my week in objects (mostly).

August 3, 2018

five little things that made my week. 

1. these bottles.

{never not pleased by label removal.}

2. this scene.

{and embracing the poetry of having the kitchen in the bedroom (or something like that).}

3. this broom.

{and the exchange of light and labor. (and finally putting it to use.)}

4. this big-kid book.

{for bedtime.}

5. this broken bit of shell. 

{and other things from little kids i get to call my own.}

other things:

nia wilson.

heroes.

lies my teacher told me, redux.

ice capades.

co-sign.

pivot to personhood (via jessica stanley).

train yourself toward solidarity.

emergence.

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15 Comments

  • Reply Ann August 3, 2018 at 12:25 pm

    I still love reading for the night the Moomin Tove Jansson.
    The most favorite book “Magic Winter” (Trollvinter or Moominland Midwinter)

  • Reply Jessica Large August 3, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    That piece on Nia Wilson…

  • Reply Erin August 3, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    Happy Friday, Erin! So pleased to be a part of your week 🙂

  • Reply Nicole August 4, 2018 at 12:19 am

    I’ve never even thought to comment before… but $300 for a broom? It’s beautiful, but beyond absurd. What’s the point? Your aesthetic and message are generally so intentional and even beneficial. This feels different. Let’s reign it in. Thank you for trying to show minimal and intentional even with the insane chaos of children.

    • Reply ERIN BOYLE August 4, 2018 at 1:25 pm

      Hey Nicole: Totally understood that this broom would be out of the range of possible for most folks. The fact remains that it was lovingly handcrafted by a local artist who supports this site. She and I recently worked toegether on a project where we exchanged our services and this beautiful piece of hers is now a part of my home. It was such a delight to get to support another woman’s work and art and while I’m sure that she’d understand that most folks need to rely on a $20 hardware store broom, deriding her work and talent also seems like misspent energy.

      • Reply Lauren August 4, 2018 at 10:02 pm

        I thought the same thing when I clicked the link…$300 for a broom?! Personally I don’t think I’d spend that much on a broom but the products on her site are beautiful. We have such easy access to things today that we forget there was a point in time when all of it was handmade.

        • Reply ERIN BOYLE August 5, 2018 at 7:30 am

          Agreed. Erin’s process and thoughtfulness in her sourcing is so fascinating and admirable. Understood that a broom like this is a luxury, but it’s also an interesting reminder to think about the products that we use and enjoy in our daily lives which rely on raw materials and human labor and how exploitation of both yield artificially low costs.

          • Simone Silverman August 5, 2018 at 2:28 pm

            I recently found her work and was completely enthralled! Her crafship inspired the maker in me. I was very excited to see her work on your site. The sweetness of finding out that it came into your life through work/trade is even more endearing. I do love that you have a magical tool that will touch every inch of your tiny apartment.

          • Jay August 5, 2018 at 6:41 pm

            Many Asian grocery stores and supermarkets sell beautiful brooms: plastic-free and handmade.

          • Kathryn McKinney August 6, 2018 at 12:51 pm

            I understand the impulse to source ethically made products & support the work of women and artists. I noticed she makes her brooms on a 19th c. machine that only made me question how much such a broom would have cost then. It occurres to me that when people buy this kind of luxury, it’s the idea of returning to the past, of an idealized “simpler” life that is really being bought, which is a luxury greater than a $400 broom for those who could never escape the conditions of living present day. There’s so much more that I would ask from this project than good design and a woman supporting herself to make it feel more than empty nostalgia.

          • ERIN BOYLE August 6, 2018 at 1:57 pm

            I don’t know! I actually think Erin’s work is refreshingly free from fetishizing a mythical simpler past. There are certainly other brooms available for folks looking to make thoughtful purchases, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the craft and beauty of Erin’s work.

  • Reply Coreen August 4, 2018 at 11:02 am

    I always appreciate your link roundup, and especially love the “Spend Your Privilege” and “No Such Thing as a Feminist Brand” pieces this week. Thanks so much for sharing.

  • Reply Cussot August 5, 2018 at 10:16 am

    who says
    you can’t peel potatoes in bed,
    wash grapes in the lavatory sink,
    get into the shower
    with an armful of frilly greens —
    who says?

  • Reply Sasha L August 6, 2018 at 4:47 pm

    Thank you for the Spend Your Privilege piece. Here’s to learning and doing better.

    • Reply Ally August 9, 2018 at 7:25 am

      My thoughts exactly.

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