Faire Child: Outdoor Play, No Matter the Weather

June 26, 2018October 27, 2018Leave a comment

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sustainable Weather Rain Wear Canadian Ottawa Canada We love to be outside year round, snow, rain or shine, but to be honest enjoying rain has been hard. Rain is often cold in Canada and can feel harsher than a snow storm. That being said, playing outside, exploring and living in the elements is really important developmentally, and for engendering an ecological consciousness in children. That’s why I’ve always tried to suit my children in clothing that would make weather fun, so that exploring and learning would not be encumbered by distracting clothing. But good quality, comfortable rain gear has been an elusive thing. Fully waterproof clothing for children is generally plastic or coated, which makes the clothing heavy, rigid, and often noisy. The lighter gear is prohibitively expensive or simply unavailable in small sizes.

Sen is a sensitive child and has never been able to find a way to enjoy himself in typical heavy children’s rain gear, he is upset by the noise it makes when the fabric rubs against itself, he dislikes the weight of the fabric and the rigid nature of it, and how hot it makes him due to lack of breathability. Until recently, clothing discomfort was truly getting in the way of Sen enjoying playing in the rain and strong winds.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Ottawa Canada

Enter Faire Child: a small Canadian sustainable weather wear company. If I tell you everything I love about them you will think they pay me! (They don’t). I TRULY cannot praise this company enough. Their clothing is beautiful, highly durable, functional, sustainable beyond compare (for example, their clothing is recyclable and they innovated compostable packaging just to name two awesome things they do!). Beyond this: Sen can now enjoy himself for endless hours in rain or windy weather. Their clothing is unbelievable light and soft, which you can only fully understand by touching it yourself. Happily, Sen can now play to his heart’s content in the weather and focus on doing what he loves: to play, explore and imagine.

Please read on below for an interview I did with Faire Child designer and founder, Tabitha, where she talks about her passions, being a creative mother, and her dreams for children. Make sure you check out the end of this post where you’ll find a giveaway to enter for $100 shop credit with Faire Child. You’ll also find a beautiful colouring sheet to download for your children (or yourself!). Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself, the person behind Faire Child. What is your background?

My name is Tabitha Osler and I am the designer and director of Faire Child. I was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia and have recently returned after my daughter was born. I studied fashion design at Antwerp Royal Fashion Academy and then worked in the fashion industry in both Canada and Europe. I have also taught sustainable fashion at the University of Edinburgh and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about making positive change in the fashion industry. The way we have been doing things isn’t working anymore, and hasn’t worked for quite a while now. I feel that designers and tastemakers have the power to dictate trends and encourage the industry to make responsible choices. I am empowered by that and it motivates me to be a change maker. I want to be part of the solution when it comes to the social and environmental impacts of fast fashion. I want to help educate consumers about how to be responsible stewards of the Earth. I want to see people change their buying habits. Buy less and buy things that will last. Even better if, like our outerwear, it doesn’t ever have to end up in a landfill.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

I have one child, a 2 year old named Charli. She is an adventurous, playful, outgoing and curious creature!

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

We like to spend a lot of time outside. We have some really great walking trails and parks in Halifax so we take advantage of that. The ocean is really close as well so that’s really great. Tickle wars also get big laughs in our home!

What did you want to be when you were a child?

Oh, I definitely wanted to be an astronaut! The world felt too small, I wanted to see it all.

Did your career aspirations change once you had a child?

Yes, hugely. I didn’t want work to dictate my family’s lifestyle and I wanted to be in control of my schedule.

What is Faire Child and why did you decide to start this business?

Faire Child is pioneering a new future for children’s outerwear. After I had Charli I had this new found motivation – I wanted to actively make a better world for Charli to live in. I was concerned about what she would be left with. Questions like ‘would there be less access to clean water?’ were constantly floating around my head.

So I had a goal of developing a line of clothing that wasn’t just doing less bad but was doing more good.

As a new mother I was also recognizing the positive effects that being outdoors had on my child. Mother Nature is both a teacher and a healer. I wanted to connect children with their environment and give them an opportunity to fall in love with the natural world. So my design challenge was to create garments that would allow children to be outdoors – everyday, all day, whatever the weather, all while having a positive effect on the planet.

How would you describe Faire Child in 5 words?

Well, we are loving our new tag lines! Weather the World and For Young Pioneers

What inspired you to start designing?

My mom sews and growing up watching her make clothes from scratch was like magic. I needed to know how to do that!

Craftsmanship and sustainability are important to you. How do you translate these into your designs and their production?

They definitely are important and it goes back to those ideas about fast fashion and this place we seem to find ourselves in where we throw away clothes as easily as paper towels. Through my research I found beautifully constructed garments that were made to last. I was particularly drawn to vintage workwear from the early 20th century. The designs were so thoughtful and they were meant to be worn outside all day long. So, basically I made mini versions for kids most important job – making and playing. As far as production goes, I was adamant that these pieces be made in Canada.

Where and how (by who?) are Faire Child products made?

Thank you for asking! I am all about transparency and I think it’s important that companies, clothing companies in particular, start opening up about the people making their products. Our products are made here in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, about 15 minutes away from our studio, at Climate Technical Gear. They also make gear for the fishing and marine industry so they are experts in functional clothing. We have a small team of people there, cutters, sewers and tapers, that work with us to produce the Faire Child outerwear.

What’s special about the materials you use?

There is so, so much to say about our fabric. I will try to not geek out too hard. Our fabric is manufactured by Sympatex, a German company working on the edge of textile innovation. The top reason I chose this material is because it never has to end up in a landfill. The fabric is made from recycled PET water bottles and PET is a pretty amazing material. Many other materials become weaker through the recycling process but PET has the ability to be recycled over and over again without compromising quality. On top of that it’s also functional – 100% waterproof, windproof and breathable – and it’s actually quite soft – especially the inner layer.

The fabric we use is also Oeko-tex and Bluesign certified. This ensures that the fabric is safe next to skin and that no harmful chemicals were used to make it. On a related noted, many of the popular outerwear brands rely on PFC and PTFE to make their fabrics waterproof and windproof. These are hazardous substances that take a very long time to break down and can now be found in even the most untouched places on earth. It seems silly that a lot of the bigger brands promoting an active outdoor lifestyle are not being more serious about the effect they are having on our world. You can learn more about this through Green Peace’s Detox campaign.

What’s your favourite piece you’ve designed?

My favourite piece from the current Faire Child collection is the raincoat because of the complexity and ingenuity of the pattern from which it was inspired. It’s the thoughtfulness of things like underarm gussets for ease of movement that make it a really special piece.

This is getting pretty nerdy, but please tell me about your amazing packaging?

You are our kind of girl! We spent months getting nerdy over packaging. I would first say that we try our hardest to be thoughtful about all the materials we use and the impact they have on the environment. With that mindset, we couldn’t overlook the packaging. We were able to source a compostable material from Swiss Pack in Ontario and with them we designed Canada’s first compostable poly bag. To take things a step further we are also using direct thermal compostable labels to print our mailing addresses on. All that being said, our packaging can go into your green bin!

[ editor’s note: For people outside Canada, a green bin is the household recycling and/or compost bin that is collected usually weekly by the city as part of waste management ]

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sarah Silks Ottawa Canada Petits Vilains

Can you tell me about your Take Back Program?

Of course! I created the Take Back Program so I would be taking responsibility for the end of life of the garments. After many, many years of use in your own family and then another and hopefully another, our Faire Child pieces can be sent back to us for recycling. When they are back in our hands we disassemble the garment and make sure that those materials are recycled in such a way that they have the most value.

[ editor’s note: for interested readers, Take Back is a version of extended producer responsibility (EPR), a concept that has been implemented in many European countries, where producers of goods are responsible for the entire life cycle of the product, one of the outcomes of this policy is that manufacturers have an incentive to create long lasting products and for their recycling once they are not longer useful ]

What has made you the most proud of what you’re doing?

Well, we are definitely doing things the hard way. We aren’t taking the easy road and we aren’t cutting any corners. So, although everything seems to take so much longer it feels really good when you find the right solution. Even when a small detail falls into place it’s an occasion to celebrate!

What are your dreams for Faire Child?

Oh man, big questions! Well, we have had a lot of requests to make pieces in adult sizes and I am really excited to explore that opportunity! I am also really inspired by Forest Schools and that educational model. I would love to be partnering more strongly with Forest Schools. The thought of a group of kids learning outdoors outfitted in Faire Child coveralls is pretty dreamy!

What are your dreams for children?

There are a couple of things. The first would be that we want kids to be outdoors more, playing and interacting with the natural world. By encouraging this we are hoping that they build a strong and life long love for the outdoors and for our earth.

The other piece of this future vision for the next generation would be to inspire them to be stewards of their environment. I hope that they will see waste as a resource in the same way as I have with how I’m using fabric made from discarded plastic bottles to make the jacket they are wearing. I want their imaginations to be sparked, I want them to be empowered to explore creative solutions.

***

Thank you Tabitha! Readers and interested folks, we got 4 items from Faire Child and I absolutely cannot endorse their products enough — they are sustainable, ethical, top quality, comfortable and beautiful! We got the Knapsack, the Rain Jacket, the Cap, and the Rain Pants.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Sarah Silks Ottawa Canada Petits Vilains

*** GIVEAWAY***

Do you want to win $100 gift card from Faire Child? Of course you do! To enter for a chance to win here’s what to do:

Follow @fairechild on Instagram
Like and comment on my Faire Child post on Instagram @hippieindisguise
For an additional 3 entries tag 3 friends in the comments on my Instagram post, please comment each name in a separate comment to make the ballot cutting easier!
For an additional 5 entries download the *Amazing* Faire Child colouring sheet shown below and post about it on your Instagram account and use the hashtag #fairechildXhippieindisguise
Open worldwide! Contest closes on July 1, 2018 at midnight Vancouver time. Winner will be announced on my Instagram page on July 2.

Faire Child Hippie in Disguise Ottawa Canada

The Creative Year

December 12, 2016May 9, 20172 Comments

It’s a little dream of mine to support my family through creative work, so when I see other mothers making a go at this I get really excited for them and want to help them find success. So, when my friend Ellie told me she was developing an e-course where she would teach her crafty skills to others over the course of a year, I was not only excited to learn her creative techniques, but also to see her succeed in turning her creative passions into a sustainable source of income for her young family.

{ Long-time readers of the blog will know that I have a series on Creative Mothers and Ellie fits right into the inspiring group of women. }

Natural dyed yarn Hippie in Disguise Plant dye Creative Year

Having a modest readership here I wanted to share a little about the course with you in case it might interest you or someone you know. Sign up is ongoing, meaning you can start the course at any point in the year, but there is an early bird discount that ends December 15^th

You can read all about the course on Ellie’s website Petalplum and ask her questions directly via her Instagram account @petalplum or through her contact information on her website.

Here’s a little bit about The Creative Year course that I copied from her webpage:

“Imagine a whole year learning new skills, new crafts, new techniques & connecting with a community of like-minded creatives! Connecting heart, mind & hands you’ll learn how to make things for your home, your friends, your body, yourself.

You’ll get practical how-tos combined with thoughtful essays on being creative & finding your voice.
Each month you’ll receive video how-tos as well as downloadable written & illustrated information on a different project & creative technique.
Some months will include more than one technique (i.e. – basket weaving will also include easy tips on how to naturally dye your raffia).
The activities are designed to fit around family life and are perfect for beginners or great if you want to change up your current creative makings

The aim of the course is to grow and expand your skills, but also to spend a month dedicating to one new craft at a time.

Each project will be a surprise, but as an example, some will be: + Raffia basket making + Natural & botanical dyeing + Fabric printing + Crochet + Stitch work + Weaving + Necklaces and more…..”

Read all about The Creative Year course (and sign up!) on Petalplum blog.

Happy making!

***

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In the News: Painted Sidewalks Interview

May 16, 20161 Comment

In the news! I was interviewed by Hollie of the lovely new blog Painted Sidewalks as part of the Ma Crush Monday series, which features creative mothers — a topic close to my heart. Each mother is asked to answer the same three questions. So, skip over there and have a read, you’ll learn about Ro and Sen’s names and why we chose them, what parenting norms I reject, my guilty pleasures and my favourite things to do.

I hope you’ll click over to Painted Sidewalks blog, have a read and explore all the lovely content on offer. And, thank you, Hollie, for the interview.

xo, Danielle

You might also like my post:

Creative Mother: Kaity Ferrell

Find all my Creative Mother Interviews here

Social Media Minimalism: How to Balance Family Life and Instagram

How to Do Minimalism with Children

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Creative Mother Fleur Lyon: Peaceful Posies and Squares of Strength

April 2, 2016July 8, 2016Leave a comment

“Never suppress a generous thought” – Camilla Kimball

I’ve been following Fleur Lyon on Instagram, formerly known as @thepeacefulposy, now @thefolkmaker, for about a year or so now. As I became familiar with her creativity and mothering I became more and more inspired to reach outside of the Instagram platform and have chat with her. You see, Fleur creates beauty, but beauty with deep purpose, and I knew there was more to discover about her. So I asked Fleur to share a bit about herself with me and what I learned filled my heart. Fleur is a mother of three and a natural creative. In the year that I’ve been following her she turned her creativity toward helping others through two different projects: Peaceful Posies and Little Squares of Strength. (Read on to the interview to find out what these are about and how you can get involved!). Hearing about Fleur’s background and her passion for helping others it all made sense to me. Fleur is quite humble in how she shares on Instagram, so her open conversation was a treat and quite illuminating. Thank you, Fleur, for sharing and for reminding us how kindness, generosity and creativity matter, and when done with great purpose can make an important difference in the lives of others.

Dear Fleur, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

I’m a Mumma to 3 little girls, I make bespoke woollen posies in my little online shop. My posies are handcrafted with yarn and natural twigs that I collect from underneath the big gumtrees on our property. I am always creating, singing, playing with flowers, and daydreaming. I love working with natural and repurposed materials where possible. I used to make little hand-painted comfort dolls that I dressed in vintage florals and donated to children in orphanages. I am heading in the direction of my wool and materials being even more natural and homespun. I have dabbled a little in natural eco dyeing of wool and silk which I hope to do a lot more of, and I received a beautiful vintage spinning wheel for my birthday recently, so I am truly looking forward to starting to spin some of my own wool. I dream of some gorgeous woolly alpacas roaming on our property in the future. I also started a kindness project last year called the Little Squares of Strength Project which I will talk a little more about later.

What part of the world do you live in?

I live in an enchanting little village town in Western Australia called Balingup, full of beautiful rolling hills. Our family moved to the country about 2 years ago to escape the faster pace of city life, and to have a bigger space for the kids to roam free, where we could live a slower, more simple lifestyle. Here we embrace the wonders of nature, a more homemade life, a creative life, and a greater sense of community. While we build a little farmhouse on the top of a hill, we have been living in caravans for quite some time, and now a little shed (while we still sleep in a caravan). Although as a family of five, this has been rather challenging at times, this way of living in some ways has forced us to experience the simpler life, more time outdoors, and to be more grateful for small things.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

We have three little girls aged 2, 4 and 7. They are all quite different. Lilliana, our eldest is very creative and crafty, and she loves to sing, but she is also quite studious and factual, and loves her schoolwork and reading. Willow, our middle child is a little quieter and really loves cooking, imaginary play, and sensory play. Ivy, our littlest is bursting with energy, loves to perform, and loves nothing better than lying in the mud or playing in the dirt and sticks on our property. I love that they are all so different, but they all share a love of creativity and the outdoors.

Do you have a favourite quote or words you live by? Favourite books?

My favourite quote is “Do small things with great love.”

My favourite magazines to read are Frankie, Peppermint, Country Style, Taproot, Slow Living, and Womankind.

My favourite book is A Table in the Orchard by Michelle Crawford. I can relate incredibly to Michelle’s thoughts and dreams of their move away from the city to a simpler life. Her stories of homegrown, cooking, and countryside life fill my soul with warmth and inspiration and I could read Michelle’s beautiful words over and over again.

What are your core family values?

Gratitude and kindness.

How do you spend most of your days?

A typical weekday for me would go like this:

Before school – hectic times while I help our 2 older girls get ready for school while Ivy is craving attention too. I would say this would be the most challenging time of the day when the sibling rivalry and all of the chaos happens, and I need to remind myself to be patient, breath through it all, and try to make it fun.

After dropping Lilli and Willow off at school, Ivy and I sometimes stop off at the post office, and then we go for a walk around the streets close to home. This is when I take in the magnificent scenery that surrounds us – the rolling hills, the vineyards, the orchards, and at this time of year the beautiful leaves that are just starting to change into vibrant Autumn colours and fall from the trees. Ivy and I usually collect a few leaves and flowers on our morning walk, which I play around with later for a moment of calm, and use in my photographs of my posies that I make. Often when the girls see me playing and creating with leaves and flowers they like to do it too. They have also tried some natural solar dyeing. I love it when they see me creating and take an interest in it too.

After our walk Ivy has a play outside while I make myself a coffee I do some creating at the outside table. Between crocheting posies and cups of tea I push Ivy on the swings and chat to her while she plays.

Then it’s some quiet play inside, lunch, and watching playschool on the TV while I get a few household chores done if I can, and photographing my posies, and then it’s nap time for Ivy. During Ivy’s nap I try to catch up on anything else that needs doing. Housework is not really my forte! I’d much rather be creating, but I do try! Then it’s time to pick up the girls from school, followed by playing outside until Daddy gets home, or sometimes a little screen time, then dinner/bath/homework and the bedtime routine.

There are of course other days when Ivy and I go to playgroup or to the fruit and vege shop together, or the park.

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

My most favourite thing is when we are outside our little shed, the girls are playing under the trees making cubbies, playing in the sand, or swinging on the tyre swing, I am crafting, and my husband Nigel is pottering away in the garden. We also love going out for picnics and exploring together. And the girls love to help their Daddy in the vege garden.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about love, peace, flowers & leaves, being creative, trying new things creatively, music, singing, homegrown, homemade, and nature. I am passionate about styling, and making our living space a warm, cosy, inviting home, wherever we are. I am also passionate about empowering and supporting minority groups of women. I am passionate about raising our three girls as healthy, independent, strong, gentle, free-spirited, loving, kind, creative human beings. And I am passionate about keeping a loving, supportive, equal relationship with my husband Nigel, continuing to honour each other’s strengths and weaknesses, continuing to work as a team to raise our children and complete everyday tasks, and continuing to build our dreams together, doing everything with love.

What inspires you?

So many things! Nature, the moon, flowers, live music, our children, rolling hills, the ocean, the forest, simple things, homegrown fresh produce, colours, other creative souls (especially through Instagram), vintage, and the 60’s/70’s “barefoot and flowers in your hair hippie” era.

I loved your hashtag #slowfloralstyle, why did you start it? What is it about?

I love playing with flowers and leaves. Often when I am having a tough day or just caught up in the busyness of life, I find myself using flowers (and tea) to slow myself down, even if just for a moment or two, and my mind feels instantly calmer. Sometimes it’s by creating flower mandalas, or sometimes simply picking some garden flowers and making a little bouquet. I have noticed through Instagram that a few people find playing around with flowers peaceful, and I think it’s especially important as a mother to create little moments of self-care throughout your days. So #slowfloralstyle is about finding little pockets of floral calm in your day. And I just love scrolling through this gallery every week, so many beautiful images!

Last year you undertook an amazing project Little Squares of Strength, can you tell me about it?

I started the #littlesquaresofstrength project last year as a way to bring women crafters from all walks of life, all over the world, together as a community, to send love and kindness to other women who needed a bit of encouragement and support sent their way. It was about each person crafting one small square, that would come together with many other squares to form an incredible blanket of strength and love.

LIttle Squares of Strength

My background is in women’s studies, women’s health, and working with very marginalised groups of women, and for many years I have taken a strong interest in supporting and empowering women. Now that I have had children I love coordinating the #littlesquaresofstrength project alongside my online posy business, as something that gives back, and makes a difference to the lives of those women who are unwell or having a tough time. In addition to the #littlesquaresofstrength project, I also have a hashtag #posiesforpeace which I use for my handcrafted posies. For every posy I sell, I donate $2 to various organisations that help to make the world a more peaceful place. Last month this money went to safesteps.org.au – helping to keep women and children safe from domestic violence in Australia. This month the money is being donated to destinyrescue.org ~ rescuing children out of sexual slavery and exploitation. My plan is to continue donating to a different charity each month.

Last year, the #littlesquaresofstrength project was about sending blankets of love to women who were having a tough journey. This year, the project is about mother + child blankets. People can nominate a little one who is having a tough time, and collaborative blankets will be sent to children and their mamas. This year I have a team of volunteer stitchers who are helping me out with the joining of squares into blankets. The guidelines for making and sending squares are all on my website. You can knit, crochet, weave, sew, stitch, or embroider a 16cm x 16cm square, and send it in to be part of a #littlesquaresofstrength blanket. You can be as unique as you like with how you make your squares, and even the most simple and basic squares are wonderful in the blankets! Just imagine wrapping yourself in a blanket that is made up of squares handmade by women all over the world, infused with so much love. This is what the #littlesquaresofstrength project is all about.

What are your dreams for motherhood?

My dreams for motherhood are to create an environment where our girls feel that they can express themselves freely, creatively or otherwise. To have a relationship with them in which they feel that they can be open and communicate easily. To raise them in an environment that encourages them to dream, to be imaginative, to feel that they are supported in whichever direction they choose to take in life, to show kindness and empathy towards others, and to have a healthy self-esteem and self-confidence. To teach our girls that partnerships should feel equal and supportive. To fill their lives with music. Music from all genres and cultures, all over the world. And to make life fun!

Thank you, Fleur!

You might also like my post:

How to Make All Natural Temporary Tattoos from Real Flowers

Garbage Free: How to Make Your Own Delicious Cashew Milk

How to Make a Mother Nature Leaf Dress from Real Leaves

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Creative Mother Kate from A Playful Day

April 1, 2016Leave a comment

Have you heard about The Maker’s Year? When I came across it, quite by accident through an Instagram hashtag — #themakersyear — I followed the hashtag trail and it led me to the creative and inspiring Kate from A Playful Day, what a lovely surprise, indeed! A few months back Kate interviewed Melanie Barnes and I (read it here) about our Slow Living Project. Since our short conversation with Kate I’ve been totally intrigued by her creativity, both the range of her artistic abilities and her intelligent contemplation of the role creativity plays in (her) life.

Kate is a mother, writer, blogger and podcaster, and as she says “sometimes a photographer.” Kate reminds us to make time for creativity, but most importantly to notice all the small, routine, daily activities in which we create. We are always making and creating to sustain our bodies, minds and souls. The Maker’s Year gives a nod to this making and creating and inspires us to share our creativity with others. In good fashion the Maker’s Year is also focussed on sustainability and seasonal rhythms. The Maker’s Year not only asks us to think about how little creative acts can make a big difference in our life, but also how being creative and in tune with the seasons and sustainability our small acts can have a huge, important impact. (By the way, it is not too late to join in The Maker’s Year, so visit Kate’s site and get involved).

There’s a lot more to Kate than the Maker’s Year, so please read on and hear her story of motherhood and creativity, slowing down and making. Enjoy!

Kate, please tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your background?

I fell into the creative online life almost entirely by accident. When A Playful Day began I was living in London and working an incredibly stressful job. My career had been focussed on helping those in need: families in crisis, teenagers with mental health problems, children with extreme social behaviour problems… so many challenges and so little time to help everyone. Blogging was a way to feel like I wasn’t living for the spaces in between all that noise and activity. I rediscovered my love for writing and explored photography a little again having lost them almost entirely. As the blog gathered momentum, so did my need to make positive changes to my life and rescue my health. I went searching for a playful moment in every day and found a completely new path. I’m forever grateful that I took that risk.

What part of the world do you live in?

I recently relocated with my daughter to rural Dorset which is to the south of England. We spend our days gasping at big skies and are lucky enough to witness lambing and birds of prey swooping into the sea. It’s as spectacular as it sounds but not without challenges. It’s currently soaking wet and our routes into preschool each day keep flooding. I wouldn’t change it for the world though.

How do you spend most of your days?

My weekday life is pretty fast paced. As it’s just my daughter and I, I try to wake a little before her to check news and what’s been happening in the world before she calls for me. We breakfast together, talk about our plans and soon are in the car and driving through the countryside to drop her to preschool. While she’s there I work on commissions for writing or photography. Sometimes I meet with creatives for planning and coaching sessions but for the most part I’m at home with tea and a playlist keeping me company. It’s a varied work day which can be fun but a bit overwhelming sometimes. Before long I’m back in the car to collect my daughter and we often bake and make together until bedtime. Then I work into the small hours on admin, emails and my own blogging and podcasting content.

The weekends though…. Now the weekends are where things get truly wonderful. My daughter and I like to do small chores in our pjs and share a slower breakfast which usually involves one quick bowl of cereal to take the edge off then something delicious we made like granola or eggs and fresh bread. I sip coffee and we pack bags and head out to the coast with waterproofs and cameras. We collect shells, laugh at the wind whipping our hair and reconnect with each other and all the things we love. My daughter and I are true nature babies so filling up on these moments sustains us for the busy week ahead.

Do you have a favourite quote or words that inspire you?

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style” – Maya Angelou

I never got over my teenage hero worship when it comes to Maya Angelou. Her beautiful words speak to me as a single mother in my thirties as much as they did an awkward 15 year old girl learning her place in the world. Maya understood the need for sass and the deep desire to tell a story. My understanding of feminism feels more complete for reading her words about the value of women, of colour and class in the world. My days are fast paced because I’m living and I always think of the quote above when I’m tired and wondering if I should just lay low for a little while.

What are some of your favourite books?

Anything by Toni Morrison. I think I’ve read most of her books at least once and each time I am touched deeply by her ability to see the twists and turns of life and love. Toni wrote the most beautiful passage about a love that will bring you to your knees in Jazz and her opening to The Song of Solomon remains my favourite start to any novel I’ve ever read.

What were you passionate about as a child? Has creativity always been a big part of your life?

I come from a family of story tellers and book worms. My grandfather made up stories about a naughty goblin named Jerry and through every season he would appear, spoiling our apple pie or hiding my second mitten. I read 3-4 books a week and wrote stories that I sent to my teachers, grandparents and friends. I can still remember the day my father handed me a camera and told me to look for the thirds and suddenly I had a way to express myself even further. However with little encouragement to pursue my interests, I fell into a traditional academic route and the Arts took a back seat.

At University I studied Theatre and English language at a really radical university where we built sets and performed weird feminist pieces in dumpsters. It was here that I realised I had an ability to make and channelled it into costume design and constructing huge installations. Knitting and food didn’t come till much later in my life when I felt my creativity had dried up.

What inspires your work? Can you tell me a bit about your blog and podcasts on A Playful Day?

I love process and creativity that connects us together as makers. I get into a certain meditative state when taking a photo or baking bread and that’s when ideas and thoughts flow. I try to make both my work and A Playful Day feel that way. Whether I’m writing copy for a maker’s website or styling a beautiful process shot, I want the person who discovers that content to feel a story there that they can connect with.

A Playful Day focuses on storytelling and reflection. I blog and podcast about my knitting, passion for food and commitment to sustainable living. I have an open, honest style and I love the way people react both as readers and listeners but also as guests on the podcast. When I invite people on for an interview, I always share 5 questions that we’ll think about but we move so much deeper than this as our conversation evolves. I come away feeling like my need to discover has been sated and I will often have guests write month’s later to talk about the interview impacting their creativity for months. I guess it is important for all of us to find time to reflect and celebrate our choices and process.

Can you talk about your latest project the Maker’s Year? What inspired this? And how can people join in?

The Maker’s Year came from my need to make every day. I feel overwhelmed by 365 challenges and suspected that if I looked closely enough, I was already making in some form each day. I began to wonder if I could document this for others to draw inspiration from. I wondered if in taking the time to be present and mindful in my making, whether I could cultivate further creative habits that enriched our family life. I’m increasingly concerned with our climate and wanted to develop practices that focused on local produce, sustainable sources and keeping things manageable for me. It all came together as The Maker’s Year and a determination to explore how and what I create on a daily basis. When I shared my thoughts, the response was enormous and one of my favourite wake up activities now is to browse #themakersyear and look at the little changes people are making each day to nourish their need to make and enrich their lives. It doesn’t have to be huge. I finally made some marmalade and felt so accomplished. No more store bought jams!

When you aren’t working, what do you love to do?

Get outside! We live in one of the most beautiful areas in the world and I feel as if my eyes become hungry for the colour and texture it provides. Whether it’s trail running, hiking or playing by the sea with my little girl, my day always feels better for just being outside. I get the worst cabin fever!

Also I love to have time to knit. I have so little free time these days. I love it when I find time to curl up with a project, my needles and a yarn that feels like a story in itself. Breed specific wool is a growing passion of mine. It is endlessly fascinating how wool varies between breeds and the different processing methods that create the materials I end up working with.

Thank you, Kate, for sharing on the blog, you have inspired me in so many ways with what you’ve shared, and I’m sure you’ll inspire many others to live creatively and sustainably.

Readers, you can find Kate on Instagram @aplayfulday and make sure to visit her website, A Playful Day, which is the hub for all her creative activity, including The Maker’s Year. You can also find Kate on Twitter, Pinterest and Steller as @aplayfulday.

This interview is part of my Creative Mother series, find the rest here.

***

If you liked this post please consider sharing it or subscribing to my blog (see the side bar or below to subscribe), your support helps me continue to write and share

You might also like my post:

Inhaling the Season, Inhaling the Moment: A Story about Biking through a Snowstorm

How to Make All Natural Temporary Tattoos from Real Flowers

Garbage Free: How to Make Your Own Delicious Cashew Milk

How to Make a Mother Nature Leaf Dress from Real Leaves

Drawing a Day: A Summer Drawing Project

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Artist Profile: Kara Rane and her Cosmic Circles

March 30, 2016Leave a comment

Sen, by our bedroom window, enjoying the colours shine through two layered cosmic circles by artist Kara Rane. Such a fun, creative, open ended play thing. I always wonder what he’s thinking about. [ Sen’s necklace is from Tribal Dreaming “Earth Warrior” and his leggings are organics from Mabo ]

I remember well what my passions were when I was a child: drawing and arranging things artfully, dancing, playing in the forest, and (as crazy as it sounds) I was passionate from as early as I can remember about environmental protection. But I also remember thinking from very young that none of these passions could be an adult pursuit. (How wrong I was!!) I somehow thought that happiness came from things, from comforts, and that I couldn’t have those things (and thus happiness) without money. Since the statistical likelihood of earning money as an illustrator, artist or tree hugger seemed quite slim, I decided to be practical and enter a traditional, remunerative profession in order to find myself in a context that would afford me things, and thus enable happiness. Well, surprise ending: Things don’t make you happy. Passions do. People do.

Today, I’m happy to share with you the story of a woman who knew and followed her passions throughout her life and has been able to provide for herself and her family what they need to sustain themselves and their happiness. Kara Rane is an artist, world traveller, and mother of one, who makes beautiful artwork inspired by her deep connection and reverence for the earth. She and her partner have a small homestead nestled in supportive community committed to sustainable living. What a beautiful environment in which to raise a child! I put much hope in children raised in such an environment for their future contributions to community and sustaining our planet. But I know that us urban dwellers living in the mainstream can also play our part in raising our children differently, it might just be a little harder to drown out the distractions, noise and clutter. But we can do it too!

Whether you are living rurally or in an urban setting I think Kara’s passion for art and sustainability will inspire you to find ways to nourish yourself and your family with creativity and the natural world. I hope so!

Dear Kara, please tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your background?

I grew up at 6,000 feet in the mountains of Southern California, in a log home. Nature was a huge part of my childhood, and I found my favorite places to be were among the trees, streams, lakes & wilderness. I also love the ocean so I decided to attend the University of California at Santa Barbara (studying Environmental Science and Art studio) where I could live by the sea.

I am deeply connected to the natural world, but my curiosity compelled me to explore urban life and I lived in San Francisco and New York City. Having a passion for travel, I also lived for a time in the Caribbean on a tiny remote island, trekked the Himalayas of Nepal, returned to my native Nordic countries, explored Thailand and Vietnam and have road tripped throughout parts of the United States. All of these experiences I was able to manage on only the money I earned. At times it was a daunting task as often I found myself with nothing other than my creativity to survive.

What part of the world do you live in?

We live in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California on a 6 acre homestead. We have an organic and heirloom orchard of 44 trees, an organic hop yard and small gardens to grow our food. We love the community, as there are many ‘back to the Earth’ folks. It is common practice for us to trade with one another for goods and this is truly a delightful way to know your neighbors.

How do you spend most of your days?

Recently, most of my days and nights are spent caring for our baby. I have learned to incorporate him into projects via baby wearing, so work continues on. We also make a priority to hike at least a couple times a week, often with other mamas and their babies and children.

Do you have a favourite quote or words that inspire you?

“What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from the great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.” -Chief Seattle

This quote resonates so strongly with me as I feel that I am trying to recover a part of myself that has died due to the loss of so many animals, trees, and the myriad of life forms who are now extinct, or are at risk of extinction due to human caused perils. In honoring these beings I feel wholly united. It is my hope to draw, paint, create them back into the world of the living. In nourishing this wildness, I too am trying to resurrect my soul.

What are you passionate about?

Our capacity to change as individuals and a collective global society gives me hope. Without this, it would be impossible for me to be passionate about anything as I have a lot of concerns for the future of the environment on which we depend. Hopefully, the work I do as an artist can help bring about this change.

Can you tell me a bit about your work as an artist?

Using vibrant, neon, and rainbow colors to layer sacred shapes and patterns, the vision is revealed to me as the lifting of a veil. Into a dimension of light, a familiar yet brighter and more alive Universe is known. I see a place of harmony, peace and happiness. Through nature and ancient symbolism I glimpse the Divine.

Are you able to support your family financially with your artwork?

My art sustains me as a whole person. Throughout my life it has also been a source of income in various ways. Often times, I have been forced to get creative in how this might look. For example: I worked as a studio artist in NYC for a corporate art making company. Although, I was not making my own art I was given a lot of freedom. Currently, I am a full-time mama and have created several eco-friendly product lines featuring my art. They are sold in retail locations, at local festivals and farmers markets and via my website.

Can you talk about your cosmic circles?

The ‘Cosmic Circle’ designs are a kaleidoscopic portal allowing light, color, energy and beauty to fill your Life. I hand create the original designs and Greenerprinter, a business based on the highest standard in environmental printing, reproduces the images. These colorful, transparent clings adhere without adhesive, so they are easy to use, remove and re-use. Better than stickers!!

When you aren’t drawing, what do you love to do?

Working with my hands, in all things! I am very dedicated to living a sustainable lifestyle, to supporting and growing organic food and to understanding how to best care for the land and creatures we depend on. This requires a lot of work outside on the land and that is where I love to be, with the trees, birds, sun and sky.

***

Thank you, Kara, for sharing a glimpse into your world and creative vision and purpose. How beautiful visually and soulfully! Readers you can find Kara on Instagram @kara_rane and you can read more about her art and visit her shop at www.KaraRane.com.

This interview is part of my Creative Mothers series, you can find the rest here.

You might also like my post:

How to Make All Natural Temporary Tattoos from Real Flowers

Garbage Free: How to Make Your Own Delicious Cashew Milk

How to Make a Mother Nature Leaf Dress from Real Leaves

Drawing a Day: A Summer Drawing Project

How to Make All Natural Bath Bombs with Dried Flowers

Want to find me in other places?

Bloglovin: to subscribe to my blog feed
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Pinterest: Hippie in Disguise
Twitter: @hippieindisguis
VSCO: HIPPIEINDISGUISE “Wanderlust and Minimalist Fun”
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Creative Mother: Sophie Isobel Asher

January 31, 2016July 8, 2016Leave a comment

I have a beautiful interview with writer, artisan, stylist and designer Sophie Isobel Asher to share with you today. Sophie is a woman of many talents and careful reflection. She has always lived a creative, passionate life, but pursuing her interests and living an intentional life became her centre after a life-changing event. Sophie’s story is like others and yet is uniquely her own. I’m so pleased that today she is living passionately and creatively, and has translated these into a business that supports her family and her spirit.

I know that many of my readers will know her from her beautiful blog and her creative projects she shares on Instagram, but I thought you might like to hear more about her and her story.

Sophie, please tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your background?

For as long as I can remember I’ve lived creatively. Since I was a child, I’ve always been making, writing or dreaming up wild ideas. These days, I’m a writer and an artisan, some days I write, some days I make and on wonderful, inspired days I do both. I work as a stylist and writer for a lovely regional lifestyle magazine and I run a bespoke sacred jewellery & decor label, Wilde Asher with my mum and my sister.

I studied Creative Arts at University focusing on fashion and cultural theory and later completed postgraduate study in secondary school teaching. I’ve always been passionate about sharing knowledge and ideas, so I think I came about teaching as a natural progression. After five years of teaching and giving that career path everything I had, I was starting to feel burnt out and at the same point, I experienced a major life change which led me to find my true passion, start our family business and work creatively everyday, on my own terms, doing whatever nourishes my soul.

What part of the world do you live in?

My husband, my daughter and I live in a little white cottage close to the Murray River in rural Victoria, Australia.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

I’m mama to our little girl, Tallow Frankie Bluebelle (Tali for short), who is the most wonderful, kind and passionate two year old. I’m also mama to our angel baby Cohen Littlewing who was stillborn at 20 weeks in 2012.

How do you spend most of your days?

I really enjoy slow days and taking things gently wherever possible. I mainly work from home and usually while Tali is having an afternoon nap, so I really try embrace those few hours of time alone, to nourish my soul with whatever I’m working on. During the day if we’re not playing at home, crafting or in playing in the garden, we visit friends, play at the park and go exploring by the river. Our little town has a beautiful slow pace, so we like to meander along with it. My creative work often comes along with me and I often add a few rows of crochet, write ideas or gather leaves for natural dyeing while we enjoy the sunshine.

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

My husband and I are both avid gardeners and we spend most of our free time outside, in the garden or down by the river. We love to go on picnics and bushwalks and explore some of the ancient landscapes near where we live. Along the way we gather local fruit and veggies from the farmers markets and farm gate stalls and dream about our own someday off-grid farm.

What inspires you?

Foremost I’m inspired by the natural world, particularly my local surroundings, wherever that may be. I am truly nourished when I’m outdoors, noticing the details, revelling in the sunshine or the moonlight. At the moment I’m particularly inspired by the plants around me, especially the vast eucalyptus trees that grow in abundance in the region. They share such beautiful stories and every time I gather their leaves or bark for natural dyeing, I feel I’m capturing a little part of this beautiful land. I’m also totally enchanted by the moon at the moment, connecting with it’s cycle and understanding it’s incredible affect on the natural world.

I’m also inspired by change and the wonderful revolution I’m seeing unfold every day through social media. People are standing up, changing their lives, their habits, realising that life is not all about buying and consuming. This revolution makes my heart sing and makes me work a little harder everyday to make changes to my life and my families lives, to lighten our footprint, to slow down, live simply and consciously.

You have been blogging for a long time now. How did you get started? And how has your blog evolved?

I began blogging in 2008, before blogging was really even a thing to do. I began as a way to keep in touch with my family when my husband and I moved interstate. I never expected my blog to be read by others, I was just really documenting my days. Over the past eight years I’ve always documented my life and my creative world. In 2011 I was blogging once or twice each day, before Instagram really started and I look back now and wonder how on earth I kept up. I think I started to feel overstretched at the thought of ‘keeping up’ and in 2012 when we lost Cohen, I stepped away from my blog and really reassessed every aspect of my life. I came back to blogging a different person, passionate about sharing only what I loved, rather than what was on trend, passionate about the changes I’d made to live a more conscious and heartfelt life. I’m so grateful for this evolution and today my blog is more like it was back when I first started, it’s a journal of our lives and the seasons, a documentation of my creative journey and how we live and love.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about life and living every aspect of it with my whole heart. I am truly passionate about simple, conscious living and shifting the current paradigm we live in. In every area of my life, I am working towards treading more lightly, living more harmoniously and finding that balance each day. When our lives were forever changed by Cohen, something ignited within me. I realised I never wanted to take another moment for granted. I used to have this world around me that I was filling with stuff and all of a sudden our world shifted and I just wanted to let it all go, strip back to the bare essentials and really search for who I was and what made me truly happy. I’m forever grateful to my journaling, yoga and meditation practice, which enables me daily to explore and delve into what this happiness is for me.

Can you tell me a bit about your business, Wilde Asher?

Wilde Asher is the heartbeat of our family. It brings together myself, my mum and my sister, to create, beautiful and ethical, sacred jewellery and decor made especially to adorn your soul and sacred space.

We first began Wilde Asher back in 2012 and since then it has evolved with us to become not only a business but a very special manifestation of our collective dreams. We all collaborate together on the jewellery in our collections, sourcing ethically from around the world. We find stones and charms that resonate on a high frequency and contain beautiful energy, especially for personal growth, manifestation and balance. My mum Annie, is our incredible jeweller and works from her studio by the beach in Queensland to create each of our pieces. My sister also creates beautiful, hand written art prints and I make a range of one off fibre artworks, including wall hangings and coiled baskets. We are really excited to be working on new pieces this year that truly reflect our philosophy for beautiful, unique, ethical creations, made from the heart… Soul nourishing pieces to enjoy for a lifetime.

Did your life goals and career aspirations change once you had a child?

In my previous career I was a high school English and Literature teacher. I loved my job and it really inspired me to see my students go on and achieve their dreams, but I also realised in the process I was not achieving my own dreams. Becoming a mama actually allowed me to step away from teaching and reassess what I really wanted to do with my life. It was the breathing space I needed to find myself.

Being a mama has given me the opportunity to truly connect with each day. I love being able to work from home, to play in the garden, to wander the neighbourhood and collect treasures with my girl. I feel truly blessed and constantly inspired by the journey of motherhood.

What are your dreams for your life?

We would love to one day move back closer to our families who live interstate. We’d love to purchase a small property and live off the grid, raise animals, grow vegetables and truly live in tune with the seasons. I’d love to unify my ideas and dreams, write them down, turn them into books, share them with others, run workshops, collaborate and spend time with like minded people. Of course ultimately I’d love to ensure that as a family we are able to spend as much time together as we can, doing what we love to do and exploring the beautiful moments of our everyday, with love and gratitude.

***

Thank you so much Sophie! Readers you can find Sophie in a few places: on Instagram @sophieisobelasher, her shop Wilde Asher, and her inspiring blog www.sophieisobelasher.com

This interview is part of my Creative Mother series, find the rest here

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Creative Mother: Artist Erin Wetzel

December 9, 2015January 6, 20171 Comment

It’s obvious I love doing interviews, showcasing other’s special talents, whether these are creative talents, parenting talents or otherwise. It’s hard to know where to start with Erin Wetzel. Erin is an illustrator and portrait artist living in Washington state with her young family. She is certainly a talented artist, with a unique and humble point of view. But as I’ve gotten to know her, I’ve found layer upon layer of wisdom and intelligence that I had no idea were there from the little snippets I gleaned from her Instagram gallery. Her writing is beautiful and honest, unpretentious, and always stirs you in ways that you need to be stirred. She makes the everyday exquisite in its simplicity, or rather shows us that it already is. What a gift, because our perception is everything.

Dear Erin, please tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your background?

While I have been creative my whole life, it wasn’t until about three years ago that I started exploring my current style of watercolor and ink portraiture and illustration. Most of the things I’ve learned have been through trial and error or from talking with other artists. I am most inspired by The Everyday, finding extraordinary beauty in the humdrum of ordinary moments.

You can see a compehensive gallery of my work on my site: http://ekwetzel.com/artwork/

What part of the world do you live in?

Tacoma, Washington.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

Phoebe is a 4-year-old with a big heart for dancing, slugs, and being a big sister. And Baby Wetzel is our newborn (birthdate & name TBD). [Erin’s second daughter, Clementine, was born shortly after she gave this interview].

What are your core family values?

We believe that the virtues of God permeate the world in ways that are accessible to anyone.

We believe in grace, generosity and humility.

We respect the beautiful power of the individual and believe that people are naturally creatures of connection and creativity.

How do you spend most of your days?

There is no typical day for us, but there are rhythms we move between from week to week. We do lots of cooking and baking, but I’m a terrible gardener and our yard is more often than not a tangle of weeds. We read a lot, but we also love video games, like the Toca Boca games on the iPad, or Bioware games: Dragon Age and Mass Effect. We love to explore the outdoors, especially Tacoma’s rocky beaches or our Pacific Northwest woods.

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

Mostly, our favorite thing is to just be, at home, together. Sometimes we goof off, or play a game, or dance…but as long as we’re all engaged, that’s what fills us with joy.

What are you passionate about?

Helping people. Making the world a better place. Leaving things a little more beautiful, a little more whimsical, a little more connected than I found them.

What inspires you?

Attachment.

Can you tell me a bit about your work as an artist and illustrator?

I focus on portraiture and scenes of relationship and whimsy. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot with animal/human hybrids. I think that putting an animal face on a person’s body helps make people laugh, but, on a deeper level, it also pulls at an innate need for connection inside of us.

Let me explain what I mean.

We are all separate beings, moving through life, surrounded by “others.” When you see something beautiful in an other, that draw towards beauty is like your spirit saying: “I see something inside of you that echoes within me. We are not alone. We are the same.”

Art is all about speaking the language of Beauty. It connects us. With my art, I take people (others) and give them animal faces (which makes them really, truly others, because animals aren’t humans). Even so, people STILL identify with these visual representations and find connection and beauty in them. I think they help us realize on some intuitive level that we are all connected to something bigger, stronger, and more beautiful than any one of us alone.

This is why I believe art can bring hope: because it reminds us how beauty permeates even the most innocuous of moments; art reminds us how to look for it; and, when we carry that beauty inside of our hearts, it connects us to an underlying faith that goodness will conquer in the end.

Did you life goals or career aspirations change once you had a child?

Absolutely.

When I became a mom, I started asking myself all sorts of hard questions about what it looks like to be a good parent and spouse. It was a winnowing experience for me. Parenting with a wide open heart threw me into the fire and burned away a lot of fears and inhibitions.

I never used to think about what my dreams were or what my purpose was…I was content to just bob along through life. When I became a parent, I started to realize that, in order to support my child as she becomes the person she’s meant to be, first I had to have the courage to do the same. I didn’t want to be a hypocrite. I wanted to be a role model.

So, in a way, parenting opened me up to deeper love than I ever realized before, both for my daughter, but also for my husband and for myself.

What are your dreams for your work as an artist?

Abstractly: I want my work to give people hope. I want it to make them smile and remind them of the ever-present goodness in The Everyday.

Practically: I’ve always wanted to make a children’s book, ever since I was a child. Most of my life, I thought that just meant finding the right story to tell. But, now that I’m an illustrator, I’m exhilarated to find the right pictures that speak even more poignantly than words.

Some day. When the story is ready, it will find me, and I will shepherd it as best I can.

Thank you Erin! Friends and readers you can find Erin at ekwetzel.com or on Instagram @ekwetzel and on her art account @ekwetzel_art on Twitter @ekwetzel, and her Etsy shop Ekwetzel (briefly closed while she welcomes baby Clementine is now open again. Use code: KISSES until January 23, 2016 for 10% off). She is a must follow!

This interview is part of my Creative Mother series, find the rest here.

You might also like my post:

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Tribal Dreaming with Heidi and Kimberley

November 19, 2015Leave a comment

In late summer Sen got a special package in the mail, it contained an Earth Warrior necklace from friends in Australia, Heidi and Kimberley. Sen put it on immediately and has not gone a day, or even a moment, without it since. I initially got this necklace for Sen as a reminder of his connection with the earth and the rhythms of nature inside him and around us. At this time Sen was also starting to verbalize his care for the natural world and I thought the necklace would be a nice ‘thank you’ for his thoughts and serve as an embodied reminder of the importance of stewardship. It did both of these things, and more.

Sen also started school around this time and he was very apprehensive, to say the least. Sen is an introvert and so the thought of a room full of new people and new routines was worrisome for him. We supported him through this transition in a variety of ways, but one thing I said that seemed to resonate was that his warrior strength and care for the earth could be directed toward himself when he needed it. I started noticing that when he showed signs of nervousness he would pause and place his hand on his necklace. It seemed that after these pauses he felt some peace and confidence and could move on. I would never have guessed that his necklace would be such a great support in this way. The energy put into that necklace by Heidi and Kimberley has helped my little boy immeasurably.

After experiencing such positive outcomes from the necklace I asked Heidi and Kimberley if they would share more about themselves and the necklaces they make (under the name Tribal Dreaming). In the interview that follows, Heidi and Kimberley have shared a wonderful glimpse into their hopes and dreams and how these intertwine with their daily rituals in their home and with their children. It is inspiring to see two people live such an integrated life where their values and passions are lived and breathed every moment. Thank you Heidi and Kimberley for sharing your way of life and for putting such good intentions out into the world.

Heidi, Kimberely, what part of the world do you live in?

We are from Brisbane, Australia.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

We have five gorgeous children between us. Heidi has two boys Archer (4) and Rafael (18months) and Kimberley has 3 girls Estella (5), Ellula (2) and Elsie (4months). Our children, like us all, change from one day to the next so holding the space for them to discover and experience every part of themselves is something really important to us. It’s a daily challenge especially since we are rediscovering lost parts of ourselves every step of the way. They are all spirited individuals so it’s quite the juggling act meeting everyones needs in our homes. Our kids really are our greatest teachers aren’t they?

What are your core family values?

We are committed to conscious living and try our best at incorporating this into all aspects of family life. From what we eat, wear and speak, this is strong throughout our days. We are actively involved in non violent communication education which we have found an invaluable tool to nurture our relationships. The spoken word has so much power so we set an intention of mindfulness around what we say especially to our little loves.

How do you spend most of your days?

Our days are spent immersed in life. Constant demands of the varying ages of our children. Both of our husbands work shift work so we are the home-makers. It’s busy and intense and has it’s ups and downs but we love it all at once. We are always striving for ‘balance’ in all aspects of our lives, we never quite manage to achieve this perfectly but we find that just being aware helps.

Being a stay at home Mama in our modern society is quite isolating so we have both placed great importance on finding our own village to keep our sanity while raising these pure little people. We love to get out first thing and explore the neighbourhood on foot to ground us into the new day and create a strong connection with our surroundings. The children witness the small changes as the seasons change and form relationships with neighbours. We both feel a connection with the Steiner philosophy on daily rhythms so we try to stick to a light flow of breathing in and out throughout the day and weave play dates and outings within. The afternoons are usually at home for rest and then pottering in the garden, climbing trees, being dinosaurs or fairies, acrobats, digging holes and for us Mamas just trying to stay present and mindful as best we can.

We always finish our days with nourishing food, stories and cuddles and then if we are lucky some time to unwind and breathe out for ourselves before the new day begins. Yoga and meditation is also an important part of our week and we try to get this in wherever we can.

Ro has a Puka Bells Necklace from Tribal Dreaming

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

We both love being out in nature with our families. Everything seems easier when we are all outside and where there is only mother nature to play with. We do a bit of camping all together and these are some of our most treasured times. We always comment on how enjoyable it is and how at ease the kids are. Lovely to get back to our true nature, needs and desires as humans.

What are you passionate about?

We are passionate about conscious living, slowing down, random acts of kindness and living in harmony with Mother Earth and the universe. As we have entered motherhood, one of the biggest challenges we have found is finding balance in our lives. Self love and taking the time to be present has slowly become a priority for us. When we give first to ourselves, the love flows out into all areas of life and everyone benefits. We are learning to quieten all the noise and check in more regularly with our hearts and faithfully following its guidance and wisdom.

We believe in abundance and the power of our own magic, creating a life we love, an authentic life; one of togetherness, connection and community. Then, to weave this into our lives to nourish and provide for our families and the greater community. We both truly believe in the need as woman to create and make alongside our sisters and since starting this project together we can feel a fire inside us burning bright.

What inspires you?

The world around us is so full of inspiration we both get quite overwhelmed at times. When we are together planning and creating we both bring lists of all the things we have read/seen/watched/imagined to help us keep some order. We are passionate about life and everything that surrounds us. It is a blessing and a curse which never leaves us bored!

What is Tribal Dreaming and why did you decide to start your own business?

We have both been on our own individual journey of healing, self discovery and transformation to move further into our own light, truth and authentic self . Our souls had been craving a channel for the inherent creativity that was bubbling under the surface, and as we continued to make choices to follow our dreams down wildly unconventional paths, Tribal Dreaming was born.

A common interest we have always shared are pieces of beauty that can be worn for healing, balancing and the expression of who you are at that moment in time. We are especially passionate about finding unique, healing and soul inspiring pieces for our children. Our Children being the true beginning of Tribal Dreaming.

What are your dreams for your business and for motherhood?

We created Tribal Dreaming to be a part of our parenting journey, it’s much more than making jewellery, and so far seems to have a life of it’s own, evolving all the time. What started as making jewellery for our children is now so much more. We have lots of exciting plans that we’re working on. One thing we are really good at when we meet up is getting carried away talking about our ideas and plans for Tribal Dreaming. We both get all giggly and excited and feel inspired and then realise that the season of our lives at the moment is so intense, with our families, that we can’t action all these ideas as quickly as we’d like to so we take a big breath and try and calm down…We’re certainly not lacking in the ideas department!

Our dreams for motherhood and our business are connected. We are totally open to being the best versions of ourselves and living a life we love, trying to stay aligned in ‘love’ all the time and reflecting this message in our business. Motherhood has been transformative for us both. We both had the most wonderful pregnancy and birthing experiences with all of our children and have chosen to ‘unschool’ our children. Our husbands are supportive and believe in us and our dreams. Our business allows us to do what we love, stay at home being the ‘home-makers’ for our families, and work doesn’t feel much like work at all. We feel like we are children in a sense too, undoing and learning about who we are in this crazy world. We strive to make our homes secure and loving for all, a place where our children are free to be who they are without unnecessary limitations. We want them to feel and have freedom in life, to know and live their truth, feel secure in who they are and be connected to mother earth and her rhythms.

Could you tell me more about your decision to donate funds to support women in developing countries?

We are so excited about this! We have just recently launched our new ‘Rock Your Chakra’ range and have made a commitment to provide the funds for 3 Birthing Kits per necklace sold through Birthing Kit Foundation Australia (BKFA). The BKFA works to provide a clean and safe birthing environment for women in developing countries to reduce the incidence of infant and maternal morbidity and mortality. These packs are very simple but provide the essential items for a hygienic birth which makes a huge difference for these women. We had the most amazing birthing experiences and truly believe every woman should enjoy the right to birth safely. It really is the least we can do for our fellow sisters and we plan to get more involved with this association as we grow. We have set a very big goal of donating 3000 before the year is out!

Thank you so much, Heidi and Kimberely for sharing your way of life and your projects. Friends: you can shop the Tribal Dreaming collection online here and you can follow Tribal Dreaming on Instagram @tribaldreaming.

I love how Sen gently holds his Earth Warrior necklace

You might also like my post:

Slow Living Project

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation for Children

Slow Fashion: Four’emKi for women and children

Social Responsibility: WOOLN Knits

Ethical Wool: Love Your Mother in Luv Mother

Fashion for Good: Punjammies Made From Hope

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Flowers for Your Health: Calm-a-Mama

November 18, 2015Leave a comment

Probably around the time when I started practicing yoga, 18 years ago, I started seeking out natural remedies and health supports in place of conventional medicine. Over the years I’ve researched and tried almost everything from herbal tinctures to homeopathy to essential oils. Personally, herbal and floral remedies along with essential oils have been the best health supports for me and my family. When Ro had a very hard time sleeping more than 45 minutes straight at the age of 1, I used lavender essential oil in combination with flower essences to support her sleep. It felt like a miracle to see these simple natural supports help her sleep longer and more soundly. Since then I’ve sought out more knowledge and increasingly used essential oils and tinctures with my family. These days when the children are feeling sick or not themselves they will ask for an oil or drops — they’ve grown up thinking of these first. In fact, I’m not sure either of them knows what Tylenol is.

A few months ago I met Hannah Garrison who recently started a business Calm-a-Mama that specializes in herbal and flower supports for children and adults. I was really excited to find a company making blends to support common family needs like “sleep” “focus” and “calm”. We’ve been using Hannah’s drops for a month now and absolutely love them. The only trouble is that they are so tasty the children are coming up with symptoms so they can “have a few drops” everyday! It’s the same with essential oils, once you start using them, you find you are using them everyday for something, but it feels good to be reaching for this sort of bottle.

As usual, I wanted to interview Hannah to learn more about her and why she decided to pursue this business. I learned that Hannah is a very energetic entrepreneur with multiple projects and businesses on the go and that she has a passion for supporting mothers (she reminds me of two other great mothers I’ve interviewed Heather Mudry of Mama Malas and Alyssa Kerbel of Mini Mioche). I hope you will enjoy meeting Hannah and please feel free to ask me questions about natural supports I use with my family, I’m always happy to share.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your background?

Well, I went to four colleges after growing up in NYC. I danced ballet, seriously, for years and then majored in anthropology. I always cleaned my room without prompting and have always been slightly scared that something terrible is about to happen.

What part of the world do you live in?

I live in an imaginary world, where everything is clean and organized. Oh wait – you mean for real? My family and I (and my businesses) are based out of Providence, Rhode Island (USA). I grew up in NYC and I have to say, at this point in my live Providence suits me better! It is beautiful, small enough to master and yet large enough to have good art and smart people.

How many children do you have and how would you describe them?

I have two kids – Camilla is 5 and Isaac is 2. I get nervous about describing them because I don’t want to pigeonhole them. So right now, today, Isaac is giving me a run for my money. He is amazing and hysterical, but a total and complete handful. Camilla is the best big sister he could ask for and in general she is a shining light. She is very precise and determined and all about mastery and planning. But emotional, so emotional.

What are your core family values?

That we show up and stay honest. My husband and I try to set the tone for this by really being open communicators about our feelings. I want our home to be a safe space where the tricky stuff can still arise and be handled.

How do you spend most of your days?

Feeling guilty that I should be with my kids more or feeling guilty that I should be at work more. I am totally stuck in the trap of nothing is right. But at the same time, I know it is all okay. I know I cannot be a stay at home mom and work full time. I know this is only temporary and I am really doing the best job I can.

What is your favourite thing to do as a family?

I’d say anything outside. We pretty much get along well and are happy doing anything. But, I’d say that as a unit we are out best outside. That can be yard work together, gardening, going to the beach or hiking– anything that gets us in touch with nature.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about moms. And moms helping moms. So I’ve recently had a trickle down interest in feminism, I recently read Wonder Women by Debora Spar. At one point she says, “…she could not do it all. No one can. No one does. Yet women today are laboring under an excruciating set of mutually exclusive expectations: a double or triple whammy of hopes and dreams and desires. To be madonna and whore. Mother and wage earner. Smart but not arrogant. A leader but not a bitch. And because they can’t possibly be all those things at once, women are retreating to the only place they can, the only realm they have any chance of controlling. Themselves.”

And I don’t want to be that person, at odds with all the other women and in the position of impossible. So I am passionate about empowering women. And right now that’s about putting some healing back into their hands.

What inspires you?

Right now I am mostly food motivated…But in general, everything inspires me. Which can, honestly, be a bit problematic. Mostly though, I am driven by helping other women…seeing other people thrive is my passion and my inspiration.

Can you tell me a bit about Calm-a-Mama?

Calm-A-Mama is my newest baby. I have run other businesses before but nothing that I felt so strongly and passionate about.

Calm-A-Mama drops combine two gentle methods of plant healing. First, we make USDA organic botanical water extracts and then add flower essences to them.We preserve the tincture in glycerin, resulting in a USDA Organic, alcohol-free supplement that is gentle enough to be taken by infants and yet incredibly effective on the emotional and physical bodies. Safe for the whole family and made from the highest quality organic ingredients

You advocate for simple everyday self care for mothers. Can you talk more about this?

Generally, I take something that I am really interested in and I make it into a business. I assume, that being human, a lot of other people out there will also dig what I dig. And I figure if I am so fired up about something and excited and passionate, that it will come through and entice others. Right now the world is busy, stressed and overwhelmed – and a great counterbalance to that is slowing down and paying attention. Essentially, intentionally caring for one’s well-being amidst this madness.

Why did you decide to start a business?

I’ve never had a choice. It is just what I do. Business is in every cell of my body.

Did you life goals and career aspirations change once you had a child?

Yes and no. They didn’t change so much as they adjusted. They shifted. They made space. I assume they will continue to do so as we cruise out of toddlerhood. My goals are like koi – adjusting to the available waters.

What are your dreams for your professional work?

To keep going. To live through it. To keep the balance. To keep helping people.

What are your dreams for your family?

I want my family members to be full, to live their fullest, to feel their fullest, to try and to seek and to soar.

***

Thank you Hannah! Readers you can find Calm-a-mama online here and on Instagram here or Facebook here and Twitter here.

Hannah also keeps busy with these other projects and businesses: www.wearyourmusic.com, www.OMstack.com and www.hannahgarrison.com.

You might also like my posts:

Creative Mother Kaity Ferrell of Fareisle

Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation for Children

Interview with a Minimalist: Kylah of Seasonally Nourished

Let’s be friends! Please come find me in other places…

Bloglovin: to subscribe to my blog feed
Instagram: @hippieindisguise
Pinterest: Hippie in Disguise
Twitter: @hippieindisguis
VSCO: HIPPIEINDISGUISE “Wanderlust and Minimalist Fun”
Facebook: Hippie in Disguise

Hippie in Disguise

slow living, minimalism and connection with nature

Category: creative mother

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Artist Profile: Kara Rane and her Cosmic Circles

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Creative Mother: Artist Erin Wetzel

Flowers for Your Health: Calm-a-Mama