We've moved!

Hello, Green Bees!  It's everso slightly bittersweet to write this post, because Blogspot has been my home for the better part of the decade, but after months of thinking about it, I've taken the plunge and have built a brand new website under my own domain!

I would be honored if you followed my adventures and journey into living sustainably over at greenchiclife.com.

... and yes, there will still be lots of sustainable giveaways!

A few notes on creating a vacation capsule wardrobe...

My dear pals, I have to admit something: While I like to claim that I am a maximalist minimalist, I have never attempted a 10 for 10 challenge or created anything like a capsule wardrobe. I've definitely got my favorite pieces, but I'm a bit of a thrift and then Poshmark and then thrift again junkie.

Well... I am trying something new for a change. We are going on a 2-week road trip in a Jeep with a 6-month old ( + all of his bits and pieces... pack-and-play, carseat, Boppy, etc.) and a dog... through the desert.

So yeah, space is a bit limited.

This means that instead of packing the extensive vacation wardrobe I would usually try to cram into my suitcase, I've tried to pare things down a bit. I let myself have 15 shirts/cover ups/dresses/sweaters/pairs of trousers and then gave myself 2 pairs of PJs, 2 workout outfits, and 3 pairs of shoes. I've focused on basic pieces, a few super fun pieces that can be mixed and matched with the basics, and a small selection of my favorite jewelry. The outfit in these snaps was a trial run!

Ok... I know that that is still a pretty extensive wardrobe, but I think it's about what I'd usually pack for a one-week excursion, so the idea of packing at this volume for twice the time is a big step! My hope is that this experiment will help me be more creative with the things I'm wearing (remember, everything is thrifted, fair trade, handmade, and/or eco-friendly), so that when we get back home, I can scale down my wardrobe a bit more and have another go at that whole minimalism thing.

Thoughts? Have you had a ton of success with creating capsule wardrobes, and if so, what are some tips?

What's sustainable about this outfit?

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade

: the tank is fair trade and made of organic cotton

: the bracelet is fair trade and handmade

: the necklace is fair trade and handmade from bullet casings

: the trousers are handmade from organic cotton

Earrings c/o Ethos Kolekto

Tank c/o Synergy Organic

Necklace c/o Ethos Kolekto

Trousers c/o Indigo Apparel

Bracelet c/o Ethos Kolekto

Hope...

I hope. 

I know that we can change for good and I hope that we will. 

I truly believe that everything that has happened to the world in the last few months, especially, have enough traction to show people that they can make small decisions during their daily lives that will help improve the whole planet. 

I hope that when people start to realize this, they will act.  I hope that people will work together.  I hope that small ripples will become waves.  

I hope that the world that my son will inherit will be sustainable and safe. 

What are your hopes these days? 

What's sustainable about this outfit? 

: the headband was originally packaging around a blanket that my mum received as a gift about 20 years ago

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade from old furniture and fabric scraps

: the bracelet is fair trade and was handmade from old furniture and fabric scraps

: the tee was made with re-claimed fabric

: the trousers were thrifted

: the sandals are fair trade and handmade

Earrings c/o World Finds

Tee c/o Kindom

Trousers c/o Swap.com

Isabel sandals c/o Adelante Shoe Co. 

Finding the light...

I've been hesitant to post because as accounts have gone dark and have muted themselves, I have wanted to show solidarity and I've busy learning. While I have used some of this muted time to do quite a bit of reading, I in no way consider myself to be an expert on human rights or on how to fix all of the problems that the world is currently facing, though I have come to truly value the things that bring happiness. 

I do feel that it isn't possible to be happy all the time because if happiness was all that we experienced, we wouldn't value it as much, but I do know that in times of upset, anger, fear, and sadless, looking for the light is essential. 

I don't want to be silent and I don't want to create more anger, so I will borrow some words from a favorite book (yes, it's from Harry Potter), and say that "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."- Albus Dumbledore

What's sustainable about this outfit? 

: the headband was handmade

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade

: the bracelet is fair trade and handmade

: the jeans were up-cycled

Earrings c/o Courtyard Camel

Beaded cuff c/o Ethos Kolekto

Putting it all together...

How do y'all put your outfits together?  

I've always loved getting dressed, and while some of my outfits totally miss the mark (hello, trying too hard to fit a mold or particular style), I think it's super fun to piece together outfits.  

... but I don't always start in the same place. 

Sometimes, I see something on Pinterest or in Instagram that I totally love and want to adapt from my closet.  Sometimes, I have a piece of jewelry or a scarf that I really want to wear, so the outfit springs up around those specific pieces.  Sometimes, I just want to wear a certain texture or be covered in a specific print or color.  

This particular outfit was about the jewelry and about playing with earth tones.  Since the necklace and bracelet are metallic, yet still earthy, I wanted to play around with neutral colors.  I don't usually think to mix grey with brown, but I think this worked.  Oh, and just about every piece of this outfit is fair trade, so that's kind of cool... 

In what ways to you create your outfits?  Leave me some comments to let me know! 

What's sustainable about this outfit? 

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade from recycled metal

: the tank is fair trade and handmade from organic cotton

: the necklace is fair trade and handmade from up-cycled bullet casings

: the bracelet is fair trade and handmade from up-cycled bullet casings

Earrings c/o GlobeIn

Ethiopia tassel necklace c/o Ethos Kolekto

Austin tank c/o Synergy Organic

Doka stack bracelet c/o Ethos Kolekto

Sonoma clutch c/o Ethos Kolekto

Mastering the art of tiny local adventures with a tiny human...

Now that summer is here and it isn't necessary to be glued to a computer screen like we have been while trying to teach online, SunStars and I have been busy learning to master the art of tiny local adventures with a tiny human.  We were feeling a bit low energy and I got a craving for coffee, so we packed up the little one and headed out to get a buzz.  However, once we were out, we realized how much we enjoyed feeling the fresh air, so SunStars set his GPS for what he thought was a park that he had visited once in the past and liked.  

... cue suspenseful music... 

When we arrived, it didn't look at all the way he remembered it.  Instead of a lovely open field of grass and big trees, it was a series of ball fields and old buildings.  However, we were on a one-way street, so we had to follow it through to escape.  This turned out to be a good thing, as once we looped around, we were discovered a lovely trail bordering a creek, shaded by leafy trees, and with new and exciting things to see around every corner.  There were fishing ponds.  There was marshland.  There was a tiny island that was absolutely swarming with crane-like birds.  

It was magical.  It was relaxing.  It gave me the opportunity to create a lovely wildflower bouquet.  It also provided us with a wonderful place to drink our coffee! 

I love when random wanderings end up turning into small adventures that are rather extraordinary! 

What's sustainable about this outfit? 

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade

: the bracelet is fair trade and handmade

: the necklace is handmade

: the tee is plant dyed and handmade

: the sweater was thrifted

: the bellbottoms were thrifted

: the boots are fair trade and handmade

Kantha conch earrings c/o World Finds

Layered bracelets c/o World Finds

Everyday tee c/o Ecolove Shop

Grenada boots c/o Adelante Shoe Co. 

Sweater = thrifted

Bellbottoms = thrifted

When your donut run turns into a photoshoot...

School's out for summer!  School's out for... well... we don't actually know how long... but it's ok, because it means that now we have more time to do a bit of local, socially-distanced exploring.  

... and we can do it in actual trousers and other rather intentional pieces of clothing. 

Before going back to work (post maternity leave), I'd made a thrift store run to try to help me find a few new-to-me pieces that would make me feel a bit more at home in my mama body.  I totally hit the jackpot, spent over an hour in the closet putting together good teacher outfits with my thrifted pieces, and then since I was only back for 2 weeks before the-virus-that-shall-not-be-named hit and closed us down, these fun teacher outfits ended up hanging in my closet while I lived out weeks in pajamas. 

After getting a little bit of a sleep in on our first day of summer vacation, we decided to go on a donut run.  After discovering a wall of hand-painted murals, said donut run turned into a bit of a photoshoot, so I was glad that I'd swapped out my loungewear for this teacher outfit I'd planned to wear during the week before spring break. 

... I may need to repeat this outfit if school meets in person again next year.  I love the way that my thrifted blouse (it's an XL and I'm a small, so I sewed some pleats in the back to take it in a bit) paired with this Kantha jewelry from World Finds!   I just hope that by the time the world aligns again and I can do my job outside of the home, I'll be more accustomed to wearing things like jeans... and shoes... so I'll be a bit more on balance, because yes, I almost fell down as the last photo of this post was being taken.  It is hard to shoe these days.

What's sustainable about this outfit? 

: the top was thrifted

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade

: the necklace is fair trade and handmade from recycled fabric scraps

: the bracelet is fair trade and handmade from recycled fabric scraps

Top = thrifted

Treasure Trunk earrings c/o Mata Traders

Kantha bracelet c/o World Finds

Kantha necklace c/o World Finds

The first round...

Yes, I am that crazy lady who has decided to start a business during a pandemic.  

No, I don't actually think that I'm all that crazy. 

Why? 

Because from where I sit, I can see that there are people in the world who need help, and while there are plenty of people who are not able to go shopping for anything beyond groceries and paying bills, I know that stocking up my inventory for when people are able to go back to work is helping hundreds of people who are in dire need of income in this moment. 

Since I've been thinking about starting a shop for the last decade, have spent the last 3 years developing my concept and connecting with awesome fair trade and sustainable brands through blogging, and then really narrowed down my first round of brands and products during my maternity leave over the winter, the ball was already rolling when COVID shut down the world.  

... but it has been wonderful.  I have worked hard to curate a collection of goods that can be mixed and matched across brands.  I've selected products that have been my favorites for years.  I've chosen things that are made with love and care from re-purposed materials.

... and I cannot wait to share everything with you!  Since the world is still moving slowly, I am hoping that I will be able to unveil Ethos Kolekto to all of you at the beginning of June... but until then... stay tuned for glimpses of what to expect from the shop here and on Instagram! 

What's sustainable about this outfit? 

: the earrings are fair trade and handmade

: the scarf is fair trade and handmade

: the blouse is vintage and was plant-dyed

: the bracelet is fair trade and handmade

: the bag 

La Luz earrings c/o Mata Traders

Vintage blouse c/o Jessica Redditt Design

Bracelet c/o Lotus & Luna

Bag and scarf coming soon to Ethos Kolekto