shops to inspire: the leather company

photo credit: the leather company
facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theleathercompanyph

things you can give up to save our planet

earth is a living being that nourishes, protects, and provides life.  no earth, no mankind.  here are simple things you can easily give up to save our dying planet.

incandescent bulb.  i put it first on the list because it is the easiest and requires no major lifestyle change.  choose cfls or led lights because they are the most efficient and cost-effective options in the market today.  do a quick google search to help you decide which is better for your needs.

cable and tv set.  boob tubes are like junk food for the brain.  it is filled with senseless advertisements which program your brain to choose a particular brand and create a disposable mentality.  besides, you can get your entertainment fix somewhere else for minimal carbon footprint such as at your nearest public library or second-hand bookstores.  please get a hobby that doesn't require a screen.

smart phone.  sure, it is considered a necessity in our fast-paced society, but did you know that smart phones are made to last for less than 5 years only?  this unfortunate truth contributes to tons of e-waste each year and poisons many of our landfills.  although i put my basic phone on a hiatus, i am forever grateful for it.  life still goes on.

washing machine.  doing your laundry by hands is not as difficult as you may think.  i wrote my experience about it here.

excesses.  do you have a huge stockpile or multiples of the same thing?  the more we accumulate stuff, the more we think we have less.  i used to be a hoarder not long ago, but thankfully, i was able to downsize my belongings to only the essentials.  more is not always more.

brand new stuff.  not everyone is willing to buy used goods because there is a stigma attached to it.  many consumers are programmed to think that brand new is always better.  so, to all my fellow thrifters and vintage lovers, let us continue to make a difference while having fun doing it.

there are things that i'm still working on such as my dependence on bottled water and fast food.  with the right mindset, however, i know i could completely eliminate these useless junk in my life forever.  we'll see...

hallway makeover (sold)

the yellow walls with heart-shaped chalkboard paint in our hallway before was pretty cute.  for a more cohesive look, however, i decided to paint it a warm and inviting hue of orange.  besides, the yellow paint was quite difficult to maintain because it showed a lot of fingerprints and dirt marks.

i used three ikea hyllis to serve as a display-slash-storage rack for my online merchandise.  ikea hyllis is one of my favorite products from the brand.  it is quite affordable and very easy to put together even without any help.  just a side note though, please attach it to the wall when you have kids to avoid any unnecessary accidents from happening.  there are pre-drilled holes where you can secure the unit to the wall with screws.

these handcrafted woven mat bags are still waiting for their right owner.  if you want them, please email me so i could put them on hold for you.

hello, plants!

here's the customary before shot.

lessons learned from decluttering my bedroom

this is my walk-in closet before i transformed it into a small bedroom.  i simply couldn't remember when or where i wore these much clothes.  one thing's for sure though, buying them at the time made me a little less lonely.  however, the "high" i got from shopping was rather short-lived.  i realized now that accumulation of nonsensical things is just a temporary solution to problems, like a band-aid to a deep wound.

thankfully, i happened upon the book by marie kondo titled, the life-changing magic of tidying up: the japanese art of decluttering and organizing.  it changed my life forever.  all i really needed was a gentle nudge from the goddess of organization.  letting go of sentimental things wasn't so bad after all.

my life became simpler and easier.  i even wore the same black t-shirt and grey jeans for more than a month.  no one cared, no one noticed.  people are too busy looking at their phone nowadays.

more decluttering led to more self-discovery.

my current space gives credence to that old adage, "the state of your room reflects the state of your mind."  it is now filled with carefully selected items that speak to my heart.  i became more mindful about all the things i surround myself with.  nothing too fancy or extravagant, but mostly with history or character.  if only i could furnish my bedroom with all second-hand goods, i certainly would.

please take a moment to look around your house.  what does it say about you?  knowing your authentic self is the beginning of all wisdom.

more bedroom makeover here:
http://brandylovesvintage.blogspot.com/2015/06/diy-650-pesos-closet-to-multi.html

http://brandylovesvintage.blogspot.com/2015/11/new-bed-frame-and-new-bedroom-layout.html

http://brandylovesvintage.blogspot.com/2015/10/bedroom-four-months-post-konmari.html

http://brandylovesvintage.blogspot.com/2016/04/no-bed-bedroom.html

is sustainable the new chic?

all famous fashionistas are wearing vintage nowadays.  incorporating a well-loved vintage piece to your outfit - whether a pair of shoes, bag, or statement jewelry - will instantly add interest to the final look.  there's a sense of surprise when you mix new with old.  french women, the master of laid-back elegance, call it je ne sais quoi.  i call it sustainable chic.

the same idea goes with home decors.  if you fill your space with mostly new things, it will start to look like a catalogue.  it can get boring when you see the same item from one blog to another.  second-hand furnishings, on the contrary, add life to a monotonous space by injecting personality, soul, and character.  thanks to trends (although i will not call them trends as they are here to stay forever) such as new bohemian and global eclecticism for giving significance to curated look.

using locally-made products is also another way to chic-ify your life.  i don't see anything stylish about a person who supports poorly made goods that take up tons and tons of non-renewable resources to create, market, and ship to another land.  or, the fact that those goods will take thousands of years to decompose.  a chic person creates rather than destroys.

the current diy movement is also a huge advantage for chic people.  diy products are mostly one-of-a-kind, so it's a surefire way for you to standout in a sea of mass-produced loving crowd.  besides, there is a certain sense of pride when you create something by yourself and with your own hands.

sustainability is not just a fad but a way of living.  achieving chic status while lessening your carbon footprint is just a plus.  so, is sustainable the new chic?  apparently it is.

selling: woven mat bags - bulk/lot (sold)

these gorgeous woven mat bags are now available for you to carry.  a ubiquitous beach staple that is now as classic as leopard print and black skinny jeans, you can dress it up or dress it down depending on your mood.  handcrafted and 100% made in the philippines.  please inbox me for further details.

many thanks!

price: 1700
location: behind sm molino, bacoor, cavite
for pickup only, sorry.
email: brandylovesvintage (at) gmail (dot) com

size: speedy 30.

size: speedy 35.

size: medium to large.

size: large to xl.

konmari and my journey to minimalism

i lived a "normal" teenage life prior to konmari.  i used to buy, buy, buy just to satisfy my insatiable appetite for material things.  sure, all the purchases made me happy, but the happiness was rather short-lived.  i had to blame my discontentment on my insecurities, peer pressure, and the ever-present lure of advertising.

as time passed by, my soul felt emptier.  i knew in my heart that there's more to life than chasing superficial things and external validations.  so on my early 20s, i became a minimalist by choice.  my story was far from happy ending though because i had occasional relapses, especially after an intense argument with family members due to my mom's relatives.  to numb the emotional pain, i picked (expensive) food as my drug of choice.  i gained a hell lot of weight, but at least, i didn't get angry everyday.

fast forward to year 2015, i chanced upon a book by marie kondo titled "the life-changing magic of tidying up: the japanese art of decluttering and organizing" through my facebook feed.   i thought i only needed it to pare down my overflowing closet, but something major eventually happened.  the lack of clutter, literally and metaphorically, helped me listened clearly to my authentic voice.

my perception about life completely changed.  i had learned to let go of material things, people, and experiences that didn't add any value to it.  i became a more mindful, conscientious consumer.  also, i finally lost all the added weight that i had been meaning to lose for months.  minimalism, once seemingly unattainable, became a natural part of my identity.  living with less made me a complete person - and, the transition was enjoyable thanks to the magic of konmari.

what will i create today?

i always ask myself this question to help me achieve a more fulfilling day.  i do this as soon as i wake up in the morning or whenever i'm in the shower because the little amount of solitude makes it easy for my mind to wander.  it could be as basic as creating inexpensive homemade cleaning solution or as laborious as revamping a room in our house.  you could also create ways on how to share your time and/or resources with other people in need.  if you are skilled in photography, why not create a series of pictures on a single theme that fascinates you?  the trick is to just create something - anything, really - even if it's not perfect.

i got this bracelet with "create" metal charm as a giveaway during the light-up-your-life visual board playshop by pinay.com.  since i don't wear any accessories, i keep this inside my workspace drawer as a daily reminder to myself.  this simple yet super stylish unisex bracelet was lovingly made by istorya creations.

you may visit istorya creations' facebook fan page for more adorable designs.  rest assured that whatever you choose will be uniquely yours.  so, feel free to inbox them for further details about customization, bulk orders, et cetera.

facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/istorya.creations/?fref=ts
email:  istorya.creations@gmail.com