Taking Care

Being sick, which I seem to be sometimes, is often a pain in the ass and yet it's also a blessing. It's a chance to reform, renew and reinvigorate a life. I've noticed in these past few homebound days that I've strung myself along the emotional pull - from annoyance and regret to joy and hope - just to find that I am, once again, emerging a little bit stronger and hope-filled. I had been chained to a box of tissues while reading Newsweek and the lyrics of Leonard Cohen when Karen Maezen Miller's "Hand Wash Cold" arrived at a most serendipitous moment. It's a Zen-infused instruction manual (and autobiography) about enjoying the wash, the chores, the moment.

Thank you Momma Zen because today, as I am recovering, I am grateful for the chance to be home these past few days. To have gently made simple, nourishing meals for my sick family, to have had the luxury of sleep and hugs and herbal baths, and to have relished this beautiful book... 

Indie Wed

I was really thrilled to be an attendee at Indie Wed last weekend. Indie wed is a wedding show event that caters to unique, hip, conscious couples. I met lots of amazing people who are raising the eco-friendly bar in their floral, stationary, catering, photography, video and jewelry businesses. I also saw some great re-purposing of gorgeous wedding accoutrements and some incredibly creative green and vintage companies. I loved the inspiration and vibe. There were a couple DJs and a smattering of individual musicians (a string quartet, a guitarist, a harpist), but no band representation. This event made me really think about how I can incorporate best green practices into my work in the band. While we do use electricity and cars to lug gear, we rarely print our promo materials (we use email and pdfs a lot!). I also try to buy previously owned gear and I donate a portion of our proceeds to great organizations like Donors Choose, Kiva and the Lemonaid Fund in Sierra Leone. I'd love to find more ways to bring consciousness to my business, so please send me any suggestions if you have them!


Some of the groovy vendors at indie wed 2011:
http://layercakeshop.com/
http://www.larkspurchicago.com/
http://idofilms.net/
http://greenweddingalliance.org/
http://jfod.com/
http://lovelulumae.com/
http://vavoompinups.com/