This is Craig Miller Sr and his granddaughter Brook. Craig Miller Sr has been a part of RedCamper’s success from day one, 8 years ago when we set out on the path of tote making. He and his team at American National Manufacturing worked with RedCamper to create something that had never been done before, a purse made of 35mm slides. Not just slide sheets sewn together, but a custom made, radio frequency welded, durable, panel set made of two types of transparents created from custom tools and dies and an ingenious air pump system made to create cozy little air filled pockets to protect our precious cargo. It was a feat of engineering brilliance. Or maybe just plain awesome for us. Our totes have never been a big business for him, but he has always been nothing less than amazing to us. He and his son are at the center of keeping American manufacturing alive with pride, and we are so thankful there are still people like them in this world. Thank you, Craig Miller Sr., for all the years.
We’ve been slacking on the blog entries. The holidays got the best of us. But we got some r&r and we are getting ramped up for a super great year. Hold on. While you are waiting here is a kinda entertaining commercial for Delta baggage app. No we aren’t sponsored by Delta, but we love watching luggage get moved around. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!
Turns out Miriam Benders souvenir coconut is a highly desirable object with the Boulder, Colorado shoppers. Who would have thought? Countless times the coconut drew the hands and eyes of older ladies, little boys, hipster men with snappy man bags and about to give labor pregnant women. Turns out we’re not the only coconut lovers. Thank you, Miriam, for sharing your awesome sunny coconut with the land locked, snow boot wearing folk of Colorado. We had a great show at the Firefly Holiday Market last weekend, thank you to everyone that came out and supported us makers, designers and scramblers.
RedCampers roots are in the back of a 1978 Blue ford with a Red Camper on the back, but we love cars. Fast cars, big cars with lots of seats, small cars, round cars, square cars, and cars that only go 40mph, but oh do we have a soft spot for those big, loud, fast muscle cars of the day. Which is why we were originally inspired to make our laptop bag line out of vintage car upholstery that was found in the way back of a warehouse in the heart of the desert. The Skylark (now discontinued), the Chevelle, the Charger and the Dart are our current homages to these lovely beasts. Here is a sweet ad for the Chevelle, and here is our own sweet Chevelle, and it’s older sister the Chevelle LTD. Limited Quantities available at Etsy.
Those of you that have been following us for a while know that we attended our first NSS (National Stationary Show) show in May. That was were we lost the website in the New Jersey Turnpike tunnel unfortunately, but we had quite a time. We showed up with some suitcases stuffed to the gills and a half baked idea that required lots of scavenging. Our goal was to build a booth that fit our brand, and made us stand out in a sea of card designers..our theme, a 1970′s style hotel room, complete with traveling correspondent. We worked hard at it, and we actually pulled it off by the fraction of a margin of faux wood contact paper. It was a wild adventure and just as the memories are starting to turn that some what warm, yellowish color we like so much, Mark found this video, and low and behold we made the cut. Forward to 1:24 if you can’t handle the industry talk. Wonder what we’ll do this coming show…..
The holiday season is upon us and you know what that means? Drinks. Lots and lots of drinks. We got to kick off the season proper by debuting a couple of our home grown cocktail recipes at a cocktail challenge over the weekend and we gotta say, we’re pretty proud.
Those that know RedCamper and me, know I have a gigantic love for peaches and peach jam. Every fall is filled with boxes of peaches and counter tops filled with jars waiting for fresh made peach deliciousness. I’ve been fine-tuning my recipe for 2 years now and it’s near perfection. So, what is better than fresh made peach deliciousness? Fresh made Colorado peach deliciousness with locally distilled Rocky Mountain Peach Whiskey from Denver based Leopolds and a couple other ingredients, that’s what.
But we wouldn’t just talk about it without sharing..
RedCamper Peach Picker (an after dinner cocktail)
•1 tablespoon of peach deliciousness. (we’ll let you know if ours is ever ready for sale. For now use Peach Jam from your local market.)
•1 shot of Leopolds Peach Whiskey
•1/2 shot of Tuaca
•2 shakes of bitters
Put that dollop of deliciousness in the bottom of your glass and gently add the other ingredients. No shaking, you’ll bruise that peach and you wouldn’t want that. Enjoy.
In the past I called Thanksgiving the time when we all gather around and watch (and hear) old people eat. It was crass, yet accurate—flippant, but honest. It’s my nature to turn the things that make me uncomfortable into a joke, a blustery and acerbic observation, and in the process give the impression that I completely miss the point. I get it, though.
This year my last grandparent standing was laid to rest. Iola Evertson, my father’s mother passed away just eight days after her second youngest grandson—a fact she will never know. I know, though. I know and remember both of them, and I can’t help but see them through the lens of all of those family holidays. We saw each other times, of course—but never so consistently together, and that, of course, is the point.
I will miss all the people who have left my world, by whatever means, this Thanksgiving. I will also, however, be thankful that they were in my life at all, and appreciate everyone who has had the ways and means to stick around—as long as they chew with their mouth closed.
