It could be that I was born several decades too late. My mind and sensibilities are often stuck in a previous time, usually one with fabulously packed libraries, rooms laden with natural history specimens, a well-provisioned scientific lab and a phonograph with stacks of swing and tango 78s to play. All nice, as long as I can still have good plumbing and the internet.

CrowBiz HQ is the third floor of our old Victorian house in Buffalo, New York, where I live with my husband, our two sons, and our boxers Stella and Willie (unpaid assistants, Morale Dept.) Surrounding me are endless volumes (also know as "piles") of salvaged books, maps, postage stamps and other ephemera that have been discarded, damaged or considered beyond usefulness… and here is where they realize a new life as prints, magnets, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and collage or assemblage.

My clientele is amusingly diverse. New parents find animal prints to decorate their baby’s nursery; goth dudes need lovestruck skeleton valentines for their gals; and a thoughtful friend can find just the right mushroom magnet for their favorite mycologist. Getting to know customers can be an inspiration for new ideas. There have been discussions about which anatomical renderings make good anniversary presents, and I get a number of requests for unusual combinations of animals in love (the bison/fish romance? I don't judge). CrowBiz is a curiosity shop for just about everyone.

Well, I may not have that dreamy time-traveler existence I fantasize about, but the kooky scientist part came true. I have a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology with particular interests in sensory and perceptual processes, animal cognition, neuroscience, and decision-making. After teaching for many years, I made CrowBiz my full-time gig soon after opening in 2007, though I do still teach several courses per academic year. This gives me a chance to use big words, plus the conversations are more lively and less one-way with my college students than it is with my dogs. It also means I get to have gigantic puzzle-like models of the human brain, eyeball, and ear, and seriously, who wouldn't want that?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrowBiz
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/crowbiz/
Instagram: crow_biz