 With the average garment that we wear, it takes up to 80 people to make that garment across the entire supply chain. So if we start all the way at the fiber level, from the farms or the origin of the fiber, to the person that sold it to you...and often times the majority of that supply chain is women. ~Tara St. James via
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The sunsets + cricket songs are coming a little earlier. The morning + evening temperatures are inching lower + my thoughts are turning toward autumn. So...just a little window shopping + dreaming of cooler days to come.
-Beaton Linen's coat dress is gorgeous in indigo. I would love to wear this on those days that start + end cool, but warm up in the middle. It could layer over ankle length, straight pants, leggings or jeans...which could be removed as the temperatures rise...and the sleeves could be rolled up too. As the season progresses, I'd wear it over a long-sleeved tee + pants with clogs, trainers, or boots. Made from European linen, dyed with eco-friendly dyes in the USA, + made in Vancouver, BC. -The day is coming when wrapping my hands around a cup of hot tea + breathing the scent deeply will be daily ritual again. We can purchase Republic of Tea loose teas in bulk...and we do. :) Look for varieties that are certified organic + fair-trade. -A Question of Eagles' tumbler would make me happy holding wild, roadside sunflowers...or a hot drink (or just sitting on the shelf). Made by hand in Los Angeles. -I'm into this pink jumpsuit from Lacausa, because...why not? I'd roll up the sleeves + wear it with sandals now + layer over a wool tee or under a cardigan with boots later. Made from cotton in downtown Los Angeles. -This Black Crane set worn together would feel like a sweatsuit, while looking much more polished worn with flats. I'd size down in the top, roll up the sleeves + wear it with any type of pants. The pants would be perfect with almost any top...from a fitted tee to an oversized cashmere sweater. Made in Los Angeles from cotton/rayon. -Scents usher in those autumn vibes + this spicy aroma from P.F. Candle Co. would carry me right into the season. Made from soy wax, cotton wick + reusable glass jar in Los Angeles. -I'm hoping that this cardigan is a piece in Lacausa's fall collection. It would be just the thing to warm up the jumpsuit, the Black Crane set, a tee + jeans, or almost anything else. Hopefully made in Los Angeles from wool. :) -These boots from Doen might be just what I've been looking for. The fitted ankle would make them a good pairing for a longer dress or ankle grazing trousers. Made in Brazil. Now back to shopping my own closet + cupboards, because I have some good things there that I haven't seen in a while! :) All beautiful photos via links. Love, Jane  I've come across this vibrant couple a few times of late, + each time they just stop me in my tracks. Sharon + Paul Mrozinski are inspiring on so many levels. There is the life they have forged involving an antiques shop in Maine + a home in France. There are the timeless wardrobes that combines vintage + modern so stylishly. There is the evident, wholehearted love...and there are those joyous smiles. All testify to a life well-lived.
More :: -on life -on style -on love -on home (coming soon) -the shop :: Marsten House All gorgeous photos via links. Love, Jane
This space has become a little food heavy in focus this summer. I have to say that food is one of my least favorite things to focus on. I love to eat flavorful whole foods, but I don't really like to think about the acquisition or preparation of them. That said, food has been the major focus of my zero-waste efforts...so I do like to share a few of the simple zero-waste things that go on in our kitchen.
Our simple garden is my favorite zero-waste food source...no packaging or transportation costs involved. A few of the ways we've been using our garden harvest lately (other than enjoying it fresh) are making simple tomato sauce, easy pickles, + spicy pepper flakes. Oh, and (obviously not from the garden...but still zero-waste + tasty) cookie dough. :) Love, Jane  No doubt you've come across Lee Vosburgh's 10x10 challenge in which people choose ten items of clothing to wear for ten days. This summer, without meaning to, I pretty much did a 10x something like 120 (so far) challenge. No bragging at all...I had all the feels + don't exactly feel like a winner (not that any of this is about winning or losing...just learning). :) What I will say is that I found dressing with a small number of pieces 100% manageable. Strategy :: -Stick with my list. -Use what I have...tweak slowly + only if necessary. -Keep it fair. -Goal: all tops go with all bottoms. Reality :: -Voile tank was packed away, since it only matched one pair of shorts. -My shorts felt too big to wear out of the house...so often I changed into pants to go out. -Clog sandals are not comfortable for walking long distances (for me).  A few of my surprising (good) discoveries:
-Four tops are enough :: I still don't really know how this works, but that's the magic of it. With four people to do laundry for, I always have a clean top to wear! -I don't have to wash my tops after every wear, even though it's hot. Thank you, deodorant. -The clothes that I already have (+ think I don't love) are usually better than the clothes that I think I want. Some other (not so positive) discoveries: -Shorts that I feel good about wearing in public are hard to find...but would be so beneficial. -Finally found some more comfortable sandals...and then never wore my clog sandals again. -Online shopping sometimes (really) stinks. This summer brought out all the worst in my hopeful online purchases...vintage with undisclosed issues, sandals that made me feel like I have crazy feet, and all the things with unpredictable sizing. -Sewing doesn't always yield what I want to wear. (Although 3 of my pieces are last year's makes.) Switches I'd very much like to make/made :: olive shorts out (too big) :: would like a pair of high-waisted, comfy, good looking shorts voile tank out (only matched olive shorts) :: would like a top that makes shorts wearable out clog sandals out (not comfortable for walking) :: comfortable sandals in What did you learn from your relationship with your wardrobe this season? Love, Jane P.S. If I don't say this often enough, I apologize. I want to be clear that there is no perfect number of pieces of clothing to own...there is no race to the least number of pieces possible. What I share here is just my own journey toward finding my personal sweet spot of enough. :)  If I could only choose one spice (other than salt), it would be pepper flakes. We love them sprinkled into + onto most everything savory. From avocado toast to soups to grain bowls...we like them all a bit spicy. So last summer, after growing peppers for years + eating them all fresh, I was scared/inspired into trying to make pepper flakes out of some very spicy peppers that burned my hands when I cut them. :)  Those pepper flakes lasted all year + were so good! We are still using up the very last of them. So, of course, we're at it again with this year's spicy peppers. I've found the best way for me to dry the peppers is just to put them in the oven on low heat (I've been putting them in at about 270F) until they become brittle enough to crack. I check on them every hour or so + remove the dry ones from the pan. I'd rather hang dry them (to avoid the power used for the oven), but my attempts last year made me realize that it is just too humid here to avoid some going bad in the process. Oven drying lets me avoid losing any of my precious peppers!  Once all of the peppers are dried, I crush them with the bottom of a jar (to avoid getting stinging pepper hands) + put them into jars. (This step involves a little sneezing, no matter how hard I try to avoid it...but confirms that this is good stuff!) That's it + we have spicy, zero-waste goodness enough to last another year!
Love, Jane
I've made it pretty clear that I love jumpsuits. :) Recently I sold my exceedingly versatile Ali Golden jumpsuit, because it became a little too big. I've considered buying the same jumpsuit again in a smaller size, because I love how I can layer under + over this style, as well as wear it on its own. It was (successfully) my only formal wear this past year, while also serving as an everyday comfort. Sandals, boots, clogs, flats or trainers...it adapts. But...I could go a different way too. I've come across these comfy looking jersey options...tempting. Then my thoughts turned to an even more different approach...one with the advantage of easier restroom breaks...tops tucked into pants to look like a jumpsuit. Of course this top + pants option offers the added versatility of wearing the top + bottom as separates with other pieces in a wardrobe. It also offers the possibility of mixing up the look...sleeveless, short-sleeved + long-sleeved "jumpsuits"...even shorts "jumpsuits". Focusing on all black makes it so that we can think of simply putting together "jumpsuits" out of our own closets as well. Black pants + black tee...presto...jumpsuit! (Obviously any color would work.) Black is not the only way to go either. Prints!! Lots to think about. :)
All lovely photos via links. Love, Jane  Contentment is a quiet acceptance, a peacefulness, a calm amid the endless wanting. When I choose contentment, there's no competition with anyone. The race to keep up simply disappears. Once I realized this, I gave myself permission to see and accept things as they were-- myself included. No constant striving meant the person, place, experience, or relationship was enough. Right here, right now, it's enough.
I still crave change. I still work toward improvement. Contentment simply brings slowness to those changes. It brings quality, not quantity. Depth, not superficiality. It brings peace. ~Brook McAlary in Slow :: simple living for a frantic world Today is a rare, moody, gray day that allows an inkling of a thought toward autumn to enter into my mind. Meghann Halfmoon's Delpy dress pattern sewn up in Foilage Canopy voile could be just the thing to bridge the gap between today + the days when the leaves start to fall. Now I'd feel breezy wearing it + carrying the raffia bag. Later I'd layer the Junegrass pullover over the dress + be cozy as can be. Two quicker makes for now + one that would keep me occupied until I'd wear it. Another combination of materials, just for fun: All lovely photos via links. Love, Jane |
on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
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