The Big White Farmhouse

intentional living, little by little

No.261: Our Extraordinary Ordinary Life // June 2019 Edition

A monthly project featuring ten photos throughout the day that show a peek into our extraordinarily ordinary life.

Highlights from Friday, June 14, 2019:

  • The weather was 76° and sunny, just the perfect early summer day!  
  • I drank my morning coffee outside in my new mug, a surprise from Mark.  We took Lucy out after breakfast to burn off some energy and she got filthy quickly by digging in the flower beds (I swear she’s like a toddler – you turn your head for a second…).  M turned on the hose and she was crazy with excitement, trying to drink the water and play tug-of-war.  Crazy dog.
  • We had Blue Mountain Mystery on repeat for P’s morning movie.  It’s his current favorite, although Finding Nemo might be a close second.  Both were bought on Second Spin for cheap.
  • The second set of eggs on the porch fan hatched!  We feel so lucky that we can watch new chicks hatch twice each spring.

P.S. Don’t forget to enter the blogiversary giveaway for a chance to win some of my favorite things!  Winner will be chosen at 11:59PM EST on Sunday.

No.260: Mail Tag // 10 More Questions to Ask Your Penpal

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Another round of mail tag!  In case you haven’t heard of it before, it’s one of the fun little extras I like to include in letters, a way to learn more about your penpal.  (You can find my first list here.)  Here are ten more questions and I’ll share my answers too!

1 // Describe yourself in three words.
This is hard, but the three that come to mind first are loyal, homebody, and goal-oriented.

2 // What is your favorite summer meal?
Cheeseburgers on the grill with sides of fruit and pasta salad.

3 // What book is on your nightstand?
Should I admit that I actually have at least twenty books on my nightstand right now?  Marie Kondo, I am not, hah!  My summer goal is to knock that amount in half before purchasing anything new.

4 // Share your laundry routine.
I prefer big laundry days over little loads every day, so I typically only do laundry on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.  I have baskets (similar to these but mine are square) in my laundry room and wait until one is full before I wash them.  I actually enjoy folding – I find it calming – and then make stacks by person on my bed or dining room table.  The kids take their pile and put away.  Not a perfect system, but it works for us!

5 // List the contents of your purse.
Wallet, extra diapers and wipes, a baby blanket, a board book, P’s sandals, tissues, and a few pieces of junk mail

6 // Name three items on your summer bucket list.

  • Get the outside of our house in shipshape.
  • Read at least ten books currently on my nightstand.
  • Plan a fun staycation.

7 // What song is stuck in your head right now?
The kids just watched Lego Movie 2 and “Catchy Song” lives up to its name, hah!  Play at your own risk.

8 // Share what you do after a bad day.
After a particularly stressful day, I send the kids up to bed a little earlier, eat a big bowl of ice cream without sharing, and decompress with a good book.

9 // What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Mint chocolate chip.

10 // List three items on your wishlist.

  • A new couch: we need one so badly, but are trying to wait until Lucy is a little older (if she chews up something new, I think I’ll cry)
  • This sweatshirt
  • One of these linen dresses from Pyne and Smith Clothiers
Tag, you’re it!

 

No.259: Read With Me // Overdressed (Part 2)

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Quick recap: I assigned myself a summer reading book, Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, to help me learn more about ethical fashion.  I’m jotting down some notes and thoughts as I read through it this month and sharing them here.  Maybe it will inspire you in a new way too!

I’ve divided the book into four sections.  (Find my notes on Part One here.)  Part Two contains Chapters 3 and 4.

Chapter 3: High and Low Fashion Make Friends

Every season another mass-fashion retailer announces a buzzy new partnership with a famed designer…growing sales by drawing hysterical early morning queues and stampedes that clean out stores in the blink of an eye. (p.70)

Consumers once bought the best clothing they could for their money, which started with an intimate knowledge of fiber content.  When clothes were more expensive and kept for years and worn year-round, we were naturally more invested in what they were made of. (p.83) 

   Notes and takeaways from this chapter:

  • This chapter explored the vast difference between high-end fashion and their cheaper counterparts.  The section on high-end designers and the way retailers like Target, H&M, and Gap have partnered with them to create fast fashion copycats was eye-opening.  This quote was thought-provoking: “Where girls once would have paid at least some attention to the craftsmanship of the product, or even might have sat behind a sewing machine and created their own Missoni-inspired or Karl Lagerfeld look-alike, they can now line up passively to buy disposable versions of it.” (p.71)
  • There are two types of man-made fibers, plastics and cellulosic:
    • Cellulosic are fibers like viscose, rayon, Modal, and Tencel and are produced from naturally sourced by-products like cotton scraps and sawdust
    • Plastics are fibers like polyester, acrylic and nylon
  • As I read through this book, I’m reminded so much of my grandmother.  She was a talented seamstress and would intensely inspect my clothing – what the fabric was, how the seams were sewn, how the lining in a skirt was connected.  I’m so sad that I never sat down with her and had her explain the construction of a well-made piece of clothing.

    Chapter 4: Fast Fashion

    Fast fashion is a radical method of retailing that has broken away from seasonal selling and puts out new inventory constantly throughout the year.  Fast-fashion merchandise is typically priced much lower than its competitors’…On it’s face, it makes little sense that selling so much attractive fashion for so little could be profitable.  But in fact, it seems to be the only surefire way to make it in today’s retail scene: Fast-fashion retailers have more than twice the average profit margin of their more traditional competitors. (p.96)

    Notes and takeaways from this chapter:
    • “Forever 21 is notorious for ripping off fashion designers.  To date, the company has been sued more than 50 times for copyright violations.  Yet it has never been found liable for copyright infringement.” (p.105)  This is so sad.  It reminds me of a few intellectual property violations I read about a few years ago: 
    • A thought-provoking quote: “But what happens when the copycats in question are huge, billion-dollar companies that are gaining market share by the day?  Forever 21 and Zara aren’t small Seventh Street manufacturers aping Parisian couturiers.  And they aren’t just mimicking high-end designers few can afford.  They’re corporations that are able to undercut virtually all of their competitors, whether it’s a high-end luxury label, an independent designer, or anything in between.” (p.110-111)
    P.S. Don’t forget to enter the blogiversary giveaway for a chance to win some of my favorite things!  Open until Sunday, June 16.

    No.258: Small Biz Showcase // What I Bought this Spring

    Years ago, when I was running Big White Farmhouse, my online gift shop, I would often lament that there was just no way I could compete with the “big guys” who could provide rock-bottom prices and free shipping rates.  Retail is a hard business and I never felt like I had a fighting chance.  Fast forward to today as I make yet another order at the “Big A” (you know who I mean) and I realize my hypocrisy.  It’s time to put my money where my mouth is.

    My new motto is “Less But Better.”  I’m willing to save up a little longer, pay a little extra and wait more than two days to receive my order if it means a better product from a hard-working entrepreneur.  Admittedly, this takes a little more research, but if that’s not a first world problem, I don’t know what is!

    To keep me accountable, I’d like to share seasonally the businesses I found and purchased from.  Sometimes half the issue is that we don’t know any other options, so I’ll share some with you and I hope you’ll share some hidden gems with me!  Here’s what I bought this spring:

    1 // MERCY HOUSE GLOBAL
    Mercy House Global provide homes for pregnant girls in Kenya and has an online marketplace to support those efforts.  I bought a bag of coffee and these mini notecards to add to my Poshmark packages.  Mercy House also has a huge selection of jewelry, many made by the girls themselves!  This bracelet would be fun to add to snail mail for a friend and look at these bracelets!  Beautiful.

    2 // LONDON LITTLES 
    London Littles is run by Janssen from the blog, Everyday Reading.  I bought the Kensington Navy Rain Boot for Sophie and oh my goodness.  I was so impressed with the whole experience – the packaging is amazing and the quality of the boots is great!  If you’re looking for a unique children’s gift that isn’t another toy, this is the shop for you.

    3 // POTTING SHED CREATIONS
    I used to carry Potting Shed Creations’ products at Big White Farmhouse.  I got the Songbird Habitat Scatter Garden Seeds and after planting a few weeks ago, we are just starting to see growth.  Exciting!  This company has tons of great products – I have this saved for a gift idea. 

    4 // FAT BRAIN TOYS
    I needed a few birthday gifts for family members and found Fat Brain Toys after a Google search.  I love their story!  I bought the Lego Duplo Numbers Train, which has been a big hit at our house.  I also got Aqua Pals, which I thought would be fun for the bathtub or for playing in the plastic pool this summer.  Definitely saving Fat Brain Toys for upcoming birthdays and Christmas.

    5 // BEAUTYCOUNTER
    I have been slowly replacing my makeup with better options at Beautycounter and always shop through my friend Stephanie.  This spring, I replaced my blush and got Melon.  Love the color.

    6 // SECOND SPIN
    Because we live in such a rural area, our Internet can be spotty, especially in inclement weather.  So while everyone’s streaming and keeping their movies in the cloud, we’re kicking it old school and buying DVDs!  Mark found Second Spin and we bought a few movies for the kids for super cheap. 

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