our favorite neighborhood spots

b and I were over in Long Island City yesterday, visiting PS1 and the surrounding galleries that were open on a Monday. we picked up a neighborhood map at PS1 that pointed out the neighborhood museums, galleries and restaurants. As we sat eating our lunch at the court square diner (best moussaka I've had yet!) b remarked, why doesn't our neighborhood have a guide like this! to which I replied, we could totally make our own. and so b did, forming a google map with our favorite bed-stuy neighborhood places. we just started it yesterday, so it will continue to grow. I need to put in the actual street addresses and links in case you're interested in visiting some of these places. so go on and check it out at ebmerc.com/our-town.

my 100th etsy sale

wow, never thought I'd get there, but it happened today. my 100th etsy sale. I've had a shop going since July 2006, just a year after the site launched. and man, have I had my ups and downs with it. the main advantage of etsy, the largest and best-known online "hand made" marketplace, is its ease of use and low start-up cost. etsy allows anyone who makes crafted or artistic goods, sells vintage clothing, jewelry or crafting supplies to launch an online shop in a matter of minutes. etsy's emphases on community building and technical innovation provide many opportunities for users to promote their goods within the site. the drawbacks of etsy involve it becoming a victim of its own success. started by a small group of 20-something crafters and techies, its founders were lacking in the maturity and business experience to handle its explosive growth in the past four years. etsy launched with a lot of fun and tricky visual tools such as searching for items from a color picker, a time machine and a geo locator. what etsy was lacking, and this is huge for an online marketplace, was a properly functioning search tool that uses, you know, words.

finally after four years, etsy has undergone a major organizational restructuring and has made a search function among its top priorities. there have been a number of etsy success stories, but they are far outnumbered by small sellers like me. I've tinkered with my product mix, and have settled on using my shop to sell "destash," those extra supplies that pile up in the studio, and some of my lower-priced vintage. I don't make a ton of money from my etsy shop, but it's a fun diversion, and a way to keep the extra supplies under control.

incidentally, the 100th sale was made to one of my best customers, who also owns a number of molliedash jewelry creations. thanks p!!!

still looking for an intern

yo.

I was in a bit of a crunch to find an intern before leaving for last week's vacation. Truth be told I should have interviewed more applicants. The (two) that I hired ended up seeking full-time work instead. so, if you're still interested (or know someone who is) scroll down to the sept. 2 post to read up on the details.

today

•malcom x farmer's market. bought 8 pounds of tomatoes for making sauce.
•appointment in chelsea
•picked up some garlic at the union square green market while passing through.
•L train to williamsburg to see don't become the things you hate, marial seasick maher's show at stand alone gallery on 6th street.
•Q54 bus to sizzler in forest hills. yes, you read that right.
•walked to trader joe's then another couple of miles along metropolitan, to the M train. found a stretch of dirt trail along the cemetery. yep, a couple of long blocks in queens with no sidewalk.
•home

bushwick farmers' market

I had a bunch of packages to ship, and it was finally a good day for us to check out the bushwick farmers' market, which is near the post office. also nearby is our favorite cheap cuban restaurant, collado. as we approached, we were so pleased and happy to see several tents, not just one or two, and there appeared to be a crowd of mid-day moms and grandmas shopping, some using their wic checks. (bushwick also accepts the wic swipe cards) the market has a perfect location near the gates ave. J train station, using the sidewalk around the linden-bushwick community garden. today there was one vendor each selling vegetables, fruit, fresh baked bread, honey and desserts. one booth made smoothies on a bicycle-operated blender. there was also an information booth and a cooking demonstration, which was making ratatouille while we were there. this might seem small to most farmer's market shoppers, but for our neighborhood it's huge. You might also be thinking, I thought mollie and b lived in bed-stuy. and we do. but one of the closest places for us to walk is broadway, which lays on the bed-stuy / bushwick border. if you'd like to know what the major difference is, bed-stuy is mostly black and bushwick is mostly latino. not that there aren't some of each in both, with a smattering of most every other race and culture you'll find in nyc. (we seem to have a *little india* developing a block away from our apartment, and there are more indian families as you keep heading in that direction)

so anyways, it was super great to be able to take a short walk down to broadway and be able to buy fresh, local produce and bread. I'm in love with the bushwick market after one visit because of its vibe. it's the combination of the vendors who are eager to bring some good food to the neighborhood and the customers, who are happy to have it there. one woman was so excited, she was making sure everyone knew how great the market was, recommending the smoothies and ratatouille, and keeping the vendors in line! ha ha.

because nyc's such a walking city, it's easy to see when there's a clustering effect among business. it seems like this stretch of broadway is really starting to come up. my previous apartment was very close to this area, so it holds a certain nostalgia for me. my favorite small market, (when I remember to go) ralph ave. market, is over there, as well as the above mentioned collado. there are a couple of new men's clothing/sneaker shops, an immaculate mexican-run butcher, a decent hardware store, the post office and a new walgreens.

oh, and the bushwick farmers' market is holding a *harvest fair* on september 23. see you there?

wednesday freebie on green L.A. girl

green L.A. girl is one of my long-standing favorite blogs on the net. being a former L.A. resident and one who's concerned about the environment, it's hard not to see the city as an example of how not to do things. From its dependence on water that travels hundreds of miles over an aqueduct, to its reliance on the automobile, Los Angeles has become the perfect subject for an environmental blog. In response to the city's inherent inefficiency there are myriad innovators figuring out ways, large and small, to handle the region's environmental concerns. People all over are re-imagining the way L.A. could operate, and Siel, "green L.A. girl," is always on the pulse of these ideas and innovations.

So I'm more than happy to be contributing to the twice-weekly *freebies* feature on green L.A. girl. Siel has given away a number of green items such as clothing made from sustainable materials, books on gardening and cooking green, t-shirts with green messages, body products, and of course the ever-popular canvas shopping bag. this wednesday's item (deadling is sunday) is the molliedash chevron bracelet. all you need to do is comment on the blog, and you will be entered into a drawing to win the bracelet. it's that simple!

new destash

I just posted a bunch of new destash on my etsy shop. each collection is between five and ten dollars, a really good deal. if you're a crafter that loves to use repurposed stuff (like I do) go check it out.

looking for an intern

I'm putting a shout-out to my audience first, before I make a general announcement:

I'm looking for an intern for the fall season, approximately three months.

looking for someone who can help with any or all of the following tasks:

•jewelry assembly, including wire wrapping, knotting, drilling, etc. the wire work is often with heavy gauge wire, which involves antiquing, sanding and polishing.

•photographing products with a digitial SLR.

•editing photos in photoshop.

•creating hand made packaging for orders.

•occasional data entry or other administrative work.

I work out of my studio in Brooklyn. This is an ideal position for a design student, whether in jewelry, fashion or product. You will get hands-on knowledge of the workings of a small design business which was built from the ground up. It's a friendly and flexible environment. Prior experience is not necessary, but some knowledge of design and eye for detail is important. College credit can be arranged.

Please contact me at info@molliedash.com if you are interested.

um, yeah.

so this is what i've been up to lately:

•brooklyn flea, immediately followed by
•gift show (nyigf) to look for new products for everbrite. we found the most kick-ass neon, sparkly, candy-like jewelry from a chicago designer. can't wait till it arrives.
•left town for a long weekend in the catskills, attending a yoga retreat with erin and alex. easily one of the best experiences of my life. got very little sleep on the trip.
•came home to my best friend willie, who had arrived in brooklyn two days before. we spent the next few days running around nyc like madwomen.
•more calls and visits from old friends (old nyc friends, meaning former co-workers, so people i hardly see any more) and yoga classes and baby visits.
•contemplating the mountain of work I have ahead, while feeling deeply grateful for the r&r I've been able to experience. one more mini-vacation coming up-woo hoo! but maybe we'll bring the laptops along.