Love, Lydia - Notes from a geeky, plus sized artist.: Social Justice
Showing posts with label Social Justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Social Justice. Show all posts

Saturday, July 9, 2016

News + My Nerd Origin Story

Hi Friends,


This week has been a crazy one, with lots of good and lots of bad to report.  Honestly it breaks my heart to think about it all too much.  However I'm going to try and write about some of it and we'll see what happens from there!


News

Giveaway


First off I'm pleased to announce a winner to my giveaway (found in this post).  Congratulations to Melissa K!  Her prize will be shipping soon, and if you missed this giveaway please stay tuned to my blog.  I'll be hosting another in the near future!


I'd also like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway.  I loved reading your ideas for what I should be writing about and noted many folks want to see more about plus size fashion and reviews.  I can't wait to bring you more of this!

Liebster Award



Last week I was nominated by my lovely colleague Sadie at Sadie By Design for a Liebster Award!  The Liebster is an way of giving bloggers a better platform to tell their story to the world.  I wanted to acknowledge it in this post even though I haven't had time to fully address all that goes with the nomination yet.  I'm thrilled and flattered to be featured this way and can't wait to write more about it.  Please watch for a more in depth post about this in the next few weeks!

#BlackLivesMatter


This is just exhausting to keep track of, and the more hate that builds as people start to see race as an issue to take sides on the more sick I feel.  I can't think about other people that way.  506 black lives have been lost so far this year, and now more are being added from the police force thanks to a few renegades who are taking things into their own hands.  One of the 506 was my cousin a few months back.

I keep thinking things will change for the better, and then there is only more violence and tragedy.  It leaves me an emotional mess, feeling guilty when good things are happening in my own life and others are experiencing so much loss.  Guilty for being white and having the privilege to go and do what I want without being anxious for my life.  I feel bad that the best I can do most days is simply have dialogue with you, my readers, or the other folks I know in person or online.  It just feels like nothing I do will be enough to help.  And for that I am sorry.

However I try to read and stay educated about what is going on.  I don't just block it out with my own moderately happy life.  If this strikes a chord with you and you'd like to learn more about concrete ways you can help find peace and ensure a better future for everyone in this country please check out this amazing article featuring a list of practical ways to become an ally.

Pokemon Go


This has been the happy thing of my week  I have been enjoying this app I have eagerly awaited the past 8 months.  I'll be writing more on this in the near future, including a full review!  For now I have my Bulbasaur, a gym next door to my house (First to claim!  Though it's already been taken over and....well, I'll come back to that later).

My Nerd Origin Story


My friend and fellow blogger Mickey came up with this writing prompt and opened it up as a bit of a group project within the Geeks & Beauties community I'm a part of.  I think it's a great topic to think about as we get introspective about life because it helps us look on the bright side of things and view our own life as a story that we get the power to write.  Just as some of our favorite superheroes lives were shaped by adversity so are our own at times.  And as with superheroes, sometimes we keep our nerdy identity a secret from the general public.  However, today I'm opening up about it to you all.

My own story starts when I was learning to read.  I was homeschooled and my mom had some curriculum to help that included a series of books with stepped difficulty and little racetrack to move along as you read each.  I remember after the first dozen or so I think I completed the rest in a day, and then started begging my mom to take me to the library.  From then on I loved reading and would get a dozen or more books each visit, multiple times a week.  When I was 10 years old my mom, brother and I spent some time living with my grandmother and great grandmother to help them out.  As soon as we realized we might be there long term the library visits started there too, and in some ways reading became my best friend when there was no one my age to play with.  While I love my brother, when you're cooped up in a house together you get sick of each other eventually.  Books became my escape from that, and later my comfort as I had to figure out how to make friends with kids again when I had left a kid and came back to my hometown a middle schooler.  Fantasy books were my favorite, from retellings of fairy tales to waiting for each new Harry Potter book.

I was the kid who while perhaps 13 walked to the mall on black Friday to buy myself a Game Boy when they were finally cheap enough to be affordable to my family, and then patiently wait to receive it on Christmas day along with a cartridge for Pokemon Blue (my brother got Red!).  We had an old Nintendo we shared and played the first few Super Mario games on, and I vividly remember playing all of the Legend of Zelda on a 6 inch black and white tv.  As he got further into his teens my brother took over most of the gaming systems in our house, deeming me unworthy to play them as a female.  But I was already hooked.

Growing up we had a closet full of board games, stocked by my mom that we used often.  Before she homeschooled my brother and I full time she had been a librarian at a university, and before that a high school biology teacher.  She loved learning and finding us new projects to work on that stimulated our curiosity.  Even when we watched tv with my parents they would often be watching Star Trek or other science fiction shows.  On Saturdays my dad would take us on walks to 7-11 to pick up some small item the family needed and buy me a Barbie or Strawberry Shortcake comic.  I didn't realize how nerdy this all was until much later in life.  I just took joy from reading about gardening and teaching myself to grow roses, or learning to identify birds, trees, and insects.  I never thought of myself as an outdoorsy kid, but I loved nature and the science and beauty of it.  To this day when I'm creating art or decorating my home themes from nature are constantly finding their way into my work.

Later in high school I wanted to run my own website for a church group I was in and learned to code some in HTML.  We didn't even have a computer at the time, just a WebTV unit that allowed us to do very basic web surfing and checking emails.  But I figured out how to make it work, and later when we did have a computer I was the one keeping that up and running for the 5-6 years we owned a desktop the family to shared.  And I almost ended up in the field of graphic design, except I fell in love with darkroom photography and preferred it to sitting in from of a computer for long periods of time.  And now my work involves a computer (or smartphone) all the time!

For most of my life I didn't think about myself as a nerd, I just did the things I loved, which happened to be geeky.  Nowadays when I'm looking for new friends or trying to find my tribe I often go straight for the nerdy girls first.  And most of the time that's exactly what works best.

If you'd like to hear some other great nerd origin stories please go read Mickey's here at the Nerdily blog, Sadie's at Sadie By Design, Andrea's at her YouTube channel Chibi Drea (coming soon), and Evelyn's at Princess Eevee.  I'll update these links to go straight to their stories, but for now you can check out their sites and get to know these lovely ladies.

What's your nerd origin story like?  Let me know more in the comments!  And as always, thanks for reading.  I really appreciate all my visitors.


Saturday, May 7, 2016

Let's Try Ethical Review: Elegantees

Hi friends,


It's been a crazy past couple weeks since my last post and I've been dealing with some health issues that kept me stuck in bed much more than I'd like.  However, I'm really happy to share this short note with you all today.

As many of you readers may remember I've been trying to make more ethical decisions as I buy clothing, which is part of what led me to trying making capsule wardrobes.  You can read about that process here and here.  Now I'm adding some pieces to my wardrobe by retailers who chose to pay their employees fairly, whether they're in the US or abroad.  I've been researching clothing brands who make ethical plus size lines, and you can find all the one I know of on this page (also up in the toolbar).  I hope you all will fall in love with some of these brands the way I have so we can make a difference in the world by each piece of clothing we buy!  Today though, I'm sharing a new brand I recently learned about on Instagram and am reviewing for you all since I got my first order this past week.


My Elegantees Plus Size Review


So, first off a bit of background on Elegantees - They work with women in Nepal (thus far) who are coming out of sex trafficking situations and becoming independent.  Elegantees helps train them and gives them jobs to support themselves and their families by creating comfortable tops and dresses.  The women are paid fairly and given a hand up into a new way of life.  You can read more here.

Elegantees also prioritizes their clothing being accessibly priced so the sale items in plus sizes are $25-36 and regular prices ones range from $34-64.  Their sizing goes from an XS-2X, or up to a size 20/22.  Additionally they host trunk shows where you have your choice for earning credit to spend for selling to your friends, giving back to the job training program Elegantees runs, or using the funds for your own charity events such as missions trips or adoptions!  I love this idea, and think it's a beautiful way to get the word out about a brand while making the world a better place.

I wanted to go with a couple nice basic pieces from Elegantees, and selected two great tops that were on sale as the ones I'd try.  First up is the "Amy" top in black.  I wear their size 2X in both tops, and comparatively I wear a 2X from Torrid or Lane Bryant, and a XXL or 1X from Target in similar fabrics.  I really liked this top even though it's a tiny bit big at the shoulder (my shoulders fit slightly small to average in most brands), it fits well everywhere else on me.  I love the front tie detail that cinches the waist in and the double layers at the peplum are darling!  I kind of wish I'd gotten this top in the medium blue instead of black, but the black will be much more versatile, and serves as a great piece for the transitions between cold and hot weather.



Next up is the "Namra" tank top in navy.  I ran into essentially the same problem with the shoulders being a little large on this shirt.  It's not really noticeable except because the neckline buckles a bit instead of laying flat, but the armholes are a cut larger, which does expose my bra if the fabric is stretched at all as it might be if I sit down.  However, I know that won't be a problem for everyone, it's more of my own issue.  On the good side of things the length is longer than expected, making the top a lovely tunic length.  In the picture below I've paired it with some Tall & Curvy size leggings from LuLaRoe and was really happy with how it falls at the hip.  The fabric on both tops is ultra soft and stretchy, though I feel like in the "Namra" tank it didn't need as much stretch, and would have draped even better without it.



Overall I'm pretty happy with these tops, the quality is awesome and the price ($22.50 for "Amy" and $16.67 for "Namra" with their current sale code) is just great!  I'm glad to know what their fit is like going forward, and would definitely buy from them again.  I decided that because having a good fit is important to me I will be passing on the "Namra" tank top in my Poshmark shop, but my husband and I both love the "Amy" top!  I can't wait to see the new plus size items in their summer offerings.

Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think about Elegantees on the comments!



Thursday, December 24, 2015

My First Vlog, The Force Awakens, and A Dressember Update.

Hey friends,


I'm pleased to announce the winner of my giveaway is Angelica S.  Congratulations on winning the lovely Tigerwood necklace seen in my Holiday Gift Guide.

This week I'm trying something new!

So without further ado here's my first vlog:



Please note the volume starts out a bit louder and gets softer after the first couple minutes as I test equipment.

My Dressember Outfits

If you want to find out more about my Dressember participation check out my donation page here and go here to read stories about the lives changed through International Justice Mission.  Affiliate links are marked with a ◊ symbol, so if you happen to follow a link and buy something you help support my site.

Day 1, Dress - LuLaRoe, Leggings - Victoria's Secret, Ballet Flats - American Eagle by Payless

Day 2, Sweater Dress - Style & Co for Macy's, Leggings - Target, Boots - Trendsetter for Hushpuppies

Day 3, Cardigan - LuLaRoe, Dress - Her Universe◊, Leggings - Modcloth◊, Flats - American Eagle by Payless

Day 4, Dress - Cherry Velvet, Leggings - ASOS, Flats - American Eagle by Payless

Day 5, Flannel Shirt - Faded Glory, Dress - Her Universe◊, Leggings - Target, Flats American Eagle by Payless

Day 6, Jacket - Maurice's, Dress - ModCloth◊, Leggings - ASOS, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies

Day 7, Dress - Style & Co by Macy's, Bracelet - Old Navy, Leggings - Target, Socks - Gold Toe


Day 8, Shirt - Switchfoot, Dress - City Chic, Watch - Pick Your Plum, Leggings - ASOS, Flats - American Eagle by Payless

Day 9, a dress...not sure which, and Leggings by Bombsheller (get a discount with my affiliate code GEEKMEUP)

Day 11 (Day 10 was a pajama day, because I dyed my hair finally), Flannel Shirt - Faded Glory, Dress - Her Universe◊, Leggings - LuLaRoe, Flats - American Eagle for Payless

Day 12, Bag - Red Bubble, Necklace - Marsha Elliott Designs, Dress - Torrid, Leggings - Victoria's Secret, Flats - American Eagle by Payless

Day 13, Locket - Forever 21, Dress - Cherry Velvet, Leggings - Target, Flats - American Eagle by Payless

Day 14, Dress - LuLaRoe, Leggings - Target, Flats - American Eagle by Payless

Day 15,  Dress - Her Universe◊, Leggings - LuLaRoe, Flats - American Eagle for Payless

Day 16, Dress - Style & Co by Macy's, Leggings - Target, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies

Day 17, Cardigan - Anthropologie, Dress - ModCloth◊, Leggings - ModCloth◊, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies

Day 18, Cardigan - LuLaRoe, Dress - Her Universe◊, Leggings - Bombsheller, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies

Day 19, Cardigan - Anthropologie, Dress - Cherry Velvet, Leggings - ASOS, Boots - Trendsetter by Hushpuppies

Day 20, Cardigan - LuLaRoe, Dress - Her Universe◊, Leggings - ModCloth◊, Boots - Trendsetter for Hushpuppies
If my wardrobe choices look limited it's because I've been using a 24 piece capsule wardrobe for the month of December.  One of the pairs of shoes (new ones I ordered in a Cyber Monday sale) didn't fit right, so I'm just wearing 2 pairs of shoes!

Thanks for stopping by and if you liked the new multimedia format let me know in the comments and subscribe on YouTube!

Love,
Lydia


Wednesday, December 9, 2015

My December 2015 Mini Capsule Wardrobe + Bombsheller!

Welcome friends,

Today I'm happy to reveal my mini capsule wardrobe I'll be wearing this month for Dressember 2015.  If you're not sure about my spelling in that sentence I promise it was on purpose.  I'm doing a great fashion based challenge called Dressember for the month of December.  It involves wearing just dresses to help raise awareness, start conversations about, and put a stop to human trafficking.  You can read more about in my last post where I explain in depth and help me support the Dressember Foundation here.

Dressember Capsule Wardrobe


With wearing dresses I wanted to have enough in my capsule collection that I don't need to be constantly doing laundry.  So I settled on 7 dresses, 7 pairs of leggings (because I have a ton of leggings, I culled some, but I still might have an addiction), 7 tops, sweaters, and jackets, and 3 pairs of shoes, totaling to 24 pieces.


Items still for sale:
2 - Her Universe◊, they're almost out of 9th Doctor dresses, but 10's is in stock here.
3 - Cherry Velvet several other patterns available in the same cut here.
4 - City Chic, available in kite print, big polka dots, and small polka dots.
5 - LuLaRoe "Nicole" dresses in limited sizes and colors available in my friend Nicole's shop. (tell her I sent you!)
7 - ModCloth◊, available in 6 other colors, plus several other cuts.


Still for sale:
12 - Switchfoot Tee, it runs big so I'm able to wear the XL, found in their shop here.
14 - LuLaRoe "Sarah" cardigans in limited sizes and colors available in my friend Nicole's shop. (tell her I sent you!)


Items available currently:
15 - Bombsheller "WyvernScales" leggings available here as a limited edition item up to size 6x (I wear 2X), please use code "GeekMeUp" for a special affiliate discount!
16 - ASOS shimmer disco leggings available in red and black.
18 - LuLaRoe leggings in limited sizes and colors available in my friend Nicole's shop. (tell her I sent you!)
20 - ModCloth◊ Fresh Take leggings in Blue, Green, and Red/Pink.


23 - Converse Chuck Taylor Lo in Cosmic.

Wohoo! I'm so glad to finally show you all this collection.  For some reason the editing seemed to take forever, which makes me extra glad to be done putting this together.  Feel free to ask me questions in the comments!

More About Bombsheller


So I heard about Bombsheller a while back in an article detailing how comic book author Kelly Sue DeConnick's books were getting leggings made all the way up to size 6x.  I immediately had to check out their site and was pleasantly surprised to find that yes, they're selling larger sizes up to a 2X in nearly every designs now, with up to 4X in most designs, which just started yesterday!  Eventually they want to have up to 6X too.  So they excited me for that....

Then I found out that they're an ethical place to shop too!  They make every pair of leggings to order in Seattle, WA, USA, with fabric sourced from Italy that's also ethically made.  Awesome right?

It gets better, their designs are fun, comfortable, and artist designed!  So you can download a template and create your very own pattern.  Not that you'd need to since there are several hundred fantastic patterns to choose from, there's comic book themes, antique maps, layer cake, geometric designs off all kinds, circuit boards, flowers and way more.

They were kind enough to send me a pair of their leggings to try so I could tell you all about them.  They do not disappoint!  They're very comfy, and true to their size chart.  Here are some shots of me wearing them, with more to come in my outfits as the month continues.


Ok, here's a bit of midriff for you all!  Not too tight, but it might show lines under clothes.  If I try sizing up to a 3X next time I'll let you all know if there's a big difference, but this is fairly normal fit for this weight of leggings in my experiences so far.


As you can see there's extra length at the ankle, so tall folks need not worry.  I'm 5'6" and seemed to have about 3 inches in extra length, not too much, though it might be for someone under 5' tall.


My leggings above are the #WyvernScales design that's made in association with Espionage Cosmetics.  (a company that makes geeky themed makeup!)  It's a limited edition design so if you're in love with it go here to snap it up now, it'll only be available until January 1 2016!  And be sure to use code "GeekMeUp" for a discount and so they know I sent you.

That's about all for today's post other than this bit of fun from my studio:


I decided to try using an exercise ball as my desk chair.  Of course I'll have the added fun of getting used to it while wearing skirts all month.  haha  Thank goodness for leggings, right?  I was given an exercise ball from Forever Flex to try out and I'd definitely recommend it!  The 65mm size is just right for me as a chair.

That's all for today, but I'll be back again soon with a crop of new book reviews.  See you in a day or two!

Love,
Lydia

Friday, December 4, 2015

Reflections on November & What I'm Looking Forward to in December

Hi folks,

November

So, I had another topic I wanted to post about today, however sometimes life happens.  Instead I spent my morning waiting for Bryan, my husband to get out of surgery.  He had a growth on his tongue that showed up almost two months ago.  Our family medical practice thought it was a boil or other bothersome skin condition and tried (wrongfully because it's not supposed to be used orally!) putting silver nitrate on it near the end of October.  It did nothing but give my husband chemical burns in about a quarter of his mouth.  They decided it must not be a boil and said they'd refer him to a specialist.  After a month of waiting (in which Bryan lost his job and was told his health insurance would run out at the end of November) he kept bugging the office, and was finally contacted Tuesday of last week.  The oral surgeon saw him the day before Thanksgiving and scheduled him for surgery Monday, the last day of November.

We'd been looking into insurance options, but until the holiday thought it wasn't quite as urgent since we didn't really expect to need the insurance so much in December.  So yeah...I spent pretty much all afternoon on the phone with the government health exchange and my insurance company to come up with some sad sounding answers that might work.  Bryan's dad helped me out too thank goodness.  Bryan was asleep with a swollen tongue until around dinner time.  It was right around that point that I decided to call his insurance company that I assumed was dropping him from insurance and research COBRA options.  After all the long hold times on the other calls I spoke with a fantastic lady who in 15 minutes including wait found that Bryan's insurance was actually paid for until the end of the year!  I just about cried when I heard that, I can't say enough how much of a blessing it is that it worked out that way.

Hopefully this along with some of my other posts explains why I've been absent more than I'd like this past month.  November was hard!  However there was good stuff too with family at Thanksgiving and Word Balloons comics reading group.  Overall though I'm glad that November's chapter in my book is ending and December is fresh and new.



December

So I know we still have some financial issues to work through connected to the change in jobs, but I already feel like December is going to be a spectacular month.  I have a really exciting fashion post to share with you all at the end of this week as I show off my December mini capsule wardrobe and along with some fantastic sponsored content that will be a big first for me!  (hint: if you want a sneak peek of my new friends check out http://shop.bombsheller.com/)

Other great things I'm looking forward to this month include:


  1. Making new traditions as we decorate our new house for the holidays.
  2. The Boylan Heights Artwalk in Raleigh, one of my favorite places to find gifts ever as well as meeting fantastic artists.
  3. Making my blog more beautiful as I create new, better graphics.
  4. Baking things in my kitchen and drinking hot cocoa.
  5. Finally hosting our housewarming party!
  6. Spending time with friends and family at the end of the month.
  7. Tackling a great new Monthly Instagram Challenge with the Geeks & Beauties Community.
  8. Finishing some long overdue art projects that I'd normally be more passionate about, but life and a bit of procrastination have made a bigger burden of than they should be.
  9. Going to the Raleigh Ringers concert (an incredible handbell choir that is not to be missed, and a Dickson family tradition).
  10. Finding the perfect gifts for everyone on my list, I might put way too much thought into it, but I really enjoy finding a present that will make the receiver smile.
  11. Feeling that things are finally calming down after the past months' turbulence.
  12. Participating in Dressember!

Dressember

I'm thrilled to be able to share about Dressember with you all.  To explain further Dressember is an event that lasts the whole month of December and it's purpose is to raise awareness for human trafficking and help put an end to it.  Participants ONLY wear dresses for the whole month, no pants or skirts, some folks even limit themselves to one the whole time.  And similarly to a walk for charity or event like Extra Life where gaming is what's done to raise awareness you can help support this endeavor with the Dressember Foundation at any time over the course of this month.

But let me guess, you're also wondering, Lydia, why dresses?  Here's what the Dressember Foundation has to say about why they selected this as their challenge:


          "Dressember uses fashion to advocate for women who've been exploited for their

          femininity.  As women take on the creative challenge of wearing a dress for the 31 days of

          December, they are advocating for the inherent dignity of all women."


I love this idea, and the challenge too.  I'm building a small capsule wardrobe for just this month, which I'll share with you all later this week.  Plus if you want to see what I'm wearing each day just come follow me over here on Instagram.  And, if you want to join in it's not too late, it's quick and easy to sign up at the Dressember site, we'd be happy to have you!

Day 1


Please check out my donation page here for more information on the project.  Additionally, I'm not alone, there are several other ladies from the Rising Tide Society dressing it up with me for the next month.  I've joined some of them on team Grace Belle to do good for some of those least able to help themselves in the world.  You can read a bit on their takes on the project here at GraceBelle.com and here at Phylicia Nicole.  They've really said things much more eloquently than I have here.

85% of proceeds go to International Justice Mission and A21, of the rest 5% is used to process credit card fees and the other 10% for the foundation's admin, tech, and marketing.  All of these organizations are 501 c3 tax deductible, and you can read more about them here.  Even a tiny bit can help, and my goal is to raise $200 for them, since it's my first time.  I'm a little nervous about it because I honestly feel bad asking for anyone's money, but this is it, I'm asking that you join me in helping to end human trafficking.

Thanks so much for reading.  I'll see you all again very soon.

Love,
Lydia

Friday, September 11, 2015

First Fall Outfits

Hi again friends!


This week I'm highlighting some of my first outfits from fall as I start getting used to my new capsule wardrobe.  Ready?  Let's go!

Shirt - Target, Shorts Levis/Amazon, Flip Flips - Old Navy
Day one of my fall wardrobe had me dealing with temperatures over 90F.  Most of the past two weeks have been like that with a couple days in the 80s.  I'm looking forward to next week when it'll be in the 70s and I can wear jeans a bit more.  I miss the cool weather here in North Carolina, I think the climate in Columbus, Ohio where I attended college was just right.  But I'm here and I'm learning to love summer clothes and light layers most of the year.  It's no Florida, but I'm pretty sure I'd be dead fast in Florida between the heat and all the sunburn I'd end up with after 15 minutes outside.

Oh look it's that Thred Up bag!  Stuffed full as I could get it, I'll soon know what they took and what they didn't.

Top - Forever 21, Shorts - Levis/Amazon, Boots - Trendsetter/Hushpuppies
I'm officially in love with these boots!  I'm pretty sure they can be worn with almost everything I own and dressed up or down accordingly.  Plus Bryan likes them too, so that makes me happy.

Top - Target, Necklace - Pick Your Plum, Skirt Target, Boots - Trendsetter/Hushpuppies

This is my outfit from this past Sunday when we went to hear Michael speak about his time in Jerusalem.
Top - T. La/Anthropologie, Necklace - Fossil/Macy's, Shorts - Levis/Amazon, Sandals - HG Bass/Modcloth


My hair had finally faded enough that it was time to give it some new color, so I did!  I bleached the roots and used Manic Panic After Midnight Blue (my favorite shade!), Arctic Fox Purple Dream, and some Manic Panic Purple Haze (not around the face, so it's less visible in these shots).  I was trying out the Arctic Fox for the first time and really liked the color, it's a nice grape shade of purple and the dye even smelled like grapes.  If it lasts well enough I may keep using it for purple, since I'm not as big a fan if the Manic Panic shades I've tried (Purple Haze, and Mystic Heather).

Shirt - Switchfoot, Scarf - a Keffiyeh from Palestine, Jeans - Torrid, Flip flops - Old Navy
So Michael brought us back some fantastic gifts from his time abroad and I'm very excited to share this Palestinian Keffiyeh with you readers.  The Keffiyeh (pronounced kuh-fee-yuh, and spelled many other ways) is a symbol of the Palestinian Nationalism movement.  (You can go here to learn more about the keffiyeh or here if you want to buy one from Hirbawi, the only manufacturer left in Palestine!)  It's been associated with the long history of the Middle East in general as what farmers and everyday people would wear to cover their heads as they worked and went about their day.  It's also linked to the Palestinian Liberation Organizer Yasser Arafat, and more recently has been appropriated in western culture as something that just looks cool or is linked with terrorism.  It's kind of funny since the patterns on the scarf are thought to have come from fishing nets or heads of grain.  So I wear the Keffiyeh as a statement of solidarity for the many Palestinians who have lived peaceful lives in refugee camps for over 50 years, just hoping to have a place they can see their children grow up freely, and one day have a country of their own.  I also think the Israelis have it tough too, with terrorist bombers on their doorstep, but neither side is necessarily good or bad.  Peace and renewed hope are my prayer for them all.

Top - Old Navy, Bracelet - Cornerstone Festival 2004, Shorts - Levis/Amazon, Shoes - Toms
 And finally I'm playing around with the camera a bit for today's look.  I work from home most days, so I've been trying to change up where I take my photos if I can remember to/aren't too busy.



So those are my outfits, otherwise I've been busy this week adding to the features of my blog:

  1. New contact page
  2. More listings for Ethical Plus Size Retailers (Now the BIGGEST online!)
  3. A new banner
  4. Better right sidebar tools
  5. I'm now a member of The Rising Tide Society!
The Rising Tide Society is a great group of small business owners (bloggers, photographers, shop owners, and more) whose core principles are:
- Community Building over Self-Promotion
- Compassion for your fellow Creatives
- Purpose over Popularity, Quality over Quantity
- Camaraderie over Divisiveness


I'm loving getting to know them all and be a part of the community there.  They even have a monthly event called Tuesdays Together to meet and discuss different subjects.  Hopefully I'll make it out to next months!  That's all for this week, I'll see you all again soon.

Love,
Lydia