fairdare
  • blog
  • Fairdare
  • ethical brands
  • zero-waste
  • zero-waste meals
  • about

simple

4/30/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
The more simple we are,
the more complete we become.
~Auguste Rodin
0 Comments

two inspiring books

4/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Two new books by two inspiring makers I've loved for years (exciting!):

The Act of Sewing by Sonya Philip :: Sonya Philip's patterns have always been offered in an extended size range + are great beginner sewing patterns. Sewing with secondhand fabrics is encouraged + her patterns lend themselves well to a variety of fabrics. Sonya's own style + sunny personality is a perpetual inspiration to pattern mix + to embrace vibrant color.

The Sandalmaking Workshop by Rachel Corry :: Shoemaking is often a maker's final frontier, and Rachel Corry has been a wonderful resource in this category for years with her kits + workshops. (She is offering a zoom workshop in May.) This book looks like a feast of possibility + I can't wait to catch a peek!

All lovely images via links.

Love,
Jane
0 Comments

mango season

4/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
It's mango season + we're loving these mango smoothies right now. 

​Blend:
frozen mango
yogurt
oat milk
cinnamon
cardamom
ginger
honey

Love,
​Jane
0 Comments

loving :: right now

4/27/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
via
Picture
via
Picture
via
Picture
via
Picture
via
Picture
via
Today is over 80F + the bugs haven't come out in force quite yet. I've been dreaming of having two of these chaise lounges to move in + out of the shade. A peace towel would add a little extra cushioning. When the back rests are down, they could act like benches for all of us to eat outside.

I can imagine wearing this breezy white ensemble just anywhere + adding the sweatshirt when the evening gets cool. The diaphenous, Doen dress would be a lovely barely there layer for lounging in the backyard + could be tucked into pants or shorts as well (love a versatile piece). The Cydwoq sandals would go with everything I want to wear in warmer the months to come. Just dreaming.  :)

Hope you are enjoying a beautiful day where ever you find yourself.

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane
2 Comments

weekend reads + such

4/25/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
I'm squeezing this just inside the weekend. We've been busy celebrating a birthday + drinking in some beautiful weather. Happy to finally be able to peruse The Tiny Mess by Maddie Gordon, Mary Gonzalez + Trevor Gordon! Been waiting years for this one.

Inthevisible.
​Turning waste into clothes.
​Unfortunately it's not the solution many people think it is.
David Hockney's sketchbook.

Also celebrating Nomadland's Oscars! Chloé Zhao is only the second woman to ever win an Oscar for best director + Francis McDormand is her usual no-nonsense, non-conformist, no-makeup inspiration. 

Hope you've had a spectacular weekend, friends!
Love,
​Jane  
0 Comments

prayer

4/23/2021

1 Comment

 
Picture
And the wind said,
"May you be as strong as the oak,
yet flexible as the birch,
may you stand as tall as the redwood,
live gracefully as the willow
and may you always bear fruit
​all your days on this earth."
Native American Prayer
1 Comment

enough in a new situation

4/19/2021

4 Comments

 
Picture
I recently started a new job. Suddenly I have a new situation to dress for, and I want to be sure that I'm prepared (at least wardrobe-wise). As I applied for different jobs, I considered what I would wear to each one. I would need to buy something new for a few of them, but I tried to keep my potential shopping list minimal even when I didn't have many things that fit the dress code. I reasoned that if I kept the pieces simple, repeated wearings would be less noticeable.

I was able to wear what I have for interviews, and I have a relatively simple dress code to follow at this job: solid (or simply patterned) tops + solid bottoms + comfy shoes. Two days in, I realized that I needed something warmer to wear + stopped at a shop on the way home. Almost as soon as I entered the store, I remembered something I'd already packed away for the season that would work. Out it came + nothing new was needed after all. 

The pieces I have feel more "like me" than most anything I could find quickly. They might not be the "perfect" thing to wear, but they work. I have time to add things later, if necessary. 

Each time I realize that I already have all that I need, it feels like a new triumph...not because shopping is bad...or because I feel that I should never add anything to my wardrobe. I just like to be quite thoughtful about new additions...and I also realize that "enough" feels pretty good.  :)

Love,
Jane
4 Comments

another

4/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
There is another alphabet,
whispering from every leaf,
singing from every river,
​shimmering from every sky.
~Dejan Stojanović
0 Comments

microplastic cycle

4/15/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
oregon shoreline
This excellent article by Matt Simon offers a logical explanation of how 1100 tons of microplastics currently finds itself in the skies over the American West. 

A study released this week by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America concluded that "roads dominated the sources of microplastics to the western United States, followed by marine, agriculture and dust emissions".

Simon explains:
Microplastics- particles smaller than 5 millimeters- come from a number of sources. Plastic bags and bottles released into the environment break down into smaller and smaller bits. Your washing machine is another major source: When you launder synthetic clothing, tiny microfibers slough off and get flushed to a wastewater treatment plant. That facility filters out some of the microfibers, trapping them in "sludge", the treated human waste that's then applied to agricultutal fields as fertilizer. That loads the soil with microplastic. A wastewater plant will then flush the remaining microfibers out to sea in the treated water. This has been happening for decades, and because plastics disintegrate but don't ever really disappear, the amount in the ocean has been skyrocketing.

​Sources of microplastics in the air :: and how we can think about our own actions in response:
  • Roads :: tiny bits of tires slough off and get propelled into the air by highway speeds :: makes a case for driving less, consuming less + depending on local products rather than trucked-in food and other goods as much as possible
 
  • Marine :: plastic garbage breaks down into smaller + smaller pieces...and plastic microfibers shed when polyester/nylon/acrylic clothing are made + washed...both get washed out to sea + blow into the wind with sea spray :: makes a case for cutting synthetic fibers out of our closets + for using as little plastic packaging as possible
 
  • Agriculture :: plastic microfibers from washing + producing synthetic-fiber clothing get applied to agriculture fields as fertilizer + blow off in dust :: makes a case for cutting synthetic fibers out of our closets

​These same plastics continue to cycle endlessly, since they don't completely biodegrade. We continue to increase our plastic manufacturing by a rate of 4% per year...even though we know better now. ​This makes the case for widespread legislation that works to decrease the manufacture of plastic + plastic fibers. The time is now.

Love,
​Jane

2 Comments

the price of sustainability

4/12/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
I LOVE hearing from you! It is lovely to read what you share, and I truly feel that any time taken to leave a comment here is a gift. I received a comment recently that a reader noticed again that this type of (sustainability-focused?) lifestyle is not for all budgets. I could not track down which post the comment was connected to...so I am not certain if there was a particular issue which was being addressed. But...I totally hear + respect this sentiment...and wanted to see if I could say a few words in response.

I've been tempted to reveal the amounts of money we've lived on as a family of four, but I know that it is relative. I try to live in an abundance mindset, even while knowing that we have not accessed what is listed as a living wage in this country. I say this not to garner sympathy. (We have some access to healthcare. Our skin color + citizenship give us advantages. We are college educated.)  I say it to let you know, treasured reader, that when I say I hear you when you say that you have concerns about the affordability of sustainability...I mean it. 

This blog is meant to come at sustainability from a place where having less was not always a choice. I wanted to turn the tables...to give myself the power to see what I have as "enough"...to find a way to say that "less" can be a choice + that it can be good. I am a work in progress, but I recognize my ability to choose...maybe not always my circumstances...but my perspective.

I am aware that I list clothing brands that have price points that are higher than fast fashion price points. I often hesitate before posting these things, because I don't want to promote the "wanties", consumerism or the feeling that fair fashion is out of reach price-wise. I do think that it can be useful for us to understand what fair labor + organic fibers cost. This can serve to slow our consumption, encourage us to wear what we already have longer, to care for + repair what we have, and to value secondhand shopping. 

It is this last sentence that points out what makes a sustainability-focused lifestyle both truly sustainable + more affordable. Let's take a look at a few categories:

  • clothing :: Recognizing "enough" in a smaller number of well-chosen pieces + caring for them well means less random shopping. When we need to replace a piece, we can shop specifically for that single piece...secondhand. 
 
  • composting :: Build compost bins out of shipping palettes found by a dumpster + coat hangers we or someone we know might already have. If the space for composting is not available, we can find a place to bring our collected compost weekly or monthly (our grocery store has a compost bin).
 
  • garden :: Growing the most expensive food we can, from seed, saves money. Tomatoes and strawberries are at the top of my own list. A balcony or any outdoor space might be a great growing spot. Herbs + sprouts work on a windowsill. 
 
  • zero-waste :: No one needs all the "stuff" #zerowaste tries to sell. With a few spaghetti sauce + salsa jars collected over time, a few tote bags + a water bottle probably already in our homes (or ask a friend for one of their extras) we are set to begin. Choose in-season produce + bulk items that are less expensive.
 
  • cleaning :: Vinegar, baking soda + water are cheaper than any cleaner I've ever bought.
 
  • ​home :: Secondhand is the way to go. We patiently furnished our entire home after an overseas move with Craigslist finds (+ the cheapest mattresses we could find).
 
  • reuse :: Make candles from candles. Grow onions from onions. Refashion spent clothing.

A few perspective shifts that I recommend developing in order to increase sustainability + living within whatever means we find ourselves needing to:
  • recognizing "enough"
  • wanting what we have
  • valuing "less"
  • gratitude
  • appreciation for nature :: the most spectacular free entertainment :: walks, sunsets, star-gazing, noticing seasonal shifts, cloud watching, moon-gazing, planting + tending seeds, foraging
  • getting clear about what kind of life we want to live + who we want to be + revisiting these questions often
  • compassion :: allows us to become more outwardly focused + not so focused on what we don't have
  • generosity :: can flow from the above

I would love to hear more about the specific budget concerns this reader (or you) have. (I have written a series on budget as well.) When we have less money, we often are making more sustainable choices in many areas out of necessity. So we can give ourselves credit for choosing smaller housing, consuming less stuff and using fewer air miles. We can focus on the sustainable choices that are less costly like the ones above. 

Some sustainable choices are a bit more costly, and sometimes I highlight those choices here. I like to give credit to those doing good work + moving the industry as a whole forward. For some, saving money in other areas might allow them to feel that making one of these purchases periodically is money well spent. I don't think that anyone needs to make these more expensive purchases to live a sustainable life.

Bea Johnson's 5 R's struck me as doable right where I found myself ten years ago. (We'd just returned from overseas with a few boxes...had bought our one used car to share on a credit card...and had put our savings of $5000 down on a small home.) These principles don't cost money + ultimately save money:
  • Refuse what you do not need.
  • Reduce what you do need.
  • Reuse by using reusables.
  • Recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse.
  • Rot (compost) the rest.

There is no perfectly sustainable life...just progress. 

Love,
Jane
2 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
    Picture
    Picture


    categories

    All
    Fair Brands
    Fairdare
    Garden
    Made
    Reads
    Simple Budget
    Simple Holidays
    Simple Home
    Simple Wardrobe
    Simply Said
    Sustainable Self
    Wanderings
    Yum
    Zero Waste

    archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    all images by jane unless otherwise noted. copyright 2023.
    subscribe via email

    RSS Feed

    Follow