jo: between hours spent in the library, laughing and watching gilmore girls with the tribe, and hanging out with two school friends, this winter is shaping up nicely.


we love clothing and our simple wardrobes, but ultimately it's not about the clothes we wear.  it's about the lives we live while wearing the clothes.

here is another favorite fair-trade company.  threads 4 thought is all about sustainability.  they use organic cotton and recycled plastic bottle polyester... and all their workers are paid a fair wage.  YES!  we love their colorful leggings, basic tees and sweatshirts.  the items we have purchased are of nice quality and at a great price point.  check them out!  happy conscious spring shopping!

as always, this is a non-sponsored post.  we purchased the items we write about, and all opinions are our own.  

love, 
jane

julia:   i just made a cat friend recently. it's a cat that lives down my street.  i don't know for sure if it's a boy or a girl, so i call it a girl named mittens. she is sweet, photogenic, and very cute, even if she scares me a little sometimes with her claws and large size.  she once chased me inside the house at full pace, which i didn't love, but she wasn't trying to harm anyone. 

 i got cat treats for christmas and now, she visits me once or twice a week. it's very fun to have her as a friend. 

a favorite book series of mine are the cat club series  by esther averill. there are a bunch of books and most of them are about a little black cat named jenny linsky. she and the other cats of her area form a club. they all face challenges in each book together. 

from, 
julia

jane:  i noticed this book the other day during a library search for something else.  i remembered kid president from a video you've probably seen (if not, watch it now!).   :)  well, this book is a super goody!!   it's had me smiling and tearing up every time i've picked it up!  here are a few of my favorite quotes:

relax. don't sweat the small stuff.  life us short and deodorant is expensive.

if it doesn't make the world better, don't do it.

don't be mean. be meaningful.

laugh!  help end global sadness.


there are lots of tips on being awesome and lots of inspiration from some super awesome people.  we took some awesome action today as a result.

julia:  we saved our old glasses that we couldn't use any longer, and we wanted to find someplace that gave glasses to those that needed them. we were excited to finally find a place listed in this book. if you're wondering where to send your glasses, send it to the address below, and they will change someones life!

jane:  yash gupta's inspiring story of how he started sight learning when he was 14 years old was just what i was looking for.  you can read more about sight learning here.

sight learning 
1 league #60715
irvine, ca  92602

check out kid president's guide to being awesome from your library.  i think you'll be inspired too!

love, 
jane + julia

so yeah, it's february. which means it's still winter. and it will be for at least a month and a half. don't get me wrong, i love february (happy birthday jane!!!!!!! next week, anyway.), i do! but i also love spring, so when it's cold and dark, spring-like zines make me so happy! here are three of my favorite spring-ish zines!

prism cloud is one of the first two zines i ever got. it's a 38 page fashion and art zine, this issue themed on cats. inside there are fashion spreads, outfit ideas, and art, along with interviews with each artist! adorable.

i love my collection of plants so much. it is simply drawings of all of elizabeth graeber's plants. her style is ace, simple line drawings that somehow have so much character and are just too cool. i also really love the pots that the plants live in. some are stripey, some have faces.

infinitely gentle is the other zine i ever got first. it's a smaller, quarter size art zine, full of collages that incorporate little drawings. this quirky zine remains one of my favorites, very soft and sweet and pretty.

do you have a favorite spring like zine? i would love to get your recommendations! happy reading (and dreaming of spring time!)
xxx,
jo



(as in all of our others, this is a non sponsored post. all opinions are my own.)

jane:  
snowflakes twist through air 
cello notes fly to ear
scarf hugs neck 
chai tickles nose
wool grows in hand
plans play in mind.  
february, i like you just fine.


we love clothing and our simple wardrobes, but ultimately it's not about the clothes we wear.  it's about the lives we live while wearing the clothes.

jo wrote beautifully about the fair dare earlier, and i want to renew my pledge for the warmer wardrobe i'm thinking about now. i've already had the chance to refuse to buy things that are probably not made fairly.  the new collections are coming out in the stores, and boy-oh-boy, those colors are speaking to me.  they promise bare feet, warm breezes, and picnics on big blankets.  i want to support people being treated fairly, so i look and get inspired, and move on.   

we find that warmer temperatures are easier for shopping fair-trade, so i'm going for it…i want to buy nothing but fair-trade.  using what i have is of course the first choice.  i can also mend and remake things.  thrifting comes next, and sewing clothing myself also goes into the mix.  

right from the start, i need a fair dare strategy.  i need to decide what i am going to do before i am faced with temptation to buy something that is not up to standards.  i need to start by looking at what i want, then what i have, and then what i need.  i need to buy only what fits in that "need" category.  this is in keeping with my simple wardrobe desires.  next i need a strategy for when i find myself in the shops.  can i avoid them altogether... or am i going to end up there with friends or while shopping for, say, toilet paper?  what am i going to do?  well, if i already know that i am not going to purchase clothing there, i can just look for inspiration…see what colors catch my eye, what styles excite me, etc.  i will just know that this is not my place to buy, period.  my strategy is to have my decision already made…before i encounter the situation.

then, i can go to the thrift store and shop.  i can browse patterns and the new fabric collections.  i can peruse etsy and the sites i have decided are ripe for the picking.  i don't feel restricted.  i feel free to follow the plan i've already committed to.

i'm taking the fair dare, are you?

love, 
jane

a little more fair-trade goodness today!  this shirt is from everlane…a company whose goal it is to be "radically transparent" with who made their pieces and also with their pricing.  i love their aesthetic of simple basics and limited choice.  this shirt was made in los angeles, close to their headquarters.  the t-shirts i have bought are of nice quality- not too thin and 100% cotton.  i added some fabric paint-ed eyes to this one for jo.  i think she liked it!  :)

love, 
jane

this is a winter version of one of our favorite summer sandwiches.  in the summer, this is amazing with freshly picked tomatoes.  now i steam or sauté a red pepper or two along with some onion slices, and use these in place of the tomato.  success.


pepper, mozzerella, basil sandwich

2 peppers, sliced and steamed or sautéed
onion slices
fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
baguette
fresh basil leaves

vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper

mix twice as much vinegar as olive oil + salt and pepper for dressing.  about 8 Tbsp in all.  spoon over other ingredients piled into split baguette.  slice into desired number of sandwiches and enjoy!


amazing flavor!

love, 
jane

love, 
j + j + j