Favorite Things: Kinfolk Magazine

I used to be a voracious reader.  These days it can take me months to get through a book unless I'm on vacation.  Part of that is being a mother, and part of that is having an iPad and checking Facebook, blogs, and Pinterest when I would have been reading a book in the "olden days".  Although I don't make it through whole books, I do read a few magazines cover to cover.  They are like a mini-vacation from my real and digital worlds.




Kinfolk magazine is what I buy my housemate when I want to make her exceedingly happy.  She totally geeks out over this magazine and blog.  I, not too secretly, buy her issues just so I can read them too. Kinfolk is a beautifully curated collection of photos and essays about building community through small gatherings.

I love their manifesto:

"Kinfolk is a growing community of artists with a shared interest in

small gatherings. We recognize that there is something about a table

shared by friends, not just a wedding or once-a-year holiday

extravaganza, that anchors our relationships and energizes us. We have

come together to create Kinfolk as our collaborative way of advocating

the natural approach to entertaining that we love."

There is a very distinctive Kinfolk aesthetic that features traditional materials like natural wood, linen, leather, and simple dishes in desaturated photography.  It inspires me to invite a few friends over, put some flowers on the table and serve dinner.  It creates that quiet, intimate, calm world that seems like such an unattainable goal most days.

I'm curious if others have read this magazine and what you think of it.   At $65 (yikes!) for a year's subscription, I haven't jumped for it yet.  Although I've liked the issues I've read,  I'm not sure if their limited scope of subject matter and style will continue to appeal to me or if it will somehow seem predictable and boring.  I'm interested enough to buy the next issue to find out.

Design * Sponge Book Signing and Craft Event

I think I've been a fan of Grace Bonney and Design*Sponge for as long as I've been addicted to the internet.  And that's a long time, folks!  I subscribe to most blogs  for a couple of months, and then unsubscribe as I lose interest and move on to greener pastures.  But Design*Sponge, Design*Sponge stays in my reader.  It is always fresh and clean and modern.  It features both professional designers and DIY projects, aspirational high-end looks and creative homes decorated on shoestring budgets.   I always find something unique or interested on Design*Sponge.

When Design*Sponge decided to branch out to the printed page, I was ecstatic!  I love interior design books more than I am willing to admit in public.  And I knew Grace would have a fresh take and feature creative people in their own homes.


I was even more excited when I heard that, instead of a traditional book reading/signing, Grace and Company were hosting craft events around the country.  I signed up right away and coerced  my housemate to go with me (it didn't take much arm twisting).  The event was held at the Cleaners at the Ace Hotel which is one of my favorite Portland venues.  The craft chosen for the day was a block printing project.

I'll have to admit that I was so excited to see the book and Grace, that the printing project was an afterthought for me.  I was mostly enjoying watching other people make their projects, taking photos, talking to Grace and looking at my lovely new Design*Sponge book.

I only printed a small portion of the fabric I brought along.   I'm thinking that I might attempt block printing curtains for the Sprout's room.  I'll let you know if that comes to fruition. 

In the meantime, I am thoroughly enjoying the Design*Sponge book, and I think it would be a great Christmas gift for a friend or family member who has an eye for design and an interest in DIY.

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You can see "official" photos of the craft event and book signing over here, if you're curious.

 

 

Read: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I love to read and I track the books I read over on Goodreads. Occasionally, a book is so good that I want to tell everyone about it. I've decided to share these books here on my blog.

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I rarely read non-fiction because I like to travel in my imagination through story, and non-fiction is often a bit...clunky, for lack of a better word. But this book came highly recommended from my reader friends, and I enjoyed it far more than I expected to.

This is really three stories--the story of Henrietta Lacks and her family, the story of the He-La cells, and the story of Rebecca Skloot winning the trust of the Lacks family so she could tell their story. The book was highly researched and populated by many characters so it could have been written in a disjointed and dispassionate style. However, the author's inclusion of her own interactions with the family and her engaging style really made the story come alive for me. I could imagine the fear that Henrietta must have felt as she succumbed to a particularly virulent cancer alone in Johns Hopkins. I could feel the distrust that lack of information, lack of education and blatant exploitation created in the lives of the Lacks children as they tried to understand their mother's death and the immortality of her cancer cells. I could join with Rebecca as she became more attached to the Lacks children and worried for their own health and well-being.

The book reminded me a bit of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down---the intersection, and often clash, between Western medicine and traditional cultures. Except in this case the Lacks were poor black Southern farmers. I recommend The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks if you have an interest in the history of science and medicine, the Civil Rights Era, or if you just like an intriguing true story once in a while to balance your consumption of fiction.

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If you love to read, how about joining me over on Goodreads so we can trade book recommendations? Or you can just comment below and tell me what you've been reading lately.

And THANKS to those of you who comment regularly. You give great feedback and keep me wanting to write this blog. I've recently added Disqus to the comments section that will hopefully allow us to have better discussions in the comments. Come check it out!

Question of the day: Magazines

What magazines do you subscribe to?

I adore magazines, especially glossy make-me-wanna-buy-stuff, eye-candy magazines. But I got sick of having piles of magazines stacking up and felt that it was an area of my life that I could simplify. I let all of my subscriptions go, and chose to use design and craft blogs for my eye candy and inspiration. The only subscription I miss right now is the O magazine. It's the most literate of the women's magazines that I've found and I often read it cover-to-cover. Even the sections that I strongly disagree with.

Lately I've been experimenting with internet magazines. They're free, they're multi-media, and they're total eye-candy. I miss paper though. I really do. You won't find me shelling out big bucks for a Kindle anytime soon.

Here are a couple of e-magazines I've found:
-- Parasol--Artists and Designers
-- LMNOP--An Australian mag for "hip, stylish parents and their children"
-- Small--more gorgeous stuff for the wee ones

Do you know of others? What do you think about internet magazines? What paper magazines do you find it worthwhile to continue to subscribe to? When you're stuck in an airport between flights, what magazine do you buy to get you through?

Links for the Week

--Baby rooms that aren't sickeningly sweet here and here
--A free dress pattern that looks ridiculously easy and I would try to sew if I ever try to sew clothing again on BurdaStyle
--Very tempting to try designing my own fabric and having it printed at Spoonflower
--An acquaintance reviewed a book on the evangelical left that looks interesting
--A good cause: I've been reading the blog of Shannon, a fellow Taylor grad who is the mother of two children with Sanfillipo syndrome, a degenerative condition. A couple of other Taylor grads are putting together A Hundred for a Home. I know that money is tight these days but some of us could spare a hundred dollars. Consider contributing to a handicap-accessible home for the McNeils.
--Lastly, if you're an Oregonian, please educate yourself so you can vote in opposition to ballot measures 58 and 60.

This I Love: Charley Harper.

I've always loved picture books and now I have an excuse to indulge myself in buying some of my favorites. As I was trolling through the virtual bookshelves I came across this Charley Harper board book. I love his prints and I'm thrilled to find them translated into stylish children's products.

I have some projects I'm working on that I hope to use a similar style to Charley's. We'll see.

Inspiration: Madeleine L'Engle

My beloved Miss Madeleine passed on this week. I consider her an inspiration even though I'll never be a writer. She inspires the way I hope to live my life--with grace, a sense of humor, curiousity, and an abiding faith.

"Infinity is present in each part.
A loving smile contains all art.
The motes of starlight spark and dart.
A grain of sand holds power and might."

Madeleine L'Engle joins the starlight spark.

Recently Read: Jesus Land

The memoir of a girl raised in Indiana in a very religious family. Her family adopts two African-American boys who struggle with racism in lily-white Indiana. She ends up at a reform school run by New Horizons and then later at Taylor University.

When I read the synopsis on the back cover, I knew I had to read it. While I am intensely grateful that my childhood and adolescent experiences with the church were overwhelmingly positive, I can easily see how many churches and religious institutions can be guilty of abuse. Julie Scheere's childhood was somewhat parellel to mine, but she had the opposite experience.

I recommend this book to anyone who is not afraid to observe the ugly side of racism and religious fundamentalism from a raw, first-hand point of view. It is written honestly with little rancor, but clearly Julia and her brother deserved better from their family, church, teachers and community. I hope writing the book brought her some healing.

Grace (Eventually)

Last Tuesday night one of my favorite authors and personal heroes came to Portland--Anne Lamott. My friends Debi and Diane saved me a seat in the decaying old Baghdad theatre so I could hear her read from her new book Grace (Eventually). As I've come to expect, Annie was full of dark humor and biting wit and honesty. She talked about how she's come to discover her writing format--1500-2000 words about feeling like you don't belong on this planet and about how hard it is to be human and about the times when darkness and evil and the current political situation make you think there is no hope. And then....then, a little light sneaks in through a crack...

"Grace is that extra bit of help when you think you are really doomed; also, not coincidentally, when you have finally run out of good ideas on how to proceed, and on how better to control the people or circumstances that are frustrating or defeating you. I experience Grace as a cool ribbon of fresh air when I feel spiritually claustrophobic. Sometimes I experience it as water-wings, something holding me up when I am afraid that I'm going down, or the tide is carrying me away. I know that Grace meets us whereever we are, but does not leave us where it found us. Sometimes it is so small--a couple of seconds relief here, several extra inches there. I wish it were big and obvious, like sky-writing. Oh, well. Grace is not something I DO, or can chase down; but it is something I can receive, when I stop trying to be in charge.

We communicate grace to one another by holding space for people when they are hurt or terrified, instead of trying to fix them, or manage their emotions for them. We offer ourselves as silent companionship, or gentle listening when someone feels very alone. We get people glasses of water when they are thirsty." Anne Lamott

Go forth in grace.

Inspiration: Nancy Crow

I was wandering about the library on a totally unrelated mission the other weekend and suddenly

SHAZAMMM!!!

You know how sometimes when you are viscerally connected to an object or a piece of art, you do that quick intake of breath without even realizing it. That's how it was with this book.

Now I'm not about to attempt to make a quilt anytime in the near future. I like instant gratification projects. But if I were to make a quilt, this is how I would want to do it. Slowly, obsessively, free-form. Nancy Crow is so obsessive that she dyes her own fabrics so that she has a huge spectrum to work from. She used to use traditional piecing patterns and templates but now is working much more freely. Some of her work reminds me of the beautiful Gee's Bend quilts.

I had to sit through the most dreadful inservice last week. 2 full days of web-streamed video from the state department of ed. It was fatally boring. The second day I took this book along and entertained myself admiring the quilts and reading about how her art has changed over time.

P.S. Sis, her studio is near Columbus, OH. Next time I'm out to visit, let's see if we can find it!

detail from Constructions #7 by Nancy Crow, p. 177

Recently Read: Lucia, Lucia

Ever wanted to imagine yourself as a beautiful New York City "shop girl" in the 1940's? A glamorous young Italian woman with gentlemen tripping over themselves to take you on a date? I can't say I ever have, but this book made it sound like fun.

My friend, Wendy, sent Lucia, Lucia to me and I read it in two days over Christmas break. This novel was pure escapism at it's best. I was thoroughly carried away in the story. It was sweet and light but not simple or predictable. I recommend it for an enjoyable mental vacation.

Recently Read: The Inheritance of Loss

After all that pre-Christmas crafting, I spent most of my Christmas break reading instead of being creative. This book was one that I had picked up on a trip to Annie Bloom's (my favorite bookstore) in November and just hadn't gotten to.

I was drawn to The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai because it is one of those clash-of-cultures novels that I enjoy. It is the story of a retired judge, a young girl, a cook, and a scholar in the foothills of the Himalayas and of the cook's son who is working in New York City. It is a story of loss and longing. The anglophile judge and his neighbors live in the faded glory of the remnants of English colonialism. The cook's abject poverty leaves him longing for a better life for his son in America. The scholar longs to better himself, to find his place, to fall in love, to fight for independence for his people group. The cook's son longs to find a place for himself in New York City. It's an engaging cast of characters.

The story is beautifully written--lush descriptions and anecdotes that drew me in to their world of faded glory and cultural upheaval. I wished several times that I had a pencil nearby to underline some of the sentences so I could find them again later. Of course, I was too lazy to get up and get a pen so now I can't quote any of the choice phrases here.

On the down side, I never warmed up to the main character. There was little to make her a sympathetic character. She was sort of just....there. And the overall theme and conclusion of the book was a downer--fates are inevitable, despite all one's striving nothing ever changes. I suppose if I had grown up on the Indian subcontinent it might be a reality that I would have come to accept, but I'm American so I instinctively rage against the fates.

I would recommend this book to those who have an interest in India/Nepal or the impact of colonialism. Otherwise, it might be one to skip in favor of a Zadie Smith book instead. But that's just my opinion.

Recently Read: Truth and Beauty

Truth and Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett

Imagine your best friend is charismatic, gifted, and funny. Imagine your best friend is also physically and emotionally damaged and needy. So damaged and needy that she drifts into despair and drug abuse despite your best efforts. She dies. You write your eulogy to her in a book.

In her memoir, Truth and Beauty, Ann Patchett documents her friendship with the fiery poet and author Lucy Grealy. Beautifully written, but left me wanting to scream. Why did no one intervene more forcefully in Lucy's life? Everyone seemed so charmed by her that they were hesitant to halt her self-destruction. Read only if you are not prone to despair.

Recently Read: The Dogs Who Found Me

The Dogs Who Found Me by Ken Foster

After struggling through Saving Fish from Drowning, this book was a delight. It's a collection of anecdotes and lists about the author's experiences rescuing stray dogs as he struggles with his own out-of-control life including the events of September 11th, the death of several friends, a near-death experience, and Hurricane Katrina. The stories were simply written and charming. It's the kind of book you can read in 5 minutes here or there, and it will leave you with a grin on your face. Worth picking up at the second hand bookstore for a buck or two.

Recently Read: Saving Fish from Drowning

Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan

This book took me three weeks to read. That's because I almost put it down and didn't finish it a couple of times. I am a pretty indiscriminate reader. I'll read anything--fiction, nonfiction, cereal boxes, and, in desperation, the back of the Glade can in the bathroom. So, to put down a book without finishing it is unthinkable.

I should have put this one down. I've liked Amy Tan's other books and I am always fascinated in books that explore the collision of cultures. I bought this one because it sounded like the kind of book I would like--12 tourists to Burma/Myanmar are kidnapped and chaos and misunderstandings ensue. While I learned a little about Myanmar, I was mostly frustrated with the characters in this book. There were too many of them, they acted too stupid (even for American tourists), and none of the characters seemed fully developed. The introduction seemed to go on forever, the plot was slow to develop, and then the resolution seemed brief and unsatisfying.

So save your pesetas and check out The Joy Luck Club from the library and read it again instead. Or, if you really want to read it, let me know and I can send you a free near-mint edition.

Recently Read

The End of the Spear by Steve Saint

It's hard to grow up in the American Christian culture without being familiar with the tale of the 5 young missionaries who were speared to death by the fierce "Auca" Indians in Ecuador in 1956. I remember reading Elizabeth Elliott's Through Gates of Splendor sometime when I was in junior high or high school. I recall several college sermons quoting Jim Elliot: "He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose." And then there was the Twila Paris song centered around that same quote.

When I was doing my student teaching in Ecuador, I jumped at the chance to take a day-long bump truck ride to Shell Mera to the edge of the Amazon rain forest. Shell is the airport out of which Nate Saint's flying operations to the "Auca" (now known as Waorani) were based. When I was in Shell, the big news was that parts of Nate Saint's plane had been recovered on the beach where the five men were murdered. I got to touch some pieces of the plane with my very own hands.

All that might make it sound like I would rush out to read Steve Saint's book recounting how he and his family went to live with the very people that had killed his father. On the contrary, I put off reading this book for a while. First of all, I was scared it would be some more of the meaningless drivel that passes for "Christian" literature these days. Secondly, I've been reading about the destruction to the Amazon basin by petroleum companies with the help of American missionaries, and I was skeptical of Steve Saint's motives.

I was right about one thing: as a piece of literature, this book is pretty awful. Steve Saint is not an accomplished writer. However, I find that strangely reassuring. It was not a book that has been massaged by the media machine. Rather, it seems to be a pretty honest and humble account of Steve's struggle to help the Waorani empower themselves without allowing them to become dependent on him. He did mention the very real struggles for survival that this "stone age" tribe is facing as it sits on top of oil-rich land although he did not go very deeply into this topic. Saint's writing is the most vibrant and humorous when he describes his personal relationship with different members of the Waorani tribe and their attempts to interpret each other's cultures. I enjoyed the book more than I expected to and it is intriguing to see how the Waodoni are continuing to "walk God's trail" as they learn to deal with the 21st century.

Did anyone else here read it? What did you think?

Recently Read

Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan

I read this book in just a couple of days. It is short, charmingly-written and humorous to anyone who has every owned a cantankerous dog. I think our recent experiences with Abraham a.k.a. "The Crotch Nibbler" a.k.a. "Abrahamma bin Ladin" made the book even funnier for me. I actually came away feeling fortunate that my dog's not as bad as Marley. Abe only digs holes and needs expensive stitches. He doesn't eat holes through drywall or chew apart our mattresses. Thank goodness!

Evidence that this is an engaging book: some of my junior high students who are reluctant readers are reading this book, and they're loving it.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's my mom's birthday today. I credit my mom and my Grandma Kulp for my love of reading. I was read to every day of my life until I learned to read on my own. At least that's what it felt like. I am sure there were days and times when my mom told me she didn't have time to read to me just then. But that's not what I remember.

I remember snuggling up on the couch with 8 or 10 books (the maximum amount of library books I was allowed to check out at one time) and having my mom read to me. She read with drama and gusto and she didn't skip pages or try to make the story shorter than it actually was, even if it was the kazillionth time she'd read the story. My dad used to try to pull that trick on us. He'd make up his own story to go along with pictures or skip whole lines and pages to try to get through the book faster. Of course, it didn't work because mom had already read the book to us a kazillion times and we knew it by heart.

Anyway, Mom, I started a little painting for you. It's nothing special but it gives me pleasure to dabble in paint a little bit every evening before I go to bed to read myself to sleep. Here's a sneak peek. I'm not happy with it yet, but when I am, I'll let the paint dry and send it to you.

Thanks for sharing your love of language and story with me.

Happy Birthday!

Recently Read

The History of Love
by Nicole Krauss

An enjoyable piece of escapism for me. This is a well-crafted novel that weaves together the story of a Holocaust survivor, his son, and a girl in search of truth about her father, love, and family. I need a little star-on machine so I can give this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Down on My Knees

Down on My Knees

cleaning out my refrigerator
and thinking about writing a religious poem
that somehow combines feeling sorry for myself
with ordinary praise, when my nephew stumbles in for coffee
to wash down what looks like a hangover
and get rid of what he calls hot dog water breath.
I wasn't going to bake the cake

now cooling on the counter, but I found a dozen eggs tipped
sideways in their carton behind a leftover Thanksgiving Jell-O dish.
There's something therapeutic about baking a devil's food cake,
whipping up that buttercream frosting,
knowing your sisters will drop by and say Lord yes
they'd love just a little piece.

Everybody suffers, wants to run away,
is broke after Christmas, stayed up too late
to make it to church Sunday morning. Everybody should

drink coffee with their nephews,
eat chocolate cake with their sisters, be thankful
and happy enough under a warm and unexpected January sun.

by Ginger Andrews from An Honest Answer

p.s. I will probably burn in hell for putting this poem on my website without permission...