FAQ: ACROSS THE PRIVET

I CAN WASH THIS STUFF--SERIOUSLY? YEP.

"Never wear art that's bigger than you are... "that's the philosophy. When I had kids I was mystified & mortified, shocked & chagrinned by the laundry involved. It all goes in your home washer & dryer without fear--it has to. A little Oxy-Clean in the arsenal never hurts.

HOW?

Laundry Instructions: Oxy-Clean (spray or powder) is magic, especially on the collar, cuffs & for all other minor travesties. Sometimes a soak is all you need. Turn it inside out (your little Houdini's probably done that for you) and wash it. Hurl it in the dryer. Your piece will come out looking pristine, fresh & ready for the next meleé.

NEW BLOCK DESIGNS?

New blocks are either inspired or flat-out requested. In this way, they arise organically. Every block has a back-story. Old VWs are an obsession. My daughter's playmate loves fire engines. My mother is Nonnie (Italian for grandmother), and loves fish and waterfowl. My friend Susannah (Wolf) got breast cancer last year. Wilco put a macramé owl onstage for awhile for fun, etc, etc. Of course, there's been a Spanish Galleon sitting uncarved for months because I love it, but was resisting the Pirate craze, and there's an old Triumph Bonneville I started because I know Hugh Laurie has a fondness for them, and I have a fondness for him.

Want something you don't see?-- you can't complain about its absence if you don't ask. Foolish never applies to questions; only to pants, micro-miniature dogs & poor Scrabble moves.

LOOKS PRETTY COMFY...CAN WE SNOOZE IN IT?

It is, but don't sleep in it; it's not designed for that. This is your basic disclaimer.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

No one's ever said this to you?: "You're a happy tomato." My two year-old came up with this sing-songy name for something I kept doodling in red Sharpie, which became the logo. It's sort of equal parts 70's Happy Face, Spaghettio's guy, and Maternal Folklore/Wisdom icon ("Never marry a man who doesn't like tomatoes."). In a nutshell: it's the naturally playful, red-red You-Must-Grin-Back-At-Me confidence of childhood.

CAN I JUST TELL YOU WHAT I WANT?

Of course. Just call or send an e-mail with what you're looking for, and I will walk you through ordering.

UNTIL THE SHOPPING CART IS UP, HOW DOES THIS WORK

It's really not that complicated--honest. After I understand what you want, I send you an itemized invoice with a link where you can pay securely (You can also call with your credit information).

For now: Use the BLOCKS and DESTINATIONS to tell me what you want. E-mail or call and you will receive a link to confirm and pay safely.

Next Stage: Soon you will see an order form in GROW YOUR OWN, where you will be able to see all sizing, BLOCKS and DESTINATIONS options. You'll download this order form (an Excel file), fill in what you want, and e-mail it back to me as an attachment. I will review it & send you pay-link within 24 hours.

The Final Frontier: During Spring, a familiar online shopping cart will emerge, where you will be able to shop with immediacy and wild abandon.

Zen pondering of the day: Why does simplicity always seem to cost more money?