High-Low | Flossers

I started flossing in high school and have been doing it everyday since then. I can't imagine going to sleep without flossing and brushing my teet (and washing my face). The main reason I got into flossing so consistently was that my dental hygienest gave me a flosser (like this one on the right). I've always hated sticking my hands in my mouth, but with this reusable flosser, you wrap a string of floss around the tool, floss your teeth, and throw away the floss. I even got my mom her own flosser, and now she's doing it every night! Flossers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are pretty inexpensive and last forever. Floss is cheap. Each container has a lot of floss. I prefer floss that has no extra coating (like this). I like it as thin as possible because my teeth are so close together. The only downside to my flosser is that it can get gross, and requires a good cleaning periodically.

I've never had any luck with one-time use flossers. They always come apart during my flossing and they drive me crazy. In high school or college, I bought the Reach Access flosser and loved it. The tool is fitted for one-time use floss holders (floss built in). They come in three flavors (peppermint, spearmint, and unflavored). The reach flosser doesn't get dirty and I love the floss that come on the attachments. The downside is that the refills can be very expensive. In the market, it's $4-5 for a pack of 28 (lasting you about one month). It isn't that much money, but a few dollars here and there always adds up!

Do you floss everyday? Do you use a flosser?

Spotlight: Ethical Fashion

One of the great things about fashion is that it is a universal art. We all have different tastes, but no matter where we live and what our preferences are, we can all appreciate one another's style. I love following fashion from around the world, but always make sure to keep up with American fashion and American companies as well. Today, I teamed up with one of my favorite blogger friends, Kat from Love & Ace to select a few pieces from four of our favorite companies. Besides being based in the US, these brands all emphasize the importance of the environment and social responsibility. Kat is kicking off a new feature on her blog with an emphasis on the beach (since she lives so close to the ocean). Check out her picks here!

I forced myself to choose a favorite from each of these companies for the picture above, which was really tough. Even narrowing down their products to choose a few favorites for the spotlights below was difficult. I started dreaming up outfits in my head of basic tees and dresses from Alternative Apparel, a clutch from hearts.com, and just the right shoes and accessories from Dogeared and Gorjana.

Alternative Apparel, hearts.com, and Griffin (one with Gorjana) all offer men's fashion too! Planning another post on that soon!

GORJANA

I've seen quite a few bloggers with Gorjana jewelry and always fall head over heels for the delicate yet unique look of their pieces. Then I went to look for products and discovered these cute sandals and this amazing tote (I'm totally obsessed with it now). I love the orange/camel color combination.

Bio: "Gorjana & Griffin Inc....began in 2004 from the design and business ambition of husband and wife, Gorjana and Jason Griffin Reidel, whose bi-coastal residencies have fused a West Coast lifestyle inspiration with the sophistication and polish of East Coast trends into each design and collection. The Griffin brand, launched in 2012, brings the company’s sophistication and influences to today’s stylish male consumer. Together, the collections provide women and men with functional, stylish, and highly wearable jewelry, footwear, bags and other accessories. In addition to both collections, Gorjana & Griffin is committed to charity and social causes through its many charitable efforts and company foundation."

1. shimmer necklace

2. orange sandals (other colors available)

3. brown and orange tote (other color combos available)

4. daphne ring

5. sand dollar studs

ALTERNATIVE APPAREL

I bought my first piece of Alternative Apparel clothing a few years ago because I loved the color and feel of the material. Then I bought another sweatshirt from their brand this spring (see how I styled it here). When I noticed the same brand name, I knew I needed to check out their website and loved their comfortable looking basics and their cute prints. And when I saw the sweatshirt I already owned on sale on Hautelook last week, I bought it in light blue. What can I say, when I like a brand, I really like a brand.

Bio: "A clothing company that really gets it. We know our customers want clothes that aren’t just about looking good, but feeling good. Clothes that are perfectly worn in and perfect for any occasion—clothes for a casual, truly comfortable lifestyle... We’re a group that really cares. We take pride in our work and our craftsmanship. We thrive on collaboration, especially creatively. And we all take our social responsibility and commitment to the community seriously—living passionately, purposefully and without compromise."

1. boardwalk tribal tank

2. slouchy sweatshirt

3. sailboat tank
4. zipup hoodie

1. street fair dress

2. romper room romper
3. go fish maxi dress

HEARTS.COM

I'd never heard of hearts.com until Kat did a post featuring the denim in bloom clutch below (#2). She had a discount code, so of course I went to take a look. I love love love all of their clutches. I ended up buying two of the lace pouches in creme and pink. The back on them is made of black leather remnants and adds a toughness to the feminine lace front. The pouch is small, but holds quite a bit of stuff, which is always a plus.

Bio: "We are committed to transforming consumer behaviors through practicing our values. We promise to provide fashionable, beautifully crafted items while minimizing the negative impact of production & supply AND maximizing positive environments for people & the planet... We intend to be part of a global effort to optimize living conditions for all people and life on Earth. We aim to create a legacy through which people understand that they need not sacrifice quality of life for beauty, and that true beauty emerges when we hold the vision of the highest good of all."

1. anywhere tote

2. denim in bloom clutch (see how Kat styled this large clutch here)

3. sunshine clutch (two other colors/styles available)

4. foldover clutch

5. lace pouch (other colors available)

DOGEARED

Kat also introduced me to Dogeared. I've been looking to add some delicate rings to my jewelry collection, like I said, but was looking for pieces that caught my eye (not so easy when I'm online shopping). All the different options on Dogeared, however, have me so excited. Their are so many unique pieces, you can really make the jewelry your own. I think it'd be fun to layer the infinity ring with an alphabet ring. Also, if you come from a mixed religion family, like me, then giving paying homage to each (or all) is always appealing!

Bio: "Dogeared Jewels and Gifts have been hand crafted in California for 20 years, when designer Marcia Maizel-Clarke recognized the need for jewelry that speaks. The style is modern and versatile, inspired by California's free spirited, natural beauty. Designs range from subtle classics to eclectic, unexpected statements, all designed in the spirit of love, kindness, and consciousness... Dogeared believes what goes around comes around. We are committed to the same values we held when we started on this journey in 1991... And we will always design with the planet in mind and support nonprofit groups working to heal the environment and create social change. For over 20 years, we've been loving what we do and doing what we love: Creating jewels that celebrate love, happiness and good karma and make a personal, positive statement about the people who wear them."

1. sand dollar earrings

2. eye ring
3. bee necklace
4. set of 3 rings
5. jewish star ring
6. infinity ring
7. alphabet ring

Don't forget to opt in to their newsletter to keep up to date with their new products and sales. Most of them offer incentives for first timers too!

*All biography information is taken directly from each company's website.

Silly Side

Off the Tracks

Taking so many pictures is an interesting and really fun part of blogging. Smiling and situating myself without looking awkward is no easy feat. Through all the photos we've taken (anywhere from 10-60 per outfit post!), I've come to find that I need to make myself giggle. Making a funny face at my boyfriend while he takes the pictures often makes the next picture one of the best because I'm being me. Most of the time these photos don't make it to the blog post, but they always make me smile! So, next time you have to take pictures, stick your tongue out or make a crazy face to lighten up your spirits for your most natural look. Here are some of my recents "outtakes" (links to each post below the pictures).

Doctored in White

Poppies

I've Been Coveteured (I had to be silly for this post)

My Perfect Dress

In Bloom

Poppies (Extra silly for these pictures)

Poppies

Trouve tank (similar here), Caslon shorts (still on sale), Cole Haan clutch, Arezzo sandals (old from Brazil)

In junior high and high school, I didn't wear shorts. I was too self-conscious about my body and chose  to wear a lot of capris and long skirts instead. Occasionally, I'd wear men's shorts that went down to my knees, but that was it. Even in college, I didn't have much need to wear shorts except when I was hiking in the summer with my mom. Moving to Davis with 100 degree summers, I reintroduced shorts into my wardrobe out of pure necessity but only very slowly. Now, I have a few basic colors, but am still not sure exactly what style I like. I recently found these fun poppy print, linen shorts with pockets at the Nordstrom half yearly sale and fell in love. They are so comfortable and so vibrant that I only need to wear  black and white basics.

I've learned to embrace my bra straps in the summer. I used to try to avoid showing them with strapless pieces. But I always looked awkward, trying to keep everything in the right place. Now, I own up to my bra straps (nothing to hide here) and I'm much happier.