Little Lessons

It was Saturday morning in Oakland. A number of creators and makers set up stands displaying their proudest collections of things for sale. Pretty stone rings, woven blankets, and vintage purses were waiting for someone to snatch them up. After briefly meeting one of the shop owners and exchanging business cards, I was complimented on my necklace. I thanked her and she followed with the usual question, "who makes it?" I was attending an event that celebrates small businesses and the handmade. So I proceeded to answer her question with my honest answer, American Eagle. The raised eyebrow staring back at me was a bit surprising. Should I not have told the truth?

There I was at a small business party, amazed that the woman was so disgusted that I even dare walk into American Eagle, let alone purchase something. I laughed it off and walked away. I'm a huge fan of handmade goods and supporting small businesses. After all, I am a DIYer and run my own blog. My feelings aren't hurt and I certainly don't mind if she has something against American Eagle. But it made me think about design and the perception of "good design." The woman liked my necklace (so it clearly was "stylish" enough to pass as hand-crafted), but once she knew it was from a chain store, she was uninterested. I'm a firm believer in attainable design, no matter the budget or brand and that's the whole essence of this blog.

On another note, I watched my first soccer game yesterday! I'm from a tiny town where soccer wasn't even an option to play as a sport in high school (crazy huh, considering it's one of the biggest global sports), so I never understood the game or even watched one before. All my thoughts that soccer is "boring" are out the window after watching USA and Portugal.