I'm Back! Faves to Bring Along

So I was gone a little longer than I intended to be -- forgive me! I had a wonderful visit back to Colorado that let me process life stuffs and catch up with my 'rents and siblings, which I haven't been able to do in way too long. Not to mention I helped plan my dad's 50th birthday party, which included a viewing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail at the independent movie theater and ALSO the fourth quarter of the Broncos game. Win.

Anyway, here's a pic of me rocking the small-town staples: camo, zip-up jacket, and yoga pants, while snowshoeing (OK, the snowshoeing wasn't quite necessary, but it was fun!) to feed my mom's horses. It was AWESOME. Awww, home.

On another (fave) note, a blog I contribute to, Fashion at Liberty is bringing on another contributor who will be documenting her trip to NY from Madison visiting slow-fashion shops and finds along the way. Sounds pretty awesome, and I know that I for one will be checking in. Check in on her here, or follow me on Twitter to find out when she's written an update.

Finally, loving this sequin urban art in Iceland by Theresa Himmer, found via JeannieJeannie:

Happy Wednesday all, looking forward to getting back to regular updates. Thanks for your patience!

Colorado Loves Me! So I'm Taking a Time Out

This is me! Riding Traveler! Through corn fields! In November! (Nevermind that it was taken last year - you get the gist). I'm back visiting my family for my sis's 18th birthday, my dad's 50th, and an early Thanksgiving/Christmas. That said, I'm obviously stoked.

I'll be getting my fill of authentic Mexican food, crossing my fingers that the snow forecast will hold true (us Coloradoans joke about weather reports being completely irrelevant to how the day actually turns out), and planning a b-day party for the daddio.

So between planning, relishing, and enjoying (and a post or two for Fashion at Liberty), I'm going to take the week for myself. And listen to a lot of country music. And frolic. Yayyyy!

Unless it snows tomorrow - then check back for a pic :)

Happy week, everyone!

Just In Case You Miss Me... FAL

If you're ever heartbroken that there isn't a new dazzling find for you here, take your charming little self over to Fashion at Liberty. I contribute posts there, but the bulk of the work, done by Stephanie Carnes, is way more amazing. She's behind interviews with folks such as Lorrena Bariento, who designs a line of stunning embroidered jewelry,  as well as articles covering everything from new, ethical fall lines to a series on "Farm to Fashion."

As for moi, my most recent post with Fashion at Liberty is about ethical goodies that match this ethereal picture, taken by my friend one late night:

If you're curious about what I found, click away. With FAL, I get to play with longer interview pieces as well as create my own mix-and-match fashion and home decor stylings. It's a whole new set of playground equipment, and I hope you enjoy it too.

Happy Aloha Thursday!

Favalaves Round Two

I started this blog when I realized I kept falling down the black hole of beautiful style and design blogs, at first awed, and then overwhelmed and unsure of how something good could come out of it (besides making me want a lot of pretty things I couldn't afford and didn't want to be my sole obsession).

Well, here are a few examples of things I love that I wouldn't normally post (except for the Ghandi quote) except for that it's Friday and sometimes beauty or truth is, of its own, enough.

This one was found via Fashion at Liberty's Tumblr:

(I will get to work right away on how to make this amazing outfit socially conscious .... I think it involves a Goodwill trip!)

Found via Twitter on Pinterest, and lovin' it.

From blog Size Too Small ... Another hunt on my list.

And, last but not least, what I really want to be doing with my life right now:

Via Cold Splinters.

Oh and officially in love with Jeff Tweedy's solo styling of the Wilco song "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." Saw him perform last night, and it was two hours of straight amazingness. Listen below:

Happy Aloha Friday all, hope you have a GREAT weekend.

Me + Fashion at Liberty, + Extra Nest(ing)!

Super stoked to be a contributing writer for Fashion at Liberty. I'm going to get the chance to do more interviews and style pieces versus company, marketing, and product profiles, which will be a nice balance. Yesterday, I posted about "Digs and Duds" that compare with a stunning Haleakala sunrise while doing good for the world.

To see what I selected, head to Fashion at Liberty!

One of my selections is a pillow from Nest, a nonprofit that empowers women and artisans throughout the world with interest-free microloans, mentoring from designers, and an outlet to sell their goods. I like this concept because it allows the artists to determine how to best re-invest in their families and communities, instead of an outside source determining what facet needs to be addressed most.

Along with goods from loan recipients, Nest has a "Artists Helping Artists" shop, which sells hand-crafted goods with all proceeds going to Nest. And the pillows are killer (though slightly expensive, so dream until you save enough!):

Modern Diamond Rectangle Pillow, $140, by katehenri

Mountains Pillow, $72, by Friendly Product

Wind Hand-Screened Pillow, $85, by Erin Flett

Most pillows are offered in different colors, and all artists have their own stories behind them (for example, all of katehenri's pieces are woven, handprinted, and/or sewn by artisans in India).

Visit Nest to learn more about making a microloan to an artisan or to check out the shop.

Heads up: I got the chance to check out Super Citizen yesterday for a post for Fashion at Liberty, and found some great products! Woooo.