Aug 31

Aug 31 Transitioning From Summer To Fall With Sweet Lupine

It's been my goal for a few months to curate a general "all seasons" capsule type wardrobe to use all year round. Of course, living in a very seasonal climate (80's in the summer and -30 in the winter...) that's not completely possible. But my goal is to curate a closet full of pieces I can wear all year, with a few truly seasonal investment pieces that will last me for years to come thrown in when I can afford to do so.

When Amanda of Sweet Lupine reached out to me to work together on a blog post, I initially thought of choosing pieces to feature on our trip to California last month (definitely a summer themed post). However, after I got back and we settled into our new home, I realized that the pieces I had chosen from her shop were actually much more versatile than I had expected.

Aug 24

Aug 24 How We Soul || Sharing Beauty From Start To Finish

Olivia Youngs

Slow Fashion

As an influencer in the ethical fashion space, I have the unique chance to interact with the founders, designers, and creative minds behind the brands I showcase on SL&Co. It's a much deeper process than agreeing to work with a brand because they have "ethical" scrawled on their homepage. Instead, I get to personally ask questions, vet the brand's practices, and dig deeper into the heart behind each brand I write about to make sure they fit my own personal values and are something I think you, my readers, will support too.

As subjective as ethical fashion is, having a firm grasp of each brand's ethics is hugely important to me. I've been following along with How We Soul's journey for a while now and, I have to say, each time they release a new product, share a new photo, or interact with their community, I'm more and more impressed.

Aug 19

Aug 19 Plaine Products || Zero Waste Products for the Whole Family

Olivia Youngs

Simple Home, Motherhood, Slow Fashion, Slow Living

I've been on my trek towards a more natural, healthy, ethical lifestyle for several years now and when it comes to my hair, I've learned to be picky. I've tried almost every "natural" method for taking care of your hair on the market. Shampoo bars? Yep. Sulfate/paraben/chemical-free? Of course. The "no-poo method" where you let your hair "adjust" to it's natural oils and then cleanse it with baking soda and apple cider vinegar, like, once a month? Oh yes.

I've been feeling a bit burn out on the whole "healthy hair" thing and wasn't sure there was an actual product on the market that I felt good about. When I said I was picky, I meant it. I wanted all-natural ingredients that would actually help my color treated hair, not damage it. I wanted recycle-packaging that wouldn't end up in a landfill. I wanted to not smell like I walked out of a perfume shop.

Aug 16

Aug 16 Minimal Packing || What I Brought for a Week in California

Olivia Youngs

Slow Fashion, Slow Living

Lately, my life has been a bit like an endless vacation (but not in the magical way). Between moving from house to house, selling our own home, downsizing substantially (again), and taking a few actual vacations, I've been living out of suitcases and totes for longer than I care to admit.

But, in the chaos, I've learned a lot about packing lightly and choosing outfits that will actually work for a trip, or just for a messy phase of life.

Aug 14

Aug 14 Sha-de || Sustainable Clothes for Your Littles

Olivia Youngs

Slow Fashion

When I began shopping ethically, my own closet was the first thing I overhauled. I threw out pieces I hadn't worn in over 6 months, researched more ethical options, and started thrifting often for the pieces I couldn't afford to buy new. But when it came to my daughters' wardrobes, I was more hesitant to jump onto the slow fashion bandwagon. Not because I didn't see the value of buying them ethically made items, but because I had a much harder time finding options that were (A.) affordable, (B.) available for toddlers and not just babies, and (C.) something that they wouldn't grow out of in .34 seconds.

My girls are 2 and (almost) 4 now, and the vast majority of their closets are gifted (thank you Mimi and Nona ;) but when I need to buy them clothes, I'm working on compiling a list of sustainable and ethical brands that I can feel good about shopping from.

Aug 8

Aug 8 Door of Maai || Upcycled Minimalism

Olivia Youngs

Slow Fashion

There's nothing I admire more than one-woman shows (if you caught yesterday's post, you know that already), and it seems that the ethical fashion industry is the perfect place to discover them. Whether it's women who want to create their own business to support their family in a sustainable way, or a fashion designer who branches out on her own to pave the way for more ethically-minded production, my journey into ethical fashion has introduced me to more independent, creative, trail blazing women than I ever imagined.

When Pooja, the founder (and, yes, designer, marketer, seamstress, and visionary) of Door of Maai introduced herself to me, I knew I was speaking to someone special. At young age, Pooja founded a brand that not only allows her to support herself but uses sustainable practices that are both better for the environment and the hands who make her designs.