Poverty rate stayed the same - Let's Celebrate!!

So I heard on NPR this morning that for the first time since Bush's presidency began, the poverty rate has stayed the same. That is, every year before now, it has gone up, but this year it hasn't changed. All right, Bushie! Let's celebrate!!!

I mean, seriously, folks, how bad to things have to be when you're celebrating that they haven't gotten worse?

Save Pluto!

Cafepress folks have been busy putting together many great Save Pluto! designs. Check out some of them:

This little design is sweet. The little Pluto looks so sad. I love the line "Pluto! Little Planet, Big Heart!" I think it is my favorite of all the designs I've seen so far (except for the ZC ones, of course!) You can find it at this store.


One of our 9 is missing is at this store, and ...

Pluto was framed (hilarious!) is at this store.




I love these designs, they are super creative. You can see more Pluto designs here.

And, of course, here is another of my Pluto designs. I'm having a lot of fun creating these. You can see it, and all my Pluto designs, here.

New Pluto Designs

I was sad to learn that Pluto is possibly no longer a planet. In support of Pluto (my favorite planet, by the way), I have created a few designs. I've included two here. Check them out and let me know what you think!

More Cool Designs (not ZC)

Check out these great designs, folks. They're not Zoe's Closet originals, but very cool progressive, political designs. I've been busy working on a redesign of the site and so haven't put anything new up - BUT I wanted to give you something cool to look at - and I found these.

First we have the "Apology 2 T-Shirt." I love this. When I travel outside the U.S., I always feel self-conscious and embarassed for what Bush and his cronies have been doing to our country. So when I saw this shirt (which is available in a number of different languages), I knew I had found a kindrid spirit and artist. Check it out here.

The second image just cracked me up. I've got it here on a sticker, though it's available on T-Shirts, mugs and other items, as well. I love the line "Save the Environment - Plant a Bush Back in Texas." You can see it here.

Okay, folks, enjoy the great political gear. I should have some more designs of my own up again soon.

Nominate a Non-Profit

We donate ten percent of our profits to non-profits. Remember to nominate a non-profit - click here for details. Nominations are due September 1st.

Rubber Duckie Fan Club

Join the Rubber Duckie Fan Club! Become an honorary member. This is not a Zoe's Closet original; however, I thought it was absolutely adorable - perfect for babies and kids, and anyone else who loves rubber duckies! Ernie would have loved this!

Sadly blogger won't allow me to post a photo right now (or yesterday, either, in fact). But, if you follow the link below, I promise you won't be disappointed. Really, this design is adorable. (Update: Blogger fixed the problem, and you can now see the cute design. Yeah, Rubber Duckies!)

Besides the toddler T-Shirt you see here, there are clothes for adults, children, and babies, as well as housewares, bags, buttons and more - all with this sweet image. Check it out!

What's with the Name?

Where did your name come from? What's the deal with it? How come you named the store Zoe's Closet when your name isn't Zoe?

Have you been wondering these questions? Well, now you have the answers! Zoe's Closet is named in honor of my lovely dog Zoe, of Zoe the Wonder Dog fame. Her name means life, and it seemed fitting for my new online store. And besides, what better source for a name than a beloved dog? I'm just glad dogs don't get jealous (and can't read), otherwise I would have some problems with her sister, Cassie.

From time to time you'll see posts on here about my wonderful girls. I hope you enjoy them. I certainly do.

I love my girls!

I have the best dogs in the world. In the photo on the left, Cass is the puppy on the left, and Zoe is the dog on the right. No, this is not ZC-specific, but I had to share.

Yesterday morning, I let Cassie out to use the bathroom in the backyard, then went off to do something else. Zoe was still in the house (she never needs to go out right away) and soon began whining at the front window. I ignored it for a bit, then realized something was really wrong. When I went over to look, Cassie was sitting on the front porch! Waiting to come in!

Apparently one of the fence bars had fallen off during the night and Cass had gotten out of the backyard. She then proceeded to walk halfway around the block (through the alley, around two corners) to the front of the house, where she waited to be let in! I love my girls!

By the way, people have Friendster and MySpace, and pups have dogster. (There is also a catster.) Check out Zoe's page and Cassie's page.

New Sections!

New Sections are springing up all over the place!

First, we have a brand new section highlighting all of our most recent designs. Find out what's new at Zoe's Closet.

And, if that wasn't enough, as promised, we have the all-new books! section. Calling all bibliophiles! I was one of those kids who would read constantly - at home, in the car, while walking, while eating, while bathing, etc. You name it, I had a book while doing it. (Okay, not *everything.* But most things.) So I'm very excited about this new section. Three designs are up already, with more to come.

And, lastly, the environmental section. There are two designs right now; more are coming soon. I'm really excited about this section as well; environmental issues are extremely important to me. Al Gore's movie refocused me on the importance of advocating for the environment (of course, my wonderful girlfriend helps, too.) Seriously, folks, if you see no other movie this year, be sure you see this one. I don't care what your politics are. Its an important movie for everyone to see.

So I think it was a successful weekend. With my girlfriend out of town, I created five new designs and added three sections. Okay, I'm proud of myself. I have an exam coming up this week, though, so you'll have to hold out for more new designs until next Monday. But these five should tide you over....

Speak Justice design

I've been working hard on new CafePress designs and ideas (many of which haven't yet appeared on the site), but we do have one new one. Check out the Speak Justice design:

"Speak Up. Speak Out. Speak Justice." I actually thought of this one just as I was falling asleep a few nights ago. Social justice and activism are so vital - especially in today's political climate (groan) - and I wanted to create a design that emphasized that. I try to live my life by Audre Lorde's mantra that "your silence will not protect you." (Of course I could do better than I do!) And so you now have the Speak Justice design. Enjoy. :)

Don't forget to nominate a non-profit for our next round of donations. Read the original post to find out the details.

Remember to check the Zoe's Closet website often, as many new items and designs will be added over the next few weeks - including back-to-school items and an all-new section for readers. (Are you a bookworm? Coming soon.)

And, as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Post your comments below, or follow the link to the right to email me.

Queer Spawn design

Our newest design, Queer Spawn, is up! I am really excited about this one. I want to give kids from queer families a way to show their pride and connect with others.

I worked for several years at Camp Ten Trees, a summer camp for queer youth and kids from LGBTQ families. It was truly an amazing experience. I loved watching - and being a part of! - developing a strong queer community during the weeklong sessions. Being surrounded by others with similar families seemed to make such a difference in the youths' self-esteem and pride in their families. In the outside world, their family was unusual and a point of difference (granted, that can be a wonderful thing, but to a lot of middle schoolers, anything that makes them "different" is bad). And then, they would come to camp and be surrounded by others in similar situations. Suddenly their "difference" wasn't a big deal. And once it stopped being such a big deal, it was much easier for the youth to develop pride in their family and its uniqueness.

I live in a city where many kids from queer families are surrounded by a strong community and have at least a few queer spawn friends. Their pride in their families often isn't something they question. That's not always the case, though - and while working at camp, I watched many youth from less accepting areas become proud queer spawn. Some came in all but hating their LGBTQ parent, but left with a new sense of pride. It was beautiful to see.

So where did this design come from then? I loved seeing the community that developed during those summer weeks - and would love to help it continue throughout the year. And, thus, the Queer Spawn design was born.

Nominate a Non-Profit

We donate ten percent of our profits to 501(c)3 non-profits - and are currently looking for nominations! Organizations must fit in one of the following four categories:

- LGBTQ Rights
- Animal Welfare
- Environmental Concerns
- Youth Issues

To nominate a non-profit, follow these easy steps.

1. Choose your favorite non-profit (or non-profits - you can nominate as many as you like).

2. Contact us (follow the link at the right) with the following information:

• The Name of the Non-Profit
• Their website address
• Why you want Zoe's Closet to support them

That's all there is to it. Nominations must be received by September 1st, 2006. Once the nominations are in, voting will begin.

(And, remember, folks, all nominations are subject to our approval. So make 'em good! No, really, the vast majority of nominations will be included in the voting. Now, if you nominate some place like Focus on the Family, forget it.)