Fair Trade Friday - Rest and Relaxation

I was up pretty late last night.  With tornado warnings hovering over our area, and tons of lightning and thunder to go along with them, I didn't get to bed until about midnight.  It was pointless to go to bed anyways, since I was too worried about what I would do with the girls if there was a crazy tornado... our house doesn't exactly have a basement, and our bathroom has a giant window in it!  Anyways, all that being said, I'm a little tired today.  On days like today, all I want to do is stay in my jammies and watch back to back episodes of my shows on Netflix.  So, in the spirit of a day of doing almost nothing, here's some Fair Trade products I'm wishing I had.

Punjammies Havila Jammie Pants

These are the prettiest jammie pants I've seen!  I also love the company, Punjammies.  All their products are made by women that were rescued from a life of forced prostitution in India.  Instead of these women being treated as nothing more than a commodity, they are taught a skill and treated with respect in an after-care facility that offers medical care, emotional safety, education, and community.  And the pants are so pretty too!  They also offer shirts and capri length pants especially for spring and summer.

Stop Traffick Fashion 'I am Free' Tee

In the same vein, this Tee Shirt would be great for a laid back day at home, plus the navy color would match the teal pants perfectly (see this post for why...).  The story behind the company would match up pretty well too!  Stop Traffick Fashion employs women in India that either have been rescued or are at risk of being involved in the sex trade, while paying them a fair wage from the income of their products' sales.  In addition, a portion of the company's sales revenue is donated to partner organizations that rescue victims and provide rehabilitation and training.  Plus, as an added bonus to you, all their tees are currently on sale for $18.99!

Indego Africa Nicole Headwrap Turban

Along with the nice comfy clothes, I'd definitely use one of these headwraps to keep my hair back on a lazy day!  This particular wrap was co-designed with Nicole Miller, and hand woven by the Rwandan artisans that make the products available on the Indego Africa website.  There are tons of great products on the site, I'm also drooling over these shoelaces, and this shirt.

Lake Champlain Hot Chocolate

Okay, so I'm one of those weird people that will drink hot chocolate at almost any time of day, no matter the season.  It could be 80 degrees outside, but as long as I'm in air conditioning, you better believe I'll be enjoying a cup of cocoa!  Add in bonus points for this blend being organic and fair trade certified, and it's definitely at the top of my wishlist. (Plus it's currently on sale.... it just keeps getting better!)

What items must you have for a day of relaxation?

Thrifted Pinterest - DIY Skirt

No thrifted items in today's post, but there is a skirt that I made, using two tutorials that I found on Pinterest. I also had to turn to the site for a little color inspiration, so here's the pins that inspired the outfit:

http://pinterest.com/pin/216806169533952570/

http://pinterest.com/pin/216806169534164316/

Okay, small confession time: once, I was shopping with my then roommate at Wal-Mart, and she was looking for storage bins.  She couldn't decide if she wanted to match the lids to the bins, or pick coordinating colors in teal and navy.  I was ready to leave, and not in the best mood so, I blatantly told her that teal and navy don't go together so we could hurry up and get out of there.  Now I'm having to eat my words, so, sorry roomie!  The colors actually go together nicely, so I put them together in this outfit.

Outfit Details:
Shirt: Gap, $5 (clearance)
Skirt: DIY, tutorials (here) and (here)
Shoes: Payless, $10 (old)
Blue Necklace: Icing by Claire's, $3 (old)
Cross Necklace: gifted
Whistle: Falling Whistles, $34
Dragon Ring: Icing by Claire's, $4 (old)
Heart Ring: gifted

Grand Total: $56

What unexpected color combinations are you guys loving right now?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Kidlet Style - Family Photos

You know how I mentioned that I have incredibly talented family members?  Well, I thought I'd pass along some photos that my niece took of our family a few weeks ago.  She's an incredible photographer, and has her own business (Sinsear Photography), so if you ever need some pics, she'd be the one to call!  She's about to start at the university in the fall, though, so her free time might be at a premium, but I know she probably wouldn't complain about the extra income!

Anyways, here's the photos:

Seriously, how did I manage to get such a good looking family?

Outfit Details for Big A:
Dress: George, $3.50
Sweater: Old Navy, $5.50
Shoes: Gap, $8.50

Outfit Details for Little A:
Dress: Carter's, $4.50
Tights: Gap, $3.50

Grand Total: $25.50

All brands and prices are from our local Once Upon A Child.  The big 50% off sale is coming up in June, you better be ready to shop!

OOTD - Pink Lady

This is an infamous skirt.  If you're a FB friend, you may have heard about it. I managed to finish it up about a month ago, amid a torrent of obscenities hurled at my sewing machine (I REALLY hate installing zippers.), but it's done.  And I love it!  I actually really loved the tutorials I used to draft the pattern for it, and would recommend them if you want a skirt that fits like a glove.  Aside from the fact that it wrinkles if I even think about sitting down, it's just such a ladylike piece to have in my closet rotation.  Paired with my whistle necklace, it feels very Joan Holloway, wouldn't you say?

Outfit Details:
Shirt: JC Penney, $5
Skirt: DIY, tutorials here
Bow Ring: Charlotte Russe, $4 (old)
Bracelet/Ring: don't recall (old)
Shoes: gifted
Necklace: Falling Whistles, $34

Grand Total: $43

Sensory Sunday - 5/26/13

Well, the night is almost done, and I just wanted to share some little tidbits from the week with you guys!  SO, here goes!

What I'm Eating:

These!  My dad was nice enough to drop these off for us to try, and I'm pretty excited about them.  I actually haven't tried the Pineapple and Mango jam yet, but I did put some of that Maple Pecan Honey Butter on some biscuits stuffed with bacon for breakfast, and it was exactly as amazing as I had hoped!  Thanks, dad, for jazzing up my morning meals!

What I'm Looking At:

Another view of my kitchen windowsill, this time graced with the view of the roses from my rosebush in the backyard that decided to bloom.  God really makes some of the best decorations, doesn't he?

What I'm Watching:

The Hobbit

My hubby is the best.  Seriously, The. Best. He decided to get me an *ahem* Unexpected surprise the other day that appealed directly to my inner nerd.  I finally got around to watching it this afternoon, and it did not disappoint!  Hooray for presents!!

What I'm Reading:

Have I ever mentioned that literally everyone in my family, on both sides, is incredibly talented?  I'm related to photographers, musicians, accountants (it's a real skill, trust me!), and almost gourmet chefs, and I'm really blessed to have all of them in my life!  These comics are courtesy of my bro-in-law, and you can see even more of his work on the Facebook page for Wiley Comics.

That does it for this week's Sensory Sunday.  Have a good night and I'll see ya'll tomorrow!

Fair Trade Friday - SanYork

It's been awhile since I've posted any new Fair Trade companies, so I thought I'd share a little company I ran across when shopping on Amazon.  That company is called SanYork, and they are a distributor for items that are made by 66 artisan families that reside in Peru (according to their About Page).  They have a great selection of jewelry, and you know me, I love shiny new baubles!

SanYork Drop Earrings

These cute little blue earrings are actually on sale, for $9.95, but there are only two left in this color!  There are also 4 other colors available as well, so if these sell out, there's always more to find.

SanYork Acai Seed Bracelet

"It's like candy!" says my three year old as she looks at the screen and sees this bracelet.  And it is!  Just as sweet and colorful, and definitely craveable as well!

SanYork Woven Thread Earrings

These are my favorite!  I love the iridescent thread woven through them, and I'm always a  fan of super dangle-y earrings!

Where are you going to store all this new jewelry, you ask?  Well, I found a solution for that too!  It's actually from a different company, but still available through Amazon.  So, if you happen to have Amazon Prime, and can get free shipping, it just makes sense to keep ordering stuff, like this Fair Trade Jewelry Organizer:

Eliza Fair Trade Jewelry Organizer

Check back with me next week, where I'll be sharing some Fair Trade finds that will help with a little rest and relaxation.  Enjoy your sunny weekend, everybody!

Thrifted Pinterest - Houndstooth

Did you know if you type "houndstooth blazer" into the search line of Pinterest, about a billion different things pop up, but almost none of them are actual outfits?  So much for easy outfit inspiration this time!  But, I still wanted to pull my new (to me) blazer into an outfit, so I searched and searched for just the right pin for my inspiration.  I just love that print, in any form.  I even got Little A a purple houndstooth printed pacifier last week, because every girl needs a little extra houndstooth in her closet!  Anyways, here's the inspiration photo:

http://pinterest.com/pin/216806169534084688/

I loved that pop of hot pink juxtapositioned with the black and white in the blazer, so I went ahead and copied this look.

Side Note:  Some members of my family, namely the ones that have the ability walk, have decided that it's fun to be my audience and make faces at me while I'm taking pictures.  That's not nearly as fun when I turn the camera on them though.  Ha!

Outfit Details:
Blazer: thrifted, $4
Shirt: JC Penney, $5 (clearance)
Jeans: Wal-Mart, $20
Shoes: F21 via Plato's Closet resale, $10
Necklace: Roy Rogers Museum (old)

Grand Total: $39

What fabulous items have made their way into your closet lately?

Kidlet Style - PARTY TIME!!!

We had the opportunity to attend a certain family members' 4th birthday, and it was a blast!  His mom has the cutest parties for her kids, complete with themes and theme-appropriate decorations.  This little guy's party was "construction" themed, i.e. he "digs" being 4, and it was a super cute affair.  The girls seemed to have a fun time too!

The camera loves her!

"No, dad, this is MY close up!"

 

Family Feet!

"dirt" cake!

Gimme.....

....that...

CAMERA!!

This is what happens when her cake is gone...

This is what happens when Daddy A takes my picture without asking...

I do much better myself! ; )

Can't forget the birthday boy!  (He did NOT want his picture taken.)

Outfit Details for Big A:
White Tank: Hybrid Teez, $1.50
Orange Tank: Children's Place, $2.50
Shorts: Circo, $1.50
Sandals: Arizona, $3.50

Outfit Details for Little A:
Bib: Carter's, $0.75
Outfit: Carter's, 3-pcs, $6.50

Grand Total: $16.25

All brands and prices are from our local Once Upon A Child.  Be on the lookout for their big 50% off sale, coming up the first weekend in June!