drum roll....

And the winner is...

//Image via Flickr by Don Shall//

Bek, come on down!  Just send me your address at heyrootmix [at] yahoo dot com and I'll send out your winnings!  You can thank this episode of Perfect Couples for picking your number!!!

Thanks Amy and Curtis Collectibles for playing along to for my first bloggy give-a-way.  If you hit me up, I may have a treat to send you as well.  No timeline, it will one day just appear...  Thanks for reading the blog!

xoxoZ

what i like today...

//misterrob via etsy//

 //helen du toit via etsy//

//smiling knitting via etsy//

 //this lovely image from the portable fortitude kickstarter project//

• these little habits... what are yours?

take care, zarah

p.s.  remember to visit my give-a-way and sign up!

yay! it's the power day give-a-way!!!

Hi Everyone!

Whew!  Happy to announce the first Power Day Give-A-Way of the year.  As some of you know, I've kicked off a Power Year with the awesome Megan Quicke.  Here are my goals for the year, and here's my first update.

I'm having a ton of fun following through with these challenges and similar to "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear" I've found that "if a public forum is needed, an event will appear".  Meaning, I will also be participating in the Salon-Style Bicycle Art Show.  More details to come on that one.

Drumroll please...

Here is the very fun-to-have-made-for-you, awesome reclaimed paper, wire-bound notebook!  It's filled with lots of fun and colorful graph and lined papers.  All reclaimed, even the wire and machine used to make it are secondhand!

To enter to win this (and a few other goodies, free shipping included...) simply follow this blog or add it to your rss feed and leave a comment below.  If you'd like a topic, tell me about a time when you  worked super hard towards a goal...  The winner will be randomly selected.  To get additional entries, repost a link to this blog entry on Twitter, the Facebooks, or your own blog.  Just include a link below so I know you did it and count your additional entries!

Because this is such a green book, all recovered materials and all, I'll select the winner on the day we celebrate by wearing green, St. Patty's Day!  So you've got till sometime next Thursday to post away!

Thanks for helping to spread the word about my project.  The support really helps me stay motivated and I've got lots of fun things I'm looking forward to sharing with you.  Such as, Monday I'll be reviewing my weekend with you in photos.  I've just come home from an awesome art show and am looking forward to telling you all about it!

Have a super-awesome weekend!

xoxoZ

meet up sunday // art in nature festival

Here are details for Sunday's Art In Nature Festival happening at Oakland's Redwood Regional Park.  You may have met Laura Inserra at the CELLspace Expo for Independent Arts.  She has put together an awesome festival with 100 musicians and artists participating in this interactive day!



It  will also be home to the next Crafters  Local 415 make 'n' take gathering!  Laura's invited me to set up some  crafty supplies, share some techniques, and just enjoy making stuff with  you all.  Look for other artists from the CELLspace expo as well!



There  will be no food vending or sales that day.  It is a purely free and  interactive event.  What project are you working on now?  Can you bring  some knitting or collage materials and enjoy making art in nature?  And  pack a lunch too!





Here are more details from Laura:



A Multidisciplinary Performing Arts Festival

Art in Nature / the Nature of Art



1st annual FREE  multidisciplinary performing arts Festival conceived for the Stream Trail of Redwood Regional Park, Oakland, California.



It will be held on October 3rd, 2010 from 12pm to 4pm as a site-specific performance

organized by SAMAVESHA, an international multidisciplinary performing arts collective,

and directed by renowned Italian composer and artistic director Laura Inserra.



Stroll along the nearly 1 mile Stream Trail of Redwood Regional Park

and be entertained by nearly 100 different artists and performers

tucked among the meadows, redwoods and oaks in this brand new family friendly (and bicycles & dog friendly) Festival.



Enjoy roaming performances and 12 different areas of live music, dance, martial arts, poetry, henna tattoo,

circus arts, theater, painting, storytelling, arts, crafts and kids events put on from Noon to 4pm.



www.ArtinNatureFestival.com

{datenight} let's go bowling!

hey, it's a standard datenight option.  hitting the lanes and striking out - but not striking out on love!

{if you'd like to find the source of the item, just type the shop name in the search box at etsy!}

happy weekend, my lovelies!

xoxo, rootmix

p.s.  to get into a relaxing day before a night out, check out the live sarah mclachlan concert at noon, pdt!

{eco find} re-upholster

here's a lovely video made by two of the upholster-ers of spruce. ah, the sprucettes!



they find chairs to update with (ironically) vintage fabrics. they also offer green options when reupholstering chairs; like natural and organic padding materials and fabrics.

i love how the two sprucettes work together, side-by-side, completing this chair make-over in the video.

and what an important component of their business, to pass on the lost art of upholstery by offering classes in their austin, texas storefront. here's a great link to student before-and-afters!

and guess what's getting added to my maker list...  actually, re-upholstery has been on my list, in the form of two chairs in my parents' garage... ever since i saw this posting at sea of shoes (and found two chairs at the side of the road).

happy monday!

{eco find} re-purposed leather

ahhh, the demi-corset.  not too rigid, not to lackadaisical.  defines the waist, glamorizes the figure...

this one comes from hende of re-purposed leather and a wooden pin to close your corset.

and by the way, oh my gosh, i am totally enamored with this shopkeeper's profile on etsy!  her balance of life seems very serene and inviting to me right now...  go take a look too!

not only using sustainable materials, but keeping her whole eco-footprint as small as can be by keeping errands to fewer days.

it's lovely to be inspired by such beauty and to know it's possible...

this is happening

saturday, if you're anywhere near jack london square, head on over to the handmade ho down! entry is free and there will be over 50 vendors sharing their wares. i just love that the vacant space of the old barnes and noble gets to be used in such a crafty way!

this is an evening event, starting at 5pm. here are some more event highlights of what you can expect:

*farmers market eats

*local beer and wine!

*live local bands/djs including:

-red meat

-kit and the branded men

-the goat family

-the crosstops

-dj dirti hari

*swag bags to first 200 attendees!

*raffle - proceeds to drawbridge

*bring in art supplies for drawbridge and receive free raffle tickets

*live weaving demo by the de young museum

*square dancing lessons and contest!

*picnic tables and hay bales

*creamed corn wrestling (yes, seriously)

*mechanical bull rides

meet local artisans, musicians, and farmers while at the same time supporting drawbridge, a local organization which provides art programs and classes to homeless and other vulnerable children in 7 bay area counties.

cheers,
rootmix!

alice in wonderland!

{via darklingwoods}

wow, the new alice movie is already in theaters! i got some friends together to go check it out tomorrow, in 3d! i don't know if i've been to a 3d movie since i was a shorty... i hear the 3d glasses aren't paper anymore!

in celebration of actually planning ahead and seeing a movie, i've found some fun alice in wonderland images to share with you.

{via thepaintedlily}

{via darklingwoods}

{via darklingwoods}

{via oddandwhimsy}

{via oddandwhimsy}

{via timssally}

{via polarity}

a little sumfin' for everyone, eh?

xoxo

{white rabbits!} spring is coming!

these white rabbits seem especially cute and welcoming given that it's almost spring! san francisco has had crazy weather with storm clouds on odd numbered days and bright sunshine on even numbered days, so hopefully the longer, brighter days of spring will even that all out.

oh, and spring cleaning. didn't i just clean for the new year? well, a nice fresh polish won't hurt anything. i'll give it a go.

this month's pack of white rabbits is inspired my the snuggly 3D variety.

{via someweirdcrab}

{via sparklerama}

{via sarahmcneil}

{via inmybackyard}

{via follow the white bunny}

oh, and this reminds me, stay tuned for a special collection of alice in wonderland inspired items! i'm getting some peeps together to see the opening of the new movie!

what are you looking forward to in march? we'll have more light during the days - does this mean more will get done?

cheers,
rootmix!

{white rabbits!} february style!

hope you're having a lucky day! month number two for our new year!!! how're things going so far? what has brought you joy this year? what will you work towards next?

i've been getting my studio organized, got a few new storage cabinets. i'm up-to-date with making daily aceo's. it's been a lot of fun trying new techniques all within 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches.

for february i'm planning on finishing my encaustics piece, destashing some yarn via new knitting or crochet projects, and get my wardrobe together!!!


february is the relationship month, heh? these rabbits look like they're getting a lovely date night going. fun!

{via lisel jane}

this delicate little cross stitched rabbit is sure to bring luck if hung on your wall.

{via nea}

this snowy rabbit makes me think of the cold weather which will now start to defrost and bring us a bright spring!

{via rachel's cabinet}

oooh, an adorable, inquisitive softie..

{via dragon house of yuen}

and finally, here's a charming white rabbits greeting from way in the past - when the area around this statue was still a full open park.

{via jason powell on flickr}

here's to a peaceful and joyful february twenty-ten!

xoxo,
rootmix

{datenight} keep it special!

every friday night is datenight here at the rootmix factories! it's a good idea to get away from the daily grind and responsibilities and turn attention to connection and love! if ya don't have a special someone else, celebrate yourself! here are some pics to help inspire!

ya don't have ta do anything elaborate, just light a candle for yourself or to set the mood for the evening with a friend.

{via what anna loves}

making a friday night a datenight is a forever thing!

{via ninainvorm}

just take a step in, follow your heart!

{via new york times}

lounging around and relaxing in love is splendid!

{via chakra pennywhistle}

join me in placing your heart in a soft, safe space *snuggle, snuggle!*

{via the fuzzy monkey}

i really like the idea of a special craft night as personal datenight for myself!

{via sarah's loft}

hope you're all inspired to take a break and open your heart!

xoxo,
rootmix

santa gets to rest now!

hope you all had warm and cozy holidays! i enjoyed time with my family and sending out holiday cheer to my friends far and near. i was a surprise leader in all the family games; who knew sudoku would train me so well for boggle!?!?!!!

i'm getting excited about the new year... all the seasons to come again, saying *twenty-ten* a lot, kicking off some daily crafty projects (*fingers crossed*), and FINALLY participating in thing-a-day february! whew! most exciting of all may be my round-the-clock decluttering & organizing marathon - can i get done by december 31st? stay tuned...

before i get to work, here's a look at some of my favorite holiday images and links i've been enjoying on YOUR blogs. you've really been getting me in the holiday spirit this year. it's been inspiring!

{click on pictures for source!}

this is a fun one! get one more dose of that holiday spirit while listening to some christmas songs on ukulele by lady harvatine! she's even got links so you can download the songs and a tutorial to fashion a fancy cd sleeve, if you so desire!
xoxo,
rootmix!!!

p.s. did you hear about the home alone twitter project?