Category: Reads - fairdare

dear bell

12/17/2021

dear bell,
I opened your book because I am thirsty to understand love...to give love...to experience love...to become love. I drank in the words...wrote copious notes...spent time letting them sink in deep.

Love is an act of will- a choice- a verb- a practice.

Months later I wondered where my mind had been during those months + what a comfort to see that I was steeped in the quest for love.

The choice to love is a choice to connect- to find ourselves in the other.

Today I know that I have lived this year the way I have because of deep training in...and a deep knowing of...love.

When we take to heart "there is no fear in love", we understand the necessity of choosing courageous thought and action.

Love is a muscle that can be exercised with intention. The practice strengthens this muscle + it can be found to be quite sturdy + surprisingly resilient.

Love is able to vanquish fear!
Love can burn away impurities + leave the soul free!
The practice of loving is the healing force that brings sustained peace.
It transforms.
~all about love :: bell hooks

Your words were a part of my training ground, bell. Thank you for all your work toward defining, understanding + sharing love. The world is better for having you in it. This I know for certain.

Love.
Jane

weekend reads + such

11/21/2021

The planet is out of its comfort zone; we had best be even further out of ours.
A beautiful series.
These innovations can only come by squeezing people to work harder...and by making it invisible. (oh, my heart. this.)
Binge worthy.

Hope you have some time to relax + to wander + to look around and take in the beauty that is to be found right where you are this weekend.

Tons of love,
Jane

weekend reads + such

9/25/2021

The new dye + 5000 mile (+ counting) jeans.
Inspiring + innovative solutions.
Because we're all connected, we're all implicated.
Organic cotton farming accounts for less than 1% of US cotton production.
When competitors collaborate...and for now...made to be remade.
There is potential for conscious investing in all our economic transactions.

We call on everyone, whatever their belief or worldview, to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth + of people who are poor, examining their behaviour + pledging meaningful sacrifices.

Looking forward to spending as much time as possible outdoors drinking in the sunshine + autumn air! Hope your weekend is lovely, friends!
Much love,
Jane

weekend reads + such

7/24/2021

Can't wait to dig in to these two books from the library. I'm always so grateful for access to our great big, shared bookshelf! Thank you so much to all the librarians who facilitate + advocate for it all!

People forget that their true satisfaction is a function of what they have divided by what they want.
Choosing fully into time off.
We are more prone to add.
Regenerative practices + knowledge come from Indigenous + Black farmers.
Circular packaging.

Hope you are enjoying sunshine, cool breezes + some delicious, seasonal fruits + vegetables this weekend, friends!
Much love,
Jane

weekend reads + such

6/19/2021

We recently saw this car + just had to learn more about it. Luckily Ken was as excited to tell us about the solar car he is building(!) as I was to hear about it! That smile says it all. It totally made my week to meet a real life eco-warrior in person! Cheering you on so hard, Ken!

Power to the people.
The kitchen of craft pursuits.
The options are endless.
Tell me I'm not dreaming alone.
Pure joy.

What an incredible day...finally bringing Juneteenth to a place of recognition. Sobering. Celebration. So much work still to do.

We're eating cherries this weekend (yum!). Sitting here watching the fireflies glowing + the bats swooping over the garden. Hoping you are enjoying your weekend too, friends!

Much love,
Jane

two inspiring books

4/29/2021

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

weekend reads + such

4/25/2021

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

weekend reads + such

3/27/2021

-We were ever so lucky to spend a week at Fforest camping under stars that caught my breath. Fforest: Being, Doing + Making in Nature by Sian Tucker (one of the founders) offered a potent dose of memory + longing. Gorgeous. Glimpse above.
-Still: The Slow Home by Natalie Walton is a book I've been waiting + waiting to see. It's lovely.
-Ben Howard's new album is out. (A great pairing for the Fforest book.) We've savored two of his concerts + until concerts are a thing again...we are looking forward to this.

Makes me smile from start to finish.
Made in Flint, Michigan from plastic water bottles.
Honor the people who grow our food.
Regenerative grazing.

Hope the sun is shining where you are both metaphorically + physically, friends.

Much love,
Jane

weekend reads + such

2/27/2021

Both Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins + Home by Natural Harry are beautiful books full of recipes for cleaning supplies + body products. My personal preference is to truly keeping things as simple as possible most of the time...but there are a few recipes I'm considering. (photos on the right :: Home)

Grow Food for Free by Huw Richards offers some interesting ways of thinking about gardening this spring...including some inspiring zero-waste hacks. (photos on the left :: Grow Food for Free)

Dream house.
It just rings truer.
Winsome patterns.
Sound of Metal.
Better for everyone.
When they're too tired to cook. (My version toward the end of this post.)

Hopefully you are out of the deep freeze + enjoying some sunshine (+ heat + electricity + water) this weekend!

Sending love,
Jane

refashioned

2/16/2021

Refashioned by Sass Brown highlights designers around the world making clothing out of upcycled materials. Inspiring.