It has been a while since I did a book review, sorry literary lovers! Mostly I've been reading text books and writing education papers. Any way, over holiday break I finally got to listen to Diane Guerrero's story. I almost bought this book when I saw it's pretty cover at B&N, but listening to Guerrero read the words that Michelle Burford helped her get published was a captivating experience. Some books are just better read aloud by the author. Hearing her emotions come through helped me connect, her experiences are gripping and the kind of sad that is easier to avoid - so having this voice that I know from ORANGE really pulled me all the way in. Oh right and for those of you who haven't read or watched ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (you can read more about what I think about it HERE) or maybe you possibly know Guerrero from the other hit show she is on - JANE THE VIRGIN. I won't get into details about how a girl basically orphaned by the government of 'this country we love' went from parentless in the US to being a famous TV star, that is what the book is for. 

Guerrero was smart in that she steers clear of all statistics or political discourse until the very end of the book. So don't worry this is definitely a 'story, story' - full of emotion that will hook you in before anything remotely dense is thrown at you. The writting leaves a bit to be desired, but the performance (Guerrero narrates the book herself on Audible) is tremendous, she uses voices, lots of personality and a tone that immediately makes your aware of her vulnerability. 

I was a fan of ORANGE but I didn't really take notice of Guerrero until I saw her on the Chelsea Show...

Watching this interview again after finishing the book made me cry. Guerrero nervously laughed through the interview, probably hoping she wouldn't cry. I definitely also cried a few times during the book but it's hard to watch her smile through it and I applaud Chelsea for forcing a serious conversation and for Guerrero who found her stride and finished the short interview with strength and poise. 

​The book ends on a call to action, with several levels. Hearing Guerrero urge people to vote on November 8th, again, made me cry. Because of course, I know what happened on that day. Voting remains to be one of the most influential things that each individual citizen can do each and every time that an election is help, there is no election too small - so Diane, thanks for becoming my friend through this book and for taking action on issues that make my heart sing with their values and hope. 

Immigration is a topic that a lot of people take an inhumane approach to, people take the child and family factors out of the equation in order to maintain an 'what's our's is our's' mentality. I think that stories like this, honesty and understanding will undoubtly be built upon. Please check this book out, gift it to a friend, read, listen and educate yourself about the plights of people who dream of being a citizens in 'The Country We Love,' I believe that together with empathy and intelligence we can find a pathway to get them there. 

​xox, kp

So when I was a child I had the life changing advantage of having parents who read with me every night until I was well into middle school. Some reading this may think that's crazy, why would a super cool 12 year old girl want to get cozy with her mom or dad for thirty minutes every night, taking turns reading aloud and flipping pages while discussing plot lines and character development?! Well I was that super cool girl who did, because it was time to relax, I didn't have a cell phone until high school (also it was the 90s) tech style distraction was still something of the future. And DAMN, am I glad that I had that time, those evenings filled with stories and bonding, it drove my love of reading and learning. 

Yo KP, how obsessed were you exactly?
Well it was a book series about a pioneer family from the late 1800s and I read them with my mother in the mid-1990s so there were no figurines or posters or modern style merchandise to collect - so it wasn't like that. (But truth be told had there been a Laura Ingalls Barbie, I would have wished for it for xmas.) What it was like, family summer trips were dedicated to tracing the paths that Laura and her family took in the covered wagon but I went with my parents, kid brother in a Chevy SUV. I've been to every house that Laura ever lived in, almost all plots of land that were major scenes in the books are places I dragged my family. When we went to my cabin I would pretend that I was Laura and my family were rugged out doorsy people who hunted their food and twisted hay into tight bundles for the fire in order to stay warm and alive. 

Woodside might be one of the only people who loves Laura and the Little House series more than I do. Because she basically spent her life reading and researching the manuscripts and drafts that are scattered about the country in order to put together a more complete picture of how the series actually came to be. I won't devulge too much about the book for people who are marvelously nerdy and actually want to read this amazing peice of non-fiction! But I highly recomment this book to anyone who enjoys history, literary intell, political themes, etc. There is so much in here that I didn't ever imagine I would connect with one of my childhood "best friends." Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this book about my childhood hero and her daughter would have several paragraphs discuss a connection to the infamous Koch brothers but alas it did. And I read all about it.

Laura was all about hard work, family, simple pleasures and to me she was stories that took me away from modern mayhem. So when I was partaking in one of my favorite holiday traditions (a solo splurge of book buying through Barnes and Noble) I saw this book and immediately knew it was coming home with me. 

I've known Laura basically my whole life, everything I come back to her, to the Little House books, I feel calm, safe, powerful and grounded. The feelings I felt reading those books were feelings that wash over me every time I think about her, every time I think about the books, about reading the series with my mother and traveling through those physical places that I'd imagined. Everything I've ever read, online or at the historic sites made it seem like Laura was the star, the her writting and her driving force was what brough these stories and the idea of pioneer power into my life. Reading about Rose and learning about her role, who she was and realizing that she was the real master mind was sort of a blow to a friendship that had never been altered in my life. Laura and I's friendship had been based on it's one sidedness, she was there for me when I needed her, it had only ever been cemented by time and loyalty. And now, a whole book contriducted things I thought I knew about this metaphorical best friend. 

The daughter behind the Little House series, Rose. A girl I knew only from the brief appearance she makes being born during 'The First Four Years,' a book that is not even officially part of the series. A book Laura might have wanted to publish but never got fully edited by Rose and which Rose never wanted to work on but that MacBride published after Rose's death! Ugh. This girl actually guided and aided her mother in the writing of this iconic series, more than the two women wanted anyone to know the series was a collaboration. They were in the midst of dealing with the same depression that was effecting the whole country but they turned their dire circumstances into a money maker like no other, the value of which continues to grow, and not to mention they gave the country a story to hold on to, to admire. 

There is so much to unpack about this whole thing but I will make it quite clear that I grew up LOVING, being obsessed about Laura Ingalls Wilder. I wore a bonnet with braids while I ran around my cabin. I insisted that my mother plan family vacations around visiting the places where the Ingalls lived and traveled. I read the series over and over and have even seen most of the series even though I'm a child of the 90s and that 70s style kind of freaked me out. Pioneer life was all the adventure that my first ring suburb life lacked. I wanted to be Laura, to overcome hardship, to standby my family as we triumphed through the struggles of living off the land. It was a romantic life in my eyes and I thought Laura was everything. Little did I know that the series was a sort of collaborative plot between a mother daughter duo to make money during the depression that our country went through in the 30s. And little did I know that I would like Rose, Laura's daughter a lot in the end. Rose was cool, she was political in the end. She was a founding member of a political party that I find a little wacky and don't agree on about hardly anything but a political party none the less and with that I'm impressed. Libertarians believe in limited government and all sorts of other things that came from noble ideas but that I believe don't take into consideration reality. That said I see the foundation that arose was building from and I admire it, I even agree with parts. Rose hung with the likes of Herbert Hoover, Henry Ford, Jack London, Dorothy Thompson, Sinclair Lewis, etc. She traveled, she wrote and read endlessly. She mentored young men and didn't hold back her intellect but instead used it to shape what she was passionate about.

In 2017, I am going to try to be more like Rose Lane Wilder. I am going to let me my voice be heard and read. I am going to continuously educate myself and dialogue with others about my beliefs. I am also committing myself this year to bipartisan friendships where we can both learn from one another and love one another for our differences. I may know a lot of things about Laura and Rose that I didn't before but that doesn't mean I love them led or that my fantasy friendship is led valid. When you learn more about a friend it brings you closer together. I have more understanding and empathy for these women, this family, than I did before. So glad I picked up this super nerdy read.

xox, katia

This is the first book that I have completed in 2016 and it feels great! As many of you know I am taking a big plunge into the education field. This true life, in-depth report on school reform in Washington, DC peaked my interest from page v to page 270. Michelle Rhee come from an ivy league world, Teach for America work ethic and a Korean American up bringing, her story to becoming one of the most controversial educators is a most interesting one. To me, It's funny to think that Rhee was serving as chancellor of education while I was also living in DC, at the time of course I had probably never even heard her name. For a short time in 2010, I resided in DC and was lost in the world of environmental activism, doing an internship at Greenpeace's US headquarters in Chinatown. I had absolutely no idea that I would eventually take a turn in the road and start chasing the dream of being an educator. But now knowing that this was all happening parallel to another passion I was exploring, in the same city, is exciting and seems somewhat like foreshadowing. 

Luckily for me, Half Price Books was having their 20% off last week while I was getting Dunn Bros and I was lured in to the endless stacks of reading material. I alway peruse the Education section and 'The Bee Eater' ended up in my haul and was then the first book I attacked with my decoding skills. Three days and I was done with 270 pages of inside scoop about what really happened in the DC Public School systems while Michelle Rhee was chancellor and every word was delicious. I learned about date systems, curriculum, more about tenure and teachers unions. I learned more about the kind of teacher I want to be, a kind with SNAP! And more than anything I really dove into a modern epic about how our public education systems work and don't work. The battle behind school reform is a long and detailed story that needs to continuously be explored and progress with new chapters hopefully chronicling more success. I am early in my career but this book will forever be cherished as one of the first piece of literature that I choose to read outside of class in order to better myself as I plan towards becoming an active part of this field. 

I forgive the author's bias and I give this book a 4 out of 5, the reporting is great and I understand the constraints that were being worked under but I think Whitmire could have painted with a little finer detail in regards to Michelle Rhee the human. Whitmire also gets my kudos for teaching me some new words!!

The seemingly quick rise of Rhee up the ladder to being appointed Chancellor of DCPS is told in a detailed manner that weave the details into a understandable, enjoyable and enlightening read by Richard Whitmore. Rhee is made into a sort of mystical, reform-minded, school enchantress, ORRR if you prefer, a dictator of education who has a big fists, a big mouth and no ears. Either way she is a tough, take no prisoners general navigating a sea of interests that are trying to overshadow LEARNING. Check out Rhee's newest project, Student's First to see how she continues to work towards educational progress. I can't wait to do some follow up research to see how the DC Public School System is doing today, as the book was published in 2011, FIVE WHOLE YEARS AGO NOW. Woof. Time flies when you are trying to accomplish goals, learn lots and grow into the butterfly that is inside all of us. 

GO READ A BOOK.
xoxo, KP

 We definitely need our young people to aspire to much, much, much more then Instagram fame. But we also need them to be self assured, and be able to talk about things that matter. We need them to be educated about current events, about politics, about what is happening on the streets and on Capital Hill. Essena can cry and tell us she had all of the symptoms of depression a million times over but she couldn't say that she was in actuality DEPRESSED. If you are going to own it, OWN IT. If you want to get real with it, THEN DO IT.

This social media, anti-reality-world that some young people might live in could very well be an epidemic but more likely it is the exception not the rule. I, personally, am definitely not the 12 year old girl that Essena is doing this for, but I am a girl that wants us to take a moment to breathe this one out and remember the sweet picture that your cousin posted on your grandma's birthday, or the sweet 'How to Pack a Cabin Cooler video' that I posted (NOT SPONSORED BY NORDEAST, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN) or your friend who found his dog, or his apartment, or his girlfriend, because of Facebook.

JUST BECAUSE THIS ONE GIRL HAD A SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION DOESN'T MEAN THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS BAD.
She let herself be defined by it, you don't have to. Use it to express who you are. 

Her "current version of social media" is the exception, not the rule. 

So now the internet has given her exactly what she said she no longer wants, more fame based on nothing.

THIS IS NOT A REVOLUTION. THIS MOVEMENT ALREADY EXIST, there are people living their lives off of the internet everyday. There are activists out challenging corporations, teachers in front of students, nurses and doctors saving lives, journalists telling truths. Just because she wasn't living doesn't mean that everyone with a social media account is a less alive person than one without.

I spend an aggressive amount of time on my computer and my phone but you know what I also spend a lot of time looking in people's eyes, having conversations around a kitchen island with my best friends, talking to my mom on the phone, texting my boyfriend's mother. Phones are not the enemy, social media is NOT the enemy. Greed and self objectification are. Telling girls that their IG photos need to look like magazine ads is the enemy. Yes, I enjoy a pretty picture, but I also posts things that are rough and fun! AND YOU KNOW WHAT?! Social media, the internet, APPS - these things all help me to explore further what I already KNOW ABOUT MYSELF. 

There are people are on the internet doing amazing things with their 'fame'. I am lucky enough to know a fashion blogger turned Stepford Witch Style-Icon who promotes RADICAL SELF LOVE. There are bloggers that promote the slow fashion movement. 

AND THIS GIRL SAYS MOST THINGS WITH AN INCREDIBLE POISE SO I WON'T WASTE MY TIME TRYING TO SAY IT DIFFERENTLY :
"Of course, if we're posting for the approval of others, we will always come up short." - @womanofwanderlust

LASTLY, this is a perfect chance for everyone to use their critical thinking skills. Is this really a big deal? A fashion blogger quit doing the thing that made her money and now is asking you for money to support her new website / pay her rent. Is this only a big deal because you've seen it ALL OVER THE INTERNET? Is it really game changing to 'quit social media' and start a website?! 

USE YOUR BRAINS. Again I apologize for how rough this is but it needed to get pushed out ASAP :)
xoxo, kp

Last Monday night after a long day of working and class, after a long weekend of working and homework I decided to drag my tired butt all the way across the city to one of my favorite uptown institutions Bryant Lake Bowl and Theater. I shelled out my 12 bucks and ran into the theater at 7:03 true to my normal fashionably late nature. I was attending this screening to support a movement that I've been apart of for over 4 years now, the eco-fashion movement in Mpls. I really wasn't prepared to learn anything, or to be moved. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the harmful effects of fast fashion and an out of control clothing industry. And it might have been the sheer exhaustion or my overly sensitive tear ducts but I ended up crying through majority of the film. I even learned a few facts that I hadn't heard before.

The movie addresses everything from Earnest Elmo Calkins and his mantra,' the things you use and the things you use up,' to the cotton farmers in India, to thrift store stats (10% of donated clothes actually get sold at local thrift stores), to personal narratives of those affected. I was reminded of things I knew; that the fashion industry is second only to the Oil industry in terms of how much pollution they out put. And it taught me more about the people putting in work to make change.

+++ This Hilarious SNL skit was featured in the film

Thanks to Sound Unseen for showing the movie and I really encourage everyone to at the very least watch it once, go a little further and tell someone about it, about what you learned, encourage someone else to watch it. If you want ideas on hosting your own showing, reach out to me on my contact page! I'd love to help you spread the word.

xoxox, kp

It's official, I'm twenty five AND MORE EXCITINGLY I'M ONCE AGAIN A STUDENT. I've been thirsting for academia since I graduated with my Bachelor's of Science in 2012, but the cliche about time flying while you're having fun applies very much. 

In the past two, three years, I've experienced some tragedy, a bit of heartbreak, struggles of a diverse nature. But along the way I continued to learn about myself, continued to strive for happiness and did my best to keep positivity in my heart. So here I go, I'm at the beginning of a journey towards obtaining my Master's degree in Education and I could not be more excited.

My relationship with the world of education started with refusing to let anyone else at daycare stand at the front of our pretend classroom. We had a few desks that we used, we imagined that we were students before we were even 5 years old. I loved being at the front and bossing the other kids around with fake worksheets and hair brained grammar lessons. 

My love for the field of education took it's first hit in fourth grade. I had a teacher that was so cold, so corrective that the elementary school public opinion pitied all of her pupils, kids even made up rumors about her. From the moment I knew that she would be my teacher I was terrified. I don't remember what I was particularly afraid would happen but I can tell you what did happen. She preyed on the fact that math didn't come quickly to me. She put me on the spot all of the time, quick to scribble on my papers, breath down my neck instead of patiently guiding. Had she payed attention she might have known that I flourished in one on one moments, in the solitude of my independent hard work. My brain froze and my palms instantly clammy the moment everyone looked to me for the answer, or when someone is over my shoulder scoffing, judging and harping. Aside from her humiliating techniques she also deprived me of my recess on a regular basis so that I could sit inside and do worthless worksheets alone. As if it wasn't humiliating enough that I couldn't master my times tables let's isolate me during the one time a day when social interaction is encouraged.

My mother claims that's when everything changed, my attitude towards school and learning went down the tubes. The days of being an over achieving third grader were over. I never again asked for extra assignments, I never read ahead, I never set the curve. Although I still did genuinely well, average at the least, I never again went above or beyond, I never put myself out there to excel. I did what I had to do to get by because there was no shame in that, no one could make me feel bad because I knew I wasn't actually trying. I could float, never swimming against the tide. 

Middle school were my awkward years, glasses, braces, being 60 pounds soaking wet. I had team teachers in 5th grade, meaning two teachers taught the bulk of my day and then we moved classrooms for things like choir and gym. Ms. Jensen was awesome, strong, silly, she read us The BFG and I'll never forget the enthusiasm she had. Her partner in team teaching was Ms. Hakula, who never did quite get the hang of our class. I don't remember specifically if there was one trouble maker or if we were all horrible, but she cried multiple times in front of us because she just couldn't seem to get us to listen, or engage. It was sad. I'll never forget her look of defeat. 

In high school I spent much of my time being 'too cool' for much other than hockey, my friends and weekend fun. After that four year shit show ended I panicked and went to Century Community College in the fall of 2008. Most of my close friends did the four year university things complete with freshman dorm life and meal plans, I lived vicariously through them of course but was glad I did my own thing. I worked at a restaurant and moved in with a coworker so I could feel free and half asses my way through some English classes and was then turned onto the Art Institute by a friend. Going for a degree in commercial arts combined my creative mindset with my appetite, I was never going to be a starving artist. So without much of a second thought I enrolled before my semester was even finished, bailed on the last few weeks of classes. Failed everything and didn't care because after Christmas break I would be starting a new school. 

The Art Institute was a mixed bag to say the very least. There were parts I loved; the subject matter, the resources, most of the instructors. And there were parts I absolutely loathed; the high cost of credits, the constantly increasing tuition, the fact that during year two I became aware that my educational institution was owned by Goldman Sachs. 

I loathed but I was also heartbroken over a broken promise. I had taken out excessive loans, I had the support of my family, I had all the excitement of a novice traveler, basically had my bags packed for a study abroad trip to London, I was months away from the experience of a lifetime when the school discontinued it's study abroad program. It's was apparently not making them (GOLDMAN SACHS!!!) enough money. Insert my not amuse faced followed by my sobbing face. I was devastated. Distraught. My would have been roommate and internship companion and I were in class when we received the email saying that our trip was not going to happen, we both cried in the middle of class - women in their twenties, crying in class. I know, I know, first world problems right? I didn't get to go to London, boo hooo. But college is a purchase, the way our system is set up it's one of the biggest purchases of most people's lives and we are pretty much forced to do it. Well I have BUYERS REMORSE damn it - a term I learned while overpaying for my degree in Advertising. The major-specific study abroad program was one of the main selling points that I based my college experience on. And I'm not trying to convince you that I spent even the appropriate amount of time fretting over different schools and experiences. As an 18 year old you know the world is messed up and you know you're supposed to go to college so closing your eyes and picking seems about as valid as losing sleep over it all. 

I turned 25 last week, an age that feels important, an age that my 18 year old self probably thought was old. An age I never thought would mean being assigned homework and readings and lectures, but I've never felt more like I am on the right track. I am in love with Education and the doors it opens for people. I want to make a difference to kids, I want to unlock potential in young minds, I want to make learning fun and inclusive, not scary and damaging. 

Unfortunately my Bachelor's of Science is from an institute that from it's conception was about money and not the success or best interest of it's students so it's going to be a long journey of fighting for credit and transferring as much as I can. It could be as long as four more years until I'm even a licensed teacher. I have almost $80,000 in student loans that are for a degree not even accredited on a level equivalent to a four year university but somehow I feel at ease. I am taking steps everyday towards being the person I want to be, towards a career path that I know will be rewarding. I know this is what I want and regardless of the hurdles that life and myself have put up I know I will prevail and be successful. 

The creative, marketing and communications world in which I've been working since 2011/12 is wonderful but it's not my life's purpose. I know that teaching offers the kind of interaction with youth that I crave, it offers stability of work and most importantly the opportunity to touch lives. I will create an impact that people will take with them, into their own lives. Igniting flames of passion and intellect in the heads and hearts of my student's is my new life's purpose.

Follow your bliss, don't always be hindered by what's responsible. Allowing yourself the best chance of happiness and success is responsible, no matter how big of a bite you have to chew on to get you there. You are as young as you're ever going to be, so make changes that will make you happy, jump off into scary unknowns that are calling you. 

xoxo, kp

Fashion is an important part of my life, it's an important part of how I express myself. Somedays I loath getting ready and sometimes I stair into my closet with despair but putting a great outfit together is satisfying. A feeling washes over me when I look in the full length and I feel at my best, I love feeling like I look like the girl that I want to be. But there is a sickness in the world of fashion, there is a sickness in the world from climate change to police corruption and a broken school system. I could go on and on and on about these things but instead I DO things, I buy a greener product, I eat organic food, drive my car less, attend events that promote new ideas and I SPREAD WORDS.

I was in Scotland when I heard about the sad, sad story of Rana Plaza collapsing. I was visiting my brother on his study abroad journey and there it was on the front page of the newspaper at the hotel concierge desk. The picture was graphic and the death toll was much, much lower than it would eventually become.

I had been working with Sol Inspiration's for a while, the issues of fast fashion and careless corporations were becoming closer and closer to my heart. I had been educating myself, learning about the horrors of factories, value perception, cheap labor, etc. But this was on a whole new level, this was an inexcusable catastrophe. 

I took the paper back to my room, I read the article, I watched coverage on TV, I obsessed and read everything online. It took me out of my vacation for hours. I WAS (and AM) SO ANGRY. And so, so motivated. 

LET'S CONTINUE MOVING THAT MOTIVATION TOWARDS REAL CHANGE and a really educated public! 

I will see you on Friday and we will continue making steps in the right direction, the direction that respects the people in the fashion industry as well as the ecosystem that surrounds it. Bring your friends that aren't the ones working for Greenpeace, bring the ones NOT already buying everything they own second hand, bring those friends that LOVE Forever 21 and Charotte Russe. 

Simply bring your friends, your grandma, your neighbor! Invite your social networks and really make this experience one that will change the mindset of many!

Fashion is a beautiful thing, and sometimes beautiful things get out of hand, but it's time to reign this crazy destruction in. We will use education, we will use social media, we will use all of the tools in our box to ensure that our planet no longer has to suffer at the cost of fast fashion addicts. 

xoxo, kp

The Good Lie is a big hearted movie that tugged the tears out of me with little resistance on my side and left me with a full heart, an educated mind and a soft smile. What I love most is that true events were used to create a film, people's lives were lent to Hollywood and a well written screenplay was created. This story incorporates a history lesson, an eye opening experience for movie goers who aren't often faced with the brutal reality of third world countries. It's not Disney, it's not too tame or cheesy but I cried, I learned, I laughed, it touched my heart.

Three of the main characters are acting from experience, these three amazing specimens are Sudanese refugees: Kuoth Wiel, Emmanuel Jal, Ger Duany. And Arnold Oceng is the son of a Sudanese man who came here to experience a new beginning. 

I don't know which parts of the story line are true and I don't care, it was a good movie, full of cold, sobering factual events, characters that are relatable, struggles that all kinds of people can identify with and a warm fuzzy happy ending.

I went to the Redbox thinking that I'd be able to rent Wild, when that was not available I decided to get another movie featuring Ms. Witherspoon and I was not disappointed. Her character is an unlikely hero who is hardly the star of the show. Her participation in this film allowed this story to reach broader audiences and for that she deserves thanks but most of the glory definitely belongs with the 'Lost Boys and Girls,' the refugees themselves. 

I encourage my readers to see films that challenge you, watch movies that you know are going to make your uncomfortable in a way that expands you. Learn things through visual story telling! Everyone loves a mindless comedy or a sappy rom com but honestly your media consumption can be and should be more than small escapes but they can enhance your knowledge of the world. Even a trip to the Redbox can make you a more worldly citizen or a more educated neighbor :) 

xoxo, kp 

Inspired by Gala Darling (one of my life coaches from afar) I've decided to do a Style Direction post, but instead of being for 2015 it's for my 25th year of life. Gala's Style Direction for this year is called Stepford Witch and it is perfect for her. Amazingly girly, bright, empowered but what I needed was a direction that would inspire some excitement about turning TWENTY FIVE in May. Not that I am not excited, but there have been a few different moments when I was a tad bit freaked about the amount of time that has gone by and the amount of time that I might have left on this earth. But you could freak out about that kind of stuff everyday if you aren't living your life to the fullest and I am proud to say that I have collected an amazing amount of memories, experiences and lessons in my 24.9 years!

I've never been a huge trendy follower, I haven't shopped at stores like Forever 21 or H & M in many many years. You may be familiar with my thoughts on fast fashion and the way constant consumption has a large portion of society's priorities way out of whack, which in a lot of ways dictates my style direction. There are many brands that do sustainable in a sexy, forward thinking, trend setting way: Reformation, Stella McCartney, Amour Vert, etc. As my Instagram (#ThriftedHeadtoToe) may have informed you I prefer to shop at thrift palaces, the castles of castaways. I live to find my style amongst the discarded and normally what ends up in my closet is a mess of different looks.

I remember a friend I had in middle school, a fashionable girl whose parents could afford to keep her outfitted in new clothes and plenty of them. This girls would come to school one day wearing her hair crimped, a preppy polo shirt and khakis and the next day she would be wearing too much eye liner and an outfit to make Avril Lavigne jealous. There is also a boy in this story, a boy who called this girl out for her ever changing styles, saying that she was a 'poser,' exclaiming that this beautiful chameleon had no right to change her colors depending on the day. I don't remember having an outspoken or averse reaction right there, on the spot, while this was going down but I know that this happening has stayed with me because I think it is BS. I think a person can put on different looking clothes every day and should be treated with the same amount of respect by those viewing the outfits. Yes I agree with Stacy and Clinton of What Not to Wear, the clothing a person (from a first world country) puts on does in a lot of circumstances let the world know how much you respect yourself but how much a person respects themselves should never tell you how much to respect them. People are precious cargo, be respectful, be loving, no matter what their style. 

That all said, I think that stylizing my closet will make things easier, it will add more ways for me to wear different pieces, it will hopefully gives me a recognizable look. I tend toward chameleon and am often not recognized right away because of my ever changing styling. But for twenty five I think I am ready to commit to style, commit to a direction and really embrace it. 

Have fun with style, have fun with clothes, express your innermost beauty with your actions and let fashion be the cherry on top.

xoxo, kp