Maker Fest, BlogHer + blog news

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.)

1. Southwest Maker Fest

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.

2. BlogHer

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.

3. About Abouts

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.

4. Comments welcome!

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.)

March 17, 2014

Luck and light

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.

March 4, 2014

Daily Bread

I realized the last couple posts here have been named after meals (Breakfast at Arcosanti and The world over dinner). This could be because I’ve really had food on the brain lately.

We’re getting ready to try going gluten free for a bit to see if that helps with some issues we’ve (mostly I’ve) been having.

This is not going to be an easy transition for me. I love bread and cereal and pasta and cookies etc. I like being able to say I’ll eat almost anything and enjoy trying new foods when I travel. But I’ve been reading up on how to make this diet work, and I created a Pinterest board of gluten-free recipes and resources.

At one point, Phillip and I made a whole gluten bucket list of places to go eat before making this change. But the list kept getting longer and time was getting shorter, so we abandoned that idea. I did stop at Liberty Market yesterday, though, so we could relish one last blueberry scone. (I recommend you do the same if you ever happen to be in Gilbert, Arizona.)

Since there’s not really ever a good time to do something like this, we decided that Lent would at least be an appropriate season for denying ourselves. The 40 days begin tomorrow. And, even though our reasons for going gluten free are more health-related than spiritual, there is something about giving up something you love (maybe too much) that can refocus your heart and be good for the soul.

February 23, 2014February 23, 2014

The world over dinner

We have a world map over our kitchen table. It’s not on nice canvas or even framed. It’s covered with all these little white arrows pointing to different locations. People coming over the first time often ask if all those arrows point to the places we’ve traveled. I wish! They span much more of the globe than Phillip or I have ever visited.

world-map-3

In college, Phillip took an anthropology class called Peopling of the World. The final was a long list of places you had to find and label on a world map. This was pre-Google maps, so even as an open book test, it was surprisingly difficult. I barely knew Phillip at the time, but my roommate was in the same class. I remember her map stretched out across our living room floor, and Serenity furiously searching through a stack of books and notes to figure out where her little multicolored Post-it labels should go. Phillip printed out his list of places at the one of the school computing labs and cut them into arrows.

world-map-4

When we moved into our current home and he hung it up over our kitchen table, I wasn’t sure about it. I liked the world map, but did it need to be right there in our dining room?

But it grew on me. We find ourselves dreaming over Sunday morning coffee about places we’d like to visit. Or breaking a quiet moment at the dinner table with, “Did you know all of India is north of the equator? Why did I think it was farther south than that?” Or “Spain really does come close to northern Africa.” And we’re geeks so this gets us talking.

So, the map has stayed. One of these days, maybe we’ll even get around to framing it.

January 15, 2014January 16, 2014

Expanding my writing horizons

I am excited to announce that I am now a contributor for Brit + Co! In case you’re not familiar with the site, it features DIY projects, recipes, tech finds, trends, and other topics that help busy people indulge their creative side.

I was already a big fan of the site. And finding ways to make the most of life despite a crazy schedule is a part of what Travelcraft Journal is about. This is a great fit, and I’m honored to be a part of the “Co” of Brit + Co!

My first post is “5 Apps That Make Your Food Photos Look Even Better“. For those of you who like to take pictures of delicious food you make or come across on your travels, check it out!

Of course, I’ll continue posting here at Travelcraft Journal (more on my travelcrafty plans for this year soon), in addition to doing original roundups and reviews for Brit + Co, so keep an eye out for those over there!