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:
lies my teacher told me, redux.
pivot to personhood (via jessica stanley).
15 Comments
I still love reading for the night the Moomin Tove Jansson.
The most favorite book “Magic Winter” (Trollvinter or Moominland Midwinter)
That piece on Nia Wilson…
Happy Friday, Erin! So pleased to be a part of your week 🙂
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Many Asian grocery stores and supermarkets sell beautiful brooms: plastic-free and handmade.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Thank you for the Spend Your Privilege piece. Here’s to learning and doing better.
My thoughts exactly.
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