Do Try This at Home

Random day last week where Nay and I discovered we were wearing cute outfits and decided to do a mini photoshoot in the downstairs room, which was lately left bereft of its ping pong table (sad face. We're gifting it to the grandparents). Anyway, here are some of the highlights of the zany shoot:

Prerequisite creepy/dramatic picture. Please disregard the hazy colored shapes of hastily blotted Nerf Guns in the closet. Instead, feast your eyes on that lovely little lantern. It is the Pottery Barn Malta Lantern--we have several in different sizes, but I believe that one is the large. Go quick, they're on sale!

Perfect lighting + homemade terrarium = awesome.

 We then moved outside to the deck:

Yes, I did blink. Yes, I still think it looks good enough to post.

Dem legs doe. 

The wonderful dress and shoes are from my mom's cavernous closet. Things go in but rarely come out until years later.  I removed the shoulder pads and might take in the shoulders a bit because they're actually an awkward capsleeve length. I was considering leaving the shoulder pads in, but was innocently told I looked like a linebacker (yeah, no).

DIY Flower Crown | Forever 21 Basic Long Sleeve | Vintage All That Jazz Drop Waist Polka Dot Dress | Coach Legacy Mini Tanner Crossbody in Black Leather | Target Tights | Dollar Tree Socks | Vintage Banana Republic Platform Sandals

Really proud of this shot too. My photo game was on par today, as was my sister's model game. 

BDG Chambray | AG Adriano Goldschmied Stevies in Hunter Green | Nordstrom Nerd Glasses | Vans Original Classic Authentic in Black

I'm sure you'll be seeing more of us shortly! Lots of time for photoshoots coming up as Nay finishes up her finals this week :)

Child's Play

I adore this sign. Unfortunately, I believe this sign is now gone to some other (better?) place since they recently remodeled (is revamped a better word?) this playground.

This is actually a different playground within the vicinity. I used to love playing on this funky teeter-totter. Now I love posing on it.

Here is a lovely miniature taco I made with a deformed tortilla chip and some of my extra regular-sized taco fixings.

Random Throwback... Even though it's not Thursday.

I could've sworn that I already uploaded this pic along with a few others. However, I couldn't find them in the archives. Which means I either accidentally deleted them, or actually did not ever upload. Hmm. If I already did upload, my apologies. I'll keep it short. Here's me sort of reading a magazine.

Plaid Jacket-Nordstrom | Vintage chambray | Bottle green cords-Forever 21

Condemning Fast Fashion: Why Stores Like Forever21 Are Detrimental to Us All

A/N: I wrote this for our school's newspaper. I am in the midst of reevaluating my shopping decisions, and am attempting to find stores that endorse social and environmental conscientiousness. While I don't personally shop at Forever 21 or H&M, there are still stores I do shop at--such as J.Crew, Gap, and Madewell--that outsource their labor. :( --Sarah

        While stores like Forever 21 are popular for their cheap prices and on-trend styles, you should certainly reconsider shopping there. Stores like Forever 21, H&M, and, to a lesser extent, Zara—called venues of “fast fashion” due to their clothing’s throwaway quality—are harmful to human rights, the environment, and the economy.

        In many cases, imported clothing is made in China or third world countries where labor laws are nonexistent. Workers toil away for long hours in poor conditions, and are denied a living wage. By purchasing products made in these conditions, you are merely aiding in these people’s further enslavement to factories.

        Fast fashion corporations are also detrimental to the environment. An article published last year in China Daily spoke of the immense water pollution due to textile manufacturers. Garment production is now the third-largest water polluter in China, producing 2.5 billion metric tons of sewage in 2010. Sadly, China’s fines for abusing the environment are lower than the cost of creating more responsible methods of production. This is a huge deal, considering fifty percent of all textile production currently has its roots in—you guessed it—China.

Since fast fashion—as well as many other products these days—are mostly produced overseas, our nation’s economy is greatly suffering. In this day and age, jobs are simply in much lower abundance here in the US. After all, why would companies pay more to employ their own country’s citizens when it is so much cheaper to employ someone else’s? With jobs in high demand and a low supply of available positions, many workers in the US are struggling to make ends meet.

        So what can you do? Instead of buying cheap, trendy thrills, you should consider buying vintage, secondhand, or previously worn clothing. By doing so, you extend the clothing’s lifespan and prevent it from going to landfills. Added bonus: you’ll also have unique pieces that aren’t currently clothing the backs of the teenage hordes. You should also save up your money and buy more sustainable clothing: it may seem more expensive at first, but many designer brands such as J. Brand, James Perse, and AG Jeans are manufactured in the United States, and supposedly last longer. In my experience, buying from each of these brands has proved to be a prudent investment; their timeless craftsmanship lasts much longer than fast fashion’s cheap trendiness. At the very least, you’ll be supporting your own nation’s economy and providing jobs for other American citizens.

        There are multiple sites and brands like Roozt, prAna, and shopwithmeaning.org that promote awareness and support social/environmental responsibility. You can also petition your favorite brands to sustainably produce their garments. Lastly, you can spread the word. If enough of us become aware of the social and environmental repercussions of fast fashion, perhaps we can change how our garments are produced in the near future.

Cheap Cheats: Polka Dot Shorts

I've been searching for a cute, simple pair of high-waisted polka dot black and white shorts. I could shell out the $69.50 for the Madewell pair...or I could just buy the Forever 21 pair. Especially since they're both imported, most likely from China.

Madewell Artdot Shorts-$69.50

Forever 21 Essential High-Waisted Polka Dot Shorts -$19.80

Happy shopping! ^__^

Cheap Cheats: Patterned Play with Pants

For the past few days, I've been endlessly scouring my favorite websites, searching through sale sections like a fiend instead of doing homework. I've also been compiling giant wishlists and sending them as not-so-subtle hints to my mother, but that's a whole 'nother story. 

Anyway, I noticed that there are some patterned pants at Forever that reminded me of some Free People ones I just saw yesterday.

Forever 21 Patterned Pants-$19.80

Free People Desert Palm Pant-$128 (but now marked down to $29.95)

This time it's not such a huge markdown, but it would've been if you'd bought them full price. This time, why not splurge $10 more for the Free People ones ;)

Bottoms Up

Recently, I've been doing a lot of online window shopping, especially for pants and shorts. There are just so many covetable pieces in stores right now, including the delicious markdowns of end-of-summer (and soon, Labor Day Weekend) sales. Here are some of my fave pieces as of late:

ASOS Skinny Jeans in Floral Print #4-$59.61

Look at that nice dark background. It just makes the florals pop so nicely :D

Next up, some refreshing mint skinny flares from Madewell: 

The perfect shade for a nice back-to-school pick me up.

Madewell's Flea Market Flare Colorpop Jeans-$49.99

And some Free People floral shorts I've had my eye on for awhile now that've gone on sale: 

Free People Denim Cut Offs - Printed Floral in Turquoise Combo-$47.60

Some more Free People printed denim...

Free People Millennium Ikat Printed Skinny-$54.60 

And to top it off, the best deal I've seen for a long time: 

J Brand Ali Cords-$33.00

I sort of have a little obsession with colored cords. And these are such a steal, as they're originally $237. Top that off with 10% off via code TULIP and extra 20-30% for being a new customer, and it's practically stealing. 

Now to convince the parents.

Cheap Cheats: Polka Dot Blazer

I've been wanting a polka dot blazer recently, so I researched my options. I first saw this adorable Madewell blazer in store:

Madewell's Artdot Blazer-$138

However, seeing as my parents would kill me if I spent that much on a blazer (they might be more willing for a pair of AG Stevies--but that's a story for another time ;)) I searched and found this cheaper alternative:

Forever 21's Polka Dot Blazer-$24.80

Nice way to save over a hundred bucks. :D