Advocate of the Week - Meet Elizabeth!

I can't wait to introduce you to our advocates each week!

Please meet Elizabeth.  An incredibly sweet, humble and encouraging woman, Elizabeth found us through a couple of different fundraisers we did last fall.  She has been so faithful to spread the word about our artisans through various social media outlets and she loves the items she has purchased!!  One our her favorite items in particular, the Iha Tote, helps her be the voice of our artisans.  Take a listen.

"Carrying my Iha Tote from DFC makes me smile!  I am their voice when I explain that the artisans of this beautifully made tote are working their way out of extreme poverty in India.  They are upcycling plastic bags to construct this well made, pretty and cleanable tote.  I am thankful that through DFC I can purchase items that are helping others better their lives while helping mother earth."

And we are thankful for you, Elizabeth!

Check her out wearing her Iha Tote....

Isn't she beautiful?

Please join us in thanking Elizabeth for her advocacy.  Every time she spreads the word about our upcycled products and the artisans who made them, she is making a difference!

Thank you, Elizabeth!

Grad Gifts You Can't Pass Up

It's that time of year again!  Graduation time!  Now we all know cold hard cash is more than likely at the top of your favorite grad's wish list, but it's always  nice to throw in something a little extra, and what better to throw in than something with purpose!

Last year one of our customers purchased our ecoplastic cosmetic case and filled it with all the necessities for school - highlighters, pens, post its, paperclips, etc.  We've got several awesome styles to choose from - here!

How about a little something to cuddle up in - a soft sentiment of home?  Check out our Upcycled Sari Throws, the perfect addition to that new dorm room or apartment.

Our Harmony Petals Tote is super popular among our high school and college grads this year.

Our wide variety of journals would be the perfect gift to chronicle the memorable events your favorite grads are experiencing.

Looking for something just a little extra?  Check out our fabulous Lip Smoothies, Beaded Bookmarks, Candles, Headbands and Coin Purses!

And, don't forget to top it all off with our Congrats Card!

Are you a grad?  Know a grad?  Which gift would you choose?

Advocate of the Week - Meet Trisha!

Over the course of the last few years we've had women become so passionate about the issues we're engaged in and we are so proud of all the work they have done to support our artisans.  For the next 5 weeks we are going to be highlighting 5 of these beautiful women, how they are the voice of our artisans and their favorite products.

First up, please meet Trisha!!!

Trisha has been a phenomenal advocate for our artisans!  Last Christmas she decided to change the flavor of a community event and not only tell, but SHOW people how shopping with purpose changes lives.  Trisha hosted her own Shop for a Cause in which she sold several of our artisans' products and helped spread the word about purposeful shopping.  We are so proud of the work she has done and the way she is truly changing the world!

A couple of weeks ago we asked Trisha to tell us how she feel she is the voice of our artisans.  Here's her beautiful statement about one of her favorite products - the round shell earrings.  "These earrings are one-of-a-kind and catch people's eyes because I can wear them with most any outfit.  People want to know where I got my earrings and since I am their voice, I am able to tell them the story of the artisans who made them.  DFC offers a wonderful opportunity for those who want to help but don't know how and gives them a purpose when they buy.  Then they become their voice."

Thank you, Trisha, for advocating for so many women and children living in extreme poverty!

Check out Trisha's favorite earrings!  We think they are fabulous on her!   

Wire Wrapped Round Shell Earrings

Please give a shout out to Trisha for being THEIR VOICE!

Thank you, Trisha!!!

How Awesome Are These Designs? Vote for Your Favorite!!

Look at what these fabulous artists came up with for our Advocacy Slogan Design! Please vote for your favorite on our side bar and let these artists know how awesome they are for using their talents to advocate for women, men and children world wide!

**Click on the images to see them larger/clearer.  


Option #1 - Design by Cassie Pease (http://cassiepeasedesigns.com/)











Option #2 - Design by Ethan Kennedy













Option #3 - Design by Chadwick Parker (http://www.chadwickparker.com/)











Option #4 - Design by Cassie Pease (http://cassiepeasedesigns.com/)










Option #5 - Design by Mariah Magnotti (http://theefirewife.blogspot.com/)










Option #6 - Design by Chadwick Parker (http://www.chadwickparker.com/)

We Need Your Help

Community is important. Whether or not you love it or hate it, it's pretty well known that life can't be done all by yourself and if it is, it ends up being messier than it would be otherwise.

It's the same way with business, including this one. Working in isolation results in burnout, lack of growth and frustration. As the years have gone on with this business, we've had wonderful women and men surround us to help - website design, innovative ideas, photography, social media. I didn't understand any of that when this all started 2 1/2 years ago.

Well, we need your marketing help. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say this, but I STINK at marketing. Just stink. Can you smell me from there?

I can't do it. I'm not cut out for it at all.

And I need your help. Here's the deal.

We need our name to get out there so people will come look at us. We need people to buy our artisans' products so we can maintain a steady flow of work for them. Will you help us? We've got 3 options for you and they are easy peesy!

1. Put our button up! You can get it off the side of our blog. (or get in touch with us if you'd like to see the options for a blog button.)
   
2. Tweet, pin and facebook our items. People love pretty things and when they're purposeful, all the better!
   
3. Become a Blogger Ambassador - put our button up with a link (which we'll provide to you) and the resulting sales will get you free stuff to our store.
   
4. Become a Business Ambassador - Let your customers know that YOU care about human trafficking and ending it! Put a link to our store (again, we'll provide it) and a generous percentage of the resulting sales will be given to the partner human trafficking organization of your choice.

Mother's Day is quickly approaching and people are searching for great gift ideas, so now is the perfect time to get involved! Want to join our growing list of ambassadors? Let us know here and we'll get you set up! It's fun, free, and yes, with purpose!

PS - Let us know if you're pinning, tweeting, facebooking and/or talking. It's such an encouragement to us. Thank you!

The Ingenuity of Our Artisans

One of my favorite things about our items is the ingenuity involved in creating them. Check out some of our newest items and how they were made!

Sari Sarongs - created from saris, garments worn by women in India. Every single one is different because each garment has been upcycled!











Shiva Bracelet - created from harvested bone of animals that have died from natural causes.










Ankh Earrings - created from recycled wire.











Get Well Card - created by heads of orphan families from upcycled office paper.










Flower Ring - also from bone! Isn't this gorgeous?!












Give a shout out to our artisans! Which one is your favorite?

It Matters

It's not often that I "put myself out there" with blog posts for DFC. I'm just not sure that its the right place to do that.

But, today I'm wading into those personal waters for you because I think it relates to what we're doing here.

We started doing adoption fundraisers last October. One of the fundraisers we did was an incredibly moving experience for me which resulted in my husband and I considering international adoption ourselves.

Since then, we've been grappling with all the questions that come with that territory and thinking through all of it until a couple of weeks ago when my husband took a mission trip and met a sweet baby boy, abandoned by his mother.

He captured my husband's heart.

It turns out we are not able to adopt this child because of laws the country has in place, but we attached ourselves to him all the same before we realized that.

Here's the part that relates to DFC.

This little boy was one of 6 that his mother abandoned. A different family had become attached to the 5th child and was in process of adopting him when the grandmother stepped in. She kidnapped the child and took him over to the other side of the country where he is currently struggling to survive because she can not afford to feed him. Her demand? If the family gave her $24,000 she'd give him back. The family could not meet her demand. And can you imagine if they could have?

This is not okay. This is trafficking. It is exploiting a child for monetary purposes, without ANY concern for their well being.

Now I know that the sales of our items are not impacting these particular children. But here's what your purchases do.

When you buy Freeset, you provide needed funds for rescuing girls who are exploited for their very bodies. When you buy punjammies, you teach girls that they have worth and dignity and that their lives are much more valuable than that which their bodies can "do". When you buy Good Paper products, you communicate loud and clear to orphans that they CAN support their families and that you are behind them.

It matters! Every purchase you have made, will make, makes a difference. And it doesn't stop there.

Every time you wear these products, and all the others too, you are being an advocate - for the baby boy my husband met and his brother and countless other children out there who are vulnerable to exploitation - because when you wear these items and people ask you about them, you tell their stories. You make sure they are heard and known and that makes a difference.

Please say a prayer for these children today, that their voices will be heard, their stories will be known and that they will know love.