One of our favorite Do It Yourself crafts this holiday season is the Magazine Wreath. Not only is it easy, but it looks really freakin’ cool! Trust me; none of us are Martha Stewart here, so if we can manage to make this wreath, anyone can. 😉
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Restoring a True Travel Happy Bus
Owning a Volkwagen bus, the iconic ‘hippie bus’, is a blast, buds! I own four, a ’79 Bay & a ’67 Kombi will be the ones I keep, but I also have another Bay & another Kombi as parts buses. Basically, I operate on a happy hippie bus vibe. It’s a good place to be.
One thing I can tell you about having a Vw bus… everybody has a story to share of a bus they owned, or someone they know owned, and those stories are usually a hoot to hear. Mainly because Vw buses are finicky little creatures with distinct personalities and particulars. It’s always an adventure in a Vw bus! Another thing is that Vw owners are one eclectic group of peeps. I’ve been introduced to some really flipped-out characters along the way. There’s a strong possibility I’m a flipped-out character myself 😉
If owning a bus is a labor of love, restoring one is a test of endurance. I’ve been working on my ’79 Bay for almost two years. I wanted to be part of the entire restoration. My hands have sanded every square inch of my bus. I was part of the engine removal from my parts Bay. See, that sounds easy enough, but what it really means is that I was crawling all around underneath it and even jumping up and down on a crowbar at one point! I’ve been greasy and I’ve been tired, but I am still in love with that bus.
That’s why the Travel Happy Bus tee is perfect for me! When it popped up on the New! tab, I just laughed out loud. Soul Flower, you just get me….you really do. The tee is made from organic cotton, which makes me happy. It is a soft tee and feels great when you’re wearing it. The color is natural, not a bright white. And, just like the real thing, the Happy (hippie) Bus tee is a conversation starter. People smile when they see you wearing it and they want to know where you got it!
If you’ve caught the bus vibe and just have to have one of your own, my advice to you is to check out Craigslist and the mecca of all things Vw…thesamba.com. Come on and take a free ride, buds! Peace!!
Growing Up Organic
My love for these little onesies runs deep. Of course the messages on them are right up my peacenik alley. As a dyed-in-the-wool pacifist who wants her kiddos to spread love not war, I am proud to have my baby wear her “Pick Flowers, Not Fights” message. And that’s saying a lot for me because in general I am not a fan of clothing with words, but this is an exception indeed. And the “Let It Grow” onesie is just too sweet. If there is one thing babies do like crazy (aside from poop) it’s GROW!
Sometime baby onesies are paper thin or rough and poorly sewn. I guess people figure because your kiddo will grow out of it so quickly, why bother? Not these though! The fabric is thick and soft and it’s very well made overall. It’s the sort of onesie that will take a lot of abuse as my baby scooches around the floor and will still have plenty of life left to pass the love on to the next little bud.
~Cindy
Bonnaroo Bound: Festival Packing Tips & Picks
Woohooooo!! Bonnaroo is this weekend! Got your tickets ready and your bags packed?
Packing always seems like it’s going to be so much easier than it is; damn tricky bags and their size limits! But it doesn’t have to be so bad. Considering all the sweet festivals that will be making this summer amazing, we figured we’d help you out with a few Soul Flower picks that are perfect for packing! So, here goes:
You’re going to want to bring a hat to protect yourself from the hot rays of the sun. Better yet, you’ll get to see the bands way better without the sun making you all squinty-eyed. Soul Flower has quite a few hats to choose from, but the Wander Trucker Hat and the Follow Your Bliss Corps Hat are our latest faves!
They’re the kind of accessories that match just about anything, so you won’t have to worry about matching a hat to this or that outfit. One hat and a whole weekend of lookin’ good wear sounds wonderful to us!
The best outfits to pack are wrinkle free, because it really won’t matter what weird ways you choose to pack; you can roll ‘em up, ball ‘em up, and shove ‘em any which way to make room. Either way, these clothes are going to look as good coming out of that crammed suitcase as they would your closet.
Sanya’s Scarf Dress is great since it doesn’t hold wrinkles, whereas, our new Spring Flowers Dress is ideal because the material already has a slightly “crushed and crinkled” appearance.
Definitely don’t forget to bring a bag! You’re going to want one on you at all times. Our newest fave is the Dove Messenger Bag, rain or shine these peaceful birds like to party! This particular bag falls right at the hip and has adjustable straps, but if you’re looking for a different style, we have several bags to choose from! Just be sure it’s large enough to carry water bottles, ponchos, and sunscreen.
But, let’s be honest; camping for any festival isn’t the cleanest affair. We get muddy, sweaty, and all kinds of dirty, which is why we’d recommend our Prairieland Herbs Solid Perfumes. Another plus side to solid perfume is that you won’t have to worry about spillage, and the teeny-tiny things don’t take up any space. Our solid perfumes come in a variety of sensual scents, and every single one of them will save you from the smellies.
Just keep the music funky, right? 😉
And whatever you do: DON’T FORGET TO BE COMFY!! You’re there to make memories and get your groove on! – Nothing will ruin that faster than wearing the wrong thing! It’s hard to throw just a few Soul-Flower picks at ya here, because they’re all so darn comfortable. But, since we must, our festively comfy picks for packing are: The Native Tank, Men’s Cargo Shorts, Girls Wanna Have Fun Capris, and the Milkshake Maxi Dress.
These picks will definitely keep you happy whether you’re jumping around or lounging around.
Most importantly, for the sake of comfort, avoid getting a wicked burn by slathering on the sunscreen, and be sure to stay hydrated and drink lots and lots of water!
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Overall, buds, our best advice for Bonnaroo, or any other festival, is to get lost in the music, smile too much, take too many pictures, and have the time of your life!
~What’s your favorite Soul Flower item to pack for festivals? We’d love to know!~
Happy Earth Day Tips
Happy Earth Day!
We recently asked our fans on Facebook to share their suggestions for being earth-friendly:
Tips to tread a little lighter on Mother Earth:
- Use a reusable water bottle
- Grow your own food
- Support local farms and farmers and shop at farmer’s markets
- Compost
- Recycle
- Walk to work / school
- Reuse plastic food containers for leftovers
- Pick up litter
- Reuse plastic grocery bags
- Turn off lights & appliances when not in use
- Vegetarian diet
- Buy eco-friendly and organic products
- Use cloth diapers
- Wash laundry and dishes in large loads
- Vegan diet
- Buy green eco-friendly cleaners
- Work from home
- Teach children how important the environment is
- Use reusable shopping bags
- Use a clothes line instead of dryer
- Shop at secondhand thrift stores
Earth-friendly initiatives the Soul Flower warehouse practices:
- We use Priority Mail boxes (which are post consumer recycled)
- We rarely add packaging materials into boxes, but if we do it’s all reused
- We print on recycled paper (your invoice is recycled!)
- We offset our climate footprint through Carbon Fund
- We switch off all stereos, speakers, and lights at the end of the day
- We only heat our large warehouse room while we’re in there
- We have a community fridge that encourages us to bring our lunch
- We recycle all unusable paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and glass
Are there any tips you’d add to this list?
Video How-To: Tie On Dress
This season we’ve got a handful of items at Soul-Flower.com that have adjustable tie straps that can be worn a variety of ways. Here, Brit shows us a few ways to tie these kinds of straps!
How-To: Different Ways to Tie Soul Flower Dresses by soulflowerbuds on YouTube.
Now that you know how much fun (and versatile!) these tie straps can be, you can check out all the cool threads that have this style of straps.
Tie One On! by soul-flower
Cutting Floor Hippie Dress
$48 – soul-flower.com
$48 – soul-flower.com
Haltingly Familiar Halter Dress
$38 – soul-flower.com
$38 – soul-flower.com
Fairy Tie-Dye Top
$28 – soul-flower.com
$28 – soul-flower.com
Dipped in Flowers Organic Tank
$28 – soul-flower.com
$28 – soul-flower.com
Wild Flowers Tank Top
$28 – soul-flower.com
$28 – soul-flower.com
Vintage Stonewashed Dress-Skirt
$45 – soul-flower.com
$45 – soul-flower.com
How To Tie a Wrap Skirt Tutorial Video
Do you have one of these cute wrap skirt and aren’t sure how to wear it? Are you nervous to buy one because you just aren’t sure how to tie it? Let us help show you how to tie a wrap skirt! We’ve carried quite a few wrap skirts here at Soul Flower over the years and continue every season with amazing new wrap skirts. But if you’re new to this style of skirt, figuring out how to wear it can feel a bit intimidating at first. So take a look at this quick video – our bud Brit shows us just how simple it is to tie one of these super-adjustable wrap skirts. Once you get one, you’ll be hooked! 🙂
Green Thumbs
Green Thumbs by soul-flower on Polyvore.com
Her:
– Green Thumb Women’s Tee
– The Coolest Koolat Pants
– Nomadic Good Soul Rope Sandals
– Down Low Hemp Hat
– Tree of Life Hemp Necklace
Him:
– Of the Earth Tee
– Puttin’ on the Jams Pants
– Two-Tone Highland Rope Sandals
– Hey Jute Hat
– Handcrafted Peaceful Necklace
Best Music Festival Tips – What to Bring?
Our Soul Flower Buds (that is YOU, our awesomely cool customers) sent us the best of festival tips for making the most of this live music season. We took all of the advice & compiled the most mentioned and best ideas into this list – here it is, what to bring to make it your bestie festie yet…
Attitude – Because it’s not what you carry on your back that really matters, it’s what you carry in your head. Bring a “free mind…hugs…free spirit, positive energy…open mind, warm heart, loving arms, and ….don’t forget to smile, smile, smile.”
Let the Music Play – Ah, yes, the music, what draws most of us here in the first place…lots of tips from your buds about the music – “get there early & mark your space” and “Get a festival schedule before you go, highlight your fest, and copy it to let you friends know where you will be.” And don’t forget to “breath deep, dance lightly & feel the earth beneath your feet”. A great place to find & preplan your festivals: jambase.com.
The Essentials – Most of our buds feel like Less is More, but there are a few essentials you need to let the good times roll…a tent (or a VW bus, which it seems a few of our buds can’t fest without…), earplugs, breakfast food, camping stove, camping chair, comfy shoes, a blanket/sleeping bag, sunscreen, dry socks, ziplock bags, lip balm, a flashlight or headlamp, a towel, a poncho, wipes (or wet washcloths in ziplocks), a flowing skirt, camera, band aids, refillable water bottle (full of water), a good hat, toilet paper, power bars, tarps, trashbag, cash & your TICKETS!!! Carry a few essentials with you in a small, easy to tote bag.
Beyond the Essentials – This part of the list is tricky, as some of our buds claim these to be essential. It really just depends on you, but here is the list to take your fest up a notch & make it the best eva. Bring hula hoops, glitter, bubbles, body paint, flow toys, Frisbees, glow sticks, a sunshower, cocktails, coffee, a costume (or two), a can koozie, nag champa incense, battery powered fan, a picnic table, fresh flowers or other homegrown goods to share with new friends, a journal, instruments (including drums, guitars, and an accordion), a flag to fly, a slip & slide, duct tape, and tapestries.
Pitch Your Tent – A good tent is very important and do a little test run before you go, especially if it is new! Then find the perfect camping site – look for shade or use a series of tarps to create your own. Camp with a circle of friends and definitely get to know your neighbors. Fly your own freak flag so your friends can find you easier…
Love your Mama –Respect what mother nature gives to you, whether it be the SUN (wear sunscreen, stay hydrated & find shade), the RAIN (tarps, ponchos, dry socks), and/or the little buggers like chiggers or poison ivy (bring the bug spray, lavender oil, & first aid kit). And most definitely bring a trashbag. Most fests have a recycling plan or bags for your campsite – find out about it when you enter.
Make New Friends – and keep the old. Go to your fest with good friends you trust & look out for each other. Stay safe. But also get to know your neighbors, creating your own mini community is the best way to enjoy a festival.
And a few extra tips:
-Freeze a jug of water so you will have cold, cold water for a few days….
-Taking the Kids? Here is a great link to the best tips on taking your kids along.
-Bring enough to share…karma goes a long way in this world. So when you can give a little bit, you will get back so much more.
So there you have it buds! Enjoy your festival season and look for our very own Karma Krewe out & about handing our soul flower goodies at festivals all summer long. Peace & Love, Your Buds.
Recycled tees get much-deserved props
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Our popular Recycled Pop Bottle Tees got a mention in the June issue of Whole Living magazine! (formerly body + soul magazine) Whole Living is a Martha Stewart production that focuses on healthy, kind living through body, mind, and soul. So it’s no surprise that the Playback Clothing brand’s 100% recycled tees caught their attention!
We love ’em, Whole Living loves ’em, and we know you’ll love ’em, too! 🙂
Different Uses for Tapestries
Call them what you will – funky wall hangings or hippie tapestries or even a bedspread – we officially (or as official as your Soul-Flower.com buds get) call these great pieces of vibrant, beautiful cotton fabric “Tapestries”…for as many names as they have, they have as many different uses: a tablecloth, a bedspread, a picnic cloth, a curtain, or even just for sewing fabric… However you decide to use our hippie tapestries, it seems our customers have found many uses & many ways to feel the tapestry love. Take a look at just a few (and one sweet review from our bud Sarah):
Lisa with her sun wall-hanging tapestry.
A cool curtain idea from Andee.
Greta in our vending daze.
Sarah, Mickey and the Soul-Flower Sun & Moon Tapestry
From Sarah: You can count on the sun and moon tie-dyed tapestry to brighten up not only your room, but your mood as well! The vibrant colors and tie-dye pattern will turn any frown upside down, just like the euphoric astronomical face that completes the tap. Flames and stars stem from each side of the sun and moon’s face, as day and night can both be bright! You can hang this tapestry on a wall to lively up any room in your home, or use it on your bed for a cool, unique addition to your bedroom. If you just “tap” into your imagination, you can find other creative possibilities as well. I was sick of looking at my boring white walls, and now I can explore the beautiful designs incorporated into this tapestry. I have the tap hanging in my living room and since then, my buds have noticed the evident addition of brilliance into my place. It emphasizes something special in my home, and it will surely tickle the fancy of all your buds, too =)
Thanks Sarah, we love that we can spread such great vibes. Peace!
For the Love of Trees….
Hi Buds…I think you all know how much we love trees (a quick search for tree on Soul-Flower.com brought back 43 different treehugging, branch-loving, leaf-hearting items…) And since today (April 30th) is officially Arbor Day, we thought it a good occasion to celebrate our love for trees & tell you a little bit about our efforts to help with reforestation here in the good old U. S. of A….
Soul Flower has partnered with the Arbor Day foundation to help offset our paper use. We know we use it often in our business – invoices in packages, mailing supplies, and of course there is that one biggie -our catalog production. We always work hard to make sure we recycle & reuse paper. But specifically related to our catalog – we felt that since we were using so much paper, we should do something to offset that production. So starting in 2008, we began planting two (or more) trees for every one tree we use in catalog production. It just makes sense to replenish what has been taken – and the restoration of our natural forests is not just important, it is necessary.
In 2009, we continued our efforts with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant these “offset” trees by helping with an amazing project to plant 125,000 total longleaf pine trees in the Manchester State Forest in South Carolina. This longleaf restoration project is an effort to restore longleaf pine to its former natural range. Approximately 1/4 of the 258 acres was replanted in the winter of 2008-2009 & the remainder is scheduled to be replanted this year.
To find out more about the Arbor Day Foundation & its programs, go here. And have a happy tree day <3.
p.s. (added 5/6/10) Hi again buds! We just found out that our last contribution in 2009 went to Pine Plantings in the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, an awesome replanting effort in south central Florida…check out details here.
A clean hippie is a happy hippie!
Cam’s son Dylan Before ↑ & After ↓ trying Happy Hippie Soap
Here is a testament to Soul Flower’s latest natural body product – The Happy Hippie Head to Toe Shampoo Bar – by Heart of Iowa Handmade Soaps. Thanks to Cam & her son Dylan for trying out the sudsy, yummy, patchouli scented goodness…
It’s getting warmer outdoors, so our family is always on the go. At the end of the day, it’s nice to just jump in the shower & have a bar at your disposal that can do the entire job of getting you squeaky clean. When I first got the Happy Hippie bar, I took it out of the package, and sat it on the tub. I came back a couple of hours later and noticed that the entire bathroom had a nice patchouli scent to it. Not overwhelming, just right. I thought about ordering several bars and hiding them throughout my house!
I was a little worried about trying a shampoo/soap bar because I have naturally curly hair that is prone to tangle. Awhile back, I went on a mission to rid my house & family of exposure to toxic chemicals, and found that an ingredient in almost every shampoo & soap, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, has been linked to several serious health concerns. Basically, this ingredient (and all the ones closely related/closely named) is NOT a healthy hippie’s friend. I was shocked that every single shampoo & soap I picked up at department stores had this ingredient listed. I decided to check out brands claiming to be ‘Natural’, and still found this sneaky little chemical hiding in the label. The organic/homemade shampoo that I did try just dried my hair completely out. It was the closest experience to dreads that I’ve ever had. My hair almost never came untangled. So, going into this new experience, I had some lingering trust issues with a shampoo bar.
I used it on the first night, and thanks be to Iowa, my hair did not dry out! SCORE! It lathered up, and got the job done without stripping my hair. And, I did not smell overly perfumed after drying off. It leaves only a light scent behind. My guys used it after me, and immediately swiped it! It has since been claimed as their own. They find it very convenient to use one bar head to toe, and they like the way it smells. I must admit, my husband now smells very earthy & hippie dude-ish, and I really like it!
If you plan to be on the go this summer, it’s great to pack just one bar to get you clean. Think of all the bag space you’ll save! If you’re into saving money, you get your soap & shampoo combined at a steal of only $6.50. And, if you’re a healthy hippie, the only ingredients in this bar are Castor Oil, Olive Oil, Water, Coconut Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Sodium Hydroxide(lye), Jojoba, & Patchouli Essential Oil. No scary and unnatural names there!
So, buds, I give The Happy Hippie Head to Toe Shampoo Bar two squeaky clean thumbs up! Thanks Soul Flower!