My Favourite Blogs part 1

I've been meaning to do one of these posts for ages, but I always keep getting side-tracked. I read a lot of great, inspiring blogs with various different themes, tastes and contents. I like the variety, because it keeps my writing fresh and it reminds me that personal blogging is all about creating your own voice and shaping out a little space of the internet all of your own. It's fair to say that most of the blogs in this post are pretty girly, but don't let that put you off. They talk about fashion, books, baking, DIY, photography, adventures and their daily lives with vibrancy and candour - sometimes I feel like we're sitting down together in a cosy cafe sharing our thoughts. That's one of things I really love about blogging. It creates such a fabulous community! So, without further ado, some girly, fun-filled, lifestyle blogs for you.

Selective Potential

This was one of the first blogs I started reading way back in 2009. It's written by the indefatigable Tieka who lives in Michigan, rides around on a mint-coloured scooter and posts very simple and achievable outfit ideas. Her Autumn and Spring posts are particularly gorgeous. She loves her clothes to blend in with her surroundings and always attaches little stories to her outfit posts. Her giveaways are also really fun and I won a modcloth voucher in December just by commenting on a post. I also really admire her honesty. She has found a perfect balance between being a closed book and not bearing all. I think that's why her blog is so successful, because it's absolutely one hundred percent personal to her. That's what makes things sustainable.

C'est La Belle Vie
I stumbled across Charity's little space via Bloglovin about a year and a half ago. She's whimsy, thoughtful, fun, posts great recipes, runs a vintage etsy-shop (from which I just purchased a beautiful jumpsuit),writes wonderful articles, takes gorgeous photographs and does all this whilst pursuing an internship. She's pretty impressive! What I love about Charity's blog is how accessible it is. Every post is relatable and honest, whilst still being simple and beautifully presented. I particularly love how she picks up on the sweet little moments in our lives that can sometimes bring us the greatest joy. Grab a cup of coffee and go check her out.

The Deer Circus
This blog is one of my go-tos every single day. Bridget manages to capture so many ordinary things and make them seem extraordinary. Her photographs, words, 30 second poems, Lovegrams to her husband, silly stories, serious tales and crazy vintage finds are both uplifting and thought provoking. She posts VERY regularly- sometimes twice a day- which means there is always something new to read and think about. The photography is particularly beautiful (it should come as no surprise that she is a photographer by trade!) and I love her little wanders around Denver. Her blog has been inspiring me a lot lately whether that's to write a bunch of 30 second poems, take a walk, or pick up my film camera. Whatever it is, I have felt enriched as a result. So definitely head over there!

I'll be back with more favourite blogs next week!

Fairtrade Friday: Guestpost with Isai58

I am so flipping excited about today's post.  Karoline and Emma run an ethical clothing brand called Isai58 and they're here on the blog to tell you their story and to give you 25% off their clothes, plus free delivery! What a treat for the end of the week.

The Story Behind Isai58

After being awakened to how some of the poorest people have to pay the price, when we in the West demand cheap fast fashion. We decided to start buying from ethical brands who provided safe working conditions and sustainable wages for their workers.However it proved to be very difficult to find ethical clothes that suited our style. We thought that others must be feeling the same way and therefore decided to create a brand that had what we were looking for, classy and chic garments with high ethical standards.

We were adamant about building a brand that did not just tick the basic ethical boxes for the sake of an ethical label on their garments, but instead we wanted isai58 to have ethics at the heart of everything we do. We therefore decided to manufacture our garments with charities that have the same vision. By partnering with charities in Kenya and India that provide sustainable work for some of the world’s poorest people, this desire to help others became reality. And after years of networking and preparation we are now open, and are offering an opportunity for the ethical woman to look classy.

The more work charities get by brands such as isai58 the more people they can provide sustainable work for. So by buying our clothes you become a part of the solution that provides sustainable work for others.  And the good thing about sustainable work is that it provides an opportunity for people to break out of the poverty cycle and build a life for themselves. The aim is that they no longer have to depend on others for hand to mouth charity, as this expression so perfectly describes: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”.

We do not see the work we do as charity: “Providing good working conditions and sustainable wages for their work they do, is not charity, this is justice”

Thanks ladies! If you know of any other ethical clothing brands that would be interested in guest posting, please get in touch! In the meantime, why not click on the picture below and browse the Isai58 website - make use of this fabulous discount! Just type in the code: Ellie25

Happy Shopping!

Fairtrade Friday: Wishlist

You know the drill, I try to encourage y'all to think about shopping more ethically. This week I've been moving away from my beloved second-hand clothes and turning my attention to new, fair-trade clothing brands. I always thought that they were unaffordable, however, I was pleasantly surprised by some of my finds. A lot of the items are roughly the same amount of money you would pay for an item in Zara, Topshop or Mango and some, like the brown coat and the rucksack, are a little out of my budget, but who says a girl can't dream!?

1. I've been lusting after a speckled t-shirt for a while now. This one is from Avocado Store, a German online fair trade and organic clothing store, and comes in a variety of different colours. My favourites are the black and the blue. They're also incredibly affordable at €16.90 per shirt.

2. I fell in love with these trousers from Nomads Clothing. They are perfect for a humid, city summer, when jeans are no longer an option. I reckon you could also pair them with wedges to dress them up a bit. They're also not too pricy at £25 a pair and also come in blue and pink.

3. I have been in love with Fjällräven Kanken rucksacks for over a year now. I swear everyone at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus had one. Not only are they hardwearing, the company are also renowned for constantly finding ways to improve their ethical policy. These are a little bit pricey at £60 a bag, but I have chosen the larger option with space for a laptop. The mini Kanken is definitely cheaper.

4. Who doesn't love a pair of TOMS? For every pair you buy, one pair gets given to a child or adult in a developing country. Without shoes children can't go to school. I already have a pair of Botas, which I love, but I always enjoy looking at their prettier designs for the summer. These are £42 but remember, you are getting two for one here!

5. Summer is all about the statement jewellery. This gorgeous necklace is from MADE and is incredibly expensive, but they do have some options for under £20, so go and check them out.

6. This is another Avocado Store find. I love light-weight jackets in the summer, growing up in England there was always more chance of rain than sun during the holidays, so you always wanted to be prepared. Unfortunately, this parka is way out of my price-range, but maybe I can find something just as lovely and practical in one of Berlin's many second-hand shops. Watch this space.

DUNGA DUNGA DUNGA-REEEEEEEEE

These GAP darlings were calling to me from across the food court at Spitalfields Market in London.

I was eating falafal, listening to Chocolate by 1975 and taking photos with a disposable. 

Call me an accidental hipster, but I've been dreaming of a pair ever since Bridget and Charity posted theirs on instagram. They are the comfiest little darlings: good quality, not slutty and an incentive to jump around like a loon and have a good time. I really love them. 

Brick-lane was also full of them. So dear reader, don't buy yours on the highstreet, get down to London and buy yours for a tenner too. 

Ethical Fashion Show

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from the lovely Charlotte Instone who attends the London College of Fashion inviting me to an ethical fashion show. Naturally, I got very excited because I'm really trying to shop more ethically and what more inspiration do you need than an entire show dedicated to ethical products!?? Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend the actual show, because I will have moved to Berlin by then (that's another story!) but I would encourage as many of you fashionistas to go and check it out. I really believe, that we all have a responsibility to AT LEAST look into sustainable fashion, assess it's accessibility and start putting pressure on our favourite brands to stop using slave labour.  

If you love clothes and you love people, if you love clothes and hate injustice, if you love clothes and love quality, if you love clothes and you hate poverty, then get yourself down to St. Paul's Hammersmith for May 8th at 7pm.

Please let me know if you do attend because I would love for you to guest-post on this blog and let us all know what you found out! Here's the link to the event page

For those of you who can't attend, but still want to shop more ethically check out this website Ethical Consumer where you can find out which Highstreet stores have the best ethical policy according to environment, animals, people etc. 

Black Cape and Black Days

I bought this cape just after my operation in October when none of my clothes fitted me. It was the last one in the sale in Gina Tricot and I instantly fell in love with it. I was never that in to black clothes before my year abroad, but I think Europe and working in the theatre have had an impact on my wardrobe. Pretty much everything I own, or want to own is black. Maybe I'm getting more sophisticated, maybe I'm just becoming boring and pretentious. Who cares? It's slimming, it's easy to wear and it never, EVER clashes. It's the instant cool factor and I love it. 

This week has been a real toughy in old Italia. The weather has been bipolar (it's currently snowing...IN MARCH!), I've sucked at my job, my super funny, kindred-spirit of a housemate moved to Germany via England, I've been a bit lonely and I'm currently stuck inside with an annoying cold-like illness that's making me feel pants. It's not surprising really, seeing as the past six weeks of my life have been ridiculously busy and stressful - my body must really hate me right now. However, despite the unhappiness and general feeling of not wanting to be here, I am determined to keep pressing forward, learn Italian and get better at my internship. I'm trying to see the positive side from my sick-bed, but really all I want to do is go home and be looked after. 

Here's to a brighter third week!

Dressing for a View

A couple of months ago I won a Giveaway on Selective Potential for a $50 Modcloth giftcard. I was so excited, because I have always loved Modcloth clothes but could never justify spending that kinda money on one item of clothing. After hours and hours of browsing, calling my Mum and emailing photographs to friends, I finally decided on this Behold Attention Dress. I love anything in navy and I love simple styles with a subtle twist, so this really was the perfect choice. It is a bit big on the shoulders and the bow doesn't always stay in place, but it's delightfully swishy and makes me feel like Madeleine, so I'm happy. I wore it on Valentine's Day as we ascended the Palazzo Michelangelo to watch the sunset, after spending the entire day lazily running errands, eating ice-cream for lunch and enjoying the gorgeous February sunshine. The view from the Palazzo is spectacular and the sunset was breathtaking. It was pretty perfect!