Hello, hello!

The colder months have offered a reset, there's time and space to find focus and drive to attend to ourselves, and so this month, we are sharing skincare routines for your face and your leather and grounding down in the kitchen with a new savoury oats dish and the best way (in our opinion) to prepare and cook chickpeas, both influenced by Yotam Ottolenghi’s techniques. Winter has been with us here in the Southern Hemisphere for some time, yet it feels like a bright new chapter is beginning.

Thus far, all conversations relating to the speed at which each month has approached and ended, transitioned to the next, are met with exhaustion, a sense of being hopelessly behind on work, love, life, personal projects, et cetera, and here we are at the end of July. Life is hectic. We are pulled in many directions, threading different conversations and chasing opportunities. But how far have you come, are you where you wanted to be, who you wanted to be this year?

While we're seven months in, five still remain, and things suddenly feel possible. There's an acceleration, a speeding towards the future. So ask yourself, what's essential? Are you stuck in a particular mindset or open to new vantage points? Right now is a beautiful moment to set intentions and to ask yourself what tasks need tending to. What can you focus on right here and right now?

This is actually Yotam Ottolenghi's method for cooking chickpeas, which he learned from his friend’s grandmother. This method is what we use for cooking chickpeas for hummus, because it makes the skins very soft, and you get a much smoother hummus. It’s also perfect for preparing chickpea ‘tuna’ and dishes where you want a softer legume.

Raising the average number of times a pair of loafers or stilettos are worn is the most direct way to design out waste and pollution and for businesses and customers to capture value, so today we’re sharing a guide to preserving and caring for your footwear. We have also included what items you should purchase to give your footwear the home spa treatment.

Discover Le Cleanser by Doré, an effective facial cleanser that swiftly merged into our evening shower routine and does the job we need this product to do without bothering our skin. We love that it is gentle, easy to use with cool, colourful packaging and affordable price—a staple for anyone looking for a super simple skincare routine.

This season, we are crazy about oats! This month, we have a new savoury version inspired by one of Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes, which we made fully vegan with a personal spicy twist. Oats are such a nutritious, grounding and versatile food. They are the perfect base for a flavourful, umami and satisfying meal such as this vegan savoury oatmeal breakfast with mixed spices. Addictive.

1. Edgar Morin is a French philosopher and sociologist who just turned 102 years old. Here is some of his wisdom: "To know to live is to dare to realise our aspirations, the "I" and the "We" have to be complementary. Nowadays, the tendency leans towards the hypertrophic development of the "me"; individualism has tremendous qualities but also the misfortune of fostering selfishness, and that all the recent history of our society is also one of degradation of all solidarities that used to exist. The disappearance of conviviality is the disappearance of human factors". I find this resonates a lot with our current times.
   
   
2. My relatives recently shared about a French mini-series called "The Collapse" (L'Effondrement in French) by movie collective Les Parasites. Released in 2019 and now available on Youtube for free streaming, the eight episodes narrate the stories of individuals, groups and families trying to survive a collapse of society, going through superficial situations becoming tense, serious events. The series, released just before the pandemic, highlights the dilemma and quest of human behaviour between individualist survivalism and community cooperation. A must-watch, showing a not-so-far-away future?
   
   
3. I love my day job, but I also love what I do outside work. I often wish to work a bit less on Architecture and more on the other topics that get my life more exciting, like writing, interviewing people, working with Trace, volunteering and more. Turns out, a few months ago, following a trial in the UK partially run by the University of Cambridge, a study found that a 4-day working week would increase a company's revenue by more than a third while boosting happiness and decreasing burnout amongst workers. It shows that productivity and results don't necessarily pair with hours but with balanced mental health. I am strongly manifesting a 4-day week to happen in New Zealand!

1. When I had my hair cut last month, I realised I preferred a longer length and began an internet deep dive to discover ingredients to promote hair growth. Rosemary is one. And then, a week later, I came across HINU, founded by Allie Cameron, who also is the woman behind Hara and bought the Hair Growth Oil and Hydrating Mist. I love using the oil as an overnight treatment to allow my strands to absorb the botanical blend. My hair is softer and smells amazing the following morning. The mist I am using to tame flyaways, but during the summer months, to avoid sun damage, this will become part of the daily routine, like SPF.
   
   
2. This is a super interesting documentary that looks at the enduring body of work of architect Michael Reynolds in creating self-sustaining communities. Earthship homes are self-sufficient, and each housing project is aligned to six needs for harmonious life—food, energy, shelter, clean water, garbage management and sewage treatment. The documentary is available to rent for USD3.50. Projects such as this represent valid alternatives to our current institutionalised approach to dwelling.
   
   
3. I’ve seen a few pieces of news recently that are ultra saddening, sickening and just really make you question humanity basically, and we, meaning here in Aotearoa, New Zealand, need a commissioner for the animals. We still have not managed to ban Greyhound racing, and people are culling cats in Christchurch. We’re at risk of having the live export ban overturned if National wins the elections this October. Sign the petition to pressure our government to elect a commissioner for the animals.

Thoughts, questions, you can always direct reply to these emails.
We look forward to hearing from you!

Tracey Creed & Amandine Paniagua