Look What I Made: Zero Waste Bifold Card Wallet

Apr 12, 2018 | Create, Sustainable Living

So it’s currently midnight and I’d normally be in bed already buuuut I felt the urge to craft and make myself a new card wallet!

As you may know, I’m doing a bit of traveling to a few different countries starting next month and I was thinking about how to keep my things as minimal as possible since I’ve only got one carry on bag(!!!! One carry on bag is all Ian’s idea!!). I used to have this envelope shaped card wallet that a friend brought back from Fiji, and I loved it. I used it for about 2 years before the woven button fringed up and came undone.

I have a bunch of other wallets and wristlets—my most recent was the Lalelei fabric wristlet—but they’re all on the larger types of wallets. I’ve also been trying to downsize what I carry around in my bag daily and so wanted to go back to a card wallet.

ENTER: my past-bedtime-10pm-DIY-sewing-adventure card wallet! I love it so much already. I’m swooning over the bright yellow linen-y fabric (which I hand dyed naturally with turmeric). The sturdiness of the canvas fabric. The way my cards fit so perfectly. And mostly because I wasn’t expecting to like it. But I do. I like it a lot!

It’s a super simple design. I could have added more pockets but didn’t want it to get bulky since I’m using canvas, and besides, I can fit probably at least 14 cards in there. Hmm, I should do a test to see how many it can hold.

Anyhow, I just thought I’d share this highlight bit from my day. What do you think of this fabric card wallet? Should I post a tutorial on how I made it?

Leave a comment below and let me know!
Have a wonderful tomorrow

xoxo
Nerelle

CREATE: DIY Natural Organic Deodorant

Apr 2, 2018 | Create, Lifestyle, Sustainable Living

My mom always told me, simplicity is beauty. And after all these years, I’m applying that nugget of wisdom to my armpits… you heard right!

Did I ever tell you that I went a whole month *without* deodorant?

Yeah, probably not what my mom meant.

The story goes, that back in December 2017 I ran out of Old Spice Wolfthorn deodorant (which I am unashamed to say I used and shared with my boyfriend lol). And I already had planned that when it ran out, I would switch to a natural product.

At this point I was already taking baby steps to a more sustainable lifestyle, so in the process, I did a full on natural detox.

No deodorant for a month.

I was constantly nervous about my B.O. and the stress sweat struggle is real you guys. I started using lime slices to deodorize naturally (this works wonders!). So if you ever decide to switch to a natural deodorant, the first step is to expel all those harmful chemicals you’ve been soaking in through your pits for a month.

During my detox, I tried looking for natural deodorants to purchase and got a couple of recommendations from friends on different brands to try. But after reading some reviews about baking soda rashes and a double take on the price range of organic options, I turned to a more DIY approach.

DIY Natural Organic Deodorant

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

– Natural Shea Butter

– Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil

– Bees Wax Pellets

– Essential Oils (for fragrance)

– Arrowroot Powder

– Baking Soda

– Glass OR ceramic mixing bowls (or Double Broiler)

– Measuring cups

– Clean old deodorant container

TO MAKE:

Fill 1 bowl with boiled water and place another bowl on top, to use as a double broiler (If you have a double broiler, you can just use that! Or you can use a glass or ceramic bowl that fits over a small pot. This was my makeshift double broiler).

Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of shea butter – stir and melt.

Add 4 tablespoons of beeswax – stir and melt. I live in a warm tropical climate so if you live in a cooler climate, you can use less beeswax.

Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda – stir and melt. Baking soda may be an irritant to some people so if you have sensitive skin like I do, only use a teaspoon or less. I would have left it out altogether but baking soda helps act as the deodorizing agent.

Add 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder. This creates a more solid consistency.

Add 10-15 drops of your preferred essential oils for fragrance. I used tea tree oil and lavender oil.

Stir it all up until it’s completely smooth, and you’re almost there! Remove from your double broiler set up and pour into an old deodorant container while still hot. I cleaned out and emptied my Old Spice container to reuse.

And that’s it! Set your brand new natural organic deodorant to cool at room temperature. You can also put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes to speed up the process. You’ll know it’s done when it’s firm.

To customize, try different essential oils to change up the fragrance, and add your own label to make it look legit. I added a sticker from an old surf movie we had laying around.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My own personal and biased review? I love it!

My boyfriend also loves it ~ yes, we still share deodorant lol.

But really though, it works great!

The Pros: it’s made with completely natural organic products. It smells amazing. It doesn’t stain clothes, and it keeps me smelling fresh for the day.

The Cons: the consistency is a little stickier than I had hoped, but a simple solution is to just dab it on and rub it in. A little goes a long way.

An Alternative: I actually really liked using lemon slices on my armpits. I still use it every other day when we have lemons or limes.

The key takeaway here is that switching to a natural deodorant is a brilliant idea and it’s super simple to do yourself and it’s great for your health and the environment!

Thanks for reading!

Zero Waste Kit for Beginners

Mar 4, 2018 | Create, Lifestyle, Sustainable Living

Living on a remote island, you would think that sustainable living comes naturally. And it should. That’s the beauty of a simple island life, right? However, these days so much waste is generated for the ease of convenience. For example, fast food culture has become the norm here, and so even at a Sunday to’ona’i (family feast gathering), you’ll commonly see styrofoam takeaway plates. These are single use items that do not decompose, cannot be recycled, and have a life span of a few hours. Then it’s off to the dump where it will sit forever – along with the plastic spoons and forks and straws that are also used for convenience – and seep harmful chemicals into the soil.

PS- Did you know that American Samoa’s landfill is unlined?

Zero waste kit for beginners | Nerelle.com

What is zero waste?

Zero Waste (or ZW) is a lifestyle practice of eliminating or minimizing single use disposable waste.

There are a lot of reasons to consider going zero waste. For me, it’s because I have always been interested in all matters of going green, recycling, and sustainable living, but putting it into practice daily is the challenge.

Which is why I put together this Zero Waste Kit for Beginners. It’s something I take around with me as much as possible to prevent waste.

Zero Waste Kit for beginners:

Drawstring bag
Spoon and fork
Chopsticks
Reusable straw
Tote bag

Optional:

Tupperware
Water bottle / Mug

Baby steps.

Being 100% Zero Waste is very very very difficult. Just doing groceries creates waste. Local cherry tomatoes are sold in a ziplock bag. There are times when I forget and I’m already in line at Koko Bean and the lady is scooping my BBQ chicken into a styrofoam plate. Or when I order an Arnie Palmer and forget to say “no straw please” until the glass is sitting in front of me with a plastic straw. Then I think of the turtles. Teardrop.

But that’s why this ZW kit is so great!

It’s easy. It’s convenient. It makes sense. And it’s something I can do NOW to make a small but meaningful impact. And I hope you try it out too! The best part is you can make it your own. Carry a cute tote bag around. Sew your own drawstring bag (I dyed my own fabric using turmeric!). Pick your favorite utensils. Drink out of your most loved mug. And you’ll make the world a better place.

December Daily Journal Flip Through

Feb 1, 2018 | Create

As you know (I know), I love notebooks and traveling – which is why the Traveler’s Notebook system is the perfect marriage of all things memory keeping and making for me.

I’ve just about officially moved into this Pocket Traveler’s Notebook that Ian gifted me with on the 1st day of Advent. I was so excited, I journaled every day. Here’s a flip through of what that mess looks like.

CREATE: Not So Typical DIY Christmas

Dec 3, 2017 | Create, Lifestyle

Happy December! I’ve been eagerly awaiting the holiday season because I love Christmas lights and plus, I always need something to look forward to. I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on decorations since we’re saving for presents and travels. So instead, here are just a few holiday decoration ideas that you can make yourself!

1. Driftwood + Garland Christmas Tree

I’ve been holding on to these two large driftwood sticks for almost a year now and they have finally come in useful for something! I tied the top together and split the bottom 45 degrees apart to form a triangle shape, then wrapped the garland around it to make it look more like a pine tree. Add Christmas lights and lean against a corner – and voila. Instant Christmas tree magic.

2. Advent Calendar Tree

You can add this to any DIY Christmas tree you desire. I painted a couple of poster papers and used some kraft paper to make my own wacky envelopes. Number it from 1 to 25 to represent the 25 days of Christmas. Then use a binder clip to attach the envelopes to the garlands in numeral order. Bonus – it double as ornaments!

3. Reversible Stockings

If you know how to use a sewing machine at all, this is super easy. I didn’t even have to make a pattern since a sock shape is so easy to copy. I got this Samoan print dobby fabric in green and blue from the Tutuila store, drew out a sock shape on the fabric and sewed a green and blue piece right sides together. Make sure to hide the hems and close it off — and there you have it, reversible stockings!

Other not so typical Christmas decoration we have up are: this tiny Christmas tree that Ian’s parents sent him a couple of years ago, a fishing glass float wrapped up in Christmas lights, this flag banner that says Joy, a nutcracker I won at last year’s Christmas party drinks competition, leftover garland, sea shells, and a snowman ornament for our bookshelf.

Our deco is not your typical Christmas hangings and mistletoes, but it’s our island, eco and budget friendly version and I love it.

Dusk Colors with this Gauguin Girl

Oct 29, 2017 | Create, Lifestyle

I hosted paint and wine night for a few girlfriends last weekend. I haven’t painted in a really long time, and decided it was time to bring out the acrylics and put down feelings in color. Not knowing what to paint, Diane suggested I derive inspiration from Paul Gauguin’s paintings. She told me the colors I used and the way I painted reminded her of Gauguin’s work. I had never heard of Gauguin until she told me this, and it took me a while to figure out how to even pronounce his name. I searched his photos to find a painting I liked.

In one of his paintings, I really liked the way the woman was sitting and the fact that she was an island girl wearing a red lavalava, so I pretty much copied this almost exactly on my canvas, slightly askew. For the scenery, I just drew indistinct lines to give the photo context.

My mind kind of switched to autopilot and I focused on my company.

Louise and Diane were both using watercolor to paint a beautiful cone shell, and a very intricate and beautiful coral garden respectively, Tori was coloring in a psychedelic fish and Mareike also colored a scene of Ofu island. We were discussing all manner of things, as you do on girls’ nights, and funny enough we had plenty of conversation surrounding french history, and then greek history.

A couple of hours and cups of wine later, I almost gave up on my painting because the colors were wonky and the canvas wasn’t taking to the paint very well. Diane suggested I keep going, and fill it in as much as possible. I trust Diane so much because she’s a really amazing artist. So I kept going, layering more and more colors without much effort except to make it heavy.

It turned out better than I thought… certainly better than I had planned since I had no idea what I was doing. It’s not very good, in terms of the brush strokes. It’s messy and the colors ARE wonky, but I kind of liked it that way. It just felt good to be painting again and the dusk colors made me feel warm. I didn’t even look back at Gauguin’s painting until after I completed mine that I realized that there were two women. How did I miss that? Just like my painting, I was lost in my own world in a swirl of colors.

And on that note, I am feeling grateful for these eyes that see in color.

The sun was setting outside and I was going to grab my camera to take a picture of the sun over the lagoon in the yard, but walked into my room to find the light casting dancing shadows on the wall and I honestly didn’t want to be anywhere else but here.