How do you become conscious?
You may think that you are currently aware of your surroundings, what's going on in your life, and that you have full control of your current situation...
I could be wrong though, you may have absolutely no idea what's going on, and your crying out for help, wondering what life is all about? Maybe your a complete mess!
Whatever your situation; these simple things will help crank up your consciousness levels.
Here you are, sitting at your computer, in your room, maybe your living room or kitchen, reading this blog. Look around you, what kind of drink are you drinking? Are you even drinking anything, does your body need water? What's sitting on your desk?
What does your desk look like?
What is hanging on your walls?
What is the texture of your carpet?
Is everything neat and organized, or a catastrophe?
No...really LOOK at things. Just because you KNOW what's sitting on your desk, or in your closet, or pantry, doesn't mean you really acknowledge its existence.
Seriously pay attention, look past that slight blur of disinterest hazing your vision.
Sharpen those pupils, put on your glasses, check out that cup your drinking out of.
When you leave your house to run errands, pay attention to your steps, to the things around you. Make sure your really breathing.
A good test, go to the grocery store, and go to the produce section. Whenever you see something you've never tasted or smelled, pick it up, analyze it, smell it, feel the texture, the weight, the color. Look at everything around you, really focus on things.
To break out of that routine unconscious haze requires doing things you've never tried before.
I'm not talking about skydiving; it always blows my mind how people think that's breaking out of a box. I'm also not talking about going to a new restaurant for lunch, although that helps.
Maybe there's a little antique or thrift shop you've always wanted to go into, and maybe you finally go in. Try on one of those vintage outfits, or really pay attention to how cool all the old magazines and signs are. Imagine yourself in another time period, and imagine what it would be like.
Maybe go up to the mountains or your local park, get a local plant guide for your area, and learn your surroundings. Actually learn the qualities and names of your local flowers and weeds.
Now this is only a few ideas on how to break out of your boxes, but another very important factor in consciousness, is your inner life.
How often do you pay attention to your pets?
When was the last time you took your kid to the park, or went on a date with your other half?
How clean is your house?
Maybe instead of going to jack-in-the-box for lunch, learn how to make a new dish and cook it the night before work.
How healthy do you think your eating?
These are just a few simple things on how to stay conscious, as you move forward, and become more aware, you will start to interact with your own life more, instead of being a bystander.
What are your ideas about being conscious?
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thrift shopping 101: Part 2
In my previous blog I gave some tips on finding high quality costume jewelery; to start your collection of jewelery for your new wardrobe!
Tip:
You always want to be an early bird shopper! Find out when they open, and be there when the doors are opened. You will get the best stuff first!
Browsing and inspecting:
The difference between these two? When you browse; you fluff some clothes around, peek at a few pretty colors, and generally, find nothing and decide to give up. When inspecting; you painstakingly flip through every piece of clothing, whether it may suit you or not. You will end up finding the treasure buried beneath Grandma's Christmas tree sweater, and the orange furry thinga-ma-bob that LOOKS like your cat Fluffy.
An open mind:
Bring one of these w/ you, even if you have to borrow it from your weird hippie co-worker! You may come out a whole new person, w/ your own unique and classy(Or not)sense of style. Thrift shopping invites all kinds, whether you want to dress like a punk, a hippie, an evening dress for a night out on the town, or you work for a business where you have to wear a suit. You can dress up in any genre, or find your own quirky fashion sense EVERY day! Thrift shopping is like when you were a kid playing dress-up. Be experimental, try things you've never tried before, colors you've never worn, don't stick w/ earthy tones and bland avocados, spice things up. Remember, you are leaving the cheap retail scene to escape the boring fashions that come and go.
How frustrating is it that every year the retail stores tell you what's "In", what colors are "Fall colors", and what cuts you should be wearing? We shouldn't let corporations dictate what we wear. We are all individuals with personalities, not cardboard cut-out of what's in or out!
The great thing is, you don't have have to find one specific style that is "you" you can have MANY looks and styles, for all occasions, and your g/f's will wonder WHERE you got all your great outfits!
What to do when you find something cool:
First, check the fabric! Read what kind of fabric it is, if it still has a tag. Check if has to be hand-washed, or dry-cleaned, etc. If hand-washing suits your lifestyle, and time schedule, its a good idea; otherwise, be wary of avoiding the clothing item until you finally get around to having it dry cleaned. The next thing you want to do check is the seams, and the fabric quality. Do the tug-o-war test on the seams, lightly pull the fabric taut and check if the seams are loose, or you can visibly see light through them. Check all aspects of the seams to make sure there are no loose seams, loose thread, or torn corners. Also; look for double-stitching, this is a good sign, noting that the shirt is durable. Look for small stains, tears, or rips, these can be easily patched and repaired it your item is a true find.
Sequins, beading, rhinestones and embroidery:
Make sure to check if the designs on the item your checking out, are strong, and well-done. Make sure the thread is thick, and if possible not visible. Check for missing beads, or sequins, or weak thread sagging under the weight of beads. You want the sequins to be tight knit, and well overlapped and layered. If the piece is particularly heavy in your hand, and the cloth appears strong, and the beading has no missing patches, then it is usually a good piece.
What about those rhinestones? Make sure your rhinestones are encased in a metal piece, that is firmly attached to your shirt. If they are just "floating" and glued on, they will fall off even with light movement and daily activity.
Embroidery; make sure that the thread is thick, and there are no stray threads sticking up. Make sure the design is strong, and not done quickly and factory style.
What I'm NOT going to teach you:
This guide is for Thrift-shopping functionality, not for brand-whores! I'm not going to tell you how to decipher between real vintage Louis Vuitton, and fakes, or any of that stuff. You have to decide that for yourself!
What I will teach you about brands:
I will tell you what brands to avoid, if you want your piece to last longer than its third wash!
Cheap mall brands, are to be avoided at all costs!
Brands like Charlotte Russe, Wet Seal, Forever 21, are big no-no's! If its cute and you don't mind it lasting only a few washes, by all means buy it! But be warned, mall brands have a higher chance of breaking, snapping, and unraveling, as well as tears, runs, and all around disarray.
Mall brands will fade quicker, lose their luster and appeal much quicker than quality boutique brands.
A lot of thrift stores will carry retail brand clothing; Fang, Southpole, Self Esteem; etc. These brands are a little bit better than mall brands, and their cotton tees and jackets usually last a good amount of time. However; the spaghetti straps, and lacy pieces have a tendency of falling apart quickly.
If you want to know what high-quality brands and labels to look for, I suggest getting some Harper's Bazaar magazines from your local library, and browsing through the clothing ads. You will find that some of these brands are at your thrift store. These brands tend to be higher-grade cloth, last longer, and are usually more fitted and contoured to your form than retail and mall clothing.
The Secret:
The secret to creating a wardrobe for ALL occasions? Check ALL the areas of your thrift store. Don't go in solely looking for tank-tops and blouses, check the skirt section even if you don't normally wear skirts. Check the formal evening dress section, even if you don't have a reason. Items tend to get misplaced, and stuck in odd areas as well. You can find cute tank-tops in the Pajama's section sometimes. Looking through the dresses, and blazers you can find high grade vintage pieces, because most people don't check the formal wear. Don't leave any area unchecked, because you might just be leaving a treasure behind.
After reading this blog, you will be equipped with a basic knowledge of how to find good quality items, and how to avoid being scammed into a shiny shirt, that will quickly fall apart.
With these skills you will soon be on your way to building your new wardrobe, with long-lasting timeless favorites, instead of cheap throw-aways!
In my next blog I will cover some notes of mine, on how to identify types of fabric!
Tip:
You always want to be an early bird shopper! Find out when they open, and be there when the doors are opened. You will get the best stuff first!
Browsing and inspecting:
The difference between these two? When you browse; you fluff some clothes around, peek at a few pretty colors, and generally, find nothing and decide to give up. When inspecting; you painstakingly flip through every piece of clothing, whether it may suit you or not. You will end up finding the treasure buried beneath Grandma's Christmas tree sweater, and the orange furry thinga-ma-bob that LOOKS like your cat Fluffy.
An open mind:
Bring one of these w/ you, even if you have to borrow it from your weird hippie co-worker! You may come out a whole new person, w/ your own unique and classy(Or not)sense of style. Thrift shopping invites all kinds, whether you want to dress like a punk, a hippie, an evening dress for a night out on the town, or you work for a business where you have to wear a suit. You can dress up in any genre, or find your own quirky fashion sense EVERY day! Thrift shopping is like when you were a kid playing dress-up. Be experimental, try things you've never tried before, colors you've never worn, don't stick w/ earthy tones and bland avocados, spice things up. Remember, you are leaving the cheap retail scene to escape the boring fashions that come and go.
How frustrating is it that every year the retail stores tell you what's "In", what colors are "Fall colors", and what cuts you should be wearing? We shouldn't let corporations dictate what we wear. We are all individuals with personalities, not cardboard cut-out of what's in or out!
The great thing is, you don't have have to find one specific style that is "you" you can have MANY looks and styles, for all occasions, and your g/f's will wonder WHERE you got all your great outfits!
What to do when you find something cool:
First, check the fabric! Read what kind of fabric it is, if it still has a tag. Check if has to be hand-washed, or dry-cleaned, etc. If hand-washing suits your lifestyle, and time schedule, its a good idea; otherwise, be wary of avoiding the clothing item until you finally get around to having it dry cleaned. The next thing you want to do check is the seams, and the fabric quality. Do the tug-o-war test on the seams, lightly pull the fabric taut and check if the seams are loose, or you can visibly see light through them. Check all aspects of the seams to make sure there are no loose seams, loose thread, or torn corners. Also; look for double-stitching, this is a good sign, noting that the shirt is durable. Look for small stains, tears, or rips, these can be easily patched and repaired it your item is a true find.
Sequins, beading, rhinestones and embroidery:
Make sure to check if the designs on the item your checking out, are strong, and well-done. Make sure the thread is thick, and if possible not visible. Check for missing beads, or sequins, or weak thread sagging under the weight of beads. You want the sequins to be tight knit, and well overlapped and layered. If the piece is particularly heavy in your hand, and the cloth appears strong, and the beading has no missing patches, then it is usually a good piece.
What about those rhinestones? Make sure your rhinestones are encased in a metal piece, that is firmly attached to your shirt. If they are just "floating" and glued on, they will fall off even with light movement and daily activity.
Embroidery; make sure that the thread is thick, and there are no stray threads sticking up. Make sure the design is strong, and not done quickly and factory style.
What I'm NOT going to teach you:
This guide is for Thrift-shopping functionality, not for brand-whores! I'm not going to tell you how to decipher between real vintage Louis Vuitton, and fakes, or any of that stuff. You have to decide that for yourself!
What I will teach you about brands:
I will tell you what brands to avoid, if you want your piece to last longer than its third wash!
Cheap mall brands, are to be avoided at all costs!
Brands like Charlotte Russe, Wet Seal, Forever 21, are big no-no's! If its cute and you don't mind it lasting only a few washes, by all means buy it! But be warned, mall brands have a higher chance of breaking, snapping, and unraveling, as well as tears, runs, and all around disarray.
Mall brands will fade quicker, lose their luster and appeal much quicker than quality boutique brands.
A lot of thrift stores will carry retail brand clothing; Fang, Southpole, Self Esteem; etc. These brands are a little bit better than mall brands, and their cotton tees and jackets usually last a good amount of time. However; the spaghetti straps, and lacy pieces have a tendency of falling apart quickly.
If you want to know what high-quality brands and labels to look for, I suggest getting some Harper's Bazaar magazines from your local library, and browsing through the clothing ads. You will find that some of these brands are at your thrift store. These brands tend to be higher-grade cloth, last longer, and are usually more fitted and contoured to your form than retail and mall clothing.
The Secret:
The secret to creating a wardrobe for ALL occasions? Check ALL the areas of your thrift store. Don't go in solely looking for tank-tops and blouses, check the skirt section even if you don't normally wear skirts. Check the formal evening dress section, even if you don't have a reason. Items tend to get misplaced, and stuck in odd areas as well. You can find cute tank-tops in the Pajama's section sometimes. Looking through the dresses, and blazers you can find high grade vintage pieces, because most people don't check the formal wear. Don't leave any area unchecked, because you might just be leaving a treasure behind.
After reading this blog, you will be equipped with a basic knowledge of how to find good quality items, and how to avoid being scammed into a shiny shirt, that will quickly fall apart.
With these skills you will soon be on your way to building your new wardrobe, with long-lasting timeless favorites, instead of cheap throw-aways!
In my next blog I will cover some notes of mine, on how to identify types of fabric!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Fair Trade, and recycled clothing/accessories
I went online, to search for fair trade clothing companies and distributors, and found tons of links!!! A lot of people have the impression that Fair Trade items are more expensive, when in truth buying Fair Trade costs just about the same as a retail store! The retail store hikes up the prices, to benefit the big company. These places get their stuff directly from the craftspeople source, and pay them fair wages. I have also included links to individuals who are designers, making items from recycled materials. Enjoy!
People Tree
http://www.peopletree.co.uk/
Fair Indigo
http://www.fairindigo.com/
Mercado Global
https://iwojima.globat.com/~mercadoglobal.org/shop/index.php
Fair Trade Clothing, in Canada!
http://fairtradeclothing.ca/
Global Mamas
This stuff is really cute, its got a boho chic about it :)
http://www.globalmamas.org/
Union made apparel
http://nosweatapparel.com/
Equa-Fair Trade and Organic Boutique
http://www.equaclothing.com/
Indigenous Designs
http://www.indigenousdesigns.com/
American Apparel(Yes they are fair trade!!!)
www.americanapparel.net
Anatomy
www.anatomyfashion.co.uk
Bishopston Trading Company
www.bishopstontrading.co.uk
Chandni Chowk
www.chandnichowk.co.uk
Clothworks
www.clothworks.co.uk
Epona
www.eponasport.com
Equop
www.eponasport.com
Ethical Threads
www.ethicalthreads.co.uk
Fairganic Ltd
www.fairganic.co.uk
Funky Ghandi(This stuff is really trendy, Tees, and punkish styles w/ cool graphics)
http://www.funkygandhi.com/
Gossypium
http://www.gossypium.co.uk/
Greenfibres
www.greenfibres.com
Hemp Union
www.hemp-union.karoo.net
Howies
www.howies.co.uk
Hug
www.hug.co.uk
Jo Pott Mercer
www.jopott.com
Manumit Fair Trade Accessories
www.manumituk.com
Marlo Clothing
www.marlo.co.uk
Mini-Organic(Fairtrade organic cotton baby clothes)
www.mini-organic.co.uk
Natural Collection
www.naturalcollection.com
Nomads
www.nomadsclothing.com
One World is Enough
www.one-world-is-enough.net
Pachacuti
www.panamas.co.uk
Remould Clothing-A Derbyshire based business offering a range of Fair Trade clothing and accessories at competitive prices from beautiful fashion items to hand crafted accessories.
www.remouldclothing.co.uk
Schmidt Natural Clothing
www.naturalclothing.co.uk
Sea Salt Organic
www.seasaltorganic.co.uk
Spirit of Nature
www.spiritofnature.co.uk/
Think Clothing
www.thinkfairtrade.com
THTC
www.thtc.co.uk
Tonic T-shirts
www.tonictshirts.com
Traidcraft plc
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Wildlife Works UK-Organic clothing produced by locals on their 80,000 acre eco-sanctuary in Kenya where they also educate the locals on the importance of conserving their wildlife and provide jobs for the locals and schools for their children.
www.wildlifeworks.co.uk
A lot of shopping, fair trade and organics!
http://www.alotofshopping.co.uk/
So Organic
http://www.soorganic.com/home.php
Natural Collection-Fair Trade, handcrafted, natural stuff!!!
http://www.naturalcollection.com/
Adili-Fair trade Fashion
http://www.adili.com/
The UK Organic, and fair trade search engine
http://www.alotoforganics.co.uk
Turns recycled tires and soda bottles into sassy sneaks:
http://www.simpleshoes.com/
Incorporates recycled clothes and car seats into creatively designed sneakers:
http://shop.terraplana.com/shop.aspx
Purses made from recycled aluminum can tabs
http://www.escamastudio.com/products/index.html
Some recycled hand-bags, and eco-friendly purses
http://www.her-design.com/catalog.htm
An awesome collection of unique designer handbags made from recycled car interior!
http://kimwhitehandbags.com/shop.html
People Tree
http://www.peopletree.co.uk/
Fair Indigo
http://www.fairindigo.com/
Mercado Global
https://iwojima.globat.com/~mercadoglobal.org/shop/index.php
Fair Trade Clothing, in Canada!
http://fairtradeclothing.ca/
Global Mamas
This stuff is really cute, its got a boho chic about it :)
http://www.globalmamas.org/
Union made apparel
http://nosweatapparel.com/
Equa-Fair Trade and Organic Boutique
http://www.equaclothing.com/
Indigenous Designs
http://www.indigenousdesigns.com/
American Apparel(Yes they are fair trade!!!)
www.americanapparel.net
Anatomy
www.anatomyfashion.co.uk
Bishopston Trading Company
www.bishopstontrading.co.uk
Chandni Chowk
www.chandnichowk.co.uk
Clothworks
www.clothworks.co.uk
Epona
www.eponasport.com
Equop
www.eponasport.com
Ethical Threads
www.ethicalthreads.co.uk
Fairganic Ltd
www.fairganic.co.uk
Funky Ghandi(This stuff is really trendy, Tees, and punkish styles w/ cool graphics)
http://www.funkygandhi.com/
Gossypium
http://www.gossypium.co.uk/
Greenfibres
www.greenfibres.com
Hemp Union
www.hemp-union.karoo.net
Howies
www.howies.co.uk
Hug
www.hug.co.uk
Jo Pott Mercer
www.jopott.com
Manumit Fair Trade Accessories
www.manumituk.com
Marlo Clothing
www.marlo.co.uk
Mini-Organic(Fairtrade organic cotton baby clothes)
www.mini-organic.co.uk
Natural Collection
www.naturalcollection.com
Nomads
www.nomadsclothing.com
One World is Enough
www.one-world-is-enough.net
Pachacuti
www.panamas.co.uk
Remould Clothing-A Derbyshire based business offering a range of Fair Trade clothing and accessories at competitive prices from beautiful fashion items to hand crafted accessories.
www.remouldclothing.co.uk
Schmidt Natural Clothing
www.naturalclothing.co.uk
Sea Salt Organic
www.seasaltorganic.co.uk
Spirit of Nature
www.spiritofnature.co.uk/
Think Clothing
www.thinkfairtrade.com
THTC
www.thtc.co.uk
Tonic T-shirts
www.tonictshirts.com
Traidcraft plc
www.traidcraft.co.uk
Wildlife Works UK-Organic clothing produced by locals on their 80,000 acre eco-sanctuary in Kenya where they also educate the locals on the importance of conserving their wildlife and provide jobs for the locals and schools for their children.
www.wildlifeworks.co.uk
A lot of shopping, fair trade and organics!
http://www.alotofshopping.co.uk/
So Organic
http://www.soorganic.com/home.php
Natural Collection-Fair Trade, handcrafted, natural stuff!!!
http://www.naturalcollection.com/
Adili-Fair trade Fashion
http://www.adili.com/
The UK Organic, and fair trade search engine
http://www.alotoforganics.co.uk
Turns recycled tires and soda bottles into sassy sneaks:
http://www.simpleshoes.com/
Incorporates recycled clothes and car seats into creatively designed sneakers:
http://shop.terraplana.com/shop.aspx
Purses made from recycled aluminum can tabs
http://www.escamastudio.com/products/index.html
Some recycled hand-bags, and eco-friendly purses
http://www.her-design.com/catalog.htm
An awesome collection of unique designer handbags made from recycled car interior!
http://kimwhitehandbags.com/shop.html
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