big picture farm

big picture farm
a vermont goat dairy & farmstead confectionery

Based in Townsend, Big Picture Farm is the home to almost 30 Saanens, Alpines and floppy-eared Nubians. Yes, we’re talking goats and these lucky guys get to roam freely around the farm eating what’s in season. Imagine their diet:

Spring – wild chocolate mint, clover, honeysuckle and other wildflowers
Summer – legumes and beans
Fall – crisp oak leaves, apples and ferns
Winter – white pine and hemlock saplings

And of course some premium local hay.

This varied and flavorful diet translates into milk that is “exceptionally floral and creamy” that is used to make:

– farmstead goat milk caramels
– small batch cheeses

Louisa and Lucas, the owners of Big Picture Farm, don’t mess around – their product list may be short, but their press and  award list is long:

– 2013 Good Food Awards winner
– 2012 SOFI Award for Outstanding Confection
– 2012 USDA Value-Added Producer Grant
– 2011 Winner of the BDCC/Strolling of the Heifers/Farm Business Plan Competition

And Louisa and Lucas aren’t just farmers. They’re also artists. Learn more about them and their journey on their blog, “Farm Weather”.

With their charming logo, packaging and commitment to their mission, Big Picture Farm is a farm to celebrate and support.

They get the big picture.

vert mont perfumery

Vert Mont Perfumery
artisanal botanical perfumes

Based in the Mad River Valley, Vert Mont Perfumery makes fragrances that are designed, blended and bottled by hand. Their perfumes are made from pure organic plant essences from around the world. Each fragrance is blended to compliment a specific human experience:

• SOMA (body) – surrender to lightness of being  (pink grapefruit, fresh ginger, petitgrain bigarade, amyris & high elevation lavender)
• PSYCHE (mind) – heady intrigue & effortless travel (lemon peel, ginger lilly, clary sage, himalayan cedar & bergamot)
• EROS (desire) – An elegant notion of a love potion (mandarin, coriander, orris root, patchouli, juniper & jasmine)
• ANIMA (soul) – instinctually sensual. unleash your possibilities. (persian lime, spikenard, melissa, frankincense & ylang ylang)
• COR (heart) – tune into core emotions (sweet orange, vetiver, rosewood, cypress & moroccan rose absolute)

How can you not love the names and each tag line? So clever. These perfumes have no synthetics and Vert Mont Perfumery is committed to being environmentally friendly as well. Each perfume comes in a Miron Violet Glass bottle with a Biostone label in a hand stamped canvas bag for sleek, minimal packaging that is all recyclable or reusable.

Visit VMP’s Facebook page and website for background stories and more day to day activity. Currently available at the Warren Store in Warren Vermont, Proud Flower in Waterbury and more to come.

Vert Mont Perfumery is one to watch – with Mother’s Day around the corner, how about a bottle?

blu-bin

Blu-Bin
your ideas made real

Yes, America’s first retail 3D print shop is in VERMONT! Poultney, Vermont to be exact. Let’s be more specific, it’s the first store where anyone, regardless of skill level, can come in and get their ideas made into reality using 3D printers.

You can draw a picture of something, have it made into a CAD file and then have it printed into a 3D object. Hard to believe right? Well then check out this video.

This is game changing and seriously cool. Think of all the possibilities…

Anyone want to go to Poultney for the day, grab lunch and have your dream “thing” made into a reality?

starboard collection

Starboard Collection
Inspired Nautical Living

When you think of Vermont you probably think of mountains and maple syrup. Right? But there’s also a fairly large boating community across the state that enjoys our beautiful lake champlain.

The Starboard Collection is a new company based in South Burlington that makes “casual dinnerware designed with the nautical lifestyle in mind.” This new line is made from recycled materials, BPA free, non-toxic and best of all made in the USA! The full set includes a stand, tray, stackable, non-slip plates and bowls that are designed to hold the most amount of food while taking up the least amount of storage space making the set perfect for:

• your galley
• picnics
• small kitchens everywhere

Not only is this set stylish and good looking, it also comes in a bag making it easy to grab for any of your on-the-go dining needs whether on water or on land. Starboard Collection is launching March 2-5, 2013 at the International Housewares Association Show in Chicago.

We wish them bon voyage & bonne chance!

Put this “FRESH, FUN, SUSTAINABLE, STYLISH” dinnerware on your summer wish list. We’re thrilled they call Vermont home and think they’re one to watch!

smugglers’ notch distillery

Smugglers’ Notch Distillery
Vermont’s Mountain Spirit…Smuggle some home today!

Award winning Smugglers’ Notch Distillery makes premium spirits right here in Vermont. This father and son team originally started with just vodka, but now offer:

• Smugglers’ Notch Vodka – made from winter wheat, corn and Vermont spring water
• Smugglers’ Notch Rum – premium single-barrel extra aged amber rum, aged the fourth year in bourbon barrels
• Smugglers’ Notch Gin, Blend No. 802 – true distilled gin hand-crafted in small batches

…and stay tuned for the spring launch of their latest offering – bourbon!

Our favorite quote from their rave reviews:

“The bottom line is that Smugglers’ Notch Distillery makes a damn fine cocktail gin of the classic London Dry style. If you are a serious New England locavore and classic cocktail afficionado, this gin belongs on your bar.” (from the Foodie Pilgrim Review)

Ever wonder how Smugglers’ Notch got it’s name? Smugglers. Literally. Back in the 1800’s and then again in the 1920’s during prohibition smugglers would use the mountain pass to move goods and liquor from Canada into the US.

No need to be smuggling anymore. You can buy from Smugglers’ Notch Distillery direct at the Distillery or at any of these fine stores.

k.d. hill knitwear

K.D. Hill Knitwear
hand loomed knitwear made in vermont

Looking for an original hat no one else has? And one that’s made in Vermont? Well, look no further than K.D. Hill Knitwear.

With colorful designs and a variety of styles, there will be one for you! You’ll find:

• cuff hats
• flat top hats
• round top hats
• mittens
• headbands

Even a line for babies and children ranging from adorable, cozy, colorful hats and mittens to sweaters. You can have a Danforth Pewter button added to a hat if you’d like – making them great made in Vermont baby gifts.

Worth noting is that this is a one woman show! K.D. Hill herself makes every single item! You can buy directly on her website or at any of these retailers.

hula-fit zip skirts

hula-fit Zip Skirts
skirts you can wear everywhere

This one’s for the gals – but guys take note – awesome gift opportunity.

Do you work out? Wish that you could just throw on something cute over your workout clothes and not walk around in your leggings? Hello hula-fit Zip Skirt! Just zip it over your leggings after a run, a walk, a hike, a ski – you name it. It looks so great you can wear it anywhere. Think of it as a “sweet little jacket for the hips“!

Made out of a material that blocks the wind with a YKK zipper (USA), the hula-fit Zip Skirt is wash and wear and only gets softer over time. It even has an interior mesh pocket for your keys and iphone. How convenient is that?

hula-fit is a Burlington start up with some pop up sales events this weekend (cash & checks) just in time for the holidays:

Saturday, December 22

12:00–2:00 pm  at  WhatsMomDoing.com
171 Battery Street, Burlington
(next to the Ice House Restaurant)

3:00–5:00 pm at Kaplan residence
21 Crescent Beach Drive, Burlington
(New North End, off Shore Road)

Sunday, December 23

12:00–2:00 pm at  WhatsMomDoing.com
171 Battery Street, Burlington
(next to the Ice House Restaurant)

3:00–5:00 pm at  AO Glass Pop-up Shop
197 College Street
(between South Winooski & Church)

You can also find them at the Ski Rack – while supplies last!.

Where can you go with a hula-fit Zip Skirt?

Everywhere.

flxit

FLXIT
flexible fun!

Inspired by nature and made from Kraft paper, FLXIT is a simple new toy that will spark  imagination at any age.

Pull it, twist it, wave it, slink it, sculpt it, stretch it, flex it and tag it. Wait? tag it? what’s that mean? find out here! Tagging it is part of the creativity!

Intrigued? FLXIT currently has a kickstarter campaign. Help them streamline production of this back to basics toy and bring this Vermont toy nationwide!

You’re never too old to play.

Find some fun with FLXIT.

ursa major

Ursa Major
Super natural skin care for men

Yes. Skin care for men. Their skin is different and should be treated differently than women’s skin. Exercising and eating right make the top of the list when caring for one’s body. But do men think about what they are putting on their body?

They should. The vast majority of products out there are made almost exclusively from water and synthetic chemicals, including some unhealthy ones. Learn more!

Ursa Major is a premium, natural and effective line of skin care products just for men. You won’t find any chemicals or fillers in these products, only:

• premium natural ingredients (98.5-100%)
• 50% organic ingredients (average across the line)
• subtle aromas (whole blends of essential oils)
• locally sourced ingredients from small sustainable farms (when possible)

Ursa Major products are better for your skin (and the environment). Look at all these testimonials from some pretty big magazines and retailers. And Ursa Major products are “made with passion, pride and purpose in the USofA”.

You can buy any of their products online or find a shop near you!

Get that guy in your life switched over to Ursa Major.

stave puzzles

Stave Puzzles
Hand-crafting the world’s finest wooden puzzles since 1974

So you think you’re good at puzzles? Have you tried a Stave? You just might not be as good as you think you are!

In our fast-paced-high-tech-plugged-in world, these puzzles are a welcome distraction. Made in Norwich, Vermont, Stave Puzzles are works of art that will challenge you in ways you didn’t think was possible from a puzzle. As each piece is hand cut (yes, hand cut), by one cutter with one saw, it’s so rewarding as two pieces slide perfectly together. Not to mention that even getting two pieces that fit is such satisfaction!

Stave Puzzles are not your ordinary puzzles either. Not only are they made from wood (they’ll last), you’ll find:

• adjacent edges*
• empty spaces
• phony corners
• no photograph to help you

Take a look at their Teaser, Trick and Troublemaker puzzles! No wonder Stave’s boss calls himself the Chief Tormentor!

Every home needs at least one Stave Puzzle.

* “adjacent edges are whammy edge pieces which are two abutting edge pieces that look like corner pieces held together by a third piece.”