In the face of horrors visited upon our world daily,
in the struggle to protect our loved ones, 
choosing to let in joy
​is a revolutionary act.
~Valarie Kaur

Do you ever find one of those brands that just seems to get you? Hey Gang is one of those for me. Straight leg jeans, overalls, tees, sweatshirts + a jacket...if they all magically fit me, I'd be just about set. These hardworking basics are all made in the USA out of natural fibers...mostly in Texas where Lauren designs them. Hey Gang also has a children's line. 

All lovely photos via Hey Gang. This + many other ethical brands are listed on the ethical brands page...for when you need them (because the most ethical clothing is already in your closet).

What difference would it make
to the quality of our lives,
I wonder, if we spent a little more time in nature?
Would paying attention to the life cycles of animals
or the annual changes of landscapes
give us an increased sense of respect for the environment?
How would eating seasonal local food
affect our patterns of consumption + our health + well-being?
Ordinary experiences of nature
can renew our sense of reverence
+ remind us of how deeply interconnected we all are.
​~ Patrick Boland

There are less of us in this house most days lately, and it suddenly feels waaay too big. (I'm not sure why smaller houses are so hard to find.) I've never wanted to have a spare room to fill...to heat or cool...to live into. We don't need a sewing room, a guest room or an office. But an empty room is just too sad, so a few collected bits + pieces (gathered from other rooms) are bringing a little life to this space that has embraced so much of one particular, precious life. I'm going to try to keep this space quiet + contemplative...a space for stretching into ourselves...moving deliberately...breathing deeply. 

And of course she's more than welcome here too!

Love,
​Jane

I've been feeling the need to shift gears after coming home from work lately. Today, I tried making as gear shifter.

Visualizing where I'd like to end up with a project requires a singular focus. Color offers visceral pleasure. Feeling the materials moves me into my body. Visual fingerprints, experimentation + imperfection are welcome in my making practice. Today, process was the goal.

Love, 
Jane

The Standard Stitch offers a beautiful selection of recycled + organic cotton tees, sweatshirts + joggers in sizes XSmall - 5X. These pieces are designed + made in Los Angeles...10.3 miles apart. Circularity, microplastics + ethical manufacturing are all issues that The Standard Stitch cares about + addresses with their current offerings. 

All images via The Standard Stitch. Find this + lots of other ethical brands over on our ethical brands page.

A few gathered thoughts of my dream autumn wardrobe:

• Is there anything better than autumn dressing? Light layers on sun-kissed skin.
• I feel like it might be a good idea to think about what I want to wear this autumn, before all of the enticing collections come out + sway me towards all of that eye candy rather than what I need.
• But also...the above eye candy. (sorry)
• Casual, hardworking basics are my staples, so I'm thinking jeans, slim 3/4 tees + sweatshirts for autumn.
• I'm embracing Matt's take on one year wear + choosing to love the high-waisted jeans I've been wearing every day since May. 
• Eventually, I might want to wear something a bit warmer than the short-sleeved tees I'm wearing now, so I'm thinking of the two Doen tees I bought last year. Adding a striped one might be nice.
• Slim sweatshirts...yes.
• Crunching leaves on tons of autumn walks call for leggings + layers.
• I'm definitely wearing what I already have + only thinking of filling in a few gaps.
• It's interesting to live into the less + less of "enough"...season by season.

All lovely photos via links.

Love,
Jane

Simple suppers are my favorite any time of year...but simple, summer suppers might just be the best. A box of pasta. A couple of quickly sautéed, spiralized zucchinis. A few tomatoes from the garden thrown into the hot pan to blister + carmalize just a bit. A sprinkling of salt, pepper flakes + parmesan cheese. Simply delicious.

Love,
​Jane

Back-to-school feels different again this year. Maybe we can still have a little fun with school supplies? Just make 'em as fair + zero-waste as possible.

​A few goodies ::

• fair-trade, organic cotton backpack 
• 100% recycled + recyclable, made in the USA planner
• use-forever, wood ruler
• organic cotton, reusable masks
• recyclable, made in the USA, reusable water bottle
• forest stewardship certified, made in the USA pencils​

Of course, the most fair + zero-waste school supplies are the ones already in our homes. Last year's crayons, scissors + pencils probably still have a lot of use left in them. 

Julia was glad to find that a planner was the only school supply she needed to head back to college this year. She was able to pull out + recycle the used pages in her notebooks + is happy to use the remaining blank pages this semester. She'll keep using her tried + true, baby Baggu bag (handles tied once to secure) + Kleen Kanteen to take her lunch...and her backpack is still going strong. (We like glass jars +/or a lunchbots that we've used for years to hold food.) She'll be wearing a scrap-busting, handmade, reusable mask like always (because kindness is a sustainable + renewable resource too).

All photos via links.

Love,
​Jane

The future belongs to those
​who believe in the 
beauty of their dreams.
~Eleanor Roosevelt