Championing the makers, artists, and wanderers in all of us.
I know you’re really busy. And you probably don’t have time to read every Travelcraft Journal post.
So I thought I’d help you out and make a monthly summary of the highlights, plus some extra goodies that you’ll see there first. We’ll call it a newsletter. But really it’ll be more like a collection of little postcards.
The first one will include Travel Expo tickets and travel scrapbooking checklists. And it’s coming out this week!
So get in on the ground floor and sign up here…
March is the reason people live in Arizona. Not the only reason. But it represents a pretty big one, because it tends to come with the kind of gorgeous weather we dream of during the inevitably scorching Phoenix summers.
Of course, I would write that sentence on the day we get a fluke spring dust storm. (We don’t really expect those until July or August.) But still. It was an hour or so blip in the middle of some really nice days.
March also brings wildflowers. Some years more than others, but if we’ve had any rain at all, the desert gets more colorful.
Because the weather is so good, things get busy. People come to visit. Events get scheduled. (Lots and lots of events. They were basically stacked on top of each other this past weekend.) Before you know it, you’re in some convention hall or shopping center or crowded restaurant wondering what you’re doing there and if you’ve missed all the nice weather. Or (in my case), you’re sitting outside writing a post about wildflowers and wondering if they’ve already finished their brief annual appearance.
So Monday I texted Phillip that I wanted to see if there were still wildflowers on South Mountain and should I pick him up after work to go check it out. He was up for it, so we slipped into the park just before they closed the entrance gate and hiked until we ran out of light for photos.
I’m happy to report that it’s not too late to spot some wildflowers in the desert.
Also, the creosote bushes are yellow and fragrant, and hedgehog cactus is starting to bloom.
If you’re here in Phoenix and you possibly can, get out this week – even for an hour – and soak it all in. And if you live somewhere else, you might consider visiting next March.
It’s a beautiful time to find a reason to be here or to remember the reasons you already are.
For Your (Wildflower-Hunting) Information: I took all of these photos (except the top one of clouds after the dust storm) on 3/24/14 at South Mountain Park.
Like I said, I have things to tell you guys!
Let’s start with things that have dates (especially the one coming up tomorrow) and move on to blog updates. Sound good? (No? Then just read in whatever order you want.)
Tomorrow is the first-ever Southwest Maker Fest! It’s a free one-day event in downtown Mesa with singing robots, quilts, and possibly a collaborative welding project. (I know! Intriguing yet terrifying! You should definitely go.) I’ll be doing a workshop on making travel journals at noon at OneOhOne gallery. (Full program.)
I’m told the Maker Fest will have lots of kid-friendly stuff – as well as dangerous stuff, which kids also like. spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity will be going on at the Mesa Arts Center through Sunday, and it’s also free, so you can stop over there too.
Coming up this summer, I’ll be speaking at BlogHer. The conference I spoke at in October was BlogHer Pro, which is for people using their blogs for business. This one is the big conference – for all the bloggers. So…maybe even more terrifying than collaborative welding. (Saying yes often is.) But I’m in a break out session, so I keep telling myself there won’t be more people in the room than at Pro. Probably.
Also, I updated the About page, so now there are separate pages for About Travelcraft Journal and About Me. The About Me page is probably more information than you ever cared to know, but I needed somewhere to put all that. I’m finding myself in more and more situations where my graphic design business (Bold Avenue) and this blog (Travelcraft Journal – or TCJ for you insiders) are both relevant, so I needed a place to talk about different aspects of what I do and explain the connection. I might change this up later as I continue to spruce things up around here (it’s like blog spring cleaning!), but, for now, that’s what’s happening.
I realized a plugin I was using to include social media comments was requiring a login and making it a pain to post a comment here. Sorry about that. That barrier is removed now, so comment away! (I mean, be respectful to others and not spammy. Other than that, comment away!)
OK, so that’s way more about me in one day than I’m comfortable with. What about you? Now that commenting is easier, tell me something you’re up to. Also, I’m working on an FAQ page, so let me know if you have any Qs.
Southwest Maker Fest logo via Southwest Maker Fest. (Surprise.)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
My sister- and brother-in-law got us this shamrock plant two years ago. I was worried an Irish plant wouldn’t do so well in the Arizona sun. (Maybe I thought it would sunburn like me-?) But it continues to thrive and bloom. The leaves close up every evening and follow the sun during the day. I guess you have to just keep seeking the light, no matter where you are.
I’m in another one of those spots where I have so much to tell you but, for various reasons, am having trouble getting it all written and posted. (I see all these articles about how to come up with blog post ideas. I have too many ideas. I think what I need is to learn to write faster.) I did write more about Arcosanti – a lot more – and I’m working on cutting that down a bit before I post it.
With any luck, I’ll be posting some bloggy and crafty news later this week, but I didn’t want to leave you hanging until then.
Speaking of plants (and hanging), I wrote a post for Brit + Co on DIY Living Walls, ideas for making a wall-mountable planter for a bunch of plants.
In case gardening isn’t your jam (or in case it is and you want to play music to your plants), my post about a crazy (and awesome) concrete, gesture-controlled speaker just went up on Brit + Co, as well.
So you have some reading material to tide you over, while I keep writing and seeking the light.
I posted this photo on Instagram of a Peruvian bean chili I made recently. My friend Anne asked me for the recipe, and here we are. Except I don’t really have a recipe. I basically winged it (wung it?), but I’m happy to tell you a story about that and maybe you’ll be able to deduce a recipe from there.
The thing is Phillip had a guys’ movie night planned, and the other guys were talking about getting pizza. I panicked, forgot there is such a thing as gluten-free pizza (we’re total newbs at this gluten free thing), glanced around my kitchen, and decided I could throw together chili. Even though I started early, I probably didn’t spend more than 10 minutes actually pulling it together.
Here’s what went in there:
Soak the beans overnight, then throw it all in the crockpot the next day. If it happens to be sriracha week, make the sriracha and red pepper into a smiley face and Instagram it. Cook 4-5 hours on high or 8ish on low. You may want to make the chili a day ahead, refrigerate, and let the flavors blend. It will be even more delicious the following day.
Also, if you’re not particularly attached to the vegetarianness of the recipe, some bacon probably would be a delicious addition.
Happy belated sriracha week to you all!