New Directions

It's been a crazy past few months- taking on a hectic school schedule (and surviving!), traveling to the Adirondacks and Montreal, Canada, moving into my first apartment, and canvassing for a non-prof for a month. Since I start school in a week and canvassing full time was a bit much anyway, I started looking for a part time job- restaurants, grocery stores, cafes, the usual suspects that hire undergrad students. But then, a friend suggested that I look into selling crafts- crocheted/ knitted items, recycled t-shirts, handmade trinkets, etc. on Etsy. And the ideas started flowing . . .

Now this blog will be taking on the task of documenting the process of my craft and starting my own business. It only seems fitting- I've always loved creating with my hands and doing things on my own time. I'm hoping this will be helpful to anyone else looking into doing the same as I am, as well as providing me with a space to share my creative endeavors.

So here are some ideas/ themes I'm looking at pursuing:

-Travel: duh--- I'm hoping to make things that will assist in the travel process and that are practical, useful, and comfortable as well as unique

-Eco-friendly: recycled t-shirts, sustainable/ recycled fabrics, reusing old items

-Simple living: having items that are usable/wearable everyday as well as being affordable

-Creative/ Unique/ Whimsical: Everything will be handmade/ refurbished; I am also thinking of showcasing some photography

Here's a few items I've already made:

                       

Red Halter top made out of recycled t-shirt.

 

 

 

Blue tie-back athletic top also made out of recycled t-shirt.


 

 

My very first crocheted hat! Rasta style (someone could fit some serious dreads in there)

 

 

Athletic top #2 in green.

 

Fringe top made out of recycled t-shirt. It reads: Crusin' with the Monadnock Oldies- god, I love thrift stores.

I'm in the process of crocheting a backpack too, so I'll show pics of that when it's done!

Also here is the link to my Flickr account; not many pics and I might switch to Photobucket soon, but just to give you a kind of, sort of idea: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gc003/    

If you have any tips/ feedback on the vision/ items I've already created, please leave them here! I welcome any suggestions :) Check back soon for more updates on the process!

*Special thanks to Jill, Therese, and Chris for modeling/ assisting/ playing music for the photo shoot . . . it was quite a good time!*

First Post!

    So, it's taken awhile, but I've finally decided to start a blog! Actually, I created this one a few months ago but wasn't exactly ready to commit to any postings yet. My biggest challenge: what is this blog going to be about? I love reading through other people's blogs, be it about travel, cooking, cupcakes, poetry, simple living, crafts, philosophy, photography . . . the list goes on. All of these things I love doing, so how to choose? 
   Right now, travel is a huge part of my life, something I feel really driven to do. I've been doing quite a bit over the last few years and one thing I've taken from it is that no matter where you are (be it an exotic location across the globe or at more familiar places like home, school, or work) you can find exciting adventures with the right mindset. Hence the Ramblin' title. It's a state of mind, not just a physical movement. Trust me, you can have a shitty time even in the most far out places- I've definitely done it and witnessed it many a time.
   You can also travel in many different ways- be it through a book, talking to a person, meditating, creating . . . it's all part of the journey. That's why, though I'll be focusing on "travel", I'll also include some culinary adventures, book journeys, random writings . . .
  It will be fun to see where this goes.

So many paths, which one to choose? We decided to follow this one in Oxford, England this summer and check out the awesome house boats docked along the river.