Whimsy + Row takes sustainability seriously. They utilize deadstock, biodegradable fabric + Los Angeles sewing. Unnecessary plastic + waste are avoided. Their shapes are simple + straightforward. This is the type of clothing that would mix well into an existing collection + will get worn over + over again for all kinds of occasions.

Whimsy + Row will join our growing list of ethical brands, so that when a need strikes...we have a few places to start the search.  :)

All photos via Whimsy + Row.

Love,
​Jane

Living room master list:

Seating :: Enough for the people who live here. (Extras can be brought from other rooms.) 
Place for feet :: For comfort + also to perch a computer on for collective watching.
Lighting :: Enough to read by.
Curtains :: Only for privacy, because...sunlight!
Blankets :: During cold weather, we keep the heat lowered in order to save gas + money. 
Clock :: A small one helps me stay on schedule.

also:
A few things that lend themselves toward style :: A little goes a long way. Currently I have about ten small things spaced out on shelves + hung above the mantle that communicate a vibe I love.
Candle :: The flicker + scent add so much joy + coziness in the colder months.
Ceiling fan :: An essential (if possible) for me. It cools so much in the summer allowing us to keep the air conditioning lower (saving both electricity + money).
Books :: A few of my favorites + a spot for a few library books = enough for me. Mr. Tribe + Jo each have a shelf full of books here.

optional:
Rug :: I sold our Craigslist, wool rug six months ago + am still considering whether we want to replacement it.

It may seem like I'd add a bookshelf to our master list, but I don't think it's a necessity. In our last home, we stacked our books on the floor in a nonfunctioning fireplace. We had a small mantle for candles + small objects. Since I don't have a lot of books anymore, I would think creatively before purchasing bookshelves.

Honorable mention: versatility...the pictures above were taken last month (on a good library day!). Here is what our living room looks like today.  :)

Read Meet the Frugalwoods by Elizabeth Willard Thames in a weekend. One point of view. Food for thought.
Had the chance to read an advanced copy of The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees by Don Brown. A great way to put the progression of events together for + in front of all of us...including younger readers.
Finally read The Giver by Lois Lowry at my girls' urging. So much to think about + discuss.
Reading Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans.

YES! YES! YES!
This is how it starts...
There's no longer a place for a retailer trying to sell a reasonable amount of clothes at healthy margins.
​More positive news.
Expanded size offerings.

Mentioned Caliphate this week...but just in case it was missed...so good.
Also really enjoyed this chat with one of the original (to me) fair brand founders.

Have a lovely (cool) weekend!  :)
​
Love,
Jane

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
​~Dahli Lama

My personal basics comprise the bulk of my simple wardrobe. It would not be an overstatement to say that I could function well with only a small selection of my personal basics. Chosen with care, these pieces could take me into most of the everyday, indoor situations + temperatures in which I find myself. 

And yet...I've been wrestling these past few months with that just a little.

Over the past number of years, I've worked toward a more minimalist wardrobe. I haven't really subscribed to any rules. I've just been trying to feel my way to my sweet spot with the amount of clothing I have...a very personal sweet spot that lies at just the right point between too much + too little.* For years, I've been able to slowly reduce...reduce...reduce...as I've found "enough" in less + less.

And now...I've gotten to a point where I can function with a very few pieces (this is relative, obviously). In the past few months, however, I was feeling the loss of some of the joy of getting dressed. I'd reduced my pieces to a very few items in a very narrow color palette. Almost every piece was either black or white...and that was never intentional. I found myself feeling like I didn't look good in colors...shying away from patterns that I might get tired of quickly...choosing safe shapes for their versatility. 

Yes, I could get dressed + feel good + appropriate...but I wasn't having a whole lot of fun doing it. I started to wonder if I'd pushed minimalism just a touch too far...and concluded that this just depends on my ultimate goal.

Is my goal to fit my entire wardrobe into a backpack so that I can travel the world? Is my goal to see how few pieces I can function with? Is my goal to curate the perfect capsule collection? Is my goal to find a sort of system I can use to keep my wardrobe manageable, functional, fair to farmers, garment, workers + the environment, and a joy to wear? There are many worthy goals that could involve using minimalism as a tool in the wardrobe, but for me, that last one is most in line with what I'd like to achieve.

I've decided that the recognition of my personal basics...combined with my knowledge of how few pieces I can dress with...has given me the freedom to add in a few wild card pieces to my functional wardrobe...like sprinkles on my unicorn toast. These pieces may not be strictly necessary for "enough"...but they do provide joy!

*It's always a good idea to remind myself here that this is a very privileged thing to be able to spend my time thinking through. The vast majority of people on this planet do not have the opportunity for any such luxury. They will never experience the tipping point toward "too much" or perhaps even reach "enough". It is with this knowledge that I am partly fueled to assess the amount of things that I hold away from others...the amount of resources that I take...the levels of harm + waste that my consumption produces...the quality of wages that my possessions provided.

Compassion, "enough" + a few sprinkles for all of us...that's what I'm after.

Love,
Jane

This is one of those rare makes that I was certain about from pattern to fabric to desired alterations...no waffling. (Well, there was a point of consideration after I'd already ordered the fabric thinking that prison stripes had lost some of the pervasineness of their reference + then we watched Paddington 2.) I wanted this dress to be drapey rather than crisp...loose + breezy...not too short.

​This dress was cut + sewn as soon as the fabric was dry...and was worn for the rest of the day as soon as it was finished...and part of the next.

The pattern is Lou Box Dress 1 by the talented Beth of Sew DIY. It would be a great beginner pattern, since the fit is forgiving + the techniques are quite straight forward.

Honestly, I didn't really follow the instructions, so I'm not totally certain how far I veered from the intended methods. As far as cutting goes, I left the button opening off the back, raised the front neckline by 2 inches, and lengthened the front + back by 6 inches. I was able to lengthen the front + back by piecing the back (the top of the back has horizontal stripes). I enclosed all of the seams (with french seams as possible) and by hand sewing the facing of the "sleeves". My fabric was quite ravelly, so enclosed seams were definitely a priority (although, they are always my preference). My dress has no pockets, because I didn't like the look of them outside with the stripes + didn't want the bulk inside.

I like the lines of this dress a lot + look forward to trying it one size smaller, a little shorter, + without such a pronounced drop back hem.

Truth #1 :: Anyone who has ever been a gardener or lived in the vicinity of a gardener, knows that when zucchini are planted...they are plentiful. Gardeners are notoriously generous with zucchini...so when five large zucchini showed up in our CSA box, I should not have been surprised. Likewise, when the following week brought five more!  :)

Truth #2 :: I don't like single use gadgets. There is a whole series in this space lauding the merits of multifunctional items in my kitchen. 

I made zucchini bread (yum!), but it only uses up one (!) zucchini at a time. 

Truth #3 :: I had been intrigued by zoodles a number of times in the past + had even scouted out which (compact/less expensive/less complicated) spiralizer I would choose. I know that my tribe likes spaghetti squash (Julia even asked for it as her birthday meal once upon a time), these noodles would be a great gluten-free noodle alternative...they would be nutritious...the spiralizer is compact...and I had a lot of zucchini! So...I decided that it was time. (I was even able to find the one I wanted at the grocery store!)

Truth #4 :: We like zoodles a lot! I've made this dish twice in a week (+ those zucchini in the top picture are the ones we still have left)! I'm not at all sad about adding this little gadget to my kitchen. (This is not a recommendation to go out + buy anything...just relating my experience. This recipe is just as good with spaghetti squash!)

Zoodles + Sauce
serves 4

2 zucchini (spiralized)
2 tomatoes (chopped)
chick peas
onion (chopped)
garlic (minced)
salt
cayenne
2 spoonfuls of besan/chickpea flour (optional- to thicken)
pepper jack cheese (grated)

Sauté zucchini in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes over medium heat. Move zucchini to bowls. Add other ingredients (minus the cheese) to the pan with a little olive oil. Stir until thickened. Assemble + enjoy!

We enjoyed some leftover zoodles for lunch the next day with these simple toppings.

Love, 
Jane

Slow fashion is encouraging us as consumers to make peace with the fact that we can't own or wear it all, and we shouldn't. You can have great admiration for a designer, a trend, or a clothing item, but not wear it yourself. Some things are better appreciated from afar. ~Audrey Stanton ​ (via)

Summer is definitely in full swing around here. It's in the 90s F every day. The fireflies + bats are flying. The tomatoes + cicadas are growing. We have to rise early to catch a little coolness on a morning walk. 

I've searched for a few additions/switches to my simple warm weather wardrobe, but have had some difficulty (fit + flatter issues). So...rather than waiting until I've assembled the "perfect" collection (which likely will never happen)...I'm just going to go ahead + share the pieces I've been wearing for the past 9 weeks of hot weather here. They have been working well enough...and I'm always amazed by how little I really need.

As I assemble my pieces + assess the holes in my wardrobe each season, I list the activities that I need to do...the silhouettes I'm drawn to...and a color palette. I would love for all of my pieces to have the ability to interact with all of the others (more outfit options). I need to work with what I already own + consider modifying a piece or two. When it comes to my (very short) shopping list, I'll thrift locally + online before considering making my own or shopping for fair options.

As I said, this is not my perfect collection of pieces...some get more wear than others...but these are all of the pieces that I have worn since the beginning of May (along with a very occasional layering piece). Some of the pieces are more appropriate as loungewear at home + don't really get worn in public. Ideally I'd like to find a pair of more comfy sandals for walking longer distances (right now I just wear trainers) + to find/sew a comfy, but lovely dress or jumpsuit. There is time to add those, if I come across just the right one(s).

My summer simple wardrobe (for now) ::
4 tanks
tee 
short jumpsuit
shorts  
2 sarouelles
clog sandals
+ black pact tank

also:
1 pj's 
2 workout tanks 
2 workout shorts
socks + trainers

Photos via links. Unlinked photos, mine.
​
Love,
Jane

I love to sew. Actually, I think what I love most is the dreaming + scheming about sewing...the imagining of shapes + fabric + drape + structure. I love the (theoretical) ability to create pieces just the way I want them to be (access to just the right fabrics can be an issue). Actual need can be an issue as well. 

The zero-waste mentality can be quite a barrier to creation for me. I don't always "need" + sometimes things don't turn out. 

Lately, I've been feeling like my creativity needs some room to breathe. I enjoy the challenge of sewing...the tangible results. So I'm creating...with mixed results. And at this very moment in time, I'm trying not to feel too bad about it. Each "not-quite-right" offers the opportunity for more creativity.  :)

Love,
Jane