June Challenge Update

Can you believe it is almost the end of June?! Wow, did this month go by quickly! I was hoping I would be able to detail more about my June Challenge on the blog and achieve some of the things I wanted to get done in terms of Green Kitchen Home Improvements, but here's a summary so far.

Before - In the months prior to this "challenge," I ordered take out or went out to eat probably 2-3 times a week, not including the times I picked a coffee up from a local shop. (I use the term "challenge" loosely here for several reasons. Is the ability to not order take out really that significant of a lifestyle practice? No!)

Results - This entire month, I've brought my lunch to work each day. While I didn't make a near perfect record, nor did I achieve some of the green kitchen improvements I wanted to this month (they are still in the works). I'm continuing with no take-out rule. "21 Days Makes a Habit" seems to be my motto/motivation. I ate out five times during this month - Rib Fest, Lisa's Celebratory Return to the USA, Father's Day, Gino's with my dad, and that one time in the midst of apartment hunting when I desperately needed a Starbucks-Pick-Me-Up. 

Technology Asset - With the Pepperplate App (and online site), you can automatically import recipes from your favorite websites and blogs (no need to manually enter them). You can also format your meal planner and make shopping lists based off of your favorite websites. I love the fact that it is compatible on all three of my devices - computer, tablet, and phone. You can use all of the features on whatever device you use, but I use certain devices for specific things - computer (finding recipes, organizing shopping lists, and meal planning), mobile (for when I'm actually shopping), and tablet (for the cooking).

Meal Planning - Everyone has different ways how they plan meals, I don't think I've figured it out completely, but I definitely have something that is much more efficient than anything that I did before this challenge. Towards the end of the week (Thursday or Friday), I will plan the meals for the rest of the week starting with Saturday (afternoon or dinner depending on where we are with food). Lunch is typically leftovers, but I will rotate and store them properly so it doesn't seem redundant. Breakfast changes from week to week, but there isn't too much variation within the week. Each week I tried to make one meal that I could prepare on Sunday and freeze (casseroles, soups, baked things) and one grain/vegetable salad that I could use for lunches and sides.

Grocery Shopping - Each week, we spent about $60-90 on groceries. A ate out for lunch Monday thru Friday (not fighting on that too much), but that $60-90 included breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the weekend, plus all dinners, my lunches, and breakfasts during the week. It included meat, which is probably the most expensive thing. If we were vegetarians, that average could easily be dropped in half. I mixed up grocery shopping between farmer's markets, Jewel, and Whole Foods. I had bought $60 worth of grains - quinoa, rice, and gluten-free cereal in bulk around mid-May. We used all of those grains (still a bit left over).

Conclusions & Next Steps - Since I'm preparing everything that I've been making, I feel extremely healthy lately (other factors might also impact that feeling), but I've felt overall very healthy, which I haven't in a very long time. With the reduction of trash, setting up the compost pile, the overall good feeling, and the savings. I'm continuing this tradition on. My goal for July is to make the entire month without any exceptions, but I will be building on my June challenge with a new one for July.

Moving, Part 1

We're moving! Not the blog, but me (Lindsay) as an actual person. Two years of living in my garden apt. and four years living in either Lakeview or Lincoln Park, it is time for a change. Unfortunately, when I told my landlord that I wouldn't be renewing again, I did not know that the rental market in Chicago was as cut throat as it is. A and I made appointments to see at least 3-4 places, and they were rented before we could even see them! Luckily, we found a great place in Wicker Park/Bucktown, and we are very excited for the move. Here's some photos from the listing.

There's a couple things about moving and being sustainable. Hopefully, this is a place we will be at for a while (because who likes moving?!? and LOOK HOW BIG IT IS!)

• Actual Moving: Boxes, movers, how many trips back and forth? Cleaning? So many decisions. 
• Furniture: After we applied for the place and signed the lease, we realized how big the new space is compared to our current place. Plus, my brother and his fiancee are taking the futon (THANK YOU!) So, I will definitely be trying to figure out how to furnish this new place - using current items, recycled items, and things I make on my own. 
• Amenities of the New Place: Central Air, Washer/Dryer in Unit, and a Dishwasher....I haven't had the four of these things for four years. What to use? What not to use...these are the bigger questions that I'm trying to rationalized. Do I get a stationary bike that generates energy with us? Window solar panels?  
• The Garden Apt. - Everyone asks me, "Will you still call the blog  The Garden Apt.?" Yes! 

DIY Living Room Upgrades: Coffee Table + Pillows

I've been longing to update certain aspects of my garden apt. for a few months, especially after A moved in. I've got a tendency for cohesion and with the abundance of tech gadgets and equipment that soon invaded my apt., everything seemed out of whack. At the same time, I had the furniture, it functioned for its purposes - sitting, resting feet, storage, etc. I didn't want to toss anything out, so I decided to paint, redesign it, or recover it.

Final Result

My two main projects included 1) painting the iKea Lack TV unit (used as a coffee table because surface area is essential for us) and then covering it with Chasing Paper wallpaper top and 2) creating new pillow cases for my pillows (brushed up on my sewing skills at The Needle Shop)

BEFORE: Look at how pathetic those pillows look. I made the mini-black one at my Needle Shop class

First, I painted the coffee table. Before I cut the wallpaper, I had to flatten out. Great use of my weights (about the biggest use i get out of them)

Measured the wall paper so that it would align correctly on the table. Used straight edge to cut paper as well.

Peeled the paper and placed on table. My recommendation is that this is a two person job to avoid any air bubbles.  

Everything placed back on the coffee table - Grandma's tick-tac-toe set, candle, plants, remote, books, and great blanket storage.

Window sill above couch. I've got a bunch of gifted decorative objects, old candle holders, etc. They were all different colors and with my left over paint. I decided to paint them white for uniformity. 

My three pillows, super stuffed. I kind of like my brown futon couch now with these pillows.

Final product.

Even though I will be moving in a few short months, the couch and coffee table will find its open in my new (garden) apt. With any left over fabric, paint, etc. I've got plans to use it for some other decorative projects, so that I use up what I purchased. Since my home diy projects all revolve around a similar color scheme, I can get more use out of them with other projects.

Fook y Jaay: Worse for the Wear

Am I trying to cuss you out? No! One of my long-time friends - Lisa Floran - is back from serving two years for the Peace Corps in Senegal. She'll be writing a weekly perspectives/transition feature that will discuss some American lifestyle practices in comparison to her Senegalese experience. She will be also writing about how she tries to stay sane as she transitions back into becoming a yuppie American professional. 

Two years ago, when I was packing for Senegal, I remember carting off bags upon bags of clothing to donation centers.  It was a transition; the perfect time for me to part with some of my beloved but seldom worn pieces, like the beautiful purple dress that only worked for dancing flamenco or blister-birthing heels I bought in the wrong size.  At the same time, I also fretted about just what to bring to a sweltering, Muslim, African nation.  Every single article I chose to pack would need the versatility and strength to survive two years of climate, sweat, dirt, and fashion - or so I thought.

In reality, when I arrived in Senegal, I found anything I could possibly want just outside my front door.  And I say that literally: my front stoop was a passageway to a world where clothing was sold on street corners, in markets alongside produce and raw meat, and through windows of passing buses.  The grand jewel of these markets was the fook y jaay, a weekly secondhand clothing and fabric market that sprawls for blocks and blocks in major cities.  Translated from Wolof, fook y jaay means shake and sell: a fitting moniker.

If, like me, you appreciate the thrill of the hunt, the exhilaration of a good find, and the satisfaction of a killer deal, the fook y jaay is the place for you.  Plus, unlike thrift store shopping in the U.S., where the best pieces get pulled out early and resold at upscale boutiques, fook y jaays offer all of their treasures in mixed bags at equal prices.  At a weekly fook y jaay, clothing is separated by type, making it easy to spot the dress sellers, the skirt sellers, the coat sellers, and so on. 

Moreover, many vendors use a fixed price method, yelling out anything from 100-500cfa (20 cents - $1) as a uniform cost for any item in their stash.  In Senegal, most of the population lives on about $4-5 a day; with my Peace Corps salary, I had a comfortable $10.  Needless to say, for both me and my Senegalese counterparts, the deals of the fook y jaay were tough to beat, and I quickly became addicted.  Here are some of my favorite finds:

Most clothing arrives in developing countries like Senegal through an established route.  Fashionistas, do-gooders, and successful dieters send their old frocks to collection centers, getting closet space and perhaps a little cash or tax break in return.  Charities sort the clothes, sending some to upscale resale boutiques, secondhand stores, and textile recycling centers and getting their own cut.  And after all of that, about 40% of the clothes end up exported to developing countries, where they’re sold for further profit by local vendors.

Critics argue that these charitable donations often harm more than help developing economies.  In countries where textile production is a leading industry, importing cheap foreign clothing can undermine local tailors and fabric producers.  In defense, some countries have placed bans on imported clothing– most notably, two of Africa’s biggest economies: Nigeria and South Africa.  In addition to economic concerns, others worry that the influx of cheap Western clothing directly destroys culture and the art of traditional dress.

But on the other hand, other research suggests that importing clothing actually creates jobs.  One study found that between labor forces, clothing sorters, cleaners, and vendors, over five million jobs have been created in Kenya – all while providing a cheap and fashionable means of dress.  Plus, on a scale from local to Chinese-imported products, imported secondhand clothes falls roughly in the middle of the economic scale.

From my own point of view, Western clothes didn’t seem to be giving Senegalese tailors a run for their money – at least not yet.  Senegal is a predominately Muslim country, and as such, its women are especially hesitant to give in to Western clothing full-time.  My host mother, sisters, and aunts still preferred elaborate, traditional dresses in wax, basin, and embroidered silk far before anything they could find at the fook y jaay.  In fact, I think they were a little disgusted at the amount of shopping I did there. 

Then again, there’s no denying that whatever demand developing countries have for cheap, secondhand clothing, the influx is far outpacing it.  As the last stop in the recycled clothes merry-go-round, developing nations have nowhere to forward the clothes they don’t want except their own landfills.  Despite best intentions, many of these countries are becoming dumping grounds for the world’s avarice.

So what do I recommend?  Obviously, recycling your clothes is a good thing, far better than simply throwing them away.  With recycling, clothes at least have a shot of getting a little more use.  But better yet, get creative and don’t give up on your clothes so easily.  Jeans can become shorts; dresses can become skirts; shirts can become quilts.  Tailoring can change a disappointing top into a game-changer.  And it goes without saying, but buy less and buy carefully.  Dispense less and try to cut corners (or in-seams) when you can.  And remember: cleaning out your own closet doesn’t guarantee you’re not cluttering up someone else’s. 

Giraffes

From left to right by rows: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 

Lately, I've had an obsession with giraffes in home decor (pillows, prints, sculptures, wall hangings, etc) as well as tech accessories (iPhone cases, wall paper backgrounds, etc). They are such elegant animals, and they've got a very peaceful, serene nature about them. I'm trying to gather inspiration/make a plan for my home, especially for my new place in July/August. I want to be very concrete and decisive about any new purchasing decisions. Right now, if I just randomly purchased what I would want, I would have an entire house filled of giraffe prints and pillows - excessive - but by the time August rolls around, I might have one or two. They also seem to have a gender neutral quality to them.

You know the whole people-animal look alike thing, well, mine is probably a giraffe. Even just the body - long, skinny on top, big booty. So other than their serene quality, I've probably got a natural affinity to the creatures. Then, last week, I watched The Campaign and thought that this clip is probably a metaphor to the visual impact I have when I wear heels.

Guest Post: Reduce & Reuse - Upgrading Your Garden Apt.

It’s best to reduce!  But this is America, and we can use with the best of ‘um.  So, I did both some reduction (as I didn’t buy anything brand new) and some reuse of vintage materials.  First, I searched for undervalued items at auctions, flea markets, on Craigslist or perhaps, in your parents’ basement.  These Michel Thonet-style bentwood chairs for example, with this blah fabric were won at a local auction house for $50 (plus 15% Buyer’s Premium, that’s another post).  

Admittedly, after I bought them, they sat in the barn for a full 8 months before at that same auction house two bolts of Japanese-inspired, German-made fabric (at least 20 yards) came on the block. I snagged both bolts for $60, after which I dropped both the chairs and fabric at my favorite local upholsteress (via Lithunia). At $20 per chair…presto and “Aciu“ (Pronounced AH-chu – which means “Thank You” in Lithuania)!  Rethought chairs! All for $190 plus an extra bolt of fabric for future projects.  Perfect for a game of Backgammon or our current craze Canasta!

The pagoda form lamp was another auction score. Check out auctionzip.com for your local auction spots!

About the Author: 

Christopher H. is an Auctioneer and Decorative Arts Cataloger in Jefferson’s Virginia, who enjoys antiques, Persian carpets, robot cookie jars, stone carving, 78 rpm records, Johnny Cash biographies, hoops, cooking followed by eating, wine, and fire. 

Local Feature: Julia Bergen of Do Rei Mi Jewels

 This is not a sponsored post.

Jewelry is one of the things that it is so easy for most of us not to think about in a sustainable way. When putting together an outfit, the quick and cheap fix is to your local online boutique or down-the-street-store for extremely cheap prices. Quality and uniqueness is usually sacrificed for accessibility. I'm guilty of it, but I'm really trying to change. Lately, the changes have been overwhelming satisfying. As I'm slowly adding more jewelry by local designers into by arsenal, I've been so pleased with the quality of the pieces. When buying local jewelry, it is definitely not as easy as mass-produced alternatives. I think I think we all run into two issues - price and quality. You don't want to buy something that looks like it came from a craft fair, and let's face it, most of us don't have high price points. Nonetheless, the jewelry designers, though more difficulty to find, are just extremely appealing to you and me; Julia Bergen of Do Rei Mi Jewels is one of those designers.

I've been fortunate to meet the lovely Julia through a digital art class I took at Lill Street Art Center last month. Julia makes contemporary cross-stitch jewelry - beautify pendants with modern art and patterns. Once I checked out her website, Etsy site, and Of A Kind sale, I immediately bought a piece for myself, and started planning my future gifts! 

You can find Do Rei Mi Jewels here, here, and here! All images in this post are from Do Rei Mi Jewels.

Plants Gone Wild

In my opinion, as there dog or cat people, there are plants or flowers people.  I am a plant person. Why plants? I personally cannot justify buying flowers regularly, granted they are BEAUTIFUL, but they die in about a week or two, and then you throw them out (or compost them, which I am sure everyone is doing), then you buy new ones, and the cycle repeats. Plants, on the other hand, are like less needy pets. Some regular watering, some fertilizer, slight grooming, then perfection!

Around the time I moved into my garden apartment, I bought three house plants from Home Depot that all managed to die within shortly after.  A few plant-less months go by, then last June, I decided to give plants a second shot, and  I went to the best place in Chicago to buy plants - Gethsemane Garden Center in Edgewater. Predicting another gardening failure, I bought more than I needed, especially given the space of my apartment. I figured my success rate would be 50% at best. Well, I was completely wrong, and those little plants have BLOWN UP. (Side note: Yay, Small-local business success!) My money tree is able 8-10 inches taller than when I first got it. Essentially, every plant has out grown its spot as well as its pot. 

Now, my current dilemma is how do I get my plants to work within the space. Right now, they are an interior design eye sore. I am foreseeing new pots, maybe an arrangement on a step ladder or entry-way table. However, I need a plan for it. I want to make this transition as efficient as possible. Inevitably, I will have to figure out what to do with the smaller plant pots - more plants!?! Ugh! My apartment look like Poison Ivy's in Batman (Uma Thurman, anyone?) So right now, I am in the planning phase. Trying to get more inspiration of how plants can work in the apartment, gathering what types of planters I like, and ensuring it all works with my other living space projects. 

Sharing of Stuff

Even though I have lived in my apartment for almost a year and half now, my living room still doesn't feel like me. My main project this month is to go through all the stuff, sell/give back what I don't like, and create my game plan for the living area. With the "man" moving his stuff in, my living room isn't really feeling like me. And thus, I'm living in a full blown mix of his and mine stuff, and we have sharing of stuff chaos. This, of-course, worsens my living room anxiety. So I am on the hunt - for a new couch and media center/console. With the couch, I'm looking at a love seat. I'm probably going to be living in an apartment for a few more years, and it's definitely going to be the man and I. No need for a bigger couch.

Dream Living Room:  White, mid-century pieces, unlimited budget. 

Reality: White, faux, mid-century pieces under $1000 for entire thing.

Currently Craving

Love seat : Overstock

Media Console - Debate

West Elm - Cb2

Love the West Elm Dresser, hate the price tag ($999)

The console has to be big enough to "hide" the speaker thats almost 22 inches.

Side Table Ideas

Thinking about using a wired book case to store my plethora of plants. 

It is funny. These pieces aren't even in my "dream ideal." They are some toned down version of what I can afford. If I had my dream, it wouldn't be West Elm and Cb2 pieces, but I am a firm believer in living within my means. Right now, that's not possible, especially all at once.

Thus, I'm on the search. One of these weekends, I am planning on hunting around various resale shops and antique stores to find some pieces that would work. My priority is going to the couch and media/console first. Suggestions?

Work Week Outfits in 9 Pieces

The work wardrobe is probably the bane of most female adult's existences. As my friend said, "I wouldn't be caught dead outside of work in my work clothes." But it is my work clothes that I spend most of my day, my week, my life in. So my work clothes need to be something that I would be caught outside of work in. Clothes that I love and that I feel comfortable wearing. When I first entered the workforce a couple years ago, it was a huge dilemma - what to wear to work. I can't even tell you how many pairs of work pants and blouses that I have bought. After cleaning out my closet, figuring out what looks best on me, and realizing that "yes, I can wear the same pants in the same week," I don't really need much. Thus, I present to you a whole week's worth of work outfits in nine pieces (shoes included). Obviously the winter outerwear and jewelry/scarves are not included, but the big pieces - blouses, pants, skirts and shoes are in here.

Clock-wise from the top left: 

Chambray Button-down // Sleeveless blouse // Black Skirt //

Animal Print Heels // Red Sweater // Black Dress // Black Pants // 

Long Cardigan // Black Heels

After putting these outfits together, it really made me think about how few things a person needs and how a little can go a very long way. Moreover, it did make me think about my current closet, and I really have a lot of clothes! Ah! The things I wish I knew when I first started working a few years ago! 

Here are my tips & tricks for shopping for a work wardrobe:

• Rome was not built overnight, and neither should your collection of work clothes.
• Buy quality pieces - excellent quality, comfortable, and great fit. If it doesn't match all three characteristics, don't buy it.
• Shop around for sales. You should never pay full price; unless it is a completely dire situation. Ask the sales assistants about when certain products will come on sale. 
• You don't need much: 3 bottoms (skirts and pants), 1 nice dress, 1 blazer, 1-2 cardigans, 3-4 blouses, and 2-3 pairs of shoes.
• Accessories, especially jewelry, always complete an outfit. 

Tall Ladies in Heels

This year, I am determined to embrace heels. To be perfectly honest, I think heels are the most beautiful  shoe type of them all. Boots have their unique, utilitarian style; flats are cute in their own little ways; but, after a couple of snowy months, boots seem to lose their beauty, and flats are usually destroyed by the end of the season. Heels - of course - you can always break one, but heels can dress up a very casual look. Although I own a few heels, I don't wear them regularly; partly due to comfort, partly due to how tall I am. However, this year, that changes. I am going to embrace heels. I am using these lovely, tall ladies as inspiration... 

Cleaning & Clearing Out

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to get rid of things I don't use any more - clothes, books, furniture, etc. I hate having things I don't like or use in my apartment; it actually kind of stresses me out.

• Clothes - I heard this rule from my mother, who said, "If you haven't worn it in six months or it doesn't fit, get rid of it." With my clothes, if I don't wear it or it doesn't fit right, I feel like it gives me more of headache just staying in my closet. A couple of weeks ago, I took all of my clothes that I didn't like to Crossroads and received about $140 for various items. Anything they didn't take I took to the Salvation Army. My entire trunk was filled with things (sorry, I forgot to take a picture). This week, I just read a Real Simple article about this website, Style.ly that will sell and donate your clothes for you! Have you every tried this?
• Books - After college, I sold a bunch of my old textbooks on Amazon. I ended up making a fair amount. Lately, I have acquired some books that I don't think I would read again; they don't have sentimental value for me, and they are not detrimental to my professional career. Thus, I'm back on Amazon, selling those. Anything that doesn't sell after Christmas, I will donate to Salvation Army. My must-have/always-have book collection has come down to these - Faithful by Marianne Faithfull, Joan Didion's Blue Nights, The Year of Magical Thinking, and We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live, Patti Smith's Just Kids and John Steinbeck's East of Eden. What are you must-have books?
• Furniture - Finally, one the biggest dilemmas I am undergoing right now is incorporating furniture that reflects my aesthetic. When I graduated from college and moved into the city, my mother gave me a lot of furniture from their old house. Growing up, my mother's style was very Pottery Barn/Ethan Allen/American Class - not my cup of tea! While the furniture was great for a little bit, I am past that now, and I would like to incorporate pieces that are more modern with mid-century vintage pieces. I have been selling various chairs, lamps, and tables on Craigslist and been quite successful. Also, thankfully I have a free storage space, so I don't have to look at the "eye sores" on a daily basis. Once I get rid of everything, I will start incorporating new pieces that I really like. 

My biggest reason for this mid-winter "deep clean" is that I don't want to surround myself with things that I don't like, especially in my home. It also gives me time to search for things I do like and make conscious decisions about what I want to purchase next.