goat & gramp

I mentioned the other day that much of my recent absence has been due to a soon-to-be-unveiled project I've been working on... Well, ta-daa! Welcome to the unveiling!  I present to you:  Goat & Gramp.  You guys are some of the first to see the beloved beast that has been eating all my time of late, a project very close to my heart because, well, it's all about shopping.  Not the kind of fast-paced gimme-now shopping that we so often succumb to for a quick fix (no judgement here, we all need instant gratification once in a while), but the slower, more thoughtful treasure-hunting kind, where you carefully seek out just the right piece for you and take the time to get to know the process and the people behind its creation.  This can sometimes get lost in our fast-paced world, and in the vast sea of information that is today's internet, it can be hard to connect with the smaller companies that are run by the makers themselves.

More on Goat & Gramp...

For a while now I've included profiles of some of these thoughtful designers on the blog, but I realized that the scope of what I wanted was much larger: an easily navigable, highly visual, content-rich site that indexes small businesses that share similar values and aesthetics.  I couldn't find anything out there that fit the bill, so I made it myself!  Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it, I'm guessing you can tell.  But just look at some of this stuff:

While you don't actually buy any of the goods directly through us, it should be pretty easy to find something you're attracted to and pop over to their shop to purchase directly from the makers themselves.  For more information, see our About page, check our FAQ section, or browse around through the different navigation options.  You can search via traditional categories (like women's clothing, men's accessories, or home goods), or you can search by material (if you want to check out folks who work with, say, leather, canvas, or recycled materials).  We also have a section organized geographically in case you want to find something made locally in a specific area. Or, head straight to the What's New page for a random sampling of the latest additions.

I trust you'll all forgive the temporary posting inconsistency here on the blog and the occasional self-promotion I will not be able to avoid with regards to the new site.  I'm just so damned excited about it, it's hard to contain myself!

The site is a work in progress, constantly growing and changing as we add more content and hear back from our growing community of both makers and shoppers.  That means you too!  So if you take a moment to head over and check it out, I'd love to hear from you, either here at the blog or over at Goat & Gramp.