Howl's Moving Castle

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I’m pretty sure I “borrowed” Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones from my mom. But I could have also got it at a book sale. It seems like a thing I would pick up.

Sophie is the middle girl in her family and is therefore content to remain in her families hat shop toiling away, as that is the fate of middle children. But one day she is visited and cursed by a witch and Sophie’s thoughts about life and her place in it change drastically.

Surprisingly this book and author are not well known. Jones wrote a prolific amount of books, including several that a certain famous writer mined (stole?) ideas for her most famous wizarding series. I have read some of Jones’ books before, but I didn’t realize that they were all by the same author until researching this review. Howl’s Moving Castle is actually a trilogy of books all revolved around Ingary, a magical kingdom in a magical world closely related to our own world. The first book is probably the most well known of all Diana’s book bc it was made into a Hayao Miyazaki film of the same name. I have seen the film, but remember very little of it. I liked this book bc, although many books are set in magical lands, this one is also connected to the “real world”. I thought that this was an interesting take on magic in general. No spoilers, but trust me, it is unlike that aforementioned wizarding book. I also liked that there are many magical and fairytale tropes in this book, but they all have a bit of a spin. There’s a scarecrow, but it’s not what you expect, there’s a house hunted (but by a demon!). It was fun to see where the twist on the tale I was familiar with would turn up. I also picked up on a few other ideas that I’ve seen borrowed by other books, or shall we say that inspired other work? I really enjoyed this book, but it was actually a little difficult for me to get through. I’m not sure if it was the style it was written in, or that it was just such a different type of book from those I’ve been reading lately, but I felt that reading Howl really dragged for me. At points, I really wanted this book to just be over. I would blame that feeling more on me and my mindset than the book it’s self, bc I also feel this book starts a spate of books that dragged my reading down. That being said, I would definitely recommend this book to those who love magical adventures, those who have seen the movie based on it, those who like new takes on traditional fairytales, and anyone wanting to see some source material for other more well known authors.

I plan to watch the movie when I can find it! Have you ready this book and seen the movie? How did they compare?

Plastic Free July is Over - What's Next?

OK, you made it through Plastic Free July - good job!
What did you give up? What did you find was hard about this challenge? Or was it easier than you thought?

But what's next?

That's up to you, of course. You may choose to do something you didn't get to do for the month of July, or you may choose to continue to do something you started during PFJ. If you are planning to continue on the Plastic Free journey, here are five ideas to try next:

-Give up single use plastic water bottles
This is a tough one for a lot of people. Maybe you still buy bottled water. Now is the time to get a reusable water bottle and never look back! 

-Have a trash audit
Save your trash for a week or some period of time and see what you are throwing away. Once you see what you are wasting, you can see where to reduce your waste. 

-Have a recycling audit
Same idea as above but with your recycling. A good thing to keep in mind is that glass and metal can be recycled almost an infinite amount of time, but plastic can only be recycled once or twice before they go to the landfill. 

-Pick a disposable plastic to give up forever
Maybe you gave up plastic straws for Plastic Free July, go ahead and give them up forever! Or if you already integrated giving up plastic straws already, pick plastic bags to give up next, etc..

-Choose food not packaged in plastic
Hopefully, if nothing else, PFJ made you more aware of all the plastic that is used in daily life. Once I started thinking about plastic, I realized it was everywhere!! An easy start to refusing disposable plastics is to pick unpackaged foods. Skip the cauliflower in a plastic bag and buy unpackaged broccoli instead. (or find cauliflower unpackaged at a different store). 

This is only the tip of the iceberg. Now that you are thinking about the plastic and the waste in your life, there’s so many little steps you can take to reduce. Plastic Free July is a great start, but don’t stop there, the sky is the limit!

For more inspiration, check out our 6 More Months to Zero Waste Series!

July Plant Update

July was a good month for plant observations. Although it didn’t feel like we got out too much, we did indeed see some fun things. From the moment flowers start blooming until it’s too cold, these articles will always be a lot of just pretty flowers.

Echinacea are my Summer favorite.

Now sure what these are but we planted them in the spring and they keep blooming.

Who is this frilly fella? Another echinacea?

A perfect circle.

I tried to maintain our house plants this month, moving some, turning others.

The monstera is doing well!

We came across this and other mushrooms on one of our evening walks .

I was trying to capture the two enormous crows in this tree in this pic, but it turned out to be a nice tree portrait instead.

We drove out to visit Cherry Grove Farms and this is what it looks like.

And we met these goats!!

Notable about July was that it was hot. Like really hot and sweaty. We were lucky to be out and about as much as we were. What was July like where you live?

2020 Monthly Goals | August Goals and July Recap

Somehow I did worse on my July goals then my June goals??

Inbox to zero, but really this time
Sometimes when I look at my inbox I just feel dread.
Did even touch it.

Make 1 comic
I’d really like to find a way to chronicle my experiences
I did actually do some sketches for this. I don’t have a clear goal or story in mind tho, so that’s as far as I got.

Make 1 video
I’ve made a few in the past, but I would like to get better at it.
Not at all.

Stretch
I’m not sure why I can’t get this into my routine.
Nope. But I am rolling this one over.

Restart sourdough
June was rough and I was not able to keep up with it but I really like having starter for breads, pancakes and cookies.
This goal I actually decided was not well suited for the Summer. I do plan on starting my starter again in the Fall.

Work on Decluttering
I’n not going to fool myself that I can declutter everything in one month, but I have been trying to get some progress made on this goal.
Did not do.

Here are my August Goals:

Sew
I’ve started to get back into this and I want to make it part of my daily life.

Stretch
I have got to figure this goal out.

Make 1 video
it doesn’t matter what it is or what it’s about. I just gotta get the process started.

Tattoo work
I want a tattoo, I want to tattoo. I just have to do something on this goal. Either book an appointment for a tattoo, or practice the art of tattooing.

First steps on my book
In July, I had a realization of a book I want to write. I would like to take some baby steps to this.

Looking over my Aug goals, I see that they are all creative! I must be craving some creativity in my life right now!! Are your end of Summer goals about productivity or creativity?

Mad Cat Garden | July 2020

The month of July went by so fast, it seems like I only got garden pics from the very beginning. I’m sure, if you live in the northern hemisphere, you can imagine how July and the height of Summer is like tho. Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.

In our two main back beds, the tomatoes were still ripening in the beginning of the month, but by the end we had tons of tomatoes. Our peas were totally done. Our peppers were peppering away. We grew almost all our peppers from seed that we saved from last year, so we were excited to have such a good crop. By the end of July, the lettuces were all but gone. we picked the remainder and hope to get another batch for our fall garden going soon. Cauliflower had long gone to seed. For some reason our potato vine died, but there seem to be a few potatoes under the earth.

More tomatoes and peppers in our middle bed. Most of what we planted this year was experimental. Some worked well, others did not. It’ll be interesting to sow a Fall garden this year, for more experimentation.

The last veg bed was planted latest and has a random assortment. Arugula, tomatoes, zucchini, endive, lettuce. The endive is thriving all thru July, but it’s so bitter we can’t eat it. Someone is eating the zuccs but it’s not us. The tomatoes in this patch are inexplicably blush colored.

The herb bed in the front is booming and everything is bolting now in the heat. In late July I chopped all the basil down to hopefully get a second crop out of it. So far, so good.We planted soy beans, which are beautiful! But we can’t tell if they are ready to pick yet. We have a bunny friend who visits here and has eaten the low hanging tomatoes. We’ve started laying out any split or over ripe or fallen fruit from the back as an offering.

In the beginning of the month we still had blueberries. The birds quickly ate all of them. By the end of July, the bushes were bare.

Most of these were ripened, picked, eaten and the branches thinned by the end of the month.

One of the few store bought peppers, pepperoncini, was prolific so far in July.

Lovely lavender from a local seller.

We grew all our shishitos from seed this year. Why are they so hard to find for sale? Blistered up, with lemon and course salt, they are one of our favorite meals. I recently served them with a horseradish and mayo dipping sauce and they were divine. Tomatoes are another staple Summer dish and we eat a lot of them!

How has your garden been this month? are you eating a lot from your growing?

The Cat Nappers

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I can’t remember where I got The Cat Nappers by PG Wodehouse, but it must have come from a local library or book sale as it was once housed at the Brielle Library.

After Wooster visits the doctor and is urged to move to the country for clean living, he and Jeeves must find their way out of another pickle, this one involving aunts, engagements, spots on the chest, horses, an African explorer and one friendly cat.

I’ve read or listened or watched quite a few Jeeves and Wooster stories now, and this one felt quite diierent to me. Although Wodehouse’s most famous characters are always self referencial, this book felt especially so. I wondered why so I looked up this book and it turns out that this is the last J&W book ever written. This book was called Aunts Aren’t Gentlemen when it was released, but changed to The Cat Nappers in America. Makes sense to me! One of the reasons I love Wodehouse’s books are their truly and uniquely British ideals and languages. But this title might be too British for those not in the know. If you hadn’t read of Wooster’s lamenting his aunts before, you might not get it. This book touches on Bertie’s fear and angst of Aunts, his love of creating his own single letter abbreviations, J&W’s habit of running into people with whom they have already had encounters (usually of the unpleasant kind) and many more tidbits and treats that are common in these stories but in a more intese fashion. So I wouldn’t recommend this book to new readers of Wodehouse or Jeeves and Wooster, but I would recommend it to those familiar with the characters, those that love romping British Country Side Adventures, and readers who might like a yarn about stealing cats.

Have you read any books staring this bumbling and balance duo?

Mad Cat Capsule | Summer 2020 (July, Aug, Sept)

This year of capsule wardrobes started on a high note, but by now, Summer, I’m kinda blah on it. At the beginning of the year I felt rejuvinated about my caspule, lately I’m unmotivated for anything that takes me out of the house. Even thinking about leaving the house fills me with ennui. While making my capsule I have to think about where I’m going and how I’m going to use the capsule. All I really want to wear these days is biker shorts and a tank top. Loungewear, cutoffs, oversized tees. But the reality is that I do need to leave the house sometimes. So here’s what I came up with for my Summer Capsule Wardrobe.

10 t shirts - AA green crewneck (10+ years old, ethical), elephant band tee (6+, local artist), ford crop (vintage, thrifted), minutemen tee (10+), Happy Bday Sandwiches! (handmade, thrifted, 10+), grey hypo color (vintage), grey AA crewneck (10+, ethical), california raisins (vintage, thrifted), talulas cream tee (5+, local biz), talulas pool party (local biz).

8 tops - talulas baseball (local biz), white sheer geo print (thrifted), white floral (thifted), white longsleeve (10+), linen floral (thrifted), silk floral (vintage), holey stripe (10+), xx.

8 tanks - circle flower (10+), unicorn (5+), green stripe (found), floral crop (10+), grey (10+), black (10+), Surf crop (10+), xx.

2 sweaters - grey cardigan (vintage, hand me down), green (5+).

4 dresses - silver (thrifted, ethical), black and white (5+, ethical), bird (8+, small biz), xx.

2 skirts - black (10+, small biz), blue short skirt (5+).

3 pants - black “linen” (5+), blue joggers (hand me down), xx.

5 shorts - cut offs (vintage, thrifted), levis “cut offs” (3+), white (5+), grey biker (5+), anchor (vintage, thrifted).

6 jeans - white (thrifted), green (thrifted), teal (thrifted), everlane blue (sustainable, ethical?), fray bottom (thrifted), xx.

I left a few blank spaces in there, bc I haven’t had a chance to go thru all my back up clothes, yet. I wanted to leave room to find a few more items and shop my closet. That leaves this capsule right around 50 pieces, which is pretty normal for me.

I kept a similar color scheme to spring; cream, peach, green, denim, white, teal, some black and of course, grey. I love how my three masks fit perfectly with my capsule. As always when making this post, I finalized and took out a few pieces. Getting everything out of the closet to photograph and count always brings the capsule into sharp focus and shows what doesn’t quite fit, or inspires for a few more items.

I didn’t include shoes in this capsule bc I have only been wearing an old pair of flops that have recently died (RIP), and an old pair of vans that are on their way out. Since my flops are no longer, I’ve been taking the opportunity to go bare foot more.

I’m interested to see how this capsule serves me for the next little over 2 months. Did you make a Capsule Wardrobe this season?

Urban Foraging Diaries

I’m not sure where I first got the idea to pick things out of the trash. But I’ve been doing it for a long time.

I will always remember a particularly gorgeous lime green velvet swivel easy chair. I remember seeing it as I was driving home, retuning a few hours later, delighted that is was still there, wrestling it into my car, giving it pride of place in my room, later moving with it to NYC, it getting scratched up and ruined by the cats, and the day I had to sadly put it back out on the curb, really trash this time. I added years and years to that beautiful chair’s life and it brought me years of joy.

When the pandemic started and we realized that we couldn’t go thrift shopping any more, we started paying more attention to when the big pick up days for garbage were around us. We were going for nightly walks anyway and had spotted a few cool things out out on the curb. Bc of Covid 19, it took us a little while to get comfortable, but eventually we picked up a few items here or there. We use gloves, or wash our hands after, and let the objects sit outside for a few days or clean them well before bringing them into the house.

Now we go out on the days we know to scout. Most weeks we don’t get anything, but sometimes we hit a small jackpot. We’ve gotten many planters and pots of all sizes, a baseball bat, wood for various projects, a large sun umbrella, and more.

Last week we picked up a well loved dining room side board. We plan to cut the top shelf off and use it on our green house. The top is warped and the wood there is splitting, so cutting that off won’t be a tragedy. It’s clear that this piece was stripped, refinished, and stripped again. Then left for a long time in a basement or shed. But it has plenty of life left in it!

It might seem weird to pick something our of someone else’s trash, but if an object is still useful, it’s far better for it to go on being used. So let’s not call it garbage picking. Let’s call it urban foraging.

Have you found treasure in other people’s trash?

The Quiet American

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I was worried about reading Graham Green’s The Quiet American as it is set during the Vietnamese War, but this book is quite incredible.

Thomas Fowler, a war reporter who has forsaken his homeland of England and fallen in love with Vietnam in more ways than one, is dismayed when his life is uprooted by A Quiet American.

Oh my goodness, what a great book. It’s no surprise this is an American classic, taught in many classes on many levels, and made into several movies. Although there were brutal parts of this book, gory and scary imagery, I did not want to put this book down. What I might have enjoyed most about this book is the flaws held by all its charters. Fowler is flawed to the point of being almost unlikable, although one does like him. Each charater has a perfectly selfish motivation for thier actions and they know it. The fact that it impacts others, even takes lives, doesn’t bother them enough to make them change their actions. That being said, they all genuinely care for each other as well. A perfect picture that shows how selfishness destroys those around you and yourself. I would highly recommend this book for readers who love classic novels, books about the horrors of war, and stories of love and revenge.

Have you read The Quiet American? What are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments below.

Something Nice

A new little patchwork.

Reimagining My 2020 Goals

Last month, I took a look at the goals I made in the beginnning of 2020. Despite this year being completely different than anyone expected, I had achieved a lot of what I set out to. You can see my ruminations here. Below are the general goals I had

Creation Over Consumption
Be More Self Sustainable
Cat health
Work less
Spend less
House Projects
Travel and Explore
Read 1 Book per Month
Exercise

Here’s what I want to work on for the rest of the year:

Reduce Work, Increase Creativity
I’m working on some long term creative plans. I would like to know, even when I’m stressed with work, my creative endeavors are not the only things that suffer.

Continue to Read a Book a Week
Since lockdown began, reading has been a great joy.

Clean and Declutter
Being home a lot makes me think we need less things.

Finish the Greenhouse
Gotta get that greenhouse ready for Winter.

Focus on Family and Cats
There could always be more of this.

Get Back to Sewing
I’m hesitent to say i’ve restarted, but I’ve restarted.

Incorporate Stretching into Daily Life
I really feel that this will be important for my future.

Mental Health
I made some strides in this in the beginning of the year, but I want to keep up the momentum if possible.

How have your goals changed from January to now?

BYOS (Bring Your Own STRAW)

Getting rid of plastic straws and plastic bags will not save the planet, but every little bit helps.

The zero waste and plastic free movements are not just about bringing your own straw or using reusable grocery bags but everyone has to start somewhere. Learning to say no to a plastic straw is a greaat starting point to saying no to other disposable plastics. It’s also a great exercise in going without. Learning to carry a reusable grocery bag is an exercise in mindfulness. We have become a society obsessed with convenience and getting everything we want exactly when and how we want it. But if we have chosen to advocate for the environment, convenience is something we have to give up. Making due and going without is a big part of living a zero waste, plastic free lifestyle. Taking on that responsibility is a huge step in the right direction.

One of things that strikes me about a more sustainable lifestyle is that it places more responsibility on the individual; to make due, to go without, to find alternatives, and do better for themselves, the planet and our global community. That’s a big responsibility, a big commitment. And it’s not always easy. But no one is going to hand us that, we have to achieve that task for ourselves. Sometimes it seems impossible. Sometimes it seems like too large a task. But by breaking it down into easily achievable steps, we can do a few steps every day until we achieve our overall goal.

Now that it’s gotten harder to bring your reusable items to many places, at least you know you can always bring your straw! (and flatware, and napkins, etc…). We cannot count on shops and restaurants doing the right thing by getting rid of plastic, we can’t expect them to forgo the health and safety of their patrons for the health and safety of the environment under the world’s current conditions, and we cannot rely on big corporations to take a long term view on the safety of the planet and our global community (they have money on the mind instead). But we can choose to fight for what we want instead of sitting back and being passive. As consumers we can make the right choices and take responsibility on ourselves. Instead of using plastic cutlery at a restaurant, we can bring our own reusables. We can refuse a plastic take away bag, and use a reusable bag we brought ourselves. We can say no to a plastic straws, but no one needs to go with out, simply bring your own.

A Mind to Murder

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I cannot get enough of PD James and her lead detective, Adam Dalgliesh. A Mind to Murder is his second mystery.

The doctors at Steen Psychiatric Clinic are used to dealing more with the mind than with the body, but when the corpse of their administrative assistant is discovered, freshly murdered in the records room, they can no longer deny the physical. A young Inspector Dalgliesh, poet copper, is called away from his editor’s party to begin the investigation.

After reading the first few pages of A Mind to Murder, I thought I was in for a book very similar to many of James’ stories. I figured the writing style and plot would follow closely to many of her other novels. I’ve said before that many of her mysteries are intensely remenicent of each other. She loves to ruminate of the repercussions of murder on small isolated communities. I would never call her writing lazy, and each book, although following a surprisingly similar plot, are compelling and interesting in their own way. But with this book, I was surprised that she did not follow the same plot, plot points, or character development. I was getting used to the idea of not really knowing what was going on inside the minds of the suspects, but this book gives insight into that, which is different than her other novels. I found that in some ways this made it hard for the reader to decipher who the murderer would turn out to be. If you’re a fan of James’ books, I think you’ll like this earlier version of her style. I would also recommend this book to those interested in 1960 medical dramas and techniques, those who like mysteries set in hospitals or medical wards, and any fans of a dashing lead detective.

Do you read medical related mysteries?

What is Plastic Free July?

And What Are We Doing About It?

For the last 3 years I’ve posted about Plastic Free July. Each year, people all over the world take place in the exercise of giving up some sort (or all) non-reusable plastics (single use, disposable) to help reduce disposable plastics on a global level and raise awareness towards a plastic free lifestyle. Visit the official website to learn more about it.

“Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics?”

My first Plastic Free July in 2017, I was testing the waters, learning about the movement and working out how the zero waste lifestyle could be part of my life. The following year, I was more able to incorporate PFJ into my life. By 2019, I was making lists and getting stuff done. This year, it feels easier than ever to make plastic free changes..

At first glance my Plastic Free July to do lists might not have that much to do with plastic. But the fact that disposable plastic is so insidious in our daily life means that almost everything we do daily is some how connected to single use plastic or plastic waste.

We didn’t have to sit down and have a brainstorm about what to do this year (but we did make a list, of course!). Our big challenge for PFJ 2020 came organically from an idea we had had for a while. We had be researching and talking about giving up store bought cheese (which is bad for the animals, environment and inevitably comes in plastic), for a while, so PFJ was the perfect time to put that plan into action.

This might seem like a very small thing to do. How can the act of not buying one thing help the world? But if everyone made a choice to give up one item of disposable plastic, it would have a huge global impact, and if we all give up the same item, for instance, disposable plastic bags, or straws, or water bottles, well then we wouldn’t have to worry about those pollutants or the ripple effect of problems they cause at all any more.

PFJ isn’t about doing it all, getting everything right. It’s about making a mindful, intentional effort to be better. To do better. It’s about a easy month long challenge to break into a more sustainable plastic free lifestyle. Plastic Free July can be a great jumping off point for anyone interested in leanring more ahout this movement, or the push you needed to get started.

Since we at Mad Cat Quilts already break up our journey to reduce waste into month long challenges, Plastic Free July is easily incorporated. How will you celebrate and challenge yourself this month?

The Joy Of Using Up

This is an ode to small batch, hand made, bar soap.

We have been using a conventional bar soap for the last few months bc we got it as a gift. It was nice enough, lemony in scent, lasted a long time. But the other day, when I switched back to a bar made by a local, small batch brand, it was a revelation. It was immediately apparent how much better this bar was.

The smell, the suds, the softness!!

The joy of using up a conventional product is one of the great pleasures of switching to more sustainable hand made items. It might be subtle, or revelatory, or purely intellectual. Knowing that you are making a change that’s better for you and the environment and your community gives a little thrill.

I’ve talked about how much I love bar soap before, how it’s one of the easiest and most obvious sustainable swaps you can make but also one of the nicest and more luxurious for your personal care routine. If you haven’t made the switch yet, I highly recommend doing so today!
Here are my favorite soap companies:

Blue and Gary Bath Time Rituals (pictured below)
Big Spoon, Little Spoon Soaps
Chagrin Falls Soap and Salve

Food Rules

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Food Rules by Michael Pollan is a quick read, and a little outdated.

After writing several books on food and eating, Michael Pollan boils down his knowledge into simple Food Rules.

In this book, each rule is only about a page. They have been culled from the author’s other work, his personal history, family, friends, science and cultural traditions. All are stated in a simple and easy to read way. Cutting thru complicated jargon and making the science easy and approachable or the cultural truism simple to understand and universal, as well as that each entry are very brief, makes this book super quick to read. Some of the rules are what you might expect like “avoid food with high fructouse corn syrup” or “eat mostly plants…”. Some are a little more interesting like “avoid products that make health claims” or “eat your colors”. And some are about how you eat like “eat slowly” or “break the rules once in a while”. There were definitely a lot that I would say I had already known, but there were also a few that were new to me. I found some to be dated, having to do with old food trends, even tho this book is not really very old. But it was easy to apply each rule to current times or take it’s essence and see how it fits into life today. Although this was a very simple to read book, it didn’t really inspire me to read any more of his books. However, I would recommend this book to those who like to read books about food, diets, traditional eating, or cookbooks.

Do you agree with Pollan’s over all eating statement: Eat Food, Mostly Plants, Not Too Much? Have you read any of his books?

Summer Capsule Wardrobe Inspiration

I’m having a little trouble getting motivated to make my Summer (Jul, Aug, Sept) Capsule Wardrobe this month. I usually start planning towards the end of the last month of the quarter, and by the first month of the current capsule I am pretty set. Finalization happens as I write my capsule blog. But this month, I’m like eh about it.

I thought this would be a good time to do one of my favorite things: watch capsule videos on youtube! If you’re not feeling making your capsule this quarter, or if you’re looking for a little closet inspo, you might enjoy these creators and videos.

The Anna Edit (video posted above) consistently posts Capsule Wardrobe videos every few months, and I love them. Her videos might not be drastically different each season, but I love how happy she gets when she brings out old favorites.

Jaime at Mademoiselle, like The Anna Edit, has a vastly different style than I do, which might be why I like their videos. They both buy many clothes, usually new, which is something I literally never do. I really appreciate the attention to detail and the reasoning and perserverence with which Jaime approaches her capsules. She posts a lot of 10x10 challanges, but I also love her weekly outfit videos.

Meghan’s wardrobe, approach to shopping, and lifestyle is far closer to mine but her fashion style is so different. I love all the bright colors she wears and how easily she purges items! I also love the ease and comfort she exudes when talking to the camera. She often approaches her videos as if she were your big sister and I want her to me mine.

When I was watching vids to get inspired I watched so many! But I think the three above creators are a good overviews of several ways to clean, declutter, challenge or capsule a wardrobe. Who do you most identify with? Who are some of your favorite Capsule Wardrobe youtubers or bloggers?

When was the last time you decluttered your closet or changed over your capsule?

June Plant Update

I see a definite theme in my warm weather plant updates: Flowers. I love flowers. In the warm weather, I love to see all the flowers that are out as they bloom. In June, we travelled a little, tried to continue our daily walks when we weren’t working, and hung out in our own yard. We stayed away from the beach, now that it’s packed with people. But we were able to sneak in some beach walks, too.

There are several lakes about 5 min from our house. If you see them at the right time, they are shockingly scenic.

I was captivated by this shade of purple.

Puff ball.

Spire

Coxcomb?

The last of the irises.

We wondered down to Cape May NJ this month and stopped at some farm stands on the way.

A very flower full traffic island on my walk to work.

This color of rose is pure magic.

Another stunning sunset.

And a very blurry houseguest.

What do you love most to observe of the Summer plants?

2020 Goals | July Goals and June Recap

June took quite a turn for me, and not really in a way that I enjoyed. Most of my goals had to take an extreme backseat to “real” life. Sometimes when that happens it makes me feel sad and angry, if I’m being honest. But Now it’s July, so we must move on. One of the reasons to make monthly goals is to have a new chance each month to improve systems, habits, and productivity.

Here’s how we did in June: Not great.

Inbox to zero, but really this time
Cluttered inbox, cluttered mind, am I right?
I worked on this goal a bit this month. But I would love to get it done.

Make 1 comic
Something I’ve been missing.
Nope.

Make 1 video
Something I want to get better at.
Nope.

Make more concrete goals from the things you like about isolation
Something for the long term.
I did also work on this goal in June.

Stretch
Something for the very long term.
A little work got done on this as well.

For July, I think I have to do the same goals again. But add a few more in!

Inbox to zero, but really this time
Sometimes when I look at my inbox I just feel dread.

Make 1 comic
I’d really like to find a way to cronicle my experinces.

Make 1 video
I’ve made a few in the past, but I would like to get better at it.

Stretch
I’m not sure why I can’t get this into my routine.

Restart sourdough
June was rough and I was not able to keep up with it but I really like having starter for breads, pancakes and cookies.

Work on Decluttering
I’n not going to fool myself that I can declutter everything in one month, but I have been trying to get some progress made on this goal.

What are your July goals? What do you do to re-motivate yourself if you have an unproductive month?

Something Wicked This Way Comes

One of my goals in 2020 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The second Ray Bradbury book I’ve read over the last few months, Something Wicked This Way Comes was also made into a Disney movie in 1982.

When the desire to grow up comes between two young boys on the verge of moving to manhood, their friendship is tested. When an evil soul sucking carnival arrives in town, things get worse.

I sorta kinda knew what this book was about, by pop culture osmosis, I guess. I have known people who grew up on the novel and the movie, and loved it. Although written somewhat like a young adult novel, there are many adult themes and scary parts to this book. And a lot of existential thought. As with Let’s All Kill Constance, I sometimes found Bradbury’s writing style difficult to read. In a totally different way than that novel, tho. In some ways it makes me want to read more of his books, and it some ways I never want to read another. I enjoyed the themes of the evils inside oneself: what greed, desire and envy will do to a person over time. I made sure to watch the movie after reading the book. A Disney Film from the 1980s, it was pretty slow and perhaps boring by today’s standards. But I could see, watching this at that time as a child, that it could have been very frightening. Mostly staying very true to the novel, there were a few parts where they diverged, especially in the case of Pam Grier’s performance of the side show witch. Something Wicked is, at it’s heart, a coming of age story of young men, and it seems to appeal mostly to men and boys. But I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about circuses and sideshows, people who like books about hidden evils, coming of age stories, or books about small town adventures.

Have you read this book? Have you seen the film?