July 2012
96 posts
3 tags
4 tags
4 tags
NoDa produce market opens | CharlotteObserver.com... →
Noda Produce Market on N. Davidson St, between E 26th and E 27th. It’s open 7 days a week and only stocks produce from the Carolina’s. I will have to check this one out. I usually got to the Bradford Store, for local produce, meats, dairy, and dry goods, but it is closed Sundays and Mondays so I’ll have to see what Noda Produce has to offer.
3 tags
Women’s T Shirts - Designer T-Shirts & Classic... →
The tee shirt that I bought during my local boutique shopping spree was by Michael Stars. Checking out the website, it looks like all the tees and tanks and made in USA, but some of the other items are imported. They’ve done a good job labeling and there is a live chat customer service so you can ask country of origin if you need to.
Big sale from now until August 5th!
One problem. Most of...
4 tags
Uptown DNC CarolinaFest to be free, open to... →
Kicking of the 2012 DNC Convention with a big Labor Day Parade and festival. I’m looking forward to it!
6 tags
SouthPark sale to recycle designer duds →
Large consignment sale in South Charlotte August 3-5. Also upcoming sales in Cornelius Sept 26-29, and Fort Mill Oct 2-6.
Sounds like a good time.
5 tags
7 tags
3 tags
6 tags
Fab 7/27/12
I’m a little late tonight, but it’s not like you’re reading this anyway.
A Lot To Say Collars, leashes, and blankets of recycled plastic
Planet Dog Orbee dog toys
Dimovi Shoes Leather shoes so ugly they’re cute.
MOTATOE Modern clocks that can be hung in any direction on the wall, corner, or ceiling
Haand Pottery from Orange County, NC
2 tags
2 tags
Weekly Totals July 21-27
Saturday: Newell Farmer’s Market : $8.20 (local produce, including an amazing cantaloupe)
Sunday: None
Monday: Harris Teeter: $49.07 ($17 of this was dog food, and I stocked up on canned bean and pasta that was on sale)
Tuesday: Family Dollar $5.79 (made in USA dog treats and a jar of Salsa)
Wednesday:The Bradford Store $23 (awesome produce, figs, watermelon, Salsa from...
3 tags
4 tags
Local Charlotte Stores to Check Out
Charlotte Observer: Where to find food, furniture, and funky fashions.
Neat little article in today’s newspaper listing several local Charlotte Shops. I will try to check these out and report back on how many ‘Made in USA’ items they stock.
4 tags
6 tags
Berea College Crafts
As a Berea College Alumni, I have to occasionally promote my beloved Berea College Crafts. For those of you who don’t know, Berea College is a work study college where all students are required to work in a campus job as part of their scholarship. We work in departments all over campus, I personally worked as a Photography Lab Assistant and later a Public Relations Photographer. My roommate...
5 tags
Fab 7/25/12
One of the stranger days for Fab.com the two USA made brands are:
KuL Designs Illuminated tables. Pretty cool. Made in USA with recycled plastic and LED lights.
ThermoVape The “best portable vaporizer in the world”. Vaporize botanicals for safer smoking.
4 tags
Green Babies 25% off coupon →
Right now get a 25% OFF discount coupon on Green Babies Facebook page, good until the end of July! Just click here or go to our Facebook page and click on the Special Offers tab.
Green babies makes organic cotton baby clothes in USA. The body care lotions and bubble baths are made in Canada.
5 tags
Fab 7/24/12
Lisa Curran Swimsuits made in USA of French and Italian fabrics.
Sub_Urban Riot Women’s knit shirts and hoodies. They also make men’s clothing but it’s not in the fab store
Pop&Pops Nice looking tote bags handmade in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC. I had no idea a tote bag could look so classy.
3 tags
Camera Repair
A while back I was having trouble with my Nikon D70s. It kept corrupting image files. A serious problem in a camera. It was outdated, but I didn’t want to just give up on it. So I started looking into repair shops.
I found Southern Photo Technical Services in Pineville, NC. They repair a variety of electronic equipment, and were listed as one of the few independent authorized repair...
3 tags
2 tags
A Year Without “Made in China” pt. 2
Part 1 Here
I’ve finished the book and I almost didn’t write anymore. Because it only got worse. She constantly moans about the sacrifice her kids are making by not getting new toys every time she turns around. She spends hours calling catalogs to ask about country of origin. Not once does she consider looking for toys at a local craft fair. Not until nearly the end of the year does...
3 tags
Fab 7/23/12
QA Create - Really cool cufflinks
GoThrow - Linen beach towels (Fab lists origin as USA, but I could not verify)
Stash Bags - Camera bags and gadget sleeves. I might need one of these, I tangle the heck out of my earbuds.
3 tags
Wake up America: Olympic scandal reveals true cost... →
This year, the fact that the Olympic Uniforms were made in China has caused an uproar, even though they have been made in China for years. Why do we care this year, but haven’t in previous years? Maybe it’s due to the lagging recovery, it’s hard to see work that American’s could be doing done overseas. Especially for the Olympics which is a source of national pride. Often...
4 tags
3 tags
Lawn Furniture! Adams Manufacturing - Bought!
My new lawn chair. I ended up buying it at Lowes. We really don’t have a local hardware store that carries outdoor furniture, and Lowes is headquartered in Mooresville, NC, so I feel better about them. In any case I got two chairs made in USA for $38.50 (including tax). And they are really comfortable, and the arms are plenty wide for setting down my mint julep.
3 tags
5 tags
Fab 7/22/12
I’ve decided that I hate how posting the Made in USA fab deals makes up 50% of my posts, so I’m just going to do a daily posting of my favorites.
Dimlim @_dimmalimm_ now featured on Fab. - Cute Wine glass coasters/markers. Handmade from wool felt.
Ella Grace Designs @EllaGraceDesign now featured on Fab. - Cute bags, belts, and scarves made in New Hampshire. No word on where...
4 tags
2 tags
Newell Farmer's Market
I started this blog to force myself to think about my purchases and buy local whenever possible. I’m not doing a great job of that. This blog has increasingly been about made in USA, and not my experience as a local consumer in Charlotte, NC.
Today I went to the local Newell Farmer’s Market.
I brought all this home for $8! Well except the cat, I already had him
Now while I...
5 tags
Duluth Pack
Shortly after I found this insanely expensive beautiful messenger bag.
I found this one at Duluth Pack:
It’s only $220! Or it’s canvas cousin is only $90. Sadly these do no have the lifetime repair guarantee that the J.W. Holmes bag did, but at a much lower price, I think I can pay for the occasional repair.
Duluth Pack sells a lot more than duffle bags. They make special bags and...
3 tags
3 tags
3 tags
3 tags
4 tags
3 tags
Mohop Shoes
Women’s sandals made in Chicago! There are two collections “a bespoke line made by hand in our Chicago workshop of domestic hardwoods and a ready-to-wear collection assembled in the USA of sustainably sourced woods and components”
They are lace up sandals that you can change to wear in different ways, the come with seven pairs of laces.
The flats are $77 and heels are...
3 tags
4 tags
7 tags
Made Collection - July 18th-August 1st
New line up of goods from the Made Collection
Several cool items with a camping theme. I just want to highlight the two items made in the Southeast:
Overalls from Pointer Brand Jeans made in Bristol, Tennessee
A wooden puzzle from Jameson Woodworks in Belton, SC
5 tags
J.W. Hulme Co
J.W. Hulme makes gorgeous luggage. Leather and canvas and made in Minnesota. It is really expensive. But if you’re going to spend $300+ on a purse or $1000 on a leather duffle bag, at least it’s made in USA. And it has a lifetime repair policy. They will repair any damage from regular wear and tear.
In case you’re wondering I want this one:
I tend to wear out messenger bags...
3 tags
4 tags
Rada Cutlery
I told you a bit about the Bradford Store before, but on my last trip I decided it was time I told you about Rada Cutlery. These knives are made in Iowa, and are simply awesome. I have several paring knives a set of steak knives, and now my newest purchase, a dicing knife. These knives are my favorites, my mom has always used them, and it’s great to find out they’re also made in USA. The blades...
3 tags
What is it With This Nostalgia for Manufacturing... →
This post from Forbes is abysmal. The writer is making the argument that we should not mourn the loss of manufacturing work, and instead welcome it as a sign of increased productivity and American workers can focus on other industries.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of this: we should welcome it rather. For this is what has happened with agriculture over the past 300 years. We used to need 90%...
2 tags
Indigo Vodka
You hear a lot about local beer, but what about local Vodka? It never occurred to me to look into where the harder alcohols are made (being a bourbon drinker, I know bourbon is made in Kentucky), but I saw this news article about a distillery in Charlotte.
The vodka is highly rated and $24 a bottle.
I’m not a vodka drinker. Has anyone tried it?
4 tags
Lawn Furniture! Adams Manufacturing
My old folding chairs are falling apart. They are made in China metal and nylon contraptions that sit on the back patio for grilling and yappy hour with the neighbors (Yappy hour is happy hour but with dogs). The fabric is separating from the metal frame and sagging. The made in USA options I’ve found cost more than my living room furniture, and though they also look nicer than my living...
1 tag
4 tags
Re Sails
Re Sails is a business I came across while walking around downtown Annapolis, MD the other day. They made vests, bags, wallets, and lots of other stuff out of sailcloth. All the bags are made in Rhode Island. Some are made of recycled sails, other of new material.
Pretty cool.
3 tags
Sale at Three Dots Clothing →
