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Entrepedalers – a new term for people delivering food and making a profit by bicycle. This new trend is picking up speed.

People are baking goods, or cooking and delivering the goods around town. How might you be able to find where they are? The inventions of the 21st century…Twitter.

Since we are a small business as well, I love hearing of others. Because of the recession I actually think it has created some incentive for new methods of how to do business. Low overhead is key and why not be green by going by bicycle! You avoid the price of gas, get exercise and it is sometimes faster than taking a vehicle. You could be  walking around doing errands pick up a handbaked pie from a local baker on a bike and be on your way!

My only question is, do they fear someone getting sick from their food if it isn’t made in a commercial kitchen?

To read the entire article click on the link below.

http://www.sfbike.org/main/entrepedalers-deliver-the-goods/

http://explore.org/videos/player/cr-earth-university

This video I found truly inspiring for my business and I think will inspire a lot of people especially those involved with food or conservation. Earth University, located in Costa Rica, picks 100 students to really learn hands on experience for sustainability and why it is important for the future of our planet. These students are expected to then go into their own business or directly use what they learn in their future job field.

I found this video related to Local Patron and SFGallery143 because we feature a lot of items that are made from recycled parts or used items and remade into something new. This limits the footprint the artist leave behind while educating our customers that there are other options to buying items that are shipped or made overseas.

We hope to inspire our customers that they can find a range of artists who make things locally and use recycled materials such as recycled silver for our jewelry such as Penelope’s Passion Jewelry, The Brown Banana, and Josie Adele. Read some PRESS about our last store.

I highly recommend watching it.

Going to the local Cafe from my house, my boyfriend picked up a July 2009 issue of  Road & Track magazine and found an interesting article in it called “What Matters To You?“. On page 58, Founder David MacNeil of MacNeil Automotive Products Limited, speaks about the importance of  America bringing back jobs and manufacturing to the country.

The majority of products now found in the local hardware stores are made overseas just to save some change on the price of the product. How many of you know of a company that have outsourced jobs and  manufacturing to save some dough?  

“To these ruthless buyers, it is all about the money. Rarely are product quality, the political system, human rights, animal rights and environmental costs to the planet considered, not to mention the cost to our society of exporting not only jobs, but an entire factory!”

In 2007, his company manufactured back in the US because they weren’t happy about the quality of their products. They have gone on to be the most “efficient tool and mold making operation in the world”. The company is well known for their car mats and molds.  Everything from their CNC mills are made in Oxnard, CA; thermoforming machinery is made in Illinois, aluminum billets and raw steel are from Fontana, CA; and the all-weather floor mats, mud flaps, floor liners, cargo liners are from Ohio, Texas, Kansas and Tennessee.  

To prove their point more they are “proactive in controlling waste and recycling all of the unused raw materials from the manufacture of our tooling…”  The jobs linked by the machinery, parts, services, etc. includes a family of over “300,000 million people from all over America.”  

I am glad to hear of companies and magazines in other industries writing about the importance of keeping things local, especially during America’s economic recession. Can you think of a better solution that would help bring back jobs, our strength in the economy and abroad as well as help the environment than making things in America?

With our June Store this past month we found people to be incredibly price conscious because people were out of work or were scared of losing work. The days of impulse buying are over. People are taking longer to think about what purchases they really need.

It is in this economy that it is very important that we each do our part to teach one another how much better it is to buy something that might cost a little bit more because it goes back into our communities in America and is probably the actual price and cost of  how much these items are worth.

People forget that the reason a shirt can cost $50 bucks is because we are trying to pay a local person at least minimum wages/hour that it took to make the shirt and the true cost of materials. Take that calculated cost and double it if you want to make a profit for the person selling it and who made it.

I can tell you I will be looking into buying from this company because of this article. I hope to hear about more and more companies that are keeping things made in America and local. 

If you know of any articles or companies I would love to hear from you.

Thanks!

To Read the full article click Here!

Check out this new collection by Josie Adele!

Keeping things green is definitely an interest here at SF Gallery 143 and this collection is a great way to help Mother Earth.  Each design comes with 1,450 lbs of verified TerraPass carbon offsets equivalent to the average American’s month of electricity use.  In addition, each piece is made from 100% recycled silver. 

Part of this collection is coming soon to our website. So stay tuned and stay green!

Hello Readers! I wanted to share some amazing press coverage that our friend Gabriel Colaluca is getting online and on TV!  Check out the following link to see his jewelry “as seen on CNN”! That’s right, his jewelry is getting coverage on CNN and will be on TV tomorrow, 11/4/08.  Go Gabe Go!  And just a reminder, if you would like to buy his line “The Brown Banana”, which is all made from recycled watches, typewriters, and various other objects, please visit our website www.SFGallery143.com!

CNN

As a member of the California Academy of Sciences I was able to get a sneak peak of the new green building before its Grand Opening September 27th, this Saturday!  Check out the first green building to ever house an aquarium, planetarium, and museum under one roof! 

I wanted to spread the word about this great place that shows how vital it is to gain knowledge of our oceans and earth. I appreciate so much those who support organic produce, fair trade, shopping locally, recycling, and supporting businesses that do their part in making our world a greener place. I hope these pictures motivate you to do the same and keep our earth beautiful.

Unfortunately, buying a 2 year membership and seeing the preview didn’t even allow us to see the Planetarium OR the Rain Forest Globe.  Hey, what’s up with that?? But I did enjoy everything else that was there. I also enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to wait through a huge line of people to view the exhibits. So, if you can’t wait at least 6 months until the public dies down on visiting the space, here are some pictures to hold you over.  

Visit the website at: http://www.calacademy.org/

If you are bored with the same old clothes and are concerned about how to go green, this was a very entertaining show to go to. 2nd Skin was an installation project of imaginative design in digital, analog clothing and recycled materials. The entire night was filled with activities that only the Exploratorium could provide. If nothing was going on at any given moment, you were allowed to view and interact with the exhibits that were part of the Exploratorium itself.

The night consisted of demonstrations by Bad Unkle Sista, Sha Sha Higby, and Takehito Etani (to name a few) followed by the demonstration of a very odd “comical” performance by Pat Oleska. The Runway Show involved Exploratorium staff and local designers. To end the night was a public show by people who came to the event in their own creations. Here are some pictures of the night. Enjoy!!!

The Third Eye Project – By Takehito Etani: Video headgear is placed on the eye of the beholder and projected on a wall within the building.

Luminous Trees are hooked up to the rider’s bicycle.

Soft Circuitry: Lit up soft, flexible fabric-based computers

The Masticator – Takehito Etani: Headgear that gives audiovisual feedback of chewing (but only goes to number 9)

Stories of Fusion – By Bad Unkle Sista: Singer with an amazing voice

Stories of Fusion- By Bad Unkle Sista: Skin extends to fuse many individuals into one body

Stories of Fusion – By Bad Unkle Sista

Stories of Fusion – By Bad Unkle Sista

Stories of Fusion – By Bad Unkle Sista

The Host for the Runway

In a Glass Cloud – By Sha Sha Higby: Sculpture moving in many intricate pieces

Sha Sha Higby

PinWheel Dress – By Nicole Arauzo with Wray Serna

Salvaged Scrap – By Miranda Caroligne: Ensemble intertwining ethics and aesthetics

Salvaged Scrap – By Miranda Caroligne

Miranda Caroligne herself

Miranda Caroligne herself

Silence Dress- By Alyce Santoro: Made from recycled recorded household cassette tape with a polyester wrap, which is able to be played.

Snickers Dress – By Anna Rochester: A dress made from Snickers wrappers.

Miss Filmina Sprockets and Miss Patina Green – By Michael Brown with Michael Swaine: Inspired by film divas, this outfit was created from leftovers from a previous project.

Eden Purse – By Evan Neumann: back lit interchangeable artwork with an interior light and phone charger.

Scott Tallenger – Dress tribute to Norma Desmond

Scott Tallenger

Mr. Daily News – Remade in America: Suit made entirely from newspaper

Miss Daily News: Dress made entirely from newspaper

Urban TumbleWeed – Karen Wilkinson: Made entirely from plastic bags, dry cleaner bags and Home Depot bags.

Domini: Ballet costumes constructed from re-used materials… Here is Rothbart the evil villian in Swan Lake

Domini: Odette from Swan Lake

Domini: Coppelia (lantern dress) and Sugarplum (bubble wrap tutu)

Cocoon Collection – Miss Velvet Cream: The designers adorable daughter

Cocoon Collection – Miss Velvet Cream

Cocoon Collection – Miss Velvet Cream

This Wednesday I was able to attend BadUnklSista’s Trunk Show. Located on 7th and Market, the once monthly show brings in new Designers and Jewelers. Seen were names I recognized from the Eternal Spring extravaganza. Nika Tang (who organized Eternal Spring), was there as well. My apologies to those names that weren’t mentioned (I need to bring a notepad and pen next time). Wine and munchies were also provided along with some very moody music. Featured mostly below are costumes made by Anastazia.I hope you find them just as amazing as I do. Anastazia started out making her own costumes for a stilt troop which was mandatory. Surprisingly, she hated it. They liked her ideas so much she then provided the costumes for the whole troop. Now other people, and myself, can enjoy her wonderful costumes and clothing. I guess you can’t ignore talent. Enjoy the pictures!

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