Spotted at the Hair Salon

Recent American-Made Purchase

I have a fall cocktail/dinner event to go to in a couple of weeks and was looking for something to wear. I wanted something comfortable and simple, a little bit more interesting than just a plain shift dress, and could easily be worn for future events. This dress fit the bill.

American-Made Beach Towels

I love that feeling of stepping out of the chilly ocean water to wrap myself up in a warm, plush towel. Available in everything from cotton to bamboo to linen, in neutral colors to vibrant prints, and in a bevy of sizes to suit your needs. Beach towels are a summer necessity for anyone spending time at the pool, relaxing at the lake, or hanging out at the ocean.

Here are nine American-made beach towels and one made in Canada:

American-Made Weekend Links

Well, hello there stranger. It's been a while since my last post. No, I did not drop off the face of the planet. I just got busy and lost a bit of my blogging itch. If you've been following me on Twitter, though, you'll know that I am still keeping up with my Made-in-USA reading materials. Seems like for a while it was a bit quiet with the American-made news, and then all of sudden... BAM!

Here's what's going on: Junior's NY cheesecake will no longer be made in NYC, photos from the Upstate NY Stickley furniture factory, why Under Armour (UA) should make its athletic apparel in the USA, people are suing over jeans they claim are incorrectly labeled as "Made in USA," the 'Made in New York' program will invest millions to keep fashion manufacturing in NYC, AAM's Scott Paul weighs in on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and currency manipulation, G.E. is ditching finance to get back to profitable manufacturing in the U.S., John Oliver nails it with his segment on the hypocrisy of fast fashion giants like GAP and H&M who manufacture overseas, and more.

Here are 10 articles and videos you need to see if you haven't already:

American-Made Things Loved This Month

A distillery tour + a street art surprise, a hair lotion, a concealer, and a screwdriver set. Here are more than a few American-made things that I'm loving this month:

American-Made Giveaway Package

I would love each and every one of the items in this American-made giveaway:

Top Posts for 2014

Thanks for another great year for The American-Made Guide to Life. This marks my 301st post.

I made a somewhat unconscious decision to post less this year, yet my posts are still true to my goal of writing about the quality things I find and love that are made in America. Although, I know some would like me to post more, I've been having a busy (and successful) year with my paid work and that has been rewarding as well. I think finding that right balance of writing and just doing are always difficult for me. I would love to be able to write more about everything I have and find, but there's just not enough time to be able to do it the way that I would want.

Regardless, thanks for all the kind feedback and steadfast support. I have enjoyed all the personal (virtual and real) connections that this blog has helped me make, the journalistic outlet that blogging has given me, and the reaffirmation that supporting my local craftspeople and makers is making a difference in my community. I hope that the new year brings even more development into American manufacturing, that the support expands, and people continue to see the positive impact of having local production of goods and services. I wish for a 2015 with prosperity, peace, and good health.

On that note, the top five posts for 2014 are: