Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 61 i Peppermint Magazine

All writers published in this issue’s Letterbox will receive a Salty Peach Yoga Mat + Strap, valued at $129.99 each, from Yogi Peace Club! Designed to bring peace to the planet as well as your body and soul, these natural rubber and recycled PET plastic bottle mats are free from latex, silicone, phthalates and PVC, and are topped with gorgeous designs by local artists. Nabbing a Gold Award in the Clean + Conscious Awards, Yogi Peace Club also proudly partners with the Carbon Positive Charitable Fund, a non-profit organisation dedicated to restoring Australian land through native tree planting initiatives. They’re literally bending over backwards to do good! yogipeaceclub.com Issue 60’s cover – wow! I’m going through a difficult time with my mental health at the moment and when I saw…

BIODE Lips, eyes and cheeks are all taken care of with these tinted balms in zero-waste, biodegradable tubes. Give them a whirl with the mini collection that also includes the Skin Salve-ation balm, handy for handbags and makeup on the move. biode.com http://biode.com/ https://www.avirida.com/ AVIRIDA Timber packaging crafted from salvaged logs, invasive tree species or local plantations, dried in a solar kiln and then filled with organic balms, masks and moisturisers. You wood not do better! avirida.com https://nourishedlife.com.au/ GEORGANICS You’ll smile knowing this compostable corn floss, coated in vegetable wax, comes in a refillable glass dispenser jar and kraft paper box. nourishedlife.com.au AGAPI PLASTIC FREE It’s as it says on the tin (or glass jar in this case!). The skin, body and haircare products from Agapi are cruelty-free and packed…

https://www.briannewest.com/ “Hope always returns: humans are innovative and innovation comes out of necessity. Social entrepreneur, environmentalist, avid scuba diver, mother of (one) dragon… and a Barbie! Brianne West, founder and former CEO of regenerative beauty brand Ethique, has received her fair share of accolades. Think an Obama Foundation Reward, 2023 Kea World Class Award, an induction into the New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs in 2023… Heady stuff. But when toy powerhouse Mattel called about including the 36-year-old Kiwi in their 2022 Barbie Role Models collection (alongside the likes of Shonda Rhimes and Pat McGrath) Brianne’s initial reaction was disbelief – followed by delight when her lookalike Barbie arrived, sporting luscious locks and a lab coat along with miniature chemistry equipment. An experience she’s described as “frickin cool!”…

I also think there’s something to be said for bringing levity and humour to what are often quite heavy and clinical discussions. My mental health journey has been a long and complex one. I was lucky enough to grow up in an incredibly nurturing and open-minded home environment; we had a dress-up box and I often left the house wearing long satin gloves and colourful skirts or dresses. I was a pretty happy, sensitive kid for the most part, but when I started primary school I quickly became an easy target for bullies and experienced a lot of rejection and torment during what was an undeniably formative and impressionable time of my life. It meant that I started trying to blend in, becoming small to fit in with those around…

https://www.bangarra.com.au/ Experiencing the stunning, contemporary works of Bangarra Dance Theatre – an evocative combination of theatre, dance, music and design – sparks a fire within. Fittingly, Bangarra means ‘to make fire’ in the Wiradjuri language of New South Wales, a term that encapsulates the company’s deeply moving and multisensory productions. “Our purpose is to create inspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences that promote awareness and understanding, shift perspectives and create positive change,” says Artistic Director and Co-CEO Frances Rings. Born in 1989 from the energy of Indigenous Dance College NAISDA (National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association), Bangarra was the vision of Rob Bryant, Cheryl Stone, Carole Y. Johnson and NAISDA graduates. “It was their aspiration to create a First Nations dance company where graduates could have a professional dance…

https://www.nestcommunity.org.au/ “Sometimes girls might bring in some clothing that belonged to their mum or grandma, and our mentors help them upcycle or tailor it. In the northern Brisbane suburb of Brendale, a textile recovery centre has become a circular economy success story that university researchers are studying. But beyond the centre’s incredible waste reduction statistics lies a social enterprise with a huge heart – and hundreds of women dedicated to connecting through craft. Co-founder, CEO and Brisbane local Roz Holt had been working abroad as a designer across various industries, including film, television, fashion, game design and theatre, before returning to Australia to raise her family. In 2012, she began teaching hand-making skills to her daughter’s friends, and a couple of years later, this teaching project evolved when Roz joined…

https://www.instagram.com/cherie_hausler “I think farmers’ markets are such an amazing way to shop for food because there is so much more to bring home than just broccoli in your basket. What are your earliest food memories? I’m not sure if foraging in my dad’s vegie garden counts, but fresh strawberries are definitely one of my first and favourite memories. I also used to love the odd time when it would be Dad who picked me up from kindy because he had a way of making ‘bubble and squeak’ from leftover vegies that was my Goldilocks meal. At what point did your food philosophy emerge? The idea of homemade everything was always a part of my food experience. My parents were a great combination of gardener and cook, so I always had…

I WEIGH Join actress Jameela Jamil as she explores mental health, body image and activism alongside guests like Minnie Driver and Celeste Barber. SOBER AWKWARD Victoria and Hamish are ex-party animals navigating sobriety with disarming humour and honesty. Need sober inspo? Grab a cuppa and listen. THREE FOOD MEMORIES Caterer Savva Savas coaxes the likes of Dr Karl Kruszelnicki and Pia Miranda to share three food memories and causes close to their hearts. LADIES, WE NEED TO TALK Yumi Stynes lifts the lid on tricky life stuff, from managing the mental load to searching for orgasms. Frank, funny and smart. STITCHING TALES The Last Stitch’s Johanna Lundström and her Fit For Knits collaborator Malena Hjerpe get together to chat about all things sewing.…

Surrounded by a team of phenomenal women while bringing this issue to life, I feel enormously privileged to be speaking to you as the new editor of a magazine I’ve loved since its ‘green style’ beginnings. It was the creative and authentic storytelling that made me want to be part of the Peppermint community. And here we are 16 years on! It’s hard to sum up the essence of this issue in a concise way, though the practice of kintsugi has always resonated with me so I’d like to draw on this concept as a common thread. Translating to gold (kin) joinery (tsugi), this centuries-old Japanese art of repairing pottery is built on the idea that embracing imperfection can lead to something even more lovely and unique. Our visible mending…

How did We the Wild come about? Coming from a farming background, I always thought I knew about plants. That’s until I moved to a small apartment in the city and killed every one of them! It felt as though if I, as a seasoned farmer, couldn’t even keep a plant alive, what hope would everyone else have? One day, I looked down at the fertiliser and pesticide I was using, wondering why they didn’t work and noticed the ingredient panel. A quick Google search led me on a journey to discover just how dangerous chemical fertilisers and pesticides are – for us, our plants, and the planet. I became determined to create products that take away that nasty feeling of unease when caring for plants. Tell us more about…

“Not only does it feel great to receive a compliment, it also serves the complimentgiver’s mental wellness in wonderful ways. It’s an absolute win-win. As someone whose personality ‘factory settings’ feature traits like enthusiasm, excitability and confidence, at times I need to ensure my internal filter is activated so I don’t come on too strong when meeting new people. In light of that, I can’t tell you how pumped I was when I was invited to take on this experiment in public praise-giving, as it meant I could lean into my chatty personal style. So long internal filter! Whilst I was already renowned amongst my friends for being the person who interrupts our bestie brunch dates to tell a passerby that I love their dress, this was a chance to…

https://elliewhittaker.com.au/ “I once had a professor say that to create art that touches people, you need to reach inside to your inner trauma. I think the opposite is also true; you can reach people by consistently being grateful and open to the beautiful and funny things around you. Tell us about your journey into fabric design… I grew up around fabric, quite literally! My mum owned a fabric store and my nanna was a very talented quilter. Despite this, I didn’t take an interest in sewing until I had my first baby boy in 2010. Children’s clothing has come a long way since those days – back then, girls’ clothing took up the majority of the floor space and boys’ clothing featured aliens and dinosaurs, or foreign motifs like foxes…

We were a quartet, now we have to work out how to make music as a trio. My husband Jason was a very fit 52-year-old. He cycled to and from work every day, and on weekends he would get up early and cycle for six hours with one of his teams. It was something that he loved, and I loved seeing him get out and about. Before I opened the door to the police that Saturday morning, I remember thinking, “This is big girl shit – deep breath, the way you handle this will impact your kids forever”. I stepped outside of myself and witnessed everything, like watching an actor in a movie. The policeman said I needed to bring my daughters and go with them to the hospital. I…

https://nancybird.com/ In the early 2000s, young printmaking student Emily Wright started crafting screen-printed leather bags and purses in her spare time, selling them to friends and small stores around town. Inspired by the indie makers and designers setting up their own shops in Naarm/Melbourne at the time, Emily’s artisanal leathercrafting efforts marked the start of Nancybird. Not just a nifty way to make some extra cash, Nancybird freed Emily from the strictures of trying to build a career in the art world. “Studying fine art had left me feeling pretty uninspired by the standard path of making it as an artist – grants, gallery submissions, art only for those who could afford it. I wanted my art out in the world, not held onto as ‘precious’!” she says. Something clicked…

https://roo-tid.com/ “I knew that material and thread, with a little imagination, could be incredible – for both the maker and, in this case, the receiver. Tell us about yourself… We’re Carly and Rob, a husband-and-wife duo and the owners of Roo-tid. We specialise in illustrating high-quality fabrics that are thoughtfully designed with concepts that encourage people to stay true to themselves and feel rooted. For us, the quality and design of the fabric play a key part in this mind-ful experience. It generates ‘me time’: a moment to step away from day-to-day life and simply enjoy finding fabric that makes one feel good – inside and out. We’re inspired by the thought of catapulting individuals out of autopilot and into guilt-free moments of enriched learning. We want people to enjoy…

Makes four pasties INGREDIENTS 980 g (2 lb 3 oz) mixed roasted vegetables, at room temperature, cut into 2 cm (¾ in) cubes (for the photo I’ve used fennel, potato and brussels sprouts)3 g (2 teaspoons) chopped lemon thyme3 g (2 teaspoons) chopped fresh sage almond or soy milk, for brushing tomato sauce, to serve SPELT PASTRY 240 g (8 ½ oz) plain (all-purpose) white spelt flour, plus extra for dusting25 g (1 oz) extra virgin coconut oil5 g (1 teaspoon) salt75–90 ml (2 ½-3 fl oz) water, enough to pull dough together https://www.murdochbooks.com/browse/book/Cherie-Hausler-Plant-Based-Farmhouse-9781922616746 Without a doubt, homemade pasties are a brilliant thing to have on hand – or even better, in hand. And if you do a weekly roast using lots of different vegetables, then pasties become fast-food options…

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-program/our-law/1748101187683 OUR LAW Perun Bonser, series director This eight-part NITV docuseries explores the relationship between police and First Nations people, inviting us to ride along with Aboriginal officers on the frontline of jurisdictions across Australia as they attempt to change the system from within. Our Law had unprecedented access to 11 members of police services across Australia. It urges conversation – but also offers hope for change. https://www.stan.news/lifting-the-lid-on-the-environmental-disaster-making-international-headlines-the-stan-original-documentary-revealed-how-to-poison-a-planet-is-now-streaming-only-on-stan HOW TO POISON A PLANET Katrina McGowan Based on the work of investigative reporter Carrie Felner, this new Stan documentary features Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo and exposes the extent to which man-made ‘forever chemicals’ have found their way into our homes – and the bloodstream of 98 per cent of the world’s population. It’s a disturbing account of the ongoing battle to…

Linda Lodue / Owner 227 HUNTER ST, NEWCASTLE NSW What inspired you to open Momo? My husband Tenzin and I loved making food together and sharing it with others, so opening a cafe was always what we hoped to do. In 2011 – when our kids were just old enough – the opportunity came along to open a cafe in East Maitland, so we crossed our fingers and took a chance. It worked well from the very beginning, and then we moved to our beautiful, light-filled space in the centre of New-castle in 2015. Tell us about your food philosophy… We didn’t come into this with a specific philosophy or plan, we just made the food we have always loved to make – nourishing vegetarian food with a lot of…

The old saying goes that a change is as good as a holiday. Well, the simple fact that you’re reading this means that you packed your favourite dress (or track pants) and came along with us on this trip. And we couldn’t be happier for the company. You would have noticed that there have been a few changes – in cover price, and frequency. As a small team, we haven’t been immune to the increases in the cost of living and in doing business, and with some unexpected costs and production price rises late last year, a call had to be made. Many of our friends in the industry have not been able to weather these bumps in the road, and I want to make sure that Peppermint is around…

https://eco-interiors.com.au/ https://www.eatkinda.com/ https://www.amplefolk.com/ https://daily-food.co/ https://waverleymills.com/ https://www.sweetheat.com.au/ ECO INTERIORS Upcycled homewares Spruce up your couch with planet-friendly cushions made from textile waste and recycled materials. Eco Interiors rewards customers with a take-back scheme and donates $2 from every cushion cover sold to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. eco-interiors.com.au DAILY FOOD Holy Truff Smooth chocolate, velvety ganache and sweet raspberry centres? Holy Truff sounds about right! Gluten-, dairy- and refinedsugar-free, these truffles are divine. daily-food.co EATKINDA Vegan ice cream Ice cream made from cauliflower? Believe it! This super-creamy treat in strawberry, chocolate and mint choc bikkie flavours is part of NZ-based EatKinda’s mission to help the world eat differently. eatkinda.com WAVERLEY MILLS Weaving mill Cuddle up in a soft throw made from a blend of premium new and recycled wool (made from…

https://www.fleurwoodsart.com/ Like many of us, Fleur Woods’ love of creating began in childhood. As she explored sprawling gardens and green spaces in her native New Zealand, her innate bowerbird tendencies had Fleur collecting stones and other “treasures” from the local river, as well as leaves and flowers for pressing and potions. This love of making continued into her teens, when art class was her haven. “In hindsight, I probably should have gone straight to art school,” says Fleur, who instead tried to do the “sensible thing” – a Bachelor of Arts at university. Unable to find her groove in the corporate world, however, she lost her confidence and gave up on making for a long time. “I didn’t really commit to living a creative life until I became a parent,”…

“My why is a pretty big statement: ‘I’m in business to bring back nature’. https://www.marniehawson.com.au/ Tell us about your journey from scientist to photographer… I was never really interested in photography when I was an environmental scientist, not even as a hobbyist! I’d always assumed there was one path – go to school, go to uni, get a corporate job and then stay in that job until you retire. I’ve always loved the business side of things and was running an Etsy store selling vintage wares alongside my full-time role as an environmental scientist. I used to take photos for the website and even though I had no idea what I was doing with a camera, people started telling me my photos were great. I think the idea came from…

‘Good things come to those who hustle.’ ‘Hustle and heart will set you apart.’ ‘Things may come to those who wait… But only the things left by those who hustle.’ If your chest tightened in opposition to these lines, I’m with you because… yikes. While we can intellectually recoil from the force of these words, that doesn’t mean we escape the emotional pressure to embrace busyness as the only option in a world where hustle culture reigns supreme. It’s just how we do things around here Humans are wired to do what others are doing. Your inner rebel might baulk at this, but let me explain. After our basic needs are met – food, water, and safety – our next priority is to be loved and accepted. When early humans…

https://trademutt.com/ Our goal is to spark a human connection while providing a sense of community and belonging, contributing to the overall social and cultural shift in attitude to the way we talk about mental health. It’s important to state that my mental health journey is no different to anyone else’s: it’s ongoing and ever-evolving. Everyone has mental health and it’s not just depression or anxiety – it’s a spectrum with a really positive end and a not-so-positive end. Working in the business of mental health doesn’t mean I’m immune to the same kind of grief, trauma, stress or external stimuli that impact mental health, and one thing I know is that it’s not a matter of if but when we will all eventually find ourselves on the lower end of…

“Our sustainability work also goes much deeper than viticulture and winemaking; it’s the framework for everything we do. We want to ensure we pass on our natural resources to future generations in better condition than we inherited them – and also leave a legacy of wonderful wines. Tell us about yourself! How did you get into the grape business? When I was in primary school, my family bought a small property and started a vineyard in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. Weekends and holidays were spent there, working with the vines: planting, trellising, training, pruning and ultimately picking the grapes. I remember the first time we delivered the grapes to the winery that bought them. The sun had set and the bright lights were on, there were great aromas from the fermenting…

https://www.instagram.com/coolirpa If you’re looking to learn how to flip your thrift finds, then you’ll want to join April Yang’s substantial following on social media. A Southern California–based maker with an associate’s degree in fashion design, April posts sewing tutorials and thrift flip process videos under the moniker Coolirpa. Her innovative transformations have included turning a thrift-store find into a cute maternity dress, a gingham dress into a cute jumpsuit and a graduation gown into a glamorous black cocktail dress. April started sewing in high school out of necessity, when she wanted to wear new clothes but couldn’t afford them, and she hasn’t looked back since. Hit your local op shop for a fun find with potential or dig an old shirt out of the depths of your wardrobe that’s in…

TO THE TREES Your go-to for cards, prints and statement earrings. Every purchase from the Wildlife Rescue Collection supports Aussie animals in need. tothetrees.com.au SMITTEN MERINO You’ll be counting down the hours till bedtime with this snuggly, Tassiemade, 100 per cent merino-jersey onesie (includes a nifty back flap). smittenmerino.com SPOONFLOWER Wallpaper for every space – now in metallics! Head to spoonflower.com to shop over one million designs for your next project. spoonflower.com CROWN CURLY Hydrating haircare created by a true curl expert! You'll fall for the potent formulas, including the Hair Oil (for nourishment and disco-ball shine). crowncurly.com https://thenaturalshoestore.com.au/ THE NORTHERN Made from durable cowhide and natural rubber, with removable hemp insoles (great for orthotics), Nora boots are made for walking. thenaturalshoestore.com.au ALLEN & UNWIN A candid field guide to…

https://sweethomealberti.com/ SWEET HOME MACRAME Casey Alberti Wildly popular in the 70s, macrame is once again having a colourful moment. Crafter and founder of Sweet Home Alberti, Casey Alberti shares expert advice and techniques to get started with this intricate soft craft. The book showcases vibrant macrame art to inspire curious beginners and experienced artisans alike. Knot your way through one of the twelve step-by-step projects to create earrings, wall hangings and more. https://hollysandersart.com.au/ JAGUN Holly Sanders Bundjalung artist Holly Sanders’ delicate patterns conjure stories in Jagun (‘Country’ in the Bundjalung language), a colouring book exploring her own identity while inviting us to celebrate the land, sky, waters, flora and fauna of this land we call home. Let the Gunjull Gibbam (beautiful moon) enchant you, or commune with the cheeky Wurguluhm…