Buy a Pattern, Save the World!

The world needs more people off their asses and on bicycles. The world also needs significantly less cheeseball cross stitch patterns. There is now a solution: follow me to the Radical Rags Etsy store to purchase a cycling-themed pattern...100% of the profits will go straight to Yellow Bike Project's Building Fund, and you can make a cross stitch piece that's sorta cool. About YBP:

The Austin Yellow Bike Project (YBP) is a community supported ALL-VOLUNTEER 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing human-powered transportation for the people of Austin, running a community bike shop, and educating kids and adults. People-power is a way to limit the traffic congestion of a rapidly growing city. It also provides an inexpensive, healthy, and sustainable alternative to the reliance on motor vehicles. Our project promotes cleaner air, land, and water, while encouraging people to meet their transportation needs through an active lifestyle and community participation.

By purchasing this pattern you are not only helping to ensure the future of a pretty incredible organization, you are also raising awareness of how some small changes in everyday habits have the potential to yield more widespread positive results.

Thanks to Rayna at RCS for helping me to get this fledgling project off the ground...this is only the beginning!

Celebrating the fourth in fine fashion.

I was quite pleased with the way my July 4th (that's Independence Day here in the States) turned out; it was relaxing and involved not having to witness drunk people at BBQs throwing illegal fireworks at children. Highlights of the day:

--Two fantastic KOOP programs: People United at 1pm featured a talk Naomi Wolf gave at BookPeople earlier this year and Alternative Radio at 2pm aired an interview with Gore Vidal.
--I took a horridly frilly Aida bookmark and stitched my red(floss), white and blue contribution:
Super simple, I know, but in order to celebrate any sort of "Independence" we must also celebrate the thinkers, artists and activists (including ourselves) who don't follow or agree with the status quo, and are always questioning, learning, creating and sharing.

I'd like to pop into Ginger's this weekend and grab up additional frilly bookmarks and stitch up a whole bunch with various sayings; I like the red, white and blue concept, just need to come up with some one liners. The possibilities seem endless.