Eco Voyage

keep it together

how does one keep everything together? literally or metaphorically, i love the idea of discovering how each of us holds our lives together, whether by service to others, the creation of art, physical activity, prayer or nurturing relationships in our lives. for me, i’m adamant about keeping my home space + personal space organized.

i like to think a neat, orderly space creates clear, open paths for brilliant + beautiful ideas to push through the fertile ground of my brain {that’s my story + i’m sticking to it!}.

zero waste living

to create a clean space here on planet earth, it takes just a few adjustments to our everyday living habits to shape environmentally sound practices.

remember, friends, not all that glimmers can be recycled. the answer here is not simply to recycle more, but to buy less plastic products + pre-packaged food items. according to greenpeace, globally only 9% of our plastic is recycled. where does the rest go? with landfills + recycling facilities reaching maximum capacity, the overflow ends up in our oceans.

here are four easy steps to plastic-free living:

carry a canvas or cloth tote bag to fetch groceries + run errands
use a reusable water bottle rather than single-use plastic bottles
take a set of reusable utensils + your own to-go container when heading out
invest in zero-waste products made by eco companies like reusable dishcloths, produce bags + zip pouches

by the sea

i’m holding it all together with handmade + zero waste pouches from by the sea organics. this eco home goods brand + sustainable fashion label was created with the mission to pay a fair wage + provide safe working milieus to workers throughout the supply chain while continuing to adhere to the most sustainable practices at every level of production.

it’s a great balm to my mind + heart to know that there are small, independent companies that never stray from their values + ethics to put people + planet over profit. by the sea has an entire range of lovely, zero waste zip pouches, grocery totes, produce bags, snack bags + charming notebooks made from earth friendly, organic cotton factory scraps. why toss excess fabric into a landfill when you can make magic with them?! i carry my light-as-a-feather notebook with me everywhere!

love + equal pay

shopping is indeed a political act, with our dollars we can vote to support companies that mirror our values. we can choose companies like by the sea that protect the environment by eschewing the use of plastic throughout their entire supply chain and lift up workers via safe working environments + living wages.

each of our actions matters: small acts + big acts. as consumers + citizens, we can each choose to invest in products that truly create harmony for people + planet.

wherever you may be during these uncertain times, i hope that you are close to peace + calm. and i hope that you are organizing the space in your mind, heart + home.

until next time, stay green dear hearts!

don’t forget the tip: journalist + environmentalist lucy siegle informs us in her book turning the tide on plastic, “the amount of plastic debris in the sea is predicted to increase from 50 million metric tons in 2015 to 150 million metric tons by 2025.” let this sobering science galvanize us to action. let us take up pens, my friends. let us write + call our government representatives and elected officials.

our garbage is buried in the ground, burned or sent away to be disposed of in landfills, often affecting vulnerable communities. single-use plastic bags + containers pollute land + waterways, endangering animal life on earth + marine life in our oceans. the chemicals released by these plastics make our soil infertile + our water supplies toxic. gulp.

siegle implores us as citizens + consumers, “whenever you see packaging that is totally over the top, take up the pen and write to the company responsible. It needn’t be a formal letter – a tweet [or ig post] will often be just as if not more effective. add the hashtag, #reducepackaging to your tweet, and make sure you copy in your local council and trading standards office (if they are on social media).”

i hear an unfamiliar sound in the background. "what's that?" i ask. "wild chickens," comes the answer.

when kathryn letson, founder of eco lifestyle brand by the sea, decided she wanted to see change in her life, she really meant it. over ten years ago she made a decision, and like a tide washing over her life, every aspect would be affected, her entire life eventually transformed.

this new life would prove to be a slower life, a greener life, and a happier life.

sometimes we are catapulted onto a new path suddenly, other times change happens over a life span, and sometimes life puts everything into a blender for us, and we have to decide which direction this new mix of events is pointing us towards. for me, the collusion of slow fashion + plant-based eating that set me on the path to wellness; for kathryn, it was a decision to leave a lucrative career in new york within the fast-fashion industry, to embrace a new life in a new locale, and to build a sustainable company from the ground up.

this brand is a design + aesthetic experience awaiting your participation. this is by the sea.

"there are places that you're called to," kathryn is telling me from her home in hawaii.

i couldn't agree more.

island living suits kathryn. she was only eleven when she first experienced the lush landscape of hawaii with her grandmother, but the memory stayed with her. later in life, when contemplating a move, it seemed like the perfect milieu to start anew. it's this backdrop that influences her relaxed, feminine line of fair trade, handmade apparel + home goods for free spirits.

this summer while i was road tripping through france, i had one thought on repeat in my mind: i'd love a white, billowy dress for long days of exploring under the sun, a crisp little number for sandy days at the beach or park days with friends.

my mind had conceived of an ethereal white dress made of organic cotton*, made by happy hands. it's exactly at this time that an unexpected connection occurred with by the sea, a line of beautiful, ethically-produced home goods and a gorgeous selection of organic cotton summer dresses including a flowing, ivory frock, exactly like the one i imagined: a handcrafted marvel.

“when my inner self is in alignment, then my outer world starts to align, too.”

from the beginning, kathryn aspired to be more than a brand offering beautiful apparel; she wanted to create a company in which the process of making clothing + textiles was healthy for everyone involved. she shares, "when my inner self is in alignment, then my outer world starts to align, too."

kathryn follows the tenets of sacred commerce, an idea that embraces choice + responsibility at its core and a belief that every person is valued throughout the supply chain. "everyone has a job, and that job is important. there is no hierarchy in sacred commerce," she shares. not only is she taking care of her workers, she's also tending to the needs of her customers.

"fast fashion is like mcdonald's for the skin," kathryn ruminates. she offers the reminder that what we place on our skin is absorbed into our bloodstream {this is called dermal absorption}. hence, kathryn built a business that's akin to farm-to-table cuisine. she sources organic textiles + her entire supply chain is transparent, considering all people involved in production, from the harvesters, to the weavers + the sewers.

now, here's my favorite part about kathryn's story {because i love learning how people come to adopt their dreams, how they choose one path in life over another, like adopting a puppy at the pound}: i wanted to know how exactly does one come to a decision with so many wonderful options, all of them barking, begging for your attention?

“i asked myself, ‘what would you like to do?’ i decided i was going to create my own job based on my passions.”

i ask her how she came to this path as an eco entrepreneur, as a fashion designer, as a social media manager + marketer, as the person who seemingly does it all. and i love her answer, "i asked myself, 'what would you like to do?' i decided i was going to create my own job based on my passions. i am the prince of fashion: he did everything, and i do everything."

it makes sense that this multi-tasking woman has created so many multi-tasking items in her line, including charming, hand-blocked sheets. my bedding is all white, and the only color i've brought into my living space exists in the shape of green plants + antique books of varying muted tones. adding printed bedding is like adding a bouquet of flowers to any room. i love the subtle color palette + intricate patterns of each handmade piece.

by the sea's organic cotton sheets are made with a tight weave, making it a hardy companion for picnics {as a picnic blanket, it's big enough to fit all your friends + all those healthy eats too}, and its pretty enough to be hung as a curtain or used as a tablecloth {which i love to do}. the pillowcases are made with a lighter cotton fabric; they are ever so soft, and the blankets are light + deliciously cozy: all bedding is made with masterly craftsmanship, natural dyes + exquisite details.

in addition to women's wear + accessories, the line has grown to include woven + knits, as well as bedding + kitchen accessories {all fair trade items, all gots certified + some made with recycled cotton}. they have the loveliest clutches + wristlets {i have declared my love for clutches big + small here, but i'll say it again: i do a travel pouch love}. these clutches are perfect for artists + adventurers on the go: organize anything + everything in their colorful or monochromatic options.

{don't forget the tip} *conventional products + clothing carry toxins that are absorbed through our skin and can negatively impact our health + the health of the workers producing the goods {the chemicals in coloring dyes, scouring agents + industrial detergents have been linked to skin rashes, hormone disruption + cancer}. kathryn's entire line is made using only natural, non-toxic textiles + dyes.

greening your home can seem like a daunting task if done all at once; take your time + choose one category or room at a time {green bath + beauty products, household cleansers, home goods}. for me, bedding was very important, and finding a label that has items in every category makes life that much easier. hop on over to by the sea for green living options for every room in your house.

{images by cats like scotch}