I had plans for this to be a good year for our vegetable garden. My seeds were started inside early in the year. Before I could get them in the ground, however, life threw me a curve ball. Suddenly I had some choices to make about how I would spend my energy in the months to come. 

Early on, I resolved to plant the seeds + tend the soil. With a little more time, I decided to let myself off the hook with the garden. I just didn't have energy to do it all...even all the good things. 

We ended up with some resilient tomatoes + cucumbers anyway (when we decided to go out + get them). The other day, we pulled the tangle of weeds + vines from our garden beds and added spring's compost that still sat in the garage. As I pulled the last leaves, beets dangled heavily underneath them. I couldn't believe it. Were these survivors from our spring planting or were these late developments from months old seeds? I cut one open + found juicy gold inside.

A couple weeks ago, I felt a fierce urgency to set myself up for what comes next at work. I struggled with how to go about doing this for most of the weekend. That Sunday evening, the idea of just loosening by grip + releasing all of the striving occurred to me. My mind seemed to suddenly clear + my perspective shifted totally.

Instead of setting myself up for leadership, I realized that I don't actually need to assert myself in that way. I don't want my currency to be more hours or more status or even more money. I realize that this signals a level of privilege. Certainly there is a point up to which more of these elements truly can translate into a better life. We talk about this often here in terms of garment workers and farmers. But at a certain point happiness or fulfillment levels off + can even begin to decline in relation to increased income. Scientists call this the fulfillment curve. I'm not sure I've reached the top of the curve, but I do believe that we can reach the top of the curve more quickly when we decrease our wants.

We swim in a sea where capitalism is king, and capitalism is all about accumulation. I've come to see clearly that accumulation is not my goal. I don't need a bigger wardrobe, a bigger house, a fancier car or better jewelry. My currency is love...love to give + to receive. My currency is joy, wonder, freedom, friendship, choice...choice in the form of how I spend as much of my time as possible.

Who knows where my work will take me? I've been able to raise questions + influence change from the bottom. I do not need to grasp at power or take every opportunity to make more money in exchange for my precious time. I'm not opposed to taking a leadership position, but the decision to shift into that position will be a carefully considered one should the opportunity arise.

We tend to focus on the benefits gained by focusing on our priorities, but it might be just as valuable to take note of the benefits gained by letting go.

Open hands. Let go. Receive.

Love,
​Jane

Simplicity creates margins + spaces + openness in our lives.
It honors the resources of our small planet. 
It offers us the leisure of tasting the present moment.
Simplicity asks us to let go of the tangle of wants
so we can receive the simple gifts of life that cannot be taken away.
Sleeping, eating, walking, giving + receiving love...daily pleasures.
~Adele Ahlberg Calhoun

Maybe you've noticed it too. More + more brands are getting into reselling their wares. These brands collect worn items with their own labels on them...give the previous owner a coupon toward a new purchase + resell the used pieces (or use a 3rd party reseller to do so). 

I feel like there are a couple of drawbacks to this sort of system. As a seller, the return on my investment would be quite low. I might make more money by selling directly to a buyer on a resale site like Poshmark. But, if convenience is my goal, returning an item for the brand to resell might be worth it. Another drawback to this sort of system is that it takes quality preowned clothing out of the local area. 

There are lots of benefits to be had from this sort of system. Brands like Patagonia + Ace & Jig might have items repaired if they are in need of it, before reselling. Brands like Eileen Fisher may even cut up + reimagine more damaged pieces. What a great way to keep clothing out of the landfill + in use! 

A buyer of preworn clothing might find it convenient to have a selection of items in one spot. I might know exactly what size I wear in a certain brand. It might also be quite nice to check if an item I'm shopping for is available in the preowned section before I buy it new.

A few brands offering buyback programs + preowned items for resale:

• Ace & Jig x The Renewal Workshop
• Coclico, Preloved
• Eileen Fisher Renew
• Esby Buy Back
• Hackwith Design Sustain
• Lacausa Replay Market
• Madewell Forever
• Outerworn
• Patgonia Worn Wear
• REI Good & Used
• Sister Katie Hand Me Downs

​
There are a few new ones here...and a few that I'd listed previously have disappeared. It's pretty cool to see more brands recognizing resale as a viable source of revenue...and that's all down to what consumers have signaled to them! So many of us are willing to wear preowned clothing + have the desire to do so! That is really exciting! 

Hopefully recognition of the value consumers are placing on sustainability will translate into further action...more fair-trade sewing, more deadstock fabric, more recycled natural fibers, more organic cotton, less synthetic fabrics, more localized supply chains, less overproduction. Let's let our favorite brands (+ everyone else's) know what we want!  :)

Love,
Jane

You can do it like it is a great weight on you
or you can do it like a dance.
​~Ram Dass

I've been looking for a bed frame for years. When we moved back to the states from overseas, we bought the cheapest mattress we could find. It came with boxsprings which we put on the floor. We slept that way for almost a decade.

Our backs were begging for an upgrade, so we finally bought an Avocado mattress which we love. We bought the most basic model + would not change a thing. Avocado mattresses are organic, non-toxic + made in Los Angeles. Ours is the most comfortable mattress I've ever slept on. We put our new mattress on our old boxsprings. (It's important not to just put a mattress on the ground where no air can circulate, because mold will grow.)

Another few years passed as I tried to choose a bed frame. I try to make these big choices well...so not only was I prioritizing style, but also fairness to those who made it + to the planet. We needed a sturdy frame that would hold us + our heavy mattress. I wanted a minimal looking frame with a low profile. I was looking for a bed frame that would be the last we ever buy + that can be a daunting thing.  :)

A few of the choices I kept coming back to include:

• KD Frames Nomad platform bed :: This is the most economical choice. It is made to be very sturdy from wood grown in "responsibly managed Virginia forests". The frames are built in Athens, Georgia.

• Thuma :: These bed frames seem well-designed + well-built. They use Japanese joinery so that they can be easily assembled + disassembled for simpler moving. As someone who has moved numerous times, this is an extremely attractive quality. The reviews report that these bed frames are sturdy + do not make noise. They are made from spent rubberwood trees, shipped with minimal packaging (no styrofoam), and Thuma visits the factories often.

• Helix Natural Wood Frame :: This frame is made from Apallachian wood in the USA. It requires no tools or hardware for assembly. We actually tried this one, but sadly used their sleep trial to return it. I wanted to add this option to the list, because it has some great qualities, but unfortunately ours made some noise. It is made from three different kinds of wood + that was evident in its appearance. Our pillows fell down the space it left between the wall + the platform was too large for our mattress.


• Modernica Case Study Bed :: This frame is designed + built in-house in California. George Nelson originally designed the Case Study collection in the 1940s. This design has stood the test of time. We finally purchased this bed frame (without the headboard) + are very happy with it. It is very sturdy, doesn't squeak, wasn't too hard to put together + we love the way it looks. ​

Some things are worth the wait. 

Love,
​Jane

That autumn light is here. The tips of some trees are turning ever so slightly from green to gold. Our evening walk was illuminated only by street lights last night. Coming home feels ever so good these days. 

A little autumn home dreaming ::

• Shades of white are my usual bedding choice...but I'm considering adding a little color in the bedroom these days...maybe a pillow sham or two?

• This tile collection made me gasp. Four of them would fit perfectly over our tiny bathroom sink.

• It was a joy to hear the maker of this little broom talk about making it. It's functional art.

• This handmade bell recently came home with us + makes a lovely addition to a newly empty wall.

• Rosanna Morris makes the most lovely woodcut prints. I can't wait to experience them through this postcard set that will make warm additions to our walls + can be passed on to friends too. Zero-waste.​

• We've been painting the trim (very slowly) around the house. This coat rack by the front door just might be my pick for complementing the fresh paint.​

Dreaming, for me, is not really about adding new things or buying things.

• It might create sparks for craft projects of my own (a patchwork pillow sham or air dry clay wall hanging).
• It might be a way to connect with + support a local artist.
• It might offer me the opportunity to think differently about my space.
• It might prompt me to curate the things I have with an eye toward the colors of the season ahead. 
• It might remind me to gather acorns, leaves or branches on our walks.
• It might be a way to single out + appreciate a particular good thing that I already have. 

May all of our dreaming lead us toward creativity + contentment, friends! :)

Love,
Jane

Wisdom is not primarily knowing the truth,
​although it certainly includes that;
it is skill in living.
~Eugene Peterson