About

A woman with black chin-length hair and a wide-brim hat in front of a gray and red mural. She is in motion, her mid skirt flowing.

Welcome to Welcome Objects

Hi there. My name is Melissa and I’m a reformed shopaholic. For many years, I shopped my feelings. I bought things because shopping was a form of entertainment. I bought things because I was depressed or stressed. Acquiring a new thing would make me feel happy in the moment.

But at some point, I started to not feel good about my retail therapy. I became more aware of the life cycle of things. Who made my things? Where did they come from? Maybe it was the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh and the horrific photos of workers who had died in the debris. Maybe it was a viewing of The Story of Stuff, which links our consumption as a society to social and environmental consequences. I don’t remember the exact moment, but I decided to be more mindful about how I shop. Besides, I don’t really need more stuff.

The problem, though, is that I still like shopping. I love design, decor, and fashion. There’s so many cool things in the world! And I love a bargain. I guess you could say I struggle with my love of stuff.

This blog is about ethical fashion, refining one’s wardrobe, minimalism, decluttering and home organizing, eco-friendly goods, and trying to buy only what I absolutely love and will use many times.

This blog is about that struggle. It’s about the contradiction of trying to pare down when you enjoy shopping. It’s about making the change to higher-quality, longer-lasting items while on a budget. My goal here is to share with you my personal shopping life as I reform my habits and strive towards becoming a more thoughtful consumer. This blog is about ethical fashion, refining one’s wardrobe, minimalism, decluttering and home organizing, eco-friendly goods, and trying to buy only what I absolutely love and will use many times.

Those will be the things that I welcome into my life. Welcome, objects!

About Me

A longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, I recently moved to Brooklyn. I’m a Xennial who grew up in an immigrant family where we saved nearly everything because it might come in useful. I’m trying to break a lifetime of habits.

Relevant stats for my clothing reviews:

  • I’m (almost) 5′ 4″/162 cm so I’m on the tall end of petite.
  • I generally wear a size S
  • My feet are wide-ish. Sometimes I wear wide widths and sometimes I can get away with wearing medium widths in brands that run wider. (BTW, I don’t actually wear shoes inside my home. Culture and cleaning maintenance wise, that’s a no-no in my household. I only put them on in a designated area for the sake of styling outfits.)

My fashion sensibility has room for both monochrome outfits and pattern mixing. I love a little drama like faux fur, but most days I adhere to a simple style. I do not believe leggings are pants! (Women of America, please stop it.) Decor wise, I love a midcentury modern silhouette.

Why I Don’t Show My Face

I’m kinda shy. Plus, it frees me to be more honest about the things I’m reviewing. For example, I will show you when things fit terribly or look frumpy. And I wouldn’t want those unflattering photos out in the world with my face in them.

About My Reviews & Ads

I review things because I’m trying them anyway, and I thought that maybe my photos and impressions can help other people make informed decisions about whether or not to buy something. Items reviewed on my blog are things that I’ve purchased for myself (unless they’re not, and if that’s the case, I will tell you.)

I have Google Adsense running in my sidebar and participate in various affiliate advertising programs with retailers, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and Shopstyle. This means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. Affiliate links do not affect the price that you pay — it’s the same — but it helps me keep this blog running. Should a post ever be sponsored, I will also disclose that. (I define sponsored to mean that a brand paid me to write about them.) I never allow any person or brand to review my posts before publication. All opinions are my own (and I have lots of opinions).

Thanks for reading!

– Melissa

Copyright & Contact

All writing and images on Welcome Objects have been created by me unless it is otherwise stated or a stock photo of a product. Please do not use my photos or content without first asking for my permission.

To contact me, email welcomeobjects (at) gmail (dot) com. Please do not ask me to insert your company’s name in a post I have written. The answer is no. If you’d like to advertise in a clearly-marked ad, then you’re welcome to get in touch.