It has been a good week here. I’ve had to wash the boys’ feet before bed and open windows at night while we sleep for some cool air in a warm house, and we’ve taken our lunch outside. It’s GLORIOUS. I’m just really happy that spring is finally here. And that the window boxes are taking over all over town too.
Some weekend reading…
Had you heard about the Rana Plaza building collapse? I barely had which is awful. We just passed the five year anniversary. This is a bigger conversation, but I’m wondering if you’ve given a lot of thought to the destruction that fast-fashion creates. (Honestly, I have so far to go here myself.)
I’ve discovered that I can spend absurd amounts of time browsing Airbnb whether or not I have an upcoming trip. Some of my travel dreams are birthed from that site alone! I’ve been doing this off and on, but I’m going to start including links to some favorites every Friday since clearly I will not get to them all in this lifetime. This week… let’s go to Joshua Tree in this dreamy desert abode. Send me an email if you want me to look in specific spots!
We need more memorials like this. This was a devastating read. The paragraph that details the reasons for some of the particular lynchings. Such evil. Goodness gracious, we’ve come so far but we have so far still to go.
I really like this cuff.
I liked this post because a) I love Fig Newtons and Walker’s Shortbread (like so much; ever tried it dipped in lemon curd?! No? You haven’t lived.) and because b) I like the way Deb writes.
A lot of favorite podcasts being shared here if you need some new ideas (or want to share a favorite). I’m going to give some new ones a listen and share them on a post soon. Favorite headphones for listening are these! I like that I can leave the phone in one room and walk around and the connection remains.
Love this simple bedroom and want to do something similar in mine (I say that about different pictures/styles every other day).
Being somewhat intrigued by true crime, this book has me interested but also terrified. I do not at all like when after I close the book/turn off the movie, I remain scared to go outside in the dark, of every sound I hear in an empty house, etc. But still, I find the actual watching/reading a little bit thrilling and here I am I’m wondering if anyone’s read it? (I’m particularly interested right now because they just caught the guy!)
Love this breezy tank (back to the fast fashion for a moment: if this is made in the USA (it is), at the very least we can count on fair wages, yes? The environmental implications of fast-fashion are another thing entirely, of course.)
See you next week!
Love this week’s links! 🙂 I browse Airbnb when I’m bored too, dreaming of the day when I won’t be restricted to ten days annual leave to vacation forever… 😉
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
My Airbnb wish lists are HUUUUUGE.
I, like you, cannot stand scary stuff but was also intrigued by the Golden State Killer story (also because I’m from the Bay Area, where his crimes were based). I made the mistake of reading a little bit about him, thinking that I wouldn’t be affected by it too much since it was so long ago AND they supposedly have him in custody. Um, NO. Just no. Save yourself a ton of worry and terrible late-night thoughts and don’t read about him. Just, yeah… don’t.
Chelsea, YOU ARE RIGHT. Thank you for keeping me in check. I went to bed last night and imagined a man in the closet about to blind me with a flashlight — and this is with the very minimal reading I have done!
I love the jeans you are wearing in the photo up top. Would you mind sharing who makes them?
Thank you!!!!
Madewell. They are REALLY great. Here’s the link! https://bit.ly/2Hxbdmh
We studied fast fashion in my sixth grade class and read an article about the Rana Plaza. I was amazed how insightful my kids were and how willing they were to make changes. A few girls even opted to have their shopping trip the following weekend at a consignment store.
I love that you studied that. Well done, you.
You have to be careful about things made in the US, too. We still have sweat shops here and things can be made in certain U.S. territories which aren’t required to follow U.S. labor laws but gladly slap on the Made in America label. Free People is owned by Urban Outfitters which is a terrible company. Skip that tank top if you are trying to avoid fast fashion.
https://goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-is-urban-outfitters/
thank you! (also so disappointing–free people is one of my favorite brands ever!)
Also, many products that are made in the U.S. come from prison labor. Prisoners are paid pennies an hour, and it’s legal.
I see a few people commented on the factory collapse on here. It had a huge impact on me (a former Nordstrom addict) culminating in a switch to fair trade and slow fashion focused closet. It has led me to buy less, save money and more importantly focus on brands that are trying to make a difference both ethically and environmentally. There’s so much good information out there these days compared to when I started researching this in 2013, but I’d say thegoodtrade.com is a good place to start, and you can read this article for specifics as to why Free People still isn’t considered fair trade: https://goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-free-people/
I’m certainly not perfect, no one is, but the more we think about how what we put on our bodies affects other people, the better it is for everyone else. Hope this helps!
Georgia, thank you so much for your comment, and for those links. I have my work cut out for me.
I really like the blog, Reading My Tea Leaves for info about sustainable shopping. She does some great round ups of ethical brands and has wonderful tips about recycling etc.
love her / her blog!
Have you seen Beth from Oak + Oats’ post on Joshua Tree? So many cute places!!! https://oakandoats.com/2018/04/cactus-mountain-our-joshua-tree-airbnb.html
I hadn’t seen it, but thank you for the link. That place looks amazing!
I read “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” and also am now terrified of EVERY LITTLE SOUND at night. I’m 25 years old and live alone in New York City in a very small apartment, but I still check behind every little corner before I go to sleep.
I did love the book though. If only for the beauty and tragedy of Michelle McNamara. I highly recommend reading one of the interviews her late husband did after her death. I also loved her chapter about her mother and how you never really understand the nuances and complexities of that relationship until you have children of your own.
See!? I can’t bear to think about being scared of every little sound. So I cannot do it! Even though I want to!