Notes from a Napkin: Peaks Island & Portland

The crew member opened the gate, and our morning ferry crowd began to shuffle across the dock, past the indoor seating, and up the steps to the top deck where we could take in the view. The buzz amongst the locals was the heat wave with temps climbing into the 90s, documenting the hottest day on record in Maine, or so they said. Looking at the view from the upper deck, the Portland dock scene was spread out before us with its bright red tug boats, ocean vessels, and sailboats navigating the channel between the city, the islands, and the Atlantic ocean. The call of the seagulls, blustery ocean winds, and busy boat traffic were all part of the 18-minute ride to Peaks Island. If your travel plans take you to the coast of Maine, here are some of our highlights from Peaks Island and Portland to consider for your adventure.

Before the ferry departure, just across the street from the terminal, we ordered freshly baked chocolate croissants and blueberry oatmeal scones at The Standard Baking Company. Much to our surprise, we came upon a long line there Saturday morning (yes, we went every day), waiting for 45 minutes to reach the counter. We adjusted our arrival time for the next two days and stood for 15-minutes before ordering. Well worth the wait! Standard Baking on Fore Street is a must-visit for anyone who appreciates fresh bread and delicious baked goods.

Most of our weekend was spent with friends and family on Peaks Island, which is mainly residential. Beautiful homes of all sizes are perched on the waterfront. The annual Peaks Island Road Race kicked off the first day. Each participant in the kids’ run wore the #1 pinned to their shorts and tops as they sprinted around the block, panting, cheering, and yelling at siblings. The more serious 5-mile runners came next. We offered a brief respite from the heat by spraying water across the road at the three-mile marker. The rest of us who didn’t run cheered the racers with another discovery in hand, Rally and Patina beer from the local Austin Street Brewery.

Golf carts are the mode of transportation on Peaks as you wind around the weathered island roads to the Back Bay. Without the mainland and other islands to block the wind, this area feels the full force of the ocean crashing onto the rocks and the wind blowing in from the Atlantic. The raw beauty of mother nature is on display.

Those who venture here from bigger cities are used to scheduling around train times; however, on Peaks Island, residents follow the low and high tides (and the shark sightings). As beach-goers, we set our folding chairs on the rocky sands at low tide, where a few brave souls ventured into the 62-degree water. (I waded up to my ankles and decided that was far enough.) We witnessed a stunning sunset later that evening from the same beach. The sand and rocks we traversed earlier had disappeared under the ocean waves.

On Sundays in the summer, the live jam of reggae music can be heard from the Jones Landing bar and restaurant. It’s a convenient venue immediately off the Peaks Island ferry, with an amazing waterfront lawn. Be sure to put this casual party on your calendar.

After all the food and fun, you may want to hit the Joseph E. Gray Jr. trail just beyond the bustle of Commercial Street in Portland. (The Ocean Gateway visitors building is right before the trail; a good stop for clean, public restrooms.) The paved Gray trail hugs the coastline for miles offering a beautiful view of the water. It’s a place walkers, cyclists, skateboarders, and runners (and dogs) enjoy. Looking out across the ocean one can’t help but dream of the next excursion by the sea.

Photos top row: Sunset from Peaks Island look across at Portland, Ferry arrival at Peaks, festive golf cart, Peaks Island beach. Bottom row: Peaks Island road racers enjoying a cool water spray, Standard Baking, a marina view from the Joseph E. Gray Jr. trail.

Hats Off to Traveling with Ease

When you’re on the go, it’s nice to have a few travel hacks and accessories that are functional and look good while you’re at it. You’ll appreciate this accessory if you’re not a fan of carrying your hats or digging for gloves. It’s an easy addition that’s portable, offers mix and match options, and is hearty enough to trust with your favorite wearables.

This two-piece magnetic leather clip can safely secure your hats or gloves onto your bag for a trip to the ball game, beach, or out for a walk. It makes one less thing to carry, and you can easily access your items. We use it to clip on a sun hat, ballcap, or leather gloves so they’re available without rummaging through bags (or putting them into pockets where one invariably falls out.). The detachable ring clips to backpacks, beach bags, your market tote, or an oversized purse. With different colored metal clips that slide into the leather magnet, you can dress up this accessory by selecting the gold or silver clip for a night out or keep the look subtle with all black. The magnet is available in various shapes, materials, and colors (although it seems the white option is always sold out when we look). Because of its smooth interior, the clip is gentle on delicate materials.

We made a quick video to share how the clip works. Enjoy this simple accessory by Lindsay Albanese to keep your hands free from carrying and available for tasting, sipping, or cheering on your favorite team. If you pick up this “toptote,” let us know what you think, or if you have your own favorite travel accessory, please share at greetings@redandrugged.net. (Note: this is not sponsored content.)

Cottage Charm

When we envision cottage charm, we see alcoves dotted with family gems like carved figurines, engraved keepsakes, and heirloom clocks. We find a photo in an antique picture frame next to a hand-painted treasure. Stepping outside, the gardens and gathering spaces continue the sentiment of delicious details. Reading nooks tucked away in the gardens, porch swings and oversized rocking chairs on the screened-in porch are a few of our favorites. The long days of summer invite us to claim our restful hideaways. Blend the character of old with a hint of new, the antique metals with rich wood, and the vintage with vivid colors to craft your escape.

Create your inspiring enclave:

Follow the pebbled path to an old metal bench and surround yourself with natural color. A new spot for your morning coffee.

Add treasures like a small hand-painted birdhouse to mirror the feeders and fountains in the garden.

Pair a vintage table with a handcrafted serving board to savor the sweets in the summer breeze.

Sneak away on an afternoon break to claim your seat among the wildflowers.

Rolling Residences Add a New Twist to Home Design

Summer vacations are hot on our heels, and modern-day "mobile" homes (#vanlife) are headed toward scenic destinations. As our lifestyles intersect with travel and workations, sports vans and pop-tops are equipped with accessories and custom pieces that add a new twist to artisan home design.

Originally, handcrafted cutting boards began as a kitchen essential for food prep, then evolved into serving boards for home entertainment. Next, what started as a kitchen tool morphed into an option for countertops. The beauty of natural wood gained popularity in kitchen remodels and interior design.

Now, as remote workstations become the norm, vans, RVs, and buses are retrofitted for extended living. That same cutting board concept has taken another turn. This time we're making dual use cutting boards used for meal prep and as custom sink covers, part of custom van conversions. The cutting board continues to have practical use and adds the style of rich wood grain to an already upgraded interior.

Part of the fun of artisan craftsmanship is seeing the different ways a design is used in beautiful and functional forms. The pictures below start in our workshop (left) as the custom cutting board sink cover is made and ends in the “kitchen” of the camper van. Also, a customer’s kitchen countertop, made of individual pieces of rough-cut lumber, is shown on the far right.

This is an example of craftsmanship and creativity leading to three different products (cutting board, kitchen countertop, and van kitchen accessory). There’s a similar look and feel for all, however, each is used in a unique way. We love when our customers take our contemporary artisan pieces and create their own design ideas. You never know where the creative road will take you.

Pop-Up Pizza Oven Party

Updated February 9, 2023

Pop-up pizza parties and ice-cold refreshments are two ways we make the most of the outdoor cooking season. We welcome any opportunity to fire up our portable wood pellet pizza oven. If you’re looking for an excuse to kick off your deck or patio party season, this may be the one.

Two questions to get started, are you adventurous in your culinary skills, and are you a pizza lover? If so, this behind-the-scenes look into cooking pizza in a portable oven is for you. As a result of our periodic Instagram videos (@red.rugged) of Rugged making his pizzas, we get a lot of questions about his homemade pizzas and the Ooni oven. We thought we’d have some fun today answering those questions and share how to fire up the oven and create a delicious experience. Try pepperoni, margarita, or our favorite, homemade pesto sauce topped with thinly sliced Yukon Gold potatoes and fontina cheese finished with a sprinkle of cracked pepper; it’s a tough choice but tasty to sample and select the winner.

You may be curious about this process if you’re already cooking pizzas in the kitchen oven or perhaps on the grill. Rugged graduated to cooking our pizzas in the Ooni portable wood pellet oven, thanks to a friend and fellow pizza maker (Hat tip to Jeff Markham). Here are our tips and tricks to get your mouth watering.

A Heads Up: Clear off some space on your deck or patio to make room for all your new friends. Your pizza-loving buddies will be excited to taste this piping-hot pie.

In preparation:
The process we describe below starts once you’ve made your pizza. Rugged makes his own dough, and each dough ball is ready to roll between pies.

The cooking happens fast, so make sure you have your serving area set up before you begin.

The pizza size matters as your kitchen oven or outside grill is much larger than this oven. The Ooni oven we have (seen here in photos) is for a 12” pizza. (They also have a 16”.) Tip: Because the 12” is small, if you plan to serve a bunch of people, you’ll be making a lot of pizzas. Even when it’s just the two of us, we never make just one pizza :)

You might need a smaller pizza peel because the opening of the pizza oven is not as wide as your kitchen stove or the grill. (The “peel” is the piece with the handle that slides the pizza inside.). We use a 12” peel. Tip: Sprinkle flour onto the wood peel to make the pizza slide on and off easily (this is true for anywhere you use the peel - kitchen oven or grill too).

Once the pizza’s ready, here’s what you need to know for a perfect wood pellet oven pie.

• Speed and agility are essential. This process is not for the slow and cautious chefs.

• Fire up the portable oven to about 900 degrees. It happens quickly (approximately 15 minutes) using a little basket of wood pellets that slides into the back of the oven.

• Use an infrared thermometer to confirm the temperature has reached a red hot 900 degrees. Make sure the thermometer points at the back of the pizza stone inside the oven. (Tip: Be sure you get a thermometer rated for 1000 degrees.) Be patient, don’t start before it hits 900 degrees.

• Stay alert around the back of the oven. When you pop open the front to slide the pizza inside, flames can appear out the back if there’s any breeze. Quite the surprise if you’re not expecting it.

• Once the pizza goes inside the oven, the timer starts. Get ready to pull the pizza out and rotate it a quarter turn every 12-15 seconds. (The back of the oven gets hotter than the front, so these quick turns are essential.) Pull the pizza out, turn it, and pop it back in three more times to ensure the pizza is cooked evenly. If you hear sizzling, it’s probably too late, and it’s burnt.

• Be sure to keep checking the temperature if you’re making multiple pizzas. The wood pellets burn quickly. (We add more pellets between the second and third pizza.)

• Tip: The oven weighs 20 lbs. You’re not likely to store it someplace high if there’s not enough space to keep it outside.

If pizza is the center of attention for most casual evening meals, get ready to enjoy this little slice of culinary heaven!

Wildflowers and Wishful Thinking

We’re exploring colorful and curious combinations this month that exude a note of cheer. How can we sip our morning brew with fresh blooms and artful treasures that make us smile? Let’s celebrate the season with bold tulip colors, a dash of creativity, and artisan plates and cups. While friends hurry to buy their springtime delights, you can find new ways to enjoy the festive pieces you have on hand.

Lift your spirits with sprigs of color. Place flowers arranged in an old whiskey bottle on the bar, tie a colorful ribbon around a glass vase full of daisies, or add stems nestled in a champagne flute to your beverage station.

Feature your plates for more than just dining. Show off your hand-painted wares as a focal point for your cocktail cabinet.

Brighten the garden path or the fish pond with a ceramic vase brimming with florals from your garden or local market.

Combine a cheerful cup with a bloom and bunny to create your hoppy place. A cutting board turned on its end makes a beautiful wood backdrop.

Pair wildflowers with the rich wood grain of a handcrafted box. Display your flowers in unique vases and add them to your handmade box. Here, a bit of birch bark wraps natural texture around a mini glass vase. Changing the greens and flowers in your box of treasures invites you to get lost in your favorite field of flowers each time you admire your collection.

Righteous Babe Founder Sings a Different Tune

During Women’s History Month, we’re featuring stories of artisan innovators and inspirational female leaders. As we celebrate these global go-getters, you’ll see their drive and determination to build businesses and lift others. We hope these stories inspire you to take your next bold step. (Note: We are not sponsored by or affiliated with any of these organizations or businesses.)

We’re finishing on a high note. Today, we bring you the story of the singer, songwriter, Grammy award winner, mother of two, and founder of Righteous Babe Records.

Ani DiFranco has spent decades putting her life experiences to music. She uses music to tell her stories and the stories of others that often go unheard. In 2020, Righteous Babe Records released the debut album of the Prison Music Project, featuring songs co-written by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals.

A native of Buffalo New York, Ani DiFranco began playing guitar for locals at the age of 9 and songwriting at 14. She left home at the age of 15 after becoming an emancipated minor. Reflecting on those early days, DiFranco shared in a recent Ms. Magazine article, “I feel like…I have been writing myself into existence for thirty years. I came from a place in this world where I felt very small, very disempowered, very discounted, very pushed down, very afraid. I listen to my early songs and I hear songs of survival.”

DiFranco hustled to have her music heard, selling cassette tapes out of the back of her car, on consignment, and handwriting “Righteous Records” (later changed to Righteous Babe Records because of a naming conflict.) on the front of each tape. Scot Fisher, her dedicated business partner and the man who eventually became the President of Righteous Babe Records, worked with DiFranco to self distribute her albums to over 100 indie accounts. After a few years of playing shows, she was finally able to hire friends, and slowly the record label became a reality.

Because of DiFranco’s sizeable female following, she connected with distributors specializing in women’s music. Soon after, her albums began appearing in small music shops and women’s bookstores. In 1995, after the release of Not a Pretty Girl, her music distribution expanded, as did her team to fourteen people. 2001 marked the year Righteous Babe Records opened its European office.

In 2010, another singer-songwriter started volunteering as a performer and teacher at the New Folsom Prison in California. Over the next several years, Zoe Boekbinder began working with incarcerated musicians and songwriters, leading to the Prison Music Project. What started as five songs became nine, and the idea of an album was born. A mutual friend introduced Boekbinder to DiFranco, who committed to distributing the album via Righteous Babe Records.

In 2020, the debut album of the Prison Music Project was released. Co-produced by Boekbinder and DiFranco, Long Time Gone was seven years in the making and included nine songs co-written by incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people.

DiFranco recounts 2020 as one of the busiest for Righteous Babe Records. She released her 22nd album, Revolutionary Love, and Righteous Babe Radio launched.

Outside of music, DiFranco backs grassroots cultural and political organizations and is a vocal activist for LGBTQ rights and racial justice. DiFranco’s willingness to march to a different tune empowers her as a force for positive social change. In her memoir, No Walls and the Recurring Dream, you can read more of Ani DiFranco’s inspiring story.

You might also enjoy these female founder stories:

The Woman Behind the Whisky
Elevating Artisan Entrepreneurs in Guatemala

A Pioneering Spirit: The Woman Behind the Whisky

During Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting stories of artisan innovators and inspirational female leaders. As we celebrate these global go-getters, you’ll see their drive and determination to build businesses and lift others. We hope these stories inspire you to take your next bold step. (Note: We are not sponsored by or affiliated with any of these organizations or businesses.)

To help you celebrate the accomplished women in your life this month, we’re excited to offer our limited-edition Strong & Sassy Gift Box. (Today’s the last day to order, 3/31/22.)

Today, we're raising our glass to another artisan and female business owner making history. This pioneering spirit is one of the first Hispanic founders of Scotch Whisky. Not only has she built a successful business, but she's also created a fund to support other entrepreneurs of color.

As a first-generation Cuban American and woman entrepreneur, Carin Luna-Ostaseski knows a thing or two about building a business. Fueled by her desire to create a modern scotch blend and revamp the outdated perception of whisky as "an old man's drink," SIA Scotch Whisky was born.

Like most successful entrepreneurs, Luna-Ostaseski was scrappy in the early days going on distillery tours, visiting Scotland, attending whisky tastings, reading books on the subject, getting her bartender's license, hosting focus groups and workshops, even becoming a certified whisky ambassador.

In 2012, the initial funding for SIA Scotch Whisky came from an unlikely source, a Kickstarter campaign. She raised almost $50,000 in 28 days. It's one of the first scotches to be crowdfunded, and the result paid for the first production run. Since alcohol is prohibited as a reward, creativity ruled the day with shirts, flasks, and tickets to launch parties given in exchange for financial contributions.

Luna-Ostaseski held multiple jobs during the course of building the company. She grew SIA while working full-time in graphic design and communications for large companies like Reuters and small businesses. Her years of experience were instrumental in SIA's design, leading to the selection of the label, glass color, and bottle shape. Like most entrepreneurs, she worked on her business over lunch breaks, evenings, and weekends for many years. When necessary, she added freelance design work to fund the business.

Her persistent networking and community-building skills proved vital in growing the company. After several failed meetings with importers, her luck changed when Luna-Ostaseski met female executive Lauren Shayne Mayer of Spirit Imports. Mayer, along with other family members, helped guide her through the process with assistance in everything from manufacturing to distribution. Another group also noted as instrumental to SIA's success is the Women's Cocktail Collective, a group of 25 female founders of spirit brands. The biggest piece of advice Luna-Ostaseski has for female founders? Find community.

In 2021, she decided to expand her efforts and support other business owners of color. The Entrepreneurial Spirit Fund by SIA Scotch was launched, with the help of online platform Hello Alice, to support entrepreneurs of color build successful companies. Luna-Ostaseski joined forces with actor Wilmer Valderrama, and together they used the Fund to deploy $250,000 to 25 multicultural small business owners, each one receiving a $10,000 grant and 1:1 business coaching. The plan is to repeat the process this year, continuing to provide community, mentorship, and capital to minority business owners.

Carin Luna-Ostaseski is flying high these days, both inside and outside her business. She’s one of the few women (Less than 20%) licensed as a private pilot. Her Scotch Whisky is a multi-award-winning brand scoring 96 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge (2016). In San Francisco, she won a Double Gold Medal in the World Spirits Competition (2014), a prestigious and exclusive award. For Luna-Ostaseski, it seems the sky is the limit.

Elevating Artisan Entrepreneurs in Guatemala

During Women’s History Month, we are highlighting stories of artisan innovators and inspirational female leaders. As we celebrate these global go-getters, you’ll see their determination to build businesses and offer meaningful ways to empower women. We hope these stories inspire you to take your next bold step. (Note: We are not sponsored by or affiliated with any of these organizations or businesses.)

This month, we’re also excited to offer our limited-edition Strong & Sassy Gift Box to help you celebrate the accomplished women in your life. (Today’s the last day to order, 3/31/22)

---

In 2002, Ruth Alvarez-DeGolia took a trip to Latin America as a student volunteer. Her goal was to teach rural artisan women the skills to create retail websites, apply for funds, and access business resources. It was an experience that changed her life.

Upon her return to Yale, Alvarez-DeGolia began selling handmade Guatemalan bags on campus. She made $5000 her first weekend, enough to send 26 girls to school for a year. What started as a college side passion soon evolved into a larger social enterprise. Alvarez-DeGolia launched Mercado Global in 2004 with $100,000 from the Yale student business plan competition and funds from early-stage investor, Echoing Green.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Mercado Global’s mission is to match artisan women with international retail brands (Think: Levi’s, Target, Nordstrom, to name a few) and create sustainable women-owned businesses. Under Alvarez-DeGolia’s leadership, Mercado Global focuses on three areas: They teach advanced sewing skills to help women attract a premium price for their products. Workshops provide education on personal finance, women's health, and childhood nutrition. The third area of emphasis is asset development, a matching funds program that aims to assist women entrepreneurs in buying floor looms and sewing machines to create a more substantial, viable business.

Mercado Global has become an accessories brand and nonprofit with approximately 25 employees and revenues exceeding $1 million. From its humble beginnings working with three artisan women groups, the organization is now engaged with 750 artisan women. Their data shows that the women in their network have seen significant increases in financial resources, leadership skills, and children’s access to education and food.

Alvarez-DeGolia isn’t done yet, she continues to move her mission forward. Based on her success in Latin America, she is now working with the current Administration to host delegations and be a voice for the broader migrant community.

How to nurture your indoor garden

Colorful ceramic pots are mixed in an eclectic style soaking up the sun on our window sills. It's a soothing space that radiates energy as we carry on with work and life. We're choosing patterns, textures, and materials that mirror our lush green environment and infuse a sense of calm. Our design and decor preferences are changing as we explore new ways to visually connect with nature.

The trends show that we're creating more genuine spaces around us that display confidence and offer a clear reflection of who we are. Gone are the days of homogenized design. "Biophilic design" or "the love of living things" made the Pinterest Predicts trends report. And "biophilic architecture" landed as the leading search term. 

Green garners the limelight. It's not just our green plants that are popular. The color green owns the spotlight this year, with virtually all of the paint companies selecting some hue of green as their 2022 color. (ECOS paints chose Everlasting Sage, Benjamin Moore picked October Mist, and Sherwin-Williams named Evergreen Fog.)

The arrival of staircase gardens and plant-filled nooks express our individual style while creating space to rejuvenate and replenish our minds. See @hiltoncarter on Instagram for examples.

Fabrics, paint colors, and wallcoverings display playful patterns and bold illustrations of foliage, wildlife, and florals across our kitchens, workspaces, and bathrooms. Velvet has regained popularity for its luxurious feel and rich colors. Visit @thejungalow on Instagram for examples.

The attraction to earthy designs by way of warm wood grain, leather, and rough clay textures highlights our desire for natural finishes. 

Turns out, we're giving new meaning to "living rooms."