Category Archives: Fashion

Why we love vintage jewelry…for us, for gifts, for the earth

Eleven Reasons To Love
Antique and Vintage Jewelry

For those of us who already love vintage jewelry, we don’t need any more reasons to hunt it down, wear it, and gift it. Though, if you haven’t included vintage in your wardrobe, yet, or you are still mulling over holiday gift ideas, we wanted to give a shout out for how vintage jewelry can add sparkle to your life and help save the world!

Vintage Jewelry: A thing of beauty
Vintage Jewelry

1. “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” – Keats. You will always look beautiful wearing a graceful cameo, or something elegant with pearls.

1b. Something unique and funky will stand out in any era. (Didn’t want to forget those of us who like Retro, Kitsch, and/or the Austin Powers influence.)

2. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” makes the world a better place. Vintage fashion is inspired reuse. And, crafts that make old jewelry into new are an artsy way to recycle (upcycle).

3. An Antique or Vintage piece is often unique or one-of-a-kind. Sometime, you may have the only piece like it left in existence. Though, at least you can be fairly certain that no one else at the party will have the same thing!

4. Put your money where you heart is. Buying vintage items take money away from big corporations and mass market spending, and diverts resources to more local businesses and artful marketplaces.

4b. Vintage and Antique jewelry supports ethical buying. There are no worries about new impacts regarding unfair trade or cruelly mined gemstones. Continue reading Why we love vintage jewelry…for us, for gifts, for the earth

20 ways to be an empowered citizen, empowered consumer

I was sitting in a class on how to build support for making social change, and one of the discussions we had is a comparison of the differences between the civil rights era environment and today’s civic environment.  This made my mind leap into making a list of a score of dozen ways to be an empowered citizen and an empowered consumer.

Writing this post, I realized that this list is a micro version of Gandhi’s Constructive Program. In the period between civil Disobedience Campaigns, Gandhi kept his followers engaged and progressing by building a sustainable community-based economy to replace the imperial system which oppressed them.

Making organic mashed potatoes with Kimberly #...
Making organic mashed potatoes.
  1. Buy local, organic, and fair trade.
  2. Move your money to a credit union.
  3. Drink more water, but not bottled.
  4. Have a car-less day.
  5. Throw out your TV.
  6. Grow a garden.
  7. Share hand-me-downs.
  8. Use your library.
  9. Support local arts.
  10. Make your own music.
  11. Support local and independent media.
  12. Only donate to nonprofits where you know how the money is being used.
  13. Only support candidates and political parties who don’t take corporate donations.
  14. Teach people how to write-in on the ballot when they don’t like the choice of candidates.
  15. Cook family meals at home.
  16. Oppose war.
  17. Oppose insurance companies and support single payer health insurance
  18. Spend less
  19. Barter
  20. Join a CSA {Community Supported Agriculture].

TWL: Things We Love

I know it's not Valentine yet but I'm full of ... Happy Valentine’s Day!

The idea of this site is to help bring a little more love into the world. We have been working to create a community space to share the way to a more peaceful life. Our definition of a peaceful life encompasses all areas of our lives.

Since the early days of this site we have been focusing on what it means to be a pacifist, and we will continue to do so.  We have also touched on what a shareable economy means; peaceful music and books; how a CSA works; and why vintage jewelry is better than new.

TWL will focus us on exploring what more of what peace means in the  rest of our lives, such as what it means to freecycle; to be a vegetarian; a locavore; a community member; to use nonviolent communication; and to clean with vinegar.  And more.   But first,

We want to hear from you!

What brings peace into your life?

What can you share from your journey?

Please use the comments section to share.

Continue reading TWL: Things We Love

Vintage Jewelry = Eco-Friendly + Fashion-Forward

Please visit our Etsy shop at:

Wilderside Vintage and Antique Jewelry

Vintage Silver available at Wilderside's Etsy shop.
Vintage Silver available at Wilderside’s Etsy shop.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, or for sparkling up your own winter wardrobe, PeaceCouple announces our new vintage jewelry shop. Continue reading Vintage Jewelry = Eco-Friendly + Fashion-Forward

On Tuesday 11/27/12, Americans should have a day of reflection, in sympathy with clothing factory workers in Bangladesh

Shopping makes us part of a circle with the people who make our goods, and with the system that profits from our money.

In Bangladesh, over 100 factory workers died in an unsafe clothing factory over the weekend. On Monday, there was another apparel factory fire, thankfully, with no deaths.

These factories exist to make the clothes that we purchase here in America. One of the factories made clothes which were ultimately sold to Walmart (through a complicated supply chain)[ADN]. Other factories in Bangladesh make clothing for brands such as Tesco, JC Penney, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Kohl’s and Carrefour [CNN]. Many of these factories have unsafe conditions. We should support reforms for the workers in Bangladesh, and try to purchase clothing that is Fair Trade or union made.

We can also add our concern, thoughts, and prayers to the people of Bangladesh tomorrow, Tuesday, 27th, when there will be a national day of mourning. CNN notes: Continue reading On Tuesday 11/27/12, Americans should have a day of reflection, in sympathy with clothing factory workers in Bangladesh

Black Friday: Buy Nothing! Demand Peace! Support striking Wal-Mart workers!

Occupy Long Island: Buy Nothing Day sign
Occupy Black Friday

Black Friday for some people means lining up for bargains at the doors of big corporations. Though, people who want our country to be more sustainable, and less dependent on war money,  have often asked people to “Buy Nothing” on the day after Thanksgiving.

This year, there are several ways to celebrate the empowerment that is Buy-Nothing-Day:

-Make sure you do not buy anything on Friday, November 23, 2012

-On all the other shopping days leading to Christmas and Chanukah…shop local, union, Fair Trade, organic, natural, and/or sustainably when possible. [See our Peace Couple website for Kind Shopping ideas.]

-Join Occupy Wall Street in your area, as they protest at Walmart, in support of striking Walmart workers.

An anti-Black Friday shopping video at Youtube: here and below.

An excellent (archival) speech by Reverend Billy about Black Friday, Consumerism, and Buy Nothing Day: here.

An example of a local  Occupy  Black Friday Demo at Walmart:   Continue reading Black Friday: Buy Nothing! Demand Peace! Support striking Wal-Mart workers!

The voice of youth: Peace Song for 12/22/2011

Johnny Cash has at least two songs about truth. This one is about young people and the truth. “What Is Truth?” by Johnny Cash is the Peace Song of the Day for 12/22. Thanks to Bill McNulty for bringing our attention to this song. You can listen to Bill’s radio show at lunchtime on Thursdays at WUSB 90.1FM Stony Brook (NY).

Continue reading The voice of youth: Peace Song for 12/22/2011