Just "Choose": Bikes, Hikes, and Public Transit

 

A few years ago we bought an old Mercedes wagon and committed to using biodiesel.  Not long after, we bought our house located right "in town" (think 1950s era main street - grocery store, bank, movie theater, etc.) with the intention of walking instead of driving when it came to running most of our errands.  Not surprisingly, we started off great, savoring our walks in the lovely Pacific Northwest summer, happy to not have to find a parking space amongst all the tourists.  But, it didn't take long after the rains started for us to just grab the car to make a "quick run" to the store, bank, etc. justifying that it was such a short distance, and we were using biodiesel, after all...

Fast forward to this past summer when our trusty car started acting weird, dropping into a low gear for no reason or never getting out of first when we started it.  Luckily, my husband is super handy, and he and his friend took a look at it. Unluckily, it was the worst case scenario, and it looked like we would need a whole new transmission.  We were in the unfortunate spot of probably investing more into the car than what it was actually worth.  So, instead of just rushing to fix it, we thought about it.  Because it was summer time, the kids and I were off school/work and could somewhat manage without a car, mostly walking or using the bus.  My husband often rides his bike to work anyway.  Friends that were on vacations offered the use of their cars while they were gone, so we were able to borrow one pretty easily if we needed to.

Then, school started.  We still hadn't come to a decision about fixing the car, and were even discussing biting the bullet and buying electric.  However, we haven't had a car payment in about ten years and are not super excited to take one on again (debt feels icky to us).  My husband was pretty sure we could actually manage without a car for a little while longer to give us more time to make a decision.  I wasn't so sure, because this meant I would probably have to ride a bike.  Like, every day.

We just wrapped up our second week of school, and I have to say, it's not as bad as I thought it would be.  Granted, I thought it would be horrible, but it's really not.  My oldest two ride the school bus to and from the middle school and can walk or get a ride to extra-curricular activities.  My youngest usually rides the school bus, too.  This week she joined me one day on the Metro bus one day (it was going to be 90 degrees and I didn't think I could hack that!), and actually biked with me on another (I work at her school).  And, I will admit, biking together was kinda sort of fun.

I'm sure we will get another car soon, but I can say these two weeks have changed me.  Riding a bike somewhere, especially to work, has become my default.  I sincerely feel I will only resort to using a car as a last resort, and even hope to one day live without one again.

Just Sew: Operation Project $0

About a year ago I started actively participating in the sewing blog world (after stalking/creeping for a year before that).  One of the first blogs I chose to follow was Suzanne's Winter Wonderings Wanderings & Whatnot.  She was challenging herself to create a fall wardrobe for her twin sons without spending any money by using up fabric in her stash and upcycling other cast off clothing.  At the time, I hadn't run across any other blogs with that kind of focus and was excited to find a kindred spirit.

What began as a personal challenge for Suzanne a year ago, has blossomed into a full blown blogging series featuring some heavy hitters in the sewing blog world, that she is calling Operation: Project $0.  While none of my kids were in dire need for an entire fall wardrobe, we did fill in some gaps at the thrift stores before school started.  As we were shopping, it became evident that my youngest has really developed an eye for the potential in clothing.  She knew just what she wanted to (re)create for her first day of school outfit.

Each of the pandas on the shirt above were cut out and reapplied to a thrifted t-shirt (half off at $1.50).  The pandas came from a hand me down shirt that has been in the pajama drawer due to its overall "rattiness".  

The jeans were also a hand me down from big brother, that were, of course, blown out at the knees.  We talked about different ideas for patches, and finally settled on embroidering one of her favorite phrases, "Art Rocks" (this is not the first time I have embroidered this phrase).  We wrote it out in many styles and decided to go with a Rock and Roll kind of font.

She was so proud of her customized look and could not wait to wear it on the first day of school.  I am so grateful for her creative spirit and look forward to collaborating with her more throughout the year.

Just Sew: Japanese? Remix

Well, nothing like another season of Project Run and Play to kick me back into blogging gear.  This summer, my girls and I got to visit an exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum entitled Future Beauty:  30 Years of Japanese Fashion.  And while there was lots of amazing sewing and mind-boggling techniques, one of my favorite moments was a collection of three sweet dresses on the wall that actually looked like something I would wear.  The silhouettes were similar to the popover dress, only with cap sleeves.  I wanted to recreate the proportions, the use of patterns, and a graphic element like I saw on one of those dresses.

So, obviously for the remix, I pieced together three pieces of fabric.  The solid pink is from a thrift store sheet.  The stripes and the cutie animal print are from some old Birch organic fat quarters.  I also took  advantage of the bias tape in the design and lined the dress with the pink sheet and then hemmed the dress with bias tape as well.  And let me tell you, I sewed this thing so carefully that it became a reversible dress!  On accident!  I am so proud and cannot wait to show it to my husband's grandmother.  When she turns it inside out (because she always does) I won't even flinch.

The only thing left to mention is the lack of a model for this dress.  I am sewing all of this season's themes for my new niece, who is waiting in the Congo to come home to my little sister.  Like all adoption stories this one has been long, and also particularly heartbreaking, but we eagerly expect little Noel by the end of this year.

Just Learn: Dhaka Factory Collapse

Last week a building that housed a garment factory, among other businesses, collapsed in Bangladesh.  The number of confirmed dead was 359, as of this morning, and though they are still pulling out workers that survived the collapse, rescue efforts are nearing an end as the building is becoming even more dangerous for rescue teams.  There are still hundreds of unaccounted for victims, trapped or dead inside.  The actual death toll may be close to 1,000 workers.

Reports have surfaced that business owners from the building were warned to keep their workers at home after cracks appeared.  Several of these owners have been arrested now for negligence, because they ignored these warnings and forced their employees  to come work in the garment factory.  What has not been as widely reported, is that employees from other businesses (banking and insurance) in the building were not forced to report to work that day.  This is very telling evidence about the type of worker that is exploited in the garment industry and the very little value that is placed on their lives.

While protests erupt in Bangladesh and in the U.S. demanding safer working conditions in the garment industry, it is doubtful any significant changes will be handed down from the government or the industry itself. Garments account for 80% of exports from Bangladesh.  Many executives overseeing this 20 billion dollar business are also involved in local politics. In short, the garment industry is "Big Oil" in this region.

The BBC posted an article online asking, "Can Clothes Industry Change?" The answer is, of course it can, by why would it?  As long as consumers turn a blind eye to the exploitation of the earth's resources and people groups, why would business executives sacrifice their bottom line?  And while Americans are quick to point the finger at obvious targets selling cheap clothes like Walmart or Forever 21, high end labels are actually just as guilty.  Their prices may reflect some higher quality fabrics, embellishments and finishing techniques, but they are typically not paying their workers any higher wages than the ones sewing for Walmart.

This is where the post gets preachy, and most people already know what the solution is:  

1)  Buy less clothing (and fabric!!)  

2)  When you do buy something, looked for it secondhand or as a remnant first 

3)  If you have to buy new, support a company that is verifiably doing things right

4)  Invest in quality pieces of clotihng

5)  Repair/reuse/upcycle what you have

6)  Let companies know you expect change and that they have lost you as a customer

Changing an entire industry often feels like a monumental task, but it truly starts with individuals.  If there can be any good that comes from this tragedy, I hope it is that more people will consider the ramifications of their purchases, and will change their buying habits.

Just Make: Papercut Window Art

I have long admired papercut art, from the big names like Nikki McClure and Rob Ryan, to the hobbyists selling their work on Etsy.  One of my biggest celebrity thrills was talking to Nikki McClure when she called our little bookstore, concerned we hadn't place our annual calendar order.  (Her concern was warranted because we were, indeed, going out of business).  She was just as gentle and sincere as you would guess she would be from her artwork.  

The appeal of papercutting, I think, is that it is very basic, like drawing.  If you have a piece of paper and an X-acto knife, you can cut.  Just like if you have a piece of paper and a pencil, you can draw.  Similar to drawing, I am sure you can invest in various cutting tools and upgrade, but you really don't have to.  And, the last thing I need to take on is another crafty hobby that requires a lot of tools and supplies!

Our family has a sweet tradition of making paper snowflakes during the holiday season.  The snowflakes are then on display all winter taped to a window.  This year we put them in the window of our front door, and were pretty reluctant to take them down.  (Also, March 21st often still feels like winter in the Pacific Northwest).  But by the beginning of April, the weather took a turn and I felt snowflakes were no longer appropriate.  As a compromise, I said we could put something new and spring-y in the window.  

Over the last year I have done a few small papercut projects, incorporating quotes and lyrics with basic shapes.  I knew we needed to stick to that format for time's sake and to feel successful.  I could not find our large roll of butcher paper anywhere and decided to use newspaper instead.  I may never papercut with anything else!  It is thin enough that it does not take much pressure to cut, but durable enough that it doesn't tear easily (like tissue paper).  It was really a dream to work with and I like what the text and advertisements add to the shapes.  My youngest and I worked together off and on for one morning.  She had fun adding the little animals, while I cut out the quote.  Plus, since the investment of time and materials was so inconsequential, I will have no qualms putting it in recycling when we are ready for a change.

Right now, it still makes me smile every time I look at it, but I am already on the hunt for a good quote for summer and have a hard time imagining our door will ever be blank again!

Just Use: Certified Pre Owned Cell Phones

I have a confession to make.  I jumped on the cell phone band wagon pretty early in the game.  In 1999, we had just begun our little family and were living in Estes Park, Colorado.  Trips down the canyon to Fort Collins for "supplies" were fairly common, and it put everyone more at ease for the new mother/lone driver to have a cell phone in the car.  Then, once we did the math, we realized we could cancel our long distance plan and just use the cell phone to call far away friends and loved ones instead.

However, because I seem to be genetically programmed to not like shopping and not be tempted by new technology and gadgets, I have only owned three phones since then.  Up until last fall, I was still happily using my old flip phone, not as a camera or a mini computer, but as just a phone.  And then I washed it.  In the washing machine.  This particular phone had already survived being dunked in a glass of water repeatedly by a toddler (someone else's) and falling in the toilet (freshly cleaned, thankfully), so I somewhat confidently took it apart and set it in rice, expecting it to dry out and come back to life.  No luck.

As I browsed Verizon's website for my new phone, I just felt sick to my stomach and could not commit to a purchase.  I knew from start to finish the damage a cell phone causes to the environment.  The components of a cell phone read like a Top Ten list of major pollutants:  lead, nickel, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, and plastic treated with brominated flame retardants.  From mining to manufacturing to usage to disposal these devices poison people and places at every stage.  The numbers are staggering.  There are 3.5 billion phones in use world wide.  The average user upgrades every 18 months (U.S. users are closing in on once a year). Only 20% of users get a new phone because their old one isn't working. Tossed cell phones account for 65,000 tons of electronic waste annually.  And yet, my life right now is structured in a way that it would be difficult to go completely without one.

Frustrated, I finally called Verizon to talk to a sales representative about my dilemma.  It turns out they, and all other major carriers, offer Certified Pre-Owned phones.  It takes a little digging to find them on their websites.  Verizon's is listed under "Deals", assuming your motivation is to just save money.  And although I'd love to get to a point where a cell phone is not a necessity in my life, buying a used phone, with the same kind of warranty granted a new one felt like a workable solution for now.

Other solutions to deal with the cell phone crisis:

-treat your phone carefully so it will last, keeping it in a case and not using it precariously where it might fall (no more talking to my sister and cleaning the toilet simultaneously for me!)

-only upgrade because your phone stopped working, not just to get the newest feature or cool kid toy

-recycle your old phone, but be careful it isn't just getting shipped to a third world country, look for a non-profit organization that actually uses them 

Just Make: DIY.org

Source: diy.org via Dave Jenni on Pinterest

Our former neighbor recently filmed some promotional videos for DIY.org.  We have been describing this website as a modern day Boy/Girl Scouts, except your troop is all online.  There are badges to be earned for all kinds of skills ranging from the traditional ones like Camper and Medic, to craftier skills like Stitcher and Potter, and even very 21st Century skills like Web Designer and Front End Developer.  Needless to say, it's become a bit of an obsession around our house.

The whole website is designed for kids and is very safe and user friendly.  Kids choose an animal face avatar and are either assigned or create a Nickname.  As you complete your projects to earn badges, you post a picture or a video documenting it to your profile.  Once it is approved (usually within 24 hours) your profile acts like a mini blog that people can follow, favorite, or comment on.

Yesterday, my youngest spent all day building a cardboard house to earn a Fort Builder badge.  At the end of the day she reflected how this could've been a long, boring Saturday.  Both siblings were gone all day (dance rehearsal/BMX riding), the neighbor buddy was off-island running errands, and attempts to schedule last minute playdates were thwarted by being too last minute.  Instead though, she had completed a project from start to finish and was very proud of the result.

I cannot gush enough about this website.  Every adult I've referred to it wants to join, too!  The community it has created online is so sweet and amazing.  It's very inspiring to see what kids are making and the acknowledgement they receive by posting it to their profile.  Best of all, the whole thing is currently free and isn't plastered with ads.  I'm not sure how they manage that or how long that will last, but it certainly makes me love it even more.

(Sorry for the round-a-bout link to her cute little tutorial video above.  I couldn't figure out how to embed it directly from the site.)