by Claire Star
Frank and the Tower from REI on Vimeo.
by Claire Star
I've always liked rock climbing and greatly admire those who manage to push through the fear of heights to scale cliffs and mountains all over the world. This documentary, presented by REI, shows the beautiful story of a man named Frank who goes climbing every day. It makes me want to find a tall tree to climb this afternoon.
Frank and the Tower from REI on Vimeo.
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by Claire StarLast year I shifted to only buying clothes that are ethically made (a decision that inspired our mindful style series). Today, I want to share some of the reasons why I support ethical brands. Learning about the fast fashion industry lead to shocking discoveries. Traditional fast fashion companies subject workers to dangerous working conditions (like the Rana Plaza factory collapse that killed over 1,000 workers in Bangladesh) and pay employees unlivable wages (many workers can’t afford for their children to live at home with them). After watching several documentaries, including T-Shirt Travels and The True Cost, I could no longer continue in my ways unaffected. To play a small part in lessening the human and environmental suffering caused by the fast fashion industry, I decided to no longer support companies that do follow ethical production standards. I know that my actions alone will not make a sweeping difference, but I like to think: what if everyone I know stops supporting the fast fashion industry along with me? Like all change, the movement will start small but begin to grow when more people get involved. The transition has certainly been an adjustment for me. Ethically made clothing, jewelry, and shoes are often expensive, but I think it makes sense. By comparison, fast fashion companies use cheap materials and pay below minimum wage to keep costs down. Still, it’s hard to suddenly make the shift into buying everything at a higher price. So I’ve avoided buying things brand new most of the time. Fortunately, I live near many consignment stores where I’ve found great pairs of barely worn designer jeans for almost five times less than they would’ve cost brand new. While visiting Nicole this summer, her local thrift shop had a $5 Theory blazer like this one! Yes, this means that I might be buying something from a company that does not maintain ethical practices, however the initial purchase was already made the the previous consumer. By buying things second hand, I’m recycling the products and preventing those items from ending up in a landfill. In the past six months, I’ve become more thoughtful about potential purchases that are brand new. Instead of buying impulsively, I’m much more likely to plan ahead for things that I’d like to add to my closet. In part, this is because finding an ethical alternative often takes a little research. Despite the often higher prices of ethically made items, I’ve saved money on clothing this year because I’m less tempted to buy something overall. If you’d like to support an ethical business, here are a few I’ve found. I’ll add to this list as I learn about more! CLOTHES + Amour Vert (pretty dresses) + Bead & Reel + Reformation + Everlane (we love this modern trench coat) + Patagonia (classic outdoors brand) + Miakoda + Bridge & Burn (based in Portland, OR) + Tradlands (women's button downs) + Grana (great shirt dresses) + James Perse (soft casual shirts) + Madefair + YSTR Clothing + Steven Alan (classic shirts made in the USA) + Mata Traders + Slumlove Sweater Company + Threads 4 Thought (basic t-shirts) JEANS + Frame (my favorite pair) + Strom + Paige + AG + Patagonia ACTIVE + Outdoor Voices + Tracksmith + Movmt + Fibre Athletics SHOES + Zuzii (soft suede oxfords) + Nisolo + Matt and Nat + Soludos (espadrille sandals) + Veja (stylish sneakers) + Everlane (chelsea boots) + Mamahuhu + Avarcas (slip on sandals) JEWELRY + Catbird (Brooklyn staple) + Satomi Kawakita + Claus Jewelry + Bario Neal + Blanca Monros Gomez BAGS & ACCESSORIES + Matt and Nat (Nicole wrote about them here!) + Everlane Are there any ethical brands you like? I'd love to hear about them!
// Graphic design by Claire Star. Tags: by Claire, Mindful Style, Style by Claire StarI saw these two photos the other day and couldn't believe the resemblance. That head tilt. Those eyebrows! What beautiful and talented women. That's all.
// Photos via The Gloss, Pinterest Tags: by Claire, Beauty, Photography by NicoleI have to say, I absolutely love the increase in the quirky pin trend lately. As a child, I used to collect pins, some of them were my grandmother’s and others were gifts or discovered cheap thrills at thrift stores. However, I never knew what to do with them. The only time I creatively used the pins was when I stuck them on a baseball cap for crazy hat day at camp. (If you thought for a minute that it would look cute and trendy then I’ll just tell you now that it was really uncomfortable to wear. Don’t incorporate pins that way.) Yet, now everywhere I look, I see little pins on the lapels of jackets, on the pockets of the shirts, occasionally on the front pocket of a pair of jeans. They add a humorous, engaging element to an outfit. They are a simple and affordable accessory that can make someone smile and laugh or start a conversation. Now my silly childhood pin collection has purpose. I’ll admit that this trend leaves me wondering, “Will brooches make a comeback too?” by Claire Star & Nicole JordanWe recently realized we've never shared the full story on how we first met. Here it is, plus some funny photos...
by Claire StarOver the summer, when I was visiting Nicole in NYC, we had a bit of a watercolor kick. While I wouldn’t consider myself the most skilled artist of all time, I enjoy experimenting with mixing colors, shapes, and texture to create an abstract design of sorts. Nicole, meanwhile, is a pattern designing guru. Given a pencil, ruler, and pad of graph paper, the woman will bust out a work of art like this, which rivals museum-quality Islamic geometric patterns. I’d wager that Nicole could have a bright future selling adult coloring books, on par with the likes of Johanna Basford. But I digress. What on earth were we to do with all of these watercolor creations? What void in our lives could we fill with our *cough* masterpieces? We realized we could easily turn them into gift tags. Many gift tags currently affixed to impending holiday presents are of the Christmas variety. Some people love this fact. I, personally, would rather they be more non-denominational and multi-purpose. So, we set about creating gift tags that would be equally welcome atop any gift. (In a rare Martha Stewart moment, I wrote a few quotes on my gift tags and taped them to the wall opposite my desk. I also used a few as bookmarks and labels, too.) There’s no one right way to go about making your own set of gift tags. You can use the paint-then-cut method as I did, or the cut-then-paint method like Nicole. Both work perfectly well. Once you’re happy with the shape of your tags (here are some templates), punch a hole and add a ribbon or embroidery floss. Voila! Here are a few we made, can you tell who’s whose? :) For more inspiration, Pinterest has countless ideas for gift tags and watercoloring techniques (see 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). I also loved this post on sustainable gift wrapping alternatives from Erin Boyle’s great blog Reading My Tea Leaves.
If you end up making any gift tags of our own, tag us on our Instagram. We would love to see what you create! P.S. This year’s gift guide (and last year’s $30 and under guide), if you're still looking! // Photos by Claire Star and Nicole Jordan. Tags: by Claire, Art, Design, Gift Guide by Claire Star & Nicole JordanHere are a few gift ideas to celebrate the holiday season with your best friend. An air popper, $18, and a jar of popcorn kernels to make movie nights more festive. A handknitted hat, $37 for supplies, (and a promise to teach her how to knit the next time you see each other in person or on your next Skype chat). A travel mug from your favorite coffee shop, $14, so she can keep her drinks warm on freezing walks through the city. Brownie points for adding a bag of coffee beans (prices vary). A pair of pretty gold earrings she can wear every day, $96. Bonus if you have matching ones, so you can be twins across the country. Witty pins to jazz up an otherwise plain winter coat, $9-20, each. (pho, wine, whale, coffee, toast, cookies) A travel guidebook, $10, and an invitation to a shared Pinterest board to plan your future trip. A tin of recipe cards, $38, including a batch of your favorite cookies, to kick off a DIY monthly cookie exchange. A book you've recently loved, like The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden or The Interestings, so you're bestie isn't missing out (prices vary). Better yet, form your own book club. A map print of the city you love to explore together to go on the wall, starting at $24. (Other cities available, too!) A phone case, $36, to protect that precious piece of technology you use for keeping in touch via calls, texts, emails, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, Slack, and Todoist. (Wait: not everyone maintains a running conversation in eight places?! We must like each other...) Custom key tag from Various Projects, $20. (Cue the inside jokes!) A linen utensil case, $30, for bringing lunch in style (and without waste). Or, if you're handy with a sewing machine, you could make your own.
For more gift ideas that we wholeheartedly recommend, see some of our past posts: + for the home: photography prints, handmade linen napkins, candles, fancy soap + in the kitchen: our favorite coffee gear, ecclectic kitchenwares + to wear: gold earrings, winter nail polish, natural skincare + to read: 3 audiobooks, 5 of Nicole's picks Plus last year's gift guide (everything's under $30!). Happy holidays! Tags: by Claire, by Nicole, Art, Design, Food, Gift Guide, Life, Style, Travel by Claire StarHappy winter, friends. It’s that time of year when the days are short, the air is brisk, and all I want to do is bake cookies and watch classic rom-coms while snuggling with my dog, Freddie. While it’s true that I happily partake in these very activities every season, winter feels like an especially appropriate time. In an effort to branch out a little, I asked Nicole and our good friend Emily about a few of their favorite things to do around the holidays. Here are a few of the things we came up with, like making chocolate covered popcorn. Nicole:+ Ice skating in Central Park + Seeing the decorations and window displays in NYC + Attending tree lightings + Watching Christmas classics, like Rudolph and the Grinch Emily:+ Decorating with paper snowflakes + Watching White Christmas + Seeing the gingerbread houses in downtown Seattle + Going on Christmas light walks Claire:+ Making latkes for Hannukah + Baking gingerbread cookies + Drinking hot chocolate on a drive to Candy Cane Lane in Seattle + Watching Olive the Other Reindeer Should you venture only as far as the living room, never fear: I find a successful at-home pedicure can be equally adventuresome (it’s hard to stay within the lines!). We have some season color ideas from tenoverten’s eight-free and cruelty-free line of polishes, which would make for a pretty gift. I love that the colors are named after placed in NYC. Our tenoverten picks:+ Nicole: Greenwich (silver), Grand (bronze), Reade (carbon)
+ Emily: Maiden (purple), Wall St (holograph), Austin (dusty blue) + Claire: Mulberry (dusty rose), Hudson (red/orange), Commerce (navy) What are you looking forward to this month? Any fun plans? (And are you pedicure-challenged like me?) P.S. Our 2016 gift guide is coming soon! // Graphic design by Claire Star. Images via tenoverten, My Paradissi, Gardenista, Reading My Tea Leaves, IMDb, Apartment Therapy, and oh happy day. Tags: by Claire, Beauty, New York, Seattle, Style, Winter |
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