The Story of Stuff

Have you heard of The Story of Stuff?  If not, I urge you to watch the whole thing on their website.  Here is a little clip of the entire 20 minute video.

Fall Boots

Whoops, I disappeared there for a while.  In all honesty, after I opened my etsy shop I became very discouraged with myself and my work.  Not quite sure where I was going with it and it sort of led to a rut.   But enough on that topic...

In a recent post I wrote about how I cleaned out my wardrobe, with nothing left but my favorites and essentials.  Now that it's slowly getting colder, it's time I add a few pieces for fall and winter. 

Boots by scriptandserif on Polyvore.com

 Boots have definitely been on my mind lately.  After my trip to Portland I realized that all my shoes didn't really cover my feet! For every day wear I usually slip on a pair of ballet  flats or moccasins, neither of which cover the top of my foot or even allow me to pair them with woolly socks.  As much as I love the Clark desert boot inspired wedges on the left,  I think I'd wear a pair of flat boots more often.  Unfortunately I haven't really found one that fits the bill.  I did however come across a pair of my ideal boots, except they have a heel!

(Lace Up Ankle Bootie - Madewell)

Other than looking for my ideal boot, I'd like to learn more about the process of them being made.  What's the difference between a moderately priced shoe and a designer shoe?  Is it the quality of materials?  Craftsmanship? I'm sure both play a part, but what about ethical production?  There are plenty of clothing designers that design with the environment in mind, and we are often given a glimpse into their production.  Some examples of such are not using sweat shops in third world countries and using organic materials. But what about shoes?  How and where was the leather sourced? Where were they assembled? How do I know quality pieces are being used? As passionate as I am about ethically produced clothing, it is much harder to find information about the origin of my shoes.

Etsy Shop Opening

Today I finally listed an item in my etsy shop and boy was it harder than I thought it would be!  Photos look completely different in the small thumbnails they create.  I had such a hard time coming up with a description of the card too!  Tomorrow I'm going to go back and take all new photos and try again.  The whole thing is a learning experience and I realized I need to step up my game by about 1000%.

A Lasting Wardrobe

 

One of my summer outfits. Striped top: from Loehmann's, Skirt: American Apparel, Vest: H&M, Necklace: For Me, For You by Kate Miss.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about my current wardrobe.  Over the past two years I've slowly weeded out my closet, getting rid of all the things I no longer wear, are the wrong size, or are beyond repair.  But now I am left with a near empty closet.  It was fine during the summer because when it's that hot you don't really care what you wear, just as long as its loose and comfortable.  But now that the weather is finally cooling down (except for the heat that arrived last week!), I really need to start filling up my closet with things to wear. 

My biggest problem is that my clothing budget is about $0. Even more so, I am so, so tired of wearing poorly made clothes.  I've become more aware of garment production, from sweat shop documentaries to sewing things myself, and I really just want more quality pieces that will last me a long time.  I'd also prefer to support smaller businesses, or people who genuinely care about the things they make. 

I used to shop at stores like Forever 21 and Nordstrom BP all the time.  But where are all those things now?  Not in my closet.  More often than not, I can't even remember what trendy, poly blend shirt I bought from there.  Not only is this a waste of money, but what about the environmental impact disposable clothing creates? 

Sometimes I think I'm asking for too much.  In my dream world, I'd like well made garments made from natural, organic fabrics.  I'd like them made by designers I want to support, not from sweatshops.  Oh, and I want them to be cute of course.  Am I asking for too much?  They don't even have to be organic, but it would be nice.  

I could really go on about this topic for ever, but instead I'm going to break it up into separate posts so it's not too overwhelming.  If you have any thoughts you'd like to share on this, please feel free to e-mail me at sunshinebysara AT gmail DOT com.  I'd love to hear from you!

Moonwalker by Mociun

I am in all sorts of love with this skirt.  During our stay in Portland we visited the boutique Frances May.  Among many other lovely garments, this definitely caught my eye.  The print is so mesmerizing in a dark, yet dreamy way.  Check out the skirt and many other amazing prints at Mociun. (photo: Mociun)

Back from Portland

I'm back!  My boyfriend and I took a short trip to Portland, Oregon and had a great time.  Most of the places we visited were food related, and unfortunately couldn't stop by all the restaurants we wanted to go to!  The food was delicious and the coffee even better.  Right when we got back I got really sick though.  Must be the horrible LA smog!  Anyway, here is a photo of the gorgeous Japanese Gardens we went to.  It took a long walk; someone at the hotel told us to get off an earlier stop and walk uphill... for quite a while! But we got there and it was totally worth it.  I wish I could be there now, breathing the fresh air...

Calligraphy Samples

  

One thing I've always wanted to learn is calligraphy.  Ever since I learned how to write in cursive in the 3rd grade, I've been practicing on any sheet of paper I could find.  Combine it with my love for stationery and I'm in heaven.

Here are a few samples I whipped up with fake names and addresses.  I'm still practicing, but it gets a little easier each day. (photos: Sara Tso)

More fabric flowers

flowers, originally uploaded by sunshine by sara.

Here's another sneak peek of the flowers I've been working on.  After making about thirty it gets a bit tiring and I start to slow down. 

Thought

"Art and love are the same thing: It’s the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you."

— Chuck Klosterman (Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story)

Things I Love - October 16

little bits, originally uploaded by simply photo.

// Oh Joy! party at Urbanic Paper last night!  I brought along two of my friends, so it was nice to catch up with them and meet Joy too!  I am a really big fan of all her work, so I was a bit star struck to say the least.  I could hardly get a word out!  But of course she was a total sweetheart and I was so glad to attend her party.

// Rain!  It finally rained in southern california.  Of course everyone forgot how to drive, but the next day the air was nice and clear and traffic miraculously cleared up for a day?!  I love overcast/rainyweather.  As odd as this sounds it makes me really happy; it reminds me of cozying up with tea, a blanket, and a movie!

// I finally caved in and bought a new pair of jeans.  I have been putting it off for over a year now!  I will probably do a separate post on this because the jeans are amazing.  I can't believe I was without them for so long!

// I am going to start on my quilt (!!!) today! It's for a top secret project that I'm really eager to start on.

// Okay, this is one of my most favorite things on my mind as of late--I'm going to Portland, OR next weekend!  My boyfriend and I are taking a small weekend trip up.   It was my goal for the year to finally visit and for my birthday my mom surprised me with tickets!  I am beyond excited.  I have never been, but through the magic of the internet (haha) I've heard so many wonderful things about the place.  I just hope it's not raining too hard when we get there.  My boyfriend is very susceptible to getting sick!