I came across this recently and thought of you guys. Unfortunately I don’t have a source to credit – if anyone knows it, please leave the citation in a comment.

Happy Holidays my dears!

Happy first night of Chanukah! And happy weekend too!! Here we are once again, and that means it’s time for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions.

So let me have it! What were you up to this week? What’s been on your mind? What are you curious to read about? What are YOU interested in?!

As usual, the Feedback Forum will remain here at the top of the page all weekend, so if you’ve got an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, you can stop back by any time. This is your community, so get involved and have your say!

For those in Portland, we’ve got an awesome event going on this weekend! It’s the Holiday Baketacular at the Bye and Bye on Alberta. Vegan cookies, cupcakes, almond bark, confetti cake, and anything else you can imagine, for sale on Saturday from 2-whenever it’s gone. All the earnings will go to Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary, an awesome cause. I donated some of my almond moonies, so come on out and eat for the animals!

Have the bestest weekend, guys! Stay well!

Cute, right? These little goodies make the perfect green gift for your favorite eco-conscious pal. Not everybody manages to keep a ceramic cup on hand at all times – but anyone could easily slip this small piece into a purse or pocket. Portable, practical, and of course super-stylish! And best of all, made by YOU. How could a gift get any better?

Here’s what you’ll need:

• An old men’s collared shirt (long sleeved)
• Needle and thread or sewing machine
• Elastic
• Embellishments (optional)

For the sake of these photos I made this example entirely by hand, to show how it can be done. But I’m totally machine-spoiled, so my hand sewing skills suck! Sorry ’bout that.

To make the body of the java jacket, you’ll be using the wrist band of the shirt. So first things first, cut it off!





This is what you’ll end up with:





Clean it up by removing those ugly buttons. A seam ripper works best for this, but scissors will do in a pinch.





Next you’ll need to finish up that frayed edge. I used red thread so you could see my work, but you can use white if you want to hide it, or whatever color suits your fancy.





Continue until you’ve secured the entire jagged edge, like so:





Now you’ll want to cut a length of elastic. The wide-band type works best here. Cut a piece about 2 inches thick, slightly tapered.





Pin the elastic into the cuff. It helps here if you have a standard 16-oz ‘to go’ cup to measure on, to make sure you get the circumference correct.





Sew the elastic into place. Since I was using red thread and going for a decorative look, I kept it going around the entire perimeter. But this wasn’t necessary, function-wise.





And guess what? That’s it! All that’s left is to decorate as you see fit. I kept this one simple . . .





And the other one extra fancy!





The possibilities are pretty much endless. And I’m dying to see what you guys come up with! These are so fun to make and super customizable, I really think they’re the perfect gift. And bonus – they make adorable, wearable wrist cuffs!





Happy Holidays!

Last week we delved into socially conscious skivvies, namely our bras and panties. As the new and growing movement of Ethical Sartorialists, it’s our responsibility to morally manage every aspect of our wardrobe. Thus, we continue this week with the critical other half – boxers and [my personal favorite!] socks!

So let’s dive right in, shall we?


~ Boxers ~

I wrote about Patagonia last week, but let’s recap. This southern California-based retailer is at the forefront of sustainability in textiles. Their mission statement reads: “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” Their position on corporate social responsibility can be found here.

• Tighty-whiteys and boxer briefs, made primarily from recycled polyester.
• Regular baggy boxers, again from recycled polyester.

The progressive Cottonfield USA is an organic company, using cotton grown in America, milled in America, and made in America. All their dyes are also free of heavy metals. Their commitment to organic products is laid out on their website.

• They have two styles of briefs, the classic and the sport.
• They offer one style of boxer briefs.
• And these are their boxers, though honestly they don’t look very comfortable (or stylish).

I absolutely love Faeries Dance for their affordable options. They’re all sweatshop-free, made with environmentally sensitive fabrics and low-impact dyes. You can read about their policies on their website.

• Of course, they have tons of underwear options!

Rawganique is a ‘human scale family business’ that specializes in organic hemp and other natural fibers. Their products are all sweatshop free, and made in the US, Canada, Europe, and Thailand. You can read a lengthy explanation of their business plan on their about page.

• They have quite a variety of offerings, from briefs to boxers to boxer briefs.

And again . . . *sigh* . . . if worse comes to worst you can always get organic cotton briefs from American Apparel. Also available in a 3-pack. (but read about why I don’t like to support them, here, in italics)


~Socks~

My absolute number one favorite online sock source is the amazing, the incomparable, Sock Dreams. Not all of them are organic, or sweat free, or even vegan, but there are plenty of options that are. And all of the Sock Dreams label are made right here in Oregon. Here are some of my favorite choices:

• Here’s their eco-friendly page, with TONS of styles.
• Some simple organics, nothing fancy.
• There’s lots and lots more, and they’re really well-priced, so check ‘em out!

Patagonia, pricey as they may be, has a small but significant selection.

• The lightweight everyday version, organic cotton and nylon.
• The lightweight ski liner socks are mostly recycled polyester.
• The lightweight hiking crew liner is the same.

Good old Cottonfield USA has such a comprehensive collection of apparel.

• They only offer one option, but it’s pretty reasonably priced.

Faeries Dance comes through again!

• Check out their entire selection with tons of cheap choices to choose from!

No Sweat Apparel was one of the first socially conscious companies I discovered, way back in the day (I asked for an awesome pair of red high top ‘chucks’ for Chanukah). They’re a great company that have been doing good for a long long time, and they seem to be hurting in this economic climate. So why not support them?!

• The women’s cotton crew socks are made in the US and vegan. Unfortunately the men’s classic is a wool blend. *sad trombone*

And that about wraps it up, my dears. Please do continue to share your own ideas and discoveries. I’m always looking for more alternatives!

Growing up in my house, we always made our own holiday gifts. We were pretty poor, and I suppose it was our only option. But it was never presented to me like that (I didn’t even know what ‘poor’ was, really, and I had a stupendously fabulous childhood full of ‘thing finding’ and ‘government cheese’. But that’s another story.) It was all about crafting our caring into something unique, something personal. My mom and I made play-doh ornaments, or baskets of baked goods, or clay coffee mugs. And, I guess, the tradition has just continued.

The first holiday season that Damian and I spent together, I was a starving college student. So I thrifted the softest cashmere sweater I could find (this was pre-vegan), disassembled it, and sewed it into a pillowcase. I needlepointed ‘Damian’s Head Here —->’ into the corner. Damian, who is sort of obsessed with really soft things, loved it. It’s still on our bed.

Last year we made all our gifts together – our attempt at canning. All our friends and family got our truly terrible plum syrup, sugar-free strawberry jam, and tomato starter sauce. Hey, it was our first time! And it’s the thought that counts, right?

Anyway, there I go reminiscing. Pregnancy and the holidays have got me all nostalgic! But all of this story-telling serves a purpose: to introduce this years gift projects. First up – candle making!


How To Make Candles In A Crock Pot

All you need is some wax, some wicks + wick bases, and some candle-holders. I used soy wax because it’s vegan and I think it makes superior quality candles (just my preference, I love soy candles!). It’s available at any craft store along with a selection of other options. I used precut wicks that came in their bases, because they were really cheap. But you can also buy wick string and cut it yourself. Both are available at the craft store. For candle holders, I just used a bunch of shot glasses I’d purchased years ago for a party, and never even opened. You could also upcycle your old candle holders, or hit the thrift stores for anything from shot glasses to tea cups, whatever you can imagine can become a funky candle holder.

Optional additions include color (candle dye is available at the craft store) and smell. I used eucalyptus essential oil, but you can also buy scents specifically designed for candles (though you certainly don’t need to and can use any essential oil you’ve got). You’ll also probably want a wooden skewer for stirring hot wax (a chopstick or a length of wire, like from a hanger, would probably work just as well)

Once you’ve gathered all your supplies, set aside some time when you’ll be around the house for a couple of hours. I made these candles on Sunday afternoon, whilst cleaning the kitchen and then suggling with the husband for movie time. Just make sure you’ll be nearby and available for frequent checks. You don’t want to deal with a waxy mess (or worse!).

1) Spoon the pieces of wax into your candle holders and arrange them in the bottom of the crock pot. Don’t overcrowd and definitely don’t stack! Turn the crock to high, cover, and go do something else.





2) 20-30 minutes later you can check back. Your wax will probably be melted and you’ll probably notice your candles aren’t as full as you’d like. So carefully add more wax to each container. You may have to do this for a few rounds.





3) When the candles are as full as you like and you’ve let them get good and hot and melty, it’s time to add the essential oils. You’ll need to call for an assistant. “Assistant!”





3.5) He was very helpful. So, using a dropper add 5-15 drops of your odor-of-choice to each candle. I wanted a more mild, mellow vibe so I only used 5 drops. If you were to use color, this is where you would add the dye as well.





4) Stir it up! (note bulging belly creeping into the pic)





5) Add your wicks. Carefully insert them and make sure they’re centered. They should stay straight up on their own, so don’t worry about that.








6) Turn the crock pot off. Leave it uncovered. Go do something else.





Over the next few hours the wax will cool and harden. They’ll be hard enough to handle if you’d like to remove them after a few hours, but give them at least 6+ hours before you really toss ‘em around. They need plenty of time to get good and set.

And that’s it, just a few hours of monitoring and six easy steps gets you these adorable, customized gifts that anyone would be delighted to receive. They’re so cute, no?





Happy Holidays!