{"id":7303,"date":"2015-02-02T00:00:19","date_gmt":"2015-02-02T06:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.walkingwithcake.com\/?p=7303"},"modified":"2015-02-01T17:28:56","modified_gmt":"2015-02-01T23:28:56","slug":"new-leaf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walkingwithcake.com\/?p=7303","title":{"rendered":"A New Leaf"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Walking<\/a>

(Pink hydrangeas on my dresser.)<\/p><\/div>\n

Somehow it’s February, and I can’t believe it! The days are passing so quickly, and warmer weather is just around the corner. Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been working on a new project, and while it’s still far from completion, I feel confident talking about it now. I’m in the planning stages of opening an online store that will feature ethically curated clothing and accessories!<\/p>\n

My love for fair trade and ethically-made clothing is obvious, and while I also love supporting these brands and shopping for new pieces, it’s not really practical or necessary for me to buy things all the time. I try to limit my spending, and when I do buy new clothing, I always seek out ethical pieces. When I shop for gifts, I look for ethical options, and I enjoy giving fair trade presents to people who might not know about the concept yet. What better way to share ethical fashion than by providing it myself?<\/p>\n

Over the holidays, I ran across an article<\/a> about a local fashion shoot that featured several Austin-based ethical stores. The owners of the stores wanted to show that they are working together toward the same goals, and Austin is truly emerging as a leader in fair trade and ethical clothing and accessories. Since I technically live just outside Austin, I realized that my area of town could really use an alternative option to mainstream clothing stores, and the wheels in my head started spinning.<\/p>\n

Opening a brick-and-mortar store requires an enormous financial investment, as well as hours and hours of blood, sweat, and tears. As much as I love the idea of running an actual store, that’s not in the cards for me at this point in my life. I’m a busy wife and mom, and while my boys are getting older, they are still quite young and require my undivided attention for large parts of each day. Still, it’s a long-term goal I hope to focus on at some later date.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, an online store is a very feasible option, and since I’m pretty schooled when it comes to ethical fashion, this seems like a natural fit for me. I’m starting very small and getting all of my ducks in a row, but my goal is to open by late spring or early summer. I have a name in mind that I’ll announce at a later date, and I’m working with Kory Woodard<\/a> again to design my store logo. Things are moving along at a steady pace, and I’m really excited about this project. My new store won’t take over the content of my blog at all, and I plan to keep the two quite separate. But I’ll be sure to keep you updated and let you know as soon as the store is ready to open!<\/p>\n

<\/div>