The Wait Begins....

I finally had Uber come and pick up my two ThredUP bags! I got up at noon, all ready. I had packed the bags previously, and I had my husband haul them to my front steps. Now the true wait begins as I wait for ThredUP to onload my clothes, and let me know what is going to happen to them.

I’ve heard women on Reddit cringing at the fact that sometimes ThredUP turns down perfectly good styles. I did donate a pair of jeans with holes from the factory, and I bet those will be turned down for regular jeans. I had checked that I wanted money for my old clothes on there. It would be nice to have some cash for some new digs! I don’t even mind if they just straight up recycle everything I sent. At least those clothes won’t just get thrown away.

So I’m waiting to see what happens to my old clothes! My man also threw away two big bags of trash from the sewing room, so my decluttering had some major wins this week! I still have too many clothes, but at least I made a dent in what I have.

Let's Talk Shoes

No woman I ever met only owned two pairs of shoes. Well, except for those years when I only had one pair! Years ago, I had a pair of Birkenstock clogs. They were brown. I had scrimped and saved to get them. It was the first time I had really held down a job in my youth, after going to college. And once I got those birks, I wore them for years. I felt like they went with everything! Yes, I only had ONE Pair of shoes, and I didn’t mind at all. They were my cool hippie shoes and I hated taking them off.

Fast forward a few years, and I now have more shoes. I have some in storage that my husband didn’t want me to throw away. What is it about shoes? They are hard to part with because you know you might want to wear them again some day down the road. I have some packed away, then I have three pairs of Crocs clogs and 2 pairs of sneakers, and 1 pair of Crocs flip flops. That assortment has gotten me through the last couple of years alright!

I do go through Crocs, and for a time Crocs were all I was wearing. I decided to branch out and get some sneakers too, just in case I wanted to look a little more “put together”. I’m in my late forties now, and all hell has broken loose! I no longer care all that much about how I look! Gone are the days of collecting shoes.

How many shoes is too many? If you want to be eco friendly, aim for a handful of pairs and that is it. If you already have abundance of shoes, definitely don’t buy any more. I feel blessed to have the good fortune of some shoes I love. Does that mean I need more pairs? No, no it doesn’t!

Free at Last!

For the last few days, I’ve had something on my mind. Nope, not whether or not I will wear white this Spring…thoughts like that have long since gone the way of my thirties. I’m pondering whether old clothes should be offered for sale or given away for free?

If we all decided to give away our old clothes for free, what a difference it would make. I would bet that there are enough clothes already in existence to put the fashion industry on pause for a good few years time. But more than that, where is the “good will” in selling everything? As a Christian I will tell you that it is admirable to be generous. Generosity doesn’t only have to be for the needy. It can be between sisters and friends, and run in families.

There used to be charities where you could donate clothes to help people. Whatever happened to non profits like Dress for Success? I tried to donate to them a year or so after COVID, and my local chapter was no longer accepting donations. Some cities have thrift shops that are tied to a local homeless shelter. There is one in my city. Nowadays, you can donate to your local thrift store, or an online thrift shop like ThredUP.

We all know where we can sell clothes, but when do you think it is justified to sell vs. flat out donate? Do you sell items if they are worth more money? Where do you draw the line at donating vs. selling? Selling your clothes isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you need money, you can sell them on Poshmark or Mercari, or even EBay or Etsy if the clothes are vintage. If you need money, don’t hesitate to sell your old clothes. You might not make much money off of them, but maybe sell what you can and donate what doesn’t sell. That way the clothes benefit yourself and others too.

Do you sell your old clothes? Or do you give them away for free? Neither path is actually wrong. Whichever path makes you feel good, do that thing. Bonus points if you help somebody else at the same time!

Why I still believe in making clothes by hand...

You might wonder, what’s the big idea! Why alter and sew clothes by hand, or remake stained and unfitting clothes to make them wearable again? What’s the big deal anyway? Well, I can only answer that with a photo.

This is just my overabundance! LOL, just one woman’s attempt to store clothing, art and home goods gone awry. Maybe I don’t make that much of a difference. I have three baskets in the hallway full of clean clothes, a big heap of dirty clothes on the floor in the bedroom, a clothing rack that I recently picked over to donate to ThredUP and three huge bins of clothes to donate or sell. Plus I have a closet full of clothes.

The reality is, most houses have a room like this. And most people have way too many clothes! I think women are usually more guilty of hoarding clothes than men are. But we buy things because we think we need them, until we have way too much. Why is it that people feel like it is so much easier to dress well when they have fewer pieces of clothes? Capsule wardrobes are becoming a huge trend. And so many women are talking about downsizing their wardrobe.

It is so easy to buy clothes, but what happens if you don’t like something or if it stops fitting. Heaven forbid you spill on a shirt.

When you sew your own clothes, you slow down and take your time. You make something that fits how you want. You make something you want to wear for a long time. And if you outgrow the clothing, you can remake it to fit your new body shape! Win win! Patching and mending are wonderful skills too, that keep clothes out of the landfill. When you sew your own clothes, you no longer pay for corporate greed. You no longer pay for people who are sewing clothes for pennies a day.

This is just a gentle nudge, my book is a pretty quick read. “The Portals of Locke Meade” introduces teens to the concept of sewing their own clothes, and teaches them why it matters. The book might not be available for very long! It’s a cozy weekend read, perfect for a quiet evening. Also, check out my website! It has tons of posts on sewing your own clothing, altering and upcycling to make things like new!

Earth Day is HERE!!!!!

It is Earth Day today, and I’m taking a moment to recommit my life and art journey to doing the right things to take care of the planet. Every little bit does make a difference! This year I am donating three bags of clothes to ThredUp. What is your Earth Day thing going to be?

This year I’m also reading two books. One is on reducing toxins in the home. It is called “A Healthier Home”. The book focuses chapters on different things you do in the home. With ideas for personal care, cooking, cleaning and more…I’m bound to get some ideas from this book on products to avoid and more Earth and people friendly habits to swap in.

The second book I’m reading is “Simply Living Well”. It features ways to go low waste and helps you get closer to zero waste. There are recipes for health, hearth and home. Plus the photos in the books are just gorgeous! It’s inspirational just flipping through the books. I cannot do natural medicine very much because I am on a lot of prescriptions, but it is encouraging to think there might be a few things I might be able to try.

I hope your Earth Day is fabulous! Extra points if you do something to make it matter to you!