Definitely not for the faint of heart, bike polo is an up-and-coming urban sport that requires some serious grit and skills. Check out the full story about this uncommon sport by the Wall Street Journal.
Hey! We know that guy! That’s UncommonGoods CEO Dave Bolotsky and his family taking in a game of bike polo at the Lower East Side court, known as The Pit.
1) Product Name: Make your own Ukulele Kit
2) Background Research: This is a joint project that my partner, Leo, and I will endeavor upon as a team. I have a continuing fascination with building models. In college I built a full-sized circular saw with a rotating blade entirely out of cork. I also am a working painter. My partner can play the accordion, trumpet, piano and guitar.
3) Hypothesis: The do-it-yourself nature of the project will enable both of us to bring our talents together to create a functional instrument that will have continued playability.
4) Experiment: I will paint the body of the ukulele and Leo will demonstrate the sound.
5) Results: Music has the capacity to transport one to specific moments in our lives so I wanted the ukulele to speak to the present in my own life. I’m about to celebrate one year living in Brooklyn, New York, so I decided that a view of my daily commute home from work would be the prefect landscape. I’m fortunate enough to live within walking distance from the UncommonGoods warehouse so I enjoy the sights of Brooklyn’s Fourth Ave each day. Additionally, from a compositional standpoint, I hoped that the median would echo the fingerboard of the ukulele.
The wood grain behaved differently than the stretched canvas that I am more familiar with. The gouache soaked into the wood and bled slightly (I decided against applying gesso). I enjoyed the effect in the large color planes, like in the sky, because it added a softness that would have been difficult to achieve with the brush alone.
After I completed the body, it was time to assemble the instrument. The directions kept declaring “This is a point” whenever something important was about to be written, but due to my lack of general guitar anatomy and the somewhat confusing translation miscues, I admit I found myself perplexed on what the “point” was. Nevertheless, my partner and I trudged along, despite some complications with gluing plastic to wood (be sure to use clamps). We found a metric ruler and assembled the hardware.
After the ukulele was fully assembled, my partner researched how to string and tune a ukulele on Youtube as a supplement to the written instructions. As a guitar player, the process was not difficult for him, but he noted that the tuning of the ukulele was much different than that of the guitar. Because of the nylon strings, as opposed to the metal strings often found on acoustic and electric guitars, the ukulele may be more forgiving on the fingers of a beginner string instrument player.
6) Conclusion: Whether displayed on the wall or sitting on the player’s lap, the ukulele was a success to both one’s ears and one’s eyes. The time we committed to the ukulele-building project was rewarding and justified.
Click here to see Mary Catherine and Leo play the Ukulele!
Oh. My. Cuteness.
I realize that now might not be the most relevant time to be posting about slippers…considering that it is 1000 degrees outside, but I couldn’t resist sharing this adorable photo of my cousin’s new babies (yes, triplets!) wearing the baby sock monkey slippers I gave them:)
And not to be outdone, here is the family dog, Larry, modeling the slippers as well. So cute!
The good news is you have July 5th off. The bad news is you had too much fun on the 4th and are nursing a serious hangover. The final recipe in our pickle series and the perfect I-had-one-too-many-beers/margaritas/sangrias/etc. cure, the Mean and Bloody is a hot and spicy twist on the classic Bloody Mary and gets its name from the spicy pickled Mean Beans that garnish it.
Let’s get mean!
Ok, technically this isn’t a recipe since it’s basically going to the grocery store, slicing up pickles and cheese and then putting it on a plate, but that’s a minor detail on the road to deliciousness.
This is the perfect platter to put out as an appetizer or to take on a picnic. It doesn’t get much easier than this!
-Sliced cheddar, gouda or any mild cheese of your choice (a nice complement to the fragrant gherks)
-Crackers
–Kool Gherks, sliced into rounds
Tasty add-ons: brie, salami, olives, almonds, grapes, dried figs or dates.
Ok, so it’s not quite as patriotic as red, white and blue, but it looks festive enough for the Fourth, no? This tasty treat is a breeze to make and is great if you have some extra blueberries around (maybe leftover from a blueberry pie or a flag cake:)?). The sweet and earthy taste of the beets and the blueberries are a great complement to the mild goat cheese and salty crunch of the crostini.
Let’s turn it up!
Rick Field’s Happy Appy
-Fresh goat cheese, softened
-Crostini or crackers (To make your own, slice a day-old baguette into ¼” rounds. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil and toast in 400 degree oven for 7-10 minutes until crisp and golden. Cool completely.)
-Rick’s Picks Phat Beets cut into 1” pieces
-Fresh blueberries (optional)
Spread a teaspoon of goat cheese on crostini or crackers. Place a Phat Beet on top. Crown with a blueberry!
Other ideas for Phat Beets:
Add Phat Beets to a spinach salad with mild blue cheese and thinly sliced red onions. Toss with your favorite vinaigrette.
Stir chopped Phat Beets into Greek-style yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Dip you favorite veggies or crackers for a healthy snack!.
Happy Fourth of July weekend, everyone!
Don’t you just love going to county fairs and seeing the frying cart where they fry everything from candy bars to pickles to Oreos to Twinkies…it’s gross, delicious and fascinating all at once! In honor of the wonderful American tradition of frying, my boyfriend Chris and I decided to fry a jar of the People’s Pickles (an extremely appropriate democratic name) and chow down on this all-American delicacy.
Let’s get started!
I am 27 years-old, which means pretty much everyone I know is getting married! While I usually don’t stray off a couple’s registry – I have recently been making an exception and buying a little pre-wedding gift for couples-to-be.
Since the moment it came into the office, I have been absolutely head over heels in love with the ring bearer bowl, a really cool alternative to the traditional ring bearer pillow.
I really love being able to give the people in my life a gift that is truly meaningful and special (no offense crock pots!), but I usually struggle with finding keepsake items that are modern and tasteful. This handmade ceramic dish is simple and subtle, but packs so much emotion because it not only holds your rings, but it also holds all those memories of your special day. And the engraving “to have and to hold” is a sweet and powerful reminder of the promise two people make to each other.
So far, I have bought one ring bearer bowl for my friend Keely, who uses it everyday as a ring dish, and one for my friend Katie, who wants to use it in her wedding and then pass it around our group of friends, so that we each can use it in our own weddings. I also plan to get one for my older sister, and it will be up to her whether she keeps it as a ring dish, puts it on display (maybe next to her wedding photos) or passes it on to my other sister and I, making it a family heirloom.
And there’s one more great, great thing about the ring bearer bowl – it’s only $38! An affordable piece of art and a potential heirloom? That’s a commitment I am more than happy to make:)