The Federal Trade Commission ruled this week that bloggers must disclose freebies, especially if they then blog favourably about the product. I am kind of in agreement with this (horror, shock, blogger disgrace?) Some may say it’s because I don’t get sent much free stuff but I believe it’s more to do with my struggle to maintain the integrity of my posts. I always appreciate designers, artists sending me emails with details of their products but I carefully screen which ones I’d like to post about – it has to have a strong sense of appeal to me, otherwise my writing lacks any heart. Yes, I’ve been sent free merchandise but I have never had the sense that I MUST endorse them; well, not yet anyway.

Which brings me to Iheartnorwegianwood. I feel that to make my post slightly more credible, I must offer the disclaimer, “NO free products were received in the writing of this post” Angie’s designs are phenomenal! Many bloggers have extolled her virtues in the past and I have coveted one of her fringed neck-pieces for some time. So to etsy I trotted (well, clicked!) and bought one a few weeks back. On arrival the necklace didn’t disappoint. Even though fringing is quite ubiquitous this season, it feels unique and adds a definitive edge to any look. On further research, I loved delving into a little more detail about Angie. Her Flickr account is a testimony to her trajectory as a designer, as she grows in popularity and confidence. (I would also like to point out I am not a stalker!)

So will I always feel this way about the free products and endorsements? Maybe not! But for now integrity seems intact and I urge you to check out iheartnorwegianwoods’ ETSY, just because I heart it too.