The Downside of Development

A Festive Outfit This outfit is misleading. The big, ruffled collar and puffed sleeves feel very celebratory. But today has been an obnoxious and disappointing one. Last week, Daniel, his mom (who is moving in with us), and I went to Houston to look for rental properties. And we found an adorable mid-century house in …

Franklin Graham and Progressive Christianity Franklin Graham, son of famous Evangelist and Christian speaker, Billy Graham, recently penned an article for Decision Magazine entitled, The Eternal Peril of Progressive Christianity. In it, he writes: It has cropped up in the halls of seminaries, infiltrated the pulpits of thousands of churches and been propagated by a …

Big News We’re moving to Houston! I will be starting a position as a curate in July. A curate is a recently ordained person who works in a clergy role for two years to get comprehensive experience in a congregational context. The rector (“head pastor”) of the church will serve as both my boss and …

How To Shop Sustainably Without Really Trying In 2020, I decided to lay off some of my rigid guidelines for shopping. We were six months into the pandemic and everything was terrible. Things were worse than ever for garment workers, there were massive supply chain delays, and companies I trusted weren’t living up to their …

How to Dye Hair Back from Blonde In 2014, I had my hair professionally dyed platinum blonde. Since my natural hair color is medium brown, it was quite an undertaking. I was able to have my hair professionally dyed as payment for participating in a local fashion show. I kept the look up for several …

Is Boxed Wine Sustainable? For many sustainability advocates, glass is the gold standard. Endlessly recyclable, it’s a sturdy material that doesn’t degrade like plastic, making it ideal for storing food and drink without fear of leaching chemicals. So it makes sense that many people assume that wine packaged in glass bottles is more sustainable than …

Maven Women Professional, Ethical Dresses Maven Women, founded by my friend Rebecca Ballard, is an ethical and sustainable clothing line intended to fill a gap in the ethical marketplace. Focusing on women’s and femme professional wear, Maven Women offers a range of tops, skirts, and dresses made with GOTS certified materials. Ballard started Maven Women …

Am I a clergy influencer now? On March 5th, I was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church. For those who don’t speak Episcopal hierarchy, I am now a member of the transitional diaconate. Basically, I will be a deacon for about six months and then, God-willing, be ordained a priest. My vocation as a …

Plastic Bag Bans Don’t Work In 2019, Connecticut implemented legislation to ban plastic bags. For the first two years, retailers were still allowed to provide plastic bags for a fee of 10 cents each. The plan seemed to work at first. I remember watching shoppers juggle wares in their arms and hold them in their …

Is Hairstory Worth It? This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase through them. In case you haven’t noticed, the Covid era has ushered in a new hair trend. Popularized by hairstylist Jayne Matthews and made accessible through her at-home hair cutting courses, everyone these days seems to …