etsy dreaming... and my anti-opping new years stance!

1. Fox and Owl 2. Mooshoopork 3. Robin and Mould 4. Made by Mosey

After spending 3 really full on, intense days cleaning the loungeroom in the most serious way we have ever cleaned, and I mean serious- we got all the light shades down and washed them up, and scrubbed the walls, and managed to remove 4 boxes of books and knick knacks from the cupboard, and reduced our art making clutter by half- I have somehow managed to end my afternoon looking on Etsy, at more stuff... but at least it isn't half made, half hearted, 'maybe-I-could-use-that-one-day', or 'maybe-I'll-read-that-one-day' stuff, like all the stuff that was removed from our tiny abode today! I'm feeling like I can breathe easier in here now, and I've made the pledge to myself and to Joe, that I am completely over op shopping. I don't need the clutter and I certainly don't want it. Unless it's something I'm actually looking for that I'd buy in a regular shop, there will be no opping around here. Kooky, vintage stuff is not as cool as space, glorious space, and this is the only way that I can comprehend the baby fitting into the flat...

B.

P.S. Happy New Year!

hopey, changey stuff:

There are so many great blogs out there about being eco and ethical and green, and I've started reading them, like really reading them-- not just looking at the pictures! And the lovely thing about the internet is that whilst a suprising amount of people in my day to day life are quite resistant to change, it turns out that lots of people around the world are thinking the same things I'm thinking... and that's that something has to give... we can't keep living this way...

Aside from the whole sustainability problem, the carbon footprints, and all the environmental arguments for consuming less, the basic human decency argument has to be enacted too... unfortunately, my high standard of living is paid for with the poverty of the third world... if we're not ripping the guts out of resources in Africa, we're getting super cheap labor in Asia... and I'm over here, living like a queen in comparative terms, I have running water, a telephone, and a 2 bedroom flat! It seems meagre compared to what a lot of other people I know have, but it is massive compared to what most human beings around the world have.

I'm certainly not perfect, or above judgment, I have coke in my fridge, I have reeboks in my wardrobe, and most of the stuff in my house was probably made in a sweat-shop, even if I obtained a lot of it from the op-shop, but anyhoo, I'm going to try and be better at this whole thing, and marry my ideological commitments with my everyday life.

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for this pledge at Isis' blog, and I'm really digging it. Already I've noticed how those cute, cheap clothes I see everywhere are just off limits, they might be cheap, and cute, but they are not worth having. I should also confess that I've been watching an this doco on ABC2 each week, and it's bringing the reality of sweat-shop life a little too close to home, this and reading No Logo by Naomi Klein, are all making for a pretty heady mix of anti-consumption-for-consumption's-sake sentiment around here...

This is the pledge, as copied from Isis' blog:

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E T H I C A L  C L O T H I N G  P L E D G E

I pledge to only wear clothing that is one or more of the following:
1. Pre-loved
2. Handmade (preferably by me)
3. Reconstructed
4. Made with ethical / environmentally friendly materials
5. Made by a company with strong ethical policy & workers' rights

* Companies with environmentally friendly practices (such as cutting down on waste/energy/water) get brownie points
* If I get one little inkling of sweatshop labour, I'm outta there!
* Above all though, I think the most important thing is reducing the amount of things we use in the first place. Not purchasing ANOTHER piece of clothing just for the sake of it is the biggest statement we can make.

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This all leaves me in a bit of a pickle about where some of my doll fabric comes from, whilst the majority is made in Japan and the US, and a lot is second-hand... I do buy the occasional Spotlight fabric for half the price of my other fabrics, and it does clearly read 'made in India' on the roll... I'd love feedback, suggestions!!

B.

P.S. picture via here.

P.P.S. my title is poking fun at Sarah Palin, not Obama!

Something nice.

I've been meaning to show this brooch off for a little while now, and I finally found it, my camera, and camera chord all at the same time today! I bought it at Glebe a while back from Elyse, who will be back on the first Saturday of March. I love it, and I loved almost everything she had that day, so I highly recommend you come and check it all out!

You'll also notice the chenille background-- that's right, my persistent op shopping adventures finally paid off last week. One white chenille bedspread, complete with tassels! :)

B.