inspiration
i was a natural cotton diaper baby in the '70s. born with 'sensitive skin' + apparently 'allergic' to plastic, this pretty much set the stage for my entire upbringing. my parents became committed to finding healthy alternatives for me + the planet; babyhood was only the beginning. as a wee tot, they strictly bought high quality clothing + european wooden toys. while in elementary school in the '80s, i envied my peers as they ate their bologna sandwiches on white bread + fruit rollups (wrapped on their fingers), as i quietly munched on my whole grain sandwiches + apple with peanut butter (nature's candy) wrapped in recycled wax paper. i was that girl you never wanted to trade food with. in addition to recycling absolutely everything, we did not have a microwave, i was only allowed to watch one television program a week, + my mother refused to buy expensive name brands/toys (i had a 'lettuce patch child'). i could never partake in school discussions about last night's episode of 'family ties'. instead, typical pearson dinner table topics included 'how to survive as a species in the 21st century' or 'earth's enemy: aluminum foil'. yes, my parents were committed to preserving our planet alright, + i was going down every step of the way.
when I turned 9, my parents decided it would be a good idea to send me to a ranch camp during summer vacation. here at the ranch, my un-coolness became a way of life. microwaves, aluminum foil + television did not exist. we rose with the rooster, gathered fresh eggs, pasteurized our fresh milk, rounded cattle on horseback, grew our own fruits + vegetables, + sang songs together before every meal + bedtime (god bless john denver). we learned what it means to be an active participating member of a small community. "you get out of camp what you put into it" was our motto, + each + every one of us had responsibilities that were integral to maintaining the ranch. i learned first hand that my actions made a difference, from the smallest gesture of how to pick peas most efficiently, to maintaining consistent heat in the wood burning stove that baked our bread. it made a difference that we all helped wash dishes after a meal + used the used rinse water to feed our plants. the ranch changed my life; it molded my vision for how i wanted to function as a member of society + what i could do when i grew up one day. my father still talks about picking me up that summer with tears in his eyes; he says i had never looked so radiant. no longer a disgruntled city child, i felt proud to go home to no microwave.
20 some-odd years later, a wee bit more grown-up, + still microwave-free, i became inspired to create comfortable, cute + high-quality clothing when my friends began giving birth. named s-p-e-e-s-e-e-s because it's the way a baby might spell 'species' if a baby could spell, speesees pays homage to the animal, plant, + human species on our planet. speesees is not only for babies (like me) with sensitive skin, but it's my little gesture for our planet. we're in this together.
*rachel pearson