Posh with a Purpose

So my current obsession is buying this that are not only pretty but contribute to a greater cause. I am not a particularly "green" person in the traditional sense. I know some may judge me for only recycling on occasion (Please spare me the condemning comments. The company we are with charges extra for recycling.) Frankly, whenever I drive out to the recycle plant, which I have been known to do on occasion, it's a huge hassle. I've decided to be "green" in other ways.

My mother instilled in me a love for thrift store shopping and Oprah has taught me to shop my closet. I think is very green, I still have clothes from 7th grade. If you buy quality it will last forever. My sister in law and I share magazines, and I occasionally walk to the local farmer's market, and the bank. All this to say that although I may not be "supper green" I am trying to be responsible with my resources.

Which brings me to my new obsession, beautiful, fashionable pieces with a purpose. I have been blessed to have some friends with very big hearts and would like to share a little about the items they make.

First:

• http://laballews.blogspot.com/
• http://www.sasabluedesign.etsy.com
• La, is my best friend from childhood. She is an amazing woman of God as well as a talented artist. She creates beautiful headbands, pins, hair clips, baby accessories, ect...She has used her talent to raise money for a variety of causes. Currently a portion of her proceeds go to assist a friend who is adopting a precious baby from Ethiopia. Not only do I believe in her cause, but she genuinely makes a beautiful product. Whether I am getting dressed up for a special occasion or need something to spruce up my unwashed hair her headbands are a key part of both mine and my daughters wardrobe.

Second:

http://thetravelingrikki.blogspot.com

http://joynindia.com

http://www.purseandclutch.com.

Rikki & Ali are some other very special friends of mine. They are currently working in India with a new company called, JOYN. They employ battered women, people with leprosy, and others who would otherwise be unable to find a job. The have not only provided a job, but also preserved an dying artistry. I cannot wait to purchase they're products.

Third:

http://shop.ssekodesigns.com/

I don't have a personal relationship with this company, but I love their shoes. They are comfy, beautiful, go with everything, and people stop me on a regular basis to ask me about them. I love that not only did I buy a great pair of shoes, but I also helped send a woman to college.

It's nice to know that by making even a small purchase I can help make the world a better place. I hope that you enjoy these treasures as much as I have.

Love, Em

Ode to KCCS

Warning, this is going to be cheesy...

Today I went back to my old high school. It's sounds funny, but it felt like going home. When I walked through the front doors it still smelled exactly how I remembered it all those years ago. I know it may seem weird that I am attached to my former high school, but the truth is I had a very unique experience. I went to the same school k-12th and I loved most of it! (I know that makes me a weirdo, I even loved jr. high.) Although so many things have changed, so many things have stayed the same.

When I explain my friend group to people, I always say I grew up in a small town in a big city. Not only did I go to the same school k-12, but a large number of my friends did as well. Several of us married our high school sweethearts, and to this day we still hangout (I don't like change, can you tell?) But I don't think that it's the fact that we spent so much time together that keeps us so close. I think Jesus is what really bonded us all together.

I know that it was a huge financial sacrifice for many of our parents to send us to private school, but I will be forever thankful that they did. Today 3 of my dearest friends and I took our babies up to visit Janell (another dear friend) who also graduated with us and is now a teacher at kccs. We sat on the floor in the same classroom that Suzy and I attended 1st grade and that Laurisa(my bff) shadowed me in all those years ago. Who would have thought we would all be back there together 19 years later? Yet, here we are still friends, now raising a second generation of friends.

When I think about our childhood we have A LOT of fun memories together, but the truth is the memories that mean the most are when each of these girls at one time or another prayed for me when I was hurting. Yes, we grew up together & that makes us close, but more importantly we found Jesus together. I feel so blessed that so much of our education was about God & His love for us. Yes, we had bible classes, but the truth is we were constantly being taught about Him no matter what the subject was. Today when we stopped to chat with some of the faculty they still had encouraging words about Jesus to share. How many people can say when they visit their old high school, their teachers are still genuinely interested in your life and praying for your friends...that's an amazing and unique experience. I feel so blessed that is my schooling experience.