the kitchen can be a scary place to tackle minimalism.  with so many cabinet doors, there can be a lot lurking.  the task can seem overwhelming and it can be difficult to let things go when they do have purpose…maybe just not very often.

i try not to have too many (any?) single task items in my kitchen cupboards.  there is no food processor, crockpot, rice cooker, vegetable peeler, or muffin tin in my kitchen…no judgement, if you have them…just saying that i decided i didn't need them.  i probably have a couple things that you don't need.  that's cool.  :)

i've been noticing some interesting multitaskers in my kitchen lately.  this little cooler is one of those surprisingly functional items.  i bought it for our first camping trip after we moved back to the states from overseas.  we camp with four people in our car and don't have space for a large cooler.  this little cooler can hold lunch or a few things we might want to keep cool…not much.  it works for us on the road, whether we are camping or just on a day trip or picnic.

it is also just the perfect size for my weekly yogurt making.  two quart size le parfait jars fit into it perfectly along with a little jar of hot water to keep them warm longer.

yup, little cooler, you've earned your space in the cabinet!  

​others in this series :: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09

love,
​jane

it's october and i want to mention what i wore in september.  :)  i exchanged 4 pieces out of my simple summer wardrobe and landed here with 14 pieces.  i didn't buy or make anything new and that feels great! i really enjoyed this stack…and the weather that accompanied it!  

the fourth switch i made from summer's stack (first three here: 1, 2, 3) was for a dress that i meant to change…but never did…and therefor only wore once or maybe twice.  i also didn't wear my black tee dress much- not sure why.  i grabbed jeans for the concert we went to (awesome!) and also for an author event we attended (brian selznick, you rock!).  otherwise, i stuck with these pieces and felt great.

the pieces:

3 dresses:
~red mexican
~black tee 
~cream handmade

2 jumpsuits:
~navy linen
~tan linen

3 tops:
~block print handmade
~black tee
~indigo

2 shorts:
~denim cut-offs
~soft olive

2 layers:
~indigo long sleeve
~grey cardigan

2 shoes:
~flip-flops
~toms

here comes a whole new month with some cooler weather already, so i'm excited about october's switch up!  hope you are having fun with your closet as well!

love,
jane

karen templer has organized slow fashion october and it looks like fun.  i haven't mapped out my plan, so i guess i have some work to do.  :)  this week's prompt is to introduce ourselves in terms of slow fashion and crafting, so here goes.  

i've been a seamstress since i was a girl sewing dolls and doll clothes.  fashion and sewing clothing for myself began to interest me when i was 12.  i liked to look through vogue and bazaar magazines and be able to combine elements into styles that appealed to me.  i would draw magazine pages for my own fashions and then look for sewing patterns that i could adapt into my dream styles.  it was always surprising to find out how easily patterns could be changed to become what i wanted them to be (not that they always did).  :)

​i was able to design my wedding dress and cut into my smaller mother's beautiful dress to create what i envisioned for my own.  when my girls were born, i sewed for them and designed a very small line of baby clothes that sold in stores in southern california for a couple of years.  sewing clothing has always been quite exciting.  

i picked up knitting right around the time i turned 30 and was elated to learn a new skill!  it can be difficult to end up with  exactly what i'm imagining, but the process is full of discovery and when the result matches what's in my head…there's just nothing like it!

a number of years ago, i started to be aware of where our store bought clothing was coming from, who was sewing them and under what conditions.  i knew how difficult it was to sew a button down shirt and had never even tackled a pair of jeans, so i knew the prices we were paying for such things were not quite right. since then prices have gotten cheaper, there is always something new at the shops, and quality has become almost impossible to find at the mall.  

​disposable fashion is even more disturbing than disposable forks, so i love the idea of slow fashion…slowly and thoughtfully created to be worn for a good long time.  almost all clothing is made by hand…whether mine or another's, and i want to respect the one to whom those hands belong and also the work of their hands.

love,
jane