Good Neighbors

There's not much that's more definitively Minnesotan than an insulated flannel. You could say the same thing about my neighbor: the kind of guy who plows the whole neighborhood's sidewalks on his mini John Deere just because he likes the snow, and has kept our favorite beers stocked in his garage fridge for whenever we might drop by. I made him this cozy for his own brand in honor of his birthday, and despite my transplant status, I gotta say, it's kind of got me wishing I was as dyed-in-the-wool as he is.

Handmade Labels...

More zips up on Etsy.

I was in between label suppliers there for a little while, and now I'm waiting for the new labels to arrive any day. In the meantime, I started playing around with making my own labels. Lots of fun, but definitely a little too labor intensive to make sense for most uses, though I thought these zips turned out looking pretty killer. All the same specs as the standard zip, just with a little more style on the front side.

MN Grown Dinner

We went the Mill City Farmer's Market last weekend. It was a rainy Saturday morning, but the market was busy anyway, and we loaded up on tons of beautiful local organic produce. Then I got kind of busy and only got around to making a fabulous meal out of it all yesterday, with some contributors from my backyard as well (both from the garden and from the chickens!). These are Spinach and Leek Mini Quiches with Goat Cheese and a Tomato Arugula Salad with Basil and Parsley. I forgot to line the muffin tins I made the quiches in, so they were kind of haggard by the time I got them plated, which made me pretty crabby (I want my food to be beautiful AND delicious), but regardless, everything tasted really great. I'll definitely be making this meal again, and also, hooray for leftovers.

Zip

Now in my Etsy shop. The perfect little pouch for whatever...wallet, toiletry case, pencil bag. The lightly padded and weatherproof nature of the recycled plastic material make this a good place to stow electronic gadgets inside your messenger or shoulder bag. Thumb loop allows for clipping the zip to something else so it's easy to keep track of.

Also available by custom order (bekah@recyclingisrad.com).

Backpack Number Two...and Product Testing

First, meet Backpack Number Two. I made the first one for my husband's trip to South America back in February, and it got a great response, so R is R decided to refine the design and add it to our product line. Round Two features a tapered lid for a less bulky roll, all the buckles and straps are sized down for better functionality and less weight, and we added a whistle clip to the chest strap. It still has the signature spacesuit-looking shoulder straps, small interior pocket, and weatherproof design.

This pack is still in the development stage. I'm happy with the direction it's going, but it's not there yet. The only way to improve the end result is to keep turning out prototypes until I'm totally satisfied with the design. Which is going to result in a lot of backpacks piling up around my house unless R is R can find some R & D assistants.

So, in exchange for some performance feedback, I'm offering a hearty discount on prototype packs like this one. This deal is limited and on a first-come-first-served basis, so if you've always dreamed of being a product tester, contact me now for all the dirty details:

bekah@recyclingisrad.com...or find me on Facebook.

E-Friends 4 Ever

Whoa. This is big news. As part of an ongoing effort to be ever-more legit, I created a Facebook page for Recycling is Rad. (I kind of hate technology, so this actually is a big deal.)

Also, totally awesome, I've uploaded a ton of photos to the page so now it's easy to view pictures of all Recycling is Rad's regular product lines.

Follow R is R on Facebook...