THE FESTIVAL & BEACH SEASON

Followers of this blog will know by now that I simply cannot resist a long weekend in a tent in a field at a festival so I've been to Glastonbury and it was ....lovely. The family were with me and we all carried our bags, used sunscreen and wore wellies. If only everyday life was just a little more like Glastonbury where strangers smile and hold out a helping hand when you need help jumping over a puddle. The Love the Farm - Leave No Trace slogan is having an impact and there is far less mess than there used to be. Perhaps now that we recycle at home we are all more aware of the work involved
in collecting and sorting through litter. And when you've paid good money to live alongside 150,000 other music fans in a field you quickly realize the sense in keeping your space tidy.
I wish everyone on the beach would leave no trace. Instead they bring bottles and cans of beer that are lined up for pebble target practice, spare nappies that are thrown aside and polystyrene containers of fish and chips are abandoned to the gulls.

Perhaps our council should start a Love the Beach - Leave No Trace campaign.

love & peace
xxx
Sally

S U M M E R

I love the sunshine, it makes the flowers grow. While we've been stuck inside waiting for
warmer weather I have been hard at work making a huge new batch of vintage floral bags.
The colours and patterns are scrumptious and I'll be loading them all up onto my website tomorrow. They are very limited edition - sometimes just enough old fabric for one big bag
especially when the pattern repeats are huge I can't bear to cut into them so the bag sizes
are adjusted accordingly.
Take a peep at the Specials on my website in the next day or so and you'll also get a glimpse of my garden which I have to say is looking ravishing!
love & peace
Sally

CONRAN SHOP LOOKING C-A-B FAB

I've been super-busy making banners for The Conran Shop to use in their Summer Promotion called HOLIDAY AT HOME. It was the best fun job ever involving everything I love about vintage fabric patterns, printing and stitching.
And so rewarding to see them surrounded by great design.
I can't stop now and will be making banners to order from the website - so if you have a message that needs to be writ large like .......MARRY ME or DANCE TILL YOU DROP then email me sally@carry-a-bag.com and let's get this party started.
love & peace
xxx
Sally
via the website

Bags, Bottles and Bin Liners

In my last post I made a rash statement about trying to live plastic-free and I have to say that until I actually tried it I'd have thought it was do-able without too many adjustments. Dream on.
The next day I got up and into the shower reached for the shampoo and wondered what the alternative would be...I used to buy a solid shampoo bar from Cosmetics to Go but I think they've gone (I'll check that). Out of the shower into the bathroom where I reached for my toothbrush ... perhaps I could get one with a wooden handle next time? and the tube of toothpaste (I will buy metal not plastic next time). Picked up my comb (change to metal or wood?) and then moisturiser, foundation, mascara, lipstick ...oh dear and then there's the hairdryer. Dressed and downstairs in the kitchen I took the milk out of the fridge..............

I think you get the idea and it certainly would not be a good idea to throw this lot out and replace them before they have been used up or worn out, so I'm changing my commitment to something more manageable. I will look for alternative non-plastic versions of these everyday containers and products and definitely re-use my plastic then ultimately recycle it. And whenever I find a replacement that is less plastic and more natural I will pass the good news on.
In the meantime I feel better for 'fessing up to my failures.

love & peace
Sally
xxx

CARRY-A-BAG on Vogue.com

Had to share this with everyone.

Annecka Griffith, photographed by Aimee Farrell

30 April 2009, 07:00AM

Camden Crawl – Island Records Party

Annecka Griffith, 23, music PR

"My jacket is by Rag & Bone and my floral bag is from CARRY-A-BAG.COM. My boots are from Russell and Bromley. I would describe my style as being haphazard. I love the Fifties era, so I go to Old Hat on the Fulham Road quite often - it's a Fifties dressmaker. I like wearing dresses because I'm lazy and with dresses I don't have to think about matching everything."

WAKE UP CALL ON PLASTIC USE

In my small world I had begun to think that the anti-plastic message had got through. Not everyone, but quite a good proportion of people at the checkouts seem to have brought their bags along and people walking in the street had their own bags...I was feeling optimistic.
Well I am not feeling good any more.
I have just read an article about the PLASTIKI expedition and urge everyone to go to the website and sign up to follow their progress. They are sailing a boat made from recycled plastic to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch where an island of plastic particles the size of France is growing bigger every day. Plastic bags are one of the key contributors to this pollution and we have to stop using them. Plastic water bottles are equally bad - they are the second worst polluter and we don't need to buy them. Our water is clean and delicious.
I'm committing to a great big effort not to buy any more plastic and out there in the oceans there are billions of tons of reasons why we should all TRY to live a plastic-free life - the stuff was only invented in the last century and it was never something we needed, just something convenient. For us perhaps but not for our planet.
love & peace
x
Sally
http://www.theplastiki.com

Happy Easter Everyone

This may be one of the first weekends when families get out into the sunshine together ...actually it's raining already...but it may brighten up. I am making little Easter Egg bags with shiny fabric and will fill them with small chocolate eggs. It's a good time to support the Fairtrade and organic farmers by choosing Divine, Co-op or Green & Black's if you can find any at this late stage. Recycle the packaging too and when you're out for that Spring walk remember to take a litter bag and pick up as you go. Not everyone is on-message about not throwing their rubbish about and it feels good to leave a litter-free path behind you.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx
HAPPY EASTER
love & peace
Sally

x