Made in the USA: The Frye Company

It is hard to determine exactly how long, but I have had a pretty strong obsession on boots for a long time. I love boots of all types: varying heights, with heels, without heels, combat boots, western style, or whatever, as long as the boots are tastefully designed.

The first time I saw a pair of Frye boots in a department store, I knew I had to own them. I waited for the end of the season sale in case my favorite pair is on sale. It never happened. Turned out that it is one of the most popular styles which has a small chance of discontinuation as long as the brand thrives. It will never be on sale. Darn.

The following winter, I purchased a pair of Frye Harness 12R boots in brown.

The boots are made of thick leather and are very heavy; these are not recommended for people who love lightweight boots. These boots complement many different types of outfits for years to come. I would consider getting another pair in black.

The brand is now owned by a company based in Hong Kong, and some boots and accessories are made outside the US. Harness 12R is still made in the USA. I hope it stays that way.

Made in the USA & Go Local: Handmade Soaps from Food4YourSkinOnline, ironwood Ranch, and South Austin People

Arizona has art and craft fairs in spring, fall,and winter. The summer here is so hot that people don't even have yard sales during the summer heat. Finding arts and crafts made by local residents is fascinating; the artists are usually present at the booth, and they are generally very excited to talk about their work. The nosy curious person like me truly enjoy talking to whoever creates interesting things.

Although trying something new and creating things are activities that fuel my life, there are certain things I would rather buy from someone else. Soap is one of those things. Soap making sounds fun especially after reading the novel Fight Club (just kidding), but I would not know what to do with lots of soaps unless I can sell them. I also like switching scent of soap, so making a batch with one scent and using that for a long time would probably bore me. Luckily, there are many soap makers in Arizona who I can by soaps from whenever I need them.

In Southern Arizona, my favorite local soaps come from Food4YourSkinOnline. The soap maker sells soap and other skin care products at art fairs as well as at her online store. The soaps have fantastic scents and lather nicely.

Photo from Food4YourSkinOnline

Ironwood Ranch makes superb goat milk soaps. They are easy to find as they are st St. Philips market in Tucson on most Saturdays. Because of the combination of goat milk and essential oils, the soaps have distinctive fragrance. Their soaps are great for body wash.

When I was living in Texas, I only used soaps from South Austin People. I miss their lemongrass and ginger soap and Texas pecan eucalyptus soap! As much as I miss them, I insist on buying soap locally.

Photo from South Austin People

I definitely recommend buying soaps in person since some scents are really unpredictable from the names. There are more local soap makes than people think. Go local!

Made in the USA: Lodge

Lodge has been manufacturing cast iron cookware for over 100 years. Their products are not just for kitchen use; every camping gear store I have visited have at least one Lodge cookware in the store.

Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven

About a year ago, I tasted a great pistachio cherry bread and got a recipe for the bread. The recipe requires a heavy-duty cast iron Dutch Oven, so I purchased a Lodge Dutch oven. I don't know why, but I have not been motivated enough to bake the bread since the recipes not requiring a heavy Dutch oven are easier to make. How can I stop being lazy and bake that tasty pistachio cherry bread?

Lodge Cactus Baking Pan

This cactus baking pan is on my wish list. Living in Arizona, this pan should have plenty of chances to show off what it is designed to do: make cute cactus corn bread, scones, or whatever. The only reason it is not yet in my kitchen is I have to get rid of things I don't need to make some room for new kitchen toys. Time to donate unused items to a thrift store.

Made in the USA: Paige Denim

My short height and curvy bottom make shopping for jeans ridiculously challenging. If the legs feel right, it is too big around the waist. For a long time, I had been jealous of tall skinny people with flat butts who can buy jeans off a store shelf and wear them without alteration. Thanks to many clothing companies producing jeans for curvy figure made with stretchy materials, people in all sorts of shapes can find a perfect pair.

Finding my first Paige Denim jeans changed the way I dress. Their jeans are incredibly comfy, and now I am wearing jeans all the time. Even their skinny jeans are comfortable. Actually, I could not fit in any other skinny jeans and never owned skinny jeans before. What makes buying Paige Denim products better is they are manufactured in the USA.

Photo from zappos.com

Like many denim manufacturers' products nowadays, Paige Denim jeans are not cheap. I check Nordstrom Rack and other discount stores whenever I am nearby so that I can snag a pair for about half the MSRP.

For the list of other denim jeans made in America, check out Made in USA Challenge.

Recycled Paper and Tree Free Paper

The digitization of books, magazines, forms, and other materials that used to be printed on paper has definitely reduced the need for printing paper. The amount of paper used in offices in 1990s and prior had to be terrifying. Although documents viewable on electronic devices are replacing paper copies, we still occasionally have to print on paper. Now we have many choices for what to print on.



Recycled paper has been around for a long time, but the quality and manufacturing process of recycled paper have been significantly improved over the years. Some manufacturers are using more sustainable ingredients instead of tree fiber. Here are some online stores with post-consumer recycled paper and/or tree free paper:

The Green Office
Eco Paper
Green Field Paper
Treecycle
Green Line Paper Company
EcoGreenOffice
New Leaf Paper (for printing order)

There are many other companies dedicated to manufacture or retail more sustainable paper products. Next time you need to buy printer paper, notepad, or sticky notes, look for tree free or post-consumer recycled products. Even switching a single item a year could make a difference if enough people consciously picked a sustainable product.

Reading list:
Paper Alternatives
Conservatree

Etsy Wishlist: Sloth Stuff

There are various animals I adore and are on my animal bucket list. I have different categories in my bucket list: things to do, places to visit, things to eat, things to see, and yes, animals to meet before I die. Sloths are part of the last list.

Here are some of the sloth items on Etsy:

Three Toe Sloth Plush by MillieFern

Sloth Ring by Curious Burrow

Happy Sloth Necklace by marymaryhandmade

Sloth Baby amigurumi pattern by chiwaluv

Little Sloth Necklace by marmar

Sloth Canvas Tote by squarepaisleydesigh

I guess the sloths have become extremely popular in recent years. Etsy used to have very small number of sloth related merchandise. Now there are 64 pages of sloth stuff on Etsy. There are, however, some items like T-shirts I have seen on other not-so-handmade websites listed along with really handmade items on Etsy. People have been posting increasing number of articles on how mass-produced items are showing up all over Etsy. The items above could be one of them; maybe I simply haven't noticed the same products on other retail websites. I hope not.

The following blogs are interesting to read if you are interested in what is going on with the online marketplace supposedly for handmade and vintage items:

RUSEtsy
EtsyTricksy

Etsy Wishlist: Zed's Zombie Ranch

Zed's Zombie Ranch is in Bisbee, AZ. On my next day or weekend trip to Bisbee, I need to pick up one of the metal skeletons. The big question is where to put it. Right next to a Dalek pepper shaker might work. I wish the skeletons came in life size scale.

Steampunk Zombie Skeleton Steel Sculpture

 UFO Crossing Sign

 Zombie Target Practice T-shirt

 

Always remember Rule #2 Double tap.

Buy "Made in the USA"

Look in your closet, kitchen, and living room. How many items can you find that are made in the USA? Most of us will find more products manufactured in other countries. I have been consciously choosing America-made products for the last several years when it is available. A bitter truth is that some items are not made in the United States at all. Some of us has taken economics classes and are familiar to the specialization of production and trading based on absolute advantage and comparative advantage a country has over other countries. But is the efficiency everything?

The main reason I purchase American products is the environmental concerns. The regulations we have in this country is not perfect but are still more effective than in many other countries. If the price we pay for a cheap foreign product does not include the true cost of production, such as polluted soil and water or compromised product safety, is a cheap product really worth saving a few dollars?

Fortunately, with the rising costs of manufacturing overseas and safety issues, some manufacturers are bringing back jobs and producing goods made by American workers. Other companies maintain their production in the US despite severe competition. In order to avoid the extinction of the American products, consumer awareness and support are inevitable. It is a good news, in a way. Each of us could direct where our money goes.

Links
Made in USA Challenge
This site explains why we American consumers should purchase products made in America.
10 items you didn't know were made in America
This article introduces a short list of products made in the US.