ohio, the heart of it all

I'm from the heartland. No seriously, the back of the auto license plates actually declare OHIO:the Heart of it All. It's nice to be from someplace that has underdog appeal. I remember in high school we took a vacation to North Carolina and some local teens asked where we were from, & when I said, " OHIO ", one of them muttered, "Isn't that where they grow potatoes?"
Um, no. Well maybe, but God knows I never saw a farm in my John Hughes suburb. Just Valley Girls, jocks, Dunkin Donuts and an occasional mini mall.
I always think someday it may be nice to venture back and find a school house or a farm and set up a craft camp or gigantic painting barn and a ceramics kiln. I could make teepee forts and smash vintage china plates and mosaic everything in mirrors.
I recently stumbled onto a website for designer/crafter Amy Butler. She makes patterns, purses, homewares and just happens to be living back in her homeland OHIO.
Her place and space will inspire envy. You know you can actually buy a home in Ohio. For the same price as a shed on a scrap hill the size of a postage stamp in L.A., you can acquire 6 acres and a 4 bedroom dream house in OHIO. Hey, you can even have a creek with a lil bridge!

Amy actually states on her website: "David and I moved back to Ohio (my home) in 1992 and started our little Art of the Midwest studio with two cats and about $1,200. Time was spent chopping wood for the 150-year-old cabin/house that we had rented on 190 acres of rural farmland, tending chores, and making art. I started creating surface designs for a friend who went into business as a design rep. in NYC. This I did at night mostly. We loved it."

for more details on how to get her books, her patterns or her products go here:
AMYBUTLER

Comments

[comfies]

i most definitely want one of those giant cushion things.