Favorite Things

I tend to love things that are slightly “off” or unusual. I’m not a Tiffany’s girl, I’m not into brand names or labels, and my most expensive pair of shoes are my beloved cowboy boots. And the more scuffs they have, the more I love them. Just means I’ve been living my life. And if my favorite things aren’t odd or old, they’re usually beautiful in a natural way, given my love of nature. And if they’re natural AND handmade, I’m in love. So it’s only fitting that my first favorite thing is the line of jewelery by Payton Woodcraft. And as some of you know, the people behind Payton Woodcraft are my closest friends. I get to watch all of the work behind the scenes, and because of that, I love it even more. Kristi and Sean are devoted artists and pour a lot of hard work and love into their products. And for a girl like me, the jewelry is perfect. It’s simple, easy to care for, and I wear it in the garden, while I cook and when I get dressed up to go out.  It’s also the jewelry that I get the most compliments on. This is always funny to me, because in my “past life” when I wore suits and heels and flashy pricey jewelry, I never had people stop me to ask where I had gotten one piece of my jewelry. And given that I know how much goes into each and every piece, it makes me smile and launch into their story.

So Mothers Day is coming up, why not pick something as unique as the woman you’re buying for? www.paytonwoodcraft.com

 

A few weeks ago, my kids were traveling to Florida with their dad. I was seriously stressed out over the thought, especially given my horrendous fear of flying and of my kids flying without me.  Anticipating that I’d be the mess that I was, my dear friend gave me a gift that I totally LOVE. As I mentioned, I tend to lean towards the unusual and jewelry with a story.  And these bracelets have a story and a mission. She gave me four of them in various colors, and I stack them with my leather cuff from Payton Woodcraft.

They can be ordered through BeadforLife.org, whose mission statement states that they create sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty by connecting people worldwide in a circle of exchange that enriches everyone. 

They do this by assisting the women of Uganda in making these beads out of recycled paper, then they’re sold with proceeds going to help the women and their families pull themselves out of poverty.  Sounds like a good deal to me:)

 

 Some time ago, my friend Chandra from the Earthfood Experiment had a conversation with Blake Goodfellow, who is affiliated with Krochet Kids.  Krochet Kids employs women to crochet hats for us to buy, and in doing so we assist in empowering women in Africa to feed, educate and support their families. So we get the best of both worlds…a great new hat to wear, and every time we do, we can remember that there are people in this world that need help, and that we had the honor and obligation to support.  Please check out her interview with Blake here, and head over to the KrochetKids website to purchase a hat of your own!