Buy a Birdhouse, Support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Julie James is not just a talented local restoration and finish carpenter, she's also a mom and a cyclist. She's combining two of those talents for a good cause. Julie has been making birdhouses to sell to help raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute—she'll be riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge.

On July 5th, she'll be down at the Maynard Farmers' Market selling her wren houses and bluebird houses. The cost is $40 for a wren house, and $50 for a bluebird house. With 100% of the sales going to Dana-Farber, everyone can feel good about their purchase.

Each birdhouse is made from the 100-year-old floor boards of Julie's house, so if you're into repurposing and reusing (which I am), this will be right up your alley. It is recommended that you keep the birdhouse a natural color. Each only requires minimal installation—the bluebird house gets screwed to a tree and the wren house hangs from the branch of a small tree or post. Then you'll be all set to invite some insect-eating buddies into your garden (Get those mosquitos!).

She's only got so many floorboards, so that means her supply of houses is limited, so come down to the Maynard Farmers' Market on July 5th to get yours and support Julie in her Pan-Mass challenge. The bustle around her birdhouse display will likely help her to make more sales and reach her goal. But, if you can't make it to the market and want a birdhouse, you can contact her directly at juliejames@magnetbeans.com.