Earth Day

I had plans to come home and change out of my work clothes to do an Earth Day inspired outfit shoot, however it is f***ing freezing outside. If I did an outfit shoot it would feel like a lie because afterwards I'd just be putting my robe on and cuddling up in bed instead of wearing those clothes for the rest of the day. I mean, you wouldn't want me to lie to you, right?

So instead I thought I would share some eco-friendly brands and deisgners with you...if you know of any others I'd love to hear about them!

Annie O Boutique

Founder Annie O works with women in a co-op in Peru who are victims of domestic violence. They use their skills to create the pieces sold in the shop which helps them to earn a living (most of the women come from impoverished backgrounds) and allows them to practice their craft.







(images from the Annie O website)


MooShoes

Founded in 2001 by sisters Erica & Sara Kubersky MooShoes sells cruelty-free vegan footwear and accessories. They have an online store as well as a location in NYC. On top of being animal friendly they also support fair labor and will only purchase products that meet the standards for fair labor within each country. (They are also a home for a group of rescued cats!)







(images from MooShoes website)

My Green Lipstick

A website that stocks brands that are eco-friendly, fair trade, vegan, and/or vintage. The company tries to remain aware of their carbon footprint and reduce it as much as possible while spreading the word to their customers.







(images from My Green Lipstick website)


Muso Koroni

Muso Koroni is a West African goddess who is known as the mother of all things. This vegan boutique offers hip, trendy, and most importantly organic options for clothing, cosmetics and accessories.







(images from Muso Koroni website)


Nancy's Gone Green!

Nancy's Gone Green is a made up of a mother-daughter team with a mission to make the world a more beautiful place. They focus on selling environmentally friendly clothing that supports self-expression through the art of fashion. They use only ethical materials that are produced using fair labor practices.







(images from Nancy's Gone Green! website)


While all of these stores serve great causes and help our earth in their own way, when it comes down to it the best thing you can do for the earth is to shop local. Check out your neighborhood boutiques, resale shops, estate sales and local farmer's markets!

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day? Jon and I have agreed to not use any house lights tonight. We're just going to use the light of the computer and candles for the night.





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Vintage Wednesday #26

This week for Vintage Wednesday I'm wearing a 70's/80's Cheryl Tiegs blouse that I thrifted last year before Jon and I went on the cruise. It's really light weight and it ended up being perfect for the hot weather last year. However in today's 40 degree chill I had to hide it while I was out by wearing a winter jacket. So what do I love about this blouse? The simplicity is what first catches my eye. It's a classic piece that can be styled in many different ways. Then there's the (almost) periwinkle blue color that is so pleasing to look at. Add the playful stripes, puff sleeves, and white buttons and you're ready for a casual weekend picnic with a gentle breeze slowly traveling through the light fabric.









Look at what's behind my shoes in this photo...flowers! That's right my flowers have started to come up! The grass is getting greener, the buds are falling from the trees, the robins are hopping around everywhere...the only thing out of place is the 40 degree weather! It was SNOWING the other day. I don't just mean like a little flurry, I actually had to brush my car off in the morning because it was covered in snow. Grrrrr. When I lived in Chicago I expected this. I grew to learn that Chicago doesn't have a spring and it goes from 30 degrees to 80 within a few days. However one of the benefits of living back in Michigan is having four very clear seasons. So c'mon Michigan, let's get this warm weather thing in gear!

Anyway, I'm sure you're all still dying to know about my vintage finds that I gave you a sneak peek of yesterday. Well, here they are:

Remember this one?



It's a flowy cream colored dress with little hearts all over it!




And this one?



It's a coral colored fascinator!









The reason I didn't wear them today is because Jon and I are going to Chicago for a few days next week and I want to wait to style them up for the trip. I'm so excited for our little mini vacation! I've got to get my bangs trimmed before then. They have been driving me crazy lately.

I hope you've enjoyed this week's edition of Vintage Wednesday! Check back next week for more vintage fun!


The Breakdown:

Outfit:
Blouse: Cheryl Tiegs, vintage
Skirt: Express, thrifted
Purple Tights: thrifted
Socks: Target
Shoes: Thrifted

Accessories:
Necklace: H&M



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The Chicken Dance

I got it! I got it! I got it!

The chicken purse! I'm such an eccentric old lady in the making, haha. I know this purse is pretty out there, but sometimes you just have to have a sense of humor.

Oh and by the way I'm wearing my new glasses! You can't tell by these photos but the inside of the frames are a light pink.





I sold some more artwork so I decided to treat myself. I also got two items that I'll show off tomorrow for vintage wednesday. I love them so much that I can't resist sharing a sneak peek!

Item #1



Item #2



What could these mystery items be? I know you're going to be up all night thinking about it. I would.



The Breakdown:

Outfit:

Sweater: China Town, Gift
Skirt: Heart Moon Star, Thrifted
Tights: Target
Boots: Blowfish

Accessories:
Hen Purse: NY CTLT






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And She's Back!

Wow, last week was a strange and busy one. A friend of Jon's from middle school passed away so we went to the funeral on Tuesday. That sort of set a solemn tone for the rest of the week. On top of that I started reading The Lovely Bones which had me contemplating and philosophizing the mortality of man and life after death even more. I worked a few double shifts which was rough. I worked out a business plan for the production company Jon and I are starting up. I went to a fashion show with my aunt, step-mom, and sister. Oh, and I went to the eye doctor and got new glasses. (Remember the ones I lost? Well...after I found them I stepped on them and broke them. Way to go me. Luckily just the frame broke so they are fixable, but it was still time for new ones.)

I took a bunch of photos at the fashion show. It was at a store called, Leon & Lulu. (Which is located in Clawson for any of you Michiganders who are interested).

The store was amazing, but let me talk about the event first. It was a charity event to benefit Bishop Foley High School where my aunt was a teacher for many years. They had all kinds of different restaurants serving food at little stations inside the store. (I had already eaten, so I mainly focused on dessert....which was divine....the chocolate...the cookies...the baklava....mmmmm...so good!) Oh and a chocolate martini on the house. Too bad I was driving so I could only have one. Ohhh it was so delicious! They also were giving facials and fashion tips throughout the store and had a live band performing. On top of that they had two fashion shows, one demonstrating day to evening looks and the other focusing on spring trends. Most of the clothes in the fashion show were from local Metro Detroit stores with the exception of some Banana Republic and White House Black Market items.

Here are some photos I took of the fashion show, (sorry the quality is really poor):

Day to Evening
















Trends

(See the lovely lady with the blonde hair on the very left in the audience? That's my aunt!)


























They were selling this mint green coat in the store and I instantly fell in love before it was even modeled in the fashion show:





I think it looks a little too big on the model, but it is the prettiest metallic-mint green. So perfect for spring! I checked my wallet just in case I had forgotten about having two $100 bills laying aorund, but alas all I found was two buttons, a penny, and a moth...









Now about the store...oh my where to start! I think this is my new favorite non-vintage/thrift store in Metro Detroit! It reminded me a lot of anthropolgie. They sell a little bit of everything - clothing, accessories, furniture, art, beauty products, books, etc. The interior of the store is bursting with quirky art in every direction. Also they have a cafe where your items are delivered to you by an employee on roller skates. (The store is located inside of an old rollar rink.) Here are some of the awesome items I was browsing:











How amazing are these hen purses? When I have a little extra money I'm considering going back to get one. So adorable and funny!













Old book covers taken and turned into sketch books...they even have a few pages of the old books scattered throughout!













I ended up buying this pair of black and white patterned socks....I can't wait to style them up! (Please ignore the cat hair all over my bed...)



Oh and I almost forgot to mention that the store has a dog. How much better can it get? (Actually on the website it says the store name is from two family pets, Leon was a kitty and Lulu a beloved dog.) Seriously if you live in Michigan this store is worth a visit, even if you don't have any cash to blow it's worth it just to look around!

They also have a summer artists market which I'm considering applying for. Like I said before I'm trying to start marketing myself better and I think this would be a good way. I feel more confident about doing something like this after the good reception that my art show in Royal Oak got.



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