some of the leaves have yellowed and have these white spots, telling me that something isn't right. I pruned the little guy back and added compost. I really haven't given the tree any love since I repotted it last year.

but at the same time, ~~it's starting to flower.~~ new leaves are forming.

I'm turning what's left of the veggie patch into an area for herbs and flowers. After everything died last fall, the neighborhood cats took advantage of the bare ground and started pooping there. This was made obvious by the presence of house flies. I rooted through the soil removing the turds, and transferred the dirt to non-edible plants. The cats had contained their activity to two sections of the bed, so I was able to salvage the rest of my good organic soil in this area.

A cutting from the Autumn Fire Stonecrop, which I pruned last year when the plant was feasted upon by birds. The cutting lasted through the winter indoors. To the right is a bit of a sedum variety, which I had placed in the east bed, not knowing what it would do. It ended up being shaded by the many vines, so I transferred it this year. In the pot is what I believe to be a barley sprout. I've been composting the remains of barley tea, and I noticed something sprouting in the bin.

Eucalyptus Cordata in the pot, because it will need to be brought indoors when the weather turns cool. To the right is Lantana Camara. In front are rosemary and sage.

the garden

2011-07-03T02:08:00.009-04:00

Precious little time to spend in the garden this summer. The work I put in last year paid off though, and plants grew back prettier than before.

echinacea and lavender

view towards the back. the english ivy has finally gathered around the ladder. I propped the alium (onion) on an old chair, as it grew too tall.

there was just a tiny bit of this species of sedum growing above the step, in the paver cracks, last year. it spreads more slowly than the other stuff I'm cultivating. (the branchier stuff to the left) This year it's growing white flowers!

the lamb's ear came back very thick. then it started flowering, and it's kind of a mess. I will cut it back this week. the autumn fire stone crop behind it is looking good.

picked up rosemary, (hearty variety- want to try leaving it outside this winter. Don't know if I got a big enough plant to survive) peppermint, eucalyptus, and these beautiful roses. the roses will go in the former vegetable patch. the herbs will go in pots.

I have visions of creating a cool environment to hang out in, full of greenery. I shaded the back door to the apartment (which leads to the garden) with a mesh screen, cooling down the bedroom. A kiddie pool and giant mosquito coil incense are what I'm thinking of, along with seating.

CUSP OF CONFLUX

2011-06-22T13:36:00.004-04:00

CUSP OF CONFLUX
Kegan Fisher
paintings & drawings
June 25 - July 31

CUSP OF CONFLUX explores the moment before everything ends. It seeks to capture time as so incomparably quiet, so impossibly still, that we are unaware if movement persists.

Kegan Fisher's new collection of paintings and drawings is composed of works constructed around horizon lines, tight as skin stretched around sockets, full of memory and yesterday. Worlds are full of elemental structures that have long outlived their architects. Skies droop like wet cotton, with clouds hung up to dry.

Fisher's artwork encapsulates the point at which development has ceased, cities are empty, and we stand as voyeurs, witness to a silent future.

OPENING RECEPTION
sat. june 25 1-7pm

Everbrite Mercantile Co.
351 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
ebmerc.com

PCL: at it again

2011-06-15T01:19:00.005-04:00

Our friends over at Pop Chart Lab have been working over time. It wasn't easy deciding which new posters and tees to add to our line- but here they are. They'll be arriving at the shop tomorrow.

A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Popular Music

Super Powers

And something B insisted upon, the Game Controller Tee. Ah, boys.

new in the store

2011-06-06T11:43:00.009-04:00

at last, summery products for our Red Hook customers! These retro-inspired items from Wintercheck Factory embody the Brooklyn aesthetic very well. All of Wintercheck Factory's products are made in limited runs, and are of the utmost quality. What's more, we brought in the clothing after it had been marked down- so we are offering both swimsuits and the mini skirts at great prices! (and the original prices were reasonable enough)

first up, the Jen Halter Swimsuit. Beautiful cut, heavy fabric, and a hidden pocket for your keys and cash! pencil lead grey, $62

the anna romper- already a fave in our shop! same heavy fabric and hidden pocket, this time done up in an easy (and forgiving) romper shape. anna has a built-in shelf bra. anna and jen are both made in Brooklyn! punch out purple, $62

the sarah skirt, in both rusty nail maroon and blue; or masking tape tan, yellow and red. sarah has silky hip pockets (yes- women's clothing with pockets!) and a simple, casual cut that will be cool and comfy for those sticky nyc summer days. made in Brooklyn too! $54

the lizzie sunglasses! I have always loved the safety glass look and I'm glad to see it brought back. (I've been waiting since the 80's) Wintercheck's version comes with either pistachio green or smoke grey lenses. we're carrying the orange earpiece version, and each pair comes with a sturdy plastic case. this design seems to look good on everyone. $45

so stop by our store before we sell out of these gems, okay?

Everbrite Mercantile Co.
351 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn, NY 11231
W-Sat, 11-7: Sun 12-6

facebook's culture of like

2011-05-25T01:29:00.003-04:00

Is Facebook only for *liking?* What if you genuinely dislike something that is posted by a *friend* on facebook? Does the culture of the site discourage negative commenting? I recall a campaign a few months back for a *dislike* button, as an alternative to the *like* button, but nothing ever came of it. *Liking* goes beyond how you feel about a person's comment or photo- it's a large part of Facebook's marketing and integration with other sites. It's hard to find a major blog or news website that doesn't include FB *like* buttons as a feature for sharing posts.

What if you genuinely dislike something someone has posted on fb, or find it disturbing or distasteful? Do you feel comfortable expressing your opinion, or are you more apt to say nothing? I guess it depends on how well you know the person, how well they accept criticism, and how you deliver your message. But all of this is tricky and subjective. You can write something with the best of intentions and still fail to get your point across, have your words be misinterpreted, or even worse, have the comments be deleted.

I ran into a problem this past weekend involving some photos of girls in their junior prom dresses. I had a visceral reaction to some of the dresses and typed exactly what I thought- "too sexy, too mature, inappropriate." I made no personal attacks on the girls, said nothing mean or offensive, and tried to get my point across in the most direct way I know how. And yet, my comments were met with disbelief and horror. After some conversation back and forth, my comments were deleted- by my brother.

After he notified me of what he had done, I started a new thread, letting people know that my brother had censored my comments. The thread went on, with a few of my friends- these are actual friends, defending my point that prom dresses today are in fact too mature and too sexy. And yet, my brother refused to acknowledge my initial point, instead evading the question, claiming that I criticized the girls and not the dresses, bringing up irrelevant points and generally making an ass of himself. After a very frustrating few days, B pointed out that since my brother had deleted my comments, it had been pointless to engage him in conversation. Because in fact, he was now free to rewrite history to suit his own needs.

In a new post I wrote precisely what B had pointed out- that deleting comments allows you to rewrite history. And still, my brother continues to make false claims, commenting on the very post where I am trying to explain the problem with censorship. I say, whether you agree with what's been written or not, let the record stand. If the comments offend someone (which was my brother's alleged reason for deleting the comments- he said it hurt the feelings of a certain girl whose dress I singled out) then so be it. The girl already read the comments, so why bother deleting them? If you think I'm being offensive, then where's your proof?

I have written to Facebook, suggesting that if a comment is deleted, a flag should be put in its place to let people know. As it stands now, people are able to delete comments made by themselves and others, leaving gaps in conversations. Most reputable websites and forums indicate to the reader when a comment has been deleted, and whether it was by the commenter or the moderator.

My brother claims that the photos were posted for peoples' enjoyment and that commenting on them failed because my comments were unsolicited. I wasn't aware that one was able to post a photo with intention. I wouldn't assume that everyone would only *like* what I post on FB. There are those who don't like everything I do or say, and I accept that. It's life. If my brother's wife only wanted people to *enjoy* the prom photos, she could have invited people to her house to view the photos in private. FB blurs the line between what is public and what is private. It's private in the sense that you can choose your *friends* and set your own privacy settings. But it's public in that there are so many people with the ability to view your content- many more than you would invite to your living room to look at a photo album.

PRISM index

2011-05-24T18:38:00.006-04:00

Jeffrey Bowers, who works at Fort Defiance, (one of the fine eating establishments on Van Brunt Street) stopped by recently with copies of PRISM index. PRISM index is like a grown-up zine. It's a collection of art and writing, offset printed, hand bound, and finished with a silkscreened cover done up on hand made paper. Inside the book are a compilation music cd and a dvd of short films. All of this is curated by Jeffrey, and Volume I contains work by 60 artists. We have a few copies for sale in the store, and at $25 it's a bargain indeed.

Cover art by Jeffrey Bowers

Luke Ramsay

Lisa Hanawalt

purim

2011-03-25T01:50:00.005-04:00

andrew's ambrosia

2011-03-16T14:38:00.004-04:00

propolis, buckwheat honey, bee pollen.

home made ambrosia

some time during the winter I found the Andrew's Honey booth at the Union Square Green Market. I looked through the products- honey made from various flowers, honey with the comb, bee pollen, etc. and asked (I think it was Andrew himself) which was the best for immune system support. I've heard for years that eating local honey and related products is especially good for allergies. It's like taking homeopathics or allergy shots- introducing a small amount of the allergen into the system to work as an antibody. The difference with bee products is that you're eating a whole food, filled with complex nutrients.

Andrew handed me a small jar of what he called Ambrosia. It was a mix of honey, royal jelly, bee pollen and propolis. I ate a small spoon of the ambrosia every morning until it was gone.

Last Wednesday I went back by the market looking for the ambrosia. A different guy was working the booth- he said they were sold out. At the same time a little old lady was asking him a million questions and kind of driving the guy crazy. I had to kind of poke and prod to get him to supply me with what I needed! but finally he produced the goods- the components of ambrosia, minus the royal jelly. (thus the reason why they were sold out) The honey and bee pollen were right on the table- he suggested buckwheat honey as being the most nutritious. And you can tell- it's dark and not nearly as sugary as other honeys- similar to molasses. The propolis he produced from behind the table, handing me a ratty plastic bag sealed with blue painter's tape.

I brought the ingredients home and first off researched propolis, the bagful of waxy chunks with a sweet, perfumey smell. Propolis is a resinous material that bees collect from conifers. It has antiseptic properties, and bees use it to keep the hive hygenic, encasing foreign bodies in it and using it to line the hive when the queen gives birth.

Before mixing the ambrosia together I decided to try the propolis by itself. It's quite sticky and waxy, and on first try I took too much. I chewed it like gum- it releases an herbal, medicinal flavor. Propolis is known for keeping gums healthy- it is an ingredient in some toothpastes- and for soothing sore throats. Since the mouth is an entryway to the respiratory system, I can see how chewing the propolis is probably good for allergies as well.

california nopies

2011-03-09T23:49:00.004-05:00

people like to think that californians are all cool and liberal.

from transportation nation

“We’re particularly interested to see the growth in these Central Valley cities,” said Rachel Wall, a spokeswoman for the California High-Speed Rail Authority. “In Fresno and Bakersfield the populations are increasing, but they’re still very isolated as far as accessibility and mobility.” Wall added that these cities would be among those who saw the first jobs come from the project.

Yesterday House majority whip, Bakersfield representative Kevin McCarthy, spoke forcefully against the project, echoing the “train to nowhere” sentiment and expressing doubts about how the state would fund the project. Congressman Jeff Denham, whose district includes Fresno and Modesto, said he continued to oppose the project as well. Allie Brandenburger, a spokesperson for Denham, said he doubted the project would bring jobs to the region.

“He believes it could provide jobs but we can’t afford to wait until 2020,” she wrote in an email. “Out of work Americans need jobs now.”

what blew in

2011-03-08T00:56:00.003-05:00

the garden!

2011-03-07T17:29:00.004-05:00

I was so pleased to come back to nice weather in ny. I got to go into the garden today and clean up a bit. things grew under the snow! the lamb's ear expanded, and a crop of new succulants placed themselves in between the dried stems of the sedums. the lavender is purplish green and huge.

neesha zollinger talks about the opposites of expansion and contraction, as they work in the body, and as they relate to the changing seasons. summer is a time of expansion, as winter is a time of focusing inward and reserving energy. I could see how the plants reserved energy under the snow blanket, in preparation for the coming warm weather.

fresh picked oranges

2011-03-03T00:43:00.004-05:00

they taste as good as they look.

in L.A.

2011-02-25T14:25:00.005-05:00

ha!

thought I'd give a quick update. we've left the store in the girls' capable hands and came out to La-La for a few weeks. b and I have amassed a great pile of vintage goods for the store- razors, tooled leather accessories, coffee cups, cameras, mechanical pencils, and of course more lighters. we've also been visiting some of our wholesale vendors and now have a great stash of new Poketo goods. some of them have already hit the website for your shopping pleasure.

okay, off to take a shower and then work on the site some more. I'm not one to miss being at home- I usually love getting away. but this time I really miss Brooklyn. (if you've been reading my blog for a while you might be aware of my issues with Los Angeles) bleh! it seems to keep getting worse- with the exception of downtown. we'll be visiting the great and mighty Greg Barnett (who is launching an art show at ebmerc in April) tonite in K-town- I can handle being in a massive Korean neighborhood.

what's new

2011-02-07T22:44:00.008-05:00

vintage reworked jewelry and richard balls.

black box key necklace by emily rothschild.

vintage japanese beaded purse, $45.

ninja magnets with yee-haw industries cards. jenna kole origami forms.

in-between season shirt dresses from the 70's and 80's. some have shoulder pads.

I don't know.

dude section, near the bowling game. lighter necklace, $16.

knit and crochet beanies by purldrop.

metal wall hook

vintage silk and rayon scarves

at old hollywood

2011-02-02T22:52:00.005-05:00

double wing necklace.
vintage trifari brooch transformed into a pendant. brass chain, copper wire, waxed cotton cord.

op art necklace.
hand made enamel pendant, multiple copper and brass chains, sterling silver clasp.

blue lake necklace.
someone's art project, (ceramic) antiqued copper chain, copper wire.

jaw braker necklace.
glossy vintage japanese faceted plastic beads, copper wire, brass chain.

old hollywood.

imagining brooklyn

2011-01-31T19:53:00.003-05:00

I was checking the weather forecast when I noticed how simply brooklyn is shown in this google map on the national weather service website. if you've never been here, it can be hard to imagine what it looks like in comparison to manhattan or the rest of new york. Brooklyn is the southwestern-most point on long island, bordered on the north and east by queens.

The large land mass on the SW corner of the map is Staten Island, with New Jersey and Manhattan above it on the other side of the NY harbor. The tail coming out below Brooklyn from the SE is the area known as the Rockaways. The area above it with the little islands is Jamaica bay- the solid rectangle is JFK airport. There is a train that runs through the middle of Jamaica Bay, which you can see on the map.

new stuff

2011-01-26T01:23:00.003-05:00

has it only been a week since I picked my prizes at sodafine? we rented a zip truck today and picked everything up- I couldn't wait! something erin had hiding in her apartment was a wood and glass jewelry case that has tons of storage drawers in the back. a piece we could definitely use. b is going to give it a bit of restoration and it will look great in the store. we're trying to figure out when it was made. I like the fact that it has a slightly more modern, boxy look to it than most of the furniture we have- like it could be from the 60's. we also acquired a rustic-y corner cabinet which erin brought here from philly- b found a spot for it in his "museum."

I unpacked and sorted the clothing this evening- so many pretty spring and summer dresses! and okay, yeah I kept a few for myself. there are also some (warmer) items we can put out this week- sweaters, wool skirts, and some in-between dresses. We have a bunch of vintage shoes also, a few belts and bags, and a great stash of silk scarves.

I looked at the framed embroideries one by one, and there are some incredible pieces in the collection. Embroidery was such a common hobby in the 70's- I couldn't have imagined the finished pieces being something I would collect as an adult, but there you go. they do need a bit of sprucing up, so Kim and I will be busy this week making everything shop-worthy.

sometimes I think about running a shop and how weird it is- we get stuff, then we get rid of it. then we get more, then we get rid of it. then we get more. It kinda never ends, huh? back when i worked for corporate america we got shipments twice a week! and it didn't seem weird at all. but then again I was 22 years old and pretty much just thinking about what was right in front of me.

so long sodafine

2011-01-18T18:22:00.011-05:00

I should have a rule: must do a blog post before browsing other peoples' blogs.

erin weckerle was one of the first people I met upon moving to nyc almost 7! years ago. my bff willie told me to look up her friend meeo when I arrived here. upon learning that I was a jewelry designer meeo offered to introduce me to erin, who co-owned sodafine boutique, which was then in fort greene. the three of us met for *rock n' rollerskate* at office ops in bushwick, and erin and I discussed selling my work at sodafine over drinks afterwards.

around the same time I also met jenny kwok, then owner of cut+paste, a pioneering online shop for handmade and indie goods. I also started selling my jewelry with jenny- but the details are fuzzy. was it upon erin's suggestion? don't know. but erin, who knits and crochets, was also selling her work on cut+paste. time moved on and jenny left nyc for istanbul. I saw her moving sale posted online and went to fort greene to have a look. it was there that I met another amazing talent while she was helping jenny with her sale, roxy marj. I found a bunch of great things, one of which I'm wearing now!

I always loved my trips to fort greene to check in with erin and inventory my work. In my second year in nyc I moved from Astoria, Queens to Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. traveling the couple miles to the adjacent neighborhood was confusing and mysterious, being a fairly recent transplant. Brooklyn is sort of grid-like as Manhattan is, but large diagonals cut through the massive borough, dividing it into many different neighborhoods. Sometimes the division between two will be dictated by the direction in which the blocks face. so I was always a little lost when I arrived in fort greene via the g train, but it was part of my nyc education, learning the city neighborhood by neighborhood. de kalb avenue was just starting to come alive in the mid-2000's, so I would love to spend some extra time exploring the area. I always made a point to visit Tillie's coffee shop, which was right next door to sodafine.

Sodafine was unique in that it was one of the first shops to stock designs by makers involved in the burgeoning craft movement. as erin has stated, she sells work by people who consider themselves artists first. indeed many of the people who sold with sodafine early on had backgrounds in fine art, rather than coming from the design world. (myself included!) Erin helped introduce me to diy world, which I was becoming aware of before I left L.A. for nyc. she designed her own website without having a technical background and encouraged me to do the same. in those early days I was fascinated by by how artists were using the internet to expand their careers in ways that were previously impossible. or rather create careers for themselves that didn't even exist before. we spent hours discussing all of this and more, every time I visited. I also loved looking around Sodafine to see erin's amazing collection. I should mention that I met rena tom at sodafine's x-mas party, who was also selling her jewelry at the shop. when rena opened the first rare device in park slope, (which has since moved to san francisco) she also asked me to sell my work in her shop.

after a bit erin's partner at sodafine called it quits, so she moved the store to a smaller location in williamsburg. she did the store up right, using eco-friendly materials and custom- designed fixtures. again my visits to see erin were fun, because now I got to explore an even more happening neighborhood. as the years went by jenny kwok moved back to the states, then returned to nyc last summer, working occasionally at sodafine. I opened my store this past fall, and now sodafine is closing its doors at the end of the month. I needed to settle up with erin, and had an inkling she might have some inventory and store supplies and fixtures to sell. so b and I sloshed in the freezing cold rain today up to w-burg to meet with erin and her partner-in-crime jenny.

what an awesome afternoon it was. I fished through piles of treasures, amassing a nice little collection for ebmerc. I found tons of vintage dresses and other assorted clothing, vintage shoes, silk scarves, a giant collection of framed embroideries, various display items, a couple of pieces of furniture, wooden hangers, packaging and a whole box of x-mas decorations! before leaving I spotted a pile of knit hats sitting on the counter- most of them erin's creations, and three 70's ski hats. so as things have come full circle, I will be selling erin's purldrop designs in the store!

so much as I will miss sodafine, I am happy that erin has found the opportunity to move on and explore other adventures. the girl has a master's in sculpture from yale! and was doing incredible things with yarn when I first met her. I am glad for knowing her and the other amazing ladies I have met through that first initial suggestion from willie. cheers erin!

p.s. jenny closed the cut+paste shop recently too, relaunching the site as a personal photo essay blog.

mad for plaid

2011-01-06T23:08:00.004-05:00

Now that x-mas has passed, we've had two weekends off in a row and survived SNOWMAGEDDON, we're busy as bees at ebmerc stocking the store back up with NEW and EXCITING merchandise. while b has been scouting out and restoring vintage lighters, I've been hunting for soft, warm and stylish clothing.

see here our clothing tree, filled with plaid flannel and western shirts, and nordic sweaters. I've also come across some great dresses that happen to be in mint condition, from the 60's through the 90's. (are 90's vintage?)

oh, and although I've neglected to mention it here (but you might have noticed from our events calendar) Felecia Maria's Open Level Yoga Class is a weekly occurrence. I have to tell you that I am LOVING this class. Just an hour long, it's the perfect mid-week refresher. Felecia teaches a class that is somehow gentle and challenging at the same time. She has a great flow, that varies and evolves from week to week. We get in all the basics like sun salutations and warrior poses, plus fun balancing tricks like half moon and headstand. Last night I did my first headstand in the middle of the room EVER! I think it's Felecia's gentle encouragement that allowed me to be brave and go for it.

we just installed a new window display, but Jenna's Origamitron show will be up for another couple of weeks.

so lots to see and do at Everbrite- come on down to Red Hook. You know you want to.

the back yard today!

2010-12-27T19:05:00.004-05:00

want to come over for a snack on our patio?

the front window

plants doing well inside by the window

and the flowering azalea

after the hail storm

2010-12-25T18:11:00.005-05:00

the garden on october 3

2010-12-21T22:30:00.008-05:00

I had almost forgotten how spectacular the garden looked in early October. I was out there one day pulling the remaining morning glory off the chain link fence when I found this grasshopper family. They let me get close but were clearly aware of my presence and tolerated my lens for only so long.

meanwhile my friend the grey and white cat came out from behind the rear fence. It was not long before I heard hissing and saw a tiger-striped cat with a large, triangular head start to give my buddy trouble.

I walked to the east side of the yard and was amazed by what I saw- two enormous cucumbers growing over the fence from the neighbor's garden. I picked them and gave one to Bobbi and Carlos- they must have weighed a pound each. Easily the best cucumbers I've had- super crisp, with a lemony flavor.

Here's the vegetable patch. Okay, maybe my memory was a little fuzzy in saying that it suffered minor damage from the storm. Post-storm photos to follow.

basil, lettuce and thyme

the lettuce, while it was small

tomatoes

lamb's ear

the flower bed, near the house

the garden in december

2010-12-20T00:16:00.006-05:00

it's been a great while since i posted about the back yard garden. As we spent about two months preparing the store to open, late summer turned to early fall. We were so busy day to day that the garden became a welcoming break- really the only way I could relax. I spent many mornings sneaking some time in, tending to the harvest and sharing the bounty with friends and my newly formed staff. We had piles of ripe, yellow pear tomatoes, tall stalks of lemon grass, voluminous basil plants and plenty of thyme and rosemary, and a bit of oregano. The eggplants grew tall and started to fruit a second time- but some critter came and stole the tiny fruits. I bought an already- fruited hot pepper plant and gave many of the peppers away, as I had no time to cook anything.

As I was walking home one day in the early fall, I passed Gowanus nursery and stopped in. I asked for some recommendations for fall plants and came home with two young lettuce plants and a packet of *French Breakfast* radish seeds. I had pulled the thyme out of the garden to pot and planted the lettuce in the emptyish bed. I never did have time to plant the radish, but the lettuce thrived up until our first frost, which was just a few weeks ago. Problem was, cats started discovering my now empty garden and used it as a litter box. I had heard that cat poop is toxic, so I was wary of eating the lettuce. I kept scooping up and discarding the poo, but it's hard to stop once they've started. In reality the poop probably didn't touch the lettuce or its roots, but the thought of it grossed me out. I sadly watched as the lettuce got bigger and made it through to December, but went untouched.

In the mean time, I gradually brought in the herbs that were in pots and moved inside some other potted plants. Since we live in a basement apartment, I thought it would be best to bring nearly all of the plants to the store, and that's what I did. But then... as the weather got colder I noticed some of the plants having a hard time in the icy cold window. The store might get more light, but it's gigantic and drafty. At the same time I noticed that the plants I left at home were doing well. So back on home they came! The plant pictured below, which never left the apartment, is beginning to flower. Our upstairs neighbor Aki, who moved out over the summer, gave me her plants and this was one of them. I don't know what it is. anyone? anyone? btw, it sure is nice to have my herbs at home and it makes me wonder why I didn't try growing herbs inside A LONG TIME AGO.

okay, so I almost left out one of the most important parts of this story. the day before our store opened, bobbi and carlos came down to help us with some last-minute things. before they left I cut them a bunch of stuff from the garden and they kept saying, "are you sure? it's too much!" to which I replied "take it! please!" my garden looked amazing on October 10- the peak of its beauty. then on the night of our opening party, as we were chatting with friends, the sky started to darken. a few of them had come on bike, and wondered if they should leave right then, before the impending storm came in. I went outside to check the sky, and I could see dark clouds coming from the north. Ariel decided to leave (on bike) and as a few others were making their way to their car, a huge wind started up and they came back inside. the group of us who were left watched as giant hail stones covered the sidewalk and with them, piles of broken leaves that were sliced off the trees.

the next day as the sun shone, the sidewalks of brooklyn were covered in lacerated leaves, and most of the trees were stripped bare of their still-green leaves. I somehow thought that since our back yard is usually protected from the wind, my garden would be spared. the west side seemed okay except for some minor damage to the vegetable garden. I was out there for a good while before I turned and saw the other side- and let out a huge O MY GOD! the potted plants on the east side looked like they were hacked up with a machete. the worst hit was the wandering jew- it had been so lush and full before, but it was now chopped down to its stem.

a lot of the potted herbs had been damaged a bit, and have since been recovering indoors. so anyways, it is great to be able to continue *gardening* through the winter, always discovering new things about plants and how best to take care of them. I've brought most of the potted plants back home, except for the large palm from Aki, which is hearty enough to thrive in the store. b even added to the indoor garden by buying a bunch of miniature evergreens. they are so darn easy to take care of! maybe next fall I'll have more time to do a proper transition out back, and I'll introduce some evergreens outside.

emily rothschild

2010-12-17T12:10:00.004-05:00

emily rothschild is an industrial designer who just happens to make some of the most innovative jewelry around in her free time. we first got emily's pinky wings in the store, and they have been a great success. the wings can be worn on the pinky or ring finger and come in left and right hand orientation. they're made of cast bronze, plated in your choice of silvery rhodium or white powder coat.

when emily told me (rather excitedly) that she was coming out with some new necklaces, of course I wanted to see them. each great design contains its own form of trickery.

the whirlgig necklace is a tiny animation that you can wear around your neck. based on a 1920's concept, two slightly different images decorate each side of a rotating disk. We chose the Dancing Couple and the Lumberjack for ebmerc. they're made of brass and are hung on a fine gold tone chain.

the black box key is a particular favorite of mine, as I love surprises. Emily has made a series of necklaces, each one slightly different, from vintage keys have been powder coated in various colors. they come packaged in a black box, tied with ribbon and sealed with red wax.

and saving the best for last, we have the 2010 Mourning Locket. In another nod to the past, Emily tweaks the idea of a Victorian mourning locket, in which you would carry a photo of your dear, departed one. In this version the photos have been replaced by a two-gig flash drive. enough storage to hold all your photos if you like.

all items are available both in the Red Hook store and online.

new poketo

2010-12-15T23:46:00.008-05:00

the donutsu and mushroom mugs sold out so quickly in the Red Hook shop, I knew I had to place another order with Poketo soon! we have three new styles of mug- the raygun is my favorite- and also three new wallet styles in stock. woo hoo! bright and cheerful Poketo gifts for $20 and under!

raygun mug- the best!

alien mug- this one's okay too.

elephant mug- b requested this one. it's cute.

bear wallet- it's my cute pick.

buddy wallet- c'mon!

unicorn wallet- lush and trippy

fyi the mushroom mug and wallet are both back in stock. the donutsu mug, sadly, is discontinued. I saw a photograph of it in the promo for Poketo's warehouse sale and I was all, "hey! no fair!" If you don't know Poketo, you should. This L.A.- based company makes all sorts of limited edition items emblazoned with the work of artists, illustrators, doodlers and designers. They are the ones responsible for the amazing SPACETIME wall art we have plastered on the walls of our store. so check 'em out.

new in the ebmerc shop

2010-12-13T16:13:00.008-05:00

well we decided to consolidate my online shop with ebmerc- so look for a few items starting to appear on the website. b has some ideas for how the molliedash site should change and I'm excited to work on that. in the mean time:

we've received so many great, new items in the Red Hook store over the past two months. they are steadily making their way to the webshop, for those of you who can't make it to Brooklyn. We are particularly into the Jao Products and so are our customers! I just put Jao's new OutScent and perennial favorite GOE oil on the site. Also new are Italian bath products Tabiano sulfur soap, (yes, sulfur!) Omega Eucalyptus Shave Creme (no aerosol cans here) and shaving brushes with a handy stand. (coming soon) and don't forget a Van Brunt Street favorite- Star of David Kosher Soap in lemon-eucalyptus and honey-almond.

in the kitchen department we have three new styles of soy sauce pot. all made in Japan of porcelain in beautiful, functional forms.

new colors in the PlayForever bruno racing car, (royal blue) mimmo aeroplane, (army green) and enzo motorbike. (red and gunmetal)

very exciting is the introduction of Emily Rothschild's interactive necklaces. We have in stock the dancing and lumberjack whirlgigs- an image on each side of the pendant flips to make an mini-animation. and the truly outstanding 2010 mourning locket which replaces victorian-era trimmed photographs with 2 gigabytes of storage!

enjoy and I'll keep uploading!

origamitron

2010-12-04T23:47:00.002-05:00

We are PSYCHED to announce Everbrite Mercantile Co.'s first art show. Our intern Jenna Kole is installing a collection of sculptures, made of hand-made and folded paper. Some are lit and some are sound-actived. They are starting to creep in around the store and the full show will be up Friday, December 10. Join us for a reception that evening from 5 to 9:30 pm.

where to find molliedash jewelry

2010-11-16T13:20:00.007-05:00

hey kids!

as you might have noticed, there are a lot of changes going on behind the scenes at molliedash/ everbrite mercantile co. Since we opened the store roughly a month ago, it has necessitated some logistical adjustments. so for now, I've placed my website under construction. it was bugging me to hell, having it a mish-mosh of styles, with out of date information, and no time to work on it. I might be moving some of the merchandise over to the ebmerc site so watch out for that. if you're in brooklyn or thinking of coming to brooklyn, my collection can be found in the everbrite brick and mortar store in red hook. or at Old Hollywood in Greenpoint and Chelsea.

originally I was thinking to have two separate business running, but now I see that it just doesn't make sense. plus, I just don't have the time to run them that way. this involves more than websites and blogs- it has to do with bank accounts and record keeping also.

the question of keeping this blog running is also on my mind. most of my posts lately have been everbrite related, so merging the two into one blog is something we're considering.

for now we're heavily into holiday preparations for the store- ordering, ordering, ordering. then a new window display to be revealed for black friday, and the challenge of putting out all the new merch, pricing it, putting it into inventory, etc.

but be prepared- our first month in the store was great and we are stocking WAY back up for the holidays. we'll have more of your favorites such as vintage-inspired Playforever toys, animal shot glasses from Goody Grams and loopy metal home accessories from Black+Blum. Look for new colors and designs from these great lines, as well as all-new creations from Emily Rothschild and Pop Chart Lab.

yoga class with felecia maria

2010-11-14T22:42:00.004-05:00

we're hosting our first event at everbrite mercantile co. next wednesday night- yoga by donation with felecia maria. for those of you who don't know, felecia is my good friend, a brilliant clothing designer, mom of two and a great yoga teacher. she's a dancer/ choreographer too, and began constructing her own costumes, which led to her current line of yoga pants! (which we have available at the store, hint, hint) so anyways... come unwind with us for a sweet one-hour vinyasa style class in red hook this wednesday. it's by donation, so don't stress out about the cost. I promise you will leave the class feeling blissed-out and relaxed.

New Toys!

2010-11-05T17:41:00.015-04:00

We've been keeping secrets from our online customers! If you've been frequenting the store you've seen the awesome TOYS I'm talking about but they're just going up on the online store ~~this week,~~ so get ready.

We are carrying the most perfect and most shiny wooden yo-yo's in silver, red, and black. A classic toy that never gets old, until the string breaks, and then you'll have to replace it. At $12 they are kind of the perfect gift for anyone.

We have two models of wooden cars with fancy rolling wheels. These cars come with removable drivers and are just as practical as a desk ornament for a Chevrolet executive as they are a toy to be adored by a small child. We carry the "Oldtimer" that resembles an antique car and features an oscillating front axle, and the "Streamliner" a more compact and modern version.

........ and then........

The Eames blocks. Everyone I know wants to play with these. The set includes a miniature model of the original Study #8 Eames house and studio. When you disassemble the blocks they reveal letters like classic wooden blocks on one face, gorgeous graphic patterns on another edge, and the representation of the outside of the Eames buildings. Each block is hand screen-printed with lead-free non-toxic inks and they are entirely U.S. made. Is there a more luxurious and amazing block set available? Who knows, but it doesn't matter because this one is hands down the best.

How to Pay Your Verizon Bill

2010-11-03T20:10:00.008-04:00

1. Wait for bill to arrive
2. Bill never arrives
3. Receive disconnection notice
4. Attempt to pay online. Try to set up online bill pay- requires that temporary pin arrives by a)phone call at phone location. (the phone is at the store. I am not at the store while attempting to set up bill pay.) b)U.S. Postal service, which may arrive in 5-10 business days. Phone bill is due by 5pm, three days from receipt of disconnection notice.
5. Resume attempt at online billpay registration at the store. Receive temporary password. Enter temporary password. Verizon's website freezes up.
6. Return home and try entering temporary password on home computer. Verizon rejects temporary password.
7. Search Verizon's website for in-person payment locations. Search provides me with two locations in Brooklyn. (Brooklyn has approximately 2.5 million people)
8. Insert location into Google Maps. (no map is provided on Verizon's site)
9. ~~Will call tomorrow to make sure that the Pawn Shop Verizon is sending me to is still in business.~~
10. Notice this feature on the top right of the bill, Pay your bill quickly by phone. Call 1-800-345-6563 any time day or night. Call and pay the low, low fee of just $3.50 to pay my bill with the assistance of an automated telephone system.
11. Check email and find that Verizon contacted me an hour before paying by phone, with a three-digit code that will enable me to validate the email address I have on file with them. HEH?
12. Make plans on filing a complaint with the PUC, claiming that Verizon makes it purposely difficult to pay your phone bill.

jao ltd.

2010-10-29T00:35:00.005-04:00

since the store has been open, we've had the chance to introduce some new products to ebmerc. the whir of activity has slowed down updating of the website, but that is happening as I write this. one line we love in the store is JAO. I don't know which is better- the quality and purity of the products or the retro-inspired package design. according to the family-run company, Jao is a mystical word inscribed on a 2000-year-old charm believed to prevent and cure disease. the line, developed by Gale and her pharamceutical chemist dad, includes products that are created without dyes, petroleum or artificial fragrances. the yummy hand refresher, GOE oil body moisturizer, face creme and lip balm include such soothing ingredients as calendula, chamomile, rosemary, avocado oil and shea butter. (things you can eat!) I am totally hooked on Jao products and people in the neighborhood are becoming fans as well. come by the shop if you're in brooklyn and try our Jao samples!

twit twit twit twit twit twit

2010-10-27T16:35:00.005-04:00

if i had a milli

2010-10-27T13:42:00.005-04:00

It's a dreary day in red hook which means plenty of time to look around the store and ponder. I gave myself an imaginary 150 dollars and picked out what i want most. I challenge you to do the same and stay within budget. It's tricky tricky i tell you.

option one:
I blow most of my budget on a silver ring with lincoln's face imprinted on it and then i have a little left over to satisfy my denim craving with kwilti's patched potholders and enjoy the fantasy of french ready-to-wear by buying a chouette tee, designed by a fancy french lady in the early nineteen eighties.
kiel mead lincoln ring 100
chouette dots tee 22
two kwilti potholders 12+12=24
total: 146

option two:
I am a vintage and antique lover. Antiques are so good at taking my money because they have such a persona that new items don't possess. it's as if they look me in the eye point out to me that "this is it, we may never see each other again," and i swear the day someone buys the polynesian hand i will shed a tear.
Polynesian Hand 78
antique metal cowboy toys (in store only) 10+10+10+10=40
antique wooden cars 10+10+10=30
total: 148

option three:
This is the most impressive and practical option, but not my top choice. I can add a few awesome details to my home life and have the softest skin ever all at the same time.
Kwilti pillow 60
Goe oil (in store only) 28
serious moisture 17
three sake cups 10+10+10=30
three handmade magnets (in store only) 5+5+5=15
total: 150

I would have to go over budget to really make the perfect combination. I'll stay itemless in the meantime. Oh, but you shouldn't hesitate to spoil yourself. Here i'll make it easy for you. xo lou

new blood

2010-10-24T00:01:00.005-04:00

you might notice a few new contributors listed on this blog. since I'm now running a store, my time for things like blogging has dwindled. not that I was always the most consistent blogger anyway! but it's great to have some help. I introduce to you straight outta kansas lou burgess, pattern-maker, cat doodler, tooth crafter, lady d.j., sometimes vegan and official eb merc sign maker. not to be outdone by her formidable colleague is kim white, parsons all-star who's a country girl at heart, our go-to design and construction expert. although everbrite mercantile has its own blog, we will continue to post on this one until we get our technical issues straightened out. until then, enjoy the fresh content.

some pics of the store

2010-10-09T23:38:00.006-04:00

it's here...

2010-09-28T10:07:00.005-04:00

www.ebmerc.com

sneaky peeky

2010-09-16T19:53:00.004-04:00

trunk show at old hollywood saturday

2010-09-15T13:42:00.006-04:00

hey folks! I'm having a trunk show at Old Hollywood's Manhattan location this Saturday, 12-5pm. I'll be bringing my entire collection, and everything will be discounted a bit. rumor has it there will be snacks and drinks too. what better time of year when the weather is just perfect, to spend a leisurely weekend afternoon visiting the west side of manhattan. If you haven't seen Limelight Marketplace yet, this is a great opportunity to get lost in the hamster maze of a converted gothic church. And while you're at it, go for a stroll on my #1 favorite attraction in nyc, the High Line. so come by and say hi, ya'll.

Old Hollywood
Limelight Marketplace
656 Sixth Ave. @20th St.
Saturday, Sept. 18: 12-5pm

visiting the family in waimanalo

2010-09-06T00:53:00.003-04:00

tomatoes!

2010-08-29T23:28:00.000-04:00

2010-08-25T23:24:00.003-04:00

where was I?

since returning from hawaii it's been a nonstop flurry of activity. I actually had to check my twitter updates to remind myself of what I've been doing for the past three weeks. really.

but I'm not complaining, no. I was blessed with a bevy of formidable intern applicants- so I hired them all! haha. I did hire four people though- some interns and some a bit more.

today felt like the first *real* day to me because the great and powerful kim started gussying up our back wall. we gathered bunches of art supplies from the apartment and headed over to the store, where I gave her free reign. b was working on the technical aspects of the space- wiring, thinking about structural fixes and materials, making another trip to lowe's. it felt great to have things in motion and I was able to focus on a few projects myself.

over the weekend we made a trip upstate for the madison/bouckville antiques show. about 200 miles northwest of the city, the show takes place in one of the most beautiful and serene farm regions you can imagine. nothing but small town and friendly people for miles on end.

okay..training two more new hires tomorrow! so bye.

it's intern time

2010-08-08T21:39:00.005-04:00

1. In case you haven't moseyed on over to the ebmerc blog, there's a bit of news you might want to know. b and have found a spot to house our new retail store/ art gallery/ chillin' space. the store on van brunt street in red hook will be the new home of everbrite mercantile co. and molliedash jewelry.

2. soo.... I will for sure need the help of an intern this fall. if you are a student at any of the local art and design schools, I can arrange for credit and there will be a small stipend. if you are recent graduate or someone looking for real-life small creative business experience, this might be the position for you too.

please email me with some information about your background and interest in this internship.

first basil harvest

2010-08-06T00:23:00.004-04:00

b and I were away for six days, and being a first-time gardener, I was worried about what to do with the garden. first I tried to get someone to stay at our place- no takers. then I asked my upstairs neighbor to keep an eye on it, but he was going away for the same period of time. so b suggested a timer and a sprinkler. and what do you know- it worked. there were only three small plants that got missed by the spray. the vegetables are getting enormous- and thankfully my tomato tipis were not knocked by down by any strong winds. I decided it was time to harvest some of the basil today. so exciting, knowing that I started these from seed.

plastic bag necklaces!

2010-07-21T23:58:00.005-04:00

I wanted to make some lightweight necklaces for summer and I remembered intending on expanding upon the braided plastic bag idea a while ago. This is a small collection I came up with for Old Hollywood.

putting two and two together

2010-07-19T00:30:00.005-04:00

see these sprouts- aren't they pretty? like you could toss them in a salad or something, right?

this bunch is what came out of about a two foot by six inch wide bed this morning. this is what I must contend with every day. it is my arch nemesis, the morning glory. I've been pulling morning glory sprouts from every corner of the garden except one, the far west side of the bed that holds the lavender. I thought it might be okay to let it grow up the fence a little.

but then I figured something out. the seeds form after the flowers bloom and drop off. If I let any of the vines mature and flower, I'll be in the same boat next summer. above is the tangle of vines, right after I ripped them from the fence.

the reason I don't want morning glory in the garden can be seen above. it twists its way around everything, smothering other plants. it spreads its seeds and grows voraciously. if I left it alone, the whole patio would be covered in it.

here are the dried seed pods, ready to shed their seeds.

and here are the seeds! I hear they make a popular recreational drug. check out this video to find out everything you wanted to know and more about taking morning glory. I am not telling you to take morning glory seeds, this is strictly for informational purposes.

so anyhoo, back in early march when b and I were preparing the yard, I pulled a bunch of dried vines off the chain link fence on the west side of the back patio. it was a warm day and a lot of nasty dust was flying off the vines. my arms started breaking out in hives- a few small ones at first, and then they spread way up the length of my arms, creating giant, raised welts. I came inside and washed, then put on long gloves. I continued to pull the vines even though the rash kept getting worse- I was really into doing yard work! finally after some time I had enough, came inside and showered. later that night as I was trying to go to sleep, I started wheezing. I had asthma as a child, but it's been gone since I was in my 20's. the only thing that usually brings it back is exposure to an unusually dusty or cat hair-ridden house. the next day I went to an herb store and found some natural remedies. the wheezing continued for well over a week until it gradually subsided.

I had seen a lot of brown, bell-shaped pods flying off as I was pulling the vines and I assumed that whatever vine they came from was the one that caused the allergy. the patio was full of the pods and I got rid of as many as I could.

flash forward a few months and I discover a vine with seven-point leaves that has a sticky, spiky stem, and it gives me the same reaction as I had in march. only now I am more careful when handling it, putting on the long gloves right away and avoiding prolonged exposure. I assume that this is the same vine that had bothered me in march (the patio has a lot of different vines- each fence is covered with a different one, and some creep in from other yards) but I still hadn't made the connection with the seed pods. in the meantime, I've been trying to trace the genesis of the morning glory's immense power to spread. it wasn't until I pulled the vines off the fence today and discovered the brown pods below that they indeed belonged to the morning glory, not the noxious, itchy weed. the itchy weed had attached itself to the morning glory and I missed it in its brown and shrunken state. luckily the itchy weed doesn't spread as voraciously as the morning glory or I'd be in trouble.

evil weed! bad, bad!

what's going on in the garden

2010-07-17T23:34:00.010-04:00

this was our first zucchini, which I picked in early July. I was really excited to be able to grow my own, since it's one of my favorite summer vegetables. I have fond memories of picking squash in my mom's garden and barely being able to keep up with the yield.

the fruit shown above was actually the second zucchini in the garden. the first was coming along, but failed to mature, remaining skinny and yellow. I didn't realize at the time that this was a sign of squash boring worms, which attack the stalk. I pulled out the biggest plant first, as shown above. you can see a mealy orange material coming out of the base. that's the rotten stalk- sort of the plant's innards. I left the two other plants in the garden for a few days, then yanked them too. I figured it was better to get diseased plants out of the garden sooner than later. they grew so big and strong, it was sad to see them go. being a first-time gardener, I didn't know what to expect when planting the small starts, underestimating how big the plants would get. I think overcrowding them in the plot probably made them susceptible to disease. early on I was watering the patch steadily through the day for fear that the plants would get too dry. then I found out that it's best to give the garden a good soaking (really wet!) in the morning. that's what I've been doing and the garden is steadily improving.

east side of patio. wandering jew, strawberry, cutting from stonecrop and fava beans. the beans are staying on the less sunny side of the garden, as I found out they're a cool weather crop. doh! not sure why the garden center sold them to me.

lemongrass- a lovely addition to the garden.

big, potted plant that the neighbor gave me before she moved out.

compost- such a fun project! I've done a ton of reading on how-to, and it seems to be coming a long okay. b drilled holes in the bottom of the bin- it was here when we moved into the apartment. I compost all my fruit and veggie scraps, tea loose and bagged, egg shells and small chicken bones. I'm careful to rinse anything that's an animal product as the scent can attract critters. to that I add garden clippings (careful not to add invasive weeds which can sprout in compost) and unbleached paper. covering it with the white screen has helped immensely. at first it was attracting fruit flies and fleas. then when the houseflies came, it was too much for me.

look how big the tomato plant is getting! I created a simple tipi for it out of garden sticks. I transplanted the smaller of the two tomatoes to the space where the zucchini had been. it established right away, benefitting from a couple of days of rain.

my first tomatoes! this is more than exciting. fingers crossed.

tabletop- two basil plants, avocado sprouted from seed and rosemary. over a month ago I thinned out the herb patch, as the basil was overcrowded. the four small plants I pulled out are doing really well.

I also pulled one of the small hot pepper plants, as it was also overcrowded in the section that has the tomatoes and the green beans. lesson learned- give your plants space!

I ate my first eggplant today- so good! I maybe picked it a little early, but what I'm learning in gardening is that there are no mistakes. it's impossible to know what's going to happen until you do it- so everything you do, whether success or failure, is an opportunity to learn.

vintage loveliness

2010-07-13T21:19:00.010-04:00

mexican silver brooch

sterling silver and rhinestone earrings

marcasite and sterling ring

i teach classes

2010-07-07T21:25:00.006-04:00

I finished teaching my first semi-private class today at Brooklyn Design Lab! I did an Eco Jewelry Design class, in which I asked the students to bring in any old jewelry parts they'd like to reconfigure into new designs. I was so lucky to have two such amazing students, who were both quick and eager to learn. I brought along a bunch of old parts myself including pendants, beads and clasps, plus waxed cotton cord and copper wire to join it all together. I taught the girls macrame, lashing, slip knots, jump ring manipulation (tricky if you've never done it) and a bit of wire wrapping. here are some pics from today, the second day of a two-part class.

sofia and nusheen, wearing the necklaces and bracelets they made the first day.

sofia's charm bracelet

along with her macrame and chain bracelet!

nusheen's charm bracelet

nusheen's macrame ring!

If you'd like to schedule a class contact Amy at BDL. Adults and children are welcome.

summer sale

2010-07-06T22:47:00.007-04:00

hey kids! I marked a BUNCH OF STUFF on sale, just for you.
(because I care.)

cooling down

2010-06-29T22:50:00.003-04:00

doing a little tweaking to the blog. I'm manually editing the image size pic by pic, so I'm not sure how far back in history I'll go with it. (this is where an intern would come in handy!)

it's been a rough few days for the garden- high temps and no rain. I've been misting the plants as much as possible, which seems to be helping. lesson learned not to plant herbs from seed directly into a bed with full sun exposure. the tiny, young plants are too fragile to handle such hot sun. when the basil started getting thick I divided a few plants out and put them in a seedling tray. they're on a table which gets sun only part of the day and they are faring much better than the ones in the bed. the poor dill is having a really hard time of it. thankfully it started cooling down tonight and the next few days should be in the low 80's. I hope the weather holds out while the plants are in this state and they'll get a chance to grow a bit. there are also some tiny plants which I think are oregano (damn, I threw the packet away) and they're struggling too.

the zucchini is doing fine- gigantic leaves, hardy plant. I even have a small squash growing which should be ready in a day or so. the rest of the plants are hanging on with a lot of attention, and the tomato even seems to enjoy the heat- the larger of the two plants has its first yellow flower.

there are a few plants which have yet to find their home, still hanging on in their plastic pots from the garden center. I had been working regularly late into the evening as to avoid the mid-day sun, but now the mosquitos are making their presence. Citronella candles are on the list.

when I'm not working in the garden.... I'm coming up with a new collection for Old Hollywood. not only is their Limelight location going gangbusters, but they're moving their Greenpoint location to a larger spot, on Franklin Street. I'll try to take some pics of the new work tomorrow.

ciao for now.

beans and eggplant

2010-06-26T20:05:00.021-04:00

we got to eat our first beans today! okay, there were only three, but the flavor- wow. I don't really think the variety is haricots verts (literally french for green bean) as our neighbor had told us, or they would be very skinny. the skin has a velvety nap which feels smooth in one direction and spiky in the other. anyone know what bean variety this is?

it's a little hard to tell from the photos, but the eggplant is tiny- barely as big as half of my pinky. these will be ichiban eggplant- the skinny, thin-skinned variety. my favorite!

today we went back to Liberty Sunset (made the rounds of all three Red Hook garden centers- this one's my favorite) and got more topsoil and some compost. the mosquitos are becoming ridiculous (having a next door neighbor that neglects its yard doesn't help) so I looked up plants that would repel them. apparently they hate anything that has a lemon scent (thus the use of citronella as a repellant) so I bought a couple of bunches of lemongrass. plus I can cook with it! also a wandering jew, the name of which I think the L.S. employee was embarrassed to say. I sprinkled the patch with compost and filled it with topsoil and was able to finish just as it started to rain. love what the rain does to the garden- we're having a near- perfect spring into summer.

I asked the woman who helped me at Gowanus Nursery (from them I bought tall echinacea flowers, Coleus inky fingers and fava beans) about the birds attacking the Sedum. She said that they were going after aphids on the leaves- so it's a good thing! she assured me that the aphids have their life cycle and in due time I won't need to worry about it. in the mean time my plant is chewed to bits. I hung old cd's (was saving them for some special project) from fishing line. the sun's reflection on them is supposed to scare birds away. but as soon as I was finished hanging them and went inside, three birds flew right over to the plant.

I found out later that fava beans are a cool weather bean, to be planted in spring or fall. b suggested keeping them on the shady side of the garden till fall. don't know if they'll produce in the fall, but it's one more thing to learn about.

red hook mercado

2010-06-23T23:27:00.011-04:00

b and I made a nice little display with some of the ebmerc and molliedash merch at our own neighborhood mercado in early june. thought I'd share a few photos of the market and our cool neighborhood. you can view the whole set of pics on my flickr page.

squash blossoms

2010-06-20T23:32:00.005-04:00

I went out early this morning to photograph the open squash blossoms. they close as the day wears on and the sun gets brighter. a few have been dropping, so that's a good sign. I read somewhere that the male flowers blossom first and drop, before the female flowers bloom and fruit. all's going according to plan!

the eggplant is blossoming too.

see that? that's a tiny green bean! (click for a larger view)

the lavender is blooming!

morning glory is pretty, but extremely invasive. I probably spend half my gardening time plucking it out of the garden. this is one section I let go.

something is making a feast out of my stonecrop. not sure it's snails because it's on the upper leaves. it's the dang birds. caught them in the act this morning!

the lamb's ear is doing well though.

big rain

2010-06-13T23:44:00.011-04:00

this is my secondary compost pile, composed only of weeds and garden clippings. I went to check on the garden last thursday after a day and half of rain and found the pile covered with dozens of snails. I'm thinking it might be a good idea to transfer the pile further back in the yard, away from the veggie patch. I pulled 36 baby slugs out of the patch and moved them to the ivy-covered back fence. I then sprinkled the garden liberally with crushed eggshell and coffee grounds. we looked up other snail and slug prevention methods and found that they are adverse to copper. so next I will wind copper wire round the smooth wooden fence and frame. the strawberries ended up being a sacrifice- I hadn't bothered removing dead leaves and weeds from their bed, and the snails were madly attracted to the space. by the time I cleared it out and added fresh topsoil, it was too late.

but they're so cute!

basil and dill sprouting from seed! (the packet was a promo for no impact man's movie, given to me at the whole foods checkout last year.)

thyme, bought as a small plant.

the japanese eggplant is doing well- just flowered yesterday.

zucchini, getting big.

heirloom tomato, given to me by a neighbor.

haricots verts starting to flower, from same neighbor.

rescued this violet from the sun and snails, and now it's beginning to flower.

flea market finds

2010-06-06T21:36:00.004-04:00

mexican sheet silver earrings

faux turquoise pendant, heavy costume bracelet, anne klein snake chain, collection of mexican silver stacking rings, long gold filled rope chain

stamped mexican earring parts, heavy sterling drop, huge costume spangle earrings

gee-orgeous native american sterling silver and turquoise earrings

costume wing earrings

found yesterday at carroll park flea market!

today

2010-06-05T00:00:00.003-04:00

I had an appointment to get my hair cut in Williamsburg (Hair Metal- it's the best. go there! get your hair cut!) so b came along and we made a day out of it. In fact hair metal is so good that I waited a full 14 months to get my hair cut after my last one. before I found the place, I was going from salon to salon, always slightly unhappy with both the results and the vibe (being rushed is not fun when it's your hair and your money) so sheesh- I'm so glad i found this place. this time I had the owner Ed, since the sweet woman who cut my hair last has since moved out of state. Ed is awesome. I always feel slightly uncomfortable in hair salons- he's the first stylist i've had who didn't give me that uneasy feeling. plus i love the whole *metal* concept- the place plays nothing but (at a comfortable volume) and has the walls painted in tattoo- inspired murals. I'm no metal head, but the salon somehow works for me.

after my cut we walked over to saint's alp for a snack. we had a few hours to kill until the next event, so I suggested we get b some new glasses. boy, does he need them! we wandered north into greenpoint and found the most awesome polish eyeglass place, right on the corner of manhattan ave. and meserole ave. the sort of generic name optical warehouse outlet doesn't do the place justice- b and I just remembered it being there since it's a few doors down from old hollywood. geared at the polish community in greenpoint, they have an amazing selection of frames and a very knowledgeable and helpful staff.

so then onto the L train and clear across to the west side of manhattan, for a visit to one of my favorite places on earth, the high line. the greenery is really growing in since it was planted last year, looking all full and lush. from 20th street we could see through the fence to phase ii, which is coming along and will add another 10 blocks to the park. heading down the stairs to exit, we were deposited in front of 7Eleven Gallery, which always has something fun going on. the current exhibition, make yourself at home, features installations of various rooms in a house, plus freestanding pieces, all made with funkified combinations of junk and found materials.

from there we walked along the hudson river park which itself has seen a huge transformation in the past year. so much beautiful landscaping has been added, along with improved walkways and grassy areas. near the chelsea piers we stopped by the new skate park, which was filled with (mostly) kids and some older folks on both skate boards and roller blades. too much fun!

then finally down to chinatown for ecoSalon shops! -sort of a covert, back-alley affair, only accessible by a human-operated freight elevator. I found out about it through feral childe's mailing list, but realized that ecoSalon was the same blog that had done a post on me months back, comparing my name to nancy drew! it was a really fun event, presenting eco-minded clothing and jewelry designers; purveyors of chocolate, vodka and tea; (all providing samples of course) and my personal favorite buddha nose, from whom I bought both their booster spray and heart spray. just the thing to freshen you up during the sticky summer!

and finally, finally, we grabbed a bite at our favorite chinatown vietnamese restaurant, nha trang.

special request

2010-06-01T13:24:00.009-04:00

remember Kate? you might think I'm making her up at this point- as if anyone could be that cool. so Kate came to me with an unusual request. her sister recently finished nursing school- and at the same time finished cancer treatment. so she requested that I design a necklace around her chemotherapy port. and this is what I came up with. I decided to go beyond the mixed chain thing I've been doing and accent the port with special treasures like coffee seeds and a sparkling piece of ruby. In this way I thought of the port as a talisman- something that had magical powers and had brought her sister good health and fortune.

our first strawberries

2010-05-24T20:28:00.004-04:00

it is so much fun (and rewarding) inheriting someone else's garden. now that I've got it pretty well cleaned and set up, we started adding some plants of our own. we are lucky enough to have TWO garden centers right down the street from our apartment. yesterday we picked out some lovely succulents and other perennials to fill in the giant and empty flower box, and a pot of three young zucchini plants. then today we got some organic top soil to fill in b's veggie bed. I placed the small green bean plants a neighbor gave us along the fence, and added the tiny pepper seedlings. the zucchini plants went right in the middle, as they spread out and need room. tomorrow I plan on sprinkling a section with a packet of herb mix seeds. (I've been trying to sprout them indoors, with poor results. being in a basement, we don't have a window sunny enough to make it work.)

and oh yeah, b and I tried the first two ripe strawberries. heaven!

salami heads

2010-05-19T02:57:00.008-04:00

b and I were walking through little italy last week when we saw the weirdest thing in a shop window- heads made of salami and bread. I started snapping photos when the owner came out to lock up. she told us that the now-faded meat heads were busts of the Giants' top draft picks, as documented by the Daily News article in the window. she also threw in the fact that the Giants didn't get their picks. Although DiPalo's window is refrigerated, the salami is now fading, giving the dudes an eerie washed-out appearance. "guess it's time to throw them away!" she said. the busts were created by the shop owner's friend, who loves to make food sculpture, and occasionally drops his work off at the store.

for a rainy tuesday

2010-05-18T12:07:00.005-04:00

Snoozer Loser Spring/Summer 2010, video by Johnny Woods.

our dark and cave-like bedroom, together with the soft rain falling on the roof, made me want to sleep all day. here's a dreamy video that made getting out of bed not so terrible.

back yard progress

2010-05-14T18:42:00.014-04:00

phlox

vinca

strawberries!

mint!

more phlox

not lemon balm- a weed I ended up pulling. there is, however lemon balm elsewhere in the yard.

english ivy

working in the garden is so much fun. every time I go back there I find something new growing, wild patio-crack herbs, a seemingly dead plant suddenly alive and blooming, wiggly worms and plentiful snails, and knocked-over garden structures that need propping back up. there were plants suffering in too-small plastic pots that I've since replanted in the beds, tenacious weeds that I continue to pull up and manage, and beautiful ground-cover succulents that I'm shifting to the existing beds. I've also been moving soil from one empty bed to the ones that need it. b has been building sculptures and free-form flower beds. we can't wait to get some good, organic soil and create a veggie patch. here are some pics of what's come up recently. I spoke with my upstairs neighbor, who is responsible for planting all of the back yard loveliness, as he used to live in our apartment.

pratt show

2010-05-12T00:40:00.009-04:00

b and I had the good luck of finding out last-minute about the annual juried pratt show of works by graduating seniors and masters candidates. we ran over tonight to attend a special reception for design professionals, where were able to meet the students. we were both, like, um, blown away by the work and the presentation.

the crowd and the beautiful ceiling at the manhattan center.

copper and enamel cuff, mixed metal headdress: sofia ramsay.

lahyun choi told me the story of how she spent a lot of time in the hospital as a child. she became fascinated with the body's internal organs and seeks to show their beauty and life-affirming qualities through her jewelry. she uses silver, a traditional jewelry material to represent what's on the outside, and silicone to indicate bodily flesh, or what's inside.

anger by leslie boyd.
I have always found myself intrigued by the unspoken thoughts and embedded personality traits of an individual. What a person is ashamed, scared, or moved to anger by, for example, can become apparent by the most subtle of movements, breathing changes, or irregularities in speech. I constantly find myself reading my friends, family members, and strangers alike for evidence of what thought patterns can present outwardly on an individual.

Through traditional metalsmithing techniques nine pieces have been created in response to this obsession of reading people. Each is meant to bring attention to the emotion that it portrays- the emotion we try to conceal. Some act as vessels for attributes, while others contain a specific part of the body. Repetitive clusters of pattern and surface texture represent the viral qualities of these thoughts in their ability to affect us physically.

daniel nicole hills predator rings, bladed comb.

jess fügler paper brushes. one of my favorite things at the show! I would love to sell these in the ebmerc shop if they become available for sale.

mouth blown glass by kyle solá

this is just a sampling of the many beautiful things we saw at the show. it's free and open to the public through friday, so go check it out if you can.

Pratt Show
The Manhattan Center
311 W. 34th St. @8th Ave.
May 12-13, 9am-9pm
May 14 9am-1pm

bklyn designs

2010-05-08T23:06:00.005-04:00

what a busy weekend. b and I attended BKLYN DESIGNS on friday, before making our way to the west side for old hollywood's opening. check out the complete set of photos here on my flickr page.

old hollywood opens at limelight friday

2010-05-06T11:08:00.005-04:00

whoa, I almost forgot to announce this. anyone remember the limelight disco from the 80's/90's? the famed nightclub was housed in a former gothic-style episcopal church on 6th ave. at 20th. (as was the trend of running discos in churches) but had been closed down for some time. I have a regular appointment right around the corner from there and had only peeked in the building during one of their frequent basement sample sales. (and had no clue it was the former limelight) well lo and behold, one of my fave brooklyn shop owners is opening a manhattan outpost in the soon-to-open limelight marketplace. old hollywood will be throwing its opening party at limelight tomorrow night, 7-10 p.m.

this is a great opportunity to see tiffany porter's talent for creating her vintage-nostalgic magic in its full glory. she's been spending countless hours getting the shop ready, so come on down if you have a chance.

limelight marketplace
47 w. 20th st. @ 6th ave.

(photos- ny times)

clothes pin sample sale

2010-04-26T13:54:00.006-04:00

big news! clothes-pin proprietor karen young has her sample sale back up and running, and I'm joining her again. this time around she's featuring a different designer each week. My sample sale launched this morning, and we're selling pieces at a variety of price points- from $21.50 to $110.(shipping included) Some of these pieces never made it to the website or out to any stores, so this is a great opportunity to grab something that's never been seen.

day trip

2010-04-24T20:38:00.005-04:00

new haven.

earth day deals at green rainbow

2010-04-22T19:22:00.004-04:00

hey kids- a nice selection of my jewelry can be found at the eco-minded online shop, green rainbow. for a limited time, they're offering free shipping on orders $75 and over. that's pretty cool.

in addition, if you join green rainbow's mailing list, you will find out about special discounts and offers. (hint, hint) there just might be a special earth day discount going on right about now.

new pieces

2010-04-20T23:32:00.007-04:00

Pink Tassel Necklace. I love to take chain tassels apart and put them back together, improved. Here I've replaced the base metal wire with lovely copper wraps that have been antiqued and polished. The tassel is hung on pink vintage Japanese chain. Seriously.

I found a use for this bracelet chain of copper diamonds. (I was stashing it away in all honesty.) A weird thing happens when you buy vintage to sell- some pieces tug at you and are hard to part with. Like you're never going to find anything like it again! So here I've made it into a little charm bracelet. The tiny charm that's hiding is a Finnish penny. (penni)

This pendant was a brooch- the tassels hang in slight graduation.

Chunky Amber cuff links. They were sitting in my "to polish" pile for many months. When the weather got nice I brought a big batch out back and went at them with the dremel and tripoli. The findings are made from Alpaca, a metal alloy used to mimic sterling silver. They fooled me to the point that I almost listed them as sterling, until I noticed the hallmark stamp.

Mary Brooch. These little vintage pieces amaze me. Names and such are spelled out in a single piece of square wire, ending in the pin back. They're usually backed by shell, and this one is carved to look like a pair of kissing love birds.

carl jung quotes

2010-04-17T11:27:00.010-04:00

some time ago b ducked into reminiscence on 23rd st. and picked up a carl jung action figure for our friend who is pursuing a master's in psychology, and was visiting us at the time. she opened it and left behind the package, which was covered in quotes from the man. I cut them out and pasted them to various spots on the walls of our bed-stuy apartment.

we have another friend (who was the third roommate to b and the psychology student before b left L.A.) who is going through a rough patch. she claims to hate everything now, including that which she likes. so I decided to look up some carl jung quotes cause I thought some wisdom from the doctor might be just what she needs. here are some of my favorites and the ones I shared with her.

The greatest and most important problems of life are all fundamentally insoluble. They can never be solved but only outgrown.

Nobody, as long as he moves about among the chaotic currents of life, is without trouble.

Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering.

Great talents are the most lovely and often the most dangerous fruits on the tree of humanity. They hang upon the most slender twigs that are easily snapped off.

read more nuggets here.

erin's wallets

2010-04-17T01:42:00.004-04:00

lookee here. my friend erin weckerle, knitter, sewer, d.j.{!} and owner of sodafine, has just come out with these fab wallets. I assume they're only available in person at the williamsburg shop, so you better run on down there. they're only $38 folks!

friendship bracelets

2010-03-29T16:50:00.003-04:00

started working on some plastic bag braids last night, to be made into friendship-type bracelets. thinking of mixing the strands in with some chain and metal work.

feeling graphic-y

2010-03-25T18:41:00.003-04:00

hey, you might have noticed some janky behavior on my home page's slide show. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I decided to go back to a static image and started working on it last night. here it is so far...

Mr. Bookshelf

2010-03-21T17:58:00.007-04:00

posted by "and friend"

Mollie's constant emphasis on recycling is having an impact on me.

A few days ago the neighbors put some 30" pine boards in the trash - old Ikea detritus. I grabbed them.

While making tree branch sculptures in the back yard (from an old dead tree I sawed to bits), I took some time to glue n' screw together a book shelf from as few pieces as possible.

It took 3 of the planks to make a shelf: One for the back, one for the side and the 3rd plank jigsawed into diagonals for the books to rest on.

I designed it to mount at an angle on the wall so the books self-right themselves into place.

Not sure if the 3 drywall anchors I used are enough to hold it, but here it is with 48 pounds of books piled on.

For wall anchoring with very little back side clearance, I recommend Triple-Grip anchors from Cobra Anchor Corp.

onward and upward

2010-03-19T11:38:00.004-04:00

This week b and I took several trips to the storage unit (it's called treasure island) in order to make this (smaller than the last one) apartment more manageable. my idea was to store anything non essential- books and tchochkes, excess kitchen equipment, along with the furniture that we couldn't fit through the front door. the place is slowly but surely coming along. b turned the g4 tower we had rescued from a bed-stuy sidewalk into a file and print server, requesting that I return from my manhattan appointment last week with a new monitor. we have two desks facing the front and the only two light-emitting windows, (second desk also salvaged from the trash) and they were cleared off in time to schedule a work day with Felecia. The pieces I had her work on continue in a similar vein to what I've been doing, but I'm yearning to create something new.

So I plan on devoting some time to playing. Playing is the way to come up with new designs for me. Pull out the materials, see what's hiding in there that I haven't considered for a while, think about new shapes, and be inspired by some of the newer pieces I've acquired.

Being inspired for me also involves purging and moving things along. try as I might to make my etsy shop a go, sales have been dead and I'm finally over it. Red Hook seems like it would be a great neighborhood in which to set up a table and sell stuff. We've been putting out a "free box" in front of the apartment and every last item has disappeared- so that means good food traffic. Can't wait to set up and free myself of some of the lower-priced vintage and excess materials.

So we were treated to free tickets for the Architectural Digest Home Design Show this weekend. by a great design couple I've only met through email conversations! I'm going to jump into the shower now and see if b wants to go today.

be sure to get out in the nice weather this weekend, people!

pleasant wayne

2010-03-19T00:07:00.003-04:00

Actress and environmental activist Pleasant Wayne loves to wear eco-friendly designs. Here she is at an Oscar event, wearing a necklace I made for her. It does look great on her, huh? (clicky for a larger view)

new apartment, new neighborhood

2010-03-10T00:57:00.005-05:00

february was incredibly busy for us. after returning from florida, we had 3.5 weeks to find an apartment, pack up and move. I had finally had it with our super, our landlord and bed-stuy in general, and convinced b it was time to get out of there. granted we were giving up cheap rent, lots of space, sky-high ceilings and 10 foot windows. but seriously. the lack of a decent grocery store was starting to get to us. so we conducted the craigslist hunt and ended up in red hook. it's not a neighborhood I ever thought I'd find myself in- a bit off the beaten path. but come to find out that despite the neighborhood's lack of train service, it's ridiculously close to all the other good neighborhoods. and tiny as red hook is, we have nearly everything we need just a few steps from our door. plus it's this really cool, old port neighborhood- I can hear fog horns as I write this.

so the selling point on the apartment we took is its back yard. yay-oh-yay, we have a back yard to play with. the weather suddenly turned beautiful on sunday and I couldn't resist getting out there to clean up. I love picking through an old garden and seeing what's there. the landlord is letting us keep whatever we want, and he's picking up the rest of the junk on saturday.

see that? it's a lavender bush!!!

weird little clump of grass on its own.

the country mermaid: arcadia

2010-02-28T00:40:00.005-05:00

want to buy an antiques store? this one's for sale- the owner wants to open a fishing camp. (duh!)

st. pete day seven

2010-02-26T00:24:00.004-05:00

the new dali museum!

globe cafe
we had the best old-school vegetarian food here.

then a great cafe con leche from this place.

new vintage

2010-02-21T22:28:00.008-05:00

check out the vintage jewelry I just added to the website. Some of the pieces I found in Florida, and others I've had around for a while.

western-inspired lasso cuff links

darkened silver men's nugget ring. hot!

european silver script L brooch. dig the wood grain pattern.

1950's ric-rac earrings

sterling blossom ring

a weekend of birthdays

2010-02-19T14:19:00.002-05:00

visiting stan's family on anna maria island.

bradenton day six

2010-02-17T18:09:00.005-05:00

this is what happens when a town has a little insight and imagination. and yes, those are chickens lounging on someone's front yard.

cake time

2010-02-16T23:49:00.003-05:00

the inside source

2010-02-14T22:08:00.003-05:00

while we were away I was contacted by Lexi Green about participating in a story she was doing for the inside source, ebay's new online magazine. She asked me a few questions about being an eco-friendly jewelry designer, then asked me to pick three ebay items I would consider bidding on. it was really perfect, considering how much I was focused on thrifting and antiquing at the moment. check out Lexi's article here, part of her column called the green scene.

sarasota day four

2010-02-10T09:20:00.003-05:00

we loved sarasota.

florida finds

2010-02-09T18:21:00.005-05:00