http://www.clotheshorsepodcast.com/

Clotheshorse, PO Box 193, Bird in Hand, PA (2026)

08/11/2026

If you check out my stories, I share a series of emails I received from a new AI company that would (if I allowed it) take all of my writing and work and turn it into a “digital twin” that people could ask for advice. And oh yeah, I would PAY them for the honor of all of my work being fed to their LLM. Years of work, experience, talent, and thought.

First off: why would someone want to talk to a fake version of me? And what is happening to us as a society if we suddenly prefer talking to AI over another human? Or at least, we are “okay” with it? Life has been ens**ttified enough, from travel to food to clothes to appliances…everything is a s**tty, low quality version of our memories of it. And now AI is like “hey, let’s also ens**ttify things like art, friendship, and human interaction?”

Once again, I’m proud to say that I am an anti-AI influencer. Yes, I know it has a great potential for healthcare and science. Fine, fine. Keep doing that. But I don’t need a digital twin. Your AI art sucks. AI writing is awful. AI food menus are nauseating. And seriously, just make a flyer using a marker and some paper. None of it is worth sacrificing our humanity.

08/10/2026

Clotheshorse = me, Amanda. And today is my birthday! I don’t have any big plans: work, taking Conway to the vet, and then dinner at my favorite restaurant in Lancaster, Passerine. In honor of this occasion, I made you some (fake) cakes.

As a full-time over thinker, naturally I am reflecting on my life, what it feels like to be alive right now, and what happens next.

In 2017-2020, Dustin and I lost many friends to “deaths of despair.” And every time we learned that another rad person was gone, we said “I get it.” Because it felt like hope was in short supply, like there was no light to be found. We got through it by sort of keeping out heads down, clinging to one another, and working really hard to find any shred of joy.

The past two years have been a repeat of that darkness, except darker. And yet...I have more hope than ever!

❤️ Rather than putting our heads down and powering through it, we are lifting our heads up, extending a hand to one another, saying “nice to meet you, I’m here to help.”

❤️ We realize the importance of community and our roles within it. We see that nothing gets better for anyone without all of us getting involved. We know that we all have a part to play in the fight for a better world.

❤️ We see that we are unstoppable when we work together...and that’s why the worst people would prefer that we spend our days tearing one another apart on social media.

❤️ We understand that for years we have been sold this idea that we should aspire to have as much stuff as possible, that life was a competition to see who could have the most stuff, the most expensive clothes/food/trips/lifestyle, and the most curated social media page....and it turns out that all of that just lined billionaires’ pockets, leaving us broke, unsatisfied, and lonely.

❤️ We realize that the all of life’s magic, hope, and joy...that comes from the people, animals, and world around us. And we are here to fight for that.

I am not a spiritual person, but I find hope, faith, and meaning in the people around me. In our ability to build, create, and innovate. In the unmatchable power we have when we all work together toward a common purpose.

I believe in us.

08/08/2026

It’s kinda International Cat Day every day here at Clotheshorse World HQ, with a plethora of spoiled house cats, a roomful of foster kittens, and the feral colony of 14 cats. But I guess some people only celebrate cats once a year (the audacity!).

I can’t remember a single day since 2024 when I didn’t feel frightened and angry. Yet I have been committed to being a source of positivity, motivation, and inspiration for this community. And I hope I have made at least one of you feel a little bit better.

Yes, the world gets scarier every day. The list of things to scare and enrage us seems to be growing exponentially. I don’t blame anyone for feeling doomed and powerless. But guess what? We are only doomed if we let ourselves be doomed. And amazingly... I can feel that positive change is happening right now. It’s thanks to all of us who have stayed strong and loud!

I believe in us. We can and will get through this together. Every one of us has an important role to play here. Individual action DOES matter, despite what you might be told elsewhere.

Can one person change the world on their own? Probably not. But when working alongside thousands and millions of other people, change is inevitable.

If you’re feeling frightened, tired, powerless, or full of overwhelming grief right now, know that you are not alone. Embracing your community is a radical act in a world that encourages individualism and consumerism over caring and sharing!

And p.s. even Donna is invited!

Also—new stickers and iron ons are up in the merch shop.

08/06/2026

There are a lot of new faces around here lately, so I think it’s time to tell you something important about me: I am obsessed with vintage cake decorating books.

I can’t explain my obsession with elaborate cakes. Maybe it’s because I have celiac disease, so cake is super novel to me. But I also think it’s because these cakes are just another example of the creativity and ingenuity of humans. If someone can make a dressing table or Tiffany lamp out of cake, then I know we can also solve the biggest obstacles facing humanity. And also: AI could never create these a phone shaped cake!!

I am obsessed with old books, stationary, greeting cards, paper ephemera. And some of my favorites are cookbooks and craft books. Many of these books from the middle of the last century are lost to time. Those craft, food, and cake trends have faded. And that makes me super sad because these books are filled with innovation and talent…and often the artists behind all of that work were women who remain sort of nameless now.

It feels important and kinda radical to preserve these things. Why? Because it’s kinda like @ #$% trendiness, @ #$% the erasure of women’s work, and @ #$% the “new is better” mentality of consumer culture. And also… @ #$% AI!!!!

So I collect them: from thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, free bins, creative reuse centers. I’ve even pulled them out of trash piles. I’ve been building up a library for years now. They inspire me creatively in so many different ways: the use of color, the style of photography, the “fly so close to the sun with that project and it works out” of it all. It’s why I often scan them and clean them up to create content. Somehow hard conversations pair very nicely with vintage crafts, art, and cakes.

Looking at these books and papers also brings me joy...and we all need that right now. Also, my birthday is next week, so I definitely have cake on the brain today.

Which one is your favorite?

08/03/2026

YOU SHOULD READ THE CAPTION!!

Last week, Open AI (ChatGPT) took a group of influencers on a summer camp style retreat to Wildflower Farms, a luxury wellness resort in Hudson Valley.

I CAN’T BELIEVE THEY DIDN’T INVITE ME.

jk I know why I wasn’t invited...because I’m an incredibly unphotogenic nobody with appalling cuticles. But also...F**K AI!

That said...bringing a bunch of influencers on a fancy nature trip to promote gen AI is actually a super calculated attempt at getting more women to adopt AI. I mean, it works for makeup, supplements, and clothing, so why not water-guzzling, air-polluting, art-stealing bu****it?

Do not fall for it. Remember — if gen AI were so great, if there were an actual plan in place for the environmental, social, and economic impacts of it — then they wouldn’t be trying to jam in down our throats in every possible way.

I don’t have hate or even animosity toward people who use generative AI. I get that some of us can’t avoid using it for our jobs. I also understand that AI can be incredibly useful for science and medicine. I also recognize that in our current stage of capitalism, we’re all tired, stretched too thin, and broke. Using generative AI to create a flyer, a meme, or even a social media post feels easy and victimless. These systems are created to prey on us during a time when life is really, really hard.

But here is what fills me with rage: a small group of people is making a s**t ton of money — far more than any of us will ever see in our lives — by stealing our unique, human-created work: art, music, writing, photos, recipes, and more. And oh yeah, they’re also trying to take away many of our jobs...while offering no safety net to us. To make matters worse, they know this whole genAI thing isn’t really living up to their promises, so they are aggressively trying to convince all of us that we will be “left behind” if we don’t use it.

That’s why we have to speak out as much as possible!

So all that to say: yes, I’m unphotogenic. My cuticles are a disaster. I’ve been trimming my own bangs. Rather than brand deals, I get emails about mispronouncing words on the podcast. And yet, I’m proudly an ANTI-AI INFLUENCER.

07/31/2026

Fun fact (okay, maybe not fun, just maybe not un-fun either): I actually started learning Photoshop back in 2021 because I wanted to make fake books. I can’t exactly explain why it was so important to me, but I enjoy doing it. And when I make these fake books, I always use covers from vintage books, especially science fiction and romance novels.

And not only did making fake books force me to learn Photoshop (seriously changing my life), I also learned a ton about vintage fonts along the way, because I love to match up the font to the original. First I find the cover I want to use. Then I track down the appropriate fonts. Next I do the layout. After that, I export the cover to a fake mockup that I bought back in 2021 when I first started doing this (pre gen AI). It’s a lot of work, but I usually amuse myself along the way with the funny quotes I add.

With the news this week that AI companies are buying millions of books, scanning them to train gen AI, then shredding them...well, seriously, F**K AI and WE MUST PROTECT BOOKS.

Anyway, this carousel is a mix of some old favorite fake books and some brand new ones.

Have a great weekend (and f**k any brand that does a Harry Potter collab because clearly they prioritize $$$ over human rights).

07/29/2026

You all know that I have been obsessed with renting a Clotheshorse billboard someday. Well, the bad news is that OMG billboards are freaking expensive and that money that could be better spent elsewhere (like supporting our communities via mutual aid).

The “fake billboards” idea came from a conversation I had with Dustin on a road trip a while back. I have the unfortunate tendency to read billboards out loud (sorry), and then I just started making fake up fake ones to see if Dustin was listening, like “EATING CRABS CAUSES DIARRHEA” and “THRIFT STORES ARE SEXY.”

Then we started talking about billboards we would like to see, which lead to a billboard in downtown Portland that would say “YES, NIKE IS FAST FASHION.” And then I was like, “hmmm....what if there were billboards that spoke the truth about fast fashion?” Of course then I got super excited about renting a billboard on I-95 right by the URBN (Anthro, Free People, Urban Outfitters, Nuuly) campus that said “IT’S CHEAP BECAUSE SOMEONE DIDN’T GET PAID.”

So yeah, no Clotheshorse billboards until everyone in this community has healthcare and no one is hungry or unsafe. But fortunately, I can make fake ones all day long.

How do I make these?

🐴 First I create the billboard art itself. I do this in photoshop. That means cutting out scans of vintage kitten books and figuring out the text formatting. I use filters to give the art a more real, “actually on paper” look.
🐴 Next I export them the billboard into the actual billboard/background file. That started as a template I bought a few years ago that I’ve been finetuning since. Here I adjust things like lighting and shadows, while also adding the background landscape.
🐴 Usually at this point I export that file and then drag into Figma where I do the final formatting (like adding the Clotheshorse sticker), but this time I added some textures to make the image seem like it was printed on a postcard...then I exported to Figma.

Yes, it all takes time...but it’s way more satisfying than doomscrolling or emptying the dishwasher.

Anyway, what would YOU like to see on a billboard?

07/24/2026

Let the record show that on the morning of July 24, 2026, after spending more than an hour feeding cats/kittens and scooping many litter boxes, I said out loud (probably to a cat), “I can’t wait until kitten season is over.”

Those of you who have been following me for a while (or listen to the podcast) know that Dustin and I have been caring for a colony of about 14 feral cats since we moved into this house on a farm in Lancaster County 2.5 years ago. Most of our neighbors are Amish farms. And “barn cats” who keep pests away from lifestock are just a part of life down here. The problem?These barn cats are actually feral cats and no one takes care of them. They get hit by cars, get injured in fights, die from minor illnesses, and reproduce endlessly.

So WE feed and look after them. We created a series of structures to keep them warm and dry during inclement weather. One of our porches is basically “the cat porch,” full of cat beds, feeders, and water bowls. A place for them to be safe. And so these cats live in our yard permanently.

This spring I got serious about TNRing (trap/neuter/release) all of the cats. And I’m proud to say that as of today, we have gotten 12 out of 14 cats. One (Alexis) just would NOT get in the trap. She ended up giving birth to her kittens in our spare bedroom. Next month, they will be adoptable via Pet Pantry of Lancaster County. About a month ago, the other cat we couldn’t catch (Steve) gave birth to a few kittens in our yard, then ran away. Alexis has been helping us take care of them. And just a few weeks ago, we rescued a tiny black kitten whose leg was stuck in the barn floor. And now he lives with us. His name is Conway and he definitely thinks I’m his mom. Alexis and Steve are getting spayed as soon as their kittens are weaned. Conway is already wildly spoiled.

So yeah, lots of cats. Fortunately I am a cat lover (and just general animal lover). And I have huge collection of vintage cat books to prove it (totally normal, right)? Here are some of my favorite graphics that I created using these books!

07/23/2026

Listen, I’m no stranger to being called “depressing” or “cringe” by randos on the internet. It’s always so silly to me because I’m actually always laughing, creating elaborate hilarious backstories for my cats, singing made up songs, and wearing fabulous outfits.

But it is interesting that the comeback to “don’t buy disappointing s**t” is always “you suck and you’re depressing.” In fact, in last week’s Costco Esprit sweatshirt discourse, lots of people (on Threads) thought I was a bummer, bitter, and even a “buzzkill.”

If you dig into that, it reveals something important: decades of marketing have successfully transformed us as humans, making us believe that the only real source of joy is shopping. And TBH if you think buying something is an easy way to cheer yourself up, you’re not alone. I was raised to feel the same way. Shopping was literally the only time my family seemed to get along. Telling someone to buy something (because they “deserved” it) was how we showed our love.

So yeah, a lot of us think shopping = fun, joy, happiness. Of course, these days shopping is also often disappointing and stressful. Sometimes we end up feeling scammed or questioning the size and shape of our bodies. Still, when shopping = happiness, you start to thing that non shopping = unhappiness and misery.

But actually...the slow fashion way of life is filled with joy, creativity, connection, and fun! Seriously, I might be tree hugging, compost loving, Costco Esprit sweatshirt hating buzzkill, but somehow I’m happier than I’ve ever been because I’m constantly feeding my brain and my heart with information, new skills, and creative thinking.

Anyway, I was inspired by the Threads feedback last week to create my own graphics about this. As I was playing around with this idea while I playing with the foster kittens last night, I realized that it was reminding me of a new version of the 90s Nirvana shirt. So I tracked down the Nirvana font (it’s called Onyx) and I used images from the 1978 children’s book, Baby’s Toy Box. This post took 3 hours to make.

07/21/2026

In honor of Clotheshorse’s 6th birthday, I am doing a big refresh of the merch shop! New iron on transfers, stickers, and postcards.
All of the art is directly from some of your favorite posts. They started as vintage valentines, books, and paper goods. Fortunately I have Dustin to help me turn my Photoshop chaos into actual print quality art! Seriously, some of these started as “Well, I cut a heart out of red construction paper and then I scanned it and layered it under three other scans.”

While I already have the stickers and postcards chosen, I want you to help me decide on the t-shirt transfers. Tell me your two favorites in the comments. The 3-4 designs that get the most votes will actually be made!

Obviously merch and slow fashion seem like opposites, so this is not something that I take lightly. A lot of work goes into making this whole thing as unwasteful and sustainable/ethical as possible! For example, I exclusively use thrifted packaging. I have learned a whole new appreciation for the office supply section at thrift stores!

It goes without saying, but here it is again: Clotheshorse is anti-AI zone. No AI was used in any way. In fact, even the “mockup” of the designs on t-shirts is from a Photoshop mockup I bought on Etsy back in 2021 (before generative AI was really a thing).

Clotheshorse

08/11/2026

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