Misty Rose sat in concentration, threading, measuring, and cutting as she re-soled an old pair of Chuck Taylor Converse by hand. She was transforming the worn-out sneakers, which her niece had nearly thrown into the trash, into something brand new with a leather toe cap and chunky Vibram sole. Rose is a leatherworker and designer in Oakland. Her business, MzzTrzz, specializes in locally based shoemaking material and tool distribution for home crafters and artists. Rose demonstrated her sneaker refurbishing, or…
Standing at an altar decorated with stuffed animals and candles placed around a Bible, Rena Rickles clutched a framed collage of herself and her husband next to images of their dogs. Her husband had given it to her for Valentine’s Day. He called it “Puppy Love.” “This is Huckleberry at four months, where his mom had to go to a bachelor party. We bonded over that weekend, and he was the most loving, loyal, creative dog. We lost him last…