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 - Five Years Ago....

Yesterday was the five year anniversary of this little event:

Of course, our little family has expanded quite a bit since our wedding (trust me, I'm expanding more every day!), which means when we have the opportunity to have a date night that's kid-free we take it!  So, after the babysitting was arranged, that just left the dilemma of what I wanted to wear to dinner.  I have only a handful of dresses that fit right now, so did I want to wear the new patterned one I brought home, my LBD, or a pink lace number that could only fit me for the next couple weeks anyways?  At the end of the day, I chose..... none of these.  Instead, I picked this:

When going through my closet, I happened upon this dress that I made when I first found out we were expecting, from this tutorial.  It was inspired by this adorable dress from the Hatch Collection, except without the $300 price tag!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/186758715767384295/

A little accessorization and layering was added in, and the outfit was complete for a night of delicious food and a little walk around First Thursday.  Plus, I got some awesome pics of the girls that might end up being blackmail material later on when they have their first date nights....

...do you see that little face on the R?

Heh heh heh......

Outfit Details:

Dress: DIY, from this tutorial

Tee: Target maternity, $5 (clearance)

Shoes: Sseko Designs, $55

Necklace: eBay, $1

Watch: mall kiosk, $3 (clearance)

Grand Total: $64

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!