Llama Drama: Cotopaxi Favorites!

Cotopaxi Favorites! by elbonner featuring a landscape painting

Cool new brand alert! I'll admit, the thing that drew me to Cotopaxi was the llama on the logo, but I stayed for all the awesome outdoor gear! Cotopaxi (named after an Ecuadorian volcano) is an outdoor apparel and gear company that not only makes really cool stuff, but gives back to charitable organizations that work break the cycle of poverty by funding health initiatives, educational efforts, and entrepreneurial ventures for people in need around the globe. I'm always on the lookout for companies with a conscience and I'm excited to try some of the offerings from Cotopaxi! Here are a few things on my wish list:

1. Paray Lightweight Jacket- This is a lightweight, hooded shell that is made for wet runs and summer showers. This jacket packs down small for easy packability and is a great just-in-case piece!

2. Fuego Down Jacket: I am seriously lusting after this jacket. I've been dying for a shorter length puffer jacket to have on not-so-freezing winter days (thanks, global warming) so I'm not having to wear my giant sleeping bag coat and this jacket has been haunting my dreams for weeks! It comes complete with a water resistant finish that keeps you warm even when it's wet. Santa, be on alert!

3. Peak T-Shirt: Simple, royal blue; what's not to like?!

4. Luzon Del Dia Backpack: This happy little day pack is great for quick adventures or just to carry your junk around town. Each backpack is different so it's really individual to you! The workers at their factory in the Philippines get to choose what colors go into every bag, so they were made with love just for you!

5. Libre Sweater: This is actually a pre-order piece, but it screams mid-nineties nostalgia dream and I had to include it. This is a unisex sweater so it can be enjoyed by everyone! It's made from ultra soft llama wool that is anti stink and super flexible for all your outdoor activities!

6. Tiny Llama T-Shirt: Explanation? TINY LLAMA T-SHIRT!!

Any of these items would make a great holiday gift for someone, or even yourself, or even just an any time present for fun! Not only are you treating a yourself to some quality stuff, you're also helping out people in need. Win-win!

COTOPAXI

Shopping Guru: Gifts for Runners

Gifts for Runner by elbonner featuring C9 by Champion


Have someone in your life who runs? Chances are you do, and even though running is basically a free sport, why not capitalism-it-up with some cool stuff your running friends and family won't be able to live without!

(From left to right)

1. Foxtails Sunglasses from Sunski- These lightweight, polarized glasses are great for protecting your eyes on a sunny run. They feature super light polycarbonate frames, and for $58 for polarized glasses they're a great pair for running.  I mean you won't feel as bad scraping these up as you would a $300 pair of Maui Jims? My point exactly!

2. T-Pin Roller: This is a foam roller and a lacrosse ball combined in the way that you can easily roll on it, but you can also really isolate tight areas with the balls (huh huh). If you run, you know the importance of stretching and rolling things out and this product gives you a great tool for your legs, back, and anywhere else you can reach! It can really get into knotty areas that a flat foam roller can't like hips, lower back, and even between your shoulder blades!

3. Injinji Toe Socks: These socks are great for preventing blisters on your toes whilst running. They are the only socks I wear to run and they come in a bunch of colors for the special lady or man runner in your life!

4. Nuun Hydration Tablets: These tablets replace the electrolytes lost when you sweat, keeping you hydrated and on the trail! These are really great for any activity where you'll be sweating a lot and taste pretty darn good. My favorite is the strawberry lemonade!

5. Territory Run Co. Trucker Hat: I still like trucker hats; there I said it! They keep the sun out and the mesh backing is great for ventilation when your head starts to get hot. This company from Oregon makes a lot of cool running stuff and this hat was one of my favorite items! Way cooler than you Von Dutch from middle school.

6. Amphipod Hand held Water Bottle: Holding a normal water bottle in your hand while you run sucks and those hydration belts are so goofy. I just can't! This hand held has a giant pocket big enough to hold an iPhone 7, keys, cards, and a chapstick. It also holds 16oz. of sweet hydration!

7. Avasol Mineral Sunscreen Stick spf 30: This is my favorite sunscreen for my face, especially in the winter because it is very moisturizing. It's non irritating, 100% mineral spf, and now comes in three handy shades! Just because it's winter doesn't mean you don't need the screen!

8. C9 by Champion Headband: C9 is one of the best lines at Target and they have amazing cold weather running accessories. A fleecy headband that covers your ears is a must if you don't want to wear a hat or like having a high ponytail while you run. It gives you some ventilation with the open top, but protects your little ears from the elements!

9. Territory Run Co Merino "Instinct" Socks: Merino wool is great because of its ability to wick away sweat and these socks are damn cute so what's the hold up? Great if you want to keep your ankles warm on chilly runs!

10. C9 by Champion Smart Phone Running Gloves: Running gloves are an absolute must and smart phone gloves are an absolute must. Put them together, and you have these! Use your phone and keep your fingers warm at the same time! Great for catching Pokemon on your warm-up/cool-down (some people still do it!).

Hope that was helpful in giving you ideas for the Forest Gump in your family! Winter running can be cold and uncomfortable, make it better with a few creature comforts this holiday season!

Baggu For You: Reusable Bags That Aren't Heinous

Baggu For You by elbonner featuring red handbags

Ok, Ok, it's only been 600 years since I've done a post, but to be honest, I just didn't think I had anything interesting to say for quite a while. The most stubborn writers block of all time had its kung fu grip on me. But now that the holiday season is here, I've got gift ideas that not only help you out, but the earth too! Queue hippy shit!

Baggu is an amazing company that makes the best reusable shopping bags I've ever had the pleasure of using. They are tough nylon ripstop that can hold up to 50 lbs, and can be washed in the washing machine if they get yucky. They have mesh bags for your laundry or funky gym cloths and they have giant bags which I use every weekend to tote around my laundry or would be good for anyone hauling around bulky items. Because of Baggu's reusable bags I haven't used a plastic shopping bag at the store in over a year. They fold up super small so I'm able to carry four in my backpack purse without compromising space in my bag for other junk. They are great to keep in the car if you don't carry around a purse!

The best part about Baggu is their ever-changing carousel of amazing prints. I get asked about them every time I go to the store! The standard Baggus are a very economical $9 per bag (unless you are wildly wealthy and splurge on the leather Baggu, Daddy Warbucks), and I think that's a small price to pay for less plastic in our environment. So, if you're looking to give someone the give of less plastic trash, head over to their website and pick some up!

BAGGU

Hippie Crap: Tie-Dyeing With Indigo

Two weekends ago I did something I haven't done since I was a Girl Scout; I tie-dyed stuff! Now, this wasn't your typical tie-dye, this was indigo done the old fashioned way. No bottles of Rit Dye this time, everything would be a beautiful deep blue, a little more sophisticated than your run-of-the-mill, Grateful Dead-esque tie-dye. Indigo dye doesn't turn blue until it hits the air, the lime-green mixture oxidizes and turns a deep blue. Because it's a natural dye it take a lot of dipping and re-dipping to get a deeper shade of blue. I dipped each of my pieces four times, waiting 30 minutes between each dipping to let the color develop. To be honest, I wish I had dipped it at least three more times because some of the pieces didn't get as blue as I wanted them,but everything came out really nice! I did four tea towels, one t-shirt, and two scarves and the kit I bought from Amazon came with everything you need (other than a 5 gallon bucket) to dye. It even came with rubber bands and a booklet with design ideas/how-to's that helped me create some cool stuff!

Dyeing with indigo (known traditionally as "Shibori") is super fun, but VERY VERY MESSY! I recommend wearing an outfit you don't mind getting messy, doing the dying on something you don't mind being blue forever, with big rubber dish-gloves, outside where it's alright if things get splattered. It can be a fun thing to do on your fire escape or balcony, just make sure you put down a drop cloth or something. This stuff went everywhere. It also stained my sink when I pour the dye out when I was finished, but It came out with about an hour of hardcore bleaching (flush it down the toilet!). 

Even though the process is a bit time-consuming and messy, it was totally worth it. I'm planning on doing this again to make Christmas presents and any white cotton fabric will do.You can make pillow cases, shirts, scarves, even bedspreads with cool shibori patterns, all with a little $14 kit! I highly recommend it for a lazy weekend! Dye away, everyone!

Get The Kit HERE!

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Valentine's Day Wants

Valentine's Day Wants by elbonner featuring wildfox couture

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and it just happens to be my eight year anniversary with my boyfriend! No, we are not married or engaged yet, no he doesn't secretly hate me but is too nice to say so (I hope not), we just don't feel like  we need to be married to be happy together. Plus, weddings are stressful and expensive; I know I would be crap at planning one. It would be in someone's backyard with a bucket full of Bud Light and some veggie trays. 

Ususally we don't exchange gifts on Valentine's Day, but I made a list of things that I wouldn't mind getting as a surprise! It's really just more of a list of stuff I want at the moment, so no real pressure for the BF!

Wildfox Fox and I Love Coffee t-shirt

Tarte BB Cream in Light

Shark Tooth Necklace- RockaBella Jewels

Lululemon Brushed Wunder Under Pant

Fresh Sugar Lychee Perfume

Beach Boys- Pet Sounds Record, Black Keys- Brothers

Brother Sewing Machine

Deborah Lippmann's Mermaid's Dream Nail Polish

Photo Diary: A Day At The Beach

Okay, like half an hour at the beach. I was down close to the oceanfront doing some errands and thought to myself "Self, why not get some juice and go to the beach!". I miss going to the beach soooo much in the winter time. Since this is my week off all of my coworkers went on vacation to warmer places (Florida, South Carolina, The British Virgin Islands, Fuck you guys!), and since I just didn't have the time or energy to plan a whole vacation I just decided to have a staycation. I have since made lots of good meals, had a Downton Abbey marathon, done my taxes, painted my nails, scrunched the bottoms of a few of my bikinis, colored my hair, and all in just a few days! I'd say that was pretty productive. I've also been to the gym every day and I am so friggin sore. All-in-all, it's been a nice week so far. Here are a few pictures from my beach trip today, nothing fancy, just some stuff from my point of view!

(boots: Minnetonka)

 (necklace: Rockabella)

(jacket: Fjallraven, sweater: Nixon, jeans: Levis, glasses: Ray-Ban)

 (bag: Copper River Bags, blanket: Roxy)

 

(scarf: H&M, glasses: Ray-Ban)

I know it's no great feat of photography, but I had no tripod and some guy was walking his dog and I didn't want to look stupid taking a bunch of selfies. Anyway, hope you all have a good week!

Sew The Seeds

Holy Blog Neglect, Batman! I feel like I have done so little of substance on here lately. After confirming two actual human beings read this blog other than my boyfriend (whom I force to and quiz him on it) so I feel as if I need to step up my game. Unfortunately, this post doesn't necessarily do that, but it has a good set-up! After a macho Super Bowl Sunday consisting of eating salmon, doing my taxes, and watching Downton Abbey I realized that I need a hobby. Sitting on the computer and watching tv are great and all, but only in short spurts and I feel incredibly lazy for having nothing to show for my free time. I have no garden to tend to, I have no dog to talk, and if I keep baking things I'm going to be forced onto The Biggest Loser by my family.

So that being said, I have decided that for my hobby I want to learn to sew. There have been a million and a half times where I have moaned and groaned over not being able to find the perfect dress, swimsuit, or whatever else and have been overcome with a desire to just make that kind of stuff myself. It's a very useful hobby to have. My mom made my formal dresses for me my entire high school career. We would go to the local formal wear shop, look at the dresses I liked, and recreate them for under $100. It was incredibly satisfying wearing something gorgeous that was handmade for me at a fifth of the price of the original. I want to be able to do that for myself. Once mama gets her tax return back, I'm going to buy my little sewing machine, takes a class at a local craft shop and get to sewing! I'm pretty excited about it and hope to share some of my projects on here! Until next time, make something!

More Crap I Think I Need: Roxy Outdoor Fitness

Okay, Okay. I know what you're thinking. Roxy, really? Are we back in high school  wearing hoodies, wishing we could be riding waves around the world all while getting free clothes and living the good life? That is probably what comes to mind for about 99% of my current age group (no longer 18-24 :( ), but something glorious has happened. Something that can justify my hanging onto a dream that really should have been tossed after my first morning complaining of a sore back after doing nothing but sleeping. Roxy has created a line of fitness and workout wear for any age group called Roxy Outdoor Fitness! It consists of technical tees, tanks, and jackets along with shorts, capris, yoga pants, gym bags; you name it. It even has wetsuits, water shoes and sport swimsuits for surfing, stand-up paddle boarding or lap swimming that keep you looking like you're at your junior high swim meet. I'm really liking all of this stuff because they're in fun colors and prints that don't scream "stuff a 14 year-old wants for her birthday".  I'm particularly digging this outfit which would be great at the gym on lifting days:

 Super cute tank with watery, oceany goodness printed on the front along with some bright and stretchy boardshorts are the making of something wonderful. All the fabrics are moisture-wicking, light-weight, and fast drying to keep you from sweating up the place. I'm not usually into workout jackets because it's just an extravagance that I can't justify buying. I just slum around in haggard sweatshirts like someones dad cutting the grass. The jackets in this collection are SO FREAKING CUTE that I could actually see myself shelling out the cash for one:

Love the shorts too. One day when my butt blows everyone away due to its sheer awesomeness, I will have these shorts in every color. I love the color of the jacket and see it being handy on early spring runs and hikes. 

The water shoes are also something I'm keeping my eye on. It may be well known that I am a beach lover and enthusiast of anything ocean-related, but sometimes the ocean freaks me out. Unfortunately, the place where I live does not have beautiful clear water like some sort of tropical paradise. It's a greeny-brown and I've only ever been able to see to the bottom once in my hundreds of beach trips. Touching the bottom is scary sometimes; you can get nipped by craps, step on a flounder, or some funky seaweed that will make you scream like you're being attacked by a thousand sharks. My point is that sometime water shoes are a good idea and having cute ones wouldn't hurt!

So, if you are looking for an alternative to high-priced workout wear or just want an excuse to wear Roxy again and relive your middle school dreams in style, head over to roxy.com and check out their fitness section and explore this great new collection! 

Make A List: Things With Words On Them

Make A List by elbonner featuring Zara t-shirts

I like things that are listed. It's so straight-forward, so simple, everything is laid out in front of you and all you need to do is accomplish what's on the list. It seems so simple! Some lists I can really get behind are some that are popping up on soft, slouchy t-shirts this winter/spring. Wildfox is a big proponent of list t-shirts and have made them a part of their fall, winter and upcoming spring collection. I recently purchased the "Salty Hair" Tahiti Tunic pictured above and it is so soft and wonderful I don't want to take it off. It's technically a beach cover-up, but I've been wearing it around the house religiously. I'm also patiently waiting for the "Breakfast, Coffee, Pancakes" shirt from Zara that lists three of my favorite things. Roam Hawai'i are the makers of the tank in the middle and specialize in hand-screened shirts that make you want to be on a 365 vacation. Don't make others think about what your t-shirt graphic means, just flat-out tell them!

Breakfast, Coffee, Pancakes- Zara
"Pack Up" Tank- Roam Hawaii
"Salty Hair" Tahiti Tunic- Wildfox Couture
"Quit Your Job" Tervis Tumbler- Island Company

Shopocalypse: It Pays To Work

Three years ago, my boss came up with a glorious idea: instead of having a run-of-the-mill office Christmas party, how about I give all my employees an envelope full of cash and drive them to the outlet malls since they've been bitten and thrown up on all year. Today was that glorious day. We visited our local Prime Outlets and went to town. I always feel like I bought a lot of stuff and come home to see it's a moderate amount of stuff compared to some "hauls" you see on YouTube or other blogs. I also do a lot of Christmas shopping for other people, people who may read this blog, so no spoiled surprises!

The outlets my friend/coworker/coshopper and I hit are Levis, J. Crew, ALDO, Cosmetics Company Store, Bath and Body Works, and a few others. Today, I got two shirts and a pair of jeans from Levis, three shirts from J. Crew, and a pair of boots from ALDO. Not bad seeing as I got presents for three other people with money left over! Here's photo evidence from my trip:

(1-3 J. Crew, 4 & 5 Levis) and yes, that's my background is my sofa

All of these tops were super on sale and I am always getting holes in my shirts so I just buy a bunch.I have also resigned myself to being one of those people who wears variations of one kind of shirt: striped t-shirts. I like them, I look decent in them, and when people see a striped shirt they tell me "that's so Emily" so the striped shirt is my thing now. I also figure if something fits well, get it in every color available so that's what I did!

Shirts were not the only thing I got, I also purchased (received in the mail) two pairs of shoes:

(Left- Target, Right- ALDO)

I have wanted sneaker wedges for along time, but I would never ever shell out $600 for Isabel Marant trend shoes. Luckily, target.com had these for $35 so I went ahead and took the plunge. My boyfriend thinks they look a bit silly and called them my Marty McFly shoes. Sounds like someone is jealous and will be kicking himself when he sees me cruising on my hover board with my awesome shoes. They are pretty comfortable for a heeled shoe and give me a bit of extra height which is always a good thing. The second pair are suede ankle boots from Aldo. They look a bit "Marant-ish", but were under $100 and not an entire paycheck. They are super cute and actually look good with my big Fjallraven army jacket. I love boots and can never have enough of them and these really made my day.

After a nice lunch, we drove back home ready for a nap. Tomorrow is Friendsgiving with some of my old college friends and now I'll have cute new stuff to wear! Outlet malls are wonderful things and they have some great deals around this time. Happy shopping everyone!

New Jacket!

My boyfriend is the greatest and bought me a new fall jacket while he was getting a new one. This is the Crinan jacket from Fjällräven and I've wanted it forever, but it was a bit pricey for me so I held off on it. Fjällräven is a Swedish outdoor clothing company that has been around for a super long time. This jacket is pretty basic, but I have a feeling the older and more beat-up it gets the better it will look. It's army green, water repellant, and has a fox patch on the arm which pretty much sold it for me. If you've got the extra dough or want a really good outdoor coat then head on over to fjällräven.com and have a look for yourself.