Alexa, Eco-Printing and the Case of the Missing Phone

This is the story of how I lost my iPhone, and how Alexa helped me out in a moment of desperation. I learned a lot through this three-night and a two-day struggle, such as the problem with too-small pockets (can anyone else relate?), and a cool call feature on our Echo that saved the day! Thanks, Alexa! 

(This is not a sponsored post) 

It started on a particularly stormy evening (but not the classical "dark and stormy night"). Despite the high winds and threatening storm clouds, my hubby and I headed into town to pick up something at Home Depot. We are caretakers on an animal rescue ranch, and needed a part for the generator. I grabbed my phone and quickly put it in my jean pocket, fully prepared with a pen and notepad to brainstorm a few blogging ideas. 

While my hubby Shannan snagged the item he needed in Home Depot, I sat in the wind-whipped Suburban taking notes as the rain outside. I reached for my phone in my pocket, thinking I could call a family member really quickly, but it was gone. 

Huh, I thought. I must've forgotten it at home. 

Lugging my large sketchbook/notebook out the door at the time was my priority, so I probably spaced it. Not the first time, as I mused once again if I could have undiagnosed ADHD. 

Oh well, I jotted down my ideas while lightning flashed like lightbulbs in the distance. Shannan took an extra long time, and I couldn't blame him. At that point, it started to hail, too. 

Next, we grabbed a drink at the gas station, a half-cut tea for me, and headed down an old highway that is a slower, but less stressful, drive back home. One of my creative to-do's that night was to do my third batch of eco-printing. You may have heard of it. You gather leaves and flowers and sandwich them between thick watercolor paper and cardboard tied with string, then dunk them in a rust and alum solution. Then you proceed to boil the snot out of them, for 2 hrs, specifically. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sandra Martin (@creativebreathings)

 The best part of the eco-printing process is gathering the plants, and I was smitten with some roadside wildflowers on our way home. Perennial sunflowers and black-eyed Susans dotted the highway. Shannan stopped the Suburban, and armed with his utility knife, I quickly dashed outside to cut and collect an armful of the cheerful yellow flowers. The sunflowers were too far back, and a car was coming, so I took what I could before hopping back in the vehicle. (I have a whole other story about the perils of collecting wild sunflowers, but I'll save that for another day). 

When I got back home, I looked in vain for my iPhone under every couch cushion, even investigating underneath the couch CSI-style with a flashlight. A bottlecap, a bead and a plush ball batted under there by the kittens were all I managed to find, and dust bunnies, naturally. 

I took the same flashlight and checked the company Suburban one more time in the dark to see if it was under the seat. Leroy the trusty rescue donkey brayed at me while I was making so much commotion. (Here is a cute Instagram reel of the donkey Leroy eating watermelon this summer, in case you're interested). 

I stayed up until 1:30am or later boiling my eco-prints. Jonah, one of our rescues, assisted me beforehand with the sorting and soaking process. I had gathered a bucket of wildflowers and weeds from the ranch the night before. 

Jonah helping me sort the flowers.

I woke up racking my brain again about where that darn phone was, and Shannan learned that you can place a phone call on your Echo Dot for free. This little smart device, despite mildly intruding on our privacy (listening to our every conversation), actually comes in handy. I lost my iPhone, which was our only phone at the moment, but it was great asking Alexa to dial my lost phone. (There is a "Find My Phone" feature through iCloud, which I learned about later, but actually, I forgot my Apple ID password. And to create a new one...yes, that's right...they wanted to send it to my phone! Dun..dun..dun!)

We made several attempts, asking Alexa to dial our phone number, while one of us ran frantically around the house to see if we could hear it, or we made a quick run downstairs to see if it was ringing or vibrating in the vehicle. Nothing...just the near-distant howl of coyotes. 

The third evening, I eyed my two rescue kittens suspiciously, as cats love to knock things off the counter. Maybe they slam-dunked the phone through the swinging lid of the trash can next to the kitchen island. I took that trash out the night before. Ugh!! Are we gonna have to go dumpster diving?

"Who, me?" ~ Jonah

"I'll never confess." ~ Charlie Chaplin

When Shannan got off work, I told him about the possibility the phone was in the dumpster. So we asked Alexa to call our phone again, and she helpfully agreed. I heard the dial tone over the speaker while Shannan ran downstairs towards the dumpster. 

It rang several times, and then I heard a small click and a woman say "Hello." 

I was speechless, a little dumbfounded making a call this way, and then actually hearing someone answer on my missing phone! She said, "Hello?" again, and I sheepishly said, "Hello. I was trying to dial my phone. I lost it a couple days ago." 

She told me she was going out to dinner, but that she could place it on her porch for me to pick up. Soon I had her address along with a few basic directions and her phone number, just in case. I asked her if she found it near Home Depot or the gas station. 

"Oh no. I was just driving along Old Hwy 40, and there it was, lying on the ground on the side of the road. She had made unsuccessful attempts to message me (I don't think those went through.) 

"Oh, ok. Well, I really appreciate it. We'll come to pick it up this evening. Thanks for finding it. I looked everywhere for it!" She was really friendly, and then we said goodbye. 

While we prepared our dinner, I started wildly grabbing gold tissue paper, dried flowers from my field foraging on the ranch, jute string, and daisy-patterned washi tape. I picked a nice eco-print of the black-eyed Susans and also made a tag with my new Crop-a-dile. I fashioned a mini-dried bouquet, securing it with a couple tiny rubber bands. 

Cottagecore Vibes

I attached a note, explaining how I had stopped to pick flowers on an artistic whim, and my phone accidentally flew out of the vehicle. But I gave her the eco-print as a gift of thanks, featuring the fruits of my labor. I retrieved my phone and carefully laid the thank you gift in its place. My phone has a few wet spots from already having a couple cracked placed and being exposed to fluctuating temps, but it still works! 

I am still so grateful that there are still honest people in the world, and I was able to get my phone back despite it falling out of those impractical jean pockets. 

Wildflower Eco-prints

And I'm in love with my latest batch of eco-prints. I plan on selling these. Eco-prints in floating frames have a sweet cottagecore or minimalist aesthetic. They're so light and airy. I think the colors are nice for late summer and early fall, too. I'll be listing them soon, either on Etsy or directly on Instagram.

 Follow me @creativebreathings to stay updated.

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading about my Alexa mystery. I'll be sharing more personal stories on my blog and fun journal and mixed media art-related content. 

xo Sandra