Blog Day 2008

"

Oh, where does the time go?  I guess a schedule that has me back at work, orientation and first week of classes at SU, a funeral, a wedding, some exciting advances on the home front (more on that soon I hope!) and my recently renewed obsession with blogs about art, design, and printing leave little time for my own blog.  And, oh yeah, there are those quickly ripening tomatoes here at Dorset Harvest Farm (and even a strawberry or two when I can beat the squirrels to them) to keep me busy in the garden.  So you get it--lots going on.

But enough about me--Blog Day is about other people's blogs.  I've been given shout outs in years past by bloggers who have introduced me to their readers by listing me as one of their 5 blogs for this annual blog event.  The point is to recommend blogs that are different from your own and help expand our experience of the blogosphere because, you know, you needed help getting lost in the deep and endless world that is the internet.

So here are my picks--I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

1.  Boxcar Press.  This totally cool letterpress printing company is located on Fayette Street (in the Delevan Gallery complex) and blog about what they do here.  I went to a specialized high school for printing and journalism in Manhattan and still have a great love for printing ink, handset type, and all things paper.  In addition to turning out beautiful letterpress cards, stationary, and the like, Boxcar is moving toward more and more sustainable practices including working with Jamie Edelstein and CSA/CNY to provide organic vegetables on the premises of their production facility--very, very, cool.

2.  Freshly Blended.  This blog is fairly new to me but it was here that I discovered Nook--a cute shop in Pittsford specializing in journals, letterpress cards, handbags, pillows, and small production accessories items for the home.  Freshly Blended is based in the Rochester Buffalo area and helps me keep inspired to be creative outside of the kitchen.

3.  Bike Portland.  It's been no secret to friends of mine that if I could live anywhere else right now, other than the 'Cuse it would be Portland, OR.  When I'm not drinking our own local Gimme! Coffee, you can bet i"m downing something from Stumptown Coffee Roasters.  But the other reason I love Portland is because of their bicycling culture--they are almost always rated the number one bike-friendly city in America.  To see why and to get inspired to get on my bike more here, I regularly read this blog.

4.  Zen Habits.  This blog is perfect for me:  a productivity blog about getting things done with a Zen-like intentionality.  There is inspiration here for everything from saving money to establishing a calm routine for getting through our busy days.  This blog has thousands of subscribers--read one post and you'll see why.

5.  Notebookism.  I did mention that I love paper, right?  This blog is a daily read for what's new on the paper front--reviews and news on journals, pens, planners, and the folks who use them creatively. 

Check 'em out.

Comments

[redcatbiker]

I found out about your blog through the Notebookism blog.

I see that you are a bicycliste, and that you would love to live in Portland, Oregon, because of the bike culture there. I had a friend who lived there for a few years--indeed, the biking culture there is great! I am a bicycliste, too. Absolutely love the activity. I live in San Francisco, and I pretty much ride, up and down the hills, year 'round. My reason for posting a comment is if you dream about living in Portland, this place will blow your mind, regarding bike culture...check out my favourite biking blog: http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/ Now, this is the place where I dream of living. (You will notice that no one wears a helmet; it is not necessary.)

Oh, by the way, you have a nice blog. Many of your food and eating principles I follow, too. Have you ever heard about http://www.westonaprice.org ? Eating this way has improved my health dramatically.

[Jennifer]

Thanks for your comment, Jennifer! *bloghugs* Thanks for your post about boxcar, what a cool, local resource.

[Harold]

Thanks for the recognition for us at Boxcar Press! Debbie and I (the owners) read your blog regularly because we get very, very excited about the region's food. It's certainly worth celebrating! Thanks for the inspiration with your blog. And if you love paper, then I hope you'll pay a visit to our printshop sometime to see our old cast iron presses!
Harold

[Jennifer BB]

Hi Harold, as soon as the semester settles down I'll give a call about a tour--I'd love to see those old presses!

Redcatbiker--thanks for your comment. I love the Cyclechic site--thanks for the tip. And yes, I know all about Weston Price--reading his stuff made be go back to whole milk from skim. Great material there.