Ethos Paris Dress Review & Summer Style Link Up

ethos paris dress, neuaura sandals, one mango tree hobo (review), acai bracelet mixed with other beaded bracelets, avon necklace

This Ethos Paris dress offered at the Nancy's Gone Green shop checks off another item on my summer shopping list. The light weight fabric and the breathable armholes passes my "Can I wear it in 100+ Vegas heat?" test. The weather, by the way, is exceptionally warm for June right now. It is expected to be around 117° this weekend!

At first glance this dress appears too long, but there is an easy shortening trick. Pull some of the fabric above a belt or tie waist, which shortens the length by several inches. Original credit for this idea is thanks to Jean.

My approximate measurements of the xs: length of back measures 37 inches, 17 inches just below arm holes. Included is a detached 130 inch tie waist belt.

Chooch was overjoyed to find the shipping box with plastic inside. :)

If you missed my previous post about Nancy's Gone Green, you can check it out here. Nancy and Mary are offering 15% off your order now through July 31 with code fitting15.

This post is also getting linked to Tara's Summer Style post. She is a fellow teacher who will be hosting linkups this summer on Thursdays.

Ethical Fashion: Nancy's Gone Green + Discount Code

"We love fashion. But we hate the sweatshops, child labor, harmful chemicals, and pollution that are too often the byproducts of our industry. We believe in protecting our planet and the people who inhabit it."
- Nancy's Gone Green

Since my original post about changing my shopping habits, I have been scouring the web for ethical fashion. It was difficult at first. Some websites looked sketchy. Others offered clothing that made me look like I was ready for Woodstock (small doses is okay, but not head to toe). Several were in the UK, which would require hefty shipping charges. Eventually (and thankfully) I stumbled upon Nancy's Gone Green. A Boston-based mother and daughter team, Nancy and Mary offer a selection of new, used, and restored items that are on trend and ethical. Shipping is free for U.S. and Canadian residents once you hit that $100 mark, which will be very easy to do. Anything under is calculated based on weight, which should put you in the $3-6 range, unless you have purchased something especially heavy.

Shopping for petites
Mary provided two suggestions for petites: (1) Ethos Paris and (2) the pre-loved section. Mary stated that Ethos Paris styles tend to be short-waisted and offers xs options. I purchased the Seneca Organic Cotton Dress in xs to test out the brand. Here are my favorites from Ethos Paris:

iberia colorblock dress, may organic cotton top, seneca dress

In the pre-loved shop you will find many familiar brands such as Banana Republic and LOFT. Your search can be easily narrowed by size. A search for XS/0 will render sizes such as 00P. Items are described in detail and often include measurements. Some examples of what is currently available:

AT dress in size 00, GAP sundress in size 0, LOFT dress in size 00P, BR maxi in size xs

Accessories
A nice item to add to the shopping cart if you want to reach $100 for free shipping is an accessory. There are several unique pieces that would make great gifts for others or yourself.

pambil bracelet, açaí plumb wrap bracelet, braided acai necklace, acai stretch bracelet
black druzy agate pendant, rock 'n' roll band, edwardian feather necklace, abalone ring

Shoes
One line that especially stands out is Neuraura. I notice several options in size 5, and even these black stilettos in a size 4.5. Here are some of my favorite styles offered:

rukh snakeskin vegan flats, mimosa sandals, kasturi peep-toe heels, adin oxford style flats

My order
A big thank you to Mary who gave me quick feedback regarding sizing for some of the pieces in my order! Expect some review posts soon.

sandals by Neuaura, flats by Reneu, seneca dress, organic cotton soy panties, stretch bracelet

Save 15% offer your purchase with code fitting15 until 7/31

My Meetup With Ping!!

Ping and Tim traveled down to Vegas once again and I got to visit with them quite a bit. Lunch at Bachi Burger and then some strolling around at Town Square Mall, hanging out at the MGM pool, and a night out at City Center. For pics of the first two events and reviews of the food, head over to Ping's post. Here are some images of our night out...

The four of us (us girls and our guys) had dinner at Mastro's Ocean Club (I had the opakapaka...amazing!). We then took some pics around the shops at Crystals in City Center. The woman above was passing by and basically asked to photobomb us! I did not know my way around City Center at all, but we ended up at the Aria where we had dessert at Jean Philippe, Ping and my husband did a little bit of roulette, and then we all sat in a lounge and listened to some live music. My favorite was the drunk guy singing along with the band's cover of "Wonderwall" by Oasis. He was dancing and belting out the lyrics. Ping had the idea to tip him. I regret not having any pictures of our time at the lounge!

cocolove dress (reviewed in 2011), J. Crew purse (review), vintage Avon necklace

This dress has not gotten a lot of wear due to fit concerns around the bust. However, I have now resolved this issue with some removable padding. The necklace is a new and special find. I have mentioned my grandma's jewelry box before. This piece came from another jewelry box of hers that was stored away in my parent's garage. I have been wanting to uncover box number two for the longest time, and was excited to have found it this spring.

Check out our last meetup in Vegas here.

Peaches, Avocado, and Goat Cheese Spinach Salad with Lemon & Honey Dressing

Last summer I was inspired by a Cooking Light recipe for a Prosciutto, Peach, and Sweet Lettuce Salad. So here is how I spun the recipe yesterday, which started my first full week off from school (woo-hoo!):

Ingredient List
     handful or two of spinach
     1 peach, diced
     1/2 avocado, diced
     goat cheese
     sunflower seeds

for the dressing I combined olive oil (about 2 tbs), a couple squeezes of lemon, a few grates of lemon zest, a squirt of honey, a grind of pepper, and the tiniest pinch of kosher salt

Notes and Tips

• When formulating salads, think of it this way: lettuce, 2-4 base ingredients, 1 cheese, 1 nut, and 1 herb.
• A healthier way to approach dressing is to use olive oil, honey, pinch of salt and pepper, and your choice of fresh citrus juice and zest.
• What to do with the other avocado half? My tactic for the least amount of browning is to wrap the half with the pit tightly in plastic wrap. If I have a lemon or lime available I will squirt a dash of that before wrapping, but it is not necessary. I refrigerate and use within a day or two. Since the exposed surface area is minimal, the browning is not too bad. Just remove the pit and shave off a thin amount from the top layer.

Padre loves goat cheese just as much as I do. He is my little vulture in the kitchen. :)

Succulent Garden

A few weeks back I worked on some succulent arrangements early in the morning before the extreme heat kicked in. Below are some shots and commentary on my experience with succulent arrangements. Keep in mind, this is coming from the perspective of a novice.

Above left is my first arrangement last spring. Above right was taken during the beginning months of summer '12.

Above left is that same arrangement after a year of neglect. I did not water it enough. I probably should have taken it indoors when temperatures dropped in the winter. Above right are some of the pieces that I salvaged.

The bottom of the pots were filled with a layer of rock, then topped with basic potting soil. I have seen potting soil for desert plants, which I will get next time. Looking at all the plants, I decided that I had enough for three arrangements.

For each pot, I found it best to start with the cactus. As you can tell, things ended up getting shifted as I progressed.

For display I use this potting bench from Cost Plus. I purchased mine years back, so the colors offered in store may differ. I also think this three tiered stand would be nice.

If you enjoy gardening or are interested in starting out, Mong at Petite Tomatoes has inspiring garden posts. I also enjoy her healthy recipes.

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday! :)

Marine Layer Women's Active Hoodie

As I continue on my personal challenge to place greater emphasis on where my purchases originate, my final decision to buy can be narrowed down to the word transparency. To me, it means that a company does not hide. Pride is shown in the process and the people. In addition to the recently featured One Mango Tree, Marine Layer is another company that I find refreshingly transparent, and I am glad to support these guys. Here are some company highlights:

- Free shipping and free returns. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
- Sense of humor. Especially present on the FAQ page
- Their production and manufacturing process is commendable:

"...every step of our production process occurs in California. This minimizes our environmental footprint and supports 3 American factories that have been in business for over 25 years."

Marine Layer Women's Active Hoodie, size xs in navy.

Approximate measurements: 22" length from mid-shoulder to bottom, 16" width at mid-point and bottom, 24.5" sleeve length from shoulder seam

The interior of the pockets has a color (very slight) and texture variation. An unexpected bonus...thumb holes!!

Besides the comfy hoodie, I would also recommend checking out their Slub V tee (seen on me in xs here), which has been the most reached for item in my closet since purchasing in September.