Meet The Sponsor // Belong With Wildflowers

I’m Caitlin, a 20-something living on the East Coast of the United States. After a decade chasing college degrees and career ladders, I began blogging as a creative outlet to reconnect with myself and Belong With Wildflowers was born! Belong With Wildflowers aims to inspire anyone in search of a simpler life: a free-spirited, gratitude-filled life that connects with nature, animals, and the beauty around us. On my blog, I share stories + photography about green living, simple living, gardening, nature, and gratitude. 

What drew you to start blogging and what's your favourite part about it?

I was drawn to blogging for the creativity. After spending ten years in college and pursuing a career, I felt like I lost touch with being artistic and thinking outside of the box. I love that blogging allows me to be myself and find other like-minded people through writing, photography, and sharing.

Is there a certain topic you love to share?

I love sharing about simple living, and living a life connected to nature. There's so much beauty and contentment right outside that I love encouraging others to embrace the moment and notice the beauty that surrounds them.

What are your favourite blogs?

Confession: I read so many blogs from so many genres, it's hard to narrow it down to favorites! Some of my current favorite blogs are Today's Letters and 6,000 Miles to Home because they both capture daily moments with gratitude, and share the simple living vibe.

What inspires you day to day?

Nature completely inspires me. There are so many changes in nature, yet everything works harmoniously. I think we all can learn a lot about life by simply looking out our windows.

Explain your style in three words.

Bohemian, relaxed, comfortable.

When did you start gardening and what's your favourite part?
I've grown a hand full of flowers and herbs throughout my adult life, but this was my first year with a full-fledged organic garden. I adore gardening because it offers a place of work, faith, and peace all at once. A garden takes a lot of work, patience, and faith in Mother Nature, but also offers you moments of peace that are quite unlike any other.

Tell us a little bit about your favourite place in your hometown.
My favorite place in my hometown is actually the town pharmacy! I grew up in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and a simple trip to the pharmacy results in unexpected greetings and catch-up sessions. I love that a simple stroll through an aisle can bring old, friendly faces back into your day. There's something beautiful about places that don't change much over the years, and offer a 'welcome back' anytime you go.

What's a good tip for new gardeners?
Don't get discouraged! There are endless methods and approaches to gardening; until you find your "niche", it can feel a bit discouraging and confusing. But every year is an opportunity for learning something new and personal growth.

I bond with people through music - what are your favourite artists and your guilty pleasures?
My favorite artists lately are First Aid Kit and Edward Sharpe + the Magnetic Zeros. For a guilty pleasure? Neil Diamond - all the way.

Most importantly, what's your favourite ice cream flavour?
Mint chocolate chip - any day, any time!

To find out more about Caitlyn you can visit her blog, or follow her here:
Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Bloglovin'

Meet The Sponsor // Indie Gift Box

1. What is Indie Gift Box?

Indie Gift Box™ is an exclusive curated experience featuring specialty handmade goods. In addition to holding private sales of one-of-a-kind indie products, we deliver themed collections of unique goods from independent artisans every month. We use the subscription box model, but that’s certainly not the only way we convert people to Indie Mavens. Individual indie items and collections are also available without a subscription, but are limited in availability.

Most importantly, we are dedicated to promoting independent artists and small businesses. We envision a world in which artisanal craftsmanship is valued and accessible. Our mission in support of that vision is to help you discover new artistic talent and amazing handmade products, and to help the artists and companies achieve their deserved success.

2. How can you get a box/how does it work?

We coordinate with artisans and indie businesses to find the best product to be included in the themed boxes every month. We package them up, set a release date for the boxes, and then set the new box up on the website for sale. Meanwhile, we publish features about the contributing makers throughout the month to offer clues about what’s in the box, and help you get to know more about the ones that you like most.

Though we do offer subscriptions here, they are not required. Remaining boxes not reserved by subscribers are first-come, first-served and go on sale here on the date of each monthly box release. The number of boxes available is dependent on the number of contributors and the number of items each contributor sends. Right now, we usually have only 70-100 boxes available each month, so they usually sell out quickly. You have to act fast to get one!

3. Tell us your story - how did Indie Gift Box come to be?

Web designer Erin Flynn founded the company because she couldn’t find a subscription box for her love of unique, handmade items. She did a fantastic job designing the original website (and has since designed our newer one), gathering a crowd of fellow indie product lovers, and launching the concept to the public. As more people caught on and business picked up, she decided to sell for the sake of the business so that it could continue to flourish while she kept up her primary career.

I (Lisa) interviewed and bit for the business, and I thank God to this day that Erin saw herself in me, and decided that I was the right one to adopt her “baby.” I hope I’ve been able to meet her expectations, and I’ve loved every minute of heading up this awesome business. Since then, I’ve brought an old friend and classmate Reagan Cotter onboard as a Co-Director, and she has been great and helping to bring new ideas and vision to the direction of the Indie Gift Box business.

4. What are some deciding factors in choosing the contributors for the boxes and how can small businesses apply?

Hmm, that’s a great question. It’s kind of a fluid, ongoing process. Artists regularly apply online through our website, and we’re always on the lookout for items and makers we adore. We keep a master list, and as we get ideas for the themes (usually from seasonal ideas, current trends or other concepts that just strike our fancy), we scour through the list revisiting each artists to see what new things they’re producing. Here’s our new special sauce, though: once we select the artists for each theme, we try to collaborate with them on a new product that they haven’t produced yet, and that will ONLY sell on Indie Gift Box. It’s that collaborative process that makes our boxes truly unique and exclusive.

5. If you could wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Wow, tough question. If I cared how I looked, but not how I felt, I’d wear an over the top candy-hued Marie Antoinette costume. Seriously. [See attached photo of me in a homemade costume. It's ridiculous.] If I cared how I felt, and now how I looked, I’d wear a soft cotton maxi dress happily for the rest of my life.

6. Guilty pleasures?

Whipped cream, marshmallows, anything in bright colors, Hyperbole and a Half (book and blog), trashy television (though I swear I’m an intelligent person), sleep, and strangely enough work. Especially with Indie Gift box. Most days, I seriously have to force myself to stop working at the end of the day.

7. What blogs currently have you hooked?

There are about a gazillion creative lifestyle blogs out there that I love, and the list is always growing, but I’ve been reading these two blogs for YEARS and I will never ever stop. Ever. Hyperbole and a Half and The Bloggess.

8. What inspires you?

In my everyday life, my friends and family are my lifeline and source of constant encouragement. On a deep level, feeling that I’m filling some sort of need in the world and making other people’s life and work better, easier and more joyful is what keeps me doing what I’m doing. If that wasn’t happening, I’d probably be moving on to something else…if I wasn’t so stubborn. In my daily work, listening to upbeat, fun indie music and keeping myself visually inspired by beautiful products while curating is what makes each day awesome and uplifting.

9. What kind of items do you love to see in the Indie Gift Box?

My favorite Indie Gift Box items are bright, fun and slightly unexpected. These are the kinds of things that bring smiles and gasps from our Indie Mavens when they open their boxes.

10. Most importantly, what's your favourite ice cream flavour?

Normally I’d say cherry vanilla, but I just ate a bowl of triple chocolate gelato while answering these questions, and I’m compelled to go back and eat the entire rest of the container. Just try to stop me.

You can find Lisa at the Indie Gift Box website, sign up for their newsletter, or in these other fine places:

Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest

Meet The Sponsor // Min Pin Design

My name is Penny Min Ferguson and I am the founder of Melbourne based jewellery and homewares design label Min Pin. I studied design and illustration at University and since then have been a part of various creative projects both in Perth and Melbourne. I love banana smoothies, the X-Files and cats, and dislike mushrooms and finding my home from in the dark.

♥ Describe yourself/you shop in 3 words:
Silly, Weird, Fun

♥ What drew you to start creating things and what is your favourite part about it?
I've always been making things, whether it be comics, paintings, plays etc. I think I just enjoy the limitless possibilities of it all. It's so exciting to get into something and watch it grow and develop into something really cool. That's probably my favorite part too - the evolution of an idea, drawing or project - and not knowing where it will end.

♥ Is there any particular item you like to make most?
I'm currently working on jewellery designs made in stainless steel - which I'm really excited about! I'm really enjoying designing them with the material limitations in mind.


♥ What is the weirdest thing you do or enjoy (habit, item, activity, etc)?
I really enjoy rolling down grassy hills like you do when you're a kid... I guess that's pretty weird. But great fun though!

♥ How do you come up with print designs? What inspires you?
All Min Pin designs come from everything that I love and inspires me - which is lots of different things. From tv shows and other illustrators I love, to colour pallets of buildings! I have an drawing book that I scribble ideas in and the designs grow from there.

♥ What is the most recent recipe/food you've discovered and drooled over?
There's a cafe in Brunswick, Melbourne that sells these 'breakfast stacks' which is a big cheesy mashed potato pattie at the bottom, with fried spinach, tomato, haloumi and bacon layered stacked on and poached egg at the very top. And its AMAZING.

♥ If you could only wear one type of clothing/outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I havn't got one (although I wish I did) but a PAM/Misaki Kawai navy Lost Highway jumpsuit is an all-in-one outfit I've been drooling over for ages. I'd happily wear that for the rest of my life.

♥ What song is stuck in your head lately?
The theme song from True Detective, The Handsome Family's Far From Any Road - such a great song!

♥ So far, where is your favourite place you've traveled to and explain why? (If you haven't traveled, what's your favourite thing about home?)
I haven't traveled that much so I would have to say that my favorite place is currently the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne's east. Places like Belgrave, Kallista and Sassafras are all special places to me. It's all a kind of big ferny forest area where you could imagine dinosaurs and saber tooth tigers wandering around. Really beautiful and lush.

♥ Most importantly, what is your favourite ice cream flavour?
Cookies and Cream all the way :0

You can see what Penny is up to here:
Blog // Facebook // Etsy

meet the sponsor // hey sabrina faith

Hey, I'm Sabrina Faith. i'm a 21 year old gal livin' in southern Illinois with my kitty cat, Gregory. Most of my days consist of me laying in my bed drinking sweet tea by the gallon and binge watching T.V. shows on Netflix. I like to think I'm handling adulthood pretty well.

Describe your blog and what drew you to start blogging. What is your favourite part about it? 

Hey Sabrina Faith is a mixture of everything I love. I wanted a place to share it all. I talk about beauty, music, my daily life, music and whatever else seems to fancy me. My favorite part about blogging is meeting new people. I know that's super cliche to say BUT I've met some really awesome people through blogging. I also love being able to share my thoughts on things with others. I like being able to promote things I love.

Is there any particular topic you like to write about most?

Probably beauty. It's the easiest to talk about, honestly. I love writing personal posts but I know I get a lot of crap about "sharing too much online".

What are your favourite blogs? Who inspires and awes you the most?

Oh, this is a tough one. I obviously love Amber's blog because I'm sponsoring her! I also really love Brittney of Like An Arrow - She's one of my biggest blogging best friends. I have so many favorite bloggers right now, check my sidebar for some more awesome blogs!

What are your top five favourite bands/musicians? 

My hands down favorite band is A Day To Remember, I will FOREVER fan girl over everything they ever put out. Lately I've been listening to The 1975 NON stop, I suggest checking them out. I also really love The Dangerous Summer, Bastille, Fall Out Boy and Kodaline.

Do you attend concerts and if so, which has been your favourite and who are you dying to see?

Yes I do! The last band I saw live was Fall Out Boy! I always enjoy seeing A Day To Remember live mostly because they're my favorite and because they always make it super fun. I can't think of any artist I'm really DYING to see but I would love to see the 1975 live.

Do you feel pretty open about your injury and is it a big part of your blog? 

I am open about my spinal cord injury and everything that comes with it because it's important to educate people. There's a negative stereotype that surrounds the disabled community and I think that's crap.. but it all comes from a lack of knowledge. People don't understand so they assume things. I think it's important to talk about the things nobody else wants to and share my struggles so that others can understand better.. and relate.

What's a day in the life of Sabrina like?

Oh goodness, I'm pretty lame actually. I sleep til like noon, then I'll play on my phone for a good hour before taking a shower. Sometimes I put on makeup if I plan on seeing people that day, I'll check my laptop. I clean almost every day but somehow my apartment still is messy.

What are your current favourite make up products? 

I recently made a video about my current favorites- you can view that here.

Guilty pleasures?

Ke$ha, for sure! I also love to jam One Direction's "That's What Makes You Beautiful"

Most importantly, what is your favourite ice cream flavour?

I'd normally say vanilla, but I've been LOVING some mint chocolate chip lately!

You can read what Sabrina's been up to on her blog, and you can also find her here:
Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest // Youtube

meet the sponsor // cloud pearls

Hey! I am Elsa, originally from Greece, living with my sweatheart in beautiful Uppsala, Sweden. I love sunny days and when I'm not studying swedish, I enjoy taking pictures, making jewelry and drinking delicious herbal tea!

Describe your Etsy shop, what's it all about?

Cloudpearls is a happy and colorful place where contemporary and elegant jewelry is made.

What drew you to start creating and what is your favourite part about it?

I had a lot of free time when I moved from Greece to Sweden and jewelry making made the transition so easy. It was a new creative way for me to deal with the new reality and the uncertainty I was feeling at that time.

Is there any particular topic you like to write about most?

I like to write about everything that draws my attention. Everything handmade and beautiful according to my taste.

I love reading other blogs in the morning. What's your blog reading routine and what are some of your favourites?

It' s more like a weekend routine for me as I don't have the time to read blogs on a daily basis. I find it very relaxing and inspiring. My top three favourites are A Beautiful Mess, The Clothes Horse and The Sartorialist.

What are your top five favourite bands/musicians?

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, P.J. Harvey, Jens Lekman, Devendra Banhart, She & Him

What's a day in the life of Elsa like?

I spend a lot of time studying swedish and reading literature. I make jewelry and occasionally take walks in the city where I take some pictures for inspiration. When I have time I paint or take a yoga class to recharge my batteries. 

Where is your favourite place to travel? 

Anywhere in the world! I certainly love going to the beach every summer. Greece has lovely places to visit. 

What has been your best experience so far with being an Etsian?

Etsy makes it easier to become an online seller. I have learned so much during this last year. It is also great to meet interesting, creative people from around the world. The sense of community is definitely the best thing about etsy.

Guilty pleasures?

A huge bowl of homemade pop-corn!

Most importantly, what is your favourite ice cream flavour?

All fruit sorbets and especially mango!

You can check out Elsa's fantastic jewelry shop on Etsy, or check up on her elsewhere: 

Blog // Twitter // Facebook // Pinterest // Instagram

GUEST POST // SPONSOR FEATURE

Hey I'm Z! I run Sometimes Z Takes Pictures - a blog all about the random life of a college student. Born and raised in the Midwest, I came to Boston for school and have been racing around ever since. Expect lots of music, travel, fashion, and photos of me in my cow suit. 

1. Describe your blog, what's it all about?

It's a weird mix of things, just like me. I'm a college student going to school for writing, but I'm planning on going into management. I love music, I love everyday fashion, and I love travel. But mostly, I love rambling. Sometimes Z Takes Pictures is my chance to blather to the internet about whatever strikes my fancy that day, and, miraculously, people seem to like it.

2. What drew you to start blogging and what is your favourite part about it?

I first started a (terrible awful no good) fashion blog in early 2012. It was mostly me styling and posing in my dorm room and didn't feel like the right fit. Then, that summer, I lived on my own and had no creative outlet. That's when Sometimes Z Takes Pictures started as just a platform for me to write. In fall, I went abroad and used it as a way to document my experience (and also keep me sane). Now it's still chugging along! My favorite part would definitely be the writing and connecting with other bloggers. I've been a writer for almost forever and love the "style" of blog-writing. It gets me thinking about words, phrasing, and topics every day - which, being a writing major, is a huge success story.

3. Is there any particular topic you like to write about most?

I actually have a lot of favorite topics and they shift around during the year. Right now, I'm obsessed with travel writing and travel blogs (I studied abroad last semester and wish it was possible to do again during college). During the spring I did a lot of fashion posts, and music writing seeps in no matter what. 

4. I love reading other blogs in the morning. What's your blog reading routine and what are some of your favourites?

I recently got an iPad and am obsessed with the Bloglovin' app for it. I usually kick back during low points of the day and read a few, then bookmark them so I remember to comment later. Gosh, it's so hard to pick favorites! I just opened my blog up to sponsors and getting to know a bunch of startup bloggers is incredible. Along with all my sidebar lovelies, I'd have to say my "daily reads" are Nat the Fat Rat, LoveTaza and Ohdeardrea. They all happen to be "family blogs/mom blogs" but their incredible photos, hilarious stories, and general attitude are what drew me to them.

5. What are your top five, desert island, favourite bands?

Hah, now I'm just imagining a bunch of band members trapped on a desert island with me...THE ULTIMATE DREAM! All jokes aside, my top five are probably: Fall Out Boy, Blink-182, Major League, Panic! at the Disco, and All Time Low. They all can write a variety of things - fast songs, happy songs, sad songs, slow songs - and I like them all! 

6. What were the first and last concerts you attended?

My first concert ever was the Believers Never Die Part Deux Tour in May of 2009. All of the best bands ever (and probably still my dream lineup). I cried, like, six times. The last concert I went to was Warped Tour. It was my sixth time going and I got to see a bunch of my favorites (and see a bunch of new ones). I'll always be a little Warped kid at heart!

7. Where is your favourite place to travel? 

There's so many! The way my study abroad program worked was that I had weekends free to go off with friends...meaning I went places EVERY weekend. I got a taste of ten-odd countries and would love to go back and FULLY explore any of them. I've even been considering living abroad right after college. My "top three" favorite places were probably Amsterdam, Dublin, and London. There was SO much to explore in each city and I feel as though I could live there for years and still only scratch the surface. 

8. What has been your best experience about college?

It's definitely been the amount of choice I get. And I mean more than the standard I-can-have-ice-cream-for-dinner choices. In high school, you have to choose a school in your town, choose your friends based on that small school, and hardly get to choose your classes. In college, you pick where you want to go, what you want to study, and have so many different clubs, internships, etc to expand the standard "school" experience. It isn't a "taste" of real life - it IS real life. Once you get over how terrifying that is, it's pretty awesome. :]

9. Guilty pleasures?

Definitely Say Yes to the Dress. Hopelessly addicted. I say it's just background noise...it's not. It gets even worse when I pair it with a bag of BBQ chips and a glass of chocolate milk. You know I've had a LONG day when all of those come together. 

10. Most importantly, what is your favourite ice cream flavour?

Agh...probably cheesecake or chocolate pretzel. I swear, I can go at those pints with a spoon and never look back!

You can also find Z on Bloglovin' and Facebook. If you'd like to be featured on the Whale & Wasp, please take a look at my Advertising page for further details!

SPONSOR THE WHALE & WASP

The passed two months have been great for the blog. Reader base has tripled, if not quadrupled since my first post (which was April 1st) and keeps rising each and every day. So, September is going to be a GREAT month for the Whale & Wasp. We go on our anniversary mini vacation to Toronto, and it's my 25th birthday, there will be lots of new columns I've been planning, a HUGE giveaway and chances to do a guest post for ALL my sponsors - even the ad swaps!

So what better time to partner up with Whale & Wasp? Here, you can even have a 15% off code for an XL + Feature ad: WHALE15. Feature includes a fun questionnaire, links to all your social media and is promoted on all Whale & Wasp's media platforms. Optional guest post available, plus a coupon code to my shop.

All medium and small ads are currently booked but you can be added to the queue for mid September.

As I said above, there is an opening for up to 5 days for guest postings. Jesse and I will be going to Toronto for a mini vacation to celebrate our six year anniversary and I would love to have you featured on my blog during this time! Again, this is only for people who take up an ad space with the Whale & Wasp. This includes ad swaps (even if you are in the queue)! It can be a post about anything: beauty, fashion, recipe, tutorial, etc. If you are interested you can contact me (info below) and we can chat about it!

You can see all my rates and stats through my advertising page found here. If you have anymore questions feel free to email me! whaleandwasp [at] hotmail [dot] ca

SPONSOR FEATURE

Hi! My name is Allie and I run Call Me Sassafras! This picture was taken in my favorite place in the world--on Lake Michigan! I go to school in North Carolina but in the summers I live in a little town on the lake in rural southwest Michigan.

1. Describe your blog, what's it all about?

Officially, I like to call the blog "a place where we celebrate uniqueness and intelligence." But that's just the short version. Basically, I'm passionate about getting other people, specifically women, to embrace their quirks and their intelligence. My goal with my blog is to shamelessly be myself in order to inspire other ladies to embrace themselves. So I have my basic topics: music, books, lifestyle. But sometimes I post about why Marie Curie is effing awesome or sarcastic rants from my life. Gotta keep things interesting.

2. What drew you to start blogging and what is your favourite part about it? 

I've always been interested in writing but formal writing doesn't come naturally to me, so blogging just sort of came along and I was like, "Oh. Yep I like you." I also love design and my blog has become a platform for me to do a little freelance design.

3. Is there any particular topic you like to write about most? 

I love posting playlists! However, I don't do those all the time because it's hard to start a conversation + community with a playlist. But I just love finding new music and sharing music!

4. I wake up, eat my cereal and read my blog roll. What's your reading routine?

Pretty similar! I wake up, (brush my teeth and all, don't worry), check email, eat oatmeal almost every morning and then get comfy on my futon to get started on my post for the day.

5. What are your top 5, desert island, favourite bands? (You'll begin to notice my life is a pop culture/movie reference)

Haha like if I could have five bands with me on a desert island? Maybe not bands but I'm a big fan of Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Macklemore, Jim Croce, and The Avett Brothers. 

6. If you could only wear one type of clothing/outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?

It sounds weird, but I'm really into patterned pants. I've got these cute grey quatrefoil pants (ctually they're supposed to be capris but you know, I'm 5 foot) that I'm super into. And I wear white shirts a lot. I could handle that. Oh and statement necklaces! It's sort of a problem, but I feel naked without one.

7. What is the weirdest thing you do or enjoy (habit, item, activity, etc)?

Oh man. I like dinosaurs a lot. I watch a lot of TEDtalks, which apparently is unusual but TOTALLY SHOULDN'T BE. And I do a lot of happy dances, and sometimes people give me odd looks but you know what, those shouldn't be unusual either.

8. Guilty pleasures?

Dance moms. Jerry Springer. I kind of love dramatic TV shows where people yell at each other. It's sick, I know. You can read my justification on Jerry Springer here.

9. If you could be anyone or anything else in the universe, what would you be?

Carl Sagan! I know he's dead, so obviously I mean when he was alive. He's the astrophysicist that inspired me to go into science and I think he's incredible. Except when he sort of went psycho and thought aliens were everywhere. You can watch his series here (you totally should). 

10. Most importantly, what is your favourite ice cream flavour?

Well I manage an ice cream shop so I sort of know what's up on this one. Coconut Almond Fudge and Toffee Fantastic tie for me as straight up ice cream. But I make a shake with lemon-lime sorbet, vanilla and Sprite blended together that is just phenomenal. I actually had a customer try to kiss me because he liked it so much. So try it! You'll thank me--just don't kiss me.

So that's me in a nutshell! I love connecting with other bloggers and I'd love to meet you and read your blog! I would be so happy to see some new faces commenting on my blog! You can also find me on Bloglovin', Twitter, and Facebook.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

Every month I will feature all my XL ad sponsors in a full post with a short blurb, an interview/questionnaire of fun things I've asked, and a list of all your social media. If you're interested in this great feature, please visit my Advertise page. xo