On My Desk, Potatoes! Little By Little, A Little Becomes a Lot.
On My Desk, Potatoes!
A little On My Desk for this weekend! I usually use an Almond Mini Sendak, but today I borrowed spice – a new one – crispy clean and on my messy desk.
“Little by little, a little becomes a lot.” –Tanzanian Proverb
My friend Katie and I started writing a poem a day on the 25th April of this year. I’ve been filling my Orra notebook with them. We have well over 200 poems between us! Each day I put an envelope in my mailbox and lift the flag, feels like a solidly good start. As always, there is so much magic in the little things!
Potato Dreams
In my dream,
there were potatoes.
Not in my dream, too.
Potatoes.
I moved the dirt,
and found a potato.
Red. Red. Dirt. Potato.
Red. Yellow. Dirt. Potato.
Abundance, from old,
forgotten potatoes.
Under the horseradish,
potatoes.
In the sea of dirt,
and slugs,
and roots,
potatoes.
Red. Red. Dirt. Potato.
An endless abundance
moves into dreams,
like Tetris.
Potatoes.
I wanted to write about
death,
grief,
illness,
but instead,
I write about potatoes.
Sometimes we must follow the current is all.
We can’t always make waves.
18 August 2023
Shop Our Shop!
 |
 |
 |
 |
Keep your notebook next to your bed for midnight scribbles!
Autumn Colors: What Remains!
Fog
What’s Left: Autumn Colors
The Classic Tote
 |
 |
Red Maple
The Small Hunter Satchel
 |
 |
Birch
The Seaside Tote
 |
 |
Everywhere, Astonishments!
This Chestnut Delight was left in our Philadelphia building with other delicious pieces of old furniture in various states of over-use and decline. This one was missing her bottom rails, and the drawers drifted down, heavy with neglect. I scrubbed her clean and Bartram-Balmed her, whilst Walter chiseled out broken tenons and sistered antique oak and chestnut in place.
How I love Frankensteined objects, and how they live on! Hoorah!
And whilst celebrating potatoes, I am reminded of the chapter celebrating them in Michael Pollan's The Botany of Desire.
Suggested Blog Posts
-
As a family, we tend to go against a lot of currents in our world, and are fortunate to have built our own business, which gives us the freedom to do so. We’ve shared fragments of our recent decision to smallen Peg and Awl and move from a massive city building on an acre of land to our barn in Chester County, but I haven’t yet articulated on paper or screen, the whole of it – if there is a whole of it. My exhaustion of the words efficiency and busy certainly played a role. But here, the new-to-me word salutogenesis comes to mind.
Back to School!“I will draw in class!”
Søren and Silas have always been draw-ers, and that they draw has always felt like a good thing to us. But when they went to public school, (and me before them), the message was different: drawing is distracting, or it shows you aren’t listening, or, just don’t draw because I said so!*
My guys actually had a relatively good public school experience, but this message persisted. When six year old Søren came home one day and told us that he was punished for drawing, we decided to do a little Back to School campaign with our recently launched desk caddies, chalk tablets, pouches, and journals. Søren partook in a magical alternative version of the punishment writing lines with “I will draw in class.”
I still love this.
That was then, this is now. We have been homeschooling for five years, which means that our creatures have a lot of free time to do what they love, as homeschool is very rarely (if at all) all of us at a table with textbooks and lined paper. Søren, 15, is now dual enrolled in our local community college. Dual enrollment is open to most high-schoolers in America and very common for Homeschoolers. His first class is drawing!
As a family, we tend to go against a lot of currents in our world, and are fortunate to have built our own business, which gives us the freedom to do so. We’ve shared fragments of our recent decision to smallen Peg and Awl and move from a massive city building on an acre of land to our barn in Chester County, but I haven’t yet articulated on paper or screen, the whole of it – if there is a whole of it. My exhaustion of the words efficiency and busy certainly played a role. But here, the new-to-me word salutogenesis comes to mind.
Simply put, we smallened Peg and Awl for our mental and physical well being. We started Peg and Awl as a way to adventure and bring objects to life, and we ended up becoming managers of a business much bigger than expected. In smallening, we are gaining our freedom to make and explore once again.
Let us remember The Lorax:
“I went right on biggering… selling more Thneeds. And I biggered my money, which everyone needs.”
–Dr. Seuss
If you have any questions, I’d love to try to answer them. Perhaps here is where I open a Q+A. I think our story is an interesting one, unfamiliar, but also the kind of story that is gaining confusing and wondrous commonality these days, so I’d love to share!
*after sharing this on IG, some delightful souls came forth telling their stories of how they encouraged drawing in their classes. Absolutely not to be missed – there are always exceptions!Shop Our Shop!
I will draw in class. I will too. 
Our Pouch Collection
A Poem by 7 year old Søren. Anselm Bookbinding Kits 
Our Desk Caddies
The Sendak Artist Roll
Everywhere, Astonishments!99% Invisible Podcast: Roman talks with Brian Merchant, author of Blood in the Machine, about the Luddites – a story that I, along with so much of the world – have misunderstood! PS: I first learned about them a little over a decade ago at a museum in Philadelphia that also had the story all wrong. I am on a wildly swinging pendulum around the conversation of AI, and this was the most compelling connection for me yet.
The Doctor’s Farmacy Podcast about Function Health: the other side of the efficiency conundrum! What is wrong with our healthcare system, and how we cannot seem to abandon the stuck channels for costs and fear of the unknown, and how Function Health is aiming to redirect our understanding of ourselves as impacted by the common standards of living, eating, &c. into a healthier future!
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones: We all enjoyed the first episode, as Dan Beuttner, a familiar name in our house, visited Okinawa and some of their many centenarian inhabitants.As always, if you have any questions, just comment below!–Margaux“I Will Draw in Class!” Back to School | Biggering and Smallening!
Back to School! “I will draw in class!”Søren and Silas have always been dra...
Read The Post -
We’ve returned home from a summer of endless on-the-going to bountiful messes. I look forward to being here for a while, to making sense of the mayhem, to writing about our adventures, and to making new treasures. I welcome walking, gardening, and autumn cleaning, and all of the head clearing that they bring! It feels a lot like our early days again!
Settling in at Home, after a Summer Full of Adventures!We’ve returned home from a summer of endless on-the-going to bountiful messes. I look forward to being here for a while, to making sense of the mayhem, to writing about our adventures, and to making new treasures. I welcome walking, gardening, and autumn cleaning, and all of the head clearing that they bring! It feels a lot like our early days again!
The Barn
We are slowly making space and (too) quickly piling up possibilities inside and out. It all reminds me of one of those plastic number games – move this here, so that that can move there...
Shop Our Shop!
Our palettes! Charming old systems. 
Lots of Scout Plein Air Boxes! Classics remain! Last Chance Bags!
With our recent move from our Philadelphia Shop to our West Chester Barn, we have discontinued many of our classics. What remains is in stock and ready to ship.
Our bags are always the first to leap off of the shelves, so despite making a large inventory of Weekenders and Rogues before leaving our Philadelphia workshop, the numbers are dwindling!
The Rogue Backpack The Weekender What’s Left in Our Home Collection!
We started Peg and Awl with so many of these home goods meant to amplify the small spaces in our Philadelphia row home. When we moved to the Five Acre Wood, we brought everything with us, as they are timeless and work in a variety of spaces. Click through to see what remains and pick up something you've been contemplating – once something is sold out, we will not make more!
Many, but not all, of the the wood products are on sale.
Mess Hall Knife Rack Baguette Board 
Cutting and Serving Boards Apothecary Caddy
We have some Mystery Boxes left!
The Essentials Kitchen Silas sorting treasures for Mystery Boxes!
We launched our new ring!Solvitur Ambulando: “It is solved by walking.”
We thank you for the warm reception and delightful emails – we've already started to make a second batch of rings!
Our Solvitur Ambulando ring is inspired by the endlessness of walking’s cures. I am ever in awe of how walking helps bring forth thoughts thought to cure idea-lessness, and conversely, how it distills abundance into a place to begin. How it settles listlessness, dulls irritation, and softens anger, and how it extracts tears when needed – walking always knows. Most of all, I am delighted daily at walking’s ability to illuminate the magic in everyday things!
Also, Gold is back! Now that we are settling into the new workshop at the barn, we are making gold jewelry again! All gold jewelry is made to order, which may take up to 4 weeks before shipping.
Solvitur Ambulando waxes. This cozy basement jewelry studio is a dream. Walter is wearing our Franklin Maker’s Apron.
Everywhere, Astonishments!
Since moving to the 5 Acre Wood, I’ve been going to local plant swaps*. I’ve learned so much and have traded a variety of plants. These Black and Brown Eyed Susans, which have now replaced thousands of Day Lilies, came from an incredibly rainy swap weekend in early Spring. *I’ve had to partake in Facebook for this – a worthwhile sacrifice.As always, if you have any questions, just comment below!–MargauxReturning to Home and Studio After a Summerful of Adventures!
Settling in at Home, after a Summer Full of Adventures! We’ve returned home...
Read The Post
Suggested Blog Posts
As a family, we tend to go against a lot of currents in our world, and are fortunate to have built our own business, which gives us the freedom to do so. We’ve shared fragments of our recent decision to smallen Peg and Awl and move from a massive city building on an acre of land to our barn in Chester County, but I haven’t yet articulated on paper or screen, the whole of it – if there is a whole of it. My exhaustion of the words efficiency and busy certainly played a role. But here, the new-to-me word salutogenesis comes to mind.
Back to School!
“I will draw in class!”
Søren and Silas have always been draw-ers, and that they draw has always felt like a good thing to us. But when they went to public school, (and me before them), the message was different: drawing is distracting, or it shows you aren’t listening, or, just don’t draw because I said so!*
My guys actually had a relatively good public school experience, but this message persisted. When six year old Søren came home one day and told us that he was punished for drawing, we decided to do a little Back to School campaign with our recently launched desk caddies, chalk tablets, pouches, and journals. Søren partook in a magical alternative version of the punishment writing lines with “I will draw in class.”
I still love this.
That was then, this is now. We have been homeschooling for five years, which means that our creatures have a lot of free time to do what they love, as homeschool is very rarely (if at all) all of us at a table with textbooks and lined paper. Søren, 15, is now dual enrolled in our local community college. Dual enrollment is open to most high-schoolers in America and very common for Homeschoolers. His first class is drawing!
As a family, we tend to go against a lot of currents in our world, and are fortunate to have built our own business, which gives us the freedom to do so. We’ve shared fragments of our recent decision to smallen Peg and Awl and move from a massive city building on an acre of land to our barn in Chester County, but I haven’t yet articulated on paper or screen, the whole of it – if there is a whole of it. My exhaustion of the words efficiency and busy certainly played a role. But here, the new-to-me word salutogenesis comes to mind.
Simply put, we smallened Peg and Awl for our mental and physical well being. We started Peg and Awl as a way to adventure and bring objects to life, and we ended up becoming managers of a business much bigger than expected. In smallening, we are gaining our freedom to make and explore once again.
Let us remember The Lorax:
“I went right on biggering… selling more Thneeds. And I biggered my money, which everyone needs.”
–Dr. Seuss
If you have any questions, I’d love to try to answer them. Perhaps here is where I open a Q+A. I think our story is an interesting one, unfamiliar, but also the kind of story that is gaining confusing and wondrous commonality these days, so I’d love to share!
*after sharing this on IG, some delightful souls came forth telling their stories of how they encouraged drawing in their classes. Absolutely not to be missed – there are always exceptions!
Shop Our Shop!
|
|
|
Our Pouch Collection
|
|
|
Our Desk Caddies
The Sendak Artist Roll
|
|
|
|
|
|
Everywhere, Astonishments!
99% Invisible Podcast: Roman talks with Brian Merchant, author of Blood in the Machine, about the Luddites – a story that I, along with so much of the world – have misunderstood! PS: I first learned about them a little over a decade ago at a museum in Philadelphia that also had the story all wrong. I am on a wildly swinging pendulum around the conversation of AI, and this was the most compelling connection for me yet.
The Doctor’s Farmacy Podcast about Function Health: the other side of the efficiency conundrum! What is wrong with our healthcare system, and how we cannot seem to abandon the stuck channels for costs and fear of the unknown, and how Function Health is aiming to redirect our understanding of ourselves as impacted by the common standards of living, eating, &c. into a healthier future!
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones: We all enjoyed the first episode, as Dan Beuttner, a familiar name in our house, visited Okinawa and some of their many centenarian inhabitants.
“I Will Draw in Class!” Back to School | Biggering and Smallening!
Back to School! “I will draw in class!”Søren and Silas have always been dra...
Read The Post
We’ve returned home from a summer of endless on-the-going to bountiful messes. I look forward to being here for a while, to making sense of the mayhem, to writing about our adventures, and to making new treasures. I welcome walking, gardening, and autumn cleaning, and all of the head clearing that they bring! It feels a lot like our early days again!
Settling in at Home, after a Summer Full of Adventures!
We’ve returned home from a summer of endless on-the-going to bountiful messes. I look forward to being here for a while, to making sense of the mayhem, to writing about our adventures, and to making new treasures. I welcome walking, gardening, and autumn cleaning, and all of the head clearing that they bring! It feels a lot like our early days again!
The Barn
We are slowly making space and (too) quickly piling up possibilities inside and out. It all reminds me of one of those plastic number games – move this here, so that that can move there...
Shop Our Shop!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Last Chance Bags!
With our recent move from our Philadelphia Shop to our West Chester Barn, we have discontinued many of our classics. What remains is in stock and ready to ship.
Our bags are always the first to leap off of the shelves, so despite making a large inventory of Weekenders and Rogues before leaving our Philadelphia workshop, the numbers are dwindling!
|
|
|
What’s Left in Our Home Collection!
We started Peg and Awl with so many of these home goods meant to amplify the small spaces in our Philadelphia row home. When we moved to the Five Acre Wood, we brought everything with us, as they are timeless and work in a variety of spaces. Click through to see what remains and pick up something you've been contemplating – once something is sold out, we will not make more!
Many, but not all, of the the wood products are on sale.
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have some Mystery Boxes left!
|
|
|
We launched our new ring!
Solvitur Ambulando: “It is solved by walking.”
We thank you for the warm reception and delightful emails – we've already started to make a second batch of rings!
Our Solvitur Ambulando ring is inspired by the endlessness of walking’s cures. I am ever in awe of how walking helps bring forth thoughts thought to cure idea-lessness, and conversely, how it distills abundance into a place to begin. How it settles listlessness, dulls irritation, and softens anger, and how it extracts tears when needed – walking always knows. Most of all, I am delighted daily at walking’s ability to illuminate the magic in everyday things!
Also, Gold is back! Now that we are settling into the new workshop at the barn, we are making gold jewelry again! All gold jewelry is made to order, which may take up to 4 weeks before shipping.
|
|
|
Everywhere, Astonishments!
|
|
Since moving to the 5 Acre Wood, I’ve been going to local plant swaps*. I’ve learned so much and have traded a variety of plants. These Black and Brown Eyed Susans, which have now replaced thousands of Day Lilies, came from an incredibly rainy swap weekend in early Spring. *I’ve had to partake in Facebook for this – a worthwhile sacrifice.
|
Returning to Home and Studio After a Summerful of Adventures!
Settling in at Home, after a Summer Full of Adventures! We’ve returned home...
Read The Post
Comments