"We'll have to see recycled as better than new."
~Brad Weiners (via)

Just a few ways I'm seeing "recycled" as beautiful + better than new:  

• appreciating the lovely layering of patches that evolves with time
• making a useful pad of paper from one sided papers + a binder clip
• building gorgeous things with secondhand materials
• searching for lovely old furniture with worn surfaces
• making new candles out of the remains of spent ones 
• squeezing a cute new top out of his loved-to-bits shirt
• finding recycled options for necessities
• mending it again + again

​A couple of further thoughts:

• Reusing materials in their original form is preferable to what most of us think of as recycling...which involves breaking materials down, washing them + reconstituting them into new materials. That process is preferable to extracting new materials, but does take a lot of energy + water.
• For many of us, our proclivity for novelty is a barrier to fully using our things up.
• Let's be intentional about thinking through ways we can change our preferences toward reuse.  :)

Labelled photos via links. Unlinked photos, mine.

Love, 
Jane

The new dawn blooms as we free it.
For there is always light
If only we are brave enough to see it
If only we are brave enough to be it.
~Amanda Gorman, from The Hill We Climb

These lovely pieces from Rachel Pally have me considering two approaches to a pared down wardrobe:

• One piece dressing :: A dress or a jumpsuit offers a complete outfit with just one piece. These pieces make it super simple to get dressed each day. Looks can go from casual to dressy with a change of footwear. A small collection of dresses +/or jumpsuits along with a few versatile layers + a few well-chosen footwear options could be a complete wardrobe.
• Coordinating separates :: A few well-chosen separates can be mixed + matched for a variety of options. The choice of tennies, sandals, boots or flats adds even more variety. 

A combination of separates + one-piece options works too, but I do like considering boundaries + formulas from time to time. I love that there are so many lovely ways to have enough...with less.  :)

All lovely photos featuring pieces designed + made from rayon/linen in Los Angeles, California via Rachel Pally.

Love, 
​Jane

Object Apparel offers clothing + intimates made with ethically sourced, organic fibers + natural dyes. These beautiful pieces come in a variety of sizes, and their packaging is plastic free. Mike + Mollie design + make all the pieces in Detroit, Michigan. Loving these natural hues + versatile shapes.

All lovely images via Object Apparel. Object Apparel can be found on our ethical brands page when you need it.

Questions for Marfa by Karl Haendel :: photo via

Is one big idea enough?
Is variation really pleasurable?
Is this too much? Is this enough?
Are dreams a limitation?
I anger useful?
Does thinking about happiness prevent it?
Is repetition OK?
Does novelty matter?
Is growth desirable?
Is calm an illusion?
Does fear drive us?
Is there always more?
Is choice possible?
Are feelings independent of place?
Does getting drunk help?
Is experience repeatable?
Do thoughts follow actions?
Is change necessary?
Are expectations a problem?
Can purity be created?
Are we born innocent?
Is this progress?
Is austerity an illusion?
Can complexity be simple?

A few fair options for sweet bags that could come in handy for that weekly grocery store expedition or maybe just on a walk. The ready-made bag on the left is a collaboration between Industry of All Nations + Mafia Bags. It is made in California from upcycled boating sails + salvaged climbing rope.

The bag on the right was made from a vintage quilt with All Well Workshop's Full Moon Bag pattern. Amy generously offers this pattern free with her newsletter sign-up.

Whether worn across the body, around the waist or slung over the shoulder these bags are like the pocket every outfit needs. Museo Studio makes a generously sized beauty out of vintage quilt pieces. Sara Kirsten's sewing pattern would look as fantastic made out of leftover scraps or found textiles as it does made from sturdy canvas. This kit from Little House Seamstress is another great option.

I always appreciate that there are so many ways to choose fair! Supporting thoughtful makers is a wonderful pleasure. Making our own simultaneously offers clarifying insight into what it takes to create useful things + affirming satisfaction. It's great to support independent pattern makers as well.  :)

Vive les créateurs!

fair/make :: dresses
fair/make :: jumpsuits

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane

I'm on a constant mission to truly appreciate + rest in "enough". I'm a visual person + find curated collections of photos very inspiring. The images offered by well-curated shops + stylish people draw me right in. Here are a couple of ways that I'm curating images myself to aid my contentment with what I already have:

• After recently affirming my style, I made a pinterest board of outfits I can make with my own clothes. I didn't even need to go looking for new pins. The pins already on my other boards offered plenty of stock. Now I have a whole collection of images that highlights the beauty of the pieces I already have.
• I have a "desirables" pinterest board that I keep as a way to give myself some time to consider purchases before buying. It feels really good to delete items on that board, when the urge to own them has passed. This autumn, I decided to leave the things that I bought on this board as well. It's a good reminder that I have already aquired some good things this season + that they are the most desirable of all!

All inspiring images via links.
​
Love,
Jane

A lot of different people + shops + styles are inspiring to me. The ones that most inspire are often the ones that are quite distinct...defined by a tight color palette...a set of shapes...the feel of a decade or well-defined story. 

I can be completely drawn to worn denim + vintage, white tops + flowy dresses one day...and get completely enveloped in a colorful, vibrant world of woven prints the next.

My varied attractions sometimes overwhelm, because I also have a vision of a small collection of clothing that feels cohesive + that I wear over + over again for a long time.

Recently I decided to write out all of the styles (15) that I find most inspiring along with the pieces, silhouettes, fabrics + colors that I'm most drawn to within these styles. A list, for me, is often just an opportunity to empty my brain onto the page + see all the ideas in one place.

From there I could easily see what shapes + colors are repeated across various styles...what I'm drawn to repeatedly...what constitutes my style. I listed both pieces (not exact pieces or brands) + color palette on a new list. I could see the cohesion there + also a way to integrate an outlier or two. The best part? I already own a version of almost everything that I put on that list! It also brings into focus a couple of pieces that might round out my little collection...if I come across them.

For some reason, my mind needs periodic confirmation that I have my own version of style...and that I like it.  :) 

Love,
Jane

The Shame by Makenna Goodman has me considering the appeal of the book club (+ not because it's about a book club).
The Seas by Samantha Hunt takes us for a ride on the undulating power + complexity of words.

Kindness for health.
The trickier part was living with the startling abundance that became glaringly obvious when I stopped trying to get more.
​Clothing as a tool of service.
Gentle ways to welcome the new year.

Wishing you a weekend that feels like a balm after the week that just was.

Much love,
Jane

Love is the bridge between you + everything.
​~Rumi