Some people may say I’m a shopaholic…and I wouldn’t disagree 😛
I do like to shop and I like pretty things! Most of all I like to buy pretty things that are for a cause because buying stuff is fun but buying stuff to make a change is even better! Here are some brands that I love:
The Giving Keys: I found this company because one of my favorite actors (hey there Zac Efron :P) was wearing one. I looked up the company and love how founder, Caitlin Crosby, wanted to find a way to help folks transition out of homelessness. The concept is homeless folks get jobs engraving words on recycled keys. Then people buy keys with a word that they want to focus on or something they aspire for. Then once you feel like you’ve hit that aspiration or you’ve met someone who needs that word, pass the key on to them. So far I’ve passed on two keys and I hope to keep doing so.
Live Fashionable and Sseko Designs: I found both these companies from Instagram! I like leather bags and their simple designs caught my eye. What made me purchase was the story behind both companies. Live Fashionable creates jobs for women in Ethopia and helps them get out of poverty. Sseko Designs also creates jobs for girls in East Africa to help them get to college. It helps that celebrities like Sophia Bush also promote brands like these to bring more awareness to them from fellow Instagram stalkers like myself 😛
My Intent: I saw this on Time magazine (it was on Kanye and I’m not a huge fan…but fashion always gets me) and was interested in such a simple concept: engrave a word on a washer, make it a bracelet and have that be your intent for this time in your life. This is somewhat similar to The Giving Key, but this isn’t about paying it forward, it’s about encouraging us to live with purpose. The bracelet isn’t meant to be for forever and they generally fall off 3-4 months of wearing, but since they are only $12/each, I feel like the reminder is worth it. My Intent brings awareness and raise funds for a bunch of organizations.
Hopefully you’ll check some of these companies out & happy shopping 🙂