One Mango Tree Dress

Lately, I have been called an activist by those who know me and at one time I would have took offense to this statement. Growing up I thought that an activist was someone who took an obscure stance on something that really didn't matter. They never really accomplished anything but they sure cared a lot about that thing. And in my young little brain I always thought, "What a waste! Why spend your energy talking and protesting and not DOING something about it?"

I now view this label as a compliment. I hope that my life is marked and distinct from those around me. My hope is that the things I am passionate and outspoken about are seen as worthy things because I then live my life according to those beliefs. If I can inspire one person to buy coffee that provides clean water for a community or provide photo shoots at a discount price to help give a women in India a business loan to support her family or educate someone about the broken maternity care in this country, then I feel like all my activism is worth it.

If you don't know, we are adopting a boy and a girl from the beautiful country of Uganda. We can't go get them yet, but I can support the people of that nation. Craig and I support Invisible Children and I was excited to discover another organization that was helping to restore the women who were kidnapped and used as sex slaves for the Lord's Resistance Army in northern Uganda. One Mango Tree help to provide jobs for the people of northern Uganda to earn a livable wage. From seed to the finished product, One Mango Tree produces organic women's clothing and accessories AND helps a worn torn community. Here is a sampling of their amazing catalog:

Navy Maxi Dress- $58

Glitter Stripe Mini-Dress- $38

Sweet Peas Pocket Skirt- $32

Deep Lake Ballet Tee- $28

If I was going to truly be an activist, then I needed to put my money were my mouth is. It was time to stop employing slaves and start adorning my body with clothing that I new I could be proud of, not because of how they looked but because of how they were made.

And this is my first fair trade dress and I couldn't love it more! And who knows? This could be my October Dress 2012. You will just have to wait until October to find out!