CRAFTERNOON: A Guide to Getting All Artsy and Crafty with Your Friends All Year Long

I love my neighborhood. Sure, it takes me 45 minutes each way to get to and from work, but the long commute is well worth it. My neighborhood is a total charmer. I’ve sung the praises of Word before, and here’s another praise-worthy place in my little haven. (Part one in a series of awesomeness.)

Champion Coffee, pictured above, is my favorite coffee shop in Brooklyn. I just happen to be lucky enough to live within walking distance of the joint. The coffee is fantastic, the shop is bright and airy, and they have a great magazine library with everything from Art Forum to Martha Stewart. The good coffee and good magazine combo reminds me of Farleys, my favorite coffee shop in San Francisco, which I miss to this day.

Back here at Champion, there is a delightful little outdoor patio with lots of plants in the back, so when the weather gets warm I will be there on many Saturday mornings. But it’s the folks that work there that give it the A plus. They’re all friendly, which sets it apart from most hip coffee spots I’ve ever been to. And that’s what makes it fit right into the ‘hood. If you make the pilgrimage to Greenpoint, be sure to stop by The Champ for a coffee and a pastry (or one of their tasty baked egg dishes). It’ll make you wish you were my neighbor.

Here are some nice articles and a podcast about Crafternoon. I’m so thankful to the writers and interviewers for taking the time to talk to me and to share their nice thoughts about the book. Please check out their cool sites!

maura_madden_q_a_and_crafterno.html

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/change-makers-maura-madden.html

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/diy-halloween-crafts.html

http://www.craftypod.com/?p=606

Oh, and I’m also very excited to have made the Top Ten list of bestselling books for the month of October at my local bookstore, Word.

http://wordbrooklyn.wordpress.com/word-best-sellers/

Next stop, the New York Times!