The end of the year is so dangerous for me. It’s especially dangerous this year: I’ve just resolved that I’d like to buy a house, which means “save save save”…which actually means “quit buying all the things on the internet.” But mooooooom, LovingEco is having a saaaaaale. LovingEco, an ethical sample sale website that we [...]

It’s Friday, and I am going to give you not one, but four gifts from Etsy. Made of wood. Because I can. It’s Monday, and somehow, this never got posted on Friday. I’m tilting my head the way the dog does, because it’s too early in the week, I haven’t had coffee, and why didn’t [...]

They’re not real stones, but they look like it, don’t they?  These earrings were donated by Etsy artist Biberklau to Europe for Charity: “This shop serves as a platform for our European Street Team on Etsy to collect money for relief whenever a humanitarian crisis emerges and to support causes like child care & education.” [...]

…but that one is super pretty. The Laurel Earrings are perfect for the girly-girl on anyone’s list…and that includes the girls that are hard on their jewelry. These are made from laser-cut acrylic, and can handle themselves when thrown into a drawer full of baubles. This scarf is meticulously hand-woven using hand-woven cotton and traditional [...]

I cut off my hair again – you know, as I am wont to do every few months. I love juxtaposing boy stuff, like the shaved back of my head, with girl stuff, like precision-cut bangs and really high heels. So imagine how excited I was when I stumbled across a lovely new collection from [...]

This guest post is written by Haley Mitchell, who I visited earlier this year in her home state of Mississippi. Living in rural Mississippi, in the heart of the Delta, is one of the easiest excuses I can think of for someone to ignore the ethics of shopping, but Haley finds a way. Choosing to [...]

One of the most amazing things about shopping with independent designers: you find odd objects in creative forms. It’s not uncommon for me to come across a piece of handmade jewelry, or intricate skirt and find out that the “ingredients” to create that piece was completely uenxpected. In this case: Those rugged, vintage-feel, gold beans [...]

This week, Awakened Aesthetic is being featured as a Tastemaker on our favorite ethical sample sale website, LovingEco! Like most private sale sites, LovingEco offers deep discounts on beautiful fashion and beauty products…but they’re revolutionizing the realm of limited-time fashion discounts in two ways: Everything item on sale is ethical. From clothing to accessories to [...]

I’m waging an epic battle against a migraine today, and am avoiding taking lunch in hopes that I can leave my day job early and take a nap when I get home. The above sentence is brought to you by the Committee to Create Excuses for Not Making Good Posts. And now, today’s special guest, [...]

One of my favorite films in the past ten years has been Everything Is Illuminated. I recently re-watched it, and was reminded of the romance that comes with being a collector. Not romantic love, of course. That other definition. A quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life. When we collect, we [...]