paper vs. plastic

About a month or so ago, there was this article in the New York Times about the rumored plastic bag fee/tax. To reduce the negative impact of plastic bags on the environment, cities have been proposing plastic bag bans or fees for use.

Wanting to learn more about it I came across www.reusablebags.com. There is a wealth of information on there! It's kind of overwhelming, actually. The most interesting to me was their article, Paper Bags Are Better Than Plastic, Right? Shockingly, the answer is "not really".

But this is all a non-issue because why use paper or plastic when you can use a Bomo-Bag?!

the bomo-bag debut

The Bomo-Bags first went on sale on March 14, 2009 at the Artists & Fleas market during the grand opening of 303Grand.




I was really stressed out and anxious about it for weeks but I had great friends who helped and supported me throughout the day, making it a success. I am a lucky girl.

the bomo-bag

the origin of the bomo-bag

I have at least five grocery stores within a 3 block radius of my apartment. The one right off the subway is open 24 hours. I'm always stopping in on my way home to pick up some forgotten ingredient or just a snack. It's so convenient. But the spontaneity this allows always leaves me unprepared to carry my new purchase home. Oftentimes I'll walk the few blocks to my apartment with a carton of soy milk or a bag of produce in my hand, but sometimes I buy more than I'll be able to carry without having to reluctantly take a plastic bag from the cashier.

I am also a sucker for a sale. I don't know how many times I'll be walking along and enter a shop to just browse before meeting a friend or going home or while passing the time and exit with a lighter wallet and a shopping bag in hand.

It makes me cringe every time. Just do a google image search of "plastic bag pollution" and your heart will break.

In January I went to Ikea with a friend. When we got to the check out we discovered that we would have to buy a reusable tote bag to carry our new Swedish household items home in. They were no longer providing plastic bags.

That was what did it because I am also a cheap bastard. I decided to make a tote bag that I could roll up and put in my regular hand bag so that I would always be armed.






This was the first one I tried. I sketched it out then used what remained of an old bed sheet for fabric.















I liked the idea of an elastic to quickly roll it up, but unrolled it hung off the side like an ugly hair scrunchie.











I did some tweaking, received some feedback from my friends and coworkers, and the Bomo-Bag (named by my coworkers) was the final result. I have to say, it's the best thing I've ever made for myself. Every time I use it, it makes me happy.

a year later

It's been one year and a handful of days.
I'm sorry to have neglected you. I've got some very exciting news. Stay tuned.
But for now, have a listen to some Magnetic Fields.

parentheses

In the last week a number of people have commented to me about how I like to cook. How misleading this blog has been! Here is my refrigerator on a normal day:
















I can't remember when I took that picture. Actually that day was particularly bad. There are maybe some vegetables in there right now, but also more booze. I don't even really drink at home. Everything is misleading!

Today for dinner I had some cheese and crackers, olives and grapes. I love Cerignola olives. I won't tell you how many I've eaten because it's too embarrassing. More embarrassing than that picture of my fridge.


if something in the deli aisle
makes you cry
you know I'll put my arm around you and I'll walk you outside
through the sliding doors
why would I mind?

be fruitful and multiply

My friends have had a baby. He is the cutest thing ever. Sometimes when he is sleeping, he'll chuckle and my heart breaks.

It was his dad's birthday recently and I knit him an ear flap hat. Then I made a matching one for his "mini me".

Again, I didn't use a pattern. I seem to have a problem with rules. Instead I bought some yarn (Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran and alpaca silk). Pearl at Knitty City helped me choose needles (US 10.5 circs) that she thought would give me a good gauge. I read a bunch of patterns online and in books at the bookstore, but couldn't find anything that I liked. So I kept an eye out on the street for people wearing ear flap hats and followed the good looking ones around. Good looking hats, I mean. I think I started and restarted about five times until I had what I wanted.

and voilà:



They look cuter when they're actually on real heads because the boy is only about four months old, but this is all I have for public viewing.