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On a Sunbeam By: Tillie Walden Science Fiction Graphic Novel First Second Publisher, 2018

Rating: 4/5 Waves

This review CONTAINS (mild) spoilers for On a Sunbeam.

Content warnings for On a Sunbeam: Violence, bullying, transphobia (brief misgendering of a non-binary character)

Summary: Mia is a young woman just out of academy who begins work with a construction crew specializing in repairing ancient and forgotten places. Throughout her journey, glimpses of Mia’s past show that she has some unfinished and dangerous business she needs to complete before she truly moves forward with her life. A tale of love, adventure and belonging (~in space~).

Review: The first thing that stands out about this graphic novel is, of course, the art. The style is whimsical and lively in a way that I was not expecting going into a science fiction story. While I’m more used to the cluttered gritty sci-fi look, I adored this creative decision. The author also uses color well both to emphasize climactic moments and to disgust between two distinct timelines (past and present). I also loved how beautiful all of the places the characters visited were. Walden clearly had a vision for this sci-fi world and the visuals are some of the most compelling aspects of this story. The only location that I didn’t find appealing was the academy that we see in Mia’s flashbacks. While that may be intentional, the academy stood out as so bland and sterile that in most of those scenes I found myself hoping that we would switch our focus back to the interesting places Mia found herself in the present.

Walden also does a great job at building tension throughout the story. Between the art and how the plot builds I was on the edge of my seat for the final third of this book. That being said, the first two thirds of this book were much slower than I prefer in a graphic novel and it took me longer to finish this book than I usually would because I kept putting it down in the beginning. I still highly recommend it though, because once the story gets going it really moves!

Besides the great art, On a Sunbeam also has some fabulous characters and I loved that in the main cast we get a non-binary crew mate and many women of color. All of our characters get their own arc and are complex and multifaceted in a way that we need to see more of in media. One very interesting aspect of this graphic novel is that there are no male main characters. In fact, I am almost certain that there are no male characters in this story at all. Personally, I did not find this to be distracting. In fact, I didn’t notice until about half way through, but for anyone expecting male characters it is something to be aware of.

At its heart, On a Sunbeam is a love story and what resonated with me the most was that this was a sapphic love story. The journey of Mia and her girlfriend Grace is beautiful, moving and wildly refreshing in that there is no homophobia in the science fiction setting that Walden crafted. What comes between these lovers is culture, obligation and geography which are in no way related to the fact that they are both women. In fact, the captain of Mia’s construction crew is in a loving supportive marriage with her wife and the presence of multiple sapphic couples in the narrative is treated as commonplace and with the utmost respect. 

That being said, the society in this story not completely idealistic as the non-binary crew mate, Elliot, is misgendered by an antagonistic character. This is immediately and thoroughly addressed in the narrative, but in a setting where the author decided to exclude homophobia, I had hoped to avoid all types of bigotry.

Eco-Chic Home: Rethink, Reuse & Remake Your Way to Sustainable Style By Emily Anderson Photography by Seth & Kendra Smoot Skipstone, 2010

Eco-Chic Home bridges interior decorating with contemporary sustainable living movements, and contextualizes lifestyle and style choices in the broader history of over-consumption. Anderson offers plenty of DIY projects to reuse objects that we traditionally think of as waste, urging readers to reimagine their relationship with material objects. The book falls shy of a perfect score, as some projects are difficult to understand, and that the decoration suggestions don’t quite respond directly to the environmentalist facts presented throughout.

5 of 6 plump geese!

Eco-Chic Home is a book on decorating, not designing. The distinction is made regarding function. An interior designer needs specific education and often collaborates with an architect to plan how a space works, feels and looks. Decorators furnish a space with pretty things but work within its pre-existing functionality. This doesn’t at all mean that decorating is shallow or mindless. Anderson emphasizes three key points in her messaging: rethink, reduce, and re-purpose. 

Anderson’s book has readers rethink how they engage with objects. While the majority of the book is filled with detailed DIY project instructions, the Introduction serves to guide sincere reflection on personal practices as they relate to the world at large. She gives a brief expositional history, describing 1950’s post-War developments of plastics as a catalyst for modern America’s wasteful tendencies. In short, though cheaper options allowed for more people to have more things, it altered the collective psyche into neglecting how much waste those flimsier products produce. While this isn’t a comprehensive history book and those unfamiliar with this history have to take Anderson’s word for it, I really appreciate this context in an interior design book. (Citations for recycling information and environmental facts are referenced at the back of the book, but the historical survey is presented as general historical knowledge.) Her design offerings are not based on aesthetic whims, but are rooted in the understanding that our well-being is connected to the well-being of our planet.

A huge part of Anderson’s message requires us to reduce what we consume. From textiles to food packaging, production leads to waste production. There is no “away” when we throw something away, so by consuming less, we contribute less to that waste. This can be owning fewer items, for example shirts or toys. It can look like bringing our own shopping bags to the store and reusable water bottles out in our day. Perhaps we select items made from more durable materials so they last us longer. Anderson informs us about different materials in her Introduction, as well as strongly suggests that we buy second-hand. When we buy something already used and that doesn’t require new production, we increase the life of that object, avoid participating in using resources to produce new things, and at least half the number of that item being tossed when it’s worn out.

“Even if you never buy a single eco-friendly product in your life, buying less stuff in general means you are making one of the greenest choices possible.”

The majority of Eco-Chic Home focuses on how to re-purpose what we already have. After listing useful tools to have (if possible), Anderson divides her DIY projects into chapters: Entryway, Living Room, Kitchen, Dining Room, Bedroom, Lighting and Holidays & Gift Giving. Every project has a list of tools and sequenced instructions, like a recipe, although not all the projects have pictures. I found that, at times, it was hard for me to understand what I would be doing without seeing the finished product. The ideas incorporated the ideas from the beginning of the book: re-imagine how to use less and use better. Projects ranged from turning old sweaters into pillow covers, building room dividers from found materials, to even making your own paint! (I was personally skeptical about the paint, which comprises skim milk, lime powder, and white vinegar...apparently it’s a thing that doesn’t go sour, but I would still worry about mold, no?) Homemade milk paint would produce a white creamy color, and you could add lime-proof pigments for color. Lots of options all around. 

For the most part, the projects are unique to this book, Anderson really designed a curated selection of remaking projects. The photographed examples all share a styled vibe: kind of an earthy flea-market style, “eco-chic” I guess! Fortunately, she doesn’t make overbearing mandates on which prints to pick, focusing instead on any materials being sustainable or ethically-made or locally-sourced. The book concludes with a plethora of resources: information about the tangible need for a more sustainable society, credits to makers featured in photographs, options of websites or flea markets to start your individual search. As someone who is invested in making more sustainable lifestyle choices, this book was reassuring: other people want this for their homes and lives too.

Eco-Chic Home falls short of 6 luscious geese for a few reasons. Anderson stretches to combine lifestyle with decor, and sustainability with design. Including facts about production and waste on a large scale ultimately is disconnected with a book that rethinks individual life. These serious problems would be much better addressed by companies and countries whose damaging impacts on the planet are far greater than any one person. The book falls into the trap of suggesting that “you can make a difference with small adjustments” without insisting that more powerful entities take responsibility and commit to less-harmful practices. Of course, it’s true that anything helps, and I like that Anderson stresses that money and time are valuable, and that these projects shouldn’t deplete you of either. My realistically doable actions will have a positive ripple-effect: “oh, did you make that?” or “this is delicious, you said it’s from a family-owned store around here?” But we need to go beyond sharing scary realities to motivate individuals to change their habits. 

Ultimately, Eco-Chic Home is a great contribution to interior decorating because it grounds style with a sustainability mindset. I award it 5 of 6 beautiful, plump geese, and recommend it to readers who are excited to experiment with realizing their commitment to greener living. 

With loving curiosity,

Media Type: Recipe (card)

Source/Author: Unknown (likely a recipe that was part of a gift basket)

2.5/5 Cinnamon Buns

A whoopie pie is traditionally a chocolate cake sandwich with vanilla frosting as filling. This particular recipe calls for shortening in both the cake and the filling, whereas other recipes tend to use butter. The filling was the most unique aspect to this recipe--it’s made with a thickened flour mixture!

Cinna-Mod’s Alterations:

We did not have baking soda on hand.

However, I believe using baking powder was the correct call. The recipe for the cake used baking soda as the leavening agent which requires an acidic ingredient like cream of tartar, lemon juice, or buttermilk to rise. The other ingredients for the cake were, in fact, not acidic.

The Experience: Overall, the recipe came together fairly quickly, but with a few surprises!

The cake required mixing the “wet” ingredients (sugar, eggs, shortening) together, then adding the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cocoa powder), and lastly adding warm water with the leavening ingredient dissolved in it. The mixture was very thick like a fudgy brownie batter before adding the warm water + baking soda (powder), which made incorporating the liquid tricky.

I was doubtful that simply spooning the batter onto a cookie sheet would produce round, even cakes. The mixture was the perfect consistency such that it settled, but did not spread too much, resulting in cakes that were relatively the same size and thickness.

The filling called for sour milk (milk + lemon juice) and flour to be heated “until thick.” I have made flour buttercream previously, so I heated the mixture until it was very thick (like pudding), but the recipe does not specify how thick the mixture needs to be.

We spread the filling onto the cakes at a similar thickness as what is pictured on the recipe card. There was enough filling for approximately half of the cakes we made.

The Taste:

Whoopie pie tasted as expected, interestingly enough, it reminded me more of a store-bought dessert than a homemade one.

Cake was lightly chocolate flavored with a tender crumb, but slightly dry.

Frosting had a little bit of graininess from the granulated sugar not quite fully dissolving.

For Next Time:

Use butter instead of shortening. I believe this will result in a more moist cake.

Use more cocoa powder and/or chocolate chips to the cake.

Make extra frosting.

Skip adding lemon juice to the milk for the frosting.

Add sugar to the warm pan with the thicken flour to help sugar dissolve.

TLDR: Fun recipe for whoopie pies. Includes a flour-based vanilla frosting! May make again with (more) alterations. Will make a variation of the frosting again. 2.5/5

(Cinnamon Roll icon by Kaylen Yul Lee from the Noun Project. Recipe transcribed under the cut.)

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Upcycle! Turn Everyday Objects into Home Decor: 50 Easy DIY Projects By Sonia Lucano English: Sarah Levin Photos by Fréderic Lucano Weldon Owen, 2016. Originally Détournez les Objets du Quotidien (Hachette Livre) Farrow & Ball thanked for the paints

RATING: 3 out of 6 sweet geese

What an attractive cover, especially for Millennials! Fruit crates are painted white and assembled like building blocks to form a unique, quirky bookshelf, housing books with aesthetic bindings and a random assortment of small house plants in a seemingly-found collection of pots. Peaking into the frame is a wooden chair. The two pieces of furniture have ‘vintage' patinas, not too crisp but not dusty and dank. For the eye that lingers long enough, a multi-wood shoe horn sits quietly on a low crate.

Upcycle! An exciting word for those committing themselves to a more sustainable lifestyle. Smaller but still centered are the famous letters, DIY, a huge keyword for young poor people today, although unfortunately mostly limited to young educated white women who seek the satisfaction of making something on their own (which is totally fine). I have many words regarding 'DIY' which-- to your luck-- I will save for another time. I bring up the loud and large Upcycle! because the word in particular excited me to select the book in the first place. That excitement grew as the subtitle informed me that I would learn how to turn “everyday objects into home decor.” I love home decor, but I also love using what I already have. For me personally, resourcefulness is a product of being conditioned to avoid waste, that is, to use or eat or do what you had paid for, because money was precious. 

Upcycling is a great 'movement' and concept: rather than produce more STUFF, we can use what we already have. It's different from simply thrifting because you often change the material object's intended function, though not necessarily. Thrifted objects are found; upcycling requires work. DIY projects similarly require work, but don't necessitate that the materials are all found (e.g. "just buy some twine and you're all set!").

The social momentum building up DIY and upcycling is positive in America because Americans really ought to have stopped consuming and producing STUFF yesterday. Additionally, there’s a widening class gap, and more people are having to 'make do' with what they have. I don't make this distinction lightly: there are founts of these same design practices that are wealthy and artisanal, whereas others are, simply put: provoked by poverty. The former isn't "wrong" or "bad," and I don't think it's helpful to make these kinds of value judgments. However, this discussion brings us to my most critical reaction to this book: nobody has this sh*t at home!

The book Détournez les Objets du Quotidien couldn’t have been published with the everyday person in mind, even though the subtitle (in English) informs the potential reader that they would learn how to transform 'everyday' objects. Many of the projects, as aesthetically pleasing as they are, require absurd supplies, including: bell-shaped metal lamp hanger, strips of natural leather, plaster, “black hanging-lamp light cord with socket and light bulb,” carbon paper, wax pellets, number stamps for leather, bags of cotton filling, an S-hook, “dusty-rose matte wood paint,” “11 mother of pearl buttons 11/16 inch diameter,” 80 x 40 inch quilt batting, canvas luggage straps, and porcelain light bulb socket with mounting bracket. Additionally absurd are some of the required tools: electric screwdriver, crowbar, jigsaw, an auger bit, an awl, a double boiler, a label-maker, 1-inch diameter drill bit, 1 1/8 inch crochet hook, plaster, leather-craft roller, sewing machine, and staple gun.

You might be saying to yourself: I have some of those, you're being too harsh, DesignMod. But I too have some of these objects. What you are noticing, though, is your privilege. (Don't be scared, just breathe.) You are in a position where you have things, things that arguably you would only need for the specific project at hand. That's all. But this is my problem with this book: the projects and designs require non-ordinary, non-everyday materials. The book in its mission is a) deceitful and b) not accessible to a large audience.

My frustration can be summed up looking at the preface:

"While recycling today is trendy, I want to take it even further...not by decorating our homes with second-hand objects, but by starting with everyday objects that we have at home or can find easily." 

Great, sounds good!

"I propose that you 'upcycle' or repurpose these objects, so common and ordinary that we lose sight of their decorative potential: crates, wood pallets, white cotton sheets, glass jars, wine bottles, tin cans, white dishes, lampshades, and more." 

Okay, I need to stop the author here. WOOD PALLETS?? I don't have bonus wood pallets laying around the house. I can understand empty wine bottles if someone in your household drinks. The first chapter starts off with wood pallets as the base material, suggesting that you go out asking grocery stores if you could take extras (definitively not at home). Other supplies come with recommended stores (e.g. white boxes from IKEA) which is also antithetical to using your own objects and inadvertently capitalist in it’s promotion of specific large retailers (as opposed to an individual artisans or ‘your local vendor’). 

"Here are fifty ideas for easily transforming these objects into budget-friendly design creations that will add a 'rustic chic' flair to any home's decor. No need to be an expert in do-it-yourself crafts. All that's needed is the desire to implement the projects in the book." 

This gets me to my final criticism: the book lacks creativity. Whereas the author or designer is creative (yet still adhering very much to trends), they do not encourage creativity whatsoever on the part of the reader. Materials are suggested with specific colors and dimensions. The back pages include any lettering printed out that you can tear and copy onto your project, exactly like what you see in the book. I don't see this as a positive: a) we all end up with the same stuff, b) the reader isn't learning anything in terms of lettering but also in terms of figuring out how they'd do a project, and c) the book subconsciously promotes consumerism by denying the reader the opportunity to determine their own project.

The book does offer a few guidelines for those attempting the projects, such as estimated duration, difficulty level, and technique applied. Ultimately, suggesting you add "since 1775" arbitrarily to a white plate implies a greater devotion to the superficial aesthetic of contemporary design, rather than actually considering where objects come from, how we engage with them, and our broader systems of production and consumption.

Overall, I did learn upcycling tips from this book, but in the end, I was profusely disappointed. If you really need very strict guidelines in your creative projects, as well as have the financial resources to gather all the required tools and materials, then you might like this book. I find it quite narrow, unoriginal, and inaccessible. I rate it 3/6 geese, because it is easy to read, the aesthetic is current, and there are lovely photos. 

With loving curiosity,