Friday, May 20, 2011

Handcrafted Alexandria


As most of you know, the majority of the items in our shop, Mindful Hands, are handmade, either by international artisan co-ops in India, Nepal, and other countries, or by artisans living here in the US. This year, we are proud to join a local consortium of 14 Alexandria-based businesses that offer handmade gifts, clothing, and artwork, or offer art and craft supplies, as well as classes, to help you make your own handcrafted wonders. You can check out the group, and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter, at Handcrafted Alexandria.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Chocolate, Tea, & Kitties: Celebrate World Fair Trade Day!


Join us on Saturday, May 14, as we host a World Fair Trade Day celebration. We'll have refreshments of fairly-traded iced tea and chocolate, craft activities for kids, and chances to win prizes of fair-trade handmade gifts. The event will also feature the fairly-traded cats and kittens of Tails High, an Alexandria-based cat rescue group.

Fair Trade is a global movement that ensures that workers and artisans in developing countries receive a living wage for their work and healthy and safe working conditions. World Fair Trade Day is sponsored annually by the Fair Trade Resource Network and encompasses more than 100,000 participants in over 80 countries.

This year, we are proud to be a sponsoring partner of the Fair Trade Resource Network in celebration of this year's World Fair Trade Day. Mindful Hands offers fairly-traded home and garden decor, clothing, jewelry, and gifts from the Tibetan-exile community and women's co-ops in India and Nepal. Ten percent of all sales on May 14 will be donated to the Fair Trade Resource Network in support of their efforts to make all trade fair.

Please join us on May 14, 1:00 - 4:00pm, to celebrate Fair Trade!