Giveaway for Bloggers - Win Two Gorgeous Template Designs // CLOSED

Lately I've been getting a lot of emails asking for advice from people starting up their own blogs. Well, along with being patient and not expecting your blog to become a mega-success overnight, another piece of advice that I usually mention is having an eye-catching layout and header! So the timing is perfect for those of you who are either starting up a blog, or wanting to renew their layout - Allie from Call me Sassafras is giving away two premade blog templates to two of my blog readers! The package, worth $25, contains a layout of your choice, personalized with your blog name and tagline (optional), customized social media buttons, a matching ad button, category bars and a signature for the end of your posts. Here are three of the gorgeous designs you could win - you can see the full set here! How you can enter (all steps must be done for a valid entry): + Let us know which template you would choose if you win! + Leave your first name and email address so we can contact you if you win! + Be following both me and Allie in at least one way: You can follow us on Bloglovin' (Annika, Allie), Facebook (Annika, Allie) or Twitter (Annika, Allie). Let us know how you follow us in the comments section of this post. Must follow at least one for each of us. Giveaway is open until the 9th of November to everybody around the world (though please only enter if you have a blog or are about to start one up), and there will be two winners. Good luck! UPDATE 2 winners chosen on the 10th of November:   You will be contacted very shortly! Thank you so much to all our lovely entrants. Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Chictopia | Lookbook | Tumblr

How To: Swimsuit Styling

This post originally appeared on Birdeemag.com. You can read it on Birdee here. When I was a teenager buying a swimsuit was an immensely painful process. Living in a regional area, I basically only had a few local surf-shops available to me and from that I assumed that the only style of swimmers that existed were those teeny tiny triangle-top bikinis.  Once a year when I needed a new swimsuit this caused a lot of angst about my small bust which I (very wrongly) equated with being less of a woman. On the other hand, any one-pieces were always very functional, unflattering, and, I thought, only worn by little kids.  However, I know now that the problem was with the swimsuits, not my body. There are in fact so many different styles of swimsuit out there, and I wish I’d found out about them sooner. I’ll be running through all the different types of swimsuit I’ve discovered so far, and also demonstrating how to style them up into an outfit – swimmers need not just be for swimming in! Retro-style bikinis   I feel far more comfortable in this style of bikini for the simple fact that they are not flimsy, and are also very flattering. They make running around at the beach or pool a lot easier, anyway, as you’re not constantly having to readjust and double check that your various bits aren’t flying out. These swimmers are great with anything high-waisted. A lace or crochet top thrown over the top works perfectly, and longer-style bandeau tops can be worn with high-waisted skirts and shorts in matching colours. Modern One-pieces I’ve seen some seriously great designs on one-pieces lately. Two unicorns chilling in an ice-kingdom? Check. The other day I saw a swimsuit covered in photo-realistic ice-creams. It was beautiful. These swimsuits are far more interesting than the strictly functional and sporty one-pieces that I remember. Retro-style one-pieces A lot of stores have been making replica vintage one-pieces lately, with very flattering cuts and adorable prints. This Cadillac swimsuit below is one of my favourite pieces ever: Plus, they look damn good with a pair of high-waisted shorts. This particular swimsuit was from Asos, though Modcloth also has a large range of retro-style one-piece bathing suits – however they tend to be a little pricey and I’ve never bought one for myself. They do have good reviews, but if it doesn’t fit it’s somewhat hard to return, because they’re based in America! A solution for those wary of buying swimwear online is below.  Vintage one-pieces I have a friend who somehow manages to always find incredible one-pieces from Vinnies and Salvos, but I don’t know how she does it – the swimsuit pictured below is actually from a vintage boutique. That means it was pricier due to it being hand-picked (around $40), however I think it was completely worth the purchase because it can also very easily be worn as a top. But I always make sure to check the swimsuit section in op-shops, just in case (I’m still on the lookout for that sparkly gold one-piece). A vintage one-piece looks fantastic with a long vintage skirt or some high-waisted shorts and a cropped jacket.  Modern bikinis   Okay, so I know that I just had a bit of a rant about these, but they are okay if you can find the right one for you (in my case, a top with enough fabric that actually covers my bust). They are for those summer days when you’ve bothered to remove any body hair that’s grown outside those ridiculously tiny confines. And they do look cute with a pinafore style dress, I’ll give them that. That all said: summer really shouldn’t be about focusing on your appearance. You don’t exist just to look pretty. But it’s nice to own some swimmers that you feel confident in – then you can forget about them and have fun. 1st Swimsuit is from ASOS (sold out, but this is similar), 2nd swimsuit is from Romwe (review here), 3rd swimsuit is from ASOS (sold out), 4th swimsuit is from Asos (sold out), 5th is thrifted and 6th is from a store in Italy whose name I forget. Have you got any swimwear tips you want to share? Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Chictopia | Lookbook | Tumblr

A Pocketful of Posies

Dress is from Lady V London (made in London), petticoat is from Ebay, bag is from Italy, shoes are from Yeswalker, socks from Tutuanna. Photos are by Ana Andrés. The sweetest little old lady came up to me and hugged me on the bus while I was wearing this dress, and I think that's the best compliment I could have gotten. When I'm a (hopefully) cute old lady, someone please remind me to hug random well-dressed people - it's basically the nicest thing ever. New Scientist recently created an interactive map of all the "Earth-like" planets in our galaxy. These are "habitable" planets - planets that may not be exactly like Earth but could probably host life. Extrapolating from a small section of sky that Kepler has been searching for the past four years, New Scientist has estimated that there are 15 to 30 billion Earth-like planets in the Milky Way alone. See the map here. And you can also read my posts about the potential for alien life existing in our own solar system here. Have a great day, Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Chictopia | Lookbook | Tumblr

Ethical Clothing Directory

[November 2015 UPDATE: I'm removing inactive stores and adding some new ones! Check back soon for a fully-updated list!] When I made this post about a month ago about switching to ethical fashion, I soon realised that there wasn't really anywhere left for me to shop. It seemed like hardly any retailers I knew and loved had taken the steps to ensure that their workers were being paid fairly and had good working conditions. And a quick google search for "ethical clothing" only yielded either super-extra-organic-made-in-the-depths-of-the-himalyas-enchanted-by-the-breath-of-a-fairy sack-style clothing (always in "earthy tones" too for some reason), or beautiful indie dresses selling for $500 a pop. I was starting to think that the only way for me to get "new" clothes would be visiting second-hand stores and making my own stuff (which is still never a bad idea, don't get me wrong). But never fear - there are stores out there! They're just pretty hard to find! For the past month or so, I've been putting together a little ethical clothing directory of established stores (inspired by Ron's own curation) with clothes which actually suit my style and my budget. I've basically sorted out a place to shop for everything that I might need in my wardrobe - and all are around the same prices of clothing that I used to buy from retail stores, anyway. I hope that those of you who are wanting to buy more ethically, but also don't have unlimited money, will find this very useful. Note: if you are having trouble viewing this post or are on a phone/tablet, click here.  Clothing   Undergarments & Swimwear Jewellery and Accessories Sunglasses Bags Fair trade bags (as in satchel and messenger bags, not just handmade tote bags of which there are a plethora on etsy), were a difficult item to find. Hearts seems to be the best option for bags: And while not particularly cheap, Cambridge Co. and Zatchels are ethically produced and made to last: Boojiboo Boutique and JH Fabric Creations from Etsy do cute handmade messenger bags that aren't particularly pricy: And this store makes bags out of recycled fire hoses: Tights and Socks Birkshire and We Love Colours are both made in the USA as well. Footwear I hope that someone out there has found this list useful! The hardest thing about letting go of those retail stores, especially if you're a poor student or young worker, is that the pricing is sometimes too attractive to walk by. Well, now there's no excuses. If you think of any stores I should add to this list, let me know below! Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter |  Instagram | Chictopia | Lookbook | Tumblr