You guys might have seen the photos I posted to Instagram the other day of Molly eating watermelon. I knew National Watermelon Day was August 3 so we shot them so I could post that day! It’s kind of ridiculous how many national holidays we have celebrating different food but a cute picture of Molly with watermelon was one I couldn’t pass up! And even though they’re kind of ridiculous, it’s just fun to celebrate those days with photos!
Anyway, I absolutely had to post all of these photos for a couple reasons. One, because they’re absolutely adorable and definitely going in frames in our house! But also because I feel like it’s really important for me to share details on this dress I’m wearing. This dress is an up-cycled piece of clothing. It’s hard for my to explain the difference between up-cycling and recycling. From what I’ve read, recycling is when you take a material like a plastic bottle and then it’s turned into a less usable material that will ultimately end up in a landfill one day. But up-cycling is when you take a product and reuse it to either make something better or something of similar quality and the cycle can happen over and over again which reduces energy consumption. I’m not really explaining it fully, if you wanna read more about it, this is what I googled and read myself.
1. MY DRESS | 2. CUFF BRACELET | 3. MOLLY’S TOP | 4. MOLLY’S PANTS | 5. MARBLE CHEESE BOARD | 6. FARM FRESH VEGETABLES SIGN
Either way, both recycling and up-cycling are super important! I remember back when I was the Bachelorette on ABC people used always asked me what I was looking for in a partner and one of the things I would frequently say was “He has to recycle!” Really! If a guy isn’t super into recycling, it’s a total deal breaker in my book. Obviously, I’m not looking for a man anymore, but back in the day when I was dating it was important! And I ended up marrying a guy who is just as into recycling as I am! In fact, we just had to request a second blue recycling trash bin from the city for our house because we are producing so much more recyclable material than actual trash – which I’m really proud of.
With that said, I buy a lot of clothes. That’s my one thing and I know it’s not necessarily best for the environment. That’s just the truth! So even though I do my best to reduce my carbon footprint in many other areas of my life, buying clothes is just one of the things that I do for me. But I also realize that I can help reduce my carbon footprint by trying to buy more up-cycled clothing. And this dress is one of those things!
1. MY DRESS | 2. CUFF BRACELET | 3. MOLLY’S TOP | 4. MOLLY’S PANTS | 5. MARBLE CHEESE BOARD | 6. FARM FRESH VEGETABLES SIGN
And honestly, it is one of my favorite pieces of clothing ever! It’s just so darling! Don’t you think? It’s perfect for me to wear around the house during the day so I don’t feel like a complete mess all the time. It’s just a bonus that has a button up front so I can nurse Riley in it. And it’s cute enough that I can throw on some espadrilles or wedges and go out for the day. It has a real farmhouse feel to me. I feel like this is something Joanna Gaines might wear while feeding her chickens at her farm. Ha! I also think it would be a great maternity dress!
And at under $80, it’s a really good price! I think one of the reasons I haven’t written about as many up-cycled pieces of clothing in the past is because they tend to be really expensive. And they should be expensive honestly. They’re helping make the world a better place! So the fact that this dress is super cute, versatile, and affordable is a win-win-win in my mind! Size down if you get it FYI. I’m normally a medium and I got a small. But it is ALMOST too tight on my chest when sizing down. But I decided I was okay with that because I know my chest size will go down soon once breastfeeding is more established. So if you are really busty (DD or bigger), you might want to get your regular size. 🙂
Anyway, I’m going to do my best try to find more items like this in the future and I encourage you guys all to do the same when you’re shopping! And check out my cuff too because it’s 50% off right now and a piece I wear all the time!
Here are some more cute pictures of Molly eating watermelon! 🙂 Enjoy!
1. MY DRESS | 2. CUFF BRACELET | 3. MOLLY’S TOP | 4. MOLLY’S PANTS | 5. MARBLE CHEESE BOARD | 6. FARM FRESH VEGETABLES SIGN
So lovely.
You make me want to crunch!
Gosh, you make me want to have watermelon now! It’s perfect this time of the year! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I had no idea that UO was doing an upcycled line. I’m constantly trying to reduce waste. Clothing and fabric waste is a huge pet peeve of mine, so I love that they’re doing this. I wish more companies would focus on reducing waste in the garment industry – along with ethical labor.
If you’re interested in a great company making no textile waste, check out Tonle design. http://www.tonle.com – no I have no vested interest in them, I just admire them as a business who sets an example for mine.
I didn’t know until recently. They have super cute stuff! And thanks for the suggestion 🙂
I love your post! Those watermelon photos are the best! Molly’s little voice was just precious! And I love the dress 💖
All of these pictures put the BIGGEST smile on my face.
That dress is darling and totally farmhouse style. I’m glad you mentioned that it is probably maternity friendly because i have one trimester to go and think it would be cute to wear in the office or around the house! Is it see-through at all?
This weekend I also just bought that shirt Molly is wearing! It’s full price online, but was only 9.99 in store!
Not see through at all!
And that’s so great you got that price!!!
Love the darling pics and the fact that up-cycling is being done by multiple companies.
Hi Ali. Huge Bachelor franchise fan. I buy all my clothes at thredup.com. Seriously amazing name brands and off brands, and you can return items that don’t work. They reuse their shipping boxes, too. Have a great day!
I just discovered them and LOVE what they are doing!!!
Hi Ali, just wondering what is Molly standing on next to your kitchen island? My little guy (21 months) loves watching and helping me in the kitchen but he isn’t ready to stand on a stepping stool yet.
Awesome that you are big on recycling, but your wording makes it sound like some people throw all their recyclables in the garbage?! Please say it isn’t so! It is everyone’s responsibility to do their part for our planet, and basic recycling and composting is made pretty easy in most places. That’s said, I’m in Canada and we have great programs that recycle everything from styrofoam to granola bar wrappers, while when we go to the US we often actually bring our recycling home because facilities aren’t in place to handle them! That seems crazy to me and we need to do better! Honestly, we have recycling bins in our campgrounds here while sometimes I can’t find them in American airports!!
I love this! I am known for carrying around miscellaneous items in my car until I can properly recycle them. I’m so happy Canada takes it so seriously. I wish we did here in the United States. Thank you for all of your efforts!
Since you do buy a lot of clothes, you should check out US Again. It’s a textile recycling company that does a ton of good. Old smelly socks and holey underwear can be recycled too. Who knew! Great read. Thanks for sharing.
I wondered the same thing, what is Molly standing on next to your table?
This post is incredible. Thank you for using your platform to bring awareness to recycling. It means so much to those of us who take it seriously. You’re such an incredible person. Thank you, thank you!
You publish many pictures with food, but I have never seen you actually eating anything!!
Check out the H&M clothing recycling program. Each bag donated gets you a 15% off total purchase coupon! I would love to see you feature this program on your blog.
Molly is so adorable! I love the photos.