April 3, 2013
It’s been unseasonably cool these last weeks. Most days, it’s been too chilly to fling the windows wide open and really enjoy the weather. Though we’re only just beginning to see the signs of an Alabama spring season, we’re preparing our supplies to begin the task of spring cleaning. We’ve previously shared some wabi-sabi cleaning [...]
July 2, 2012
We recently shared companies that are making quality products in the United States. To continue this ‘Made in America’ post from last week, we feature another round of companies who practice the same excellence and pride. Some of these products have been staples in my daily wear for ages; they’ve held up to the test [...]
December 11, 2011
I have been revisiting our Wabi Sabi posts as I move into the holiday season and start to get my house ready for a slew of visitors. I am so excited to be cooking up a storm from all of our new holiday cookbooks, playing games, and laughing – but, first, my house needs a [...]
September 18, 2011
A perfect list from page 67 of Simply Imperfect: Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House: The Wabi-sabi Cleaning Cupboard Hydrogen peroxide to remove mold and disinfect Club soda to clean and shine fixtures and windows Vinegar to cut grease and lime deposits and soap buildup, deodorize toilet, remove film on floors Baking soda to scour and remove [...]
September 16, 2011
When I think of the philosophy of wabi-sabi, Burning Man and a Mustang Convertible are not the first things that pop into my mind. However, it is this sort of dichotomy that seems to define Robyn Griggs Lawrence… environmentalist, mother, writer, maker, visionary, mover, and shaker. Robyn has been kind enough to share a bit [...]
September 15, 2011
Mending is not something we – as a culture – spend a lot of time doing these days. Fast fashion and mass consumerism has taught us to simply throw older or imperfect items away and replace them with newer versions. I am all for the “Sewing Schoolyard” – let’s teach ourselves and our kids to [...]
From page 51 of Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers: “Beauty can be coaxed out of ugliness, Wabi-sabi is ambivalent about separating beauty from non-beauty or ugliness. The beauty of wabi-sabi is, in one respect, the condition of coming to terms with what you consider ugly. Wabi-sabi suggests that beauty is a dynamic event [...]
September 14, 2011
While working on my own wabi-sabi this week, I came across the work of friend Carolyn Strauss and her partner in slowLab – Alastair Fuad-Luke – on page 30-31 of Simply Imperfect: Revisiting the Wabi-Sabi House. I was reminded of the importance of these six principles:
September 13, 2011
I have immersed myself in Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers over the last weeks and these three, short sentences on the nature of the universe (see pages 46-47) make me so happy: 1. All things are impermanent. 2. All things are imperfect. 3. All things are incomplete. To me, this seems the essence of [...]
September 12, 2011
I made it! 50 years old and going strong. On my daughter Maggie’s birthday each year, I send (or do my best to send) an invitation to celebrate that includes the following text. Today, the invitation is for me: “Join us in celebrating 50 years of life. No presents please, plant a flower or a [...]