the art of the scarf - Bloom & Give

Named as a homage to one of the oldest dyeing techniques, Ikat is delicate, elegant and made from beautifully fine wool.  At Bloom & Give, each item is made by local artisans, steeping the ancient Southeast Indian culture into each design.

With each item purchased, 50% of the price goes directly to fund girl’s education programs in India.  Bloom & Give notes that girls who have even a middle school education will “marry 4 years later, have two fewer children, and double her income” compared to girls who are kept out.  With the help of their partner organization, Educate Girls, Bloom & Give’s mission is simple but complex: keep girls in school.  

That’s one powerful scarf...Smitten!

bighearted jammies - Sudara Punjammies

These gorgeous capris are a scrumptious addition to our wardrobes...morning, noon and night loungewear! I love them!! I love who makes them...and I love the company behind them. I am actually honored to write about these beautiful garments - made from traditional sari fabric that so perfectly represents the colors and textures of the culture.

Sudara is the company behind Punjammies, and they are working tirelessly to end the chain of sexual slavery in India, where some of the highest estimates of slavery and sex-trafficking anywhere in the world are reported. Each pair of jams is made by women in India who have escaped human trafficking. When you purchase from Sudara, "you invest in the freedom and dignity of these women and girls who are working to forge a new life for themselves and their children."

I first became aware of this extraordinary company back in September 2014, please read more here.

Sudara designs other goods for sale and provides a donation opportunity here as well.

Always entirely Smitten!

soft and soothed skin naturally - Honest Beauty

With my husband working in the movie industry, I travel a lot! This fall we have been fortuitous to spend it in the very friendly, bohemian, rustic little town of Manitou Springs, at the base of Pikes Peak. It's positively stunning here...and with an elevation of 6,035 feet, very drying to the skin. After a week here, my face was thirsty, and needed some attention. I sincerely scored when I (finally) stumbled upon Honest Beauty's Magic Balm...it is pure greatness in a 5g/17oz. compact.

Honest Beauty is made without: parabens, gluten, silicones, petrolatum, synthetic fragrances, or dyes - they have created an incredible product line. I've been using the balm morning and night, and my skin feels like I've been hanging in Hawaii!

Jessica Alba is the beauty behind The Honest Company and Honest Beauty, and both are devoted to healthy products and the education of our girls. Both ideas notablySmitten supports wholeheartedly!

"Your purchase helps fund access to safe products and advances in research and education that support healthy, happy lives for all."

...am totally Smitten with Honest Beauty!

amethyst beads and more good deeds - 100 Good Deeds

The ABC's of this bracelet: it's not only a stunner, but has an equally powerful mission. 

100 Good Deeds and Gemfields have partnered to create this smashing, limited edition, amethyst bangle. All gems are responsibly sourced from Zambia, Africa. 

"Gemfields is the world’s leading supplier of responsibly sourced colored gemstones, taking pride in bringing ethically mined gemstones to the market in a transparent manner. In partnership with its dealers and jewelry manufacturers, Gemfields ensures a consistent supply of colored gemstones to its consumers and offers full disclosure directly to you, our discerning clients."

Please see notablySmitten's original post on 1GD and Mary Fisher here.

Smitten again.

tribe and transformation - the bloomerie

This t-shirt says it all - TRIBE.

I couldn't relate more to the genesis of this company...a sweet tale of the birth of true friendship. Makes me think of my friend Shannon - who I could not live without!

Nicole Matthews and Niki Corbin met on a playground, where their girls bonded over a young Justin Bieber. They found it easy to talk to one another and became fast friends. Over time, there were more play dates, tears, chocolate, always coffee...and a deep connection was made. "She believed in me, and I believed in her. And together our dreams became possible." 

Soon they made the bloomerie, their dream together - a reality.

the bloomerie is about collaboration. "It's about women moving beyond their insecurities and knowing that they can." 

Every month the bloomerie releases a new t-shirt design inspired by the stories of female entrepreneurs that are doing good and paying it forward. They give $5 of each sale to that month's company and cause.

Building a business on friendship...I absolutely love it!

Nichole says "Value the friends who love on you and believe in you. They're your tribe." I agree indeed!

I believe in finding one's tribe - I'm Smitten.

whimsical wrist adornment - The Shine Project

This yummy draping of jewels is aptly named the Autumn Stack. So feminine, beautiful....strong statement pieces.

I just recently wrote about The Shine Project - Wear Change. Ignite Hope.

Please read what I wrote about this very cool company back in May here.

Smitten and bitten!

London calling! - Alice and Whittles Black Ankle Rain Boots

Alice and Whittles reinforces what we already know to be true: socially conscious products are beautiful, well-made, and have a huge positive impact that ripples through workers’ communities.  Their Black Ankle Rain Boots are gorgeous, long-lasting, and stylish for both men and women.

Alice and Whittles was born from Sofi and Nicholas Horekens, a couple who met while working at the UN.  They believed that starting a new company could be a long-lasting source of progress, and began by seeking a swiss company to design a fashion-forward, minimalist rubber boot.  They are made by hand in Sri Lanka, and contain rubber only from FSC Certified rubber tree forests.  Alice and Whittles not only provides fair wage jobs for workers and farmers, they also partner with the Fair Rubber Association to understand and provide what rubber workers need most in their community - a center with reliable internet, subsidized meals, discounted products for the home, options for insurance, and access to loans.

Smitten and ready for rainy days..!

"We Will Be Free" racerback t - Sudara

The message is clear on this clean, crisp-white, racerback t from Sudara, "We Will Be Free"! Alliance and unification are the words between the words that sweep across this flawless, fresh tank. 

I wrote about Shannon Keith's company Sudara (once the International Princess Project) for notablySmitten.com back in September of 2014 for the first time. Sudara is an organization helping young women in India escape and recover from the sex slavery industry that is rampant there.

I am crazy about Punjammies, wonderfully comfortable loungewear that can be worn indoors and out, made from Sari material and created by the women being trained and helped out of the industry. I am bananas about the vision of this organization and all that they have done for the young women of India since 2005.

If you're looking for a great summer gift for you or a girlfriend, consider this!

Smitten with Sudara.

joy and the summer lovin' necklace - The Shine Project

The Summer Lovin Necklace Stack from The Shine Project is the perfect accompaniment to a sundress or beachy outfit.  We love it when doing good, looking good and feeling good are all wrapped into one great accessory!

The Shine Project’s jewelry line was born from blogger Ashley LeMieux’s desire to provide scholarships for her under-prepared and potentially college-bound mentees.  What started as a group of students making friendship bracelets in Ashley’s condo - initially called Threads by The Shine Project - has grown into a full fledged for-profit company with a beautiful line of accessories.  Thier mission is to provide scholarships, life experience, employment and mentoring to teens who otherwise would not have the resources to seek higher education.  Since 2011, The Shine Project has provided over 40 Scholarships, and currently employs 11 inner city students at their Phoenix, Arizona workspace.  In addition to the support from product purchases, 100% of direct donations go to providing books and supplies to their scholarship recipients. 

Shine on! Smitten.

release your Love - Unlock Hope, Africa key necklace

Unlock Hope’s Africa Key Necklace is a beautiful gift  with a very serious mission as it’s namesake.  A relatively new organization with an ambitious focus, Unlock Hope works hard to fully fund the Think Humanity Hostel in Uganda solely through their sales!

Too often, girls in small villages do not advance past primary school, often leading to early marriages and large families that are difficult to care for without any education or skills.  In 2012, the Think Humanity Hostel began in Uganda as a place for 30 orphaned girls to break the cycle of poverty with an education, basic life skills, and entrepreneurial training in a yearly “Girls' Leadership Summit”.  Think Humanity believes that “patience pains, but later pays”, and the success of the girls living in their hostel is proof of that being true. Unlock Hope has an exclusive partnership with Think Humanity, and because of their sales were able to 100% fund the hostel’s budget last year!  

Unlock Hope’s Africa Key necklace is a great reminder of how much has already been achieved, as well as how much more is still needed globally.

Hopeful and Smitten.

a little black dress - Elegantees

The Dressember dress from Elegantees is a beautiful, easy dress to ring in the New Year with...and an easy wear for the spring!  I love the casual neckline and asymmetrical hem!

Elegantees is a relative newcomer to the fashion industry and supports a great system of change.  Founded by Katie Martinez in 2010, their mission is to provide hope, fair wages and independence to survivors of sex trafficking in Nepal.  Elegantees partnered with the Nepali Rescue Project, an organization that helps to pull 20,000 women and children each year from sex trafficking, and quickly realized that creating a income system had a far greater effect on life quality than charitable gifts.  After providing counseling and helping women find a safe home, Elegantees teaches women to create classic garments at their own sewing center in Kathmandu. 

As a company that has only reached their 5-year mark, Elegantees has evolved a great deal since its inception and clearly is on the right track to making a huge difference in the lives of women in Nepal.

Grateful and Smitten.

good girl gifts - Anekdot

Beautiful designs and an innovative approach to creation make Anekdot a notablySmitten favorite!

Pictured here is the Cherry Blossom Set. Sheer, pink and perfect.

Anekdot is an innovative and unique company that approaches fashion and creativity in a totally revolutionary way.  Rather than designing undergarments and seeking textiles to fulfill those visions, they focus first on the fabrics and allow those vintage and reclaimed textiles to dictate the designs and collections.  

The result of this process is a beautiful collection of bras, knickers and loungewear that leaves a significantly smaller ecological footprint by minimizing waste and shifting the fashion industry’s level of responsibility. 

Anekdot turns left-behinds and leftovers into beautiful, wearable collections!  

Forward-thinking...We're Smitten.

LOVE these knickers - Naja

Naja Knickers are eco-conscious, adorably designed, and socially conscious every step of the way: our favorite kind of notable trifecta!  Every single design is more adorable, sexy and stylish than the next!

Naja is the entrepreneurial brainchild of Catalina Girald, an attorney-turned-traveler-turned-activist, and Gina Rodriguez, an award-winning-actress-and-latino-community-supporter.  Naja was created in an effort to shift the way lingerie is made and marketed so that it is empowering, not objectifying, for the “smart, courageous and sexy women of today”.  With factories that employ primarily single mothers and female heads of households, Naja pays above market wages, allows for flexible scheduling, and provides school clothes, supplies and lunches to the children of their employees.  In addition to their factories, Naja employs women in the slums of Columbia to sew garment bags in their homes through their Underwear for Hope program - 2% of all purchases go towards funding this program.  

In addition to all the socially-conscious efforts, Naja prints all their awesome knicker graphics digitally to minimize their environmental footprint.

Smitten with Girl Power!

early spring sunglasses - Warby Parker

Looking for dapper, jazzy, polished Sunglasses for the Spring? Look no further...you know Warby Parker has your back.

Warby Parker has established itself as a wave making company since its inception in 2010.  An uber hip, original, polished, socially attentive brand of prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses, founded and made in America.

notablySmitten posted about WP first back in December 2014. If you don't know their whole story, please check it out here.

Smitten with WP forever!

recycled rubber bangles - Made With Love Project

These vivid, recycled, wrapped, rubber bangles are so well constructed and hip, they make me happy!

Made With Love bracelets are made by a Women's Cooperative in Djenne', Mali, West Africa.

In 2007 designer Mary Jane Marcasiano formed MADE WITH LOVE. MWL is a global call to action, dedicated to raising funds and awareness for NGOs aiding women and children. Through the production and sale of products that provide a fair income for women in Brazil and Africa, Made With Love is addressing the need for aid.

Made With Love works in tandem with the Cygnet Foundation, which through the proceeds realized from art-related programs, seeks to help those in need: women and children, the homeless, the hungry as well as abandoned and endangered animals. 

The women are paid a fair price for their work, so the money the bracelets provide create a means of support, and are sold to raise funds for L'Empire des Enfants.

L'Empire des Enfants is a center for homeless children from the streets of Dakar, Senegal. L'Empire grants shelter, meals, education and training programs. They also work with local organizations to return homeless children to their families.

Smitten.

shimmering gold stocking stuffers - Purpose Jewelry

Exciting, eye-catching, ear candy: classic gold shimmering hoop earrings. Strung with metallic faceted beads...perfectly wearable day or night.

These yummy hoops are available in both Gold and Silver and have a 2 1/4" drop, with a 1 1/2" width.

I love these earrings, but I love the company behind them more.

Purpose jewelry, is handcrafted by survivors of modern-day slavery.

100% of the proceeds from Purpose benefit International Sanctuary, a non-profit that provides holistic care for young women rescued from sex trafficking.

When a girl escapes or is rescued from sex trafficking she is faced with an enormous level of trauma with very little support.

In 2007, International Sanctuary (iSanctuary) was created to address the needs of these young women through holistic care and empowerment. The women are offered mentorship, education, medical and dental care, scholarships, and micro-loans to prepare them for brighter futures.

In September 2014, International Sanctuary launched Purpose, a way to empower the survivors through employment and financial stability. The women are able to enjoy a healthy workplace, free to laugh and grow. A place that helps to transform these once victims, into skilled artisans, survivors...and thrivers. 

Super Smitten!

make a difference - Madi Apparel

Cool, comfy, confident...these pretty, applause worthy panties are made of a soft organic bamboo fabric and decorous, floral lace.

This is how Madi apparel works:

-       Madi creates a beautiful pair of panties here in the US, using a very practical and sustainable bamboo fabric.

-       You buy said panties for yourself, or several friends!

-       Madi then donates a pair to a woman in need.

-       As underwear is the most under-donated item...you've just helped a fellow sister feel more comfortable and supported.

"Underwear is a woman’s most personal garment -- we know what we’re attracted to and feel most comfortable in."

This company, created by the lovely Hayley Besheer in Kansas City, Missouri in 2014, is outstanding!

Undeniably Smitten!

the art of being a woman - Darling magazine

I spent a significant amount of my life working as a model. You may not recognize the name...but I worked. And I've got stories...;)

The expectations put on us, and that we begin to put on our young girl selves, starts the moment we realize...we are girls.

I was reading Seventeen magazine at thirteen wondering how I would ever look like those young women. Of course, at that age, I knew nothing of "touching up" photos...or today, photo shop.

The dark cycle of it all sets in early. We women are marketed to...to be different than who we are, as we are. If we were only skinnier, taller, had blonder (browner, redder, more "ombre,") hair, well, life would be just grand. 

The right foundation is what is most important! I mean, right? We begin swimming in a sea of images that make us feel, not right. We are not right the way we are...we need more glosses, blushes, long-lasting mascaras, perfumes, the "right" potions, "perfect" lotions and more Prada, Gucci, Guess to be okay.

It's exhausting...to the spirit.

Here, I present a new find. Sarah Dubbeldam started Darling as a blog in 2009. It became a quarterly printed magazine, with its first edition in 2012. Based out of California, Darling gets it right!

These are just some of the reasons I not just like, but LOVE Darling magazine:

·      They challenge cultural “ideals” of beauty and question their exaggerated importance.

·      They see beauty in every type of woman.

·      They believe in being “fit,” and see “thin” in context of the healthiest version of self.

·      They promote respect for women’s bodies in fashion and photography.

·      They never use Photoshop to alter women’s faces or bodies.

·      They feature clothing and products within a price range that an average income can afford.

·      They don't offer shallow advice to real-life issues. Instead, promote coping behaviors for helpful and lasting change.

Thank you Darling, for turning this medium on its ear, creating accountability...and helping champion future generations of girls into a world that is filled with much less "noise" and insecurity.

Totally Smitten.

random acts of flowers

It's so simple, so loving...I'm crazy about Random Acts of Flowers!

RAF recycles and repurposes flowers and distributes them to individuals in healthcare facilities across the country...so cool!!

Random Acts of Flowers’ mission is driven by floral recipients, and strives to be a 100% recycling organization.

With more than 500 volunteers making up the core of the operations and mission fulfillment around the country, if you've got the time, they would love to include you in the volunteer team at a branch near you.

Please check out their story here.

Totally Smitten!

304 pages of goodness - Global Girlfriends

In 2003 Stacey Edgar didn't have a business plan. . .or a passport. That didn't stop her from creating a socially conscious business that has helped poor women in five continents feed their families and send their children to school.

Stacey Edgar refused to be paralyzed by the size of world poverty. With a $2,000 tax return and a profound desire to help provide economic security for women in need, Global Girlfriends was created. GG is a passionate testament to Stacey following her convictions, a template for us all to follow. Take simple actions to eliminate extreme poverty.

Global Girlfriends has grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise that specializes in handmade, fairly traded, eco-conscious apparel and accessories made by women from all over the world. 

An excellent read, a dream...and a guide.

Smitten.