What, you ask, is Buggle and Boo? It’s my friend Beth’s Etsy shop and it’s full of handmade hair clips and accessories for girls of all ages. What’s that got to do with kids and nature?
Beth is a long-time “in real life friend” who also blogs. (You can see how she manages domestic life with her husband and two sons in all of its glory over at Remarkably Domestic.) Unlike myself, Beth is a crafting goddess. She sells some of her girl-specific wares in her Etsy shop, Buggle and Boo.
About a month ago, I spotted this cool owl creation and asked her if she’d consider adding a nature girls line to her shop. (Yes, dear readers, I had you in mind when I asked!)
She loved the idea and has graciously agreed to stop by for a visit so I could intro you to her personally. Oh, and she’s giving away some of her awesome hair clips, too, so be sure to read to the end!
How long have you been crafting, what do you make and where do you find inspiration?
I’ve been crafting my whole life, really, but I really started doing it very seriously within the last several years. I’m kind of a promiscuous crafter, in that I want to try and will experiment with virtually any craft. In fact, I have supplies for myriad different random crafts waiting to be put to use (needle tatting anyone? kumihimo? batik?). I find a lot of inspiration from other craft bloggers, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Martha Stewart’s.
Tell us about the collection you put together at Buggle and Boo with nature girls in mind.
I’m always inspired by nature, and in fact my barrettes have often been natural images. For the nature girls, though, I wanted some pieces that really represented the feeling of being in the outdoors and appreciating nature.
I made them with some beautiful but slightly more natural colors, and I incorporated some gorgeous plant-dyed wool felt that I love. It’s a fall collection, so the images are owls, leaves, trees, acorns … things you’d see on a nice fall outing, plus other images that I think are important for the outdoors and respecting our environment.
What is your favorite way to spend time in nature with your family?
We are very lucky to have a relatively secluded front yard with a big playset under a beautiful ash tree. I love sitting outside with the kids while they have adventures on the structure; sometimes I’m involved and sometimes I just get to sit quietly, letting the breeze blow on my face and just being in the outdoors. My very favorite, though, is gardening with the kids. I’ve been a home vegetable gardener for some time now, and I love both planting and harvesting with the kids.
Our other go-to outdoor activity is heading out for a nature walk with scavenger hunt lists in hand. We’ve been doing it for years now, so at this point the kids make their own lists of things to find and see – a yellow leaf, pine cone, purple flower – and it gives an extra level of attention to our surroundings. In fact, one of my earliest blog posts was about my husband taking the kids on a nature scavenger hunt!
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Just that I think a moment in nature can cure a world of ills. I often feel overwhelmed by not only my schedule but our environment — paved roads, concrete, pollution, destruction. It feels so disconnected. And going out for a moment and sitting under the ash tree, or walking through the tomato plants, or looking at a hummingbird in my lavender plants can really reinspire. Or at least remind us of our connection to the physical. It’s easy to lose sight of that materiality when we are online so much these days. I need to go touch a plant or smell a flower to bring me back to reality, so to speak.
The Giveaway
I’m beyond thrilled that Beth has agreed to give away three clips from her nature girls collection at Buggle and Boo – plus one Halloween clip!
To enter, head over to Buggle and Boo and check it out. Then leave a comment here about which of the hair clips is your favorite (from the nature girls collection or anywhere else in the shop). Good luck!
- This giveaway will run through midnight PST on Friday, October 21, 2011.
- Sorry, but this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
- The winner will be chosen using the nifty random number generator at random.org.
- Winner will have 24 hours to reply to my notification; if I don’t hear back after that, I’ll pick another winner.
Beth is a writer, blogger, crafter, mom, and a whole lot of other things she can’t list here. She received her PhD in English Literature in 2009, which is really apropos of nothing but she’d love it if you’d call her “doctor.” She’s a regular contributor at Apartment Therapy’s Ohdeedoh and writes her own blog, Remarkably Domestic, where you can find craft ideas, recipes, kid projects and general rants about suburban things. You can find her hair accessories line at her Etsy shop, Buggle and Boo.
