The Rosebud Revolution

"Revolutions are not a bed of roses."
                                                           -Fidel Castro

 I am ready for a Rosebud Revolution. I want to wear a riot of florals, but better yet, I want it to MEAN something. The "Bloom Madly!"  in me wants,  to quote Gandhi, "to be the change I want in the world." And I want change. I want to  create change in the way you and I buy and wear clothing. 

This is why I'm proud to share with you the IOU project. The IOU Project makes unique, handmade, traceable apparel. There's a BIG difference in the "I OWE YOU" way than the present-day insane industrial manufacturing practices. The IOU Project sources traditional, artisanal weavers and tailors, who hand loom and hand-craft each piece of IOU apparel.  Because each fabric is unique, they provide end buyers with the ability to trace the process from finished item right down to the weaver that hand-wove the fabric. The stories of how that item was created, of the people involved, of the customers who purchased them, are the essence of the e-commerce social network which The IOU Project has built as a meeting place for a community that shares their brand values of authenticity, transparency, uniqueness and both social and environmental responsibility. 

YOU CAN GET MORE DETAILED INFORMATION OVER ON THEIR FAQ PAGE BY CLICKING HERE. 

It is my hope that this type of business model revolutionizes the present exploitative practices of fast fashions, and reduce harmful sweat-shop  factory manufacturing. 

It is my hope that this new/old way of trade and craft will create a positive change for the fashion industry as a whole. I would love to see an industry flourishing by supporting communities, families and artisans. 

Here's to the Rosebud Revolution!

guest post: Vanessa of Queen VII's Reveries

       
                                                                                                                                                                      
It's a small world after all: Vanessa currently lives in Germany but hails from Sacramento, California. Like some other bloggers, such as Jeanelle of Glocal Girl, I discovered Vanessa randomly, only to find out later that we share the same hometown. Vanessa's blog is called Queen Vii's Reveries, and she and her family have been living in Germany for some years.   She was one of the first people I thought of to ask about second-hand shopping abroad, and the following are her tips on shopping the markets of Germany. 

NOTE:  Vanessa and her family are moving back to the States, so within a couple of weeks, she will officially be a SACRAMENTO BLOGGER, and I can't wait to meet her!

Vanessa:
While living in Europe, I've had some amazing shopping opportunities.  From the Meir in Antwerp to the Champs Elysees in Paris, to the Alsatian streets of Strasbourg and the huge malls of Frankfurt, I've been enjoying the thrill of the hunt in a market stall.   One of the things I'm going miss most particularly in  Germany are the Floh markets and second-hand shops.  These markets are VERY  different than the thrift stores and swap meets of California, and my experiences are something that I will never forget.

I apply my same thrifting philosophy/rules when shopping out here:  

Sprung

Spring has sprung for the Citizen Rosebud

IN Just-

spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame balloonman

 

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer

old balloonman whistles

far and wee 

and bettyandisabel come dancing

 

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and