I love having a smaller home.  I love how easy it is to clean and how low the utilities are.  But if you were to give me a little corner room for anything in the world, this would be it:

My grandma and dad recently combined all of their art supplies to make one very incredible pottery room.  I set the camera on the pottery wheel with the timer on to snap the above photo.

We decided to spend a couple hours glazing.  Glaze is the glass paint you see on your mugs and dishes.  It’s sort of like wet chalk when you put it on your artwork.  Of course we pulled out everything and made a big ol’ mess!

I had these butterflies and a couple of hearts to work on.  I made them a couple months ago, then they were fired.

But what I did mostly?  I just talked.  We all just talked.

My dad says, “Everything is always an experiment.” You don’t know how your art is going to turn out, so the best thing you can do is keep an open mind and open heart.  Just have fun!

It helps to look at life that way, too.  ;)

Here’s an experiment that worked!

I got to bring home a couple of big bowls I made on the wheel.  My dad glazed them for me so they could come home (surprise!), and now Martin has claimed the smaller one as his breakfast bowl.  It’s so much bigger than the bowls here.  The other one is just right for salads and side dishes.

I can’t wait to go back for another visit!

Although Martin’s a little suspicious about this “bad” weather that kept me from coming home last week…

Howdy!  I made it back to the tire house yesterday.  It took a little longer than planned thanks to a few state-wide snow storms, so when I jumped into the car to go, it was -25* F (-32* C).  BRRRRRR!  Sometimes I think the cold weather brings out the greatest spirits of people around here.  I know it did at the Capitol earlier this week when I accepted the EcoStar Award – an award for businesses (like Gadanke!) who consciously choose to make green decisions.

The ceremony was held in the rotunda.  State senators and representatives were pausing from their duties to watch.  The emotion was unreal.

The governor – dressed in jeans and accompanied by his dog – posed with all the winners after his opening speech.  There were small family organic farms, state-wide chain restaurants, businesses trying to address the huge problem of trees lost to pine beetle, and the fantastic Maize of MommyTags.  (I love her famous hand-stamped jewelry and passion!)

Can you spot me?  Tall blonde girl.  Lower left, in the front.

Behind the marble staircase is a statue of my biggest hero – the first female in Congress.  I discovered Jeanette Rankin in fifth grade (even dressed up as her for some history day in school!).  She’s held a huge significance in my life ever since.

She served in the US House before women were even granted the right to vote in the US!

While in office, she also voted no to WWI and WWII because deep in her heart, she didn’t think war was right.  The ridicule she received was intense.  The pure hatred that was cast on her for being “just like a woman” was unreal.  I honestly don’t know how she kept fighting for what she believed and staying true to her heart.

Receiving the EcoStar award really feels like a recognition of something that is so true to my heart.  It’s certainly not easier to run a business with a focus on less waste and more repurposing.  But with a hero like Jeanette Rankin, how could I ever stop fighting for what I believe?

Hi everyone!  A bit of bad weather hit, so I haven’t made it back to the tire house quite yet.  The green business award ceremony in the capitol was awesome.  I’ll show you a few quick photos as soon as I can get back home.

This picture is of my grandma peeking at her newborn sister in her mom’s arms in 1919.  I found it in my dad’s iPhoto.  He’s got so many incredible family photos.  I think I spend hours looking at them every time I’m here.

I’m hoping I can stop by my grandma’s place one more time before heading back home tomorrow (if all goes well!).

Right now, I’m spending time with family.  We’re baking cookies, learning family history, making pottery (including my grandma!), and spotting a sneaky fox in the backyard.

What are you doing right now?

Somebody please pinch me.  It’s time!  It’s time!

We’re heading to the state capital later this week because I’ve got an award to pick up.  (Start pinching me now.)  Gadanke is an oh-so-crazy-proud winner of the EcoStar Pollution Prevention Award.

The pictures below are all going to be projected somewhere in the Capitol Rotunda while we all mingle with the Governor and one another.

My parents will be there.  Martin will be there.  It’s all feeling very surreal.  You’re going to need to pinch me again…

It’s also feeling so exciting to have my very own home state acknowledge the green business choices I’m working so very hard to do.

Thank you all for helping me make this dream happen.  I’ll share all the awesomeness with you when I get home.

Lots of little AMAZING bits to share with you today.  (Not to mention a big cheer for the weekend!)

First up : the winner of five handmade produce bags from Flourish Pets & Home is Aimee.  She says, “I’ve been trying to figure out how to make reusable gift bags, but I’m not much of a seamstress!”  These bags should be just the ticket.

Second:  I loved some of the ways you’re all reducing the plastic garbage in  your homes.  (Forgive me if I didn’t give proper credit for an idea you may have included.)

• packing leftovers and lunches in glass containers and lunch pails – they can be microwaved, too – Jessica, Melissa, Angie, Renee, Corene, Karen, bashtree, Bev
• washing out zip top and plastic produce bags to reuse them a few times - Abbigale and Kerri
• reusing plastic bags as doggy bags – Jenni
• for the last year I’ve had my milk delivered to the door in glass bottles – Hazel
• choosing fabric diapers! – Renee
• buying one piece of produce = no bag, skipping plastic produce bags in general – Beth, Diana
• recently started using the bags I get my newspaper in at the grocery to get my produce – Kati

Sooo many good ideas!    It’s certainly all about adapting to the opportunities we have in our communities.

Jane’s offering 10% off in her shop with the code SIMPLEHOME.  Expires Feb. 25.

Next week, stay tuned for a peek into our cupboards at the tire house.  I’ll show how we try to minimize our plastic use and keep organized.  We’ll also have the third Giving Month challenge.. just a few days late. ;)  I can’t wait!

I love all of your ideas on how we can use less and repurpose.  THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS INSPIRING US!  I really hope none of you starts asking what we should all do with old tires.  I’m not sure what all of you do, but uhhh…

So lets sign off for the weekend on the topic of paper, okay?!  Otherwise I’ll start cracking tire jokes all weekend, and those get old really fast.  How are you trying to reduce your paper garbage/recycling? A big one at our house is getting off of mailing lists.

Now it’s your turn…

I stumbled on this little magazine tidbit about a year ago (from Reader’s Digest, I think) and tucked it into the pocket of my journal.

It reads:  When our school librarian announced she was changing schools, my fellow teacher asked a student, “Why do you think Ms. R– is leaving?”

The third grader opined, “Because she’s read all our books?”

Does that story carry you right back to your elementary school library?  It did for me!

Quite regularly, I drive a neighbor into town, so I had some time to kill at a local coffee shop the other day.  I stumbled on this magazine clipping and reached for one of the library cards in my journal.  I just started writing a few memories about my childhood love of books.

Each little memory begins:  I remember…

I couldn’t believe how many I remembers poured into my mind as I kept writing.

My memories all revolved around my own Mrs. R–.  She was the one who introduced me to books.  She was my mom, and she just so happens to now be a elementary school librarian.  Just as I stumbled on that clipping, she was switching schools for a shorter commute.

Mom, is it really true?  Did you finish reading all of the books in the old school’s library?

Try this exercise from something in your childhood – maybe about your relationship with learning to read, too.  I think you’ll be in love with some of the memories that will come.  You ready?  Here you go:

I remember…