Animal tracks, VIP treatment, and being cool!

G'day passengers of The Hobo Train!  

I've got country living, my new Facebook group, and the coolness factor of handmade on my mind today.  Read on and I'd love to hear some feedback in the comments.  

Stay beautiful and thanks for riding The Hobo Train! 

* COUNTRY LIVING * 

I live in the country, near the end of a dirt road in a valley flanked by the incredible Green Mountains.  Every Friday in the winter I have a regular snowshoe date with some friends and we plough through the woods motivated by the pot-luck lunch that follows.  This morning was glorious - a true cold winter day with a bright sun and deep blue sky.  We saw some exciting animal tracks: snowshoe hare, fisher cat, deer, mink, and lots of mouse activity.  Check out these snowshoe hare tracks next to the long shadows of the trees:

* NEW FACEBOOK GROUP * 

I recently started a Facebook group, which is different than a Facebook business page... who knew?! This new group is a VIP club where I will be pampering my much-loved and kind-hearted customers with some awesome sales events.  Members of the VIP group will received top-notch treatment and first dibs on the best of what I have to offer.  Not to mention it will be damn fun.  I will be hosting my first sales event next Wednesday, March 9th at 7pm EST.  Join in the party!  Click 'VIP CLUB' below and then click 'join' at the top of the page: 

VIP CLUB

(I'm also having a giveaway there TODAY!)

* THE COOL FACTOR OF HANDMADE *

I hear a lot of talk about handmade artisan products.  People say that it's good to buy handmade because of the quality, that they last longer, or because it helps a small local business survive, or even because handcrafted items usually come with a unique story of the artist's process, life, and personality.   But one thing that often gets overlooked is COOLNESS.  Handmade items are downright cool.  They are a means of self-expression and when you are able to express your inside on the outside, that equals COOL.  So let your freak flag fly my friends!  Take the opportunity to buy handmade when you can and boost your cool factor.  People know it when they see it and they won't be able to miss it!  'Cause nothing says cool like handmade! 

As always, I love and appreciate you all.  Comment below and I'll be over the moon!

Much love!

Renée <3 font="">

HAPPY NUDE REAR!

HAPPY NUDE REAR EVERYONE!!!  

Sending some New Year's loving to all of you who give me the greatest gift of being able to be a creative spirit in the real world.  THANK YOU!  I am going on 9 years of being a full-time artisan and can honestly say that I am one lucky gal.  I am broke most of the time and damn-near close for the rest of the time.  haha!  But I answer to no one and am able to infuse my imagination and creative soul into my daily work.  High fives all around!

2014 was an extraordinary year for me, both in my work and my personal life.  It was full of synchronicity and serendipity, magic and awe, great friends and new friends.  A friend of mine was just remarking yesterday that she really fostered her son's imagination when he was young and now he is a really adventurous person.  She said that he can think to pursue these adventures because he can imagine them first.  That was very significant to me.  I think it's so important to live partly in our imaginations because that is what will allow us to achieve extraordinary things -- the fact that we can first imagine them.  So, let 2015 be a year of imagining!  No limits!

A real powerful mate for imagination is persistence.  My fave brand of persistence is slow and deliberate.  Taking baby steps might seem elementary but I think that subtle progress is usually the most strong and permanent kind.  One little tiny and sure-footed step in a certain direction can inevitably change the entire trajectory.  Backed-up by the fuel of clear intention and you're really on your way!  

As you can see, I'm really waxing philosophical today.  haha!  Leaving my head for a minute, I am happy to say that I have some great new products coming at you online in 2015.  Many of these I already have been producing and selling at craft shows, but will now be available online.  Yay!  Here is a booth pic from the show I just did in Ottawa in December.  

I was ready for business and had an awesome show.  I am getting to know my Ottawa clientele now that I've done the Christmas show 3 times and the spring show once.  I am happy to say that my newest upcycled products were a hit!  Legwarmers, armwarmers, hooded cowls, hats, and skirts all sold quickly, leaving a few customers empty handed when they came back to buy what they had seen a few days earlier in the show.  

UPCYCLED SKIRTS -- What a hit!

The above pic shows some of my skirts made from recycled sweaters.... super fun, super cute, and one-of-a-kind.  

These are my armwarmers made from recycled sweaters, too... funky, warm, and very affordable.  Will post some model pics in the near future so you can see how sexy they look on.

All for now.  I will leave you with this awesome pic that I took yesterday at a nearby beaver pond.  It is an incredible spot located in the Green Mountains Reserve (more on that magical place soon!).  Beavers sure do work hard!

Again, all the BEST to you in 2015!  I would love to hear your feedback on your outlook for the New Year, so please comment below and feel free to share this post with others if you've enjoyed it.  THANKS!!!  Much love!

Renée

p.s.  I will be posting some new stuff in the shop next week but in the meantime there are some AWESOME bags still available.  Get bagged in style!  Take me to the shop..... www.thehobotrain.com

Make a gift-giving reputation for yourselves!

YUP, it's that time of year again when everyone gets an ulcer trying to be organized and relaxed for Christmas.  haha!

Let's make it easy on ourselves this year, peeps!  Instead of braving the CRAZY stores and shopping malls just to buy a generic item, let's make a concerted effort to make the gifts special and make the gift-finding easy.  One way of doing that is to shop HANDMADE!  Yup, I feel like we're edging more and more toward a handmade planet.... #handmadeplanetISAID!  

Handmade gifts are ALWAYS the awesomest, most-remembered, most unique gifts that a person can get, and of course we all want to leave a reputation of phenomenal gift giving in our wake, n'est-ce pas?  That kind of reputation is GOLDEN!

Of course it doesn't all have to be uber handmade from that eccentric artist who makes his own paints and grows the cotton for his canvases.  For example, I'm looking at buying a super neat book for my nephew.  The best part is that it's a small publishing company and you can give them someone's name and they will print it with that person as the main character.  Mind. Blown.  Way.  Cool.

Long story short, we all still have time to order really funky stuff off the internet from the comfort of our own home.  We can find stuff that no one else has ever seen before and that will rock the socks of the person receiving it.  So in a way by giving more thoughtful and more special gifts we are actually giving the greatest gift to ourselves..... which is that satisfying feeling of making someone's day.  Okay okay, I know.... break out the violin!

But seriously, being a thoughtful and giving person rocks!

And this posting will inevitably get steered for my own purposes.  *evil laugh*  Should you know any awesome gals that would love one of my bags for Christmas, then head on over to THE HOBO TRAIN and persuse the variety.  

I am also having a contest to win a coupon code for my shop.  YAHOO!  Head on this way for that.... THE HOBO TRAIN -- FACEBOOK .  THANKS!!

All for now.  Big PROMO coming next weekend for BLACK FRIDAY/CYBER MONDAY.  Love to you all!  Hugs all around!

Renée

GIVING AWAY FREE SWAG!

Hellooooooo my lovelies!  

Yup, it's that time again.  SWAG + FREE = AWESOME!  I'm having a GIVEAWAY!  It is ridiculously fun to give stuff away.  I love giving back to my amazing customers and followers, as they give me so much already..... *grabs kleenex*  This GIVEAWAY is pretty much exactly like the last one for those to participated last time.  I am giving away an awesome skull and roses regular-sized hobo bag.  However, the winner can choose to have that bag or their choice of any regular-sized bag in the shop.  Of course, I will also ship the bag for free to anywhere in the WORLD!  Ya baby!  Here a pic of the swag bag....

A real beaut for sure!  There is a maximum of 25 entries per person.  Yes there are a few little hoops to jump through to obtain the entries, but that's the fun part.  There will also be some surprise chances at BONUS entries over the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!  The giveaway ends on September 24th and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.  The winner is picked randomly by Rafflecopter, so it is truly anyone's win!  

Here is the widget...

a Rafflecopter giveaway



If you have any questions at all, feel free to message me or post at the bottom of the page.  You can email too via thehobotrain@yahoo.ca .  And there's always the FB page.... THEHOBOTRAIN .  Check it out!

If you want to see what new stuff I have in the shop, please have a visit.... SHOP THEHOBOTRAIN

THANKS in advance to everyone who participates!  This is going to be a good time!

HOBO BAGS + FUN = THEHOBOTRAIN

Renée

CANADA15!

Hellooooooo!  As it happens I'm part of an awesome team on Etsy that is called Montreal Etsy Team and is filled with amazingly creative artisans.  A bunch of us are teaming up to have a spontaneous sale.  Yup, you heard right.  SAH-WEEEEEET!!!   Use the coupon code CANADA15 to get 15% off your purchase in any of the shops HERE .  Of course this includes my bag SHOP, too.  Ya baby!  I think we'd all agree -- it's time to buy ourselves a prezzie.  lol  I'm always encouraging people to be good to themselves.  Treat yourself well and you will feel well.  :)

I was just perusing the other shops that are participating and I have to say:  HOLY WOW!  There are some talented artists out there.  Here are a few items and their corresponding shops that you might wanna check out.  So inspiring!  :)

From Polymer Clay Bijoux , these are gorgeous Celtic design earrings for only $14, plus 15% off using the coupon code CANADA15.  No brainer!

From BLPhotography, put your herbal tea down on one of these gorgeous coasters and then Namaste your way through the day.  

From AelaDesign, brighten your day with some painted bohemian jewelry.  Total wow factor!  Love this colour combo and can't beat the price.  Thirteen dollars, before even using the coupon code CANADA15 for 15% off.  Sweetness!

On another note, I can't resist posting this leopard print bag from my shop.  It will surely bring out the animal in ya!  I'm even keeping one for myself, too..... like I said, gotta be good to myself.  lol   RAWR!  Click here to see the full listing..... LEOPARD PRINT BAG!

Speaking of animals, check out one of my newest backyard neighbours.  What a beauty!  I'm hoping he will leave a few feathers behind, as they look so gorgeous.  He is usually travelling in a pack of 10 or 12 others and the other day they were napping at the edge of the woods.  Pretty funny!

All for now.  Have an awesome day everyone!  Please feel free to spread the word about the CANADA15 coupon code.  The coupon code is valid until February 25th.  Again, to see the list of shops participating, check out this link:  CANADA15 .  THANKS SO MUCH!!!

Maybe a little tune before signing off?  A great reminder by the great Van Morrison never to let your spirit die.  Enjoy!

Love to all!  Please comment below.  Love hearing from you guys!

Renee :)  

www.thehobotrain.com

The results are in! :)

The results are in!  The giveaway has ended and the lucky winner is KELLEY HOOKER.  C'mon down, Kelley, and claim your prize!  CONGRATS!!!  A million thanks to everyone who participated.  I can hardly believe that there were 5112 entries!  *GASP*  U guys rock!  A little musical interlude to celebrate....  Get off that chair and shake ur money maker!

Celebrate good times, COME ON!!!  Groovy.  :)

Or for those who prefer a more recent tune but still throwback-style, please feel free to shake it like a polaroid picture!  Hey ya!

                                  

Whew, that was fun! 

Since this giveaway was such a smashing success, I will be having another in the near future.   Make sure you subscribe to this blog to get all the updates.  You can also get my posts right to your email by using the form at the bottom of the page.  

In order to appease all of the non-winners (NOT losers!), I will be gifting 2 coupon codes for 50% off any purchase in my online shop (before shipping).  I will give these codes to the first 2 people who comment here on this blog post with their email address and with the word: AWESOME.  

Easy peasy sneezy.  :)

In other news, I went to my local rummage sale 'bag day' today.  You can fill a large plastic bag with as much stuff as you can stuff into it for $7.  Ya baby!  It used to be $5 but they raised it two bucks starting this month.  Total bargain.  I got some clothes, fabric, a neat-o handkerchief, and a few other thingies.  Plus a totally retro knitted ORANGE shawl with a fringe.  You heard right -- I said FRINGE!

Signing off for now.  Lots of new product coming into the shop soon at www.thehobotrain.com .  I also have another Etsy shop that I'm slowly building up to house all my recycled products.  It's called Train Wreck Clothing.  Check it out: www.trainwreckclothing.etsy.com .  

Sweet dreams!  

Renee :)

GIVEAWAY!!! Ya baby, free stuff! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!   It's 2014 and whatcha gonna do about it?  Well, I'm sitting here in my workshop just a hangin' out.  It's too damn cold to go outside and take pics of my products and I'm feeling very thankful for some recent happenings that have changed the course of my near future in an awesome way (more on that later!).  I feel like giving back.  I've talked about doing a giveaway before and I think the hour has come.  

Ya baby!  

Since I just decided to do this, the details aren't ironed out yet, but I'm gonna fly by the seat of my pants here.  I would like to drive some traffic to my FB page www.facebook.com/thehobotrain as well as to my Etsy shop www.thehobotrain.com and get a few more followers on this little blog of mine.  

Just took a few minutes and set it all up on Rafflecopter.  SO EASY!  About to install the widget... hope this works!  Here goes...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WOW.  That was just too damn easy.  lol  Click on one of the options under 'enter to win' to find out how to get entries into the giveaway.  Each option gives you a certain amount of entries (gaining you more chance of winning).  The giveaway will run until February 6th, at which point the winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter.  Awesome! 

Here's a pic of the bag that you will WIN!  However, if you win and there's another bag that's screaming your name, then you're welcome to pick any other regular-sized bag, too.  I'm flexible like that.  :)

Here's a link to the listing if you wanna read all about this funky and sexy bag.... 

AWESOME BAG

GOOD LUCK to everyone!  Feel free to spread the word!  

HAPPY 2014!!

Much love,

Renee  :)

It's SHOW TIME! :)

Hey peeps!  Yup, it's mid-May and the anxiety is building.  Time to build stock for shows and inevitably I get some AWESOME bulk orders at the same time as I'm preparing for the summer (which is totally fantastic, but of course it all comes at the same time.... eek!). 

Here's my show schedule:

Art in the Park (Windsor, ON) June 1 and 2. 

Artfest (Kingston, ON) June 29, 30, July 1st 

Home County Folk Fest (London, ON) July 19-21st

Brome Fair (Brome, QC) August 31st, Sept.1, 2, 3rd

Ottawa Folk Fest, Sept.5-8

Oh my, I think that's enough.  *insert heart palpitations*  

Shows are great!  I get to meet my customers face to face, see their excitement for my bags, and make a lump sum of money (rather than one bag here, one bag there).  I also get to be on the road, out of my workshop, sleep in hotels (loves this!), collect carnie tales of adventure (oh my, do I have a few!), and come home stinky and tired but usually satisfied and feeling validated (except for a few crap shows over the years.... don't wanna remember those!).  Yup, shows are an experience!  :)

However, there is also a very ominous side to doing shows.  The fact is that the artisan vendor is always at the bottom of the food chain.  We pay upfront months in advance for ever-increasing booths fees (sometimes exorbitant amounts, with randomnly-set premiums for a corner booth) often with ridiculous cancellation policies, not to mention the application process itself which requires a life-story, and CIA screening (well, not really... but it can be an ordeal!).  On top of the booth fees we have to pay travel, hotel (not always, but often for me), and many times parking fees. I also pay to rent a trailer to tow my stuff behind my car.  All the shows I do in the summer are outdoors, so I have to have the right equipment (canopy with walls, etc).  There is usually 'security'..... ahem....  Some people do pack their stuff up at night, but it's really not feasible for most of us.  So I close my tent walls, cross my fingers, and hope for the best.  This is very unsettling when I usually have all my inventory sitting in a public park, separated from the open sky by a thin piece of plastic tarp material.  This is where I take a deep breath and surrender to the universe.  lol  Of course, these shows also require that I carry 2 million dollars liability insurance in case my tent blows over and injures some unsuspecting person.  This translates to almost $1200/year for me.  Yikes!  So, as you can see, just getting to the show and being set up is nothing to scoff at.  And after all this, I have to cross my fingers and hope it doesn't rain.  And the final coup de grace is that I've spent all this money, taken the corresponding risks, and there no guarantee that I will sell anything.  *Over and Out*

So as I was saying, shows are great.  hahahaha!  Obviously I do make money at shows, which is why I do them.  But ya gotta have nerves of steel and be just a little bit foolish, too.  lol

Hopefully I will have the opportunity to meet some of you at my shows this summer.  Come by the booth and say HELLO!  I highly recommend attending all of the above shows, as they're quality events with lots too see.  Yes!

All for now.  Would love feedback from other artisans who do shows, or any show-goers about their experiences.  Feel free to comment below.  :)

HUGS!  All aboard The Hobo Train!

Renee  

www.thehobotrain.com
Twitter: @thehobotrain

Spontaneous Sale!!!

How spontaneous am I?  Just decided to have a little impromptu sale in my Etsy shop.  Use the coupon code HOBOLICIOUS and get 15% off your purchase. Need a fresh new bag for spring???  Now's the time, my little hobo peeps.  Check out the shop.... The Hobo Train .  All aboard!  

I will be posting a bunch of new stock tomorrow assuming it doesn't pour rain.  It rained all day today so I was stuck inside doing paperwork.... the ultimate bummer.  Had some good tunes going, though, and couldn't get enough of James Taylor's Steamroller Blues.  Ya baby!

I've been planning my summer shows and so far I've applied to Windsor's Art in the Park, Guelph's Hillside Festival, and Muskoka's Arts and Crafts Show.  Of course I'd definitely be doing the big bad Brome Fair (hello my local peeps!).  I've already heard that I'm accepted to the Windsor show -- totally awesome.  Fingers crossed for the other two.  Wish me luck!

Still working on launching my second Etsy shop.  As soon as I get some better weather I will be outside photographing the stock for what will soon be the Train Wreck Clothing store -- specializing in upcycled mayhem.  :)

Much love!

Renee

HOBOS

Hello my fellow hobos!!!!  Did you know that the word 'hobo' reportedly originated from the expression 'HOmeward BOund'?  Hobos were the original adventurers.  They were people who would ride the trains traveling around the country and finding room and board in exchange for work.  It is indeed the rare soul that would try this today, with all our rules and regulations and fears.  The original hobos were not considered outcasts or vagrants.  They were simply travelers.  Everyone is familiar with the stereotypical picture of a hobo with a sack tied to a stick over his shoulder....

The sack was called a bindle and the hobo himself was also called a bindlestiff.  Love that old-style lingo!  That was the original HOBO BAG!!!  lol  Now the bags that I make are a far stretch from the bindle of yesteryear, BUT I do have to say that one large improvement is the 'hands free' aspect.  In olden times the hobo would have to occupy one of his hands with the job of holding the stick.  With the more modern crossbody hobo bags, those of us with hobo spirits can be comfortable wandering throughout the land 'hands free'.  lol  

For all you music lovers, here's a hobo tune by Charlie Winston.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nOd5_Bdc8I
____________________________________________________________________________

Okay, so the big news is that I'm opening a new Etsy shop soon.  It will feature upcycled clothing and accessories.  LOVE the upcycled movement!  I'm 100% in love with the idea of making glorious new things out of already-existing resources.  No need to use more of the earth's precious resources.  There is so much that is awesome about upcycling.  Everything is so special and one-of-a-kind.  It's very personalized that way.  I like to believe that each piece finds its way to its rightful home.  Anyway, as soon as we get a break in the weather, I will be taking pics of the new products and opening the shop for business.  I will keep you posted!  

In an earlier post I mentioned a GIVEAWAY.  It is coming up soon.  I will post details here as soon as I know them.  lol

Big love!

Renee xxoo

Celebration!

I've been feeling pretty reflective lately and am counting my lucky stars!  This time last year I was in a bit of a rough spot.  2012 started off looking dismal.  Winter is usually a slow season for me after Christmas and I hold my breath until spring when  my craft shows start up again.  But as luck would have it last year I didn't have any money, with high rent and bills to pay.  Not a good combination.  Several things had contributed to this unfortunate mess and it was pretty yucky.  Long story short I decided that I would do as much as I could to get my Etsy shop rolling.  I studied other shops, educated myself about SEO (search engine optimization), scrambled my brain with trying to take good pics, and re-writing the descriptions for my listings many times, not to mention promoting and just plain hoping to hell that it would work.  I feel very fortunate to be able to say that it did.  Now I'm about to hit 400 sales on Etsy and I'm having a CELEBRATION!!!!  You in?  Who's bringing the Baby Duck?  <3

I'm having a GIVEAWAY, which will actually be hosted by a different blog.  I will post more details soon.  I will be giving away this skull bag:

Also to celebrate, the person who purchases the 400th item will receive FREE SHIPPING (refunded via Paypal after the purchase).  It's a small gesture, but I'm hoping that it will make someone's day nonetheless.  <3

In other news, it's DAMN cold here near Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  I take all my bag pics outside and the expression 'suffering for your art' comes to mind when I'm out there in a wind chill of -24C.  That's cold.  Actually now that I think of it, I do have something a LOT more exciting to mention than the weather.  Are you ready?  Read on...

I'm gearing up to open a NEW Etsy shop.  If one shop is AWESOME, does that mean that two shops would be AWESOMER?  Twice as awesome for sure!  The new shop is going to be called Train Wreck Clothing... I see a train theme here.  lol  It will offer clothing and accessories that I make using recycled materials only.  I will be launching it this month sometime and of course I will announce it here.  I'm really excited about it because I LOVE recycled products.  That's enough for now.... just enough to whet your whistle.  I'm such a tease!  ;)

Signing off!

Renee <3
www.thehobotrain.com (Etsy shop)  

Wanna win some handmade swag?

Hey my little hobo bunnies!  I'm participating in my first blog giveaway.... Here's the scoop...

Okay everyone, the giveaway has started. There are 3 prizes to be won -- one of my delicious skull bags and 2 lovely items from other Etsy sellers. Follow this link to Jolynn's Hobby Shop.... http://jolynnshobbyshop.blogspot.com/  There you will find the rules on how to participate. The contest runs until March 2nd, so you have time to get as many entries as possible. Please share this link with all your friends who would LOVE to win some handmade swag. THANKS! (Any questions, just comment below).

I'm really excited about this giveaway and really want to get as many people involved as possible.  So PLEASE pass the word along.... Have a hobolicious day!

Renee

Popping in for another quickie... lol

Hey peeps!  Don't really know if anyone is reading this, although it would be great some folks were entertained by my ramblings from time to time.  Just had to pop back in because the thoughts I expressed in my last post were haunting me.  I couldn't quite explain things the way I wanted to.  Words... how they frustrate me sometimes and do their exact job at other times.  The idea of customizing your life means to me -- taking the stuff that's on the inside (dreams, values, desires, interests, ideas, passions, curiosities, etc) and realizing it on the outside.  It is a gift to be able to do that and it is a gift those around you if you do it.   *feeling better now*  Later friends! 

Oh ya... if you're out there in cyberspace lurking, I'd love for you to leave a comment or follow my blog.  Feedback is inspiring.

Dropping by...

Just dropping by to say hello.  &hearts;  Been working hard on my Etsy shop... http://www.thehobotrain.etsy.com

Trying to revamp the pics of my bags.... so far pretty successful.  Although they now look pretty sterile.  Gotta throw in some personality in there somewhere.  Otherwise, I'm super happy with how bright they look considering I have to take them indoors for now, and thrilled that the fabrics look true to life.  Yay!  I've been hanging out in the Forums on the Etsy site and have met some AWESOME people there... hardworking crafters looking to make a life for themselves that is different from the mainstream.  So inspiring.  Yah, let's go there....  I love the idea of customizing your life.  Why do people have to live a certain way?  I suspect that most people, given the chance, would live differently than they currently are living.  And as I type this, I realize that many people in my society do have the opportunity to live differently, but don't.  That opportunity exists mainly in the first world and it is a shame to see it lost.  Most of the rest of the world don't have much of a choice, since their daily grind focuses on survival and getting the basics covered.  In my part of the world, the basics are taken for granted and there is a never-ending hole of insatiable desire that is constantly being stuffed and filled but never satisfied.  Kind of brutish I would say, non?  Greed is the creed.  Anyway, that's a whole other blog posting.  lol  Back to the idea of customization... Most people around me have the means to customize their lives, at least in part.  Hell, I'm trying to do that and I make less money than almost everyone I know and currently struggle to make ends meet.  Why is it fucking cool to customize your life?  Well, I think that it can really make people happy to have control over their lives and to carve themselves a life that satisfies their desires.  A deep sense of satisfaction can result.  &hearts;  Waxing philosophical now... lol  I'll leave you with that before I start speaking in tongues.  hahaha!  Later peeps!  Don't forget to check out my new swag.... and feel free to give me some feedback! 

http://www.thehobotrain.etsy.com
http://www.twitter.com/thehobotrain

Just a few thoughts...

Signing in for a quickie!  lol  Today I'm working on some upcycled clothing designs in the workshop.  I hope to have them in production for this year's spring/summer season.  I also want to move my little business to a point where I only use recycled materials... that would be awesome!  Oh yeah, I guess I should give a bit of background here... Reader's Digest version?  Ok, here goes...

In 2006 I moved from Quebec to BC with my sugardaddy (aka. boyfriend).  For the previous 4 years I had been a barmaiden (or bartendress) and needed a break from that scene.  When we got to Vancouver Island I took the first job I could get... in the housekeeping department at Pacific Trails (?) Resort in Parksville.  As it so happened, it was the end of June and the weather was fucking insanely amazing!  I also had a really bad cold.  (Be patient with me... it's all gonna come together...).  My boss was a control freak (but a really nice gal otherwise) and perfectionist, too.  We had also bought tickets for the Vancouver Island Musicfest, which started on a Friday and ran through Sunday.  I had already asked for the Sat and Sun off but I would probably have to work on the Friday and miss half a day of the festival... oh no!  Anyway, all these different events and forces created an alchemic mixing pot the resulting climax of which was me quitting my job (a first!), basking in the sun, feeling much better, and enjoying the entirety of the Festival (more on that another time) at which I bought a large reversible bag to carry my shit in.

The Bag.  It was a nice bag, kind a thin cheap fabric, but I really liked the general shape/size/funkiness/reversability, etc.  My mom even gave me money to buy her a bag at the festival. Mine was brown and yellow.  Hers was turquoise and pink -- perhaps not her first choice for colours, but they didn't have much left by the time I bought hers.  My mom said something like "hey, these would be easy to make".  So, we made up our own version of the bag and the beast was born... Hobo's Designs!

Okay okay, so maybe this wasn't so much the Reader's Digest version, but it was compelling and a real page-turner nonetheless, non?  lol  So I became my own boss and bag lady.  I've managed to eke out a living making bags, but I'm the first to admit that I stink at valuing my time and charging appropriately and quite often end up working for nothing.  People can change.  hahaha!  I'm getting better, partly because of an informed self-respect for the work that I do and partly by the necessity in order to continue working for myself.  My clothing line will really be the test of what I've learned in this department.  I'll keep ya posted...

To get a better idea of what I do, check out my Facebook and Etsy...

http://www.facebook.com/thehobotrain
http://www.thehobotrain.etsy.com
Twitter:  @thehobotrain

I don't have a whole lot of product out there, but that's a gonna change over the next few weeks or so. 

Okay, so not much on raw food today.  I will be dehydrating apples for the first time this week.  I'm still maintaining a majority level of rawness, eating lots of salads.  Last week I made 3 different dehydrated cracker recipes and they are almost all gone!  I won't say too much more about the raw because I want to do a proper blog entry introducing my raw plans.  Coming soon!

All for now... hope you are all having wonderful days!!!

Renee

HANDMADE SWAG + RAW FOOD... The beginning.

Hey wait a sec!  Crafts and food don't go together.  Oh yes they do.... 

And so it begins, here is my new blog that will embrace handmade artisan products (my own and those of others) and curious adventures in raw food.  I've been an artisan for 6 years now designing and making purses and a few other crafty things.  I appreciate the work, time, attention, love, sweat and originality that goes into making things with your hands, as well as the joy and despair that goes with being self-employed.  I support handmade as much as I can and think that it's a great way to develop community and human connection (I guess that's kinda the same thing, non?).  The root values of this way of thinking have to do with knowing where your purchases come from and paying a fair price.  This means making an effort to be accountable for what your dollars are supporting.  It's kinda like voting with your wallet.  It also means not taking for granted the stuff that you buy.  I don't know about you guys, but I seriously sometimes feel like a prisoner of STUFF... a mule to my things.  What the hell is all this shit?  It's in boxes, on shelves, in drawers, under the bed, collecting dust in the corner, etc.  You get the picture.  So, yeah, I'm a work in progress...  lol 

And so what does this have to do with food?  Well, I enjoy eating and I'm trying out this accountability thing with my food.  I know, I know... can't I just buy and eat what I want when I want?  Yeah, that's a very westernized way of thinking and I'm totally guilty of it and being responsible is kinda boring.  lol  But really I've found that the consumerist mentality in general just doesn't make me feel good as a person.  It makes me addicted to things and self-centered, too.  And when it comes to food and blind consumerism, the consequence is not feeling good as a body.  The effects of eating whatever you want whenever you crave it will always come out in your health.  So what does it mean to be accountable for what you eat?  Well, for me it means being aware of where your food comes from and what your food is.  It's kinda like voting with your fork.  The long-term picture for me is to eat an organically-grown (as locally as possible) raw food vegan diet.  Yikes!  Sounds daunting.... it's even scarier when I see it written down.  What does it all mean???  lol  How I got to this conclusion for myself will have to be saved for a later posting.  I'm not there yet, but that is the path I'm on.  I've played around with raw food for a couple of years now and have been a 99% vegan for 3 years.  I do believe that raw food veganism done properly is the best way to achieve optimum health.  (Of course, I'm no doctor, so don't take my word for it).  More on the goods and the bads of all this stuff later.

Hopefully you've enjoyed reading my little introduction.  Feedback is welcome.  I intend to use this blog as a casual conversation (assuming people answer me; otherwise, it will be more of a casual soliloquy) about the main things that interest me: handmade swag and raw food.  Please join me if you share these interests.  There always room on The Hobo Train... all aboard!!!  TOOT!  TOOT!  (Kinda cheesy? lol)

Thanks!

Renee

p.s.  By the way, here are the links to my handmade world:

www.thehobotrain.etsy.com 
www.facebook.com/thehobotrain
Twitter:  #thehobotrain
Pinterest: under thehobotrain