One Purchase a Month: Updates and Failures

My year of thrift in 2015 went really well, so when I declared that this year I'd only purchase one clothing/accessory item a month, I did not know it would be this difficult to control my shopping urges. Turns out, especially with thrifting, when I enter a store and see that ONE item that I'll never find again because it's in a secondhand or vintage shop, I can't resist. That being said, I can echo what Cait Flanders of "The Year of Less" writes about here, in that I have come to a really simple solution: just don't go into stores, and I don't browse online! This seems to work really well for me, though it does change how I spend time with certain people for sure. But, maybe that's not a bad thing ;)

So here's an overview:

January: I went to my favourite Arts Market on my way to the bus stop from one of my jobs, and I fell madly in love with a vintage Kenzo sweater and a hat. I can't remember what else I bought that month but I feel there might have been something more? I think these two items were my "above my limit" purchases. I giggled these purchases aside and told myself (and others) that at least I'd tried for the very first month, and that I'd get better. I was only a little bit wrong on that point....

February: I went to Aruba and a) wanted to buy things to wear that were hot weather appropriate, and b) I got there and realized it was actually cold and windy, and I needed something to keep me warmer. I bought in total two pairs of pants, a hat, a shirt, a jumpsuit, a necklace, and a bathing suit. Yeesh. I failed really badly in February and almost gave up this goal entirely.

March: I did a total 180 and did so well in March! I didn't let February Failures dishearten me, and I instead just didn't go shopping. Period. I did purchase some things as a gift for my fella, but was very proud that I didn't even go into the women's section to browse this time. My one purchase ended up being a pair of handmade earrings from the spring One of a Kind show which I mention in my post of favourite OOAK finds!

April: So far, it looks like my clothing purchase this month will be a sturdy backpack to lug all my things around in, as my good ol' friend had the major zipper break. I'm tempted to fix the zipper, but to have it done well and sturdily might cost me the same as a new backpack... maybe. I haven't decided yet. But I'll be sure to let you know!


There have been some ups and downs, that's for sure! I'm curious to see how I do the rest of the year and with season changes. I'm sure I'll have a few more fluctuating ups and downs, but my plan is to stay strong nonetheless! And with that, I'll leave you with my few key learnings so far:

~ If you don't want to buy things, don't shop, don't browse.
~ If you fail at a monthly, weekly, or daily challenge, don't give up! If you meant it in the first place, it doesn't actually matter if you did it every time. Try try and try again, and be kind to yourself when you do forget or mess up a bit (or a lot!).
~ Bunz trading is a dangerous and wonderful alternative to buying! Never heard of it? I'll make a post about it soon.


xx

Why I am returning to my Year of Thrift Manifesto (with an update!)

In 2015 I wrote my Year of Thrift Manifesto outlining my plan to buy my clothing only second hand or handmade, allowing for a few functional exceptions I had decided upon based on experience and common sense (second hand undies? an obvious no-go). Part of my manifesto covered body products as well - essentially expressing that I wanted to eliminate bad chemicals and nasty stuff from my body/face/hair care and makeup routine. I pretty much succeeded, save for one sweater I accidentally bought but waited until 2016 to actually wear. In 2015 I found good alternatives for my beauty products, and have since continued with my use of only natural products. I have however since shopped in several mainstream stores. It has left me feeling really, really conflicted.

(A recently thrifted necklace + sweater.)

I really want to own quality, long-lasting clothing. Garments made of good materials that fit me nicely and make me feel fabulous. Of course I do! Most of us do. Sometimes you don't find this thrifting (but sometimes you do!). Unfortunately I began itching to upgrade from my current wardrobe. So I bought a few things, albeit decent quality items. It still made me feel kind of icky. I still feel as though I'm doing something wrong when I buy a shirt so cheap that I can't help but wonder which part of the process the company cuts corners on, or a gorgeous jacket from a company that I know steals from independent artists and small businesses. And those aren't nice things to be wondering about.

An update that I want to make to my Manifesto is the primary goal of not buying. Not only do I want to shop wisely and well, I want to shop way way way less. One of the side effects of thrifting is you feel like maybe you can buy more.... or is it just that I LOVE clothes? ;) That being said, consuming and spending in any capacity contributes to the disposable fashion world and capitalist ways of being, and thrifting is not separate from that. Also, my bank account and my closet will thank me for keeping the former full, and the latter more spacious.

So I want to bring back the Thrifting Manifesto and not limit it to a year. What is a single year in a lifetime, anyway? I want to have a life-long, positive impact on the world and stick to my guns about how I feel about sustainability. I want to feel good about what I own. I want to help others feel good about what they own, too. This and 'self love', being the most and best me I can be, are big themes for me right now so.... here we go!

See the original Year of Thrift Manifesto here, and stay tuned for the updated list.

Have you made sustainable changes in your life recently? I'd love to hear what you've been up to!

For Your Mama - Mini Gift Guide

It's a glorious time of year; time for mamas to get spoiled and showered with love and appreciation and other good things! For those of you looking for gifts/specific things to do for your mums, here are a few ideas I gathered just for you, including the usual, small businesses and makers!

For the New Mama: I came across this beautiful wooden, organic wood nursing necklace on Etsy and thought it'd make a cool necklace before I realized it was for mamas with babies! Stylish, and functional.

For the All-Natural Mama: You can never go wrong with all natural soap (unless you're like me and have 100 stashed away because people keep giving me soap...)! It's pretty, it smells good, it's good for you.

For Every Mama: Make her something delicious, make an event of it! Gather your siblings (if you have any) and put together a special meal for your mum. Here's a few ideas to get you started:
1. Summer Veggie Minestrone via Hello Glow
2. Whole Grain Pancakes (for breakfast in bed?) via A Beautiful Mess
3. Spring Pasta via Design Love Fest

For the Seasoned Mama: This is one for mama with many babes! A few years ago, this initial necklace is what I got my mum. I got hers 3 hexagons, with each of mine and my sibling's initials. Tried and tested and true; she loved it!


Already have plans for spoiling your mum? Leave your idea in the comments!

Window Shopping || 19

(Jacket: Loose Goods | Horse Leg Necklace: Story Book Vintage | Sunflower Shirt: Pastel Fox | Plaid Linen Trouser: Morphew |  Snakeskin booties: Teybelo)

Yesterday, because the sun was out, I wandered to a few shops near my place. I went into my favourite thrift store here and bought some white plaid/grid cotton comfy pants, and though they are definitely not as structured or "nice" as the ones pictured here, I am really daydreaming about how I'd like to style them this summer! Perhaps for casual beach days or wandering around the city in the sun... ahhhh..

Also, how bizzare-o and awesome is the horse leg necklace? I am about THIS close to not just window-shopping it and actually snatching it up.... it's just too cool. Basically everything about this outfit is something I wish I could throw on TODAY! I've been aching to be rid of my winter boots and wear something cuter, like these snake skin booties. Or all-gold metallic booties. Something a little fun and wild!

As usual I am daydreaming about spring and summer. Can you tell? We got another heavy dose of snow this past weekend and I am trying so hard to be positive and not bitter about the weather, since it's inescapable, but DANG I am so done with the cold! What's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

Sneaky Bathroom Waste & Sustainable Solutions

1. Toothbrushes
It is general knowledge that oral hygiene is a (modern-world) necessity. Think about it. When was the last time you didn't own a tooth brush? You've probably owned one since your parents bought kitschy kids ones for you to try and encourage you to brush. We don't think twice about the toothbrush as an object - we focus more on its function. A toothbrush is a big chunk of plastic that you use then throw out then replace. Even if you replace your toothbrush only once or twice a year, imagine how many years you have or will live, and how many chunks of plastic that will equal to. That's a lot of waste.

Solution: Bamboo toothbrush (this is my personal choice!), or toothbrushes with replaceable brush parts


2. Soap containers
Not only can liquid, antibacterial soap have negative effects on your health, the containers that the soap comes in are an added, unnecessary waste in the bathroom.

Solution: A good ol' bar of soap. Handmade, all-natural soaps are even better!


3. Razors
This one is very much like the toothbrush issue. As long as smooth and hairless legs, faces, armpits, what have you, are a cultural norm, people will buy razors. Buying new razor blades instead of new full razors each time is a good start, but that's still a whole lot of waste created.

Solution: Electric razors, waxing, and hey, if you have the budget and time for it, what about a more permanent solution like laser hair removal? It may seem frivolous now but in the long run, that's actually a lot more sustainable.


4. Toilet Paper
Did you know that the toilet paper industry in the US destroys 7 million trees annually? All of those trees just to wipe your butt. That's excessive.

Solution: Recycled toilet paper - no, don't use it twice (PLEASE don't do that!). I mean the kind that is made out of recycled paper. Also - use a little less when you can!


5. Cotton Swabs/Makeup Wipes
Q-Tips are also in the mix of one-use bathroom items. At the end of the day, don't remove your makeup with cotton or wipes, it is another habit that seems like "little things" but adds up when you use them daily.

Solution: Use face cloths. I know there are concerns about germs and whether it's clean enough, so just have enough that you can use one every day and just throw them in the laundry at the end of the week!

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What small changes are you making in your life to try and live more sustainably and create less waste every day?

Why I think Sustainability & Creativity go Hand in Hand

As an art maker, I create a lot of waste. This reality can really stink.

As a painter, I regularly throw out a dollop of leftover paint. Every time I spill ink or get my chair pushed while I'm working (cue accidental scribbles) on a drawing, I waste a piece of paper. When I work with water colours and tape down my paper, the tape just gets thrown out after. When I use paper towel to clean my brushes (because I was taught that fiber cloth can contain dirt that gets in your paint), my garbage can fill up by the end of things. The paints that I use sometimes contain toxic ingredients, yet I wash them off my brushes, down the sink, and into the water system.

Moreover, as a human being living in a contemporary, first world society, I create a lot of waste. Did you know that on average, North Americans produce 68 pounds of textile waste a year? Eco Fashion week even does a 68 Pound challenge with Value Village, giving designers 68 pounds of secondhand materials to create a fashion line out of. Reading about this challenge when I was still in high school was what got me interested in sustainable fashion, I even did a final project on it - using second hand materials to create a dress as part of my design class.

So, I like art. I like fashion. These are two of the ways that I express my creativity. I also like living; existing, in this lucky society. Yet the amount of waste I create bugs me. It just doesn't make sense to me - that I should get to live this way, so well, so fortunately, without direct or apparent consequence on myself, but with so much consequence on the environment and on less fortunate workers around the world.

If there is an attainable alternative to creating this waste over and over again, why not take it? Why not pay a little more attention and make a little extra effort to make sure my actions have as little negative impact on the world as I can?

You occupy this world. You exist, in this world and no where else*. If it is good for the world, it is good for you.

Living well, feeling good, and being able to create while doing so, is so important to me. If I feel good, if I know I am having as little negative impact as possible, I feel so much more inspired and free to create. To make to my little heart's content, to exist freely and happily!

xo

*if you do happen to exist somewhere other than this earth, please let me know, that sounds pretty rad and interesting and I'd love to meet an alien one day.

Spread The Love: 3 of my Fav Sustainability Blogs!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Today I want to share some of my favourite blogs that focus on sustainability in life, makeup, fashion, etc. I'm just going to call them Sustainability Blogs, for lack of better wording. Correct me if there's a better term for them! I found it a little bit tough to find other like minded individuals in the blogging community at first, but once you open the door to it, it's like a pandora's box (of positive things, though). I thought I'd start sharing my finds with everyone, for I'm certain we all cover different territory with our blogs and there is so much good information and so many great ideas out there!

Hello Natural
Full of tips and tricks and lists and how-to's. (and beautiful photography!).  I love how informative this website is on healthy living in general. There are recipes with good-for-you ingredients and explanations as to why each ingredient is helpful and good for you. There are lists of the multitude of ways to use coconut oil in your daily routine, and many topics that I wouldn't have even thought of (ie. Natural Ways to Stop a Headache). From healthy eating, all-natural beauty, to recycling, Hello Natural covers all of my favourite topics! I LOVE it!

TLV Birdie Blog
I love the TLV Birdie Blog for scoping out all-natural makeup and beauty alternatives! The reviews are in depth, and there are often posts about specific ingredients that are good for your skin, like Aloe and Lavender - which are illustrated by one of my favourite illustrators, Kelzuki! (I was sooo pumped when they started this collaboration as I follow them both!) The blog is also beautiful and earthy and super nice to be on.

Chambray and Curls
I was so so happy to come across Laura's blog. She took a very similar pledge as mine, her "Ethical Fashion Pledge" which is super similar to my Year of Thrift Manifesto but with her own special twist! Her fashion sense is fun, and her adventures in Ethical Fashion are really great to follow. It is so nice to discover someone with the same intentions as me and the same ideas as me, all the way across the pond!

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What are your favourite Sustainability Blogs? 
Do you have a sustainability blog?

Share your links in the comments!
xo

My Favourite Phone Apps for Sustainable Living!

Our mobile phones are a big part of our daily lives, whether we like to admit it or not. I personally could benefit from some phone rehab! But, we do use them habitually for so many useful things, and I doubt most of us would be willing to completely part with them anytime soon. As such, why not make the best use of them? Here are my favourite 3 mobile phone apps to help & encourage you in your pursuits towards healthy, eco-friendly, sustainable living!


Think Dirty App (for body products)
I discovered the Think Dirty App a few years ago and is one of the first things that encouraged me to begin the switch to all-natural products for my skin!

How it Works: Using this app, scan the barcode of any body/beauty product in the store and it'll pull up all sorts of information about it, including a "Dirty Score" from 1-10; one being good, ten being very very no good bad. It gives you a list of the ingredients, which are categorized based on how risky they are, and tells you what each of them does and how it affects you. I LOVE that I can get tons of information from this app and how it explains each ingredient to me. I don't have a science/chemistry background in any way shape or form, so it is nice to have a resource to get informed!

It's a handy app for sure, but I don't think it is available for android phones (yet!), so I have not been able to use it since I switched from my Iphone. It also doesn't have 100% of the products, and certainly wasn't helpful for some of the products I encountered outside of North America, but you can submit the ones that aren't in their databases yet!


Good Guide (for all products)
The Good Guide app is a more comprehensive Think Dirty App in that it covers more than just beauty/body products. Also, I was able to get it on my Android! So far it seems pretty handy, though I don't think it gives as much detailed information/specifics as the Think Dirty App.

How it Works: Just like the Think Dirty App, you scan the bar codes of your products to access specific information! You can also scroll through the categories, ranging from personal care to household cleaners to cellphones to food, to take a look at products you might not have right in front of you.


Joulebug (for eco-friendly habits!)
Need to change some of your habits, and do well with positive reinforcement? Joulebug is probably the cutest little app to help you do so! It gives you pins/badges and various little encouragements to keep up with your good eco-friendly habits.

How it Works: Record your actions by "buzzing" the actions on the list to achieve certain 'pins', kind of like achievements in a video game! There are things like "Flip Off" for turning off the lights whenever you leave a room, or "Bottle Rocket" for every time you re-fill a reusable waterbottle!

The graphics on this one are super fun and adorable. I feel like I am playing an old Nintendo DS game from when I was a kid - it's pretty addictive! Just, don't leave rooms 5 times in a minute ONLY so that you can turn off the lights and Buzz the action without lying; IT DOESN'T COUNT ;)

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Do you use any apps on your phone to help you live more sustainably? PLEASE share! I would love to discover more :)

xo