Sunday, December 28, 2008

Gifting Success!


Those of you who have come in and looked at the Lauri Toys Mosaic sets may have heard me say that I gave one to my cousin Gus for his 5th birthday. Well, here's a picture of Gus with one of his completed projects. He looks so proud. . .

We're going to Iowa (if we can get out of here--the basement has been "leaking" a bit) today and will be back to be open on Wednesday from 12-5 for all your host/hostess gift needs for the big New Years Eve parties you're going to. If the weather gets bad, you might want to call the store before venturing out. 708-484-7899.

HUGE thanks to all of you who helped make December our best month ever! I will be posting the raffle winners on New Years Day--good luck to all who entered!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Holiday Schedule

The store will be open regular business hours (Tuesday-Friday 11-7, Saturday 12-5). I would be happy to stay open later/come in on Sunday or Monday if anybody wants me to--please call the store 708-484-7899 to make arrangements. My cell # is 773-213-9494, if I'm not at the store. I live nearby and it's not a big deal to come over to Fly Right to let you shop at your convenience.

I'll be closed on Christmas Day, December 25th. I'll be open the 26th and 27th--then I'm going to close for a few days. I'll post exact dates once they're confirmed.

Here's wishing you all a Happy Christmakwanzikkah!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Giving Etsy a Run for their Money

For those of you who don't know, Etsy is a website with fabulous handmade things for sale. It's like a giant, time-sucking craft fair with all kinds of handcrafted goodies. I used to sell my candles and soaps on there, and many of my artists sell their wares there too. Think of Fly Right as Etsy without paying the shipping and handling!
Handmade in Chicago, Zoe's bows are great for little girls with little hair. They stay in really well, thanks to a super grip clip.

Atomic Mama bibs were handmade here in Berwyn and feature a terrycloth backing and an industrial-strength snap that's easy for parents, but hard for kids to undo.

These earrings from (wired) are handmade in Chicago out of old Effen Vodka labels (they're spongey rubbery). Below is some of their jewelry made from surplus and recycled industrial materials--the red is magnet wire. How attractive!



You should also check out (wired)'s stuff made from vintage electronic resistors--hard to photograph, but easy to love!


These are some hand-crocheted hanging vases made from old glass cigar tubes. A lady named Barbara here in town makes these, and I think they're just adorable! Great for a couple of stems of flowers, or for rooting plants.




Kraptacular Krafts candles made from vintage glassware--these are a few of the holiday ones I have left. Lightly scented with fig or pine, they're great for hostess or Christmas gifts or a little something for yourself. . .






Locally handmade Olive Owl soaps and lip balms make great stocking stuffers!






Handknit Christmas ornaments from local resident Jennifer Dale--bells or wreaths in a variety of colors. These are great tied on top of packages as a little something extra!







Also from Jennifer are these wonderful fingerless mitts--they're so cute and practical. I hate wearing gloves or mittens, but these will keep you warm while still allowing you to find your keys in your pocket. There are also a few beautiful scarves that she made. Mitts come in wool or non-wool options. I've had a lot of people say they would wear these indoors--great for the chilly office or while reading in bed.
Thanks to everyone who braved the nasty weather last Saturday for the Festival of Lights--cold and rainy, but it looked like people were having fun.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Gifts for people who cook (and who doesn't cook?!)

If you cook, you've got dishes to wash. Mrs. Meyer's makes both traditional dish soap, and dishwasher soap. Both are natural, hard working, and they smell great (kinda like me!).

After you wash the dishes, you need to dry them. I have two different sets of Christmas-themed dish towels: four towels folded neatly into a cute fabric bag. Display them or use them--they'll put a festive spin on your kitchen decor. These are a great host/hostess gift for those holiday parties you'll be attending.


I have both holiday and all-season dip chillers now. Just put ice in the bottom part, and your dip stays cool throughout the whole party (or movie, or whatever). Both come in 1 and 2 cup sizes. I just got in a fresh order of dip mix--a great stocking stuffer for anybody--even those who don't cook (you need to stir, and that's about it).






The handmade cutting boards and wine holders are a perfect gift for that special cook in your life. Handcrafted in Berwyn by a Berwyn artist, Nevin Peters. We also have the perfect conditioner for them--Howard Naturals' Butcher Block Conditioner. It's unscented (unlike their other fabulous woodcare products), all natural, and very moisturizing to keep your cutting boards from drying out (as comes with washing). Resting atop these boards is some Chef's hand cream from Sunfeather Natural Soaps.



Saturday, December 6, 2008

Gifts for the traveler in your life

Sometimes you need prints to show off your fun vacation--a 4x6" photo album with vintage camera look to it is just the thing!




These 100% recycled plastic totes and shoulder bags pack flat, but hold a lot on your way home! Both will easily fit in the carry-on box at the airport.

These accordion file folios are perfect for holding coupons, tickets, receipts, etc. and they have a notepad and a loop for your pen.



Got a black suitcase? So does everybody else, it seems. These TyVek luggage tags are just the ticket to set yours apart from the sea of others! They're cute, clever, and funny and are made of virtually indestructable material that is not only recycled, but also recyclable! There are 10 of them per package, so even your carry-on can have one.




Thursday, December 4, 2008

More toys than you can shake a stick at!

We have a variety of cute Christmas/Winter themed toys for kids, including an adorable Advent calendar that you can use year after year. It's like the sticker play scenes, only you add a new sticker to the North Pole scene every day until Dec. 24th, then you add Santa in his sleigh. I remember how excited I used to get when it was time to do the next thing on the Advent Calendar, but unlike the paper ones, this one can be used over again every year. The "stickers" are actually like Colorforms, repositionable vinyl figures of sledders, skaters, snowmen, etc.

Check out this City Ramp racing Set! It's one of those things you can do over and over again and never get bored watching those little cars zooming down the ramps!

This has been on backorder (along with the cookies and grill set) for months! The Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Parlor set with magnetic scoops of ice cream and cones. They have one you can play with down at Over the Rainbow, so if your kids would like to take if for a test drive, see Tom.



The Slice and Bake Cookie Set from Melissa and Doug is brand new, and it looks fun. Slice 'em, bake 'em, and top 'em--just don't eat 'em. Even comes with a cute spatula and oven mitt. The grill set allows you to make kabobs and even comes with wooden barbeque tongs. The box looks like a grill, so you can pretend it's a little kiddie hibachi! The veggies and steak-like things are velcro-able, so you get to slice them apart with the included wooden knife. Just don't use real fire, and you're set!
We're gearing up for the Deck the Depot Festival of Lights on December 13th. Santa's coming, and some real reindeer too (you can pet them and everything!). Strolling carolers, and a fun contest sponsored by all of us merchants (you should see the prizes we've put together!). The contest is a punch card--just visit all the participating stores, get your card punched, and then fill out your information and drop it in the raffle box--we have 2 prize baskets with gift certificates, books, wine, Christmas decorations and more for the lucky winners. You have to have all your punches, though, or we'll recycle your entry like last week's newspaper. You have to be 21, also.


Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Christmas Merchandise for All!


Just the sweetest little gift cards ever--vintage repro in a paper envelope--20 for $5.50!



Time to think about sending out Christmas cards! We have a small selection of singles (some new, some vintage, and some local artist-made), as well as boxed sets.






Great new stuff from Pacifica--gift sets with a small body butter, a candle, matches, and a solid perfume--for only $15! Available in Avalon Juniper (shown) or Mediterranean Fig scents. Also some great new candles for the holidays!




Who doesn't love Rudolph? Cute Rudy puzzles and Christmas cards are here! We've also got Christmas themed lace up cards and sticker play scenes. There are lots of great Christmas linens to check out, too! We'll be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but Friday and Saturday we're open our regular hours--I'll be serving refreshments and playing Christmas muzak all day both days.







Tuesday, November 18, 2008

More Gift Wrap ideas


These are some gift wrapping ideas you can do with cloth--either fabric yardage or premade things (I used a hanky for the CD and cloth napkins for the others). Once again, use a reusable ribbon or string, if possible. Won't it be nice to have a Christmas where you don't have a whole garbage bag full of torn wrapping paper at the end of the day?


Friday, November 14, 2008

More Green Gift Wrap ideas

Why not use a decorative paper bag from a store for wrapping paper? This one is from here!


Many products come packaged in clear plastic boxes (this one had a Mudlark soap/lotion/candle gift set in it). You can peel off any stickers and put a gift wrapped in tissue paper, shredded paper, or raffia inside. Add a simple reusable ribbon plus an image from a used greeting card, and you have a display-worthy gift!

You can make your own holiday wrap (especially for small items like gift cards) out of kraft paper (I get lots of stuff packed in it) and a rubber stamp. Just color it with marker or colored pencil and it looks quite festive. If you need any kraft paper, just ask me for some. You can usually iron out the wrinkles and it's fine.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Handmade Book Journals

Our trip to Iowa was nice--always good to see the family. My purpose was twofold--see the 'rents, and pick up some journals to sell in the store. The sister of a family friend of ours (the aforementioned Milly who stopped by the store one day and dropped off some totes she had made) makes some incredible journals out of used hardcover books. She helps with her local charity (Planned Parenthood) book drive and sale, and when she finds books that are incomplete or missing pages, she takes them and makes these darling notebooks out of them! She lines them with lovely paper stock (they all have at least one pocket on the left inside cover) and inserts a notepad. I've been emailing her for months trying to figure out what kind of books I'd want--I described myself and the store to her, and I must say, she hit the nail on the head! Here are some photos:


Saturday, November 8, 2008

Green Holiday Gift Wrapping

The store will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th. Regular hours will start back up on the 12th. Gotta go home and see the folks before the big holiday rush!

Well, I've been wrapping fake gifts for my window display, and I've come up with some good ideas for wrapping things without causing too much waste. First of all, use things like satin and tulle ribbons that you can use over and over again. Everything I used on these (as far as ribbons go) are ones I kept off of gifts I have received or that I bought at the thrift store in huge bags for a buck.

I think it's better to get one roll (or sheet) of wrapping paper that you love, and use it sparingly than to buy a whole package of rolls of cheap, crappy wrapping paper. The one kind of gift wrap I'm selling this season is called "Stranger Manger" and it's from Pop Ink (a division of the French Paper Company--which has been using 100% hydro-electrical power since 1922). Here are some delightful pictures of the gifts I wrapped using their paper as an accent (the underpaper--is that a word?--is just paper that was used as packing material in shipments I've received:


I'll do some more and share them with you later!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Treats for kids and adults!


Tomorrow is finally Halloween! I'm ready for the trick or treaters (as you know). The treats for adults will come on Tuesday November 4th. Bring in your voting receipt and receive 15% off anything you buy. Shop early, shop often!



Fly Right Gifts will be the official outlet of Berwyn C.A.R.E.S.'s T-shirts and totebags. The shirts are in kids' sizes small-large. The proceeds from the sale of these things goes directly to fund teacher grants for Berwyn Public Schools. Click on the title of this post to link to Berwyn C.A.R.E.S.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Fly Right Gifts on Apartment Therapy

One of my customers, Alex, writes for Apartment Therapy (a wonderful resource for all kinds of design/living ideas). She did a piece on the store today! You can link to the article by clicking on the title of this post. While you're there, look around at all the great stuff--they even have a green section! So many great concepts in one place!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

They're Here!

I sold out of the first batch very quickly, and I'm pleased to announce that the Berwyner T-shirts have arrived! This time we have them in adult sizes small-XXL. I told you that we'd have them in plenty of time for the holidays. . .


Another addition to the Halloween aisle (okay, I know it's not really an aisle, but that just sounded good) are these adorable ghost pins made by a young entrepreneur in the Depot District. He's 11, and he needs to replace the deck of his skateboard, so he has to raise some cash for the cause. Edible jewelry. I love it, and so will you (or the kid on your extra special treat list).

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Candy!

I just got my shipment of Yummy Earth Organic lollipops today. Of course, for quality control purposes I am "testing" one right now. I ordered them from The Greater Green, and they came in a few short days. This one is Mango Tango flavor. It truly lives up to its name, Yummy! I will be handing them out for trick or treat at the store. I'll stick with the Ferrara Pan Candy plan for home. Maybe I'll bring the leftover Yummies home, but they're going to be hard to part with--they really are that good. You can order your own pops from The Greater Green by clicking on the title of this post. They also have an awesome selection of other green goods, so don't say I didn't warn you. . .

Monday, October 13, 2008

PETA might have some issues with this. . .

Please don't hate me because I did this. I do it every year, and nothing bad has come from it. I put my cats in Halloween costumes. Laverne DeClawsio would like you, the readers of this blog, to help her decided which costume to wear this year. Her sister Shirley Feline has decided to wear whichever one Laverne rejects. Please leave your votes in the comment section. Thanks!

"I'm thinkin' Wendy's"

OR
"What are ya'? Chicken?"

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Halloween merchandise & a new book




Well, I think I have enough Halloween stuff in my store now. Who am I kidding, there's never enough Halloween stuff. . . The landlord was in on Saturday, and he panicked when he saw spiders and rats--that is, until he realized they were fake. * tee hee *

I just got copies of the book Celebrate Green. It's a great guide for ways to celebrate holidays with a lighter impact (or no impact) on the environment. There are tips ranging from decorating and entertaining to gift-giving, and lots more. I was pleased that many of the gifts they mention in the book are things that I carry in the store! They donate a portion of the proceeds from the book to charities, too (Treeswing and Healthy Child Healthy World). And of course it's printed on recycled paper! To read more about it, click the title of this post!

The bottle cap spider was a little trickier than I thought it would be. I was struggling with the legs. The wire I was trying to use was really flimsy and I couldn't figure out how to attach it to the body or wrap it with the electrical tape. Well, Hubby Jon came to the shop yesterday to install my security cameras, and he had all these little scraps of black plastic-coated cable. Just the perfect bendable black legs for my little spider!

You may be asking what's so green about security cameras? Well, they are cameras Jon salvaged from jobs--he replaces the old ones with newer ones, and they expect him to get rid of the old ones for them. Well, he did. And since most of his jobs are in big places, he always has shortish runs of cable leftover that are too short to use on those big jobs. The computer I have them hooked up to Jon's old one that he held onto, "just in case". I don't really know if I NEED security cameras, but it's nice that I can see what's going on in front when I'm in back. And I'm really interested in watching how people shop in the store--where do they look? What do they overlook? I think it will help me design better displays. And maybe seeing myself on camera all the time will make me dress a little better, lose some weight, and comb my hair (or at least I'll stand up straighter!). And, since crime is up all over due in part to the economy, it makes us feel a little safer.

One last thing--October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Fly Right Gifts and Audrey Gerdt have teamed up to raise money for this worthy cause. Audrey has made some pretty bracelets featuring a small dangle with the pink ribbon symbol on them. We are selling them for $15 each, and 100% of the money goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Monday, September 29, 2008

It's begining to look a lot like Halloween!

I am making some Halloween decorations for the store this week. I was on a quest today to find some good, fake spiders for a wreath I'm doing. This is proving harder than I thought, so I'll try to make some out of plastic soda bottle lids and electrical tape. Lord knows we have enough of both of those things in our house! My quest lead me to many places I rarely visit--both -Marts (K-and Wal-), Michael's (okay, not THAT rare for me), and a Halloween Store that has popped up where Wickes Furniture was. All that was was a giant version of Kmart's Halloween aisle--complete with K's on the price tags. But no spiders that were small enough to fit on a wreath! I'll let you know how my homemade spiders come out.

I also thought about what I was going to give out to trick or treaters this year. It needs to be "green" in some way. So I searched out organic Halloween candy. Not in my budget. Small toys? All made in China. What's a girl to do??? Then I remembered that there is a candy factory in nearby Forest Park--the Ferrara Pan Candy Company. Makers of Lemonheads, Red Hots, Boston Baked Beans, etc. They have an outlet store within the factory, and they said they'd soon be getting Halloween size boxes in mixed bags. That's about as green as I can afford to get, so I'm going to. I have to get the scoop on whether or not kids trick or treat in the Depot District. I would assume that some of my "regulars" will come by. I'm sure everyone knows I love Halloween, and they will assume I'll have treats. So I will!

***Corny Joke Warning***

Why did the Vampire subscribe to the Wall Street Journal?
He heard it had great circulation...

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Freecycle Rules!

About 4 weeks ago, I put an ad on Freecycle that I had moving and storage boxes up for grabs. I said it was ongoing, and people are still contacting me about them. I'm so glad I thought to do that! Before I was open, I'd just put a sign in the window, and people would stop and get them, but now that I have a real window display, I didn't want to ruin it with my hand-rendered cardboard sign. It's kind of sad, because I think most of the people who are getting them are helping their parents move out of the family home (or at least their parents' stuff--I think some have passed away). But at least I can help them out in this small way. I do have a realtor friend, Stacey, who has gotten some for her clients who are selling their homes and need to start packing. And a few customers have taken some to use to donate their old toys and stuff to make room for new ones (from Fly Right Gifts, of course!).

A lot of my products comes wrapped in huge sheets of kraft paper. Yesterday I ironed it all and I'm taking it down to the daycare center for them to use to cover tables when they do art projects--or the kids could lay on the floor and make giant drawings. I knew I was hoarding it for a reason! And my storage room is going to look and function so much better once I get this stuff out of there!

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Oktoberfest Success!

This was the scarecrow that the kids from Prairie Oak school made for Berwyn C.A.R.E.S. She's the old lady who swallowed a fly (I don't know why she swallowed a fly, perhaps she'll die)! I had the pleasure of hosting her right in front of the store all weekend. In the background is the Cuckoo Haus (Germanic version of a fun house). I didn't venture in there--I was too busy.

Wow. That's all I can say about Oktoberfest in Berwyn. They really did it up right! I was really proud when a very young girl came into my store and bought a small, but relatively expensive stuffed panda (made of soybeans and kapoc, thus the added cost) with her carnival money from her parents. He was only slightly larger than the smallest carnival game prize animals, but oh so soft and eco-friendly! And way cuter, too. I'm sure all those cheapie prizes will end up in a landfill soon. The panda probably won't, but if he does, at least he's biodegradable.

I'm so glad that I stayed open until 11pm both Friday and Saturday nights--tons of new people came in, and many bought stuff. It was great exposure for the store, since we were right along the carnival midway. I met so many new people and my head is swimming with names and information! I got to see a lot of previous customers, and acquired a lot of new ones as well. The feedback I got was overwhelmingly positive. Now I feel really great about taking this giant step. I can't believe how many people actually bought stuff. . .they had to carry it around with them all night! I think I'll be seeing lots of them again, too.

At Angel-a's urging, I put out the Halloween merchandise early. I'm so glad I did. I didn't sell a lot over the weekend, but I have a feeling people will be back for it soon! And it's just so darn cute! I did sell a lot of the paper decorations that I had--vintage reproduction cutouts, still made by Beistle.

I'll be writing about ways to "green" up your Halloween in upcoming blogs. Thanks to everyone who came to Oktoberfest, and especially those who stopped by to check out the store!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Rain, rain, go away! (in other words, take a hike, Ike!)

Well, for the past few days we've been having rain, and plenty of it! Chicagoland broke the previous record for inches of rain this weekend. There has been lots of flooding in the area, and I know of many people who had water in their basements--I'm one of them. For us, it was coming in through the walls, and in a couple of places it was seeping up through the basement floor tiles. And through the bricks in the fireplace. Luckily, we noticed it before it got deep, and I set to work with my handy shop vac and tons of towels. Of course Jon was out of town until Sunday afternoon, so I was on my own until then.

The rain barrel was overflowing right away, and since it's right next to the house, I had to reset the downspout to go back into the storm sewer. Once we get the water level down a bit in there, I'll put the down spout back to the barrel. It really helps that we connected it with a flexible "hose" that was pretty easy to maneuver back towards the sewer downspout.

The pond that had formed in our back yard is still sinking into the ground (although it stopped raining yesterday) and thus, into one wall crack in our basement. The crack is behind the built-in work bench, so it was hard to get to. When Jon got home, his engineering brain set in and he came up with a way to corral the water into a bucket using a cheap plastic dust pan that he screwed to a lower shelf board and braced against the wall--the water just slid down through the handle and into a bucket! The bucket needed to be emptied about every half hour, so I put a large, flat plastic box under it so we could get a few hours' sleep. It would be impossible to empty it, due to the shelf, but that's where the shop vac comes in. The leaks were on all four sides of the house, so I got a pretty good workout running between the puddles and dumping 10 gallons of water at a time down the basement sink. Not to mention hauling all the boxes that had gotten wet out to the garage to dry out before recycling them. I used to hoard boxes (ya' never know when you'll need a good box!), but now that I have the store, I have a steady supply of boxes--which I give away to anyone who needs them.

So now, I'm thinking I need to disinfect the whole basement, since I'm really allergic to mildew and mold. But what can I use that isn't chemical? Well, we all know that vinegar is a darn good cleaner/disinfectant, but do I want my basement to smell like vinegar? So I hit the internet good and hard today, and found several recipes for natural disinfectants. One said to add about 10 drops of essential oil to white distilled vinegar and that should take care of the smell. Another one said to use 1/2 teaspoon of tea tree oil & 2 cups of water--spray on and wipe off. The most intriguing, and complicated one was this:
2 cups water
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 tsp. tea tree oil
1/4 tsp. lime essential oil
1/4 tsp. grapefruit essential oil

I started to calculate the cost on that one (essential oils are kind of pricey) and then a searched for a pre-made natural disinfectant. There's one on the market called "Benefect" that is sold online at www.householdtraditions.com. It's $40 for one gallon. Back to the recipe. . .

I think I'll just use straight vinegar and follow it up with a good mopping with Mrs. Meyer's all purpose cleaner. It smells so good, that I'm sure the vinegar smell will disappear. And Aldi has vinegar for $.69.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Septemberfest

The weather has been feeling a bit Fall-ish lately, and for that I am thankful. Things around the shop have been a little slow recently, which I guess is to be expected since everyone just spent all their money on school supplies and new shoes for the kiddies. I'm taking this time to gear up for the upcoming holiday, and by that I mean Halloween! I just ordered some adorable Halloween tablecloths, treat bags, place mats, and dish towels! I also got a nice Fall tablecloth with autumn leaves on it. I also have a really cute kit to make witch hand puppets, and a magnetic monster maker (you pick a background and then mix-n-match your monster's head, torso and legs--it's killing me to not have one for my own personal enjoyment!). I'm trying not to go too overboard, as I understand not everyone is as excited about Halloween as I am. I hope I get some trick or treaters at the store, and I hope I get home in time to see some of the ones there, too! My dear hubby had better have that afternoon off so he can man the fog machine and have the treats ready!

I have some cute new BlueQ bags that just came in--all made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. I've got 2 styles of shoulder bags, shopper totes, and small totes, and of course the coin purses (4 styles in all now). I've also replenished the water bottle selection, and I now have the very PC and cool stainless steel ones in addition to the cute plastic ones. I've got a couple of other orders due soon--the soda bottle birdfeeder kit, wooden train whistle, and more fun Pacifica stuff (if you like gin and tonics, you'll love their newest Juniper stuff).

I'm gearing up to redo the store window soon--we have the big Depot District Oktoberfest coming up the 19th and 20th. That should give me some good exposure--it's right out in front! There will be food vendors, bands, games, activities for the kids, and of course beer. I decided I'll stay open late-ish (if there's any interest). It should be fun, so if you're in the neighborhood stop by! I'm still not sure what to do with the window--probably just a general Fall thing that will easily morph into a Halloween spooktacular. I'm practically sitting on my hands to keep from spookin' the place up too early! I've got some great Halloween rubber stamps to play with in the meanwhile.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Fly Right reviewed on Yelp.com!


Fly Right Gifts


I have been Yelping about other businesses for about a year now. Now that I have my own store (with its first Yelp review)I can see how valuable customer input is. Hopefully all my reviews will be five stars--I try hard to make people's shopping experiences postive. The girl who reviewed me is a fellow Berwynite. We had reviewed several of the same businesses, and we share a favorite menu item in our favorite Mexican restaurant. We met for the first time when she came into the store. Thanks, Clarissa J. for the nice review!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

I'm back!

What a great trip we had! It's always good to be home, though, even when it means washing the sand and river goo out of everything you brought. The weather was perfect--warm and sunny during the day, and cold enough to make you love the campfire at night. Alex and Joanna from The Greater Green were there and they brought an organic watermelon from their garden that was the best I've ever tasted. We're hoping to get the CSA boxes going next year. That means yummy boxes of their tasty produce delivered to my door (and you can pick them up from Fly Right if you sign up ahead of time!). Hopefully we'll get the logistics worked out (Alex works in Chicagoland several days a week, so he can just bring 'em on over) and it will be a go! They're not certified organic yet, but since they cleared the land themselves, I'm pretty sure that pesticides have never touched that ground. They are certified "natural" for now. And their corn was awesome too! It sounds like they've been working really hard all Summer long. For now they've just been doing their local farmer's market. Joanna has been making beautiful jewelry from fair trade beads--I have a couple of her necklaces at the store. Alex made a couple of cool cedar soap decks for me from a fallen tree from his neighbor's property. There's one left for sale at the store--hurry in if you're interested. The craftsmanship is awesome, and it smells sooo good.