A Flood Of Kindness
- Words by Kelley Sheenan
It’s not often that simple tasks like shopping or baking let you help out your fellow man (and woman, and four-legged, fanged or feathered friends), but then again it’s not often that nearly an entire state disappears under water. It’s not for us to give you the statistics on the tragic natural disaster that has affected most of Queensland (including Brisbane, home of Peppermint), but instead to let you know the range of ways you can help get affected communities back on their feet.
In future weeks we’ll be doing our bit too, but for now we urge you all to donate whatever you can directly to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief effort, and read on to find out more about those in our community already generously (and creatively) offering support.
Baked Relief: an initiative to provide food to flood victims, volunteers and emergency services: those helping clean up and just anyone who is out there doing what they can. Bake up a storm and hand out as needed! Alternately donate to their appeal to help raise funds to buy food. Also running Adopt-A-Family where individuals can ‘sponsor’ a family with food ongoing.
Brisstyle Handmade Ark Appeal: Simply purchase a handmade item from a participating BrisStyle members Etsy shop and the funds will be donated directly to the Flood Appeal.
That Vintage: Sophie from That Vintage is running an auction of her beautiful handmade timber accessories with all proceeds going to the Flood Appeal.
Art 4 Heart: An initiative by illustrators Kelly Smith and Beth Emily, Art 4 Heart is a collaborative art auction starting from the 18th – 27th of January to raise funds for the Flood Appeal. Every item has been kindly donated by its creator (including Peppermint faves Bec Winnel, Lauren Carney and Courtney Brims) and there is a wonderful assortment of illustrations, prints, jewellery and much more to auction away.
Alice Euphemia: Melbourne designer boutique organising a garage sale for January 29 with the proceeds going towards the Queensland RSPCA and the Flood Appeal. Drop in and grab yourself a bargain, or go the extra mile and donate clothing, jewellery, accessories and shoes that you no longer need (all items must be received by January 22).
So Ethic: Guilt-free green shopping is already a given at this not-for-profit online store, but it is also currently donating profits from purchases to the Flood Appeal.
Polli: Throughout January Polli is giving 20% from all its online orders of jewellery, decorations and homewares to the Flood Appeal.
Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions: An ever-growing list of handmade artists and crafters and bloggers participating in auctions where 100% of proceeds are donated.
Dig deep and shop to your heart’s desire!
(Please note: this is just a small list of the amazing things being rallied around the country – please feel free to add any initiatives in the comments below. To all involved, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for your generous and selfless support).
UPDATE: Rest assured we haven’t forgotten about our Victorian friends! With rural flooding in the state worsening, you can also donate direct to the Red Cross Victorian Floods Appeal online.
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“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
