i love lists, so here is the full list of transition items i'll be picking my simple monthly wardrobes from in the next couple months:

tops:
-block print (this one is on trial)
-striped heavier tee
-striped 3/4 sleeved, cropped tee
-indigo long sleeved tee
-olive button-down
-see-sun 3/4 sleeved
-white short-sleeved tee
-black short-sleeved tee
-black + white box top

pants:
-flared, cropped levis 
-skinny jeans (cuffed)

one pieces:
-cream jumpsuit
-navy jumpsuit
-tan jumpsuit
-black tee dress
-red mexican dress

sweater:
-tan cardigan

shoes:
-toms
-tan flats
-silver tennies

total: 20 pieces

none of these pieces are new, but i am considering buying a pair of closed toe clogs and making a white linen box top and a longer dress that can transition pasty, cold legs into more confident summer, warm, pasty legs.  :)  it's also fun for me to recognize that i know the origins of almost all of these pieces.  they were almost all fairly made, thrifted or handmade by me.  i know that the limited number of items definitely helps that become a possibility.  

i spent a bit of time trying outfits on yesterday (the aftermath of which, you see above) and am really loving the look of high-waisted, slightly flared, slightly cropped jeans with boxy cropped tops right now.  (inspired by looks like these.)  i'll be wearing this silhouette a lot in the months to come.

can you believe tomorrow is april?

love,
​jane

i'm often describing a meal as 'deconstructed'.  baked potatoes are not my forte.  especially when the potatoes are the size of a nerf football, it's hard to know when they are cooked through.  so...with this background, the deconstructed baked potato was born.  :)

deconstructed chili baked potatoes

potatoes
olive oil
onion
tomato sauce (or tomatoes)
water
beans
corn 
cumin
chili powder
chili flakes
salt
cheese

cut up the potatoes (no need to peel), sprinkle with olive oil + toss with your hands.  bake at 425 F for about 40 minutes.  while the potatoes bake, start some onions sautéing in a pot. thaw that tomato sauce or cut up some tomatoes + add to the pot.  add other chili ingredients + a little water, if needed.  simmer while the potatoes bake.  top potatoes with chili + cheese.  enjoy!

love, 
jane

it's been fun to realize that 3 natural ingredients i have already can have so many uses.  beeswax, coconut oil and almond oil have moisturized my lips, my leather boots...and now, the wood in my kitchen.  i had a bit of extra leather conditioner (the recipe is in the leather boots link above) and decided to use it on my cutting board, spatula, and wooden spoons.  they drank it in and after buffing with a cotton rag feel soft and smooth.  nature feeding nature.  it seems like it was meant to be.  :)

love,
jane

last week's time spent with my boots has me thinking about leather as a material.  i recently read this article about leather and animal treatment.  it's sickening to read reports of people working in dangerous conditions + of animal cruelty.  i come to a different conclusion than many activists, however.

i find that activists often choose their one cause and focus solely on that one cause.  we need people to fight with all their might for individual causes.  it frustrates me, however, when a recommended course of action seems to just move the problem elsewhere.

in the case of leather, i'm referring to the recommendation of buying its vegan counterpart, "vegan leather".  vegan leather is pleather...plastic "leather"...plastic bonded to a fabric backing...oil derived...non-biodegradable...not as durable...cheap in the short run...costly in the long run.  no animals are harmed by this product? well...hmmm.  buying a canvas bag instead of a leather bag = great!  wearing canvas + rubber shoes instead of leather ones = fantastic! choosing an oiled canvas jacket instead of a leather one = nice!  but promoting pleather as an alternative to leather = me getting irritated.

leather is natural, durable, long-lasting, and biodegradable.  the vintage leather purse above replaced the linen canvas one i carried every day for two years.  i loved that purse.  it was made by a talented artisan, whom i am proud to support.  after two years of hard labor, the bottom became worn and holes appeared in many places.  this leather purse has already been well loved, and now i can count on getting plenty more use out of it.  i still love canvas for purses and shoes, but leather is usually more durable and long lasting.  an added bonus of not shunning leather altogether is having a voice + a vote in which production methods we will accept.  we can choose sustainability.

i apologize for how crass this sounds, but as long as people are eating cows, there will be leather from that same cow.  i obviously don't entirely know how this industry works, but it would seem that a marked decrease in desire for both leather and hamburgers would be positive and sustainable.  

so... what do i propose?
1.  less.  decreasing our needs and calming our desires for more would decrease the urgency felt by the manufacturer to produce more and quickly...decreasing the pressure for inhumane treatment of all involved.
2.  value our leather pieces.  we can adopt the thinking of a generation or two back...the article refers to a time when receiving one's first leather bag was a rite of passage...this bag would be treasured for years to come.  i'd love for that mindset to reside within me.
3.  buy quality vintage.  leather has a long life, so pieces can be enjoyed by many hands and feet.
4.  choose classics that won't go out of style.  
5.  care for what we have.  condition that leather.  help pieces keep their shape when stored.
6.  repair if necessary.  cobblers have skills.
7.  take only what we need.  i saw a pair of vintage frye boots at the thrift store the other day, but decided to leave them for another to discover.
8.  live our values.  if avoiding leather feels best, avoid it (+ pleather too).

consuming in proportion to need + being willing to pay fair prices for our purchases could allow profits to be shared down the supply chain.  together as consumers, we can require that.  each dollar spent is a vote!

love,
​jane

on the first day of the week very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  while they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  in their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; He has risen! ~luke 24:1-6

mary magdalene went to the disciples with the news:  "i have seen the lord!"  ~john 20:18

on the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "peace be with you!"  after he said this, he showed them his hands and side.  the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.  ~ john 20:19-20

thomas was not with the disciples when jesus came.  a week later Jesus' disciples were in the house again, and thomas was with them.  Jesus came and stood among them.  thomas said to Him, "my Lord and my God!" then Jesus told him, "because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Chirst, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.  ~john 24-31

beautiful.

happy easter, friends!
love,
​jane

and when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit.  at that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  the earth shook and the rocks split.  the tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. they came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they want into the holy city and appeared to many people.  when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "surely He was the Son of God!"  matthew 27:51-54

these three wool sweaters serve me well during the winter months...and now i look forward to giving them a rest.  one sweater was given a bath in tepid, mildly soapy water, rinsed and laid out to dry... no need for dry-cleaning.  since i always layer them over a top, washing is not always a necessity.  a fresh lavender sachet was sewn and filled with dried lavender grown in our back yard.  they will be stored in my suitcase along with hats, scarves and gloves, sealed tight from the moths in warmer months to come.

these two pairs of boots are getting tucked away in tissue and boxes on the top shelf...but not before receiving a polish and buff.  i made a leather conditioner from the ingredients i have on hand...beeswax, coconut oil, and almond oil.  i melted 1 part beeswax over a double broiler, added 1 part coconut oil, removed from the heat, and added 3 parts almond oil.  after stirring and letting set up, i had a soft conditioner to rub into the leather with my hand.  i followed this with a quick buff with a cotton rag.  the leather no longer looks thirsty and tired...but vibrant and ready to serve another season (minus those scuff marks).  :)

and finally my trusty wellies received a new-to-them pillowcase to shelter them from dust at the back of the closet.  they might still have some work to do in the garden next month, but they'll have a cozy home to return to now.  

this little collection of pieces are lovely, hardworking classics that stand the test of time.  i treasure the opportunity to care for these workhorses and to pack them away at the end of another cold season.  i thank them for jobs well done.  see you next winter, friends.

love,
jane

this one could be a good way to use up the farmer's market leftovers at the end of the week.  another favorite around here.  total yum.

it's all good (for you) pizza

homemade pizza dough (we use half whole wheat + half white flour)
feta cheese (from the salad bar, in our own container)
lemon
toppings...this time we used: zucchini, red pepper, corn, green onion, pepper flakes, cilantro
a bit of grated cheese, any type you like/have 

make pizza dough.  when it's risen, press to fit pan.  mix feta cheese + squeezed lemon juice, and spread over dough.  top with toppings + a bit of grated cheese.  425 degree F oven, around 12 minutes.  enjoy while wondering why you ever eat pizza from a box.  :)

love,
jane

during world war II, the british ministry of information hung posters with the message of, "make do or mend".  it's easy to relegate this message to hard times past, but it's still a great message in terms of waste.    

after going through julia's summer clothing recently, we had a large pile of clothing that no longer fit- to donate... a small pile of clothing that does fit... a medium pile of clothing that needed some altering...and a single item to sell on ebay.  a couple of afternoons were spent listening to this american life and tackling that medium pile.

jo had done a closet clean out in the autumn, and i had set aside a few things for julia out of her donation pile. jo is quite a bit taller than julia, so some alterations were necessary before julia would be able to wear the pieces.  a handmade wiksten tank was significantly shortened into a top that will look cute over a chambray skirt already in julia's closet.  julia's favorite "new" piece is a rosy thrifted dress that had its straps shortened and armholes lengthened in order to raise the neckline. 

a little mending was all the mexican dress needed.

this lovely linen dress received the biggest makeover.  bought second hand, i knew it would fit one of the girls, but assumed julia would get the most use out of it.  it ended up needing more alterations than i thought it would.  it started out calf length, so it was shortened to knee length... and the back slit was closed up.  there were waist ties which were removed.  the cut off portion was used to add pockets and as bias around the lengthened arm holes (after shortening the straps...in order to raise the neckline).  phew!  it is pretty cute now and since the fabric is such a nice durable linen, i think it was a good investment.

i have to say that altering these dresses had me thinking that just starting fresh can be much easier and result in better finishings.  but...it was sort of fun to use some ingenuity to make the changes...and i'm happy to have saved these pieces from a darker fate and saved the new fabric that would have been consumed making new dresses.

pass down, thrift, buy fair, alter and mend...and we have four fair items gaining new life in a happy girl's closet!

love,
​jane

i set out to write a list of happy things the other day.  it wasn't hard.  i had to write fast to keep up with my thoughts.  the most interesting thing happened when i looked back over my incomplete list.  there wasn't a single thing-thing on my list...you know what i mean?  the things on my list weren't really things that you buy from a store so much as things i experience and take in...little blessings sprinkled throughout my days ordinary or not...things i have to stop and notice...little love notes from the God of the universe.

here are a few of my favorite happy things:

~the first ripe strawberry from the garden
~the smell in the air  just before it starts to rain
~warm, cozy socks when my feet are cold
~an unsolicited hug
~a single lady bug
~the first glimpse of the pacific ocean each time
~sunsets in joshua tree
~glimpsing a shooting star
~the thwack of a screen door
~watching the sun sink into lake michigan
~sleeping under clean sheets
~feeling the breeze through a screened window
~roadtrips
~a maple tree full of riotous reds
~just melty vanilla ice-cream
~finding seashells
~fish tacos
~lilacs
​~beach grass
~cactus in their natural surroundings
~a white room in candlelight
~campground pine + campfire smell 
~the sound of waves crashing
~seeing my long shadow
~hot chai tea
~iced tea with fresh mint, lemon + honey
​~laughing so hard tears slide down my cheeks

what would your list include?  what things really make you happy?  i bet you can't keep from smiling while writing them down.

​happy happy list making!
love,
jane