Thrift is the new Black

Everyone should be more thrifty and old money understands it.

Yes they have more money than you could shake a stick at...a gold handled walking stick! 

But thrifting is a lifestyle and if you think its low class - how wrong you are!

I ALWAYS choose quality over quantity in all areas of my life. This is the mentality that you need to be when your thrifting.  

Oh, And imagination - which I  think the older I get, its what is causing other people not to thrift. 

The lack of it.

Some folk need all the outfits all laid out in pretty little piles, but you guys are really missing out on one off pieces. 

I used to shop high end, in my 20's. Thought that wearing expensive made me expensive. 

It did. Only for me though!

I also always shopped in charity shops along side Harvey Nichols. 

I have shopped exclusively charity for over 5 years. 

I do happen to be a trained garment technologist, so do have the option to tailor to fit, which I understand isn't available to everyone - however I do recommend finding a good seamstress and  get fitting. If you have only spent a fraction of the new price on a garment, then paying someone to make it fit you, should be what your spending money on. 

I adore them and have done forever. I only shop in charity shops mainly because I am I know the  trade and I know the costs of the garments made, and it is pennies. 

I just cannot give my hard earned money for, well,  not a lot. 

It's the Yorkshire in me.

Since the pandemic also,  I think people are giving more thought to where these fast fashion clothes and items go when they are chucked away.

 I hope this message gets to the younger generation.

Most cheap clothing exclusively are using man made fibres, which are basically chemicals and this just doesn't break down in landfill. Not for many years and are polluting the soil underneath, which is leaking into water. 

Its polluting our world. This is causing massive environmental issues.

I worry for our children and hope that a huge positive shift is taking place in the realisation that we can move forward in a cleaner, greener way.

Fashion is the biggest polluter on the whole planet. Please see my other posts about toxins and water and fashion.

So how can we make thrift more attractive?

I have noticed an massive intake in users on Vinted and other pre loved sites. This is a good thing. 

I have also bought a few things off vinted. 

Some people are lovely and honest and I have unfortunately been had over by a couple too.This doesn't happen in charity shops and I feel like I am giving back, supporting them.

Its a win win.

Hint: the smellier and most unorganised are usually where some treasure is hiding. 

Go forth and thrift my friends. 

I am on the gram, pursuitofhappinessinc which soon I will be having a full month of sharing my outfits all bought in charity shops. I will list the items, this is so out of my comfort zone - but this is the year for all that jazz. Push the limits. 

Take Care,

L.x

Time is Precious: I have wasted a lot, but fit in more than most.

 

Time is the most precious commodity we have and it is the most wasted resource.  

I have wasted a lot and have fit more in than most.. 

Time waits for no man and all things must pass are two statements that rattle about my tiny little mind.

Nothing marks time like a passing of someone. It always makes you reflect life.  

Death is funny like that.

The passing of Diane Keaton has shook me a little, even though she was only on a screen, she felt very real to many.

She will be very missed. She was 2 years younger than my mum. And had a affluent life, which makes me even more grateful for the fortitude of my own my mum.

Mum has been a rock, Someone who hasn't ever given up. 

I have gained a clock this week from my mother, a clock I have heard chime and tick for over 40 years. They purchased it in a charity shop for 50p back in the 80's.

The dedication to wind up the clock, routine that was solid. To keep it ticking all that time. 

Finally, my mum has given up winding the clocks up. 

Its a moment in time ( excuse the pun) that has such impact on my life, it takes my breath away.

She used to run. Run us to school a mile and a half every morning.

Even though she was ill all my life, she has just carried on regardless. In fact, us mere mortals will never understand the sheer strength of a person, to just carry on.  She has been a medical wonder for over 15 years and should of died ( actually has 3 times) but just tells the grim reaper to fuck right off every time.

Because we have been through so much, our humour is dark. Very, very dark - because you have to laugh.

Especially at the times when laughter is frowned upon. Lighten the fuck up. 

My mum is on Dialysis and has been for 16 years, a feat in itself - she said that her friends on the unit are going, one by one... I said that Grim's is so effed off with waiting for you Pearl, he is offing ya mates.....

She is now suffering heart failure and we are waiting for a liver cancer result. Hat trick.

See... not one, but three life threatening things, and she has still been carrying on.

Until this week.

This week she blacked out while first driving in her new car of 8 days. 

Po Po's took her licence on the spot. And rightly so, I have been trying to tell her for months not to drive.

She said it looked lovely on the drive for a week.  Bloody hell woman! 

But strong women - will not listen. Until the universe makes them have too. 

Thankfully, she is ok, no one and nothing got hurt. Only the car and at this point, who cares. 

To add insult to injury, I delivered her a wheelchair upon request of mum. She cannot walk properly and the pain is too much for her to bare. This alone kills me.  

The grief I feel for the woman that my mum was, is sometimes too much. And she is still here.

I think I need some more support. This is too hard. 

 She is totally with it in mind but her mortal body is failing her.

Our spirits are sometimes so strong, they do not want to give in. 

Its a light that cannot ever be extinguished. 

I wish I could help her more.

I think this is a reason the passing of Diane Keaton has effected me so, 

She has been a steadfast part of my life ever since I was a young. 

I used to watch Baby Boom on repeat.I came from a small town and I had never seen a boss lady before taking on the city, I was obsessed. 

Big suits, big offices and big business.

She shaped how I looked at women and how they can grow up to be. 

Her style has always been a massive part of her draw, and this is being celebrated. 

Always on her terms and it showed even when smashing the film ," Somethings gotta give" a feat in Hollywood to be cast as front runners later in life. 

However, after seeing a short on her,  on Ellen. She said she had never been married and she longed to be. That's sad.

I saw myself in her and it scared me. 

A woman brave enough to face life alone. 

Sounds great on paper and even watching the ending of ' Just like that'  - it is celebrated, being a powerhouse of a woman to make the decision to stay, not alone. But on her own. 

( We all don't have a lovely townhouse from Big's millions do we Carrie!) 

Anyway, it's been a week.

I know this year has been tough for many. 

I hope you are all OK.

L.x

Covid, Cancer and Cracking on.

Hello out there, been a tough gig since my last post and not just for me.

So, just to re introduce myself, Im a 40 something woman with a little boy. I raise him alone and he is kind considerate little human, so I'm doing something right.

 However, I haven't been totally authentic and its bothering me. Gotta come out of the shadows and stop pretending.

So alongside Covid and lockdowns, I had another big C to deal with. Cancer. Kinda put the other two into the backgound really 

I was very fortunate and even that isn't a strong enough word,  it was found and removed at stage 1A.

 It was Ovarian cancer, so I am one of the very lucky ones.

 It was found while having a scan for a kidney infection that I had been hospitalised for. I already have a kidney disease which is heredity so it wasn't my first time in hotel NHS. 

This was the first time I had been admitted to hospital in over a decade though. An angel watching over me?

 I know you may say I wasn't lucky at all but that is how I feel to of escaped pretty much unharmed physically but it definitely put a vast amount of mental pressure on. I feel a little bit of a fraud as I didn't suffer the hair loss and the awful chemo. If I had, it would of put me straight onto dialysis as my kidneys wouldn't of been able to cope. So I am so grateful I didn't need to suffer that!

 I came out of hospital and 5 days later we were on lockdown, you know the fun one where everyone chilled and sunbathed as the sun really did come out to play. I was apprehensive what the outcome of the scan maybe but tried to put it out of my mind as we were in a pandemic.

The second lockdown I had been confirmed that I had a very suspect tumor and more that likely cancer. 

By the time the final 3rd lockdown had come around I was recovering from a radical hysterectomy. Its got a funny name, oraphlooo scarmoosh scaramouch, can you do the fandango?

 God knows, but they took everything including my appendix!

 I don't advise major surgery to anyone. Jesus Christ on a bike... and people actually go have surgery willingly.. WtAF???

I had some wonderful women around me and these turned out to be not the people I expected. I really couldn't of got through the ordeal of recovery without them. I am eternally grateful.

But get through it I did and it changes you, a lot. I still, 2 years cancer free -  wonder at the joy of life and in a millisecond all that can be taken away and how lucky I was not to be given god awful news later on down the line.

 It was a spiritual awakening and in the aftermath I have become much more spiritual and accepting of things we cannot see but feel they are there in my heart and mind. Im studying more of the ethereal sides of nature.

It took me nearly 3 months to really recover from the surgery and nearly that again to come to terms with losing my bits. I wasn't planning on having anymore children but I hadn't ruled it out so having the option removed, its hard. I was grieving children I should of had and those sadly I didn't get to hold. It was a tough time and probably the only thing getting me through was the love for my son. He made all things better and Im forever grateful for my perfect little boy.

I was put straight into surgical menopause  - and for a moment that wasn't great. Six weeks in and I began to sink like the titanic. I can't have hormone treatment as I'm high risk for more cancers but just take an antidepressant and I'm good.

 I heard horror stories of women literally going mad with the hormones.. but I had a completely different experience. I had always been very emotional and reactive. This didn't cause a stress free environment and was upsetting for all those around. Myself being effected but because I was the offender - got no comfort.

After the surgery my mood became like the Caribbean sea... calm and clear. 

For the first time Im able to know who I am when I wake up and know that I'm cool, collected and able to control myself. 

That is freeing and I feel that I gained much more than what that awful Cancer took.

I just wanted to share this as its been tough but I am living proof that survival is possible, even thriving with earth shattering news. Im trying to keep the (health) wolves from the door and they made progress recently but Im forever optimistic and as they say, 

You can't keep a good girl down!!!

Take Care of Each Other

Luna.x

WATER: we are cleaning our stuff but damaging our health

H20 is THE basic need for all life forms on earth. 

Without it nothing would survive.

SO why are we just mindlessly poisoning it, ourselves??

As you can see Im big on not having extra toxins added to our environments unnecessarily. This is because myself and all my close family was born with a genetic disorder that means we cannot clean toxins out of our blood. I have spent most of my life researching this shit like my life depended on it. lol.

Organic living is just like the hippies imagined in those history changing few months of free love in 1967, being cleaner in what we put in our bodies and how we treat the environment we are living in .

 I'm totally down with the hippies.......all day long. 

I mean. i'm not chewing on acid and prancing around a field.....but how this year has gone, there is time yet Mon Cherie!

They totally get that they didn't change much politically back then ....but culturally in 2020 we are all trying to live the hippy dream. We have holistic centers in every town, and if your lucky chinese herblists. Organic food shops are  common place, veggies and vegans are catered for more and we as a population are becoming more aware what we eat and what we wear needs to be natural. All what they believed then.

I did talk about in my previous post about organic farming methods and the need for less water for irrigation and how that is only a good thing. We need to be championing all the natural fabrics that don't use vast quantities of water as there are Lakes around the world that are basically drying up. There are, other reasons like climate change for this also but this can be said that all the pollution produced especially by the fashion industry is contributing to the climate change.  Best friends with climate change is overuse.

In  certain industries there can't of been  any control of any this and now we are in trouble it is all coming to light how mislead we all have actually been.

We continue to abuse the water  as the end useres  by what we wash all these items in. I have been looking into this and its quite alarming....but to be fair it actually all is.

 We are continuing to poison and irritate our systmes and the water . After using softener is has QAC'sQuaternary ammonium compounds  in. This takes along time to break down and isnt supposed to be in our water

For a long time i've been wondering about the plastic that covers the washing tablets as that is broken down, I imagine with the heat of the water. But what does that do when it adds to the waste water which is filtering into our seas. Once again I can only imagine as I can find no studies on this specific subject that it must solidify into some particles and then be floating around.More plastics in our seas .How can the fish survive and there are studies that traces that plastics are in the fish we consume.

All these chemical are not even good for our clothing/ fabric fibers. They cover them in a plasic over time and this we obviously absorb through our skins  AND it  lowers the lifespan of the garment. 

We are drilled with adverts to make our clothes smell nice, softer but we don't even realise the damage to the environment and our bodies by doing this practice. Or shall I say we have never been educated about the actual cost of our modern day practices.

So what can we use?

 How can we clean our clothes?

There are environmentally green detergents and softeners, but to be fair I'm pretty dubious about them and wish you to do your own diligence. They have to be mostly water right?? 

Im not paying over a tenner for a large container of watery product. I want to be less damaging to every environment including the one in my purse ...not be mugged off.

So I've looked into nuts.

Not looked into going nuts....

Stopped laughing yet? Not sure if this is too avent garde but im going to have a bash. 

With going into so much detail for my business  - wanting to be a sustainable and 100% organic , I have made changes at home myself and I didnt want that to be ruined by the end user just washing in chemicals and not getting 100% benefit of all nature has to give.

So ive bought this bag of nuts......they havent arrived yet but I will do a post on them and how they work with my washing and my little lads which will give it a run for its money.

I will tell you about them.. they are from a website called www.earthbits.com

Ive ordered them and a few other items , the  nuts are good for 240 washes and have cost me 9 quid.....ok my maths is sometimes a little off and I wont be running to be on Countdown but thats economic shit right there. They are from a himalayam tree and im so excited about this bag of nuts I cannot tell you. 

As for the smell I want to use lavender water which I will make my own. I have always loved lavender.

If you choose to have a change of heart in the way you clean you clothes and fabrics I would love to hear how? 

Please drop me a comment, I would love to hear from you. 

We are what we wear? ...ERM YES . it absorbs through our skin.

For 20 years I've had this idea .....

that's a real long time to not do something about it.

After lock down eased, I felt that it really is now or never. 

Anyone who knows me has heard me go on about the absorption of toxins and the effects on the system.

I totally believe starting a green business is the ONLY way forward in 2020 but there are so many extra things to think about it is easy to get lost in the details.  But I thought I would use this space to outline what is important about WHY I'm going in this direction. 

Organic clothing is nothing new but still there a lot of people wondering if it's worth it?

 I mean, if you can get a cotton t- shirt or whatever much cheaper. why bother? 

 IT ISN'T CHEAPER.. ITS COSTING US THE WORLD, OUR HEALTH AND OUR FUTURE.

That may seem a touch on the dramatic side..but hear me out.

To produce just ONE  T-shirt and ONE pair of jeans it takes 5000 gallons of water.  

That is some serious water consumption... put it this way...

 How many t-shirts and pairs of jeans have you got in your wardrobe?, Your spouse's wardrobe? Your children's?

OK, now imagine all the stock made and sat in the shops waiting for us to buy?

That is a fucking awesome amount of water used and needed. Which is just for fashion??  Wait a minute? WTAF? Are there not people in the world that STILL don't have have access to water?? 

Are they bothered about the next fashion??   I think not.

One of the major problems with cotton - to grow in abundance the government added poisons after WWII. Cotton had been growing happily for 4000 years before the terrible idea of adding pesticides.These pesticides are now integrated in the ecosystem and in their water supply. This directly affects these farmers and their families. They are getting cancers and toxin poisoning working on their own land, living in the toxic environment and all this damage needed not to happen really. 

 CONSUMERISM IS A KILLER.

 A lesser known issue is they are in debt with growing this crop as its been so heavily funded by the government (?)  they are now not getting enough money. Lots are taking their own lives and since 1997 over 200'000 have committed suicide with their own chemicals because of the debt. I feel physically sick that these things are happening and the production carries on. 

Not only does it affect the farmers also it is affecting us, the end user too.. so yes it  actually is all our problem for those still feel so far untouched by the atrocities above.

Our skin is our largest organ and its it built up of layers and pores. We basically ingest what we wear.. every pore is absorbing  the chemical traces on our clothing and especially our nightwear as we conduct more heat at night.  Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically intensive treated fabrics around.These traces can be passed into our bloodstream everytime we wear and sleep on conventional cotton. This information alone should make you want to change to organic. 

I'm not trying to make you feel bad about what's in your wardrobe or worry you, BUT as consumers we  need to be made aware of what we putting in and next to our bodies. We have been led to believe that conventional cotton is a natural, pure and clean fabric. But that's just what false media have led us to believe.

There has also been a massive cultural change in what we eat and treat ourselves. In the last 10/15 years there are organic food stores and holistic practitioners in every town. Now we are going further finding out about this stuff and this needs to happen - we are researching more into what we are wearing and what is being produced. 

So what about organic cotton? This is grown from seed, not GMO seeds and using method that rejuvenate the soil and the environment. There are not any pesticides or chemicals used in the farming, which the farmers are pretty happy about as you can imagine. It is hand picked and processed with the environment in mind. Most manufactures of Organic cotton have fair trading in place. They care about the chain from farmer to manufacture. Everyone is paid fairly. Using this system will renew the land and hopefully fix some of the damage farming conventional cotton has done over the years. 

This will inevitably take more time than it took to fuck it up.

 Prevention is better than cure. Every time people.

I would like you make an informed choice the next time you want to purchase a t shirt, especially a cheap crappy one from Primark.....omg - dont even let me start on that. There are other ways to shop these days. I love to thrift and there are loads of bargains to be had - try something new. Feel better about your shopping choices. The days of mindless shopping should be over, if your woken...just a tiny bit.

We all have a responsibility to Mother Earth. 

We are only caretakers of this planet for the next generations. I really don't want to be the ones to say - ,

My bad...we didn't care enough.

Big Love

L.x 

PS 

SOON IM KICKING OFF A NEW 100% ORGANIC/VEGAN CASUAL WEAR LINE SOON

WATCH THIS SPACE

P.PS I've put a couple of links which are very informative sites if you wish for more information 

https://organic.org/introduction-to-organic-fibers/

https://organiccottonplus.com/pages/learning-center

Welcome, Hello and Bonjour!

This is my first blog and have been thinking a lot about the first post...even to the point of procrastination..... and this was supposed to be started at the beginning of the year. My bad.I felt wanted to start a blog to keep a diary of starting a sustainable business and all the shits and giggles that come with that. ....not. 

Also my friends have had enough of me rattling on......so im changing up the audience.

My name is Louise and I  live in Yorkshire, I am a happy single mum to the most beautiful and kind little boy. He is my guiding light and his protection is my highest priority.  I spend my time being mum and since the lock down I am following my dreams and launching a new organic clothing and home ware business. This is something I have been passionate about for all my adult life.. and its about time to make it happen.

When we get the time my son and I like to go off in our Camper to get back to nature. Nothing makes me happier than driving around in her.....she is a dream.

Oh, I'm also learning French, so if anyone wants to leave any comments in basic french.. I would be more than happy to respond in french..I would love to venture further afield in the camper in the next year, possibly to french soil....

Before  becoming a mum  I had my own dressmaking/alterations shop and studied Garment Technology, I have over 15 years experience in designing and making garments.  I love to sew and find it very relaxing...until its stressful. I studied Fashion in my 20's after deciding I didn't want a normal 9-5.

I've been excited to write about the shit I get up to for a while as i've always loved words and feel I am much more expressive in writing than actual verbal.  I have plenty of nuggets of wisdom to share with the world  about  all kinds of stuff...betcha cant wait..... it was always just finding the time. Now a tiny bit past 40....I now realise there is never really time.....

 .....WE HAVE TO SHOEHORN ALL THE SHIT IN SOMEHOW MY PEOPLE . 🤣🙌

We are  all  (hopefully) being made very aware of the continuing pollution of the planet and rightfully so as this needs addressing by each and everyone in our own ways. I am very passionate about saving this great place we call Earth. She is one awesome son of a bitch.

The fashion industry IS A MAJOR OFFENDER and I have been an advocate of the use of recycled and more importantly sustainable fabric when making items for customers for a number of years. I have watched eagerly as new sustainable fabrics popped up and this makes my heart sing. As for myself, have fortunately  never been a shopper. Wiling away hours trying on clothes I have no intention or money to buy???? WTF is that about Ladies?? 

I haven't the time to make myself beautiful, sustainable clothing ( not yet)  so I have literally only shopping in charity shops since the beginning of 2018. ( hence the Charity shop Rose) , both for financial reasons and just not seeing any reason to buy new when there is surplus out there going to waste.I love to route at flea markets, second hand shops and a Jumble sale. Sadly not many jumble sales around in church hall anymore and always with a lady called Jean behind the scenes.

Another woman's trash is another woman's treasure, more than ever these days.

 I show all my  charity finds and creations  on my Instagram @charityfashionrocks  I would love you to please take a look and follow me style it out for generally less than a tenner for an outfit in fact that's generous budget.

 I really cannot see the money in new clothing, especially if its costing more than actual money to actually produce. People are slaves to fashion and it's being sewn by enslaved folk still in 2020!! No one needs a new top that bad. I'm pretty sure it is through ignorance why folk still buy cheap shit that is costing us our health and our children's world and some people their lives......... walk in someone else shoes, its costing others a lot. Im not sure everyone actually cares and that's the alarming fact. 

Cute pic of my son in my shoes

The last thing we want is our children not having the beautiful nature around that we are blessed with by causing unrecoverable damage. We all know we are nearly there and it's pretty critical for certain areas. All of us can do a little bit...not buy surplus stuff. I like to think this year and it's lock down has taught us a lot about what we actually need and  not just what we just want. 

Wanting more makes us unhappy and  actually getting more does not  actually make us happier ?  

We should all strive to be happy anyway, try to be more unaffected by the outside and keep our shit together.  We need to take more care of our bodies and our friends and of our mental wellbeing. 

I hope to find like minded people out there and let's communicate.

Big love and light

L.x