New Year's Eve (Day) Fashion! + Osborn Amazing

1) I love this look, found via a Lookbook.nu contributor. Sequin shorts under a sheer skirt = genius combination of two of the season's most fun wardrobe additions. Check out some sequin shorts via Etsy and Asos and a great mesh dress (you can just toss a cardigan over and -- voila -- a skirt!) from For Love and Lemons.

2) How effing awesome are these boots????? That's all I can say. I'm speechless. And I desperately want them. What makes it even more awesome is first, that they go perfectly with the above outfit, and second, that they're made by Osborn Designs, which is a great company I've previously posted about. Oh, and they're having a wonderful online sale that doesn't hurt one bit.

2012 is around the corner, I hope it's looking as promising for you all as it is for me! Considering a "best of" list for tomorrow's post, so see you then if so :)

Apolis = Niching the Market Right

Hmmm, apparently niching is what happens when you try to make "niche" a verb. And it's weird. Anyway, I mean they rock transparent, well designed, and well executed all the way home. Same same!

For starters, it uses visuals and infographics for its advocacy impact evaluations. Ex.:

Its blog, aka "Journal," brings customers into the lives of the small team as well as the work being done around the world. PLUS, this journal is available on iPad and mobile devices. Clever folks.

(Pic from one such journal post.)

It has well-styled wardrobe examples, so customers can see the Apolis style in action:

All in all, the vibe is great and consistent throughout the website, journal, styling, and marketing. And its transparency/sharing of an obviously difficult task of maintaining worldwide relationships and projects with ease is awesome. Makes customers feel like friends. And that's always the goal, right?

One product with the "this will be cool/last me forever" vibe Apolis owns:

(The Heritage Leather + Apolis Mason Courier Bag, $218 - learn everything you could ever want to know about how it was made and with what on its product page. Go Apolis!)

Oh, and collaboration magic, which may be my favorite aspect of socially conscious fashion? Apolis is all over it.

Visit the Apolis website here, and see all the goodies you can buy here.

OH AND MELE KALIKIMAKA/HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

I can't believe it's almost 2012 -- craziness. Good stuff is in the works, folks.

Seydou Keita

Portrait photographs by Malian photographer Seydou Keita. Reminds me of the traditional Christmas family photo -- but much more beautiful.

Simple Is Best: United By Blue

Love these unisex bracelets. Can it get any better than leather and rope?

All of these bracelets are under $30 and made by local artisans, and for each one purchased, a pound of trash is cleaned up from the oceans and waterways. Learn more about United By Blue here. They sell other jewelry as well as Ts. Let's keep that ocean nice and blue!

Dreaming Away The Holidays

Dreaming about Maiyet today ... And the weather to wear this awesome Pendleton + Portland coat:

Snag it via RevolverSF.

Also, considering a trip to Ethiopia ... let a girl know if you have any ideas/connections. Holla!

Etsy Is Magic

I about died of happiness when I visited Etsy today and found this "a little bit of brown" treasury curated by member Nulka. I would take any one of these finds for Christmas ... So if you're still hard up for presents for fam or friends, think about making a unique IOU and surprising them with an Etsy find ASAP. Some finds from the collection:

Visit the collection and Etsy.

Random Goodies Collection

Goody bag time, blog style!

1. Found another scarf:

Mugisha, which means "blessing" in Kinyarwanda, scarf, $38, made by a young group of refugee women in Kenya. Read more here. The nonprofit behind this, Heshima Kenya, is pretty gahmazing.

2. Aand... Bracelets made of PVC pipe:

They're crafted by the Himba, an indigenous people of Namibia who actually started making these bracelets to add flair to their traditional garb while using up otherwise-junked PVC pipe ... and now you can snag your own (and find the whole story) on Ethical Ocean for only $15.52.

3. Final surprise ... A couple Billabong Pipe Masters shots, taken by moi, on the second day of the competition:

(John John Florence there with the board -- he ended up winning the Triple Crown.)

(My lovely friend Chels, who accompanied me.)

(Unknown surfer takes flight.)

Happy Wednesday all, wishing you plenty of jingles and stuff.