The Hunger Site.

The Hunger Site is an amazing web site that has partnered with Mercy Corps and Feeding America to help end world hunger. These organizations also provide disaster relief in poverty/war/disaster stricken areas of the world.

Anyway, there is a store on the web site that sells products made by artisans from more than 80 countries around the world. These are fair trade items, and for every item purchased, varying numbers of cups of food are donated to these hunger organizations.

A very, very cool thing. And they have some really great products at incredible prices.
Here are some of my favorites!


left: "Fearlessness" Sanskrit necklace, $21.95/ 50 cups of food donated
right: Zulugrass Necklaces, $34/50 cups of food donated; these are created from sustainable resources and give economic opportunity to women in the Maasai region of Africa.


left: Tibetan Freedom Bracelet, $2.95/25 cups of food donated; these bracelets are hand made by Tibetan nuns who have sought refuge in India. The proceeds from this bracelet go to the Tibetan Nuns Project, providing humanitarian aid to the over 600 Tibetan refugee nuns living in India.
right:"Evil Eye" bracelet, $16.95/ 25 cups of food donated; in Turkish lore the Evil Eye protects the wearer from harm. Fair traded from Turkey.


left: Bone Button Necklace, $10.95/ 25 cups of food donated; this necklace is made from the bones of camels that have died naturally.
right: Moroccan Palm Tote/Beach Bag, $12.95/ 25 cups of food donated;

Turquoise beauty.

I love turquoise jewelry so much. I think it comes from my exposure to Southwestern Native American cultures as a young child. My father flew hot air balloons with Thunder and Colt out in New Mexico. We went every year for the races, and every year we were invited to a Pueblo reservation to visit Mary Rosetta, a jewelry maker who had to be 90 years old. She would take me apple picking and show me how she used her kiln. And then my parents would buy several pieces she made--necklaces, cuff bracelets, rings, earrings...

My husband, too, loves the turquoise. He grew up out in Wyoming and saw his dad wear a big hunk of turquoise as a wedding ring. Anyway, we began our own collection of turquoise and Native American-inspired jewelry that we are very proud of and always looking to add to!

Here's a recent find from eBay. I would buy it if we had the money to spare (saving up for SXSW!).

This is an estate auction from catgre2157. I really love the cuffs and the rings. The lot is going for $200 right now, and I think that's a really fantastic price for this stuff.