Fair Trade Friday - OOOh, Shiny!

In case you haven't noticed, there are 7 (SEVEN) weekends until Christmas!  And yes, you have every right to be a grump and insist that we don't talk about that until after other holidays have passed.  BUT, that doesn't negate the fact that the holiday is coming.  So, in that spirit, I decided to bring back my weekly installment of Fair Trade Friday to help with a little holiday gift-giving inspiration beyond the big box retailers.

This week I'm highlighting some of the new offerings from Starfish Project's newly released holiday collection, because no gift guide is complete without all the shiny pretties!  If you're not familiar with Starfish Project, they are a jewelry company committed to providing hope, healing, and work to women who want to escape from the net of prostitution in China.   All the pieces are as beautiful as this company's vision, so I'm only going to highlight a few personal favorites:

Audrey Necklace

Fair Trade Friday - What's New

Man, if there were bottled motivation being sold somewhere, I would buy it all!  I'd love to say the blog's been quiet the past few weeks because we lead such an exciting life, and I've just been too busy having adventures to sit down and post, but that would be a lie.  Truth be told, I've just been lazy.  Well, and Tired. With the capital 'T' and everything.  Of course, that might be partly because of the antics of the little girls mentioned here:

Yes, awesome indeed.

Besides using 'growing a baby' as an excuse not to post, I've also wanted to write something lately that's been a little more than just 'here's some pictures of my belly and what I wore over it.'  Don't worry, I'll post some bump updates next week.  But I did want to share something with a little more substance, and got inspired to do another Fair Trade Friday after reading this awesome blog post.  So, I thought I'd pass along some of my favorite NEW items from some of my favorite companies I've featured before.

First up, I know I've talked about Sseko Design's sandals on many, MANY occasions.  Guess what?  They're about to launch a new line of shoes, and they're amazeballs.  And yes, they are actually so good that I felt the need to use that word.  I'll say it again, AMAZEBALLS:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/24699497931897444/

I'll let the company's own words tell you more:

In case you're not convinced, there's also these beauties:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/24699497931896684/

These amazing shoes are not available for purchase quite yet, but Sseko is offering a chance to get pre-order access to these works of art.  Oh, and did I mention, those tassels on the loafers are interchangeable with other accents?

Another company I can't get enough of is Starfish Project.  They offer employment to women caught in the net of prostitution and trafficking in China, while restoring these women's hope and dignity.  And if that weren't enough to convince you of this company's greatness, just check out these picks from their newest catalog:

(L, middle) Kendra: Tea Rose Earring (link to shop)

(middle) Adriana: Pink Earrings (link to shop)

(Top R) Whitney: Yellow Necklace (link to shop)

The only appropriate response?

(source)

Last up is a few of my favorite picks from the Autumn/Winter collection from JOYN.  I've made my love for this company no secret, with it's block-printed, handmade offerings and commitment to restoring JOY into it's artisans lives.  This collection simply deepens my affection even more.  Just look at this print!

JOYN Pillow Cover - Crimson Medallion

Did I mention it's also available on this clutch?  I don't know why this isn't already in my possession:

Foldover Clutch (made with vegan leather)

OH, and if that weren't enough awesomeness for one day, there's also this Mary Poppins bag (yes, that's the name, and yes, that's one of the plethora of reasons I love it!):

Mary Poppins - Black Squares

If there are any Fair Trade or ethical companies you'd like to pass along, please feel free to share them in the comments!  Thanks for reading, and I'll see ya'll next week!

OOTD - The Good Ol' Days

It's been silent here on my corner of the internet for a while now... but I promise everything's okay!  I've just found myself stuck in a style rut lately.  It's still too hot out for any layering or the long-sleeved maternity tops I have stashed away, so I find myself cycling through the same 5 shirts and my one pair (I know, only one!) of shorts over and over the past few weeks.  But, I did run across a bunch of old outfit photos stashed back from pre-baby times, so I figure now is as good a time as any to break out some outfit photos that haven't seen the light of day (or light of blog...?) yet.  Don't worry, we'll be back to baby bump updates later in the week!

Outfit 1 (from February)

Details:
Shirt: Kohl's, $7 (clearance)
Skirt: thrifted, DIY alterations, $4
Shoes: Rack Room Shoes, $7 (clearance)
Necklace: Starfish Project, $30
Bracelets: don't recall
Grand Total: $48

Outfit 2 (early April)

Getting the awkward photos out of the way first.....

See? Awkward.

I did that!

Details: 
Shirt: Kohl's, DIY back panel, $7
Jeans: Wal-Mart, DIY polka-dots, $14
Sweater: Harp's grocery store, $5
Shoes: Sears, $4 (clearance)
Necklace: Body Central, $4
Grand Total: $30

Outfit 3 (early April)

Details:
Top: free via clothing swap
Denim shirt: free via clothing swap
Leggings: Wal-Mart, $6
Shoes: Rack Room Shoes, $7 (clearance)
Necklaces: both DIY
Headband: Wal-Mart, $3 for two (clearance)
Grand Total: $16

Outfit 4 (early April)

I know you're jealous of my skillz... not!

Details:
Top: Ann Taylor via 1/2 of 1/2, $6
Jacket: thrifted, $8
Skirt: DIY
Shoes: Sears, $4 (clearance)
Earrings: Premier Designs
Grand Total: $18

Outfit 5 (mid-April):

Details:

Top: Kohl's, $14 (clearance)

Jeans: thrifted, $5

Shoes: thrifted, $2

Earrings: don't recall

Grand Total: $21

Outfit 6 (mid-April):

Excuse the lighting! :)

Heart Nail Wrap is from Jamberry... contact my local rep (also a friend) via the link and find out how to host an online party to earn some of these for yourself for free!  There are literally hundreds of designs to choose from, and they can last at least 10 days after application, if not more!

Details:

Tunic/Dress: thredUP, $9 (free with referral credit)

Leggings: Wal-Mart, $6

Shoes: Mossimo for Target. thrifted, $2

Necklace: JC Penney, $4 (clearance)

Earrings: NY & Company, $2 (clearance)

Ring: Charlotte Russe, $4 (old)

Grand Total: $18

Outfit 7 (late April):

Details:
Sweater: thrifted, $2
Black tank: Old Navy (their Tami style), $5
Jeans: thrifted, DIY'ed to skinnies, $5
Necklace: secondhand via eBay, $3
Bracelet: gifted
Booties: via Plato's Closet, $12
Grand Total: $27

And, that's all folks!  Like I said, later this week I'll give some baby updates, and there *might* even be some cute photos of the rest of the family mixed in.  See you soon!

31(squared) Recap

Well, 31 days and 28 outfits, and the month of March '14 is in the past.  My month of remixing my closet, and saving my shopping money to put towards a donation for Love146 is over, and I thought I'd just share a recap of the month's outfits along with a few of my observations along the way.

1. I've become a 'love it or hate it' personality when it comes to trends, but even with that black and white attitude, I need to include caveats to the rules.  i.e. "Leggings are not pants" (except on snow days and Thanksgiving).

2. I should have listened to my gut on whether or not to include certain items in the mix.  Like my burgundy cape/sweater thing.  It's comfy and cute, but I had the feeling that it wouldn't get worn very much because of its loose fit... and I was right.  Is it great for days when I just want a cozy layer?  Yes.  Can it be worn with a large number of other items in my closet (besides jeans and tee shirts)?  Not really.

3. (this one's courtesy of the hubby) My red skirt looks like a giant fruit roll-up.  I'm going to take that to mean that I look deliciously lovely in it. ;)

4.  I really, REALLY love dresses and skirts.  I have a closet full of the two (really.  I counted them when I was starting this challenge, and I have 25 of each... that's too much, even for a shopaholic like me!).  However, they only got occasional wear during this month, and it wasn't necessarily because of the weather.  Because of my full-time mommy/part-time retail life, a combination of jeans/flats/shirt/cardigan is my go-to for about 80% of my getting dressed.  Lesson learned?  I DON'T NEED ANY MORE DRESSES! (unless of course they're just too pretty to live without.)

5. Speaking of shopping, here's my little confession about this month:  I didn't last the whole time without shopping!  I did send the amount I had decided on for Love146 to them halfway through the month, but I also found a pair of Missoni for Target heels for $2 that had to come home with me, plus my JOYN TOMs that I finally get to wear, and a few pieces of jewelry on eBay.  I might have a shopping problem, so after this month I'm cutting my clothing budget down to $20 a month.  Like I said above, I don't NEED anything, so that should be enough to cover any gaps I need to fill.

 6. My husband is awesome.  No, he didn't jump onto the blog and write that about himself, either.  I really mean it.  The fact that he got me that ReImagine Love146 hoodie for my birthday just proves it.

7.  It is okay to put three prints into one outfit.  You might even get complimented by the girl at Jimmy John's for wearing them.

8.  I also had just a little bit of conviction over the course of the month.  Like I said, my closet is FULL, and so I want to be a lot more conscientious about what I purchase.  Also, it seems a little iffy for me to tell all you readers about all these amazing companies I find for the Fair Trade Friday feature on the blog (like that Starfish Project necklace in the photo on the R), and not be willing to actually spend my money on the products they offer.  So, I'm changing my shopping habits.  Fair Trade will be the first choice for my new clothing, thrifting my second, attempting to make it myself a third option, and then I'll re-evaluate whether I actually need that new item if none of those previous options work out.

Also, I think God likes to mess with my internet to drive a point home to my little human brain.  Specifically, I decided to go ahead and order some palazzo pants I had my eye on from eBay (this was after I had my conviction).  I had some extra money from my birthday, the pants were only $14, black and white print, super wide leg, and so I convinced myself to get them.  Even though I'd agreed to start my shopping choices with Fair Trade.  Even though they weren't.  Even though I don't need them.  But, when I put in my order, there was an error with processing my payment, and they were never purchased.  I didn't want to try the order again, in case I accidentally got two pairs, so I decided to find something else to order.  I found this top from Mata Traders instead, and it just arrived yesterday.  I'm so glad I got it, too!  It's even prettier in real life.  Which goes to show: God knows best (obviously!).

9. I talk a lot about all my clothes, and not enough about the amazing friends and family that I have the privilege of interacting with while wearing my clothes.  Whether it's the great friends that attended the clothing swap that brought 7 (I repeat, SEVEN) huge bags' worth of clothes to swap and donate to the local women's shelter thrift store, or the friends that give me handmade necklaces (and that fabulous houndstooth skirt), or the amazing family members that read and Like almost all of these little blog posts on Facebook, the man I married that knows what's important to me and gets me the perfect present, or the kids that decide that my outfits aren't complete without graham cracker crumbs and/or snot, I am so incredibly blessed.  The contents of my closet can't even compare to the love of all these people God has put in our little family's life.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a tissue (can I use the 'there's something in my eye' excuse?), and I have to go wait to see my oldest kiddo's reaction to her first April Fool's prank.

Ah yes, the old "tissue paper across your doorway during naptime so you run into it" trick, perfect for a 4-year old!

See you in a few!