Monthly Archives: December 2012

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Ears to You!

When Ruth Crane was undergoing treatment for breast cancer in 2008, she was determined to make the best of it, not just for herself, but for other women who found themselves in the same situation.

Dressed in a hospital gown and a bandanna, without jewelry or makeup, she realized how important little everyday adornments are to women, making them feel more attractive, positive, and “normal.”

Ruth wasted no time in launching Ears to You, a non-profit effort with a small, yet meaningful, mission:

to provide earrings to women with cancer.

It may sound insignificant, but Ruth knows firsthand how inspiring a little sparkle can be. She says that a simple pair of earrings has the power to:

  • brighten a woman’s day when she needs a little lift
  • create a distraction from the IV’s, worries, and fears
  • help a woman feel more “normal” and beautiful at a time when she’s adjusting to hair loss
  • give encouragement from someone who has been there

Ruth started the Ears to You program at Cleveland Clinic, where she was receiving chemotherapy. With the help of a friend in the jewelry business, she found an inexpensive source for earrings that were cute and fashionable as well as nickel- and lead-free.

The first day her earrings were passed out to patients was the last day of her own chemo treatment.

“What a sweet day that was!” Ruth recalls.

Ears to You is now flourishing at hospitals in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, where earrings are passed out by nurses or social workers, and each hospital has developed a system that works for its patients. Some women will receive a new pair of earrings at each chemotherapy treatment; others may receive earrings during particularly difficult struggles or at final chemo appointments.

Since 2008, Ears to You has provided over 2,500 pairs of earrings to women undergoing chemotherapy, and Ruth hopes to expand her efforts across the country.

You can help by donating dollars or by contributing earrings to the cause. “Please send NEW earrings that are lead- and nickel-free, of any style, color, or size that you like,” Ruth asks. “They can be handmade or store-bought.”

Crafting earrings for a cause—how fun is that?

Gather up beads and baubles, or try something a little different:

Fashion some fishing-lure earrings, following the instructions in my Glamping book. Or, create positively cheerful pairs with erasers.

Really!

Cute colors and darling designs make erasers fun little “gems,” guaranteed to bring out a smile. Plus, eraser earrings are easy as pie to put together. Make one pair, and you’ll be hooked! The earrings below were made using those disposable parts of a particular type of mechanical pencil (PINK Pentel 0.9) that I use daily. I’ve never known what to do with them before now. I just can’t bring myself to throw these away even though I’ve worn the eraser down to where it doesn’t stick out the top any more.

You’ll Need:

  • Collectible erasers (Itasho is a great source for PVC-free erasers in fabulous food shapes)
  • French-hook earring wires
  • Headpins
  • Jewelry wire
  • Jewelry pliers

Here’s how you do it: 

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Runway to Better Way

Fashion sense?

If we’re talking the latest fads and runway sensations,

I’m pretty sure I don’t have it …

But a sense of style?

Up for debate, right? (Well, I think I have a sense of style.)

From leather to lace

(and a collection of the cutest aprons in between),

I love dodging the dress code

and indulging in a wardrobe that suits my whims,

whatever that may be (I just spent the last two days sewing clothes for myself).

When it comes to clothing criteria,

there is one that stands the test of time:

wanting what you wear to do no harm, meaning:

  • No sweatshop labor
  • No harsh chemical pollutants
  • No cruelty
  • No destructive manufacturing procedures

Of course, no one can put all these standards together all the time in all garments just yet, but I found a fabulous online marketplace that is aiming to come close.

Dubbed a hub of “do-gooder shopping,” Fashioning Change is dedicated to creating shopping experiences that offer fashionable eco-friendly and ethical alternatives to popular name brands.

You Might As Well Live

Easy Street Stripes
The problem with common go-to brands, says Fashioning Change founder Adriana Herrara, is that they often
lack transparency in their supply chains and have yet to adopt authentic practices that protect the Earth and human rights.
 
Fashioning Change makes it easy to find better options with “Wear This, Not That,” a web-based app that compares name-brand items with ethical alternatives that are similarly styled and priced, allowing shoppers to quickly weigh the pros and cons. The more you use the Fashioning Change marketplace, the more it tailors results to your individual style and shopping preferences. (Be prepared to answer questions about WHO you aspire to dress like. My choices ranged from Michelle Obama to Jennifer Aniston.)
 
On-The-Go Adventurist

On-The-Go Adventurist

And, if you make a purchase from a featured “Wear This, Not That” look, the company will donate one percent to organizations working on human rights issues within the fashion industry.

“We have a large number of amazing brands coming to Fashioning Change wanting to be part of our platform, and we are always seeking the next and best up-and-coming designers out there, but we have really high standards,” product coordinator Kestrel Jenkins told Ecouterre. “Our brands have to meet these five criteria: they must be stylish; must be quality; must protect your health, the Earth, and human rights. If a brand doesn’t meet just one of those criteria, they don’t make the cut.”

The bottom line?

You can have your style,

and start having your conscience, too.

(I got on their website and purchased a black dolman knit top. It was a fun shopping experience. Fix yourself a cup of tea and check it out. I pretended that I was shopping in the future and this is how ALL shopping is done. A fashion-conscious girl can dream, can’t she?)

 

 

Social Media Primer

Like collecting eggs from wayward chickens, it can be somewhat of a task keeping up with all of the social media happenings at MaryJanesFarm. You won’t want to miss a thing—especially our Sisterhood blogging community over at www.GirlGab.com. (This is my favorite daily pleasure.) Ladies of the Sisterhood, now numbering 4,690 (and counting), have earned an amazing number of Merit Badges so far—6,500 total! We’ve recently started alerting earned Badges daily on our MaryJanesFarm Facebook page.

My blog, www.raisingjane.org (the one you’re on right now) is a little bit more of the fun and frilly that you’ve come to expect from MaryJanesFarm, and is my outlet for conversation in between magazines. And every Friday, I feature a …

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ninnyhammer

Hammer. Hammer. Hammer.

OUCH! What a ninnyhammer.

No, I don’t mean the actual hammer …

Yowzer! It really hurts!

Sorry—I’m having trouble staying on track.

Where is that ice pack I put in the freezer?

I might as well tell you (you’ve already guessed):

I “nailed” my thumb instead of the nail I was aiming for,

and that makes ME the

ninnyhammer.

Perhaps you’d prefer

ding-a-ling,

featherhead,

goose,

mooncalf,

(yes, I said mooncalf),

nincompoop,

turkey,

yo-yo …

Take your pick.

Any way you slice it

(hammer it?)

it still hurts.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons; Michael Jastremski

 

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Hear Ye!

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Barbara Roberts!

Barbara Roberts (Healthy Eating, #2237) has received a certificate of achievement in Farm Kitchen for earning an intermediate level Organic on a Budget badge!

“My eating plan has continued with the gluten-free baking mix from MaryJanesFarm. I have saved quite a bit by using this as a basis for my meals and have been enjoying my efforts.

All of the veggies that I eat now are mostly organic (as much as I can) and many of them are out of my own garden. Therefore I know exactly what is in and on them, and it’s NOT chemicals.

Since I have been able to save some money on my grocery bills by doing this, I am going to indulge in one of my guilty pleasures and buy some more books. I’m like a kid in a candy store when it comes to books and I just love Amazon!

I even have a $10 coupon to use and I’m debating what I am going to get with it. I think it might be a book on gardening.”

 

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