Unique Christmas Gifts & Decor

One of my favorite places to do Christmas shopping is Ten Thousand Villages.  This shop is a fair-trade organization that provides a fair income to the Third World artisans whose handicrafts they feature.  You can find a variety of unique items from beautiful pottery created in Vietnam to delicate jewelry made in Nepal to purses and scarves handcrafted in Ecuador.

"Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Ten Thousand Villages works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. This income helps pay for food, education, health care and housing. Ten Thousand Villages is a nonprofit program of Mennonite Central Committee." -Ten Thousand Villages

Take a second and browse their online shop.  Who knows, you may find that perfect unique gift for the most discerning person on your shopping list!  Below is a selection of some of my favorite Christmas goodies from Ten Thousand Villages.

Batik Painted Bird Ornament - Indonesia  $10

Ceramic Star Ornaments - Bangladesh  $8

Copper-Colored Stars Garland - Bangladesh  $8

Dried Flower Mistletoe Ball - Peru  $24

River Stone Nativity - Haiti  $64

Ceramic Bell Ornaments - Vietnam  $20

Peruvian Holy Family Set - Peru  $28

Loyale is having a SALE!!

I love, love Loyale!  Loyale is a fasion-forward, sustainable clothing company that supports fair trade practices.  They work with materials such as organic cotton, bamboo jersey, vegan silks and reclaimed fabrics.  They're not an inexpensive clothing shop, so when Loyale having a sale... it is something not to be missed!  This is a "call-in" warehouse sale beginning on November 30th with prices ranging from $15-$40 and special deals on bulk purchases.  Read all of the details on Loyale's blog.

Samples from Loyale's Upcoming Warehouse Sale

estancia tunic  $30

thorpe jumper  $15

durban jacket  $40

hermosa bikini  $25

oxford dress  $35

gallina top  $20

Shoes, shoes, shoes!

Well, you know what they say about shoes... a girl can never have too many!  I recently came across this company, olsen Haus, who makes beautiful, unique shoes without harming a single animal in the process.  They have an incredible and honest philosophy, one that I hope catches on to be mainstream.  Everything they produce is 100% vegan, which means 100% cruelty-free.

"We are all energy, everything is interconnected. We are evolutionarily, morally, and spiritually linked to the animal kingdom. How animals are treated under our dominion is a reflection of mankind’s evolutionary state. There is a connection between all life forms, and when one being suffers, we all suffer consciously and subconsciously. The culmination of all this suffering and negative energy in our collective consciousness creates more suffering, war, disease and separation from our true selves."  - olsen Haus

I love their philosophy and I love their style.  I've got my eye on a few pairs... maybe Santa will bring me some for Christmas!

wit

love navy

karma camel

kingdom

truth black

luck black

mini-moo