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Stories from the global community
Come along on the journey!
Day 51: Finding Steampunk in San Diego, California
Destination:
San Diego, California
San Diego, California is located on the Pacific coast of the United States, approximately 120 miles south of Los Angeles and immediately adjacent to the border with Mexico. San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States.
Despite its southern location, San Diego rarely gets hot. Temperatures over 100°F are very rare and San Diego normally does not have cold weather. Every day in a typical year warms to at least 50°F. The city averages just two nights a year when the thermometer dips as low as 40°F, but it never gets low enough to freeze.
Fun Facts:
San Diego has been home to the Kumeyaay (Kumiai) people for over 12,000 years. Present-day San Diego was given its current name in 1602 by a merchant, Sebastian Vizcaino, after holding the first Catholic service conducted on California soil on the feast day of San Diego de Alcala, the patron saint of his flagship.
Also:
San Diego is probably best known for its zoo. The San Diego Zoo cares for over 3,700 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies. The San Diego Zoo was a pioneer in the concept of open-air, cageless exhibits that re-create natural animal habitats.
Art Form: Steampunk Switch Plates
Using gears and steampunk design you can make the most mundane thing in your house into an exciting, functional art piece.
What is steampunk you might be asking? Steampunk is a retro-futuristic subgenre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.
Green Tree Steampunk Switch Plates are just this, designed for today with a nod to the past by using interconnecting gears to turn your light switches on and off. Turn on your lights with steampunk creativity!
These ingenious switch plates are made using reforested wood and a water-based dye process. Just place over the original light switch plate, fasten into place using the existing screws and voilà! Let there be light!
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| Steampunk switch plate covers |
The Story of Green Tree Jewelry as told by Lance Nybye, Jr.
"I would like to say we started things out with all the high-minded attributes of our mission statement today, but reality was the parent company Heavy Hitter Industries, which was a very successful baseball bat company for 20 years, was not doing very well. I actually remember telling my wife, Autumn...that if we weren't able to turn things around we were going to have to file for bankruptcy."
"So, we went back to our roots - selling at farmers markets and craft shows in the southern California area, which was
something my parents, Lance Sr. and Margie Nybye did 30 years before. There, we dabbled in range of crafty gifts. [At] one farmers market in Ocean Beach, CA we brought [along] some cheap spray painted wooden earrings. Maybe there was something in the air that day besides the cannabis smell coming from the customer's clothes, but they sold!"
"That day the seed was planted... The company definitely took off from that point on . . . Soon after our steampunk switch plates were invented by my creative father while he was tinkering around with a side project . . ."
"Green Tree Jewelry exists today because of our foundation of small independent stores around the US. We are lucky to have them and their customers, who appreciate Made in USA, Eco Friendly and support local businesses."
The Company: Green Tree Jewelry
Mission: To create eco-friendly products in the USA, that embrace individualistic expression and the "love language" of gifting, symbols of love and connection.
Lance is proud to be a part of a multi-generational family owned business. They are dedicated to being aware of their "footprint" in our world. To that end, they choose sustainable materials in the production of their products.
Green Tree is committed to purchasing wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Bamboo, used in making some of their jewelry, is one of the most sustainable materials on earth because it grows back extremely fast. All of the Green Tree products are made in the USA. They love to support local charities and give back directly to them.
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Shopping . . .
Are you ready to explore
what we have in our store?
Having trouble deciding what to give to that special man in your life
for Father's Day? Steampunk Switch Plates are a great idea! All of the switch plates are completely functional, and the gear handle moves the rack, which turns the light switch on and off. Perfect for a man cave, garage, or anywhere his heart desires.
Click the picture above to see the switch plate covers.
Green Tree Jewelry also has steampunk gear jewelry. Presently we have 2 intriguing necklaces and, yes, the gears really work! In addition we also have a small selection of their laser-cut earrings.
Click the picture above to see more.
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Don't forget to stamp your Passport!
Click on the
"stamp" to add to your "passport."
We keep track of your stamps for you!
"Collect" at least 12 different "country" stamps during the third 20 days of our around-the-world trip to
be entered
into the drawing for a $25 gift card.
At the end of our 80-day
Around the World
excursion, all eligible travelers (minimum of 48 country stamps)
will be
entered into a drawing for . . .
a Grand Prize
$100 shopping spree gift card!
Thanks for traveling with us today.
Where to next? Stay tuned!
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The playfulness and ingenuity of these light switch covers always intrigue customers and brings smiles as they "play" with the various switches. That same spirit of playfulness comes through in all of the products from Green Tree Jewelry. We are glad to tell their story today.
We'll prop open our front door this morning when we open at 11:00 to let in today's cooler, fresh air. Our Brookside store is open today (Wednesday) through Sunday. Our current hours are posted below my signature and we look forward to seeing you!
For those of you who cannot or choose not to shop in our Brookside store right now, we thank you for your continued online shopping support.
And I can't say it enough times -
YOU are an important part of what makes World's Window so special! THANK YOU!
World's Window
"Nobody can define you like you."
P.S.
We are glad to be on this around-the-world virtual journey with you and delighted that you are traveling with us. We hope you are learning some new information as we travel along.
If you haven't already done so, invite some friends to come along! There's still room on this journey!
Send an invite
P.P.S.
We're keeping our trip "log" up to date. If you think you've missed a day or are new to our journey, click
here
to review where we've visited the last 50 days.
CLOSED Monday and Tuesday
OPEN Wed through Sat, 11 am to 5 pm
Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm
As always we are "sharing the world" through clothing, jewelry, folk art, textiles and hand-selected gifts -
and
buying locally-owned is a gift to your community!
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One way to support us
right now
is to purchase
World's Window gift cards.
In-store gift cards can also be purchased by calling
us at 816-361-2500.
And, with all gift card purchases
we'll ADD 10% more
to the value of your gift card as a "Thank You" for shopping small and local.
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See what's happening on our social sites:
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