simply red - the Red Thread Movement

This is about a movement, and it is called the Red Thread Movement. It is a call to action with the sale of red thread bracelets. This is what one little vibrantly colored, handsomely crafted little bracelet can do! 

The Red Thread Movement battles human trafficking and has partnered with a Nepalese anti-trafficking organization that has set up border units between Nepal and India (which is open and allows for citizens from both countries to travel freely with no visa or passport.) As there is an estimated 12,000 victims of sex trafficking between these countries every year, the success rate of these border units is extremely high, each rescuing up to 15 girls a month. 

Many girls are not able to return to their villages after rescue, as social rejection and shame are common. Safe houses are established to provide shelter, counseling and vocational training for girls who cannot return to their villages. It is at these safe houses that the girls make the Red Thread Movement bracelets.

The bracelets make a difference in 3 important ways:

1. They provide a Fair Trade income for rescued girls who do the craftsmanship and hand weave the bracelets themselves.

2. Additional proceeds fund anti-trafficking border units and safe houses through the work of Red Thread’s partner, Kingdom Investments Nepal (K.I. Nepal.)

3. Wearing the bracelet generates awareness and declares sex trafficking as human rights crime.

These bracelets are an outstanding way to fundraise and spread the word!

I am Smitten.

upcycling elephant poo for holiday cards! - Holstee

Are you looking for a holiday card that is both planet conscious and charitable? Well, I was too! I am a huge fan of all things letterpress, and I love communique the old fashioned way... the US postal service. Thus, while looking for an enchanting, simple, well designed card to mail out for the upcoming holidays, I was more than pleased to stumble upon Holstee.com.

Their choice of printing paper: 50% elephant poo and 50% recycled paper. Yes! The paper is handmade, acid free and 100% natural.

Delightful designs, letterpress printed in silver, blue and gold inks on white cotton paper. Each set comes with six 5"x7" cards and six envelopes. The cards are blank, giving you the opportunity to pen your own singular, spectacular greeting. 

 Holstee offers an array of cards, posters and other colorful, uncommon gift items.

A portion of all proceeds go towards funding Kiva microloans.

Smitten with Holstee.

100 beads at a time - 100 Good Deeds

In the world of charming, fashionably conscious jewelry, the 100 Good Deeds bracelet is at the top my list. Engaging colors, beautiful, hip...and glamorous! 

In 2000, artist and activist Mary Fisher, was asked by the White House AIDS office to act as a Special Representative of the UN and travel to Africa. While there, Mary worked with those affected by poverty, violence and the stigma attached to HIV. 

Mary started the Abataka foundation to partner with these women by designing jewelry that they could make and thereby earn a positive, sustainable living. 

In 2012, Mary released her memoir Messenger, and also met filmmaker Thomas Morgan. He shared with Mary a game that he and his family created, where they would complete 100 good deeds anonymously. 

Mary was Smitten and responded by designing the 100 Good Deeds bracelet. Each bracelet is hand-braided with one hundred glass beads and a single rubber ring. After wrapping it around your wrist, each time you do a good deed, you move the rubber ring one bead closer to the 1GD charm.

"The motivation behind the 100 Good Deeds collection is to inspire simple acts of kindness around the world." ~ Mary Fisher 

The bracelet serves as a reminder to pay it forward, and has found ambassadors in celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Katie Holmes and Naomi Watts.

Smitten!

breathe, love, dream - The Giving Keys

It was late in the month November 2013. I had waited until the last minute (surprise!) to get my husband a 4th year anniversary gift. This was actually not so much about my procrastination issues, more the lack of inspiration for a unique, meaningful gift.

I don’t go for all the traditional elemental gifts: paper, brass, china...all that. I just wanted to get him something that had significance and expressed love.

As it was the eleventh hour, I had very little time before dinner reservations at 8:30. I landed at a tried and true, happening boutique off of Melrose that I frequent for gifts. I scanned the men’s section with keen eyes and landed on a case filled with colorful, sporty, rubber watches. They didn’t necessarily scream “significant”...but they were hip, manly and fun.

Out of the corner of my eye to my left, I spied some dangly well-worn chains swinging. At the bottom of each chain was an intriguing tattered key with an imprinted word on the front: HOPE, FAITH, FEARLESS, COURAGE, LOVE. I was instantly attracted. The placard on the wooden display read:

The Giving Keys

"When you get this key, you must give it away at some point to a person you feel needs the message on there. Then write us the story of why you gave it away."

The chains with keys were delicious looking, I loved the instructions, but the last sentence on the mission statement knocked me out:

We employ those who are looking to transition out of homelessness.

The Giving Keys was founded by Caitlin Crosby (an actress and singer/songwriter,) when she began wearing a NY hotel room key around her neck as decor. She had the idea of engraving old keys with inspirational words. She felt we were all like these keys...unique, scarred, flawed, and at risk of being discarded.

The idea was for the keys to be repurposed over and over. The message on the key is yours until it has served you, then you pay it forward to inspire someone else.

The charitable dimension came to be after Caitlin met Rob and Cera sitting under an umbrella on Hollywood Boulevard with a sign that read: Ugly, Broke & Hungry. Over dinner, Caitlin discovered that Cera made jewelry. Both Rob and Cera joined the team and started making Giving Keys the next day.

Later, the business partnered with the United Way and PATH (a reputable transitional home in Los Angeles,) to help to find workers to employ and help build The Giving Keys team. 

Since the beginning, The Giving Keys has employed 19 people experiencing homelessness, helping to provide opportunities for the team members to move into permanent housing.

The 'Pay It Forward' blog is really terrific!

So I found the one that was imprinted with LOVE. There were a few ancillary gifts that evening...the chain with the aged key was the one that made the impression I was hoping for. 

I’m Smitten with The Giving Keys. 

They are carried in over 500 stores in the US and internationally. Anthropologie, Fred Segal, Henri Bendel and Kitson to name a few local to Los Angeles.