Sharp: Taking time to think

While planning this birthday present, I read more than I ever thought I would about straight razors and straight razor culture. I discovered loyalist blogs, dedicated discussion forums, and in-depth newspaper articles. What struck me the most was a forum post about the masculine ritual that shaving used to be.

Because shaving with a straight razor, the post pointed out, takes more time and care than shaving with one of it's modern, throw-away cousins, it allows the shaver time slow down, recharge and meditate. This, to me, highlights a lot of what has been lost in the modern "time is money" culture we've enslaved ourselves in today.

Not to mention all the waste created by the self-defeating drive to be continuously faster and more efficient than you were yesterday. The fact that the same straight razors used by our grandparents, with a little oil and a good stropping, still make for a silkysmooth shave attests to the their impressive shelf life, and the way we used to make things. Why does everything today have to be über-disposable? Oh yeah, to keep you buying more. Bollocks.

This razor is a Barber's Pet 4/8, refurbished vintage straight razor from Shamrock Shaving, originally made in Germany. The shave brush is made from badger hair, as in the old tradition, and was also purchased online. The aftershave and shaving soap were found at Rainbow Grocery.

The booklet was written by hand and painted with water colors, then sewn at the seam using different colored threads. The box is a re-used cell phone container, and the tissue paper was repurposed from an old Christmas present.

Thank you Robbie for the inspiration.

Let's make it a HAPPY Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day, friends!

Ok, so I know it's easy to feel like we're all going to hell in a water-logged hand basket, and the recent apocalyptic ash-vomiting a la Eyjafjallajökull isn't helping matters (though surprisingly, it's not actually making them that much worse*). But don't stop raging against the dying of the light! There's still SO MUCH we can all do to save the only home we'll ever have. Just turn off the apathy, turn down the sarcasm, learn some new skills and get crafty (in all senses of the word)!

Here's what you can do for yo mama today (and every day):

• Have a rice & bean burrito: It requires 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. You will also also save some trees. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed. Not to mention all the statistics about methane. Who wants our species to perish because of cow burps and farts? How uncivilized!
  
• Revisit the drinking fountain of your youth: Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. Scary! Also, the EPA's standards for tap water are more stringent than the FDA's standards for bottled water. So don't buy that crap!
  
• Stick your groceries down your pants, or at least put them in your backpack. Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade—breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil, waterways, fish and humans. At the very least, learn where you can go to recycle your bags.
  
• Recycle your tricycle: Most of us are lucky to have recycling and composting programs. In San Francisco, we're particularly lucky to have mandatory recycling & composting! It's easy, just find out what you can recycle and compost where you live! There's always a way.
  
• Tell the corporations to stick it up theirs! At least 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail, and 28 billion gallons of water are used to produce the paper. Add yourself to the national do not mail list, cancel your paper bills, and learn other tricks.
  
• Give the Gov a gob of your mind! The United States alone consumes 20.8 Million barrels of oil a day. That's just flat out dirty! Now be a good citizen (if you are one) and sign some petitions! And while you're at it, sign the climate declaration, too.
  
• Learn some new skills, like knife sharpening, sewing, xeriscaping, or making your own kefir from local, organic milk! Every little bit helps.This site is amazing! For serious!
  
• And lastly, honor your other mother with a homemade gift this Mother's day, instead of giving in to all the consumerist cow crap. Mother's day is May 9th.
  

And in case you're still hungry for knowledge: This is the best, most comprehensive (and sometimes surprising) green guide I've found so far. Like, did you know that if 10% of U.S. households switched to a paperboard spindled cotton swab brand (instead of plastic spindles), the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to over 150,000 gallons of gasoline??

I love you all, and I love our home. Don't you?

Slow down and Look!

Much to my chagrin, we always took the long route. "We can see the ocean that way" my mother would say. This was no consolation to me. Even as a teeny-bopper, I was always in a hurry. I had no time for beautiful views. Instead I would scan the radio stations, fueling my own agitation by changing channels every 30 seconds and grumbling about the demise of worthwhile pop music. Every once in a while, however, I would find a gem, and leave the tuner alone for an astonishing 3 minutes and 35 seconds. It was then, I imagine, my mother could breathe a sigh of relief (even if the song happened to be Nirvana's Love Buzz or something equally unnerving) and enjoy the expansive calm of the blue Pacific.

My mom now lives in South Dakota, where she grew up, and misses the ocean like a fish out of water. For Christmas this year I decided to make her something that might remind her of those peaceful drives along Pacific Coast Highway.

Most of what you see inside the terrarium was pillaged from various locations, including Ocean Beach, Mount Tamalpais and Gualala. The tiny sand dollar and star fish along with the glass bubble come from Paxton Gate, while the blue stones were purchased at 6th Avenue Aquarium in the Richmond. Yes, I'm on a terrarium kick, and yes, a nature-themed shadow box is next!

Working with my hands relaxes me. So does the ocean. Thanks for reminding me, mom!