The July list

image from Hello Glow

Hello! I've just returned from a trip to London, Paphos, and Chania (Paphos being the destination for a cousin's wedding) and am golden tanned and ready to take on summer. Just in time, as it's getting more consistently hot in the city, and we have a weekend on Shelter Island coming up.

Here's my July list, filled with small goals for my recurring themes, a couple of new things, and some exciting plans.

One. Fitz training. We have a lot of time to make up for with this little guy. He's got Sit down, and is doing really well on Stay. This month, I'd love for him to master Stay, learn Down, and start to practice Place (going to his designated spot in the home).

Two. Try new clay. At last! I've finished the bag of white clay that I've been using for many months. My studio sells them in 25 pound bags so it takes quite a while to go through one. The white clay is a standard stoneware mix that is used in their pottery classes. This month, I'd like to move onto trying a speckled light brown as well as porcelain. Two very different textures to practice with.

Three. Prepare for Big Sky Pond. I.e.: prepare for Kev's 30th birthday! The folks who are joining us are all getting excited as well, even ordering multiple giant inflatable pool floats for the pond, which, if you think about how we're all apartment dwellers with no access to pools ever, is kind of adorable and hilarious.

Four. Dabble in DIY beauty. Annie is super into this idea too and I'm already dreaming of all of the different things we'll make in my little kitchen using baking tools and random jars.

Five. Spend time building my Mammoth & Minnow Instagram account. I've recently changed my Etsy shop's name from Owly Knits to Mammoth & Minnow. I'd agonized over the name for some time, knowing that I needed a new brand because the items in my shop were expanding beyond knit goods. I love ceramics and home goods and want to be able to feature more of the things I'd love to have in my own home. I also want to leave room for my ever-evolving hobbies. I chose the name Mammoth & Minnow because 1) I wanted something starting with M, the first letter of my name. 2) I love the dichotomy of the two animals: big and small, land and sea. 3) It makes me feel close to the earth to have creatures as my shop name.

Six. Sew something. Anything!