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:
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
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?)
Yes, winter is still here …
hunkering down,
getting cozy,
settling in for the long season’s nap.
But …
Some of us still hanker for the harvest,
even in December …
and January.
More than ever in February.
I’m always grateful for little tokens that remind me of the earth’s bounty,
show me that sweet spring glimmer at the end of the tunnel.
Sometimes it’s a stray seed I find hiding in a corner of the kitchen floor.
How did it get there?
Often, it’s the brilliant color beckoning from a jar of summer-canned raspberries.
When I’m feeling really lonesome for soil and sunshine,
I get my fix listening to Stephanie Davis’ “Talkin’ Harvest Time Blues” …
So, you fix a cup of cocoa, sink into your favorite chair
Put your feet up and you thumb through the pictures and compare
Big Boys, Better Boys, Early Girls, Romas
The latest disease and drought-resistant hybrid.
But this year, I’ve stumbled upon something new, and I’m thinking about an after-Christmas gift to myself:
The Garden Deck is totally playable but with sophisticated know-how fun for plant lovers. Gin rummy anyone?
No ordinary deck of cards, this baby contains 52 beautifully illustrated cards (they look like seed packets) that contain key tips on how to care for a garden, when to sow and when to harvest, and facts like how many days until maturity, how many square feet are needed for a large variety of plants, and so on.
It doesn’t matter a lick that I’m a seasoned gardener.
This is about feeling all giddy and garden-y
in spite of the snow on the ground.
Double solitaire anyone? I’ll bet my (garden) cards trump yours?
A couple of years ago, I picked up a book in an airport Starbucks called A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. It isn’t a book you can casually read. I was consumed by it.
National Teacher Appreciation Week actually isn’t until May, but we’re getting started a little early. How thankful I am to be part of a community that receives random e-mails from fellow mothers asking for volunteers to surprise the teachers and fill their breakroom with edible and drinkable goodies because they’re so busy teaching our precious children. I was completely happy to drop off a meat/cheese platter in honor of Stellie’s teachers. And, we’ve decided to make a habit of it every month. Next month, I’m in charge of hot cocoa and cookies.
Here’s to our teachers!
Hurricane Sandy. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. NOAA Environmental Visualization Lab
With colder temperatures and possible snowstorms on the horizon for the East Coast on top of the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we’d like to rally our customers to pitch in. Starting yesterday, Nov. 7, through Wednesday, Nov. 14 (one full week), we will donate 20% of ALL our proceeds to Hurricane Sandy disaster relief, working directly through the Red Cross. (We’re proud to report that following the devastating earthquake in Japan last year, with your help, we were able to give $4,485 to Japan Disaster Relief by donating 20% of our sales for one week.)
With your help again, we can make a difference in our own small way. The stories are heartbreaking. All you have to do is order some good food for your family. (If you are concerned about your own emergency preparedness, this offer includes our Food Storage items.)
Working together, we CAN make a difference!
Here’s a good way to start OR end your Sunday. This short video brought me to my knees, if you know what I mean. You’ll see.
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
