Grab Bag Friday: Compost Update, Sustainable Household Goods

It's the last day of Earth Week and our town is abuzz with free bike tune ups, cell phone recycling drives, and even a transportation fair. In celebration, I thought I'd give you a compost update and a review of how our various sustainable experiments worked out over the last year.

The Compost Update: All I have to say is, we're ready to go. As some of you know, last year we got a Sun-Mar 200 Home Composter and ended up with zero results at the end of the summer (apparently because our composter wasn't full enough?) Well, we've been adding stuff all winter, and let me tell you, it's full enough. If we don't have compost by June, we're out of excuses, and it was a failed experiment. I, of course, remain hopeful...

The Sustainable Goods Results: Here's where I'll rate the success of our various small household changes and how well we've stuck to them over the year. Click on the titles to review last year's posts:

The Lightbulb Change
We haven't replaced every single lightbulb yet (hence the 4 stars instead of 5), but we love our CFLs. They start out a little dim when you turn on the light, but within a minute or so, they're up to speed. I haven't had to change a single one. They're awesome.


The Yogurt Change
I've been really good about this one. If you remember, the change was to bring a regular spoon to work instead of using a plastic one for my yogurt. I eat yogurt at work at least 3 or 4 days a week, so I estimate that I've saved somewhere between 140-180 plastic spoons from the landfill just since June 2007!


The Sponge Change
These biodegradable pop-up sponges were definitely my favorite change of the year. Because they're so fun to expand! My estimate: we sent 45 fewer sponges to the landfill since June. As I mentioned last year, they don't have the scraping/scrubbing action of the heavy-duty store bought sponges, but between these and a scrub brush, I haven't come across a single thing I couldn't clean.


The Leftover Change
We haven't been the best at this one. We've definitely reduced the quantity of plastic bags and saran wrap that we use, but we haven't been able to totally shake the habit. We do, however, have a ridiculous number of saved yogurt and other containers spilling out of our cupboards, just waiting to be used. Hm.


The Napkin Change
I'd say we've been pretty good about moving to cloth napkins. We use them most of the time. But after a year, I'm not 100% sure about this one. What do you think is worse--the number of paper napkins that get thrown away, or the load of laundry that you do with all the cloth napkins? The cloth napkins seem like the way to go, but then when I'm loading them into the washer, I'm not so sure. Any thoughts?

Well, that's where we stand. Over the next few weeks, I'll try to remember to post some other successes, failures, and discoveries we've made on the sustainable goods front (for instance, our disastrous experiment with earth-friendly dishwasher detergent).

If you've tried any sustainable solutions that are working in your home, please share!

Today Is Operation Teen Book Drop

Today is Support Teen Literature Day and Operation Teen Book Drop.

Are you dropping a book?

I've got Lois Lowry's tear-jerker, A Summer to Die (*man*, what a great book!) all bookplated up and ready to go.

Now I just have to decide if I'm going to drop it on a table at our local movie theater/cafe, ice cream shop, library, skate park, or the DVD rental store. Hmmm, what do you think?

(I'm leaning toward the ice cream shop because, hey, as long as I'm there...)

Readergirlz: Operation TBD

April 17th is Support Teen Literature Day, and the folks over at readergirlz have found a pretty spectacular way to celebrate. Together with the Young Adult Library Services Association, readergirlz has organized a massive book drop to hospitals all over the country, and there's something simple you can do to help.

Justina Chen Headly, author and co-founder of readergirlz, explains the idea like this:

“While touring my local children’s hospital to research my novel, Girl Overboard, I couldn’t help noticing that teen patients didn’t seem to have the comfort objects that the little ones did. As an author, I knew that YA books—books with exceptional characters and fabulous stories—could provide teen patients with some of the escape and inspiration they needed.”

So this April 17th, as part of readergirlz' Operation Teen Book Drop, 20 publishers will donate over 10,000 Young Adult books to pediatric hospitals.

Get Involved!
readergirlz is inviting everyone to participate in the book drop! Here's what you can do:

1. Pick a Young Adult book you'd like to donate.
2. Download the Operation TBD bookplate and paste it inside the book, telling the recipient to read and enjoy.
3. On April 17th, drop the book in any public place (coffee shop, school, park...)
4. Join the after-party! Here's the official invite:

We invite all readergirlz and authors to join our online two-hour book party hosted at the readergirlz MySpace group forum, on April 17th (Support Teen Literature Day), from 6-8pm Pacific/9-11pm Eastern. The chat will be in a thread titled "TBD Post Op Party." The readergirlz divas will be giving away books and prizes, and chatting with teens and authors from around the world. We've invited so many authors and girlz you just never know who you might end up chatting with!

For more information about readergirlz, check out their manifesta.

Grab Bag Friday: Climate Counts

"How You Shop & Invest Changes the World"

I recently went to a lecture by the "CE-Yo" of Stonyfield Farm Yogurt, Gary Hirshberg. At the end of the evening, as we gathered our hats and mittens to leave the auditorium, my friend Amy grinned and said, "I can feel a blog post in the making." Hehe. A couple, probably.

Beginning with Climate Counts. Mr. Hirshberg talked a bit about a new initiative that rates companies according to their commitment to reducing their impact on the environment. According to their website, Climate Counts uses a 0-100 point scale and 22 criteria to determine if companies have:

• MEASURED their climate "footprint"
• REDUCED their impact on global warming
• SUPPORTED (or suggest intent to block) progressive climate legislation
• Publicly DISCLOSED their climate actions clearly and comprehensively

You could browse the results for hours, so I'll skip straight to what I found to be the most interesting one. At one point, Mr. Hirshberg addressed the mostly college-aged audience and asked:

"What is the coolest company that exists today?"

After one eager-to-please voice offered "Stonyfield Farm?" the rest of the audience agreed that there was only one true answer: Apple.

Now check this out: Out of a possible 100 points (100 being "Striding" and 0 being "Stuck"), what do you think Apple's Climate Counts score is?

Two.

Really. You can see the entire report here (.pdf).

To give you some context, Sony scored 51, Hewlit Packard scored 59, and IBM scored 70. Apple scored 2.

Now, Apple has supposedly begun a review of the environmental impact of its products and processes and is due to release that data sometime this year. And that's a start. But a little consumer pressure couldn't hurt. At Climate Counts, you can go to any company's scorecard page and click a link to send an email to the CEO of that company to let them know that their environmental practices matter to you.

Here's the link to Apple's scorecard page. I sent them an email. I plan to browse around and send emails to other companies I shop at. I hope you will too.

Here's a printable pocket guide (.pdf) with a quick view of all the Climate Counts scores.

Here's a little pep talk from the Climate Counts homepage:

When you buy from companies taking responsibility for climate change, you're sending a message that climate change matters to you.

Not all companies share that sense of responsibility. But if they know you're paying attention to what they're doing (or not doing), they'll take action.

As a consumer, you have real power.

USE IT.

Grab Bag Friday: The GOOD Stuff

First off, I saw a pretty cool Balkan concert this week. The band, Which Way East?, mixed traditional Balkan music with hints of US jazz/rock influences. There is a lovely, inspiring piece about it on Cynthia Lord's blog.

It's taken me a little while to get around to my GOOD Magazine this month. February was the "Food Issue," but the pieces that caught my attention had to do more with architecture and design. Particularly the piece on Publicolor, a non-profit organization whose mission is:

"...to use color, collaboration, design and the painting process to empower students to transform themselves, their schools, and their communities."

On the surface, it's a relatively simple thing. Publicolor teaches students from inner city schools how to paint, then helps them transform their own school with bright, vibrant colors. But then again, it's usually the simple things that end up making the biggest impact.

Painting the walls isn't going to cure all the problems in our inner city schools, but I think a program like this is important on a number of levels.

It brightens up the school. Walking into a pleasant, bright place instead of an institutionalized, hospital-style building really makes a surprising difference in your mindset for the day.

It gives students a chance to be part of something. This is huge for students who often are just trying to keep their head down and get through the day. One student, interviewed in the video linked below, said "They make us, like, feel important."

It teaches students responsibility. Older students learn the process first, then they are in charge of teaching the younger students. Putting kids in a mentor role often boosts their confidence and makes them feel that they have the ability and skills necessary to accomplish things in life.

It doesn't end when the paint dries. Publicolor has after-school programs, school-to-work apprentice programs, career and college prep programs, tutoring programs, and more. Students who thrive in the painting project can move on to other, sometimes paid, positions in these Publicolor programs designed to help students in education and preparing for the workforce.

Sometimes all you need is one small change. This type of program gives the kids who want it an opportunity to re-envision themselves. It give the kids who want change an outlet and a vehicle for that change. Of course it won't solve everything, but sometimes just that first step--the belief that things could be different, that you could be different--can be the momentum a child needs to change the direction of his or her life.

I couldn't embed this, unfortunately, but you can click here to see a short film about Publicolor.

The GOOD article isn't up online yet, but here's an article about Publicolor from the New York Times.

Martin Luther King Jr: Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Today we celebrate the life and contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr. This week, a friend suggested that I read the letter that King wrote from Birmingham Jail in 1963, and I was struck by how relevant his words still are today.

King was arrested during a peaceful Civil Rights demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama, April 1963. He was kept in solitary confinement for 8 days. On the day he was arrested, a group of Christian and Jewish church leaders in Birmingham printed a statement denouncing the "extreme" and "impatient" actions of the demonstrators. Disappointed by the lack of understanding in what he called "men of genuine good will," King wrote an eloquent, ten-page response to their statement. (You can read the entire letter, and hear an audio snippet here.)

King's letter takes each of the clergymen's complaints to task, explaining patiently (but urgently) that immediate, direct action was in fact necessary on every level. He wrote (and this is a tiny piece of an incredibly stirring passage that you should go read in its entirety):

For years now I have heard the word "wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never"...Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim...you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.

One of the problems that Martin Luther King, Jr. writes about in his letter has been and will continue to be a problem throughout time: "the appalling silence of the good people." He writes:

Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

It is painfully obvious that discrimination, hate, and injustice are still very much alive in our world. These things, unfortunately, did not end with the Civil Rights Act, though many of the blatant, government-sanctioned segregation practices did. And you don't have to live in the roughest parts of Los Angeles, or Baltimore, or New Orleans to see that racial conflict is alive and kicking. You can see it right here in Maine in the recent hate crimes directed at Somali refugees, you can see it in small Northern Wisconsin towns in tensions between the White and Native American populations. You can probably see it right in your own town, without having to look very hard.

In this world, where hate and prejudice are still allowed to thrive (and often in sneaky and subtle ways) we have to be extra vigilant that we do not become part of the "appalling silence" that King points to. It's much easier to stand aside, stay quiet, and maintain that "lukewarm acceptance" than it is to actively stand up, reach out, and work towards a deeper understanding of someone who might seem different from ourselves.

My friend Judy says we need to give each person an "extravagant welcome." That means renouncing "lukewarm acceptance" and opening ourselves more fully and generously than we might even think possible. King calls it being an "extremist for love." I struggle with this constantly. I hope I will continue to struggle, that all of us will continue to struggle, to do the hard work, and become extremists for love. As Martin Luther King, Jr. calls for at the end of his letter:

Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.

The Local Level: Baby, It's Cold Outside

I wrote about this last year, too, but I think when we're talking about how to make a difference on a local level, this is one of the simplest, most effective things to do: donate a coat to help keep someone else warm. As my dad would say: It's a no-brainer.

There are coat drives all over the country that you can participate in. Even in warm climates, the evenings can get cold, days can be wet, and a good coat can make all the difference.

If you have extra coats around, please visit One Warm Coat to find a drive near you, or to learn about how to organize a drive in your area.

You can also donate money for new coats at Coats for Kids.

Have a warm, happy day! If you have a snow day like we do here in Maine, check out this cool snowflake maker. But I'll warn you...it's kind of addictive. (Thanks to Annie Patterson for the link!)

Alternative Gifts: Gifts that Give Back

This is a very short list of places where you can buy gifts that help someone else. There are many more. If you have a particular favorite, please feel free to post it here. Happy shopping!

Nothing But Nets: $10 of every hat & t-shirt purchase will send a mosquito net to Africa to help fight malaria.

UNICEF: Proceeds from sweet gifts like "My Little Monkey" support "child survival, protection, and development worldwide through education, advocacy, and fund raising." I'm a big fan of the I Never Forget a Face! Matching Game ($13.00).

DonorsChoose.org: This is like a grown-up, education-oriented version of MarkMakers. Teachers from underfunded public schools submit proposals for things they need (everything from a rug for a reading corner and wet erase markers to projectors and entire science labs). You can buy gift certificates for your friends, and they can choose which project(s) they want to fund. Proposals are searchable by total cost, the school's level of poverty, subject matter, and state. You may choose to fund all or part of a project.

Good Magazine: 100% of every subscription purchased goes to one of 12 organizations (like Room to Read, NRDC, and Teach for America)...you choose where your money goes.

Fair Trade goods: Fair Trade helps provide fair pay and regular work to artisans from around the world. Beyond that, buying Fair Trade is a great way to find unique, handcrafted gifts for your friends and family.

There are so many ways to find gifts that give back in personal, innovative ways. Check local arts organizations in your area. My friend Kate's modern dance collective Live Animals, for instance, just sent out an email to their subscribers offering a gift pack of homemade chocolate turtles (made lovingly by the grandmother of one of the dancers!) for a $25 donation. I will definitely be picking up a box or two of those for some chocolate lovers I know!

Grab Bag Friday: The GOOD Stuff

Well, it's that time of the month...my GOOD magazine arrived in the mail. The theme of the magazine this month was Big Ideas. Out of all the grandiose ideas GOOD outlined (a lunar ark, carbon offsets, Russian democracy), my imagination was captured by a seemingly small, simple idea that earned a couple paragraphs in the issue: changing our paper margins.

Tamara Krinsky has started an effort to change the U.S. default paper margins from the standard 1.25" to .75". Simple enough, right? Well, according to Penn State University, if the entire country made this small change, it would save 380,000 tons of paper per year, and over $400 million in paper costs. That is stunning.

You can read PSU's statistics & breakdown of the study here (.pdf).

Tamara has what I believe to be some pretty simple, accessible goals. According to her website, www.changethemargins.com, she would like to accomplish the following:

1. Convince Microsoft to change the default margin settings in Microsoft Word to .75 on all sides. The more convenient it is for people to change their habits, the better chance there is that they will actually do so. (You can sign the Microsoft petition for margin change here.)
   
2. Persuade five corporations to officially sanction narrower margins for all company documents. In this way, people will get used to seeing documents with this formatting as the standard, as opposed to the exception. Never underestimate the power of peer pressure.
3. Challenge five universities to adopt narrower margin settings as the standard for their students and faculty, and include this information in their course guidelines.

Here's an interesting 4 minute interview with Tamara Krinsky on NPR about her project.

So, what do you think? Good idea? Can you think of any reason *not* to change the margins?

Paper photo by pawpaw

Alternative Gifts: MarkMakers

We spent last Christmas with some friends, and when their 8 year old son opened a card from an aunt and exclaimed, "Cool!" I expected there to be cash or some kind of toy store gift certificate inside.

Well, there was a gift certificate, but it was not your run-of-the-mill gift, and it was very, very cool. So cool that I've been waiting an entire year for the Alternative Gifts series to come around again so I could blog about it.

Markmakers.org is "A Place for Young People Making a Difference." Here's how it works:

1. You buy a Markmakers card (for any amount, $10 minimum) for the young person of your choice.

2. That young person can then go to the Markmakers online store and spend the cash on any number of things inside.

The store is visually appealing and fun to explore. You can browse different sections of the store to learn about the items you are about to purchase. Here is just a tiny sampling of the things your Markmakers card can do:

• Purchase Vaccines to Immunize Children Against the Six Major Childhood Diseases
• Provide Meals To Elderly, Disabled & Homebound Americans
• Help Purchase a Cow or Goat To Provide Sustenance for a Nomadic Kenyan Family
• Help Build Playrooms for Hospitalized Children
• Help Fund the Cost of Organ Transplants For Young People
• Help Rescue and Rehabilitate Seals, Dolphins, Sea Otters & Whales
• Provide Shelter & Care For Homeless and Abandoned Animals
• Help Protect Threatened Coral Reefs
• Help Repair and Provide Refurbished Musical Instruments to Kids in Need
• Help Encourage a Worldwide Ban on Land Mines
  

This is such a great stocking stuffer or gift for an important young person in your life. What I love most about this is that it puts the power in the hands of the child. *They* get to decide what is important to them, and how *they* want to make a difference in the world. And they can begin to believe what J. R. R. Tolkien wrote in The Lord of the Rings:

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."

100% of your donation will go to the organizations the child chooses. Here is the complete list from the Markmakers site:

The name of the organization providing the relevant goods or services is indicated in each product description. The mix of organizations is designed to appeal to the broad range of interests and concerns on the minds of young people today. The organizations that receive funding do not pay to be here. They are as follows:

Doctors Without Borders

Earth Force
First Book
Grameen Foundation
Heifer Project International
Human Rights Watch
Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
International Campaign To Ban Landmines
International Rescue Committee
Jumpstart
Marine Mammal Rescue Center
Meals on Wheels
Miracle Flights for Kids
Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation
Nomadic Kenyan Children's Educational Fund
Operation Smile
One Laptop Per Child
Performing Animals Welfare Society
Playpumps International
Save the Children
Seeds of Peace
Seva Foundation
Solar Cookers International
Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation
Surfrider Foundation USA
The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp
The Hunger Project
The Nature Conservancy
The Wilderness Society
Trees For Life
United States Fund for UNICEF
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (North America)
World Learning
World Wildlife Federation

Opening Day! First Robert's Snow Auction Begins

Well, today is the day! The very first day of the 2007 Robert's Snow Auction. The online auction is broken down into three phases:

Auction 1: November 19-23
Auction 2: November 26-30
Auction 3: December 3-7

The first auction begins today at 9:00am and ends Friday at 5:00pm (EST). Minimum bid is $50 and all but $25 of each winning bid is tax deductible.

Abigail Marble is the first illustrator I featured for this event, and her snowflake, "Making Snow" is available in Auction #1. If you missed her interview and stunning watercolors, you can catch up here.

In the sidebar to the right, you can find links to features and information on all the other snowflakes in Auction 1. These snowflakes make wonderful, original gifts and 100% of the proceeds will go toward sarcoma research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Happy bidding!

Grab Bag Friday: I'm Thankful for Homemade Whipped Cream!

Anyone who knows me at all knows how much I love, love, love Thanksgiving. I love a day dedicated to family, coziness, and eating. I love my family's cheesy tradition of going around the table and telling "something you are thankful for." I *especially* love pumpkin pie!

But every year, I also try to remember that there are plenty of people who are not having such warm and cozy Thanksgiving rituals. Please, this weekend when you are doing your grocery shopping, toss a few extra items in your cart and donate them to your local food bank or homeless shelter. Or go a step further and put together an entire dinner basket for a family in need, offer to cook for an elderly person, or invite someone without family in the area to your home.

To make your food bank donation most useful, please check with the organization first to see what they need. For instance, our local food bank is looking for the following items:

• stuffing mix
• fresh potatoes, yams, celery, apples, etc.
• vegetables, fresh or canned
• pie crusts, filling (pumpkin, cherry, etc.)
• evaporated milk for canned pumpkin filling
• crackers, cheese, nuts, etc.
• rolls and butter
• turkey gravy
• turkeys, or cash donations to go towards the purchase of 80 turkeys

If each of us contributes just a little, just think of the joy we can spread. And isn't *that* something to be thankful for?

Robert's Snow: Lee White Interview

Here is my last Robert's Snow feature...and what a snowflake! Bidding begins Monday the 19th, so you've still got some time to make up your mind about which flakes you're going to bid on. Thanks a million to Jules & Eisha for dreaming up and organizing the Bloggers for a Cure features. I really hope we can help break *all* the previous Robert's Snow fund raising records!

"The Gift" by Lee White
available for auction: November 26-30

ABOUT LEE WHITE:

According to his website, Lee White's foray into illustration happened by chance. That's hard to believe because his dream-like style is so obviously well suited for illustration. His colors are bright and eye-catching, yet the mood is soft and inviting...even comforting. His characters and landscapes are strange and mysterious, yet humorous and very likable. Every illustration not only tells a story, but then takes it to the next level. In his most recent book, Brewster the Rooster by Devin Scilian, the farmer isn't just startled by the rooster's crow, he is startled sky-high, flung off his ladder, paint flying, legs splayed, nose red with embarrassment (and probably a little anger). This kind of illustration doesn't just move the story along, it brings it somewhere else entirely.

Lee White studied illustration at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He has created illustrations for huge clients such as Apple Computers, Disney, United Airlines, and has illustrated eight children's books. House Takes a Vacation and Brewster the Rooster both came out this year, and are definitely worth the read.

Lee was kind enough to answer some questions for me:

How did you get started as an artist?

I started as a photographer working for an ad agency in Atlanta, Georgia. I learned all about lighting, composition and color through this medium which has helped tremendously in illustration. I went from photography to graphic design where I eventually started my own company. I gradually drifted from graphic design to illustration and haven’t looked back since!

What inspires you?

So many things. I really love landscape painting, although I don’t get to do it very often because I’m so busy all the time. The colors and light that occur naturally are so amazing that I often ache because I don’t have the time to capture the image with paint.

I’ve been teaching at the college level for the past two years and really love that. College is an ideal situation because you are dealing with ideas and concepts that you can’t explore in the commercial art world where there are budgets and deadlines.

I’d say the most inspiring thing to me above all else is stories. A good narrative is all I need to really get my brain working and I love that feeling. That’s why the beginning of a project is always the most fun for me. Just sitting down and exploring imagery and ideas is so exciting to me. The hard part is the actual production of the ideas once the “newness” has worn off.

Who are your favorite artists?

Luckily I happen to be friends with some of my favorite artists and they always keep me focused on constantly improving. People like Chris Applehans, Catia Chein, Khang Le, and Yoko Tanaka are some of my favorites. In children’s books I’d say Shaun Tan is really doing some amazing work. He’s really pushing boundaries which I think is always good.

What is your ideal workspace?

My ideal workspace is actually my current workspace. I share an old Victorian 4-square with another illustrator and we work on book projects all day. Portland winters are great because it’s rainy outside but our studio is nice and warm. We are on a commercial street with lots of funky shops and cafes so the coffee is always close by. Working in a studio with another person is one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’m a very social person so sitting in my house alone all day makes me a little crazy!

In your newest book, Brewster the Rooster by Devin Scillian, the funny, colorful illustrations bring such flair to the story. For instance on the first page, the words read “His championship cries won the blue ribbon prize/each year/at the Kansas State Fair,” and the illustration shows not only Brewster proudly receiving his first prize ribbon, but also a disgruntled pig who won second place, and the pig’s owner (a man with a villian’s moustache and top hat) leering jealously at Brewster’s family. As an illustrator, how much leeway do you have with the story? Do you always have room for improvisation?

I’m glad you noticed that! One of the best parts about book illustration is that you get to tell other parts of a story that might not be written into the book. In your example the text focuses on Brewster wining the blue ribbon, the next question I ask is “what was that like for the other contestants?” Then I come up with a disgruntled pig who had to settle for second place. Some of the stories in children’s books are so extreme that it’s fun to put people in the illustration reacting to what’s going on.

My publishers have normally given me a tremendous amount of freedom when it comes to making the art. This is partly because some of the stories I get are so, um, weird. Like the book Stop that Nose!, it’s about a guy's nose that flies off in a monster sneeze. It would be hard for an editor or art director to be too strict when it comes to the art because there is no clear way to handle imagery like that.

How did you come up with your snowflake design for this year’s Robert’s Snow?

I didn’t want to do a traditional scene with a snowman or christmas theme. Although these scenes are great for the intended use, I wanted to put a little more personal spin on mine. I wanted to make it mean something in relation to why “Robert’s Snow” exists in the first place. My dad died from cancer a few years back and so I’ve seen the battle with that first hand.

I began thinking about what it’s like to live with someone knowing they have such a great battle ahead. The feeling that you may lose them was always around with my father, so that seemed important to me as well. My imagery is symbolic of that feeling.

The girl in the boat is in less than ideal surroundings, but is holding tightly to the gift. That gift represents life. We all have to have faith in that gift when someone we love is battling the disease. She has her eyes closed to represent the blindness we have in not knowing how the situation might turn out. I know this snowflake deals with difficult ideas and imagery, but I didn’t want it to come across as depressing, so that’s why I chose a warm/bright color palette.

I like how the piece turned out because hopefully it makes people think and come up with their own meanings and interpretations.

Once you began, was there anything especially interesting, challenging, or surprising about the project?

Working that small is always a challenge. I really like working with such a weird shape. It changes the way I design and was very fun to do. I also like the fact that I get to be somewhat abstract in the imagery which is something that’s a little hard to do with a book because you are trying to move a story forward.

What advice would you give to young people interested in becoming an artist?

The most important advice I can give is to come up with your own interpretations on stories and narratives. Why bother making another “average” piece of art when you can make something unique and special? This idea is why I’m trying to slow down my output some on the professional level and make pieces I’m really proud of.

I would also recommend learning the technical side of drawing and painting. It’s alright to end up drawing loose and painting abstractly, but having the solid background goes a long way. It gives you choices that you might not otherwise have. For instance, If you can REALLY draw and paint you have your choice with how an image is painted. You can paint really tight and lifelike, or you can stylize the characters (which I like to do!). You want the choice to be yours versus being limited by your ability.

Lastly, I’d like to say that keeping a balanced life is very important. If you focus only on art, there is so much you could be missing. The extra things in your life can contribute greatly to your art. The world is a beautiful place with all it’s color and texture, people and cultures. Really try and soak it all in and let your art reflect it!

Here are some great Lee White links:

• View 5 illustrations from House Takes a Vacation
• View 4 illustrations from Brewster the Rooster
  
• See Lee White's online portfolio

Here are the other snowflakes featured today:

• Cynthia Decker at The Silver Lining
• Cecily Lang at Kate's Book Blog
• Jane Dyer at Whimsy Books
• Gutierrez at AmoXcalli and Cuentecitos

How you can help Robert's Snow:

• Thank Lee White for donating his time and talents and let him know what you think of his snowflake, "The Gift."
  
• Check out the other Blogging for a Cure snowflake features: a schedule is updated weekly on the sidebar to the right, and previous posts can be found at Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast (Thank you, Jules & Eisha!)
  
• Visit Robert's Snow to view all the snowflakes (not all the snowflakes were ready in time to be featured by Blogging for a Cure, so be sure to visit the official site so you don't miss any)
  
• Bid on your favorite snowflakes during the three auctions held Nov. 19-Dec. 7
• Spread the word! Tell your grandmother, your neighbor, your postman. Send them a link to this post or to any Robert's Snow post.

Robert's Snow: Amy Schimler Interview

Here is another great snowflake for Robert's Snow. I'll be featuring Lee White on Tuesday, and you can check the sidebar on the right for all the rest of this week's snowflake features.

"Hanging Popcorn at the Beaver Lodge" by Amy Schimler
available for auction: November 26-30

ABOUT AMY SCHIMLER:

I want to live in Amy Schimler’s art. I want to hang out with the industrious beavers and catch the fireflies hiding in the grass. Her whimsical snails, raccoons, frogs, and birds are welcome in my house anytime. And I’ll tell you the secret why: every time I look at them, I can’t help but smile. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen a particular image…there is something so inherently joyful about this work.

Amy studied painting and fiberarts in Boston at the Museum School of Fine Arts and Massachusetts College of Art. She continued her studies in textile and surface design at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her designs can be found on all kinds of surfaces: children’s books, wrapping paper, fabric, t-shirts, the list goes on. Her clients range from Target and Baby Gap to Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Fisher Price, and UNICEF. In fact, a brand new Amy Schimler fabric line titled Creatures and Critters is due out in January (you can see a sneak peek on her blog). Amy's blog, Red Fish Circle, is definitely worth the read...you'll be rewarded with glimpses into works in progress, new paintings, and even bunny slippers. You won't be disappointed by a visit to her website, either.

And to top it all off, her studio sounds magical. Read on to find out more...

How did you get started as an artist?

I think I have always considered myself an artist, even as a child. I started to take it seriously, however, when I joined a cooperative clay studio in Cambridge MA in my early twenties. I worked as an occupational therapist professionally, returned to art school to study painting and textile arts, raised a family, and finally was able to support myself full time as an artist. The best part of the evolution for me was that I got to experiment with a lot of different media; clay, metal, paint, fabric dyes. When I took my first textile design class at RISD, I was hooked.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by so many different things; Children's artwork, the textures and patterns found both in nature and man-made materials (peeling paint, rusted metal), my dog's comical shadow, color, great lyrics, vintage fabrics, ethnic textiles. Honesty inspires me.

Who are your favorite artists?

Some of my favorites are Milton Avery, Maira Kalman, and Sara Fanelli. I particularly like Picasso's sculptures and ceramics. I am drawn to both naïve and narrative artwork.

What is your ideal workspace?

My ideal workspace is quiet, light, and spacious - I never seem to have enough room - I really like to spread out. I live in a small township that is a designated nature preserve. When I walk outside my door I am surrounded by blue herons, swans, beavers, owls, and a captive audience of quacking ducks. It is really beautiful and inspiring.

Your whimsical, colorful designs have shown up all over the place: books, greeting cards, gift wrap. And now, you're starting a new line of fabrics with Robert Kaufman. How did that come about? Are there special considerations you have to make when creating designs specifically for fabric?

Because I was doing textile design for the apparel market it was a natural transition to license my designs specifically for fabric. Robert Kaufman has a line that was a good fit with the type of design that I do. I am very excited to be working with them. When designing for fabric, the end use needs to be considered; for ex. will it be used for quilting, as children's clothing? There are limitations with the number of colors and complexity of the design depending on the printing process used.

Your animal designs are *especially* endearing and appealing--were you around a lot of animals growing up, and do you have any now?

Thanks. I think I addressed this earlier when I was describing where I live. I am surrounded by wildlife. I also have always been a dog owner. I presently own an Italian Greyhound, Beans, who is my studio assistant. She is almost completely blind and fairly deaf, but offers a lot of support. She still walks, more like prances, with a proud hop to her step. Her grace and fortitude inspire me.

How did you come up with your snowflake design for this year’s Robert’s Snow?

I had just finished an illustration of a beaver lodge. I really enjoyed creating it and thought it would be fun to continue that theme. The paddle shaped tails worked great with the shape of the snowflake! Also, I just love the idea of the beavers chomping down on the popcorn while decorating their tree.

Once you began, was there anything especially interesting, challenging, or surprising about the project?

I loved having the opportunity to work off of the computer. Many of my commercial assignments are digital, so I really enjoyed playing with the paints.

What advice would you give to young people interested in becoming an artist?

First of all to produce work that you feel good about and that reflects your personal voice. I think it is so important to keep growing. There is no end point as an artist. It is a constant journey of exploration and growth. I think to be able to make a living as an artist your desire for having a creative lifestyle has to outweigh the difficulties you may face.

Perseverance is key. There will be rejection because your particular style will not appeal to everyone.

Is there anything else you'd like our readers to know about you and/or your work?

Participating in Robert's Snow is particularly meaningful to me. I overcame a diagnosis of Hodgkin's Disease twenty years ago. It was a very challenging period. I sometimes find it interesting that the work I choose to do is so light and seemingly carefree. I think I enjoy living in this happy colorful space. It is an honest expression of the absolute joy and gratitude I am experiencing in my life. I hope my artwork passes that forward.

Bean's Cartoon Shadow:

Here are the other snowflakes featured today:

• Tim Coffey at The Silver Lining
• Elizabeth Dulemba at sruble's world
• Chris Gall at Through the Studio Door

How you can help Robert's Snow:

• Thank Amy Schimler for donating her time and talents and let her know what you think of her snowflake, "Hanging Popcorn at the Beaver Lodge"...as Amy says on her contact page: "Don't be shy!"
  
• Check out the other Blogging for a Cure snowflake features: a schedule is updated weekly on the sidebar to the right, and previous posts can be found at Seven Impossible Things before Breakfast (Thank you, Jules & Eisha!)
  
• Visit Robert's Snow to view all the snowflakes (not all the snowflakes were ready in time to be featured by Blogging for a Cure, so be sure to visit the official site so you don't miss any)
  
• Bid on your favorite snowflakes during the three auctions held Nov. 19-Dec. 7
• Spread the word! Tell your grandmother, your neighbor, your postman. Send them a link to this post or to any Robert's Snow post.

Robert's Snow: Matt Tavares Interview

And here's another snowflake for the Robert's Snow auction. Bidding starts on November 19th...Let it snow!

"Sunset Over Manana Island" by Matt Tavares
available for bidding: November 26-30

ABOUT MATT TAVARES:
A couple weeks ago, we had some friends over, and their 9-year old son walked into the living room and beelined to our coffee table to pick up a book. "Cool!" The book was Matt Tavares' Oliver's Game, which I had pick