NY Times: "For Craft Sales, the Recession Is a Help"

Today's New York Times article on the surge of the handmade revolution got me thinking about a concern that's been lingering in the back of my mind for quite a while.

It's great that artists and small businesses are benefitting from the downturn in the economy and it's equally as great that shoppers have more reasonably-priced gifts to choose from...but what about the employees of the chains that are seeing their customers switch to handmade e-commerce portals like Etsy?

As a member of Etsy, should I feel guilty that employees are losing their jobs because shoppers are choosing handmade items instead of mass produced items? I guess you can't have it both ways since there always has to be a loser, but I can't help but wonder how much of an impact the crafting craze is going to have on traditional commerce.

The flip side is that chains like Michaels are doing booming business despite the downturn--hopefully this translates into jobs.

The Looking Glass Strikes Again

I was lucky enough to have my Looking Glass Necklace featured in a Treasury (West)! Thank you to http://littlepapoose.etsy.com

Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution

I was featured on Vadjutka's "Now and Then" blog today. I love the concept of this blog--highlighting how Etsy sellers have honed their craft over time.

Check out how much my work has changed from Feb '08 to today!

http://craftsthenandnow.blogspot.com/2008/12/mswedowsky-february-2008-december-2008.html

I was on the front page of Etsy yesterday!

I have to boast...I just found out that I was featured on the front page of Etsy yesterday, as part of a Treasury. It even led to a sale! I think it is Etsy karma because I also made my first Etsy purchase yesterday.

Timothy Adam Design's Top 10

I made #4 of Timothy Adam Design's top 10 list! Check it out: http://timothyadamdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/11/top-10-monday-nov-24th.html

The post has apparently received over 800 hits. Very exciting!

Thank you Timothy.

Day-o, Day-ay-ay-o

Every morning I walk by the now defunct Day-O Restaurant on Greenwich Ave. Last February, Eater.com reported that Day-O had lost its lease; however, it seems like Day-O still isn't ready to call it quits. There has been a sign on the door claiming renovations for over a year and the space is still completely furnished, menus and all. The desolation makes me feel like Charlton Heston in The Omega Man.

The landlord must be regretting kicking out Day-O if he/she hasn't been able to collect rent in over a year. And it's not even like the landlord is trying to rent out the space--you would never know that Day-O isn't planning to make a triumpant return unless you frequented the neighborhood.

What is the deal?

Owliday Inn

As of today, I am officially owner of a sole proprietorship called Owliday Inn. For anyone who hasn't read James Howe's Bunnicula book series, the name of my business is a tribute to the second book in the series, Howliday Inn.

I am very excited and hope that I can follow in my dad's footsteps as an accomplished business owner. Wish me luck!

Jane Austen on the Dancefloor

My friend, Mariel, a teacher at Brandeis High School, recently started a blog to extend conversation beyond the classroom, while exercising her students' writing skills.

I am completely blown away by both the cirriculum and the blog. New York City is lucky to have such a creative and dedicated teacher. I hope that other teachers will stumble upon this blog and be inspired.

Check it out: http://www.janeaustenonthedancefloor.blogspot.com/

RIP(io Maya)

I just found out that one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in NYC, Pio Maya, has closed. Sure, part of the attraction was the name, but Pio really stood out as an authentic, family-run restaurant. I'm very sad to hear that it's gone and sincerely hope that a bank doesn't take its place!

Pio, you will be missed.

Hurting from frozen yogurt craze, Tasti D-Lite needs some TLC

Even though I'm a Pinkberry convert, I can't help but be sad that Tasti D-Lite has re-branded. It started innocently enough with the updated logo in early 2008, but one by one, the Tasti D franchises are now receiving a totally new look, including a new name: TLC.

The Tasti D in Chelsea on 8th avenue just switched over and was offering free "frozen dessert" to passerbys. Admittedly, it seems like a lot of people have been taking advantage of the staggered "openings" across the city by stopping in for a free cup.

Very few have picked up on the thinly veiled re-launch and even Tasti D hasn't issued a release. The Tasti D-Lite website is still alive and kicking with no hint of the recent re-naming initiative other than a January 2008 press release announcing James Amos's acquisition of Tasti D for $21MM and "a compelling strategic vision for the future." According to the Wall Street Journal, Amos's plan is to extend the Tasti D franchise to four more states and at least three other countries.

Started in NYC in 1987, Tasti D has weathered bigger storms than the rebirth of "fro yo." Take, for example, the controversial 2002 study that found Tasti D had been underreporting its calorie content. Sure, I can't deny that the competitive landscape has heated up, with frozen yogurt and fresh fruit chains opening up on every block, but Tasti D's name had to have been its greatest asset.

Although its popularity has faded over time, Tasti D has been a staple of the city ever since I was young. In short, I feel an unexpected sense of nostalgia.

He/She vs. They

I know that Oxford Dictionaries thinks that using he/she instead of their is "rather awkward," but I just cannot bring myself to do it. Using the plural form makes no sense! In fact, maybe I'm just dense, but I recently had to read and re-read a Facebook notification for this very reason:

So and So also commented on their status.11:00am

The use of "their" totally threw me off. Plus, shouldn't Facebook know whether So and So is a he or a she? Come on!

Shtetl mentality or eco-friendly?

I grew up with a father with a lingering shtetl mentality. According to him, his parents punched holes in tea bag labels after each steep so they could get the most out of each bag. That may seem incredibly cheap now considering tea bags are waiting room and office giveaways, but it's also a pretty clever method for tracking usage.

While some consider a shtetl mentality to be crippling (apparently the Democratic party suffers from a shtetl mentality--who knew? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/opinion/27dowd.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin) I recently realized that much of my desire to be green is driven by this mindset. Leaving lights on in a room you were no longer in, taking long showers, using paper towels to clean up spills--these were all forbidden when I was growing up. My dad's motivation wasn't the well-being of the planet--it was his bills. Going through a roll of paper towels a week wouldn't have broken the bank, but using a rag was certainly cheaper. He wasn't footing the water bill, but a long shower was simply excessive. Unlike my grandparents who were struggling Ukranian immigrants, my dad didn't need to be this stringent, but his parents had long ago influenced his behaviors, and in turn, he would influence mine.

Why pay a subway fare when I can walk to work? Why have more lights on than I really need? Why throw out food even if there's only a small scrap left? Why buy lunch everyday at a deli if I can make it myself? So many of the small "sustainable" things I do on a daily basis are grounded in a tradition of being cheap--I guess having a shtetl mentality has some benefit after all.