The best things in life aren't things... unless you're packing!

Another guest post from the newly minted high school grad...Ms Gretta!

So I know that the best things in life aren't things. And usually I don't pay a ton of attention to them. But as I pack to go off to my job at camp and then on to Knox, I have to think about what things I actually need/want/enjoy having around me. I've been culling through all the stuff in my room, including getting rid of math tests from freshman year that I thought might be helpful in the future (they weren't) or 10th biology notes I thought I might use to study during senior AP Bio (I didn't). But here are a few of the things that I've found I can't part with.

Necklaces!

The beet is from an etsy shop called GreenLeafandOwl. Now the whole world can see my love for beets!

The fern is from a shop in Woodstock, VT called Arjuna. It's filled with fun stuff, and when I saw this, I knew I couldn't live without it!

The peapod was spotted in Northhampton, MA. My mom and I saw it, and I couldn't get it out of my mind for like 3 years! So I was ever so pleased when for my 18th birthday I got a card saying it was on its way! It is designed by Michael Michaud for Silver Seasons.

This cute little clutch is a vintage piece. My sister Lindsey found it somewhere and loved it throughout college. She has ever so graciously passed it on to me, so it continues to be loved. I think it's great that something that is well made can be passed down.

I absolutely could not live without my Vermont Bee Balm. They sell it at the Hunger Mountain Co-op, and it is by far the best lip balm I have ever used! I love my chapstick, so I hardly ever leave the house without it.

And then there are the pins. I can't resist a cute pin, and they tend to be cheap, too, so I've accumulated a ton. This is about half my collection. You can add them to a bag, or if you're going to a political event, you can canvas all your opinions, right there on your shirt! :) For example, you can see a pin sticking out that is a rainbow Connecticut. It says "Come Get Married". I bought it at the True Colors Conference this spring, shortly after Connecticut deemed a ban on gay marriage uncontitutional.

This belt is my most recent addition. Hannah gets a lot of hand-me-downs from a woman she babysits for, and offered me this! It's Lucky Brand, which I would probably never buy from, but I love it! It's pre-loved, quality, and beautiful!

So, if you are going to have stuff, I guess it's pretty important to love what you have. I'm beginning to mature a little in my fashion sense, and I'm beginning to invest in quality things that I really love. In my opinion, trends are a waste of time and resources. I'd rather buy things that are responsible and are hopefully eco-friendly and local. I love getting things that are handmade (like the beet), things that are pre-loved (the bag and the belt), and things that are ME (all of it!). If you genuinely LOVE something, and aren't buying it because everyone will think you're so stylish, you'll end up keeping it longer and taking better care of it.