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Broken toys
My son left home for six months in September last year and I (finally!) found time to develop a hobby. Okay, I write this blog as a hobby, but I also started having weekly guitar lessons. I’ve been playing guitar since I was teenager and I’m mostly self taught, so it has been great to learn how to play properly. I also did a creative writing course last year. And at the same time I went through (another) break-up and…
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What is the human cost of your t-shirt?
Slavery and child labour in the fashion industry – how does it actually happen? Ethical supply chain consultant Kate Nicholl explains. When we walk into a department store and buy a new clothing item, we know the store did not make the item. But do we question, who did actually make it? When we buy clothing from a reputable brand and it is expensive, we make an assumption that it must have been made to a high quality in a high-end garment factory.…
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What taking a selfie every day taught me
It’s 15 days into my #livingthegreen challenge and I have not bought any clothes, shoes or accessories. I did, however, buy some homewares for my bathroom, which is currently being renovated. That’s permissible! Taking a photo of myself every day for the past 12 days has been interesting. It’s far more narcissistic than my personality type, but it has been empowering to make myself so visible. They aren’t actually selfies, a kind (and very talented) work colleague has taken most of…
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Living the green
Join the Sun on my Parade #livingthegreen 30 day challenge! I’m making a small significant change to my consumer behaviour to reduce the environmental and social impacts of my lifestyle. I’m not buying any new clothes, accessories or shoes for a month. Quite simply, I don’t want to support slavery. According to this article, Top fashion labels ranked on use of slavery, most of my favourite labels (Country Road, Veronika Maine, Cue and Witchery) have a B+ rank. I hope they improve. I…
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Empty nest, empty heart
I am broken. The sea of grief is so unexpected, so engulfing, so deep. A black cloud has hung over my head, resting on my shoulders like a heavy wet blanket, since he left on a jet plane. My soul, my heart, my being, longs for his presence. I am moved to tears at the thought of him. I have cried myself to sleep most nights for the past month. I have never felt so alone. I dread coming home…