Behind those $8.00 jeans...

Live on Purpose

Quote of the day: "We cannot do great things, only small things with great love. It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into it." -Mother Theresa

Second-hand-inista!

I've done it! I've mastered the art of second hand shopping, and just in time for my new job :). Here are some jewels from today's venture:

1. Sparrow Blue Cardigan. This is a brand carried by Anthropologie. This beauty cost me $16.00 and I don't care one bit. Justin asked if I was planning on composing a symphony in it. I told him I would be cute and preppy speech pathologizing in it. He didn't think I was funny.










2. Marc Jacob's skirt. $40.00 OK, I know, not exactly cheap for second-hand, but it IS a designer label, and it's a comfortable black skirt that is very easy to wear with different pieces. I think I'll get a lot of wear out of it.









Just in case you didn't believe it was Marc Jacobs. Notice the conveniently place finger over the size--a girl's gotta have a few secrets ;).











3. A cute dress-up, dress-down little ditty. It was $20.00, which is also not cheap, but also worth it to me. I plan on wearing it under a blazer for work and with shorts or jeans on the weekends.












4. $7. Gap. Basic. Top. I bet I wear this 50 times before I get rid of it.













5. This, THIS dress makes me feel pretty. It was $40. but it has that cool zipper thing on the back that has been so fashionable as of late. I'll be wearing this to an upcoming wedding. Supposedly a good brand, but I really am not used to buying high-end clothing so I wouldn't know. But look, cool zipper:
Sorry it is sideways.

6. Finally, this. It was $17.50. It is a simple sweater. But it certainly the first thing I have ever owned by Dolce & Gabbana. I also purchased a D & G khaki skirt, so now I have two things.











It may not look like much, but it is soft and luxurious. I also think it will look smashing with a couple long gold necklaces.

Freedom Sunday

"On March 13, 2011 people of faith will unite to set the captives free.
Visit the newly launched Freedom Sunday website to register your faith community, download Freedom Sunday resources, join with a community on the church locator map, and connect with other people of faith in the movement to end modern-day slavery."

Change.org news round up...

Join the fight for Fair Trade S'mores!--and more confessions..

Now that it is summer, one thing I miss most about home is sitting outside by a bonfire and eating s'mores. Nothing beats sitting out by a fire after a beautiful summer day and watching the flicker of orange, red, and blue against the black logs. I've always thought the ooey, gooey, sticky, deliciousness of the warm chocolate, crunchy and creamy marshmallow, and sweetness of the graham cracker wrapped up in a s'more is one of life's best simple pleasures. Knowing what I now know about the cocoa industry; however, s'mores no longer have the same comforting appeal as they once did. So, it made me very excited to see that there are people out there fighting for fair trade s'mores!

This site reminded me of a story I forgot to share. A couple months ago I was looking for an Easter present for my nieces. I was strolling along Michigan Ave, popped in the Hershey's store and naively asked the woman at the front counter if they had any fair trade chocolate. She looked shocked that I would ask such a question and nearly burst into a bout of laughter. I quickly ducked my tail between my legs and showed myself out. I never really thought more about this incident until I saw this website asking for support to petition Hershey to offer fair trade products.

Even though I didn't make a purchase that day, I have to confess: despite the fact that I have changed many habits to decrease my support of poor labor practices in terms of the clothes I wear, the food I eat remains tainted. Ugh, I suppose this is the next battle. I could sit here comfortably and pretend that now that I am a frequent second hand store shopper and all educated on what really happens I am doing "good enough," but we all know that is the most dangerous place to be. I know that I should continue avoiding chocolate and Coca-cola, but have remained stubborn and let these things slip back into my life here and there without much thought. I've even avoided posting some really terrible things about Coca-cola because that means I really have to give it up. So--here's to the next six months-- that they may be a continued challenge and learning process. That my heart and mind and stomach and skin may be at peace with what I eat and wear.

Hot off the Huffington...

Thanks to Jayme for sharing this story with me. 10 pictures with brief captions of real reasons why China is being forced to improve working conditions/pay for employees (raising minimum wage by 20%-- to a whopping $140 a month!). Sadly, it takes something like high rates of employee suicide to make a lasting impression. With names like Honda, Apple, Hyundai, this hits closer to home than you may initially think.