Evelyn R. Swett Photography
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The Power of Black Boots

11/14/2020

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Picture
I believed
& it was true. Wear
a pair of black leather boots &
you, too, will feel powerful & confident.
It's been five years since I first purchased these on
consignment, polished them up and
faked it till I made it. They
worked their
magic. 
Picture
After
wearing them
a few times, I started to
actually believe in my power - -
not in a dominating way, but in a deep
visceral kind of way that flowed from my fascia
and radiated outward. These boots
lead me to the edge of
​my ​known
​world....
Picture
If I
step off
the path, I might
harm this ecosystem, but
if I stay on it, I may never come to
understand it. What if it's not even a binary
question. Maybe it's about stance
and learning to tread
​more lightly.

Picture
And
maybe there
is more power in a
backward glance made with
curiosity, wonder & the core of who
I am, than there is in a pair ​of
boots & a projection of
false confidence.
Picture
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Following Fractals

10/14/2020

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Picture
Demitasse at Attention, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
The demitasse
had been 
wrapped in
newspaper in the basement of a
seaside cottage. It was time
for ​an adventure.
Picture
Circle Time, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
No longer
trapped in a box,
the demitasse played like
children in the water. I love how
​objects out of context
come to life. 
Picture
Finding Fractals, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
This one
cup & saucer,
particularly eager
to play, danced in the
early morning
​light.
Picture
Following Fractals, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
Perspective
changes everything - 
not just what and how I see,
but also how I feel as a result of that
investigation. On this particular Indigenous
People's Day in Maine, following
fractals made me ​feel
​very humble.
Picture
Making Connections, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
I wondered:
Maybe it's time for
those us for whom "our
cups have runneth over" to make
room for ​others and maybe even give back
what was never really ours? To do this, though, we'll
need to re-imagine our relationships to
everything and everyone,
including ourselves.
Picture
Self-Portrait, October 2020 Photo by ERSwett
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Settling Into a New Routine

3/19/2020

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Picture
The Dartmouth Green -- Empty Photo by ERSwett
Welcome to
the first day of Spring.
We woke to a light dusting of
snow and are a bit disappointed by yet
another cloudy day. But it is, after all, March in
New Hampshire and we are experiencing 
a global pandemic. So the fact that
​The Green is empty and
stores are closed
is real.
Picture
J. Crew Closure, March 2020, Hanover, NH Photo by ERSwett
So too
​is compost.
The narcissus may
be done, but they are still
making lemon curd at Umpleby's
and we are still eating bananas. In the
midst of disappointed teenagers
at home, I return, as always,
to the colors, shapes &
textures of my
​compost
​pile.
Picture
Yellow Narcissus & Lemons, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
My gratitude
for this pile is deep.
Year after year it transforms
waste into nourishment for gardens
while at the same time inviting me to be
patient, get my hands dirty, and
remember that sometimes
life is really messy.
Picture
Coffee Filters, 2020 Photo by ERSwett
As if by
magic, though,
creativity emerges over
and over again out of the apparent
mess. It should be no surprise to you, then,
that I have more photographs of coffee filters. Who
knows how long the supply will last, but they
are such a simple way for me to connect
with my sister, Sarah Swett, who
keeps making things out of
​these funny pieces
of paper.
Picture
Finding Joy with Coffee Filters, March 2020 Photo by ERSwett
And in
the process,
I pay closer attention
to what was once just another
part of the waste I collected each week
from Umpleby's Bakery & Cafe
in Hanover, NH. Coffee
filters, it turns out
are beautiful.
Picture
Pile of Filters Photo by ERSwett
For me,
It's so much
more than textures
& subtle muted
tones.
Picture
Coffee Filters Smiling Photo by ERSwett
It's all
about how
these filters seemed
to talk to me earlier today,
and made me laugh as I folded
them & prepared to mail
them to my sister
in Idaho.

Picture
It all
seemed 
so funny, how
I packaged them up,
but am waiting two weeks
to send them, for fear I might have
The Virus and might unknowingly mail it to
my sister whose husband has cancer and definitely
can't get this thing. So once again my compost
and all its associated projects invite
patience and humor. This
really is all quite
messy...
Picture
Coffee Filters Folded and Ready to Ship Photo by ERSwett
...and
beautiful,
because even
though we may be
thousands of miles apart,
we are together, exploring these
funny pieces of paper and
wondering what will
emerge from it
all.
Picture
Our Daily Grapefruit Photo by ERSwett
So after
I finish this blog
post, I will go upstairs to
cut our daily grapefruit - one for
each member of the family every day for
as long as supplies last. During times of stress and
uncertainty, I like routines. I like this habit of culling & cleaning
coffee filters to send to my sister. I like making something healthy for our family
on a regular basis. And I like making sure ​we laugh about the fact it's a
Thursday & my kids are eating breakfast at 2 pm just when
I'm having my mid afternoon snack.
It's all
part of a new routine and I'm
OK with all of that...
Picture
Kids at Home March 2020 Photo by ERSwett
...because 
it is March and
even though it seems dark
and gray and lonely to be stuck at
home, I know that the bulbs will emerge
from the frozen earth & spring will
come, because that's nature's
routine, and I'm good
with that.
Picture
Today's view in my studio. Photo by ERSwett

PS
It is still
Women's History
Month...so let's support 
each other as much as we can
from afar. For inspiration of all kinds,
check out my friend Jennifer Jewell's Podcast
Cultivating Place - - The January episodes were all
about the therapeutic and spiritual capacities
of our gardens - in all their forms.
We
need that now, more
​than ever. 
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A Community Climate Conversation

2/13/2020

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Picture
Inaugural Hanover Community Climate Conversation at Salt Hill Pub, Hanover, NH February 4, 2020
Who knew
that 20 people would
show up for Hanover's inaugural 
Community Climate Conversation? With just 
a few hand-made notices around town
and in a few 
social media outlets,
we drew a 
small crowd.
How cool 
is that?
Picture
Handmade Poster for Hanover Community Climate Conversation, 2020
Indeed,
what does the climate
have to do with 
fashion and clothing?
As it turns out, more than most of us know or understand.
Apparel and footwear accounted for 8% of global greenhouse gas
emissions in 2016 (more carbon than international flights
and maritime shipping), is the second largest
consumer of the world's water supply,
and pollutes oceans with micro-
plastics and rivers with
toxic chemicals.
Picture
My favorite black boots purchased on consignment from The Pink Alligator in West Lebanon, NH
Clothes 
are also something
we wear every day and that can
often make our day. I know that is the case
for me. My black boots give a kick to my step and my
long purple wool cardigan embraces me and gives me confidence.
There is no reason to feel bad about dressing in garments
that make us feel good. Our challenge is learning
how to wear clothes that both feel
great and don't harm
the earth.
Picture
Kim Souza, Owner of Revolution in White River Junction, VT Photo by ERSwett
I loved hearing
Kim Souza, owner of
Revolution (in White River
Junction, VT) talk about how she 
curates her store. While some dresses
or fun socks might sell big, she will not sell them
if they are not made in the US or ethically produced.
Joan Ecker, Founder of Fat Hat Clothing,
shared valuable insights about the
costs of clothing production
​and the dangers of
'greenwashing.'
Picture
Dr.LeeAnn T Rutkovsky shares her wisdom with Joan Ecker, Founder Fat Hat Clothing, and others Photo by ERSwett
For me,
laughter was
the best part of the
evening. Here were a bunch
of people, some more interested in
'fashion' than others, who came together
to begin a conversation about climate that actually 
started with what we were wearing. By
sharing stories about our clothes
in an informal setting we got
to know each other in a
different kind of
way.

Picture
Self portrait wearing favorite 24 year old wool sweater Photo by ERSwett
Just as one
wool sweater is 
not the same as another
(was the wool sustainably harvested,
were the sheep treated well, were the people
who assembled the garment paid a living wage?),
no two people have the same relationship to their wardrobes
and how their clothes make them feel. Like so much
in the climate conversation, there is always
more than meets the eye. Can you tell,
for example, that this ancient &
beloved turtleneck was
repaired last
​week?
Picture
Armpit holes waiting for attention Photo by ERSwett
In my last
blog post, Compost,
Fiber and Fashion
, I considered
the power of re-imagining my clothes and,
in the process, re-imagining myself. At their heart,
these reflections come from my ongoing concern for and
fascination with waste, not just of food, but of
everything. My mother-in-law saved 
her hems, because she hated
things going to waste.
Picture
Sashiko style repairs Photo by ERSwett
I repaired this
twenty-four year old
wool turtleneck sweater I bought
at a street fair in Germany because I love it,
and it seemed wasteful to find another one when I
could ​mend this one. It seems to me that how we connect
to our clothing may perhaps reflect how we think
not just about ourselves, but also about
what it means to be wasteful
in general.
Picture
Old sweater, new life & a new look Photo by ERSwett
I hope that
our first Community
Climate Conversation inspires
those who attended to think more deeply
about what they wear. More importantly, though,
I hope our laughter invites others to join these gatherings,
knowing that we find joy and have fun while
paying attention to topics that we
know about and love.

Picture
This is where we'll be: The cozy corner at Still North Book in Hanover Photo by ERSwett
Next Community Climate Conversation:
What's the Story of OUR Stuff?
(bring an object you love)
​

March 3, 2020 @ Still North Books, Hanover, NH
​5:30 - 7:30 pm

Facilitator: Marc Morgan
(By day, the manager of Lebanon, NH's solid waste facility;
By night, an advocate for deeper thinking
about what we consume
and why)
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A Mending State of Mind

1/11/2020

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Picture
Stitching the rip...
This week
I have been thinking
about ​fixing and mending.
​
To me, fixing involves a tool kit used
to solve a specific problem which, when repaired,
provides a clear solution. 
Once fixed, we
move on, glad 
that the problem
has 
been resolved.
Picture
repairing the furnace
This was
what happened
a few days ago when our
furnace stopped working and two
guys came to repair it. It took some time
to diagnose the actual problem, but with their tool
kit in hand, they solved the issue. Done. 
House warm again. We move
on with our day.
Picture
the mending pile
A day
which, for me,
​involved mending - an
act that feels different from fixing.
Yes, there is a problem to solve - a lost button or
holes in a pair of joggers - But the problem
does not feel urgent, like a furnace
not working in the middle
of winter. 
Picture
the old duvet
The contents
of yesterday's mending
pile, for example, consisted of 
things with problems we had been living
with for years...literally. This tie on this vintage duvet
cover had been broken for longer than I can
remember, as had the missing button
on another duvet cover
​in the pile.
Picture
messy stitches
Mending 
does not have 
to be perfect, either.
Clearly, my stitches on the
duvet are a bit messy and the button
and thread color do not match
what was there before on
this night shirt.

Picture
mismatched buttons
My goal
was simple: Get
the job done & move on. That's
what I do in January. Finish projects,
clean up, clear out, and, as if often the case, mend
things, whether a missing button, a huge rip in my favorite
gardening clothes, my son's joggers,
or, perhaps, even the
​climate...
Picture
same overalls, similar rips, different strategies
But when
I started to mend the
huge rip on the back side of these
overalls, I got distracted, as can happen sometimes,
and decided to add some color, because, as it turns out, I had been
consolidating our thread collection earlier in the week and
happen to have found this fabulous
green (ooh I love run-
on sentences).

Picture
what if?
And I thought
it would be fun to add
some curves to this otherwise
set of straight lines. So suddenly my 'get-
the job done' mending turned into
​something else entirely. 
Picture
the seduction of curves
I became 
entranced by the
colors, shapes and textures 
that emerged. I know. These joggers
are completely absent of
​color.
Picture
losing change from jogger pockets
But the 
shapes and 
textures were so
cool and the feeling of the
wool fabric I used to repair the holes
so soft, I just had to share these 
​images  and this project
​with you.
Picture
textures of mending
Because
I realized, in the
midst of it all, that mending
is about tending to an ongoing relationship
with something or someone, whether it's a piece
of clothing, your dog or your son. Yes, there is a particular
problem that emerges at the moment, but in the process of mending
it, you change the actual structure of that which is being
mended by adding thread, new fabric, new
colors ​or new shapes. 
Picture
a very very mellow companion
And,
it turns out,
you can change the
structure of yourself as well.
Or at least, that's what happens to
me when I sit and sew. I hang out with my
dog, who hangs out with me. We ​both breath more
slowly. 
I have no idea what he thinks about,
but I stay focused on each stitch,
mindfully mending in
​that moment.
Picture
there will always be need for another button
But even
as I sew on buttons
and patch holes in joggers,
I'm thinking, always thinking, about
all those big issues out there in the world
for which we want a quick a fix, but which, in my
heart, I know may not be able to be fixed with a single tool
box at a single moment. The problems we face are just too big. But
it helps me to address them when I adopt a mending state of mind. Knowing
we will be in this for a while, I focus on relationships of all kinds and not
worry about perfection by knowing what is good enough
and by 
making sure I am open to altering my
plans by adding color here
and curves
​there.
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Cornucopia in the Compost

12/15/2019

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Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 1 By ERSwett
The cornucopia
came home with us after
Thanksgiving in CT. 
It sat on
​the windowsill.

Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 2 By ERSwett
The flowers
started to wilt and I
noticed the texture of the
drying petals and the play of light
​from different angles.
Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 3 By ERSwett
And the
roses captured
my attention.
Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 4 By ERSwett
And kept
my attention
even when tossed into
the compost
​pile.
Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 5 By ERSwett
It's strange.
I've actually never
really liked roses. They're 
hard to grow and their thorns
hurt. It has always struck me as odd
that a flower that can cause pain would be
one so many use to express love.
Though maybe that's the
point. Love hurts.
Sometimes.
Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 6 By ERSwett
On this 
particular day
in the compost pile,
though, I fell in love with 
the roses. They seduced me and
inspired me to hang out
with them, despite
cold fingers &
 a runny
nose.

Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 7 By ERSwett
I know
they must 
have traveled
far to arrive fresh
in Connecticut in late 
November. Perhaps it is 
out of respect for their journey
that I can't take my eyes
off them - even when
things get a bit
stirred up...
Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 8 By ERSwett
...and more
compost arrives
& gets mixed & mingled
with the coffee and
the discarded
cornucopia.
Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 9 By ERSwett
They are
​unstoppable,
these roses, determined
to not get left behind or forgotten.
They refuse to be outdone
by the dryer lint, kale,
or banana peels. 
They persist.

Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 10 By ERSwett
Maybe that's
why love and roses
go together. If we pay attention,
it's not the rose at first glance, it's the rose
that still captivates as it evolves,
edges drying and petals
falling off. For me,
that's what
love is...
Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 11 By ERSwett
Love
for my family.
Love for my friends.
Love for the earth that sustains
us. Even when tested and tossed around
a bit, real love persists, captivates, and has the
power to transform all those paying
attention to it.

Picture
Cornucopia in the Compost, 12 By ERSwett
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Some Things Must Stay Home

10/27/2019

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Picture
Walt Whitman's "This Compost" & Maidenhair ferns...in process.
If you've
been reading
my blog or following
me on Instagram, you'll know
that I was planning to include my altered
Cotillion Dress in my current
solo show at AVA
​Gallery.
Picture
Compost Compositions in the Mayor Gallery at AVA in Lebanon, NH Fall 2019
If you've been
to AVA to find the dress,
you'll know that it's
not there. 

Picture
The mixing and mingling of wool threads on a silk dress.
It intrigues
me how the creative
process works, and how hard
it can be to separate one thread from
another when they all feel
integral to each 
other.
Picture
Embroidered excerpts from Walt Whitman's poem "This Compost" by ERSwett.
The dress
evolved from last
year's curiosity about how
I could share Walt Whitman's poem
"This Compost" in a colorful and affordable
manner by embroidering it on old
things, like a pillowcase or
a cloth diaper from
the 1960's.

Picture
Embroidered final stanza of Whitman's "This Compost" by ERSwett
While 
embroidering,
I listened to numerous
podcasts about art, women,
the climate crisis, racial justice and
the idea of white fragility. Each voice I heard 
inspired me to rethink my past and
my relationship to it. And then
I remembered the white
dress in the attic...
Picture
Giving life to an old dress with ferns from our yard.
And
it all began
because I love the
colors of compost and so
started taking pictures of it all the
time...until, magically, I had
what they call a 'body
of work' worth
sharing.

Picture
Dryer Lint, 2019 Photograph on Paper, 24" x 24" By ERSwett
But sometimes,
what you love most just
has to stay home. In this case, I am
grateful that I gave my work to the Exhibits
Director at AVA and let her decide. The dress, even
though it seemed essential to the show for
me, just didn't fit and would have
been a distraction.
Picture
Bulbs, 2019 Photograph on Paper, 18" x 18" By ERSwett.
I am grateful
to this beautiful piece
of silk and lace for inviting me
to explore 
my own identity as a creative
person, not just with a camera,
but in life. The dress, as
companion, has 
been key.
Picture
Self-Portrait in The Dress...in process...before the maidenhair, poem and other alterations. By ERSwett
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Big Little Things: Summer 2019

7/8/2019

1 Comment

 
Happy Summer!
This was my view a few
days ago while hanging the laundry.
It takes my breath away every
time I go onto ​our
terrace.
Picture
The Laundry View. Photograph by ERSwett 2019
I was
in a great mood
because I had set the day aside
to work on a major embroidery project
I'm exploring this
summer. 
Picture
Today's Project. Photograph by ERSwett 2019
But life
kept getting in the way.
You  
know how it can be - managing the
compost, changing 
toilet-paper rolls, drinking water
to stay hydrated on a hot 
day, cleaning up
after the dog made ​a mistake...

and, of course, doing
the 
​laundry.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
I think I was
able to finish about
half a leaf between each
interruption. By the time I went
out to hang the laundry, I was feeling 
really frustrated by how slow my progress was.

I'd been feeling bad about other things too. Like the fact
I hadn't written a blog post for more than a 
month and that I hadn't finished
the next playbook

in my series.  ​
Picture
Re-imagining old clothes
But while standing
on the terrace and hearing the
baby birds and seeing a monarch butterfly
head toward the volunteer milkweed in the orchard
we planted, I remembered that not long ago,
none of this was here: no terrace, solar
panels, shrubs or perennials, and
no monarchs or baby birds
​learning to sing.
Picture
A Blank Canvas - Our Yard, 2004
I also remembered
how exciting it was to see
these peonies and iris bloom together
after we had transplanted them that first year
with the terrace garden - that
was 8 years ago.
Picture
We're Here! Peonies & Iris, 2012
Some days
I have to remind myself
that over time, lots of little actions
accumulate and become something larger
than themselves. A single stone becomes a terrace. A
single flower becomes a garden. A single
stitch in a small leaf becomes a
re-imagined
dress.

Picture
Coming to Life. Photograph by ERSwett 2019
Sometimes I
​just have to consciously
remember how things really work,
which is why when I dumped the compost and
took yet another photograph, I remembered the power of
showing up and of big little things. 10 pounds of compost a week
adds up to 500 pounds a year -- a ton over four years. 
That's a lot of food diverted from the landfill.
It's also a lot of photographs
celebrating its
​beauty.
Picture
Grocery List Photograph by ERSwett (At AVA this summer)
So this week
I'm celebrating Big Little
Things. Like the fact that after creating
thousands of Compost Compositions, I finally have
two in a juried show this summer and I'll have a few dozen in
a solo show this fall - - All at AVA Gallery in Lebanon,
NH. Friends told me that if I kept showing
​up for my work and for myself,
cool things  would happen.
They were right.
They are.
Picture
Corn Husks & Red Onion Photograph By ERSwett (In solo show this fall)
Who knew 
the simple climate
action of composting would
lead me to become a photographer?
Who knew that photographing that compost
could lead to learning about embroidery and the craft
of remaking old clothes? Who knew that the
act of remaking old things would
inspire new ways of thinking
and new ways
of being?
Picture
Hemming the dress. Photograph by ERSwett
How are
you celebrating
the Big Little Things
in your day or your week? 
Remember: When you show up for
yourself and those you love, 
cool things can
​happen.

Messages for the Future @ AVA Gallery
AVA's 2019 Summer Juried Exhibition
July 12 - August 21

Picture

Monday Morning's Activities (not listed above):
Writing & mailing post cards to daughter and mother-in-law;
Emptying the dehumidifier in my basement studio;
Packing up some college supplies for a friend, who happens to be passing through, to take down to DC so that we won't have so much to manage in August when our son goes to college there;
Managing a broken nail that I got while packing those supplies;
Receiving a packet of pachysandra from a neighbor with whom I had just spoken during my morning walk - - She mentioned she had more pachysandra than she needed; I mentioned I could use some. I thought the plan was for me to go over and harvest it. What a gift!
And it all happened between 9am and 1pm.
1 Comment

Storied Shelves: The Shoe 'Thing'

5/31/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Love these boots. All from The Pink Alligator in Hanover, NH
 I wore these
boots from November
to May this year. Finally, a few weeks
ago, they went into the storage box, from which my 
summer sandals and other cooler shoes emerged. Time for the
seasonal assessment. If I haven't worn something for 
a year or if it doesn't work anymore,
it goes in the spring give
away pile.
Picture
cause blisters, too frumpy...
You might
think, with 26 pairs
of work boots, athletic shoes,
dress shoes and casual shoes, I'd have
enough. But I don't. My athletic shoes are worn out
and I've never really found the 'just right' pair
of casual sneakers...and with this
trip to London, it became 
clear that I needed
some upgrades.
But...
Picture
Window, The Third Estate, London
These days
I'm focused on shoes
and clothes with a story. If they
haven't been well worn by another before
me, I want to  know that the materials
used are ethically sourced, the
​stitches made with care,
and the resources
used, ​fair.
Picture
The Third Estate, Kentish Town, London
So yesterday,
there I was, in Kentish
Town, London, at The Third Estate,
on whose racks and shelves are clothes, shoes,
bags and socks made with love. Each
brand, it seems, has its own
​story to tell.
Picture
Storied Shoes at The Third Estate, London
So I had some fun.
Picture
White Fair Trainer from Ethletic
Picture
Black Fair Trainer from Ethletic
Light or dark Ethletic Fair Trade Vegan Sustainable Trainers?
Picture
These are cute.
Picture
These are cute and comfy.
Funky Kalakar 
Breathable and light
"BreLite Collection" shoes
whose soles come from recycled
tires and uppers are handspun cotton.
They truly are the lightest shoes
ever - - only 250 grams!
A perfect travel 
companion.
Picture
dark, cute and comfy from The Third Estate, London
I ended
up with dark, cute,
comfy and filled with love.
They make me feel like I'm flying.
Maybe that's why The Third
Estate has a bird on
its window
.
Picture
But here's
what I'm learning
about this thing called
"Slow Fashion." It's not about
how fast something is made, it's about the
stories embedded in each fiber and ​in the transaction
itself. Angela, who helped me, wanted me to
feel good. She knew about each
shoe company and
why they
​cared. 
Picture
Another kind of 'green' window
And the
coolest thing?

Most shopping expeditions
leave me exhausted, but after I left yesterday,
I found myself in an unexpected area, ready to explore.
Who knew that by going to The Third Estate,
​I would also experience this
colorful and nuanced
​part of town?
Picture
Cool apartments on a canal
This canal
seemed so quiet and
peaceful, but then I followed

the curve of and light 
on this living building...
curious as 
I tend to be, about the
relationship between 
the
built environment
and nature...

Picture
Living building in Camden Town
...and I found
myself in an entirely
unexpected place, where the
buildings were alive in
a different kind
​of way.
Picture
Cool building in Camden Town, London
So I guess
shoes really are a
thing for me. Comfortable
feet matter but so does my actual
footprint. I think it's cool
when I can care
​for both.
Picture
Loving my new Ethletic Fair Trainers.
3 cheers
for slow fashion,
meandering explorations, and
the simple joy of taking
time to care.

Happy June!

0 Comments

It's Just a T-Shirt

5/11/2019

5 Comments

 
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A 26-year-old
cotton object that rips
when I touch it. It's
just a ​t-shirt,
​right?
Picture
No. It's more.
It contains memories:
My first years of marriage; 
Playing squash with my husband;
Being in my 20's and feeling
invincible; It's so much
more than just
​a t-shirt.
Picture
Inspired
by menders
near and far, I got
out a needle, some light
purple thread, and got to work.
I want to wear this fragile
cotton shirt again.

Because...​
Picture
Because, well,
I love it. It's
just so
​soft.
Picture
Because
in our throw-away
society, mending matters.
And because it's cool
to mend. 
Picture
Think 
the art of 
Japanese Boro
also known as Sashiko
​mending.
Picture
Picture
Think 
slow fashion
sustainable fashion
​re-use.

Picture
When I love
something, I care for it.
When I love someone, I care
for them. Love takes time and patience.
It can be messy and slow and it
is always imperfect. But
it's possible. We just
have to show up
and try.

Picture
Oh.
​And always
have a sense of humor.
For 26 years, I have only seen
colors, shapes, & an artist's signature.
When I told my husband about this project,
he asked: "Oh, your dancer shirt?"...
"My what? No, the one with
cool colors and
shapes." 
Picture
Who knew?
It turns 
out I had never
actually paid as close attention to
this shirt 
I love as much as my husband had.
Sometimes 
I guess we just see what we see. What's
cool 
is that I didn't feel anything like a
dancer back in the 1990's, but

I definitely do today. It's
now 
more perfect
​than ever.
Picture
Also,
I'm grateful
to my mother for
teaching me how to sew.
Happy Mother's Day
to all!

5 Comments
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