LP trays

A decorative item that gives back ? These record album trays are made from 80% recycled parts and gives back to the community. That is right ...now that is a gift that keeps on giving. See, not only did I use "used" items for this project, I bought them from stores that support local charities and programs thru the sales in their retail outlets.

Here is how it started....

While browsing thru my local St Vinnies I was captivated by the piles and piles of really cool and amusing record albums out there. It is a shame that people can't appreciate these in a new way. (then the wheels started). Ah-ha !!!! Little side trays for cocktails, knick-knacks, perfume..whatever.

The cover was split apart then securely glued to a piece of MDF, front and back. Then 4 holes were drilled to secure the handles for the tray. (mismatched cabinet pulls from my local ReStore).

and the back is the playlists.

A coat of poly resin and museum corners for a scratchproof bottom and TA-DA, you have a brand new way to appreciate that groovy album. I am still finding a use for the record it self, but for now I am loving these trays. I have about 40 more albums that I want to transform. Everything from Air Supply to Shawn Cassidy and Barbara Streisand to Ted Nugget. They are all one of a kind as the hardware varies based on the theme. I have some great brass and Lucite handles I am going to put on a Zamfir one. Quite classy.

Look for these three and many others in the weeks to come in my shop.

100th post

It crossed my mind the other day that I might be getting close to my 100th post here at Green Cricket. It is somewhat customary on your 100th post to do something grand. Ugh....ok, what brilliant idea would I come up with and then it hit me like a freight train. The recycled project I had just finished.

First let me backtrack....a few months ago I picked up a package of google-y eyes with the idea of using them 'in mass' in a project. Then, a few weeks ago Nate and I had drinks at a local bar called the Argus. Their menu was covered with pictures of eyes and it told the Greek legend of Argus. A giant monster with 100 eyes who Hera, Zeus's wife, used as a watchman to spy on the chick who was sleeping with her man. Well, Zeus got pissed and had Hermes, another god, lull him to sleep with boring stories so all his 100 eyes shut and then killed him. Although the wheels were turning, it still wasn't all coming together.

I have been racking my brain to come up with some ideas for art fairs this summer. Smaller, lower price points, more accessible items.... Ah-ha!

So, I took this outdated thrift store hanging mirror (destined for the trash), painted it a serene pool blue and covered it with google-y eyes. So while you are gazing at yourself, you have a hundred or so admirers doing the same. Well there is some crazy synchronicity...I am looking for something for my 100th post and the piece I just finished , well...you get the drift. I couldn't have planned that better if I tried.

It looks great vertical or horizontal and make the coolest sound when you move it...like one of those rain sticks. This will not be the last time you see the google-y eyes on something from me. It is very groovy and graphic.

Look for Argus in my shop.

Happy Earth Day Mr. Nelson

I originally was going to fill this Earth day post with re-useable tips for household items , but after researching the history the day itself, or I should the creator.... it merited a post all of its own .

Earth day was founded in 1970 (the year I was born) by Gaylord Nelson a senator from Wisconsin (the state I live in). Huh, I am liking this day more and more.

Born in Clear Water, Wisconsin in 1916, Nelson received his law degree from the UW followed by a tour in the navy during WWII. Upon return, Nelson started his life in politics, by serving as a state senator followed by Governor. Nelson became a leading environmentalist when he was elected to the US senate in 1962. The Wilderness Act, the National Trails Act, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and the National Environmental Education Act all spearheaded by Gaylord. He also introduced the first federal legislation to mandate fuel-efficiency standards in automobiles, control strip mining, and ban the use of phosphates in detergents as well as use of the pesticide DDT and the defoliant 2,4,5-T. Bravo !

An astonishing 20 million people celebrated the first Earth day back in 1970. American Heritage magazine described the event years later as "one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy."

After retirement Nelson continued his passion for the Earth by becoming counselor of The Wilderness Society. In 2005 he received the Presidential medal of freedom (the highest award a civilian can get) and in 2002, the Institute for Environmental Studies here at UW-Madison was renamed in his honor. Gaylord Nelson died in 2005 at the age of 89.

So, thank you Mr. Nelson for your lifelong dedication, commitment and respect for this place we call home. To celebrate, I am bringing a handful of plastic bags with me today on my daily travels. With spring comes melt and I have been seeing alot of random litter on my walks. We'll see how many I can fill and dispose of properly.

out to dry

This Saturday was glorious, 75 and sunny. For those of us living where all 4 seasons are in full form, that first day when you can walk outside without a coat and are able to take a big cleansing deep breath are what makes those sub zero days all worth while. Perspective for sure.

On Abby's walk, I couldn't help but notice how everything felt like it was coming out of hibernation. Kids roller skating on the sidewalks, gardeners getting a jump start on their lawn work and clothes being hung out on the line to dry The ultimate on solar power.

There is a darling cottage house 3 blocks over that I walk by almost everyday. Although we have never met the owners , we usually exchange a wave or a smile if we see them. The wife regularly uses her clothes line for sheets and her hubby shirts, but when I walked by today, there were a least a dozen onesies out to dry. Awwww..like the spring birdies readying their nests, it seems my neighbors have had an exciting winter too . It was really so sweet and unexpected to see.

We are in the market for a clothes line this year, not only to get that unbelievably crisp feeling of crawling into a freshly made bed, but also to be more eco friendly. 5.8 % of residential home energy goes to running the clothes dryer (second after refrigerators). We are pricing out a few options. Fixed, retractable, there are more choices than I thought. I'll keep you posted on what we find.

For more line drying tips visit Greenopia and Project laundry list

image from Flickr

a bevy of Barbie

I have no idea what I am going to do with them, but at $.35 from a thrift store bin, I felt inspired to think of something.

down on the farm

Nate and I bought a farm...well a half of a share of one that is. We just became members of a CSA (community sponsored agriculture). CSA's are a partnership between consumers and local farms. We invest in the farm of our choice and for a set fee we will receive a box of locally grown produce. In our case every other week for 5 mo. It is truly eliminating the middleman . CSA's help farmers plan for their season, while providing shareholders with a cornucopia of fruits and veggies. (more than I could grow in my little garden).

We picked Middlebury Farms located in Barneveld, WI. Once an abandoned farm, this couple (Chris & Camela) not only brought the land back to its glory, but made it sustainable. Last year their boxes featured everything from heirloom tomatoes to kohlrabi and cantaloupe to tomatillos. We can't wait to get our first box to see what we can create. They also encourage you to visit the farm and even have a potato dig party and some pick your own flower plots.

Our neighbor Jen joined a CSA last year and said it is so much fun picking up your weekly box to see what treasures were inside. Cooking seasonally and locally is very earth friendly, but so is eating more veggies. It takes 40 times the water to raise livestock than it does to grow produce. So by changing just one meat meal out a week with a vegetarian option can make a huge difference. I have a feeling the "mystery box" will be great culinary inspiration and will produce some tasty recipe posts later this season.

For info on CSA's in your area or local farmers market, check out Local Harvest

image from Luna Circle Farm another local CSA member

weekday field trip

As well as being my beautiful sister's birthday yesterday (hope it was a great one sissy), I had the whole day off and was just itching to go on an adventure. So, I got an early start and headed east about an hour to Milwaukee to check out a few places on my ever expanding list.

First stop, one of Milwaukee's ReStore outlets. I was half joking in a recent post about visiting other cities locations. This one was at least four times the size of ours here and had alot more departments. Paint, garden, even books. I walked away with a quart of grass green paint, 4 old Real Simple magazines, a hammer and a brass and faceted glass sconce all for around 10 bucks.

Next stop, the Historic Third Ward. A small warehouse-ish neighborhood just south of downtown has some really cool shops, cafes, restaurants and galleries. Getting hungry I had to visit the Milwaukee Public Market .



A mini Pike's Place market of sorts offering local food, pastries, flowers and other goodies. I grabbed a stool at the wine bar where I had a fabulous Caprese sandwich and a fruity glass of Pinot ...the daisys are for my under the weather neighbor. It was too good not to share, so as well as buying a bottle for Nate & I later tonight, I picked up some yummy homemade hummus and authentic pita chips for a light dinner.


Off to one of my original reasons for today's field trip. Broadway Paper. Chocked full of inspiration, I walked out of there with a bagfull of some awesome decorative paper that you will most likely be seeing in future redos.

The Historic Third Ward is still a growing neighborhood, so each time I go there is always something new. JuJu is a gift store filled with tables of eye candy. Home decor, jewelry, children's gifts just to name a few. It was like an Etsy shop in brick and mortar form. I chatted with one of the owners for a bit about many of their local artists and couldn't resist a fabric ring and some groovy earrings. What a great unexpected find....oh and they have a great online shop and blog too.

Last but not least....to accompany me on my late afternoon journey back to Madison...I ended the day with this perfect latte. I can so appreciate it. Working in a coffee house for a year now, I have yet to perfect a leaf as pretty as this. They are harder than they look.

Neptune's Dream

Last summer I collected a garage full of old window panes from my neighbors recent remodels, and have been playing around with different ways to re-purpose them. My favorite is changing out the old or broken panes with fabulous new colored glass and using a traditional glazing technique to secure them. Adding some large eye hooks and chain, makes the windows a hanging work of art.

I has the color scheme in my head since last summer, when I lined up all the sheets from a recent glass store trip to see what inspired me. Although sometimes inspiration comes instantaneously like in my table, others take time to perculate. Moving all the shades around and letting them "sink in" for awhile, I gravitated to the greens, blues and aquas.

Even the name came into my head. I guess it is all my years in the footwear industry (where all the shoe patterns had names), but I enjoy giving each project an identity, or persona of sorts. For this one...Neptune's Dream. And about 6 months from its inception.....I completed it.

Oh, I wish you could all see it from my vantage point on a Sunday morning with the light streaming in. Truly fantastic. I smile everytime I go out on the porch.

I really do not think I can part with this one, but I am already dreaming up other combinations to add to my shop later this month.

Let the sun shine in.

shrink, shrank, shrunk

On our January visit to Minnesota to meet our sweet new nephew, Hudson, I was presented with a fantastic array of drawings from our adorable nieces Lauren & Colette. One of my very favorites was their representation of Abby. My heart melted when I saw it. There is something about children's drawings that is so blissfully artistic. I love the long legs and the big smile on her face. Besides being a new focal on my fridge....I thought this was the perfect time to try out the Shrinky Dink paper I had purchased at my friends Kim store. It was a little tricky not getting the long legs to not twist on each other while baking, but I got them to work and made some very special earrings to sport when I see them this weekend.

I hadn't used them in ages, but Shrinky Dinks are a great way to preserve those precious childhood drawings. Punch a hole BEFORE baking if you want to make earrings or a necklace. A standard hole punch does the trick perfectly. Find the paper at your local craft store,online or contact Kim...I am sure she would be happy to send you a few sheets.