AcTEEvism ft. Ali & Ariel, Things I've Made + Wildpublic
Thank you to Ali & Ariel, Things I've Made, Wildpublic and Hummingbird Inn for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
Tees that inspire activism are what I like to call acTEEvism.
AcTEEivism (noun): a graphic tee that promotes social, political, economic, or environmental reform with the desire to make improvements in society.
Since coining the term, I have wanted to write a blog post about the messages printed on tees. But, I also wanted to do this post in collaboration with another blogger, and I wasn't exactly sure who to ask. So I held onto this idea, patiently waiting for the right person to come along. And then, by chance, I met Alli.
Like most bloggers do, Alli of Allison In Wonderland and I met online -- we're both members of a millennial influencer group called Palm. When Alli and I realized that we share the same home state, we quickly started chatting as it's not super common to connect with Maryland bloggers on social media -- there seem to be so few compared to other states!
Anyway, after reading Alli's blog and getting to know her better, I knew I wanted to collaborate with her! Our styles are complimentary and she has such a knack for styling, so I knew she could help bring my creative vision to life. But guys, let me tell you -- because of Alli, this shoot far exceeded my expectations!
As two Maryland-based bloggers who chose to collaborate rather than compete, women's empowerment was the perfect social theme for us to focus on.
With the "girls supporting girls" movement in mind, we felt passionate about asking woman-owned businesses to partner with us. And ultimately, we were able to support the designs of three inspiring creatives -- Ali of Ali & Ariel, Caroline of Things I've Made and Kara of Wildpublic.
As you can see, their graphic tees are so cute, which made our job styling them easy! Phrases like "Ladies Unite," "Be Kind to Every Kind" and "GRL PWR" were just what we were looking for, and all of our picks spread positivity in some way. These tees can transform any simple pair of jeans into an effortlessly cute + casual look. So instead of overly accessorizing, Alli and I focused on finding the ideal location for our photoshoot.
We struggled to find a venue that matched our desired aesthetic, so we were really excited to stumble upon the Crisfield Room at the Hummingbird Inn. The mid-century modern vibe was the perfect cross between Alli's style and mine, plus its natural light was perfect for shooting. Getting to support a local bed and breakfast was the icing on top of this collaboration, and I highly recommend this charming Easton, Maryland spot.
After weeks of planning and texting back and forth, Alli and I met for the first time at the Hummingbird Inn. What could have been awkward or felt fake, was actually the total opposite. That afternoon, we were just two Maryland girls supporting each other's blogs.
It's a bit surreal to think that three months ago we were strangers, and now we are allies in the blogging world and friends in real life. But, I guess that's the beauty of girl power.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow my "girl power" board on Pinterest! And as always, I would love to hear your thoughts in a comment below.