The Race Report

I'm back. I survived. In fact I did more than survive, I had fun! And I kicked ass! Race day went something like this.
Pre-Race: I didn't sleep at all the night before, but I knew I wouldn't and it doesn't really matter. I was already well rested and the race day energy makes it so you don't notice any lack of sleep. I got out of bed at 4:30 AM as planned, had my smoothie, started hydrating, my Sweetie loaded the bike and his camera. We got on the road by 5:40 AM, 10 minutes later than planned. Despite leaving behind schedule I was surprisingly calm. Really! I never once felt like puking. Once at the site my Sweetie topped off the air in my tires. We must have looked like we knew what we were doing because the girl parked to the left of us asked me if I could tell her where her helmet and bike numbers were supposed to go. And the girl parked to the right of us asked my Sweetie if he would pump up her tires also. I remembered that this is one of the reasons I like to do this - the camaraderie - suddenly you have 400 and something new best friends and you're all in this together, sort of. I got my body marked, the volunteer got a little artistic working the numbers in around my tattoos. It was open racking, and I was able to get a really sweet spot on the end of a rack. It pays to get there early. I got set up, walked the transition area, picked up my timing chip, ate a banana, stood in line for the porta-potty and spent the rest of the pre-race minutes on the beach. I did my warm-up swim. I told myself the big-fat lie that there wasn't any fish in the lake, and even though I knew it was a big fat lie I chose to believe it. I shared this with my Sweetie and a few other spectators. They were highly amused, and I remembered that this is why I do this, it's fun, and I love chattin' it up with strangers.

The Swim: The swim was a real bitch. I did everything I planned, I lined up in front and I swam out hard. Trouble is there was a small gaggle of other ladies with the exact same plan, and we were all pretty evenly matched. Somehow the 5 of us managed to swim the entire distance in a scrum. I got kicked in the face once, hard. I never found my little piece of water. The whole 300 meters was a scrum. I studied the swim results and there were 5 of us who came out of the water within 4 seconds of each other. Yep, it sucked, mostly. There is no way to improve on this, to train harder for that, it's just one of those race day variables that's out of your control. You deal with it. And the goats, did I mention there were three goats living on the island in the lake. Pre-race I thought they were kinda cute, at about the half way point of the swim I had the thought that the water I was swimming in was brackish, murky, and smelling of sulfur because of those goats. I put that thought right out of my mind. Official swim time: 7:55 - not as fast as I wanted, but I was ranked 9th in my age group and I caught some of the "green cap" people in the wave before mine. I'd write home about that. And I didn't freak out - this is why I do this, I am reminded that sometimes you have to just deal with the stuff that's out of your control.


T1: I got my cap and goggles off just as soon as I got out of the water. I knew right where my bike was. Everything going as planned. Except the stitch in my side. You could hardly call my movement from the water's edge, through the parking lot, and to my transition area a jog, it was more like a gimp, but with a few deep breaths the stitch surrendered. For some unknown reason I couldn't get my shoe on - I verbally abused the shoe. And it too surrendered. Perfect. Helmet, sunglasses, never mind the gloves, I'm off! Official T1 Time: 3:08 - A little slow but I remembered where to bike exit was and got there.

The Bike: The first hill. It wasn't really as steep as I had remembered from my scouting trip, it was long. Really really long. I had left my bike on the small chain ring, with room to move down to the granny gear. It worked, I was able to spin up that first hill. I didn't get off my bike and walk it up the hill, although I saw a few that did, and it's not a bad strategy, I would not have been above walking up that hill if I had needed to, but I didn't need to. Once I crested that hill I rode hard, and smart. I went fast. I remembered to drink my sport drink. I remembered to call out "on your left" and "thank you" to everyone I passed. I congratulated and encouraged everyone who passed me. Really, every single one, I'm competitive, but nice. I felt sincerely bad for the girl with a flat, and the ladies with the really heavy mountain bikes. The back half of the course wasn't that bad, it was rolling, gravity was indeed on my side. Those training rides paid off. The last mile is all downhill, and I did indeed fly. I glanced at my computer once and it said 32 mph. I don't think I've ever gone that fast on my bike. I felt fearless. I felt like a super hero. It was fun. Official bike time: 44:52 - right where I wanted to be. I made up some time and was back on track for my goal. That's a great feeling. Could I have gone faster...? Probably. Could I have been more aggressive...? Probably. And that encourages me for next time.


T2: Bike racked. Helmet off. No gloves to worry about. Drink some water. I'm off. Wait! My belt, turn around run back, get the damn belt. Go! Thank goodness I remembered, I'm not sure but I think that could have been a DQ. I'll have to check the USAT Rule Book. Official time: 1:06 - that's right, despite having almost forgotten my belt I was ahead of my goal.

The Run: Most of my favorite moments in the race happened during the run. First, the oldest athlete was a 70 year old woman who was doing her first triathlon with her daughter. I saw them early on in the run, the mom was race walking and daughter was a few paces ahead, telling her she "looked great" she was "doing a great job". Mom replied with "I've got this race in the bag, I can do this!" I loved her! And I thought hell yes! And I congratulated her on job well done. This course isn't a great one for spectators, except at the beach and the finish line. This means there are no fans to cheer you through the bulk of the run. But, it's an out and back course and so those on the way back encourage those on the way out. It's the camaraderie thing again, and I love that. It took a little longer then I wanted for my legs to stop feeling like rubber and the evil stitch was back so I took the first mile a little easy. I admit it seemed a little daunting. I took water at the turn around, and thanked all the volunteers. And then I decided I needed something to get me going - I challenged myself to pass the lady just in front of me, according to her body marking she was 52 years old. And then I went after the next one, her calf said she was 48 years old. And then the next one, and the next one, and I went after a few that were a little younger. I still got passed by some, and I still took the energy to encourage those on the way out, but I spent that second mile trying to pick off runners and make a note of their age as I did. Before I knew it there it was, the turn off the road up to the home stretch. This is where it gets really, really thrilling - this is where you can see the finish line, and you know in your heart that you've earned the finish. This is where there are lots of fans and spectators cheering you on and congratulating you on a strong finish and you know in your heart you deserve it. This is where I spotted the calf of the girl just ahead of me, she was 22 years old, and this is where I got competitive and made up my mind I could take her. And I did. And it was awesome. Official run time: 22:04.


I crossed the finish line with a huge smile on my face. I got my finisher's medal from a perfect volunteer. I got my ice towel and my bottle of water from two other perfect volunteers. Official total race time: 1:19:07. That's exactly in between my "It was a great day, I had fun, and I can be really proud of this time" Goal and my "I kicked ass!" Goal. I was 11th (out of 50) in my age group, and that seemed beyond my wildest dreams.


Post-Race: I did everything I said I would do, I found my Sweetie, I re-hydrated, I stretched, I consumed some calories. I basked in the glory of the day. I congratulated other finishers. I cheered for those still coming across the finish line. I ate up all the congratulations from complete strangers without hesitation. It was fun.

And I remembered why I do this. I do this for the camaraderie. I do this because it's thrilling. I do this because I can and I'm proud of that. I do this because it reminds me to take stuff as it comes. I do this because it feels good to be 40 years old and be healthy and strong enough, I'm grateful for that. I do this because anybody can, but most don't, and that sets me apart, just a little. But mostly I do this because it's fun.


What's next? Something completely new and different - The Rock N Roll San Antonio 1/2 Marathon. The training program has already started, I've sort of fudged the first three weeks of training to make it fit with the triathlon. It will be the thrill of doing something for the first time, which is an extra special kind of thrill. And next season I'll do another triathlon, in fact I'd love to travel to Minneapolis and do the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon again, but this time do the Olympic Distance. And later this week - the knit results of race week.

Cheers!

A Race Plan without Goals...?

Last night I dreamed I forgot my bike on my way to the Triathlon. This morning I practiced my transitions on the back porch. (Did I mention "nervous energy" in my previous post?)

I realized I published The Race Plan without including The Goals. All Race Plans include goals. Perhaps I left them out of the previous post on purpose, it takes courage to let others in on your goals - what if you don't achieve them? Everyone will know. And perhaps I'm flattering myself to think that there even is an "everyone". Well, in the spirit of not being such a scared-y cat, (and secretly telling myself no one reads this blog anyway) I've decided to go ahead and make public The Goals.

I learned from my friend and neighbor (who sometimes reads my blog, I think, so Thanks!) the nifty little trick of setting a couple of different goals, it gives you some flexibility with your performance, and it can help to stave off any disappointment if things just don't go your way. I've got three sets of goals for this race - the first is the "things just didn't go my way"goal. Next is the "It was a great day, I had fun, and I can be really proud of these times" goal. And finally there's the "I kicked ass!" goals. Keep in mind "kicking ass!" is relative, it's about putting in a great effort and pushing yourself up to your limits, but not beyond them.

My "things just really didn't go my way" goal is pretty general - I just want to be done before the awards ceremony starts, that gives me just under 2 hours. I don't even care if I'm dead last, that could be funny if I have a sense of humor about it, I want the finisher's medal. And I don't want to fall off my bike.

The "It was a great day..." Goals are more specific, and I think realistic, although you never know for sure until you try, they look like this - Swim 1:15/50 meters, finishing the swim in 7.5 minutes. Bike at an average speed of 13 MPH which means finishing the bike leg in 51 minutes. Run 10:50 miles or finish the run in 21:40. With T1 at 2:30 and T2 at 1:30 my total time would be 1 hour and 24 minutes.

The "I kick ass" Goals look like this - swim 1:00/50 meters which gets me out of the water in 6 minutes. I've beat this time in the pool by 7 seconds more than once, but this isn't the pool, it's a scrum of bodies in open water. Bike at an average speed of 16 MPH which would mean finishing the ride in 42 minutes, hard and aggressive, but possible. Run a 10:20 Mile or finish the run in 20 minutes 40 seconds, this is lofty, I'm not that fast, especially running off the bike. With the same T1 and T2 times I'd be across the finish line in 1 hour 13 minutes.

There, I've done it, I've made public The Goals. All I need to do now is hit the "publish post" button. Until next week...

Race Week - The Race Plan

It's race week - on Sunday July 27th I'll be partaking in the Rouge Women's Triathlon - and that means this week is race week, and that means lots and lots of nervous energy. This is not my first triathlon, nor is it my longest, but it is the first one in three years and that's a heck of a long time when we're talking athletics. In fact it's a whole new age group. I'll be racing with the "40 somethings" this time. This is a "super sprint" triathlon - 300 meter swim, 11.1 mile bike, and 2 mile run.

Despite the fact that I've done this before, I still get really nervous during the week leading up to an event. In some ways it's the kind of nervous energy that's generated when you're really looking forward to something. It's the anticipation and it's the waiting - you've worked really hard, you've put in the hours, you've taken care of yourself, you've prepped all your gear, and now you wait for the big day to be here. But it's also just plain, good old fashion, butterflies in the stomach, gee I hope I don't fall off my bike in front of all those people, nerves.

So what to do with all the nervous energy? Hopefully lots of knitting. The knitting keeps my hands busy, and calms the spirit, while leaving the mind free to think about the race. Which is good, because when it's race week the race is pretty much all I can think about. I'm pretty good at not letting this become obsessive worry, and at staving off any negativity or self-doubt. But in order to do this I have to focus my thoughts on something constructive, and that something constructive is The Race Plan. All smart athletes have a Race Plan. I may be old and slow, but I'm still smart. I have a Race Plan and I'm spending this week knitting and going over it in my mind a hundred trillion times.

I figured if I was going to be going over The Race Plan a hundred trillion times I may as well write about it. So here it is, although a few of the details have been edited to save space and spare you from any of the gross stuff.

Pre-Race: Arrive at the race site at least an hour and a half before the start. This will mean being on the road and out the door by 5:30 AM. First thing to do is get my body marked. Then I find my rack, top off the air in my tires and rack my bike. Set up my transition area. Keep my swim cap and my goggles in hand. Lay out my shoes, with the laces loose, socks on top of shoes, gloves inside helmet, sunglasses, and race belt ready. One bottle of fluids on the bike, and an extra bottle for before the start and available if I decide I need to do the run with water. Once my transition area is set up, I need to walk the transition area from where I come in from the swim, count the racks so I can find my bike. Walk from my rack to the bike exit, and from the bike return to my rack. Finally walk from my rack to the run start. It's good to know where you're going, it can keep you from getting frantic. Apply another, extra layer of sunscreen. Visit the bathroom. All the while hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Remind myself the nerves and the butterflies stop once I start.

The Swim: I'm a strong swimmer, and this swim is short. For many triathletes this is the part they dread, and they will be wanting to just get through it. The swim start is always a little weird, it's hectic, and crowded, you can't see a thing, and swimming in open water is completely different then swimming in a pool. The swim start can be scary. I won't freak out. I'll line up towards the front and swim hard for the first 50 yards, to get out of the crowd. Then I'll find my rhythm and settle into my pace. Remember swim cap and goggles off as soon as I leave the water, and remember where your bike is.

T1: Get geared up in this order - socks, shoes, gloves, helmet, sunglasses. Remember where the bike exit is and get there. Remind myself to drink fluids on the bike. Remind myself this is fun.

The Bike: I scoped out the course a few weeks ago and got myself totally freaked out about the hills on the bike course. I've been riding hills ever since, I need to remind myself I've gone longer and harder on those training rides, I've done it before I can do it again. This course starts with a steep climb. My strategy is to have left my bike in a low gear, and to just spin up this first hill. I will remind myself that no matter how much it hurts, I've got 5.5 miles of downhill and flats after this first hill which will be plenty of time to catch my breath, take some fluids, and get my legs back. Go fast. The back half of the course gets hilly again, but it's pretty rolling so gravity is on my side. Remind myself I've gone harder and longer. Remind myself it's almost over. Say "hello" to all the volunteers and shout "nice job" to everyone who passes me. I'll fly down the last hill and give my legs a rest.

T2: Rack my bike - helmet off, gloves off, sunglasses on, go. I'll put my race belt on while moving towards the run start. I'm riding in my running shoes so this transition should be quick. Remind myself to breath.

The Run: It will be hot by now, and there is no shade, but I've been training in the heat, and this is Texas after all, so just go. The run is short. I recently learned something called "the Ironman Shuffle" you lean just slightly forward from your core and let momentum get you started on the run, your feet will just have to keep up, I'll do this until the rubbery feeling goes away. This is a fairly rolling run course, if I use my arms to power up the hills, I can use gravity to pick up speed going down them. Remind myself to stay light on my feet. Remind myself to breath. Smile. Take water at the turn around and thank the volunteers. This run is short so I can go a little harder. I'll hold my head up, cross the finish line, raise my arms in victory, and smile.

Post-Race: I will keep moving, I'll find my Sweetie, get some fluids, find some shade, and celebrate. Enjoy the camaraderie and revel in the glory for awhile before I load up the bike and pack up the gear. Remind myself I can nap if I want to when I get home. Remind myself it was fun.

I'll be back next week with The Race Report and some knitting to share.

Altered Vintage Postcards

I've been thrifting a lot lately and some of my favorite finds have been vintage postcards. Mostly there from the 1950's and 1960's, and I've been lucky about finding ones that have never been used and that are pretty pristine.

Cleaning Up City Hall - Altered Vintage Postcard

I've been using them as backgrounds for collage elements. All of my collage bits of paper and ephemeral are also vintage and of the some era.

Swimming Beach - Altered Vintage Postcard

It's been a lot of fun, mostly tongue in check humor, and a touch of irony. After I alter the postcards I seal them with a protective acrylic finish, low gloss to preserve the vintage look. You can find these altered postcards in my Blue Valentine Etsy Shop. Oh, and there's lots more to come.

Highway 101 - Altered Vintage Postcard

Holy Crap! Long TIme No Post

Pendants made from collaged vintage Domino

How does it happen? You log in to blog and realize it's been over a month since your last post. How it happens, at least in part, is two trips to Minneapolis to celebrate weddings and graduations. Tons of hours spent on the road and in the pool training for another triathlon. And lots and lots of life's little details like lawns to mow, plants to grow, and dogs to walk. None of it the stuff worthy of a blog post, and yet I just managed to include them.

There's also been time for crafting, although there never seems to be enough. It's the great unsolved puzzle in my life, and I'm sure in lots of my readers' lives: Where do you find the time to craft?

"Cleaning Up City Hall" - Altered Vintage Postcard

The work with paper has continued to involve lots of collage - right now the x-acto and glue are more fun than the press and ink, so I'll stay with it until I get the urge to print. It's a funny thing about me, I can't just stick with one thing - I can't just run so I bike and swim also, and viola it's the makings of a triathlon. Like wise I can't just print, I sometimes would rather collage or sew some bindings. I don't just knit, I also full my knitting, needle felt, and now I'm learn to weave (more on that in future post). The variety keeps me sane. I think... Either that or it makes me crazy. I guess that's the other unsolved puzzle in my life.

"Highway 101" - Altered Vintage Postcard

Back to the work with paper... I've been altering some vintage postcards that I found at my favorite thrift store. I've also been collaging on old game pieces, mostly vintage domino and old wooden nickels, also thrifted. I've been using them to make some really fun pendants. Some have been listed in my Etsy shop, and some will be listed soon.

I'll share some knitting news and the learning to weave in a future post soon. But right now I've left my bike on the porch so I can get in a ride after I write a blog post, and before I sit down at the loom... Crazy? Sane? And when will I walk the dogs?

Some Thoughts on Collage

I've been doing more and more work with collage lately. And not just on the journal covers. I've been working with watercolor paper and then mounting the collages onto greeting cards. I've got a few other projects planned as well, with new materials and media, but I won't reveal the details until I have photos to post.

I've always been a collector of paper and ephemeral bits and pieces. I especially love the vintage stuff circa 1940-1965, sometimes a bit older, and sometimes a bit younger, but mostly that's what I seem to gravitate towards. I love the colors they used then, the muted tones. Collecting papery bits is one of those uber-addictive things. I have boxes, and drawers and stacks of papery goodness all over my work space. Some things I especially love: sheet music, maps, sewing patterns, and books that are beyond repair.


Collage is all about juxtaposition, that's what makes it fun. It's about working with colors, contrasts and compliments. It's about being true to an era or a theme, without being literal. And it's about irony. I especially love the irony. I noticed the other day that it's not unusual for me to chuckle out loud to myself when working on a collage. That almost never happens when I'm standing at the press.

As a word lover I find myself almost always including text in my collage. Sometimes the words are the starting point, but sometimes they come later. I'll never get away from the words, I really don't want to.


Collage is also about experimentation. Trying new materials, and media. It's a way to really explore the vast world of art supplies, and sometimes you discover something you love. I recently went to the craft store and shopped the sections I never used to, I also went to a bead store. I didn't buy much, just a few odds and ends, the idea was to push myself creatively, to look at new materials.


Like the journals, I've been posting the collaged greeting cards in my Etsy shop. I think it shows that I've been having fun. At least I hope it does.

Grow Your Own - Wheat Grass!

Here's another super simple way to have fresh greens and to add a little life to the kitchen; grow your own wheat grass. Get yourself some wheat berries, they are available in bulk at most co-ops, natural food stores, and finer groceries. Put several tablespoons in a small dish, cover with water and soak over night. In the morning, find yourself a container for planting - you can use a pot, a dish, or I recycled the containers my raspberries and blueberries came in.
Fill to almost full with an organic potting soil, sprinkle the surface with the plump soaked wheat berries. Barely cover with more soil. Keep them moist with daily watering, and put them in a sunny window. It doesn't even really need to be that sunny. Once your grass is 4 inches long, mow some off for use, and it'll keep growing. You can juice it in a juicer if you have one. Add some to your smoothies. Or feed it to your dogs and cats, they can either graze right off the plant (cats especially) or you can cut it up and add it to their kibble. It's really good for them and you.

Happy planting!

Earth Day Project Update: New total on re-crafted re-usable totes is 134!

And the Winners Are...

Congratulations to the lucky 6 winners of my Earth Day Contest - They are Christine P. , Amy C., Hoganfe, Contessa Kris, Kim aka Images by Kim, and Antjamie. Please send an email to bluevalentinepress@hotmai.com with where I should send your re-crafted re-usable totes and your issue of Croq "The Trash Issue" and I'll get them on their way to you asap.

Thanks to everyone who played along. There were some great comments and emails with some great ways to live a little greener. Kim would like to implement this idea in her home town, I say go for it, and right on! The less plastic in this world the better. Including plastic water bottles, which is why antjamie's comment about ditching the disposable water bottles is so great - I myself made that change some time ago and it's amazing how much money and plastic you save, for myself personally, I drink a lot of water, like on average of 90 ounces every day, and that's a lot of refills. I love the idea of swifter covers, and riding your bikes to work. I thankfully get to work here at home but my partner has been making a real effort to commute via bicycle when ever it's possible. I also really really loved the idea of getting rid of disposable cups at the office - it's the perfect way to put all those free-be coffee cups to a good use. All it takes is a little effort and a little dish soap. Perfect!

Here's some updates on the project: As of right now I have 124 shirts, and I know there is more on the way. Almost all of these are prepped and ready to sew - thanks to my super next-door friend who spent her Friday evening helping me cut shirts. Some of the finished shirts have made their way out into the world - like 36 of them. And I've only had one person say "no thank you" they didn't want a free re-usable shopping bag, but he was a little weird anyway so...

Here's the biggest most exciting update: Blue Dog Rescue, the local mixed breed rescue group that I volunteer for has an annual fund raising 5k run - Run for the Rovers. They have asked and I have agreed to recycle last year's left over runner shirts into this year's swag bags. This should be about 60 re-crafted tees, and will probably be distributed to the first 60 registrants. Although myself and my partner are already registered to run, so that'll be two more re-crafted re-usable totes for me to get out into the world. If you're reading this and you're in Central Texas, hop on over to the race website, and get yourself registered to run. It's a lot of fun, it's for a great cause, and you can run with your dog, as long as it's spayed or neutered, and current on it's vaccinations. We'll be running with Layla. Way to go green Blue Dog!

I have to say I am so pleased with response I've gotten to this silly little project. My hope was to get my friends and family and their friends and family and maybe a few strangers excited about not using plastic bags anymore. Clearly this has happened. And that my friends, makes me very happy! So thank you all for your enthusiasm, and thank you all for wanting to jump on board and go a little green, and thank you all for not using plastic.

THERE'S STILL TIME...

There's still time to enter my Earth Day Contest! I've received some great comments, and some great emails from the shy folks - You have until 11 PM cst time today to enter. I'll be announcing the winners tomorrow, along with some updates on the project. Leave your comment, and send that email.

EARTH DAY 2008! The Project -

Happy Earth Day readers! I have a crafty recycling Earth Day project of my very own this year, and a contest to kick it off...

I had this idea for turning old Tee-Shirts into really cool, re-usable totes. Like a lot of my ideas this one has become sort of project. My own personal Earth Day project. I've had a ban on plastic bags in my house for some time now and this is my way of encouraging others to use a little less plastic.

Here's the logistics - Last week I sent an email to basically everyone I know and have an email address for, friends and family, asking them to give me their old tee-shirts, the ones they've been meaning to bring to the Goodwill anyway, the ones in the deepest darkest corners of their closet or drawers, the ones they'll never wear again. And I'll make them into totes. As an added incentive for them to give up their old tees I promised them one completed tote for every three shirts they give me. For example, they give me 3 shirts they get 1 tote, 6 shirts = 2 totes, 9 shirts = 3 totes, you can do the math.

All I ask is that you use it! That's sort of my theme with this project. I asked that you keep some in your purse, or a pile of them in the car, or in your panniers and use them everywhere you shop. Most grocery stores have caught on to this idea and are into it, but it's pretty amusing the response you get when you say "I have my own bags" at places like Target, or Petco, or Lowe's. Really it's fun. The goal is to have less plastic floating around the world. Which brings me to the scary stuff...

WARNING: This paragraph contains the scary stuff - you really should read it. At their most basic level, these plastic bags are made from petroleum and all that that inherently implies in terms of fossil fuel harvesting and harmful emissions. Every year Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags. No that's not a type-o, 100 BILLION. That's the equivalent of dumping 12 million barrels of oil. A goodly portion of those 100 billion bags end up in our landfills - forever! They don't bio-degrade, they do eventually break down into tiny toxic particles, and release toxic gases all the while. Worse yet, the ones that don't end up in the land fill - forever - take flight and end up in our waterways and oceans. I read one estimate that 1 million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles are killed every year by eating or getting tangled up in plastic bags. I read another estimate that 50% of all marine litter is plastic. Want more of the scary stuff? Do a google search on "plastic bags" and if you weed through all the ads from manufacturers and distributors of plastic bags you'll find several conservation groups with articles and FAQS about the horrors of plastic bags. I gleaned most of this scary stuff from a Salon Article.

Back to the regularly scheduled program - my Earth Day project. The response I have gotten from my friends and family has been astounding! Really! In just four days I have collected 110 tee shirts. I have sorted, piled and logged each of those 110 shirts. And I have word from several people that there is more to come. I think a very reasonable goal is 200. I am going to turn 200 old tee shirts into 200 re-usable shopping bags. Think of the plastic that will save.

So what happens with these 200 shirts I'm re-making into totes? They will all be given away for free - All I ask is that you use them! The first batch to be given away will be the 40 (out of the 110) bags that will go back to my original contributors. Several of them have said they intend to use their tee shirt totes as gifts, giving them to people who would maybe not otherwise think of using a re-usable tote. And that is exactly the spirit of this project.

The next batch to be given away will be to the winners of the Kick Off Contest - Yep, here it is the Earth Day Contest: Leave a comment, or if you're shy send an email to bluevalentinepress@hotmail.com, and share either a recycling tip or an Earth Day resolution of your own. Everyone who comments or emails will be entered into a random drawing. You have until Friday April 25th at 11PM cst to enter. I will announce six winners, here on the blog on Saturday the 26th. Each winner will receive 3 re-crafted tee shirt totes and a copy of CROQ Craft Zine The Trash Issue, which is chock full of crafty recycling projects. That accounts for the next 18 bags, bringing us to total of 58 tee shirt totes out in the world.


This is an ongoing project, as it will obviously take some time to sew 200 totes, and I won't stop at 200 if my loved ones keep giving me shirts. My goal is to save the Earth from having to deal with so much plastic. Every shirt that is given to me will be re-crafted into a tote and that tote will be distributed for free. I have visions of myself out front of the local pet food store handing out free totes...

I will continue to blog my progress with this project and share with y'all how the shirts have been distributed. So stay tuned, and don't be shy, enter the contest before Friday night. Happy Earth Day!