Hello, hello!

We are at the Peak of Autumn, the midway point between Autumn and Winter. This Full Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio, expansive and illuminating, reminds us that although the world is ever-shifting and chaotic, it is also abundant in beauty and energy. These past weeks we have wrestled with obligations and responsibilities, ready to integrate and share new learnings.

This month we share two of our favourite recipes—warming soup, buttery vegan, I have no time to prepare kind of soup and olive oil cake. We’ve also compiled two lists: cruelty-free fragrances and the best vintage and second-hand furniture and homeware Instagram accounts. Enjoy.

Winter, while marked by darkness, is also a period of deep restoration, and this lunation has us revisiting what matters most. Who and what we are committing to—is worth our time, investment and resources. In a period of global unrest, it is our long-term goals and commitments that provide structure, the grounding energy and spiritual nourishment we need. The New Moon could be the jolt you have been waiting for. A new adventure awaits. What will you invite this month?

For anyone that is new to plant-based baking, or loves baking and is in search of an easy and quick cake to prepare, this month we are here for you. Our vegan olive oil cake is the ideal exercise, teaching you the basics for a moist, light yet pleasantly sweet spicy cake that will happily fulfil anyone at your table. The star ingredients, olive oil and ginger with chai spices are fancy, approachable, 100% delicious. Also included in the recipe write-up, we put together the essential ingredients list for vegan baking.

The scent we choose to wear telecasts something to the world about how we would like to be perceived. Perhaps the prejudice persists that cruelty-free, natural and organic fragrances are inferior to their mainstream counterparts, but that isn’t the case. Animal testing is unnecessary. And as the clean fragrance market—and choice—continues to grow, settling on a scent can prove daunting. Before you start your search, we have a list of brands to guide you in selecting a clean, vegan and cruelty-free fragrance. And, rather important in our digital world, which brands offer discovery sets and vials.

Dark afternoons, colder temperatures prompt us to spend more time in the kitchen. It is the warmest place of the house after all. And currently, craving foods that feel comforting, deeply nourishing—so now is the perfect time to re-share this favourite winter meal, a classic of our repertoire, creamy, grounding, soul-satisfying kumara and pumpkin soup. Make it elevated by toasting your millet, finished with coconut milk to reach the fragrant flavour. It’s just delicious!

How to combine a love for beautiful designer furniture and homeware with a limited income? The second-hand market is your answer, and Instagram offers an abundance of local vendors selling everything from sofas and designer dining chairs to vintage smoked glassware. Our latest purchases—Italian martini glasses, modular paper tray and a gold Superlux lamp.

1. “Once you know, you can never be the same”. The latest project from filmmaker Emmanuel Chappellin, Once you know is an emotional documentary shading light into the personal and psychological impacts of our global crisis on change-makers around the globe. The dilemmas, the harsh reality that we cannot stop climate change anymore, the pain that comes with this truth, and above all, can we still make a difference? “This film is a denial buster and conversation starter.” A must watch.
   
   
2. Recently listened—Alicia Kennedy’s podcast with Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet. It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Kennedy’s work, and it is no different with her podcast, insightful and somehow joyful. Learn more about France’s upbringing, her favourite foods, and why she wrote Diet for a Small Planet, including her thoughts on the 50th anniversary of her acclaimed best-seller.
   
   
3. New vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand around the block—new for me at least. Daily Wellness, by Sophia Mantell. I just finished my Go-To Vitamin C Brightening Serum, so it is the ideal opportunity to test something new. Looking for a product that will help my sun-exposed, ocean soaked skin to rejuvenate through the power of plants, and Daily Wellness Regenerating Power serum pretends to do just that. Containing Retinol, I will include this serum into my evening skincare routine. I’ll come back to you with my feedback on this later in the year.

1. This discovery was the result of late-night Instagram scrolling. An example that material design and manufacturing can improve possibilities for circular economies and create systemic change. Founded in 1943 and a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Manteco is an Italian premium textiles company focused on circularity—producing high-end textiles from what many would call rubbish. I highly recommend checking out their feed. There is a tonne of super interesting posts—this is the first post I stumbled across describing the Cenciaioli or "garment sorter" and this is Hailey Bieber wearing a jacket featuring their flash green Baronto fabric!
   
   
2. If you’ve been thinking of leaving the country, and let’s be honest, at least 50,000 of us have—housing crisis, cost of living crisis—move to Sicily. Buy a €1 home. Not a gimmick. In 2015, as locals left for big cities and career opportunities, many Italian towns and cities began practically giving away decrepit homes. YouTube proposed I watch this video, investigating the scheme aimed at overseas investors with the cash to repair these abandoned properties. And people are, the city quitters are reimagining life in rural Italy.
   
   
3. A friend of mine shared a post from Waste Archive, which is an online and print publication aimed squarely at reversing waste culture—a platform for art, culture and social entrepreneurship. Waste Archive is the sister project of Mugly Project—that circulating system for unwanted mugs in Auckland managed by Tardigrade World. And based on the cover alone of their first zine, I was interested and purchased the digital version for $5. The print version is, printed on locally sourced unwanted paper, and its 56 pages can be purchased here.

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

Tracey Creed & Amandine Paniagua