Had a fun experiment dyeing some old lace with coffee last night, and it worked and smells wonderful. 🧪

Walking around antique markets is a great way to learn more about the past, and it also trains my eye for quality, soulfulness, and craftsmanship. I don't know if you have ever noticed how many poisons are around us these days: plastic water bottles, plastic bags, polyester clothes, skincare with toxic chemicals, non-stick cookware, ads all over the screens... If one lives around poisons, one might think it's normal, but it's NOT. Never in human history has one been surrounded by this amount of poison, not only to the body, but also to the mind. View quoted note →

Centralized mass production took away individual creativity.

Did you know that weaving actually inspired modern computing? View quoted note →

I guess life is full of irony; after all the schools, living abroad/moving around, at the end of the day I find joy in the things that grandmas used to do. 👵🏼

I don't know how many of you would be interested in learning how to sew, I think this is one of the best life skills. One good decision I made was learning how to draw my own pattern instead of keeping buying sewing patterns (the amount of extra work is tedious: buying, printing, gluing, cutting, that's before even touching the fabric). The fiat model of teaching is so weird: they want you to keep paying, but good teachers want to actually teach so you can outgrow them, instead of holding back so you depend on them. View quoted note →

This is the first summer I'm wearing the clothes that I sewed on my own, it's a beautiful feeling! Linen, hemp, and cotton are good fabrics for the heat; silk is good for special occasions; I guess one of the best things about making your own clothes is that you can finally say goodbye to all the polyester. #sewing #naturalfabric

Hey @npub175nul9cvufswwsnpy99lvyhg7ad9nkccxhkhusznxfkr7e0zxthql9g6w0, might be a silly Q, but I haven't quite figured out how to quote a note in Noornote. 🤔

In times when everyone feels urged to express their opinions about any current thing, it's also okay not to say anything and focus on your craft. View quoted note →

Finally back home. Now, nothing beats a good hammam to recharge.✨

Beadwork. The amount of work and focus put into this is humbling.

The hands that still create. 🎨

One of the exhibitions I went to this week was about folk customs, the details!

Packing for a short trip this week, thought I'd show you how little space our towels take. (This is how it looks in a 20-inch suitcase.) I usually take two hand towels and a big one with me, because I don't use towels in hotels, for obvious hygiene and comfort reasons; If on a long flight, I even bring a big one with me to stay cozy and warm.✨

In the spirit of sharing these wonderful ancient things, I'm going to add a few more well-kept secrets from my personal experience: Aleppo Soap Originally from the city of Aleppo, Syria, as the name suggests:) Made with olive oil and laurel oil, it smells quite earthy. I've been using Aleppo soap to wash my hair and body for years, it simply cleans without drying out my skin. It also won't easily become soggy or mushy and run out fast like most soaps, it still stays in good shape till the last bit. (I usually put a small piece of natural loofah under it.) Give it a try if you want to say goodbye to SLS, artificial fragrances, and other harmful chemicals. 🫶🏼 View quoted note →

I like quality things, not from big brands or fancy shops, but from people who spend years mastering one skill and pour their hearts into their creations. Life is so much easier once you identify who's doing what they love, saving a lot of trial and error, time, and money.

I love reading old books, so much good information is hidden there; people used to write to share their knowledge, NOT to become New York Times bestsellers. 😂 Another detail to note is that the binding and paper quality of the old books are so much better. View quoted note →