Japanese Relief: Nan Lawson

 It is far too easy to become trapped in the bubble of college life where breaking news consists of midterm exams and fraternity parties, but every so often a major event, like the recent tragic earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, is able to break the metaphorical bubble. I hope, if you're able that you will give to the relief effort. One stylish way to help is by purchasing this gorgeous 5 x7 print by Etsy illustrator Nan Lawson. Each print is $10 and all proceeds go directly to relief efforts in Japan.

Gift Guide #2: Gifts that Give Back

The holiday season is about giving, and here are some presents that do double duty. Each product in today's gift guide benefits charity in some way, so you don't have to feel guilty if you have a few To: me, From: me gifts under the tree.

1.) Rachel Roy UNICEF Charity Tote (Shopbop, $20): After designer Rachel Roy heard about the recent floods in Pakistan that affected over 10 million children, she teamed up with UNICEF to design a tote for the cause. For each bag sold Roy will donate $20 to the US Fund for UNICEF in support of flood relief efforts in Pakistan.

2.) Tory Burch Foundation Studded Cuff (Tory Burch, $95): These colorful bangles with metallic studs are so popular, the Tory Burch website already sold out! If you're dying for one of these bracelets that benefits the Tory Burch Foundation, give customer service a call at 1-866-480-8679--they assured me that all colors can still be found in stores and would be more than happy to ship them through the mail.

3.) Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream (The Body Shop, $7): The Body Shop's moisturizing cream does more than leave hands soft, 100% of the proceeds from the product go to ECPAT International, a nonprofit that focuses on combating and raising awareness of sex trafficking of children and young people.

4.) Silver Morocco Women's Classics (Tom's Shoes, $54): In 2006 Blake Mycoskie created Toms Shoes, a for-profit company with a mentality of giving. After spending time with children in Argentina, Mycoskie was struck by how many could not afford shoes, and pledged to help the situation. Toms shoes operates under the motto "one for one," for every pair of shoes, like these chic silver morocco classics, the company donates a pair to a child in need.

5.) Brass Wrapped Circle Earrings (Ten Thousand Villages, $24): I've written about Ten Thousand Villages on this blog before, but it is such a great non-profit, I can't help but include it in this post. Ten Thousand Villages is one of the world's largest fair trade organizations and focuses on improving the lives of artisans in over 35 countries. These particular earrings were handcrafted by jewelry artisans in Mombasa, Kenya.

Save the Tatas through Shopping

While it’s important to focus on breast cancer prevention and education all year long, October has been designated the pinkest month with the label Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Corporate America has jumped on the pink bandwagon offering products whose price includes a donation to breast cancer prevention, research or education. There are hundreds of products available so show your support while shopping this month. Here’s a list of my favorites:

Ralph Lauren's Pink Pony Campaign includes both products and an auction that benefit breast cancer care and prevention. My pick from the collection? The slim-fit pony tee pictured left.

One of my favorite beauty products, Clinique's Dramatically Different face lotion, benefits the Breast Cancer  Research Foundation this month with $10 from each purchase going directly to the nonprofit.

Check out this limited edition Lilly Pulitzer scarf. Five dollars from each $118 purchase goes to the American Cancer Society.

Tomorrow, October 22, the online sample sale site Rue La La is hosting a pink-themed event with 10% of the retail sales going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation  (Plus, if you click here and sign up before October 25, you'll get a $20 credit for the site!)

From now until October 31, Coach will donate 20% of the proceeds from the sale of their pink leather Mia Maggie bag to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is "to achieve prevention and a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime by providing critical funding for innovative clinical and translational research at leading medical centers worldwide, and increasing public awareness about good breast health."

Gorjana will donate 60% of the proceeds of their Heart Necklace ($48)  to Breast Cancer Connections, "an organization whose mission it is to support women and their families in overcoming breast cancer."

 A portion of sales from Essie's sweet shade of "We Can Do It Pink!" nail polish benefits Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national education and support organization devoted to helping those who have suffered or are currently suffering from breast cancer.

Trick-or-Treat Tote

In my book, Halloween preparation begins October 1. We have pumpkins on our kitchen table, candy corn in our cabinets, and I've already started planning my costume. Nothing's better than spooky fun that supports a great cause, so I was super excited to hear about Feed's latest collaboration.

Feed co-founders Lauren Bush and Ellen Gustafson recently teamed up with the Home Shopping Network to create a chic Trick-or-Treat tote benefiting UNICEF. The bag, sold on HSN.com retails for $13.20 with $3.50 from each purchase going toward UNICEF nutrition programs-enough to supply a child with micronutrient powder for one year. 

Readers--Do you have Halloween plans?

Back to School Book Bags

As my first full week of senior year comes to a close, I'm slowly easing back into the routine of school. Unfortunately, my schedule requires that I lug around a laptop, planner and numerous school books at all times. If you have to study hard, you might as well look good doing it, right? These are my top picks for a chic book bag:

1.) Marc by Marc Jacobs Nylon Tate Tote ($198)
2.) Feed Bag Large Ikat Tote ($39.50) For each bag purchased, Lord and Taylor will donate $3.50 to UNICEF in support of nutrition programs in Guatemala.
3.) Longchamp Le Pliage Large Tote ($145)
4.) Urban Outfitters Briefcase Bag ($158)
5.) Topshop Contrast Strap Satchel ($90)
6.) Gap Leather Tassel Tote ($98)



Or, if none of my above choices strike your fancy, try this Red Cross Bag. I love mine!

Cynthia Rowley Designs Band-Aids for a Cause

While Cynthia Rowley's line of designer diapers for Pampers left me baffled, I'm intrigued by her most recent collaboration with Johnson and Johnson that juxtaposes gore and glamor. The American designer best known for her vibrant collections of women's wear recently produced a set of designer Band-Aids to benefit Design Ignites Change, "an organization that engages high school and college students in design and architecture projects that address social issues in their own communities." Each tin of 20 bandages costs $10, with $1 benefiting the program. The product is available for purchase exclusively on Cynthia Rowley's website.

Readers, will you be covering your cuts with Cynthia's designs?

Click below for more images of the collaboration courtesy of cynthiarowley.com

Inspired by: Eat, Pray, Love

This past weekend, jewelry was one of the only things that wasn't considered tax free. Naturally, I gravitated toward bling every time I stepped foot in a store. It quickly became necessary to satisfy my jewelry craving before I blew my entire back-to-school budget on bangles from Kate Spade, so I popped into 10,000 Villages.

With over 70 retail locations across the US, 10,000 Villages strives to provide fair income to Third World artisans by marketing their products to shoppers in the US and Canada. It's always my go-to store for affordable, eye-catching jewelry. This trip I came home with two unique bracelets.

Both bangles were made in India and have a very Eat, Pray, Love feel to them. One is beautifully hand painted with an intricate design, and the other, a simple pewter bolt.  At $10 each, I challenge you to find a better deal. To shop online or find a store near you, click here to visit the company's website.

Military-Inspired Tote

As July comes to an end, (is it just me or has this summer gone by super quickly?) back-to-school shopping is consuming both my mind and my budget. At the top of my list was a unique book bag, and luckily I found one well within my price range. I was immediately drawn to this Red Cross Vintage Field Bag ($25) but when I found out that 50% of the retail price goes directly to the American Red Cross, I knew it had to be mine. The tote's adjustable straps can be worn over one shoulder or across the body, and the bag itself is just large enough to fit my laptop. Made of 100% cotton canvas with brass turn buckles, this bag is the perfect touch of military chic.

For more real-life photos of the bag, click below.

Just Tryin' to Keep Cool

With thermometers inching dangerously close to 100 degrees on a regular basis, I'm doing all I can to keep from melting. Even if you're suffering from heat stroke, these snow ball necklaces will give you the appearance of looking cool. These colored Swarovski crystals perched atop metallic cones are the product of Mignon Faget, a jewelry designer inspired by all things New Orleans. The pendants are available in sterling silver and 14K gold and cost $68 and $490 respectively.

If snow cones aren't your thing, the brand has a large selection of jewelry benefiting the gulf coast clean up effort. Check it out here.

Still Feeling Patriotic?

Does the July 4th holiday have you loving the look of stars and stripes together? If so, channel that patriotic energy and shop for a good cause. Boasting the motto: "When Pink Whales and Purple Hearts come together, anything is possible," Vineyard Vines is partnering with the United Service Organizations to raise money for Operation Enduring Freedom. All proceeds from their sales of the USO Tie ($75) and the USO Tote ($95) go to supporting America's Wounded Warriors. The tie and tote come in a wide array of colors and are the perfect accessories to carry through the summer and well into fall. The bag would be perfect for carrying books to class, and wouldn't the tie look great coupled with a crisp button down for a college football tailgate?

(Photo Credit: Vineyard Vines)

Make The Uniform Project Dress Your Own

Sheena Matheiken committed the ultimate faux pas when she wore the same dress 365 days in a row. Fortunately, fashion police looked past her slight indiscretion and were blown away by this stylista's philanthropic experiment in sustainable fashion. From May 2009 to May 2010, Matheiken committed herself to The Uniform Project, a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, which is an organization focused on improving the education of impoverished children in India. Matheiken wore the same dress every day, but don't think that means her outfits were monotonous. She constantly reinvented the look with vintage or hand-made accessories, jewelry and layering pieces.

This spring Matheiken retired her signature LBD after raising just over $103,000 for her cause, but this dress isn't out of the spotlight quite yet. The original designer, Eliza Starbuck of Bright Young Things, is selling a limited-edition run of the style for $185 on her website. The dress is clearly versatile, but if you need more proof, check out Matheiken's slideshow of all 365 inspirational looks. My personal favorites: June 7, July 3, September 24, October 27, February 21, April 19.

(Photo Credit: Bright Young Things)

Don't Judge A Book

I tend to steer away from graphic tees. My sorority provides me with enough t-shirts to outfit a small country, leaving little room in my wardrobe for additions to the collection. However, I might have to make an exception for Out of Print Clothing. This philanthropic brand, recently featured in the July issue of Lucky Magazine, partners with Books for Africa to provide, obviously enough, books for children in Africa. For every shirt sold through the website, one book is donated to Books for Africa in an effort to end the book shortage many communities face throughout the world. Each shirt sold features the cover art of a classic novel making it that much more appealing to English nerds like myself. Check out my favorites below:

Tales of the Jazz Age ($28)

Catcher in the Rye ($28)

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ($28)

(Image Credit: Out of Print)

PS Sorry for the lack of posts lately--Being sick and having a broken computer make it slightly more difficult. Hopefully both of those situations will be remedied soon! 

Fashion for a Cause

In case you missed the snippets of media coverage Nashville received, my hometown suffered severe damage from flash flooding on May 2 and 3. Lives were lost, property was destroyed, and homes were devastated, but Music City is rising to the occasion. Volunteers have been working hard to help victims, but monetary donations are essential to the rebuild process. Damages are estimated at over 1 billion dollars, so every donation helps. Donate here and here or just go shopping! There are quite a few sites offering to donate a portion of sales to victims of the flood.

Nashville native Caldwell Tanner designed this poster and is offering to donate 100% of the proceeds to flood relief.

Spirit of Nashville has come out with two prints benefiting victims of the flooding.

This would be a perfect bumper sticker.

And how cute are these shirts?

(Image Credit: Nashville Flood Tees)