Now here’s a sewing challenge I can get behind completely. But as someone who already almost never buys clothes, it was challenging to think of a pledge to make! Here’s what I’ll be working with: 1. I’m going to work on appreciating beautiful fabrics with my eyes instead of my wallet: just because it’s gorgeousContinue reading “#SlowFashion2020: Create Your Own Sustainable Challenge — Frivolous At Last”
Author Archives: Andrea McDowell
the dance party at the end of the universe
I have a hunch: a lot of people don’t join in collective climate actions (or other kinds) because it looks like work. And it’s advertised like work. You read things, you go somewhere to get more things to read like pamphlets and reports, you listen to very smart people talk about stuff that uses aContinue reading “the dance party at the end of the universe”
A Citizen Mandate Letter
Ann is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me on the internet. We met online in the early days of our mom blogging adventures, about (OMG) fifteen years ago. Over the years we’ve participated in panels together, Frances and I have spent wonderful weekends at her cottage, we’ve met up for dinnerContinue reading “A Citizen Mandate Letter”
A cozy travelling duo: Simplicity 5271 and Butterick 5934
I know, another sewing post! Don’t faint. Today we have a double post: pajamas and a duffel bag. (Both of which were made for a trip, although both were needed too. The pajamas because I haven’t had a proper pair of new winter pjs for decades; and the duffel bag because the last one IContinue reading “A cozy travelling duo: Simplicity 5271 and Butterick 5934”
Burda 10/2018 Pants #114: Every work wardrobe needs a pair of bright pink pants
Holy cow, a sewing post! I have been sewing–slowly–but not many new patterns, and I’m not someone who likes to review patterns I’ve already reviewed unless I did something substantially different. And there’s not a whole lot of gaps in my wardrobe to fill right now, so not much need to sew. One thing IContinue reading “Burda 10/2018 Pants #114: Every work wardrobe needs a pair of bright pink pants”
The Outrage Economy
It just so happened that two books I put on hold at the library ages ago (Team Human and How To Do Nothing) became available at the same time and were about mostly the same thing: the attention economy, why it is very bad for us, and how we need to reconnect with each otherContinue reading “The Outrage Economy”
Crafters for Climate
I’ve done something a bit mad, and I’ll talk about why I’ve done this to myself more in another post, but for today I’ll just tell you what it is: I’ve committed to creating, hosting or participating in one public Climate Change event connected to each of my hobbies, ideally before the Canadian election inContinue reading “Crafters for Climate”
Democracy is a Learned Skill
We’re getting close to a federal election here in Canada (election season here only lasts for a couple of months, so we’ll be all done by the end of October, American friends–whereas you’re already in the thick of it and still have a year to go, which is just mind-boggling to me). It’s the perfectContinue reading “Democracy is a Learned Skill”
(Don’t) Panic: A hitchhiker’s guide to climate anxiety
In late March, I gave a presentation on fear and hope and helplessness in climate communications at a local Climate Change summit. There was supposed to be a video at some point, but I’ve (temporarily) given up on ever seeing it; but here’s what I said, with a picture of me saying it, in aContinue reading “(Don’t) Panic: A hitchhiker’s guide to climate anxiety”
MeMadeMay 2019 Recap, Holy Cow
I did it. Thirty-one days of me-mades, no repeat outfits. The hardest part was that Frances had uptillion doctor’s visits (more on that in another post), and on those days I worked from home, and I just don’t have as many homemade casual clothes as I do clothes for work. But I still did it!Continue reading “MeMadeMay 2019 Recap, Holy Cow”
