shelter

Christmas at home

05/12/2016 by Ali Clifford

Christmas at home Where do you spend Christmas? I’ve many memories of Christmas over the last fifteen years. Since I’ve become a parent. Some admittedly merge into others – whereas some memories are more special – our first Christmas for example, with a six week old baby boy, our good friends Jane and Rick welcomed …

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Being thankful for nature’s treasures with @rain

Being thankful for nature’s treasures with @rainforestalliance

Wholesome adventure in the forest incoming; but first coffee ☕️ 🫘 At a festival this summer, I went to a talk given by a plant scientist. She spoke of (amongst other things) every morning, thanking the earth between her bare toes, the power for her kettle, and giving daily gratitude to her favourite tree.

It was the reminder I needed, and now my own coffee-making-morning-ritual is my moment to thank all contributors – the journey from the water to the beans, and the people in between x ☕️ 🫘
My gratitude extends to the turning season 🍂 and pausing for thankfulness, embracing the low autumn sun on my face as it dapples through the leaves on the “lungs of the earth”, as those trees shelter, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen essential for our own, and animals’ survival.

For more on these journeys: www.rainforest-alliance.org/followthefrog
Big love
Ali x

🫘 Paid business collaboration
#FollowTheFrog #RainforestAlliance #WeAreAllIn #WorldCoffeeDay#sustainabilitygoals #sustainabilitymatters #wheeloftheyear #seasonspoetry #divine_forest#daysofsimpleandslow #gloomandglow #naturejournal #changingseasons #heiterautumn #songofseasons #myseasonalstory #savouringtheseason #everyoneneedsnature #naturenotes #forest_magic

Sustainable Plant Pots made from 100% recycled rop

Sustainable Plant Pots made from 100% recycled rope in Scotland 🪴🌊
Propagating my Pilea this morning reminded me that I’ve forgotten to tell you about Ocean Plastic Pots founder, Ally Mitchells 🐋 We’ve known each other for a few years now and Ally kindly spent time chatting with me about my Incredibusy Salvaged Speed Loom development when I was experimenting with different recycled materials earlier this year. (see #IncredibusySalvagedSpeedLoom for more on that 🤦🏽‍♀️)
🪴🌊
Ocean Plastic Pots take broken fishing boxes, nets and rope that are then sorted into colours, washed, shredded ~ the shred is then turned into pellets and moulded into Ocean Plastic Pots.

So it was a delight to meet Ally and Louise in person, at Chelsea Flower Show - I’m in awe of Ally’s passion and determination to help turn the tide on the large volume of plastic found in our seas.

It is estimated 8 million tons of plastic enters our oceans every year.

In 2022 @ocean.plastic.pots recycled over 1000kg of Rope and Net from the Island of Ulva, off Mull.

In 2023 they recycled rope and net from six Scottish Islands including Skye, Coll, Muck, Rum, Eigg, Coll and Canna in a pioneering first of its kind project.

And now - Old mooring rope is also being made into Planting Trowel handles. Made in limited edition runs - each trowel is unique - this is a waste byproduct from recycling rope and fishing net collected in Scotland to manufacture the Ocean Plastic Plant Pots. Get them now before this new colourway is sold out - I’ll pop a link on my stories! 🪴

Lots of love
Ali x

#sgiew #regenerativegardening #thegardenclub #regenerativefutures #oceanplastics #growmore #madeinscotland #sustainability

Check out also, the work @scottishcoastalcleanup @mcs_uk are doing to clean our beaches - there are regular beach cleans you can join.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplis

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished 🌿

Did you swipe ➡️ to slide two? Mother Nature pushing BACK! This Lao Tzu quote is SO on the money today.

Enjoy, and celebrate with a 🌿 emoji comment if this makes you happy too
Big love, Ali x

{Photo description: Slide 1: I 📷 snapped this at @fforestgather 2023, It’s another giant print that hangs in the fforest project barn and I just love it.

The bird illustration is one of Matt Sewell’s (you know I love Matt’s work) and through further investigation via Matt, I found my way to @jebloynichols’ typography and printmaking, and the big group effort of individuals to carve and print this beauty at fforest gather 2022.

Slide 2: Photo* of Wilfrid’s neighbours’ valiant and stoic grass pushing their way through the plastic astro turf... get in Mother Earth.
*pinched from @wilfridwoodsculptor’s insta stories (with Wilfrid’s blessing of course)

#NatureFightsBack #sgiew #LaoTzu #MotherNature #SustainableSeptember #MeetTheCreatives

What do normal people do? Plan your week’s meals

What do normal people do? Plan your week’s meals? Or wing it? it’s midday, do you know what you are having for supper tonight? ...asking for a friend…

I’ve reluctantly taken over the family cooking during the week as it’s my turn to be “chef”… (freelance-life, whoever is working from home - does the Mon-Fri cooking - gah 🥴)

I’ve always found cooking/meal planning a bit of a challenge, being the only veggie in the house, but with youngest non-legume-lover teen off at Uni it now means I can cook with 🫘 beans.

Amelia @boldbeanco supportively sent me some QUEEN Carlin Peas in a jar - in fact this is what two jars ready for the oven looks like… (you might know them as Parched Peas if you are from Lancashire).

Good news for me, the @hodmedods x @BoldBeanCo jars arrived in time for Paul to cook at the weekend (hooray!) so for #SustainableSeptember it’s sticky aubergine, crispy British-grown Carlin Peas, garlicky yoghurt with chimichurri, for a barbecue with friends.

I watched, and tried to take photos so that I know what to do when it’s my turn to make it, needless to say I wasn’t paying attention so I’ve saved the recipe and it’s in my bio if you’d like to have a go with me too. It WAS delicious 🫘

What’s for dinner tonight?
I need some more #beanspo!
Big love
Ali x

#beanspo #BritishBeans 🇬🇧 @hodmedods

👩‍🌾 supporting British farmers
🌱 supporting British soils
🔒 enhancing food security in the UK

🫘 #organicfarming #OrganicSeptember #MealPlanning #BeansForDinner #lovepulses #yespeas #beansishow #pulses #plantprotein #eatmorebeans #carlinpeas #gifted #FairtoFarmersCharter (link in bio to petition - Reform the Grocery Supply Code of Practice to better protect farmers)

Yikes - it’s felt less summery today, so, quick

Yikes - it’s felt less summery today, so, quick before the sunshine disappears - a little Thursday Throwback dedication (do we still do that?) me, wearing this cute @attique.studio co-ord made from end of line seersucker; to visit the King of the Castle with my dear friend @natasha.taneka 👑

It was so hot, even with a parasol, so I may or may not have fainted slightly and not actually SEEN the royals as they paraded by in the procession of the Most Noble Order of The Garter - the marching band were great though! 🎺

Oh, and the gardens at the castle are lovely - I’ll share on my stories :) along with the marching band, like a proper tourist 🥁😂

Big love
Ali x

#seersucker #slowfashion #slowfashionmovement #endoflinefabric #coordfashion #coordset #coord #ethicalclothing #independentfashion #ecotextiles #sustainabletextiles #sustainableseptember #LFW #sustainablefashion #sgiew #windsorcastle

Self Care Sunday - Kipper 🐾 style. Clearly fee

Self Care Sunday - Kipper 🐾 style.
Clearly feeling a bit better, thank you for the really lovely, kind messages, he seems to be on the mend - more himself today, nothing like a good spit-wash on the sofa. 🛁

Hope you’re all having a happy Sunday,
I’m just popping out to buy some fabric dye, as you do.

Big love
Ali x

#SelfCareSunday #KipperTheCat
#CatsOfInstagram #SuperSlowLiving #sgiew
#sgiew_repair

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