Women in the Arts and a Pop-up Makerspace

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I am in Washington, D.C., down the street from the White House in a building that used to be a Masonic lodge, and I am sifting through a basket of embroidery floss, looking for just the right combination of colors. When you have been seeing/taking in, there is something especially refreshing about making/creative output.

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My recent D.C. visit happened to coincide with the monthly community day of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and their second-ever pop-up makerspace. Inspired by several of the artists on exhibition, they had tables set up for crochet, drawing-machine making, and turning various odds and ends into jewelry.

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I made a necklace from a couple of metal washers, some thread and wire.

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The museum itself is organized into different floors for different time periods. Their current exhibition, Pathmakers, explores how women have used alternate media to create art, from midcentury to today.

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Community days are the first Sunday of every month with free admission in the afternoon.

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Microblog Mondays: Write in your own space

Last-Minute Traveler Gift Guide

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If you’re still looking for gift inspiration, here are some ideas.

All of these items are things I actually own, use, and love:

1. Designhype Metro San Francisco Cuff – Yes, there’s an actual metro map on the bracelet! Mine is for San Francisco, but Designhype also makes these for Paris, NYC, and other cities.

2. Moleskine Journal – For travel journaling, lately I’ve been starting with a blank Moleskine, writing about the day, and using washi tape to attach ticket stubs (like the transit pass from our Re:Make trip) or folded programs or whatever I happen to collect. The cahiers 3.5″ x 5.5″ size comes in a 3-pack and is really convenient for carrying with you. I throw one in a quart-size ziploc with my ultra fine tip Sharpies and washi tape and take it along, in case I want to journal on the plane or while we sit at a cafe. Some brick-and-mortar options: I’ve seen these at Changing Hands Bookstore and Target, but you can find various sizes of Moleskine journals lots of places.

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3. Sakura 18-Piece Koi Assorted Water Colors Field Sketch Set with Brush – Super portable watercolor set with a brush that holds water inside of it (so you don’t have to fiddle with a separate cup) and folds up. Since Jennifer Mack introduced this to me at Craft Camp, the link above is her Amazon affiliate link.

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4. Bodum Travel Press Coffee Maker – Basically, it’s a shatterproof French press you can drink out of. This is especially great for camping, but you could also use it to upgrade from the hotel coffeemaker. I’ve had mine for awhile, so I didn’t see this exact design – I linked to one that’s similar. I just saw these at Cost Plus World Market.

5. GoToob Travel Bottle – Humangear travel bottles are made to keep from leaking, and mine has been fine when altitude changes have made a mess out of cheaper bottles. They have this neat little ring you can twist to designate the contents (sunscreen, soap, etc.), but they’re also food safe, in case you want to fill a small one with sri racha or a bigger one with pancake batter. I’ve spotted these at my local REI and Target. I think they may have been a little cheaper at Target, but REI had a much bigger selection.

6. REI Flash 18 Pack – Very comfortable day pack with a streamlined silhouette. It’s great to throw stuff in for a day at a convention or on a hike. In the photo, Phillip is wearing it while admiring the view from Mt. Lemmon. Since this is REI brand, they’re most likely only available in REI’s stores and site.

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What travel gifts do you love to use or have on your wishlist?

P.S. This DIY spice mix is also easy to make, and there are more ideas in our last-minute Christmas guide.

Not a sponsored post.

An East Coast Winter Wedding: Figuring Out What to Pack

My cousin is getting married at the end of the year in Charlottesville, Virginia, a couple hours south of Washington DC. We’ll head out there, see Charlottesville, and spend a couple days in DC.

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For us Arizonans, it’s gonna be cold.

So, along with researching what to see/do/eat in DC and Virginia (and making a pretty serious DC/Virginia/Maryland Pinterest board), I’ve been trying to figure out how to pack light but stay warm!

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Here are a few articles I’ve found helpful:

Do you have recommendations of winter DC sights or cold-weather packing tips?

Microblog Mondays: Write in your own space

Thanksgiving at Usery Park

usery pass park in mesa Arizona

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Every few years, my mom decides it’s time for a Thanksgiving picnic.

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We’re kind of spoiled here in the Phoenix area by almost always having gorgeous weather on Thanksgiving Day. I guess we kind of pay for it with the crazy hot summers.

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Anyway, ever since I was a kid, some years we have traditional Thanksgiving with a whole turkey and a dining room table, and other years we have turkey sandwiches at a desert picnic table.

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This year, it was just my parents, Phillip, and I. We kept things super simple and picnicked at Usery Mountain Regional Park.

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Usery Park

We still had the boisterous, house-full-of-people experience with Phillip’s side of the family the following Saturday.

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But Thanksgiving Day was all blue skies and saguaros.

After picnicking, we took a short hike, chatting some and listening to the gravelly trail crunch under our feet, a cactus wren calling to us, and far off coyotes howling. The sun dipped low to backlight the landscape, putting glowing edges around fuzzy chollas and creosote bushes with their tiny, fragrant leaves, and making the evening seem magical.

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Microblog Mondays: Write in your own space

DIY Holiday Spice Mix

I have a present for you.

I’m going to give you the (up until now) secret holiday spice mix recipe I created myself. It was part of a set I made for family gifts one year and sold at a fundraiser another.

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I looked at combinations of spices in some our favorite dishes and cuisines, found commonalities and experimented until I had the proportions just right for a delicious and versatile blend.

I’ve substituted it for pumpkin pie spice, including when I made pumpkin pie from scratch. It would be fabulous in spice cookies or sprinkled over a whipped-cream-topped dessert. You can use it to make chai or Mexican hot chocolate, or add a dash when you brew your morning coffee for pumpkin spice without all the sugar.

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It even works with some savory dishes. Think Indian curries or Morrocan chicken with raisins.

Fill up a spice jar and tie with a ribbon or some baker’s twine, and give it as a hostess or holiday gift. There will be printable labels for this in an upcoming issue of our newsletter (before Christmas), so make sure you’re on the list!

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Ingredients:

1.5 TBSP Ground Cardamom
6 TBSP Cinnamon
1.5 TBSP Ground Clove
3 TBSP Ground Ginger

Mix well and use as needed.

Makes approximately 3/4 cup (12 TBSP), about enough for 2 small spice jars. Give one and keep one. Or increase the recipe to make additional batches.