it's soup time again, yum!  this soup is pure autumn…and so good!  with a few peppers still ripening in front of the window, and some chives saved from the first frost, this concoction sounded just right.  adapt it to what you have on hand.  it does take a tiny bit more time than my usual simple recipes, but is no more difficult.  a lazy, cozy sunday evening at home was all it took.

autumn sweet potato soup   (adapted from this inspiring recipe)

one large sweet potato
jar of black beans, cooked
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup rice, uncooked is fine
red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. vegetable boullion concentrate
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. pepper flakes
​1/2 tsp. salt
fresh chives or other herb you have on hand

roast the peeled sweet potato* at 425 degrees F for about 30 minutes, or until soft when stuck with a fork.  put sweet potato and coconut milk into the blender and blend until smooth.  pour this into a pot and add all other ingredients (save herbs for garnish) + 4 cups water.  put a lid on it, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer…until rice is cooked (adding a bit more water, if necessary) and stirring occasionally.  garnish and enjoy with some crusty bread or toast.

*there is probably a more professional way to peel a sweet potato, but here's what i've come up with.  :)  i slice the sweet potato into 1/2 rounds, and then i can peel around each round easily with a paring knife.  i chop up each round into maybe 3 pieces and roast in single layer.

love,
jane

i am so grateful for a robust library system!  what a gift!  …and interlibrary loan is often possible for the titles not supplied by our own network (it's free too!).  

we have become increasingly able to think of the library as our extremely big bookshelf.  we don't need to own too many books…maybe just the true favorites.  it's taken a lot of letting go, both of our possessions and of our desire to possess.  that big bookshelf is still our candy store…and we're happy to share!

love,
jane

love this post on scarcity + abundance so much!  it reminded me of one of our favorite songs.  ha!

love,
​jane

stuff can bring:
~stress
~overcrowded spaces
~boxes full of who knows what
~clutter
~plenty of cleaning opportunity…or obligation
~lots of stuff you don't really love
~guilt, burden and weight are words that come to mind
~added cost of maintenance and replacement

decluttered spaces offer:
~less stress
~more square footage…space!
~no boxes to move or shimmy around
~peaceful spaces
~less to clean
~all your favorite things highlighted
~freedom, lightness, happiness are words that come to mind
~cash for sold items (craigslist, ebay, etsy, thred-up...)

these are just a few of the things we've sold in the last few months.  a deep room and closet clean-out for julia made a bunch of space and cash for her new-to-her full-size cello.  julia was motivated, because she had something she wanted more than the toys she was no longer playing with.  i cleaned out my craft stash and let some inspiration go to new homes. my closet is under seasonal scrutiny.  a discerning eye is periodically roaming our interior spaces for unnecessary bits.  i'm constantly surprised that there is a market for almost anything, especially when the price is right.  the buyer benefits and so do i…cha-ching!

i've said it before and i'll say it again…less is best!  some stuff is necessary…some stuff is fun…but too much stuff is too much!  the holidays are coming.  maybe we can make a bit of money on the stuff we no longer need…and spend it on an organic thanksgiving, or paying down some debt, or a great shared-experience gift, or a home repair, or savings toward a vacation, or... 

now is always a good time to lighten up!

love,
jane

do you have a morning routine?  i think that's probably a silly question, because we all have our own ways of getting ready for the day.  the question probably has more to do with how much we enjoy our morning routines.  ever since sleep became a coveted commodity (somewhere in my teens), i've been trying to calculate the least bit of time i would need to get out the door in the morning.  i went to high school at the end of the '80s, so it took me a while to get my oily, thin hair clean and big in the mornings (plus a ridiculous amount of salon selectives hairspray).  my sophomore year of college brought the acceptance of a baseball cap in the morning…and a few more minutes of much needed slumber.  baby to preschool mama years meant no sleep after dawn.

today i have no babies to rise to…or to answer the door for (i used to greet a little one bright and early every weekday morning, even though they weren't mine).  i'm enjoying my current morning routine a bit more than before…but that's not to say i didn't have one before.

i read a lot about morning routines on simplicity blogs…and i don't always know exactly what they are talking about.  it often seems to involve getting up at four in the morning to journal and meditate or something like that.  if you like that sort of thing…i'm jealous.  i like sleep way too much for that.  i'm just talking about making a few habits that make me feel like i've crossed some things off my to-do list first thing…as i get ready in the morning.  i think that's the same concept, but mine is much less type a or something…i don't know.  this is quite a ramble!

anyway…here's the way i try to make my mini morning routine go down…
7am- get up after pushing the snooze once…shower
get dressed out of my minimal closet- easy peasy
comb hair, deoderize, moisturize face
read Bible, write 3 things in my gratitude notebook, pray while staring out the window at the sky
make bed
put load of laundry in washer, if necessary
put away dishes from the drying rack, wash stragglers, clean off counters…get kitchen cleaned and ready for the day
eat breakfast
it's probably about 7:50am and i feel like i'm ready for what's next

i don't get up any earlier than i would have otherwise, but i knew i wanted to consistently spend some time with God, make my bed and tidy up the kitchen…so i just started doing those things at certain points in the routine…and now they are is habits.  i don't forget anymore (usually).  i want to add a few sun salutations in there too…hmm…right after the bed making, i think.  :)

what do you like to get done first thing in the morning?

love,
​jane

mr. tribe had a conference in nashville, so we decided to go along for the (long) ride.

a few of the highlights included:
​~a trip to anna maria's craft south…pure loveliness!  i especially enjoyed seeing this collaboration between anna maria's loominous and shutters & shuttles…gorgeous.

~imogene + willie (directly across the street)…pure eye candy.  

~a drizzly walk around the rest of the 12 south neighborhood.

~a drink from the turnip truck and a look at the guitar collection at two old hippies…jo got to strum on a few beautiful ukeleles.

~watching a coin concert at 3rd and lindsley (even though i forgot the tickets at home!!)  

~(it was a pleasant surprise when the opening band, yøuth, was almost as good!)

~lovely, lovely wilder.

~hey rooster where we had a chat with the sweet owner (wearing a cute handmade dress) and bought a lovely vintage dress for julia.  all the goods inside are handmade or vintage!

~a stroll through fatherland.  our favorite was thrive which sells only fair-trade goods.

we also ate some good food!
~the local taco…this was a repeat for us…from our last visit to nashville…so you know we like it!
~frothy monkey for a pancake lunch + fresh fruit
~marche…brunch was so good!  croissant french toast, meatloaf sandwich and mac + cheese...yes, please!
~burger up…veggie burgers or otherwise + the most amazing fries + homemade ketchup!

until next time, nashville!  we like you a whole lot!
love,
​jane + jo (+ julia too)

the internet is a whole new world…still.  learning to navigate and contribute with integrity online can be tricky.  parents raising today's kids have no reference point for what it means to grow up with the internet…and therefor have little insight into how it will affect this next generation.  i will truly have no insight if i neglect to examine how my own habits are affecting me.  as an adult, i can struggle to set limits and act with integrity myself and often present a shoddy example.  

this week jo and i came across a couple people who are learning and growing and exposing what it can look like to develop integrity in these here parts.  thought you might be interested.

josh abe of o pioneer wrote eloquently about his "wrestle" with message and method.

jo came across essena o'neill's instagram account this week, which has since been deleted.  this one reads slightly like a soap opera, but reveals the soul wrenching that can result from social media devotion.  essena's new website shows promise.

love,
jane

i will learn to love the skies i'm under
​

whether i feel worn out, broken and lonely…or full of vibrant blessing and joy…there is beauty to be found in the now…the right where i am.  i need only to look up from myself.  Lord, help me to see You, Your beauty and the lessons You are teaching me in my now.

love,
jane

ready for a new month!  i get excited for each new wardrobe this way (picking a new minimal-ish wardrobe for each month), even though these are all just clothes from the 50 pieces i have in my closet.  there are no new pieces in this stack, but they feel fresh since i haven't worn most of these items in a while.

this may be a repeat, but my vibe is something like flea market girl goes cozy.  i don't know…comfy, easy-going, genuine.  i have a pretty casual life, so this works for me.

this month my chosen silhouettes are:
1.  soft, faded, worn in denim + top + sweater, if necessary
2.  dress + leggings + sweater, if necessary
3.  dress + jeans + again with the sweater
i can dress each of these looks up or down with the switch of my shoes/boots.  

simple november wardrobe pieces:

tops:
~see-sun 
~3 striped tops
~red block print top

dresses:
~denim linen
~grey

bottoms:
~2 pairs jeans
~leggings

sweaters:
~tan cardigan
~marl cardigan

footwear:
~silver tennies
~caramel short boots

total items:  14

love,
​jane

a few things i did to get ready for a new month's simple wardrobe: 

~mended jeans crotch…inspired by others, i decided to take these i-thought-they-were-dead jeans back from the jeans-to-be-used-for-patches pile…and add patches to them...happy to be wearing them again!

~checked the weather for this transitional month ahead…surely we will have our first frost…and also a few days in the 70s F.  

~looked at my a/w pinterest board and brands/people i like to really figure out what vibe i want to be wearing.  this helped me to appreciate the pieces i already have, and to remember why they are "me".

~tryed things on (from my own closet)…i like to actually see how pieces go together on me, rather than just putting them together on paper.  

in looking at my inspirations and trying things on, i decided to go back to some worn-in, wide cuffed, straight jeans this month (instead of skinnies).  

i'm considering adding a cool weather, layer-able jumpsuit.  i have a sewing pattern + inspiration + a fabric choice.  we'll see.  :)

while searching for inspiration, i saw a picture of tasha tudor and remembered that she lived the quirky, lovely, wonderful life she wanted to live…wearing period clothing and bare feet just because she wanted to…not because it was fashionable…it's just how she was comfortable.  she was a brave, uncompromising, perhaps eccentric, talented, caring, gentle woman whom i aspire to be somewhat like…in spirit, maybe not exactly sartorially.  :)  i want to live the life i choose…not to just bend to what is "normal".

love,
jane