:: Super Crafty Monkey ::

Don't waste 33,280 hours of your life on a bad startup idea!

2012-02-22T10:30:00.002-08:00

Today, while reading a copy of the Founders Institute newsletter I read a straight to the point blog post about business ideation that I wanted to share with you....

Dave Parker, Co-Director of the Seattle Founders Institute and bundled.com, stresses that you will likely need to devote 33,280 hours of your life to build a meaningful business - so if you are not passionate about it, you will inevitably fail. Hmm, something to think about. Broken down that's, 80 hours per week X 8 Years = 33,280 Hours!

Since the start of the institute in 2009, Dave has mentored first time entrepreneurs (though this happens to repeat entrepreneurs as well), specifically as it relates to the ideation or early stage of the startup process. The common thread is that

First timers have difficulty judging the validity of their ideas, and often get stuck in small ideas, or ideas that generally suck. But because we as founders are so close to our own ideas, it is very difficult to judge them with objectivity.

Here are a few things to take into consideration when objectively judging your ideas:

1. Is it a scalable or lifestyle business?

Let’s start with the lifestyle business. These are typically services companies (vs. product companies), where with every new customer you need to add staff to deliver the product. Typical examples are an Accounting firm, or Mortgage Company.

A scalable business, on the other hand, is a business that can make money while you sleep. Using the same example in the accounting or mortgage firms listed above, scalable versions of these companies would be QuickBooks or Zillow.

If you don’k know which one of these you are, then look at your invoice. If there are hours attached to the billing amount, then you are a service. Service or lifestyle businesses don’t scale the same way a product business does. They will let you hire staff and provide a great living, but when you choose to walk away or close the doors, they are very difficult to sell.

2. Is it a big market?

Is the market you are pursuing a big market or a small market? For example, if your idea becomes a company and dominates the market, is it a billion dollar idea?

If your company becomes the dominant player in the market and runs <$15M a year in revenue and good profitability, it’s probably a good business. On the other hand, you can run a “successful” smaller business and fill a specific niche, but it just depends on how you define success and what your goals are. 3. Is there competition?

What is the competition? Who can you identify as the key competitors in your market? If your initial answer is that there isn’t any competition, that’s a problem. This is typical when your idea is too small or squishy… it’s not well defined enough, and you simply haven’t identified the market.

4. Is this idea worth 80 hours a week for the next 8 years of your life?

80 hours per week X 8 Years = 33,280 Hours! If you are going to spend that much time on your idea, BE CRITICAL OF IT NOW… not after two years of working on the idea." Fo Sho, can't be said enough.

Always remember, ideas/words/planning are cheap. Implementation and moving forward gets expensive. =P Apply for Startup Bootcamp!

Crowdfunding could be the way to go

2012-02-21T21:24:00.003-08:00

Sites like Kickstarter and IndieGogo are becoming pretty popular among the creative entrepreneur crowd. You might have #1. talent #2. passion #3. ideas, but it's a common problem that cash flow might be lacking. ahem...

Cue in, crowdfunding. Now, as the concept becomes more well-known, users have become savvier about creating interesting profiles, targeting their audiences and promoting their offerings. Some are even managing to raise funds in the five and six figures.

Here's a few tips on how to gain better support (read: more money) on a crowdsourcing site:

1. Craft your profile page well. The key is a persuasive video component. Like, this one. Slavia Rubin, CEO of IndieGogo reports that videos that raise 114% more money with a video.

2. Get to your point quickly, people may only watch the first 30 seconds of your video.

3. Offers in exchange for funding are important. IndieGoGo has found that 93 percent of campaigns that reach or surpass their targets included perks, such as pre-sales of the product in development. 70% of successful funds included 3 to 8 perks. ie: For $5, a thanks/mention on your site and for $25, a copy of the CD you're producing.

4. Keep your campaign short. 30 days or less is the optimum campaign length.

5. Profiles with four or more external links (think Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or your own website) raise twice as much money as those without.

6. Send your campaign to high-profile social media users or bloggers who have blogs with readers similar to your target audience. People with high visibility can write about you, and send thousands of readers back to your campaign.

7. Make sure you follow through. Sites like IndieGogo and Kickstarter can help build loyalty, provided that you fulfill all the goodies that you promised.

Crowdfunding sites have been a go-to place for bloggers and journalists looking for compelling startup stories and significantly boost your visibility. Some other funding sites for creative entrepreneurs that you might wanna check out: peerbackers and ChipIn.

Bring your right & left brains together

2012-02-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Are you a right-brain entrepreneur, heart-centered professional, or world changer ready to create a sustainable and profitable business? Wondering how to get your right AND left brains to work better together so you can share your gifts and make more money? Do you feel connected to your creative gifts but struggle with the nuts and bolts of business?

If you've ever felt intimidated, overwhelmed or trapped by the way you think you "should" be running your business, you're going to get so much out of the f*ree Right-Brainers in Business Video Summit which runs February 27th through March 9th.

Jennifer Lee, author of the best-selling book The Right-Brain Business Plan, has gathered 10 entrepreneurial leaders to give you the expert answers and resources you need to take your business more seriously (while still having lots of fun!). Isn't it time you create a thriving enterprise?

Jenn has taken the stale telesummit and transformed this virtual event into a fresh and interactive learning experience. Since it's video, you'll get to all the speakers in action like they're right there in the room with you!

Here are just a few of the luminaries you'll learn from:

1. Hiro Boga, writer, mentor, and intuitive strategist
2. Jen Louden, best-selling author and personal growth pioneer
3. Jeremie Miller, founder of Your Event Without Borders
4. Lindsay Wilson, founder of Social Media Heaven
5. Mark Silver, founder of Heart of Business
6. Tara Gentile, creative business coach and author of The Art of Earning

Some of the things you'll learn from this fabulous line-up include:

The secrets to authentic, heart-based pricing and selling

Expert tips on how to leverage technology to expand your reach

What you really need to know about making sales using social media

How to spread your unique message and increase your impact

What every creative business owner should legally have in place (it's actually not that scary!)

Grab your F*ree pass here.

Designing for Mobile

2012-02-15T11:48:00.001-08:00

Some basic information and examples from veteran mobile web and app designers, developers and know-it-alls. Even though, you like to go all rogue-style it's nice to get ideas from people who have been there, and done that.

7 Guidelines to Great Mobile Design

Conan O'Brien Delivers Dartmouth's Commencement Address

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Conan O'Brien, whom The Washington Post has called "the most intelligent of the late-night comics," delivered the main address at Dartmouth College's 2011 Commencement exercises on Sunday morning, June 12.

He's such a good writer and is the perfect choice for a college graduation speech. "Work Hard, Be Kind and Amazing things will happen. 25 minutes!

Who Doesn't Love Free?

2012-02-07T00:23:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody!

Because Valentines Day is quickly approaching, and love is in the air...

From now until the end of the month, we'll be offering FREE shipping for anyone that makes a purchase from our Etsy Store.

Please use code "IHEARTFREE" when prompted at checkout for any purchases.

New items include some great vintage finds, and one-of-a-kind pieces that you can only find on Super Crafty Monkey. Save the world from mass production and spend your hard earned $ on a new-to-you recycled fit.

xoxo. ps: maybe i'll even throw in a funky fresh SCM sticker. ;)

Upcycled Bike Tire Bags

2012-01-31T12:53:00.000-08:00

Stop motion videos are a cheap, seemingly easy, low on resources way to show how something is made. In this case, a bag designer shows how her creations are made from upcycled bike tires. There's a few things I would change about the lighting, the speed and maybe the music but overall, it's a great idea for designers just starting out!

Tsubi Bag by Katcha Bilek from ewan noble on Vimeo.

Put a Bird On it!

2012-01-30T23:29:00.001-08:00

Don't act like you don't know what they're talking about! =P

Food Swap!

2012-01-29T02:21:00.000-08:00

Start your own food swap! The idea is taken from LA Food Swap, but the idea of sharing homemade goods and swapping them for someone else's creation can be adapted anywhere...especially San Francisco, where all the foodies love to share. : )

It can also be fun to hold a potluck after the swap!

Get started
If you’ve never attended a food swap, this video is a great introduction. (It’s what inspired Emily, the founder of LA Food Swap.) Reading How It Works may also be helpful.

Know that you can hold a swap with 5 people or 50 – it’s up to you how big you want to make it. If you’d like to gauge interest and connect with people who might be interested, social networking is an excellent way to do it. Create a Facebook page, tell your friends … and tell us! We’ll connect you to the wonderful community of food swap hosts around the world who are enthusiastic about spreading the word.

Find a place and set a date and time! Swaps usually run about 2 hours.

Spread the word

Create a Facebook page and/or website describing your swap and how it works. You can use ours or those of our Sister Swaps as models … and remember that you really don’t need a full website; a Facebook page works great! Tell your friends and neighbors and use social media like Facebook and Twitter so they can share with their friends. You can also post flyers in food-lovers’ hangouts and alert local food bloggers and organizations.

Ask attendees to RSVP via email, Facebook, or a registration service like Eventbrite so you can keep track of how many people are coming.

Assemble supplies
Supplies you’ll probably want for the event include tables, swap cards, pens or pencils, name tags, and possibly refreshments like coffee or lemonade. Napkins and toothpicks or popsicle sticks are also useful for samples.

Here’s the swap card we use for our events; we recommend printing out 5 cards per swapper and then some, just to be sure you have enough. You can also ask swappers to print the cards out themselves and bring them to the event.

• Swap Cards (PDF)

Hold the swap
This is the format we use:

• The first 30 minutes of the swap are devoted to sign-in, set-up, and greetings. Swappers fill out name tags and swap cards and set up their wares on the tables.

• The next 30 minutes are for everyone to walk around, examine, and sample items from the other swappers.

• Then, we take 30 minutes for everyone to write down on the sheets of paper the items they would like to swap.

• The final 30 minutes are when all the swapping actually happens. Everyone goes back to his or her original sheets of paper, looks at the offers, finds other people via their name tags, and swaps.

Innovation for Adoption

2011-11-22T23:25:00.000-08:00

Innovation isn't innovation unless people use, buy and adopt. Lecture by Adam Lowry - Co-founder of one of my favorite companies at Target...Method! He talks about sustainability in business that creates REAL change in the real world. Great design CAN really save the world.

Two Hundred and Seventy Seven Thousand

2011-11-19T23:40:00.000-08:00

JELLYBEANS! Hey, I recognize this girl from the Wong Fu production series. She was somebodies girlfriend, and played a low key character. Who knew she'd become so famous! Kina Grannis is a 26 year old super cute singer and songwriter from S. California, who became (i know, you've heard it before) a YouTube singing sensation. I'm not sure if the singing/lyrics would have gotten my attention otherwise, but she just released this stop motion video with an amazing background all created with Jellybeans. My fascination with creative stop motion was sparked. Holy crap, that is so unique and must have taken a lot of time/work. I'd like to see the making of that...

Emicida

2011-11-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

See more on the Creators Project site. Technology and the brightest young minds in music, art, film and design.

Moral Fibers

2011-11-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

I'm kinda obsessed with businesses that give back to their communities and somehow do their part in making the world a better place. It's also a wonderful thing to read about the ones that are profitable - because they're sustainable, can grow and can achieve the mission they've set out to accomplish.

While mindlessly clicking on links that interest me on Springwise, I stumble across Moral Fibers. Moral Fiber is a "progressive brand for the modern consumer". A Montreal based company that employs artists in developing nations to create designs for t-shirts, which are ethically created. %15 of the $50 or so price of a tshirt goes to the artist. 10% goes to a charity like Emergency Haiti Services, and I suppose the rest goes to development expenses.

What are they all about, you ask? Moral Fibers is not a non-profit, but it’s their company philosophy that the distinction between non-profit and for-profit doesn’t affect the amount of “good” a company can do. They represent the forefront of a new breed of ethical brand that doesn’t exploit its employees in the developing world, but rather works with them over the long-term to develop their skills and talents as artists. Moral Fibers does not give handouts, they give opportunities.

On the other side, the consumer knows exactly who they’re helping and exactly how they’re helping them. With the sale of just one line, the artist receives almost four times Haiti's national average salary; enough money for them to support their families and focus on creating art as a full time job.

Currently, all of their artists come from a small community in Carrefour, Haiti. They are all friends, who band together and volunteer for the community even when they themselves are living in conditions considered to be in poverty. Our artists live for their community, family, and friends.

The next time you're buying another $5 tshirt from Old Navy, think twice about your decision. Your spending decisons have larger scale ramifications than you can ever imagine...Check out their latest lookbook.

Got a Girl Crush

2011-10-26T00:13:00.000-07:00

GAGC, for those of you that don't know!

Open publication - Free publishing - More art

From opposite sides of the country (Meg in Brooklyn and Andrea in San Francisco), they started their blog Got a Girl Crush in 2009. "It’s the little things we come across day after day that manifest and empower us to go out and do cool things. There’s never a shortage of women we can turn to for inspiration, and Got a Girl Crush is a place for us to harness that feeling."

Time to buy crafting staples!

2011-10-19T17:13:00.000-07:00

Clear out and donate all the stuff cluttering up your life that keeps you from creating and making! Make a list of the projects you want to complete and what you'll need to finish them. Stop procrastinating and put your ideas into action.

If you're like me, you have all the random stuff that caught your eye or initially inspired you to create something, but you need the basics. You need to get more black thread, or to change the bobbins on your machine. Organize yourself to only specifically get what you need to complete the ONE project that you have prioritized time to sit down and do.

no better time than NOW, to start! :) HAPPY CRAFTING!!

PS. Learning how to monetize your blog with Amazon Affiliate Program. Testing it out myself, hence the awkward size ads above. Only a few choices in size, so sucks for a designers who want everything to look good.

What Makes Ideas Successful?

2011-09-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

I don't really like Guy Kawasaki, but he's famous for a reason. People listen to his advice, hang off his every word and probably in some cases do something because he's "SAID SO". He's experienced. He's "successful"? You might not agree with him on everything, but he's semi-likeable when he says things like this...Take him for what he is, and learn from him.

The business behind Spoonflower

2011-08-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

I love this guy. I saw him speak at the Creative Conference for Entrepreneurs a few weeks ago, and he's extremely likeable for some reason. Stephen Fraser is one of the founders of Spoonflower, an on-demand custom fabric company founded in 2008 in a former sock mill in Mebane. Now located in Durham, Spoonflower boasts more than 100,000 users drawn to its website through word of mouth via the "craft blogosphere."

I remember stumbling across the Spoonflower website, when it was barebones and just starting out. I immediately printed two designs despite the price being so seemingly high. The print comes out on a hard-cotton material, and for the most part doesn't have any banding. Maybe they've perfected their end-product since I ordered back in 2008.Twenty-five percent of the company's business comes from dozens of countries overseas, and the growing Spoonflower community participates in a popular weekly fabric design contest.

extraordinary stop motion

2011-08-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

A SHORT LOVE STORY IN STOP MOTION from Carlos Lascano on Vimeo.

i can't believe what goes into making a stop motion animation of this caliber. it's truly amazing.

How To Create a Reusable Tote from Plastic Bags

2011-06-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

My new favorite website is officially HOWCAST! They feature videos for how to do just about anything! Like a YouTube but for learning useful things. Did you know that you can fuse together those pesky plastic bags you get everywhere with an iron and some parchment paper? You can fuse a few of them together to create a tougher plastic that can be sewn just like fabric.

How To Make a Sturdy Tote From Plastic Shopping Bags on Howcast

Check it out, save some landfill space and create something nifty in the process...

The Founders Institute

2011-06-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

I walked into a conference room full of geeky dudes at Microsoft in Mountain View for "Startup Pitch Bootcamp" the other day. I felt extremely intimidated, not only because I was one of only three other women but because I thought everyone else were nuclear scientists with master plans to take over the world....they would all find out i'm just a silly monkey with too many ideas.

From their Website,The Founder Institute is a global network of startups and mentors that helps entrepreneurs launch meaningful and enduring technology companies. Through their four month pre-seed incubator program, you can launch your dream company with expert training, feedback, and support from experienced startup CEOs, while not being required to quit your day job. They "kinda" promise to help you start your dream company, but say they don't hold your hand because afterall it is YOUR company. YOUR idea.

Let me tell you, the ideas ranged from absurdly ridiculous to pretty damn good. Halfway through, I felt a little more at ease. There was a guy that wanted to "build a webpage that helped people with something..." - His words not mine. The woman sitting next to me (For some reason the two other women sat right next to me. I guess we feel stronger congregating together) wanted to create mobile apps and a central site - like Yelp, but for Urban parents. A place where they could find events, reviews, shopping all relating to families and kids. Eh, not bad. And the best idea was a guy creating a web tool that would create more transparency between mutual fund managers and the people who are giving them their hard earned cash. That would be an awesome tool to solve a huge problem in today's world. Excellent idea, now do you really need Founders Institute to help you launch it?

Mentors range from the CEO of mint.com to the Head of BizDev at Skype.

Adeo Ressi says you do. He says he'll make you a kick ass entrepreneur that can create the startup of your dreams. I don't know if I believe him, though. I'm sure it'd be great to have a CEO of a successful startup mentor you and network with like-minded individuals, but if you have a REALLY GREAT idea..emphasis on the REALLY...then with a little hard work, undying ambition and unlimited funding you should be able to get everyone else to believe in it. Afterall, people are lemmings. People will follow things that other people are following. Well, I guess they need to be well designed too. : p The one thing I'm certain of, Experience is priceless. Experiencing the creation of something is something that needs to be done, not heard of by someone else. You have to learn from your own mistakes.

To date, the Founder Institute has graduated over 275 companies in 17 cities worldwide. Here are a few companies that have publicly launched. If you're interested you can fill out an application/test that they say can predict if you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

Interview with Robert Kalin: Founder of Etsy.com

2011-06-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

robert kalin and a few other developer cofounders started Etsy.com in 2005 somewhere in Brooklyn. smart guy who talks really fast, but has some interesting things to say. i think i'd rather be friends with him rather than Mark Zuckerberg anyday! he talks about how Etsy.com was funded, can answer why they exist and how they are growing in a few quick short sentences. The initial version had taken two and a half months to build. Investors include Sean Meenan, Spencer and Judson Ain, Union Square Ventures and founders of Flickr and Delicious.

Etsy got its name because Robert Kalin "wanted a nonsense word because I wanted to build the brand from scratch. I was watching Fellini's 8 ½ and writing down what I was hearing. In Italian, you say 'etsi' a lot. It means 'oh, yes.' And in Latin, it means 'and if.' it'd suck if everyone bought things mass produced at the cheapest pricepoint...and yeah, if my house was burning down I'd bring the bunny my grandma made for me.

I didn't know that Etsy is a 97% women (mostly college educated and in their 20-30's) user base. I also didn't know that the handmade goods is a a hundred billion bucks. holy crap. and that's just on Etsy. jewelry is the best selling area on the site.

JUST WATCH THE VIDEO!

Swap Not Shop!

2011-06-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

ok ok, i admit. their name is better than i could come up with. Swap! Not Shop! is Homeygrown's Biannual Clothing Exchange in Oakland, CA. This event counteracts the disposable nature of consumerism by providing the time and place for shopping renegades to recycle clothes and other reusable items. Bring a bag of gently-used, clean items, and dig in other people's trash to find your newest treasure. Rethink that trip to the shop and instead, swap with us! My brother says to make sure that I prepare myself to wade through a bunch of hippies. :p

the events that they put on are only bi-annual, but i'm gonna really try to make it out to this one to see how it works.

About Swap! Not Shop!
REFRESH your wardrobe
by RECYCLING
your REUSABLES!

It just happens that their next event is happening THIS sunday!

What does this clothing swap offer? What should I bring?

Here is what you can bring to Swap Not Shop:
-Men's, Women's and Children's clothes. NO socks or underwear
- Shoes and boots
- Accessories: jewelry, hand bags, scarfs, hats, belts gloves, body spray, etc.
- Entertainment: music, tapes, DVDs, VHS and records. Everything MUST be in working order
- Books
-Non-perishable food
- Household items: phones, blankets, clean pots & pans and anything else that is in working order and in good condition. NO bedsheets or towels
* PLEASE NO JUNK and NO CLOTHES WITH STAINS and HOLES (unless that is how it is designed). ONLY bring items that you feel others may want.

Location: Soundwave Studios @ 2200 Wood St. Oakland, CA 94607 (510)763-2201
ALL ages and genders are welcome! Must be 21+ w/ ID to drink
ENTRY: $5 donation at the door + a bag of clothes and/or accessories
$1 for each silkscreen by Homeygrown
$1 donation for beer and Blood Rain (our version of Sangria)
FREE munchies provided by Homeygrown
* All left over items will be donated to local charities

PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS AND OTHERS WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN THIS EVENT. Thank you :-)

It's a little too late for this event, but by putting a higher price on entrance fee and limiting to women and marketing it like a "soiree" would probably gather a better turnout. check out eco-thrift a growing department store that embraces the values of reuse, recycle, reduce but without all the stinky mothball grandma smell thats associated with most other thrift stores.

3 Babes Bakeshop

2011-06-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

What are you missing in a city with an abundance of 20 and 30 something yr. olds pining for a small taste of their childhood and something homemade that reminds them of their moms? Birthday cake? no. Green bean casserole with those fried things on top? nope, guess again. It's PIE, guys! Piping hot, handmade and just picked fruit filled pies. Oh yeah, they make savory ones too.

Cue in three humble babes who were tired of people getting their pie from non-babe sources. All 3 have a great love for all things pie. They set up shop every Saturday and Sunday (9am-4pm) in a converted-shipping-container in the courtyard of Stable Cafe. You can also pick up pie orders here! And like every great home grown business, you can come and chat with the owners. Check out the all butter lattice crusted, cherries from a homegrown tree pie specialty goodness that they make below.

They were able to raise 10,000 in funding from 146 random backers on kickstarter.com and get their act together by having a kickoff party that was a crazy success!...and guess where of all places...the MISSION! I've seen other projects on here, fail miserably...but Three Babes Bakeshop has a few things that stand out from the rest. 1. an intense love of what they're making, and lots of friends and family that are willing to help out 2. a city that embraces pop-up shops and is foodcentric 3. proven delicious creations, that promote local ingredients.

We want to spread that love. We want to spread it like butter on a hot piece of toast. We want it to seep into the pores of humanity. Because we believe in the power of butter, flour, and fruit...

Here is their business model, which is quite cute. Very indicative of their owners. : )

They believe in community and local food sourcing and being environmentally responsible and donating to charity - all kinds of wonderful things that they say make them feel warm and fuzzy inside. Three Babes Bakeshop is a pop-up shop, which means they travel to different areas of the city and basically just set up when and where they want to.

My face wants some pie, where can I get some?

Address:
2128 Folsom Street (near 17th) 
San Francisco, CA 94110

A Beautiful Mess

2011-06-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

oh, what my late night internet perusing leads me to. so many inspiring people out there, so many cool blogs to look at, so many ideas running through my head. Elsie at A Beautiful Mess is a fashion designer, DIY'er, and owner of a boutique called Red Velvet. Not only is her blog name super cute, but it's completely indicative of her business and her personality.

She documents her life, her business and the process of accomplishing her creative goals. Elsie also takes the time to show from concept through creation how she created her new line of dresses. It's re-assuring to see that it just doesn't happen overnight!

One of the things that is unique about her business approach is that she creates e-courses for wannabe creative business owners and dreamers alike. They range from "Blog Love", an e-course for bloggers to "Dream Job", a creative business e-course and "Style Your Space", designing a home you love. Dream Job was the first E-Course written where they share all the practical and personal lessons they've learned over the years as they have watched Red Velvet grow into a successful and thriving small business.

Each course is around $32.00 and you can add them with checkout. I wonder what she sends or what the format for the courses is? PDF's? videos, i think. Some practical ideas in her workshops: Creating a blog inspiration notebook, attracting a readership that fits you, learn to advertise without being annoying, increasing traffic simply and honestly. I guess you can learn the hard way, or you can find out from someone that's been there and done that...

Her site is a bit overwhelming for a first time visitor, but it just goes to show you that when creativity strikes it's EVERYWHERE and ANYWHERE!

It's coming!

2011-06-05T12:45:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited! There's no better place to get together such a creative group of people with a single mission: to create a small business conference addressing the needs and disparities of the designer, artist and handcrafter. The SECOND annual conference of creative Entrepreneurs will be held in San Francisco August 5-7, 2011. It's going to be hosted by one of the city’s most inspiring spaces: the San Francisco Women’s Building, situated right in the heart of the Mission. I've never been there before, but it looks like a good choice.

They offer three days of learning with some of today’s most successful creative entrepreneurs, so whether you’re trying to start, grow, or manage a creative business, you’ll always find a session that’s right for you. CCE is for all current or aspiring creative professionals, including fine artists, designers, illustrators, crafters, food artists, and more.

They're sponsored by Etsy, Craft Magazine and a great little company called Sweet meats! Like one crazy community gathering of like-minded crafters trying to do what they love for a living. Looks like they tried to keep the cost down (relative to tech conferences, anyways) to not intimidate people just starting out.

The schedule includes classes ranging from "Monetizing your Blog" to "Forming a Creative Mission" to "Pricing Strategies". Some of the speakers include:

1. Jeffery Rudell, a graphic designer and crafter known both for his extraordinary one-of-a-kind paper creations and his easy-to-make online craft projects.

2. Lainya Magaña, an art writer, curator and CEO of A&O, the West Coast’s first marketing and public relations agency specifically devoted to the arts.

3. Jodi Warshaw, Executive Editor at Chronicle Books who acquires Lifestyle titles of all sorts, specializing in fashion, beauty, parenting, home décor, craft, and gardening.

The 2,060 people who liked this on facebook can't all be nuts! You should go.

ModCloth

2011-06-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write about this site, because most of their products are things that I would buy or wear if I had unlimited $ to spend on looking cute...but I just recently read about them in Inc. magazine as an up and coming business to watch out for.

ModCloth.com is an online clothing, accessories, and decor store that I absolutely Adore with a capital A! They sell items from around 100 different and upcoming indie designers and work hard to keep themselves differentiated with keeping their customers involved. They have an anthropologie-esque feel to some of their clothes, but their prices aren't as high. The designs are unique and can't be found in any single marketplace that I know of with such a great interface.

From their about us page:

We want to be the fashion company you're friends with!

They target 18-35 year old women with an indie sense of style which is the market that would appreciate the social networking component the most. They do this by interacting with you via social network sites like Twitter and Facebook, requesting your feedback through the ModCloth Blog and product reviews, and asking you to vote on potential inventory with the Be the Buyer program, all with the intention of running a fashion business in a democratic style.

They have a retro sorta vintagey look to most of their items.

They allow shoppers to vote and comment on what items they choose to sell in their store. You can give your opinion if you think something looks butt ugly, or you'd love to have it be the next item in your closet. It's a great concept that's been used before for t-shirts, but I've never seen it across the spectrum of so many different items. They also have a vintage section, where items seem to sell out quickly!

Supplying you with the opportunities to have your voice heard is what keeps their company fresh, relevant, and growing by leaps and bounds. This is what allows us to continually accommodate your pioneering passion for modern trends. Comb through their clever product descriptions, flip through stylebooks, shop the vast assortment of indie designs or just find some unique one of a kinds! i heart everything about modcloth. : )

sf cart project

2011-06-03T12:30:00.001-07:00

Whenever I get a new idea, I always google it first to see what's out there. It's amazing to me, that an idea that I think is totally a new thought (to me anyways!) is already overly saturated. For every idea you have, there is always 10 other people that have already done it, seemingly faster and better than you could have ever imagined. Lesson #1 learned: Make sure you do your research before you sink your life savings into you dream business. My googling search for "SF mobile food scene", came up with a really good business tool created by a mobile food business consultant of all people.
The SF Cart Project seeks to complement the research of people interested in starting, or expanding, a street food business of their own by providing a relevant central resource for documents, information and community awareness regarding the often confusing (and occasionally contradictory) process of starting and running a legal mobile food business in the Bay Area.
The site contains a collection of information that is publicly available at city offices throughout the Bay Area. This site is intended to be an affordable resource for new and existing businesses to find the basic information needed to start a mobile catering business in the Bay Area. WOW, cool. He's saved many a small biz owner the legwork of finding all the information and permits and the like, so they can concentrate on making their mini cupcakes or streetfrites or whatever it is they are good at.

Lesson #2 learned: Pay for consultation/advice for only things that you can't figure out yourself.

(Note to self* - Create a blog that just has updates on the SF mobile food scene.)

Tartine Bread

2011-06-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

a favorite in the mission for delicious pastries, sandwiches and a pretty good cup of coffee. not a post so much about business, but the passion and love that a great business is built upon. does a business organically grow from something you love to do? or is it the other way around? you create a business opportunity by finding a solution to an existing problem? i don't know. do you?

Chad robertson is co-owner along with his wife of Tartine Bakery in the mission. They became known for remarkable bread baked in a wood-fired brick oven and rustic, elegant pastry marrying local ingredients with classical technique. his love for his craft as well as his business is extremely evident in how he speaks.

Tartine Bread from 4SP Films on Vimeo.

the video is really well done, with music by his friend the accordion player. I especially love the last scene where he's sitting on the corner ripping a piece of his bread and eating it.

Balanced people don't change the world

2011-05-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

If you were able to make $48,500 a year by following your passion, would you do it? That number comes from 279 Days to Overnight Success, an e-book by writer and world traveler Chris Guillebeau that outlines how he became a full-time writer/blogger in less than a year. Depending on who you are and where you live, Guillebeau’s projected annual income of just under $50k may or may not sound like much money. Regardless, it raises questions about how we define success: Is it about money? Is it about personal fulfillment? Is it about doing good in the world?

The book I'm currently reading. Picked up at the library fo sh0!

Guillebeau believes that success is living an unconventional life, in which he can spend most of his time writing, traveling, and talking to amazing people. Since 2008, he has been living and documenting that dream with his popular blog, The Art of Non-Conformity, and his e-guides and manifestos have been downloaded by hundreds of thousands of people. He has traveled to 144 countries and counting.

Guillebeau talks about what drives truly remarkable people and if it’s really possible to have it all – friends, family, financial success, and creative fulfillment.

Chris was asked "If you had to name one thing all of the remarkable (and happy!) creative people you've met have in common, what would it be?" He gives two big ones: the remarkable and happy people I know tend to do their work out of a sense of urgency, and most of the time they love what they do. Remarkable, happy, creative people also tend to be pro-change or at least pro-risk, in the sense of being willing to push the envelope a little. Also, for the bonus round: they tend to drink a fair amount of coffee, or at least tea! : )

He also talks about how quantifying priorities can be stifling for some people, especially creatives. You definitely have to be open to new experiences, because that's where growth—personal and professional—comes from.

In a great David Sedaris essay, he uses a stove metaphor to talk about work-life balance: “One burner represents your family, one is your friends, the third is your health, and the fourth is your work. The gist, Pat said, was that in order to be successful you have to cut off one of your burners. And in order to be really successful you have to cut off two.” Thoughts on the possibilities of following your passion AND having a well-rounded life?

If you want to be balanced, go and work at the bank and live for happy hour. Or maybe you make something other than your work a priority, and that's totally fine too.

But the other thing to think of, is that being unbalanced (for lack of a better word) doesn't mean you have to go into destructive genius mode. I don't know if it's your family or your health, but if you really want to head off in pursuit of a big dream, something's gotta give. It's up to each of us to determine what that's going to be and how we're going to allocate our energy.

Read the full article on The 99 Percent.

Transforming cheap threads

2011-05-25T13:31:00.001-07:00

For the DIY Fashionista on a budget, here are some ideas on how to transform clothes you already have or take plainer looking staples from mass produced labels. The inside secrets from a Barney's buyer.

An article from one of my favorite financial websites, Learnvest. It's for women, but not too girly. It's modern and informative and I actually read all the content that they send to me because it's interesting. That virutally never happens. No wonder they are one of the top 25 women owned startups to watch out for! Think Sex and the City chic, but on a regular worker bee budget!

Maybe you can take some of these ideas, and save some formally ignored clothing in your closet to something amazing!

1. Cut & Crop
Clothing companies can’t offer skirts and dresses at many different lengths for different people because it costs too much to develop that many separate patterns. So, sometimes the trend can get lost in translation depending on your body type. This spring, trends call for long maxi skirts, short printed skirts, asymmetrical hems on blouses, and capri-length denim.

Make alterations depending on what is most flattering to your body type–try shortening longer hem lines, getting the front panels of your skirts trimmed off a couple of inches, or altering a pair of skinny jeans to fall just above the ankles. That way, you’ll retain the original print, structure, and style of the trend, but the piece will be more tailored to you and your figure.

Shorten sleeves: $20
Hem a skirt or dress: $15
Take in the waist of a dress (no lining): $30
A formally "old lady" floral dress, might look super cute by hemming the bottom to a shorter length.

2. Button It Up

Stores want to stay competitive when it comes to pricing, so a great jacket or coat may sometimes come with cheap buttons to cut costs. Ditch any inexpensive-looking plastic buttons and spring for some of higher quality. Ask your tailor for any buttons she has, shop online at stores like M&J Trimming for ideas, or spend a weekend afternoon browsing at a local flea market for some vintage buttons and trimmings. Sometimes special buttons can completely change the look of a jacket or sweater.

Buttons: less than $1 to $3 each

Adding new, unique or bigger buttons to a jacket, sweater or coat you love can give it a new life!

3. Mix The Old And The New
One of the easiest ways to identify an inexpensive outfit is to look at the accessories that accompany it. The first pieces companies tend to skimp on are the belts, attached waist wraps, and embellishments that come with the piece. Shop vintage stores and flea markets for unique belts, brooches and scarves that you can use as replacements. These usually require minimal (if any) alteration work and make the most dramatic difference.

Taking vintage pieces and adding them with a coordinating staple is a great idea to bring life to your outfit without breaking the bank.

Toss the thin shoddy fabric belt that came with the tunic, snip the belt loops, and wrap a vintage braided leather belt around your waist instead. Detach the cheap black fabric band off your straw fedora and sew on a thin vintage patterned scarf instead.

Embellishments and accessories: Varies, but easily less than $20
At the end of the day, tweaking off-the-rack looks in your own way can give them a finishing touch that creates a sense of ownership—even without shelling out in a big way, you’ll still have an investment piece that was custom made for you.

Check out LearnVest for the full article.

Co-Op success

2011-05-21T03:05:00.000-07:00

How do people overcome the obstacles of sustaining a small business, especially in tough economic times? How do you deal with startup costs for businesses that require more capital and resources? They find like-minded individuals with the same goals and all share in the successes and failures of their hard-work, that's how!

This concept of a co-op keeps coming up again and again, especially when it comes to bakeries. Mention Arizmendi to most Bay Area bread lovers and watch their eyes glaze over as they recall the intoxicating aromas and scrumptious flavors of artisan breads, pastries, cookies and pizzas. Yet as heavenly as these lovingly hand-crafted baked goods are, there’s more that sets Arizmendi bakeries apart from the rest. my cousin calls Arizmendi, the "communist" bakery. i think he means that it's a co-op. so, of course i had to google how these co-op bakeries operate.Here's what I found:
"Each bakery is a cooperative, owned by its workers or members and democratically operated; all members earn the same wage based on yearly profits. They collectively make all business decisions and share all the responsibilities, benefits and risks that come with owning a business."
The four locations in the bay area were developed based on the successful business model that "The Cheese Board Collective of Berkeley" designed in 1967. All are members of the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives. Arizmendi is the shortened name of Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta, a young priest who inspired and helped found the Mondraga Cooperatives in the Basque Country of Spain. Although worker cooperatives have functioned in most parts of the world since the 19th century, the success of the Mondraga Cooperatives has attracted worldwide attention. What started as one firm and roughly 25 people in 1956 is now a major international business with a work force of over 34,000, employed in some 100 worker-owned enterprises and affiliated organizations.

These cooperatives continue to be inspired by Arizmendi belief that worker ownership and participation in the workplace should be an integral part of a just and democratic society. The name Arizmendi signifies an effort to expand democratically owned and operated workplaces.The items seem to fly off the shelf as soon as they come out of the oven at this place. There is alway a constant stream of people coming in and out of this place buying everything from the pizza of the day (made from all local fresh ingredients), a morning scone and coffee, or a loaf of bread for the week. I wonder if the community supports and shares in the cooperative experiences of local business people or if they just keep coming back because their blueberry monkey bread is yummy? mmm, probably both.

Doing what you love is overrated.

2011-05-21T02:41:00.000-07:00

well, only kinda. Everyone says it, but the statement "Do What You Love" needs to be critically thought about a bit more. It needs to be broken down because people won't necessarily pay you for sleeping in gratuitous amounts and whistling showtunes just because you like doing it. You won't just be happier when you follow your passionate career path; you'll be better at it. You'll be motivated to do a better job and put more work into something when you enjoy what you're doing.

IDEO's General Manager Tom Kelley quotes author Jim Collins who identifies a Venn diagram in every career path - the overlapping intersection of:

1. what you're good at
2. what you're born to do
3. what people will pay you to do (the piece i personally neglected to think about.)
4. and finding a happy group of co-workers with whom to work.

In the pursuit of self-discovery, Kelley suggests keeping a laboratory notebook tracking the happiest moments in life to discover our own true passions. In the 21st Century, you probably want to use something more high-tech. : p

New Reality Blog Idea

2011-05-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

How'd they get there?
A documentary, interview type blog where we look at real people's lives. From CEO's of Fortune 500 companies to the guy sitting on a park bench with his shopping cart. What decisions did they make in life to get them to the point they are? Does it come down to being lazy or hardworking? Did they fail/succeed in life? Did life fail them or reward them?
What are the factors and issues that contribute to being poor or rich? Was it their choice or did something happen that was out of their control. We interview real people that maybe you don't get a chance to meet in real life. We all start out as kind of a blank slate. As babies, but I guess environmental factors such as our parents, where we live and how we view the world are all set in at an early age.

Questions we might ask:
1. What is your typical day like?
2. How do you feel about your life?
3. What kind of education do you have?
4. Can you rely on your family and friends to support you?
5. Do you have any medical problems?
6. Are you happy with your life?
7. What are the most important events that got you to where you are today?
8. What was your last or what is your current job?

Idea to be further developed later....Anybody know of someone interesting to interview first? Would people be interested in this concept?

Get the Community Involved

2011-05-15T22:23:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't love a fresh hot handmade bagel smeared with a thick layer of cream cheese? WAIT..lemme re-phrase that. Who doesn't love a fresh hot handmade bagel smeared with a thick layer of cream cheese THAT ALSO gives back to it's community and educates it's customers on the fine art of making your own bread?!! SourFlour SF (started in 2008) does just that.

Sour Flour has a simple and beautiful mission. They endow the community with delicious bread, educate the community about the art and science of bread baking and last but not least, empower the community with the means to bake bread.

SourFlourbuilds community through bread. The concept of "breaducation" is spreading like wildfire. Don't just sell your customers a product, but get them involved. Share your knowledge. Get people interested in how things that they consume are made. Give them something back and they will choose you over Noah's, anyday. Maybe this concept is specific to the San Francisco area more so than other places, but it's an idea that is important in today's society. Going with the ancient of idea of "breaking bread with your neighbor", they offer FREE bagel mondays. Yes, you heard right! Start your week off right, by grabbing a free carby breakfast treat.

The man with the vision. Danny Gabriner (owner of SourFlour) obviously knows his baking stuffs. He instructs his workshops with passion and a vast knowledge of baking techniques. The classes are held in the community kitchen of La Victoria bakery in the mission on Sundays from 4-6. You get hands on experience with kneading dough, shaping the bagels and then can take home a few to boil and bake yourself. For the DIY crowd, it's a great learning experience and sparks curiosity and can inspire the at-home chefs.

d.school!

2011-05-13T13:50:00.001-07:00

Inspiration abounds after my tour of the Design school also known as the d.school around these parts. With students coming from varying backgrounds with an entrepreneurial mindset and the tools and structure to make things happen, this might be just the thing to venture into. A video about the student experience from bootcamp at the d.school:

d.school bootcamp: the student experience from Stanford d.school on Vimeo.

what i heard? different perspective on things. teaches students how to have creative confidence. how to have impact on the world. combine structure with creativity. creativity can take you somewhere structure can't. work with real partners. max out creativity but still stay focused on the problem at hand. be around boundless creativity and surround yourself with more entrepreneurs. bias towards action. multiple viewpoints make a stronger project. be ok with failing. contagious opportunity. possibilities everywhere. sounds really good! you should check it out : )

These Come From Trees

2011-05-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

What a seemingly unexpected find, when doing such a daily random occurrence! Imagine, you're in the middle of thinking about that big presentation you have to give later that day, how your panty hose have a small snag in them and how the lunch you ate that day didn't sit too well in your tummy. You wash your hands after going to the bathroom and BLAM, something catches your eye and for a second, (which is all it takes).... a sticker catches your eye as you are reaching for a paper towel to dry your hands. It's like mother nature whispered in your ear, to remind you to do your part in saving the earth:

These come from trees is the world's first guerilla public service announcement. An experiment in environmentalism, viral marketing, and user interface design with the goal of reducing consumer waste paper! What a unique concept in getting people involved, educated and to be aware of a problem that can easily be solved. Stop wasting so much paper by just being more aware. Started by a product manager / designer living in the Silicon Valley, as a side project with the hopes of doing some good. The sticker slogan leads you to believe if you go to their website they will send you a free one, but instead prompts you to use your paypal and he will send you 50 stickers for $10. which isn't too bad. for a small chunk of change, you can do something easy and painless and perhaps your small part in changing the world for the better. He says more than 50,000 have been distributed since 2007. not bad! =T

One person can only do so much with the resources at hand, but spreading a message in a way where people are willing to participate because it's made easier for them to do so is a GREAT IDEA! Stop doing the same mindless things that lead to waste, depleting our environment of natural resources and that raise costs inevitably in the future for things that every single person does everyday. Maybe the money saved on paper towels, can be used for the greater good? Maybe the guy who created this can now help with oil dependency and lower gas prices.

Emily Arin

2011-05-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

You know when you hear a song that is wonderful, but you don't know what it's called or who sings it? It resonates with you and you want to hear it again and again. You want to google the artist and let them know you listen to their music and let them know that their work DOES make a difference. I think I'll make it a personal goal of mine to let someone know at least once a day that they are GREAT. to keep up the good work because they are inspiring.

With a plaintive, delicate voice, Montour Falls, New York’s, Emily Arin weaves tales concerned with the heavy graces of being human. If she sold out to primetime television dramas and started playing on 106.5, she'd most definitely become the next Ingrid Michaelson. Her voice is beautiful. My two favorite songs of hers are Evergreen and You Won My Heart Outright.

From her website, "In her lyrics, Arin explores experiences where shadows and light converge and transformation is offered as a possibility. Whether autobiographical songs of love and longing, or third person waltzes and ballads (as in Patch of Land’s ‘Sweetly Breathe’), Arin’s inventiveness with language and melody hold court. “Songwriting for me is a process of distillation,” she says. “My aim is to repeatedly filter an idea and emotion to form an honest vehicle for sharing life’s poignancy, playfulness and mystery.”

Gourmet Popsicles

2011-04-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

QUIRKY, yes! UNIQUE IDEA, oh yeah! Homemade and Delicious, sure are!

mmm, who woulda thought? i think handmade gourmet popsicles are the greatest idea since...well, the last greatest idea i found 10 minutes ago! FatFace sells these delicious icons of summer and childhood in Davis and now in Sacramento at various farmers markets. Fat Face pops are handcrafted in small batches. From raw fruit to a la stick, great attention is made to instensify flavor. Creations are market-driven with respect to local producers, seasonality and most importantly, whim

It all started when a brother with a business background and a sister with a culinary background took one of the simplest of things and sell to people that live in a hot climate. The people of Sacramento and Davis have all lived through a sweltering summer, where anything literally and figuratively cool comes as a welcomed treat! Flavors rotate throughout the year with an average of six flavors offered at one time.

A few of the flavors that have been featured include:

Brandy Poached Pear pop

Plum and Green tea

Dublin Dr Pepper

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Thai Tea and Sweet Potato

Lime & Avocado

Grapefruit and Fennel Yogurt

The owners say their two most popular flavors are Kaffir Limeade & Avocado and Strawberry Lemonade.

A semi-hybrid mobile food/brick and mortar store front business, they are now close in their location near UC Davis, but are still doing Farmers Markets. Maybe the college student market in Davis wouldn't fall for the higher food costs because of all the poor starving students. The niche would do much better at food related events in SF where the later 20's early 30's professionals have disposable income to spend on nostalgic little luxuries that remind them of simpler times. I think this is a great opportunity for a pop-up shop based on weather that day and special related events.

Starbucks, Krispy Kremes, Jamba Juice, Fro Yo madness, cupcake hype! America wants affordable luxuries in times of economic downturn. What is one thing that will make you extremely happy for less than $5 a pop (haha, pun intended!) Cupcakes are out, POPSICLES ARE IN BABY!

Support Collective Handmade!

2011-04-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

col·lec·tive/kəˈlektiv/

Noun: A cooperative enterprise.

Adjective: Done by people acting as a group

I'm always interested in people that pursue their dreams and have put their ideas into practical action. A collective is one way that similar people can get together and act as a group to have a bigger impact than one person alone. You've seen similar business pursuits in the way of bakeries, like Arizmendi in SF and increasing clones of websites like Groupon.

One customer exclaimed "Ooooh, like a real life Etsy". Eni Thing is like Etsy but with a store front. Unlike Etsy, you can actually walk in the store, see, touch, feel, try on the goods before purchasing…which is a big thing these days, for discerning customers that spend their hard earned cash on things they want to believe in.

EniThing Boutique has a great concept. They're taking the collective idea of many a successful website to the handmade marketplace. They select 20 or so artistans of various handmade goods and rent you out a little space depending on your product. 50% of whatever you sell goes to the person that pays the lease, and 50% of whatever you sell goes to you. It's a little more steep then the $0.20 you pay per item on Etsy, but is a good way to get your product physically visible to the public with a shared collective of like-minded people.

You design your space, you market to your friends and you update your inventory. After two months if you haven't sold anything or if your products have been flying off the shelf, you can re-assess your dream of your zine or crocheted hats going big time! You can try out succeeding or failing without as much risk. You can gain exposure to like-minded people. You can get exposure without significant costs. I wonder how they're doing?

I wonder if the materials used are also re-used, recycled and if the business practices are fairly green?

Just a few of the cool things you can find at the out of the way boutique.

Handmade soaps, scrubs and beauty products!

EniThing is committed to our local & handmade artists. The sell unique Jewelry, bags, cards, books and art all lovingly made by Bay Area artists and crafters. They're located on San Carlos St. in San Jose and have kinda limited hours: Tue - Sat 12noon to 7pm Closed Sun - Mon

Shared Experiences

2011-04-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Storytelling is really a forgotten art. Muni Diaries is a user-generated exercise in storytelling. It's a place to share and read rider tales and news about the sometimes crappy, sometimes efficient, but essential public-transit system of San Francisco.

Saw something hilarious on a ride? Grossed out by bad Muni etiquette? Checked out the same hot thang on the bus every day this week and didn’t get up the nerve to smile? The idea is: If you have something to say about a ride, about a route, or even about politics surrounding public transit in the city, Muni Diaries is your forum to let the world know.

The muni logo (designed in the 1970's by Walter Landor) is really nice. It's so simplistically beautiful in it's design.

Support a community based event that really does bring people of all different kinds together. They even have an Etsy Store. Wow, next my mom will probably start an Etsy store. =P

The creators of Muni Diaries say it all, "In the three years of running Muni Diaries, you help remind us every day that Muni stories aren’t just about the bus being late or smelling poop on the bus (though both happen with alarming regularity). We’re a community born out of the shared experience of riding public transportation, which connects us no matter who we are. The stories from the stage speak to that sense of community."

Meal Ideas for This Week

2011-04-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

Why not make my list with pictures, instead of just making a mental note or making old school lists? Hmm, this might also make for a good app or interactive tool idea*. It not only gets me motivated and inspired with tasty photographs, but helps me plot what I can make with the ingredients in my fridge. I decided to splurge on more interesting ingredients than I normally buy, so I can create dishes at home that are satisfying, tasty and decently healthy for you (compared to how restaurants might cook the same recipes).

Here's basically what I have, with the addition of every cooks pantry essentials:

1. eggs

2. ham

3. goat cheese

4. sun dried tomatoes

5. orzo

6. sourdough bread

7. pesto

8. mushrooms

9. ground turkey

10. onions

11. blue cheese, goat cheese, cheddar cheese

12. fresh baby spinach

They intertwine into some basic dishes that can feed a whole family for a week, but with a little planning and improvising can turn into something unique depending on my mood that night. Think ahead and you can create totally different meals with similar ingredients, which are cheaper and more delicious than anything you can find while eating out these days!

Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta Salad with Artichokes, Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pesto

This could be a side dish to my burgers, sandwich, quiche or even the soup I made this weekend. I might substitute the tangy/bitterness of the artichokes for some black olives I have in my pantry. A little crumbly cheese and an italian dressing. Mmm.

Blue Cheese Burger with Sauteed Mushrooms on sourdough bread

I'm going to sub the gross looking white bun for some sourdough multigrain slices and make more of a turkey burger sandwich rather than a burger. Taking out the bacon, since I don't have any but hopefully won't scrimp on any flavor with a sun dried tomato mayo and maybe some french fried onion strings! : ) awww, yeah!

Quiche with savory leeks, ham and goat cheese

I've been meaning to use these leeks for a little while, but can't come up with any ideas on how to use them. I baked them in the oven with some olive oil, and they have a mild onion-y flavor. I guess I would use them similar to I would use regular onion or scallions. Leftover ham from easter dinner and whatever cheese I have from other dishes should make a nice accompaniment to a green salad. Anything tastes better in a buttery pie shell!

Spanish ham and cheese montecristo

The sourdough bread, ham, cheese whatever else I decide to put in these panini like sandwiches would make an excellent lunch options with the swiss chard, roasted tomato, garlic, chicken and black eyed pea soup this weekend. I think Montecristo's usually have a fried egg inside or on top, so I can add an extra layer of deliciousness.

oh man, all this planning is making me extremely hungry! Click on the links for recipes, so you can make your own.

plain boring shirts are just sad : (

2011-04-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

Re-purpose old shirts that you won't or can't wear anymore with these simple techniques. you can visually see how easy it is to revive clothing that would normally be ripe for donation or destined to a lifetime in the back of the closet.

Freezer paper stenciling, appliqué and reverse appliqué are not new in the crafting world, but it’s good to remember these techniques are not just for creating new designs. They are also creative and practical ways to extend the life of old clothes.

Why would you ever want to buy mass produced garments from a big box store, when you can simply re-invent the seemingly ordinary something unique and one of a kind? If you mess up or still don't like what you've created you can feel at least a little better about tossing it in our ever growing landfills.

Oh, the great ideas are ridiculously EVERYWHERE! She uses old table clothes or sheets like you would a bolt of fabric. They not only have cute vintage patterns and colors, but are extremely cheap, at least 52" wide and can be found at any local thrift store. Add a coordinating elastic waistband, a colorful trim and WAAAHHHLAAAA, you have a skirt that is "NEW" to you. : ) This twirly girly skirt is cut from a vintage floral cotton sheet and couldn't be any simpler to fit and make! The full tutorial for this skirt can be found here.

Thanks for the ideas, Carrie Lundell from ThisMamaMakesStuff. Check her out, it's amazing how much stuff she can accomplish in an ordinary lifetime!

undeclared for life

2011-04-18T16:37:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been overwhelmed because you have so many different interests in life? You’re working on one project and suddenly you get excited by another… and another… and another. You get bored easily and are not an expert at any one thing in particular? You want to bridge your many different passions into not only a career but a lifestyle?

Finally, someone who understands! Emilie Wapnick at Puttylike has created a manifesto meant to be a starting point for people who have many grand dreams, but don’t quite know how to structure their lives in a way that incorporates all of them. Her blog posts all revolve around a central theme: creating a community of smart, creative, passionate people and inspiring others to break free of the beliefs that limit them.

A lot of the content can be self created doing a lot of soul searching and exploring, depending on how you go about things...but it does provide some guidelines and direction on how to focus finding what you're looking for. If nothing else, it's very supportive and motivating knowing that other people out there are just like you.

She says it's a guide she wishes she had had back when she was struggling with the impossible task of figuring out what to do with her life. She's released The ‘Undeclared for Life’ Manifesto under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license.

This guide isn't for you......

If you’re happy with your life exactly as it is and you have no real urge to fight for freedom, quit your job or question the status quo, then this book is probably not for you.

home is wherever i'm with you

2011-04-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

three of my favorite things: whistling, mexican guys that play the guitar, and cute little kids that sing with nothing but heart. one day i'm gonna whistle?

Isabel Allende tells tales of passion | Video on TED.com

2010-09-19T01:18:00.000-07:00

Isabel Allende tells tales of passion | Video on TED.com

CORPORATIONS WILL DO ANYTHING FOR MONEY: carrot mob makes it rain

2010-08-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.

nice concept, carrotmob! can't believe how many people participate when a plan is executed so well, and explained in a way where everyone can understand and there is no one that doesn't benefit...

Be optimistic but critical...

2010-01-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

The Design Revolution Road Show is a traveling exhibition and lecture series bringing “product design that empowers” to 25 high schools and university design programs across the nation in the Spring of 2010. A Project H Design initiative, the road show will feature a biodiesel-powered truck and Airstream trailer exhibition of 40 humanitarian design solutions that have been showcased in the book Design Revolution: 100 Products that Empower People.

The programming will bring the evidence of and tools for design for social impact to the doorsteps of students, to enable and empower the next generation of creative problem-solvers to apply their skills to the world’s most pressing problems and improve life on a global scale. They believe design can change the world. Check em out.

Check it, foo!

2009-11-23T02:53:00.000-08:00

Pick up a customized, unique and handmade gift at the Adobe Holiday craft fair. Only happening once a year, so don't miss your chance! Join us on Thursday afternoon from 11-2 at the San Jose Adobe headquarters. Holla at yo mom! Holla at yo boss! Holla at yo self! No idea what that means.. =P

SuperCraftyMonkey *hearts* Adobe. SuperCraftyMonkey LOVES you.

Come visit us!

2009-10-05T15:59:00.001-07:00

Super Crafty Monkey will be at Thee Parkside for the Indie Mart on Saturday November 8th from 12-6! Come hang out and maybe we'll give you a free sticker. The flyer says it all (but instead of August we're going to be at the November one) For more info on Indie Marts locations take a look at their site. suckas.

All of our days

2009-09-23T16:35:00.001-07:00

The best song in the best movie ever. Well, I might be exaggerating with the "EVER" statement but it is quite emotion and contemplation evoking. Alexi Murdoch's song "All of Our Days", best recognized from a Honda Element commercial. From the movie "Away we go" which came out in June 2009 with Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski. The movie was written by Dave Eggers. The same dude that wrote "Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius". I love productions where great thinkers all combine their creative energy into a work of art.

The trailer from the movie, to get you to watch it:

patterns make me giddy.

2009-08-29T03:10:00.000-07:00

From Skinny Corp., the same crazy cats that brought us Threadless.com...a cool site where you can submit and score designs for patterns. The bestest patterns get chosen to be printed on high quality products. http://www.nakedandangry.com Excellent concept, but I don't know if the pattern/product combos are unique enough that I would want to spend money on them.
I do like some of the wall coverings, but for some reason the site doesn't have the same community appeal and interest as threadless.

KickStart - Check it!

2009-08-26T02:55:00.001-07:00

I found this on www.kickstart.com....it's only the GREATEST IDEA EVER....like a kiva but for creatives, designers, singers, artists, filmmakers and people that have ideas but need community support (as in money) to get their projects off the ground.

How To Make A Fringe Halter Top

2009-08-06T03:35:00.000-07:00

I would never wear this or probably ever make this, but I like the DIY instruction of this video...courtesy of DIY Threadbanger. Cool idea! Thanks!

silly love

2009-07-31T14:13:00.001-07:00

originally sung by daniel johnston: artist and singer from LA? this guy/song combination is incredibly endearing...and then there is his youtube imitators that re-do his songs in their rooms with their guitars that are even better than the originals.

Product Shots

2009-07-31T01:59:00.001-07:00

this is harder than it looks. The lighting, the pose, the preparation of each clothing item. WOW. phew. I learned a lot.
Check me out foo!

Can't wait for this movie!

2009-07-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

Paper Heart with Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi. A documentary/story about love. Coming out early August!

Paper Heart is part documentary about love, and part fictional boy meets girl tale. It started when Charlyne Yi decided to document people’s love stories, but in order to focus on her belief about love director Nick Jasenovec wanted her story front and center. So they got together with friends, hired Michael Cera to be the love interest, and put together two films. Unlike Borat it isn’t entirely clear how much is real, and that’s the point.

Calling all Indie Designers!

2009-07-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

Do you like to create things? Do you need an online venue to start getting the word out on all the cool stuff you make? Do you want to make some money and maybe update your own wardrobe at the same time? Super Crafty Monkey Shop is Coming Soon!

Fill out the contact form if you'd like to consign with us! Leave us a note with your name, website (if you have one), the kind of product that you make, if you have clothing you want to consign and where you are located.

We will give you %50 in credit or %35 in trade of whatever we sell your clothing. For more rules and regulations please check out our site.

Hello Jello!

2009-07-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

A Jell-O Mold Competition in Brooklyn. Artists created some impressive work out of this versatile squishy medium!

The Feedbag goes to the Jell-o Mold Competition from The Feedbag on Vimeo.

digital graffiti wall

2009-07-16T01:22:00.000-07:00

YrWall is an interactive drawing art tool where users create virtual digital graffiti on a large wall using a modified spray paint can. It is basically graffiti with a can that contains no paint, only a button and IR light source which is tracked using a computer vision system.

A pop-out interface is provided which enables the user to work with digital paint to create their own digital graffiti art. No more swapping paint cans to change colour or having to wear a face mask and gloves, this is totally environmentally friendly and accessible by anyone without any prior computer or graffiti skills.

This is either a really expensive and stupid idea which has little application and function that a projector and a wacom table could fulfill, or is a genius idea and will change the world of digital art forever? you decide! uh huh, and of course it's from the UK!

YrWall 2008 Showreel - Interactive Digital Graffiti Wall from Lumacoustics on Vimeo.

laptop pillow

2009-07-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

my laptop bottom is hot and is burning my legs....let me google if there is a pillow that will solve this re-occuring yet ever so increasing problem! ..and here we go:

no more scorched legs for geeks that spend hours sitting on their couch with their laptops. a laptop pillow that looks like an actual laptop! ingenious!!

marketing 101

2009-06-18T02:14:00.000-07:00

testing and making the rounds.

zee avi

2009-06-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

23 year old girl originally from malaysia and signed with jack johnsons label. surely to be the next big thing on gray's anatomy soundtrack. nothing to inspire others lately, just beautiful and simple music and words that inspire me.

1 in 10 men?

2009-06-03T15:54:00.001-07:00

Jeff Buckley singing "Satisfied Mind" live in Algeria. Kinda bad quality, but tis all I could find. =T

why didn't i think of this...

2009-05-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

this girl has cool drawings and ideas...i like her illustration ideas, especially this one with a robot giant and green monkey homie!
http://www.ayamiharuno.com/

creating your own font

2009-05-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

oh my gosh, who knew it would be so complicated and arduous to create your own font. i learn something everyday from searching random ideas that come into my head in google...this site explains how to create your very own FONT! http://ilovetypography.com
#1: You need font editing software

There are 3 methods to creating your own font a) draw it on paper, scan and turn to a bitmap in photoshop, refine in your font editing software of choice b) create your letters on a tablet, mess with the vector image in illustrator and tweak in your font editing software of choice c) create directly in your editing software!

New Book is out!

2009-05-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

Little Spork's...

By Erin L. Eng

Book Preview

well, what can i say? this time i put my heart and soul into this one. not that i don't do that with everything =P i hope there are no typos because it's 5 in the morning and i pushed send on publishing and paying for 10 books. what am i going to do with 10 books? haha! i guess i'll figure out something!!

i love i love i love him

2009-05-20T04:08:00.000-07:00

Jason Segel on Letterman. He is supercute! A YouTube user said it best "He is just so real - He just might be the most non-acting actor ever...He sure gives meaning to the phrase, "keepin' it real". sigh* : )

Voluntourism is skyrocketing apparently

2009-05-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

The numbers of people travelling across the globe to be volunteers has rocketed in recent years. “There’s an increasing sense that now is a good time to get away, spend some time abroad doing something worthwhile, and then return when the economy is back on its feet,” explains Raynor.My friend Jesica who was kind enough to share mate with me at her house sent me this article.

A firm message for people thinking about volunteering just for the sake of it. “Naturally, as a visitor to a new country you will have opportunities to explore, party and enjoy. But if, as a volunteer, you lose sight of the reason why you are going in the first place then just be a tourist and don’t ‘fake the funk’. Don’t disguise yourself as a volunteer. Be honest about your intentions.”

sing this lullaby to yourself.

2009-05-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

Jack Johnson feat. his best bud Matt Costa.

the boy who blocked his own shot.

2009-05-12T15:53:00.001-07:00

If it makes you less sad, I will die by your hand. I hope you find out what you want. I already know what I am. And if it makes you less sad, we'll start talking again.

And you can tell me how vile I already know that I am. I'll grow old and start acting my age. I'll be a brand new day in a life that you hate. A crown of gold. A heart that's harder than stone. And it hurts a whole lot, but it's missed when it's gone.

Call me a safe bet. I'm betting I'm not. I'm glad that you can forgive. I'm only hoping as time goes, you can forget. If it makes you less sad, I'll move out of the state.

You can keep to yourself. I'll keep out of your way. And if it makes you less sad, I'll take your pictures all down. Every picture you paint, I will paint myself out. It's cold as a tomb, and it's dark in your room, when I sneak to your bed to pour salt in your wounds. So call it quits or get a grip.

Say you wanted a solution. You just wanted to be missed. Call me a safe bet. I'm betting I'm not. I'm glad that you can forgive.
I'm only hoping as time goes, you can forget... You are calm and reposed. Let your beauty unfold.

Pale white, like the skin stretched over your bones. Spring keeps you ever close. You are second hand smoke. You are so fragile and thin. Standing trial for your sins. Holding onto yourself the best you can. You are the smell before rain.

You are the blood in my veins. Call me a safe bet. I'm betting I'm not. I'm glad that you can forgive. I'm only hoping as time goes, you can forget.

a lifetime asleep

2009-04-10T01:18:00.001-07:00

nothing to say. you too, can make a movie like this with limited props...a person willing that can lay down for extended periods of time and a million hours to spare. all in all, anybody who can create stuff like this is pretty cool.

i love the music which goes exceptionally well with the animation. good choice. lemme see if i can somehow hunt it down...

BYOBW 2009!

2009-04-09T13:51:00.001-07:00

Bring Your Own Big Wheel 2009 is coming this Sunday! Easter of all days and on the crookedest street in SF. Vermont St. and 20th!
The YouTube vid is hilarious. People go all out especially big helmet guy, guy with makeshift trashcan with wheels..and all the people that bit it going around the curve. aah, pure wholesome enjoyment.

R E V E R I E

2009-04-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

Reverie: An excellent idea for a girls name. A state of abstracted musing; daydreaming.

1. The condition of being so lost in solitary thought as to be unaware of one's surroundings: absent-mindedness, abstraction, bemusement, brown study, daydreaming, muse2, study, trance. See awareness/unawareness.

2. An illusory mental image: daydream, dream, fancy, fantasy, fiction, figment, illusion, phantasm, phantasma, vision. See real/imaginary.

Monster Coinpurse

2009-04-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

I really like this, because it reminds me of an orange. Many an orange have I drawn a face on and had sitting on my desk staring back at me. I found this one, on a site called Cutique It's not only lovable, but it looks well made and everytime you need change for the meter or at the grocery store you can bust THIS outta your pocket! Oh my goodness, it comes in like 50 million colors and even large size for bills or kleenex. cool idea.

i wish MY dog had an afro

2009-03-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

afro ken is such a great character! when i was in japan i was fully absorbed with this lovable big haired dog. i couldn't get enough of objects that had his picture printed on it. who comes up with this stuff? i mean, his hair is used as the frothiness in a root beer float, or tempura crumbs...leave it to the japanese to come up with something of PURE wierdness...but at the same time PURE genius!! that's what i need...a lovable character people can relate to. too bad afroken cannot be beat.