Riley: The Man Behind the Counter

If you have been in the shop recently, chances are you have met my husband, Riley. He is kindly holding down the fort for me on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and I have been enjoying the extra time off to craft, hang out with the pets and enjoy this beautiful weather. I wanted to introduce you all to the heavily mustached man behind the counter, meet Riley!

 Hi Riley, tell us a little about yourself?

I love things that make sound.  I'm a musician, a noise artist and a lover of the little animals.  

How did you end up in Chattanooga, the proud owner of a rad women's boutique?

Morgan and I were searching for a picturesque city on an economic upswing where we could open our business.  Chattanooga fit the bill and had the added bonus of being a pretty rad place.

What's the nerdiest thing about yourself you are willing to tell us?

The 3rd Doctor is my favorite.

Your current favorite Chattanooga grub?

My favorite is still the veggie reuben dog at Good Dog.

If you could teleport anywhere right now, where would it be and why?

Somewhere with fewer questions. 

If you could visit the home of anyone, living or deceased and have a few craft beers with them, who would it be and why?

Buckminster Fuller or Alfred Korzybski.   They once met each other so can I say both?  I enjoy listening to smart people.

Favorite random Chattanooga trivia.

There's a cave under the national cemetery.   They sealed it up a long time ago.

What do you miss most about Austin?

Food trailers.

Best part about working at Fredonia?

I like interacting with the public and telling them what the weather is supposed to do.   It's my thing.   Don't judge.

Stop by, say hi to him and ask him who Buckminister Fuller is!?! 

Influences Part I

 This post was originally featured on http://sheworeitanyways.com/ but I love it so much that I wanted to share it with you on this blog. My Nanny was a HUGE and lasting influence on me in more ways than I can mention. She was a huge personality with a huge love of life. I hope you enjoy!

Hair piled high, gin and tonic and a smoke in hand; my Nanny was a force to be reckoned with. When I think of her what comes to mind is her snarky sense of humor, her laugh, her coral lipstick and her fabulous rhinestone cat eye glasses. Hell on wheels in her 1975 Cadillac, rocking a fur, she WAS Auntie Mame. If you have never read the book or seen the 1958 movie, do yourself a favor and read or watch ASAP. Nanny was a proper lady with an edge; a Flapper in the 20’s, a photographer for the Army during WWII, had a dresser drawer full of white gloves, dressed to the nines to match her luggage when she flew and NEVER wore white after Labor Day.

When I was a kid, my Grandparents had a pool which was the hub of neighborhood activity in the summers.  I was completely obsessed with the lady’s bathing ensembles. This was the early to mid-1970’s and many of the ladies were still sporting bathing attire from as far back as the 50’s. Beaded and rubber floral bathing caps, highwaisted 2 piece Bark Cloth bikinis, flowy chiffon robes, all kinds of head wraps and huge sunglasses, Dashikis and amazing beaded and bejeweled sandals(with heels of course). I loved nothing more than to play dress up with them while the ladies swam and drank.

 

Sadly, I lost her when I was 11. She made a huge impact on me in that small amount of time and not a single day has gone by since that I haven’t thought about her or missed her. She was, what she often referred to others as, a “character.” She taught me to pin curl, set and pick out her hair; I later attended beauty school and can turn out a wicked mean roller set. She fostered my imagination, it was one of her favorite words and always encouraged me to be myself. My most cherished possessions are my photos of her going back to 1927, my black and white silent films of her from the late 40’s donning  a cotton crop top, high waisted shorts and milkmaid braids.  Fabulous. Flawless. Missed.

 

Five Things: My Pets

I have never not had a pet and I can't imagine my life without the comfort of animals. I have had many lovely animals through the years and am currently Mom to five very special fur babies. Delia is a 12 year old chihuahua, Isabella aka Little Big Fats is a 13 year old chihuahua, Alabama is a 12 year old Jack Russell, Lulu is a derpy 2 year old Redbone Coonhound and Cima is a 4 year old Ragdoll kitty. They each have their own quirks and special personalities, there's never a dull moment at home and I miss them when I am away from the house at all.

Five Things: My Pets

1. Delia's belly smells like cornchips. I love it.
2. Big Fats is ALWAYS happy. ALWAYS.
3. Lulu's hugs and snuggles are a cure all to whatever ails me and her overbite slays me. 
4. Alabama patrols the yard and keeps us safe from bad birds and squirrels, she has a zero tolerance policy for them in her yard.
5. Cima is an excellent conversationalist.

Hug your pet for me today! XO

Lovely: Vintage Photos

 I love old photographs because they speak to me of our shared humanity, don't we all photograph our loved ones, homes, pets, friends, vacations, weddings, holidays and things we think are beautiful? When I rummage through old photos at yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores, no matter the decade, these are the glimpses into the lives of strangers I see. I like to imagine the stories behind these photos, the day in the life of the person or thing being photographed.All taken from once-cherished photo albums and now left to strangers to paw through, I guess I recognize something of my sentimental self when I look at what was once special to someone else. So much has changed and yet what these old photos tell me is that things really aren't so different in out hearts.  

These photos aren't from my collection, that post is for another day when I feel like rummaging through boxes, but from one of my Pinterest boards of old photos I have found on line and love. I hope you will enjoy.

 

 

          

Guest Blogger: Lindsey Lowe!

I've said it before, the best part of my "job" is meeting people and building community, finding connectedness and the shared threads that make us human. Like Lindsey, I am in a place where I seek to be lifted up and encouraged by those I give my love and time to and I truly hope this blog is a place where we can get to know and support each other. So, that said, please enjoy our latest guest blog post and photos by Lindsey Lowe.

Safety+Gratitude

Sometimes all we really need is to feel safe. Even as babies, new to the world, we crave that feeling of being wrapped tightly, swaddled, protected from the abyss of the unfamiliar.  And we all seem to carry our own rhetorical safety blankets into adulthood. Sometimes that safe feeling finds us through a phone call to mom or hidden in the pages of a well-worn book. Other times we find it in uglier forms; at the bottom of a bottle or even in an ill thought out night with someone we used to love. If we’re lucky, we grow into ourselves enough with time, so that we can bear our own weight without these crutches. I’m not saying we outgrow the need for people or human contact, but we can learn to be selective, to guard our hearts from things that feel safe, but in the long haul are doing us more harm than good.

In attempt to better guard my own heart, I’ve been cleaning house in the friend department lately. I guess you could say I’m at a no-bullshit place in life. I find that I don’t really have space in my world anymore for fair-weather friends (aka: drinking buddies), people who only know how to take or even just those overtly negative humans who can’t seem to recognize good even as it slaps their faces. I used to feel safe with these “friends.” I used to feel at home with boyfriends who didn’t think twice about yelling in my face or calling me “bitch.” I had grown accustomed to a life in which I didn’t really value myself much, so why would I demand to be valued by the people in my periphery? But years and life experience have shown me a different way to be. Though the thought of being alone used to terrify me, I know feel a kind of comfort in solitude. Perhaps it’s a growing up thing, that ability to be alone with your own thoughts. Maybe it comes with accepting who you are, whereyou are and where you intend to go. Even more so, I think it comes with the decision to be grateful along the way.

My mom always told me growing up that happiness was a choice. I’m only slightly ashamed to say it has taken me 28 years of getting it wrong to recognize the truth in that. I think she meant it more in terms of being happy in the moment, rather than long-term happiness, but what a revelation. When we can wrap our heads around that almost absurdly simple fact, what a difference it makes! Even when it seems that everything around us has turned to garbage, we should be hard-pressed not to find something to be joyful about. Sometimes we just need to get Peter Pan with it. Find a happy thought, guys. Life is weird. It’s hard. It has a knack for tripping us up. And for some of us, we trip A LOT. But shitstorms aside, life is a lovely thing. Every day we waste pouting or spewing our negativity is one we can never reclaim. So just today, I petition you to think of three things that make you unequivocally happy. Dwell on these things, for life is short. Find beauty in the everyday, and let those simple daily joys be your safety.

I am thankful for…

-My spirited and imaginative son, Cohen and our time together each day.

-Music that makes me feel something!

-Books + words + word games

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Its loveliness increases. It shall never pass into nothingness.” John Keats

DIY Plant Hanger

Yes, I admit it, I'm a Pinterest junkie, I can fall into a hole for hours, SO much eye candy. But I actually find it very useful, I have made and cooked so many amazing things from this site and been turned on to so many blogs and other awesome sites because of it. Another thing I love about Pinterest are the simple DIY projects using items most of us have around the house. Since I have so much yarn on hand due to my recent obsession with crocheting, I thought this yarn plant hanger would make a great and easy DIY post.

 Here are the materials I used.

-Yarn
-Scissors
-Metal ring. I used a key chain ring.
-Metal can, glass jar, clay pot. Whichever you prefer, you can switch them out too!
I spray painted my metal can because I had some on hand and my was painted a few years ago with acrylic paint.

Step 1: Get a metal ring, scissors and yarn of your choice.

Step 2: Cut 4 equal lengths of yarn. I cut mine the length of my outstretched arms, about 50 inches each.

Step 3: Thread the four pieces of yarn through the ring and situate the ring in the center. Now you have 8 pieces of yarn hanging from the ring. Tie a simple knot with all 8 pieces just below the ring.


                    

Step 4: At this point is was easier for me to work by hanging this from a nail on the wall. Measure down about 8 inches and tie 2 adjacent pieces of yarn together in a knot. Do this all around so you have 4 knots at the same level.

Step 5: 4 inches down, take the yarn below two of the knots and tie one piece of one to one piece of the other, like you did in step 3. Do the same with the yarn below the next knotted section, until you have 8 knots all at the same level. At this point the hanger will become connected and circular.

Step 6: Gather all 8 pieces of yarn together about 4 inches down and tie them all up in a big knot. Trim, braid or add beads. Be as creative as you'd like!   .

Here's my finished hanger with a jar, can and pot. I left my yarn uneven and free hanging. You can make these longer or shorter, out of rope, plastic or fabric, you could add beads as well. This simple hanger took me less than 10 minutes start to finish. Have fun with this!

  

P.S: My apologies for the poor photo quality, I have to use my Iphone. XO, Morgan

The Little Made Market

I have had the idea for a cool, indie craft market for Chattanooga since I moved here a year ago and I am so pleased to announce that it is happening!! The Little Made Market is going down on Saturday, May 24th in the parking lot behind the St. Andrews Center in Highland Park. A collaborative effort with my friend and HP neighbor, Khristy Wilkinson, we are now accepting applications for crafters and looking for local food vendors as well.

Khristy and I are enthusiastic about handcrafts, our neighborhood and the importance of celebrating both, here's our "About" from the website:

To provide indie crafters and artists an opportunity to sell and promote their wares, The Little Made Market was founded in 2014 by Morgan Claborn and Khristy Wilkinson. This market is a celebration of all things handmade, but more importantly it is a celebration of the creative community in and around Chattanooga, TN. There is a tremendous amount of talent in our area that deserves a locally-focused, independent craft show; it is important for the community to see the value of what is being created around them and the goods they can buy locally rather than corporately. Highland Park is quickly becoming one of the city's most vibrant creative communities so we are proud to host our first market here and lucky to call the neighborhood home.

Please take a look at our website, http://littlemade.com/home.html, and please link it, post it, pass it along! Hope to see you all there! XO