Fair Trade Wedding Presents Guide

- Posted by to General

I love weddings! I know that weddings can be a bit stressful at times for those planning the event but in general weddings are a wonderfully joyous occasion, which brings people together.  As it turns out wedding season is upon us and perhaps you’ve been invited to a wedding or two (or three) in the coming weeks and months.  If you’ve been invited to a wedding this year, may I  suggest a unique gift that will most certainly please the bride and groom.  Why will they be pleased with their gift? Because Seven Hopes United offers beautiful fair trade presents that will enliven anyone’s home. Below you can find our fair trade wedding guide.

fair-trade-wedding-gift-guide

Pictured:
1. Rustic Personalized Wooden Serving Tray
2. Talavera Ceramic Square Bowl – Happy Tradition
3. Sari Patchwork Runner – Violet

Other Top Picks:
Indivisible Love – Wood Statuette
Blown Glass Pitcher – Confetti

Enjoy and have a very happy wedding season! – Dawn

 

Fair Trade Mother’s Day!

- Posted by to General

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and I don’t know about you but I adore my mother and look forward to celebrating the day with her and other family too, my own son included! Mothers play an important role in the lives of their children the world over. In the developing world fair trade is helping to create a better world for mothers and their children. While women often do much of the work on small non-fair trade farms and plantations they still face discrimination but fair trade strives to empower women. Because fair trade works to create a more democratic work place that is free of harassment women have the opportunity to take on strong leadership roles.

This Mother’s Day when you are thinking about buying gifts for your mom consider a lovely fair trade gift from our guide below. It will not only make your mother happy it will make other children’s mothers happy too.

gift_guide_mothers-day

1. Felt Birdhouse – Lily
2. 31Bits Guava Twist Bracelet
3. Large Recycled Plastic Beach Tote
4. 31Bits Sunday Frill Necklace
5. Eva Hand Painted Jugs
6. Love Bowl
7. Bath Tea & Spa Tin Gift Set
8. Repurposed Sari Scarf

Also check out other Creative Gift Ideas for Mom on Mother’s Day here:
http://www.sevenhopesunited.com/gift-ideas/our-favorite-gifts/mothers-day

Celebrate World Fair Trade Day!

- Posted by to Fair Trade News General

World Fair Trade Day

If you’re new to the concept of fair trade but would love to learn more, you picked a good week to start your research! Fair trade is expanding rapidly across the world, helping talented artisans everywhere to achieve a sustainable income for their families and produce high quality consumer products.

Starting tomorrow, May 4, and running through May 19, approximately 100,000 people across North America will celebrate the impressive strides of fair trade in the past several years. They will campaign for justice alongside the farmers and artisans who make our consumption of fair trade goods possible.

World Fair Trade Day itself falls on May 11. To see how you can lend your voice and your resources to the cause, check out the official World Fair Trade Day Website. You can find events and volunteer opportunities all over the nation.

Seven Hopes United will be participating in a World Fair Trade Day event in La Mesa, California. Join us in La Mesa Village Saturday, May 11th, 2013 from 11:30am to 2:30pm to learn about fair trade & support local businesses and artisans.

LA MESA VILLAGE – 2 LOCATIONS

Gingham Restaurant – 8384 La Mesa Blvd.

  • Fair Trade Vendors: jewelry, scarves, handbags, baskets, home decor & more!
  • Samples of Fair Trade coffee, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
  • Recognition of La Mesa Fair Trade supporters & Declaration of La Mesa as a “Fair Trade Town” – 1pm
  • Raffle drawing for Fair Trade Gift Basket – 2:15pm

Sprouts Farmer’s Market – 4630 Palm Ave.

  • Samples of fair trade products, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and coffee from Cafe Virtuoso

A staggering fact is that If every American made just ONE Fair Trade purchase a year, it would lift ONE Million families out of poverty. Let that sink in a minute—then head to our website to do a little browsing! Mother’s Day is coming up, and last year I bought my mom the previous version of this beautiful ceramic bowl:
starlight_nosegay_bowl
Hand painted crosshatch motifs emulate starlight in this enchanting bowl from Mexico. A beautiful deep cobalt blue design is finished with a ruffled border in sunny yellow by fair trade artisan Jorge Quevedo. Now, I’m just guessing, but I think most moms would appreciate a gorgeous handmade gift that truly gives back to other mothers across the world more than the usual bouquet of flowers!

And check back on the blog soon for more great Mother’s Day gift ideas!

XO,

Casey

Fair Trade Supports the Rights of Workers!

- Posted by to Fair Trade News General

Perhaps you’ve heard about the horrific tragedy, which took place in Bangladesh last week when a building collapsed killing over 400 people.  The building, which the day before its collapse showed cracks in its infrastructure, housed several clothing factories.  Many of those clothing factories made items that were sold to customers in Western countries.

Bangladesh_honoring

Yesterday, May 1st was the International Day of the Worker. It’s a day when people around the globe march in honor of workers and march in support of workers’ rights.

Just over a 100 years ago nearly 150 people perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in Manhattan. As a result of this catastrophe laws were passed to protect American workers; laws which demanded better safety and shorter hours for workers.

2fair trade safer work conditions

Workers in the developing world still often face harsh working conditions.  Fair trade offers an alternative to such conditions.  Coops that are fair trade certified are held to higher standards, which insist that workers be treated with dignity and honor.  Safe working conditions, a democratic workplace, no child labor and fair wages are just a few of the principles that ensure that workers’ lives and livelihoods are taken into consideration.

Anne Lappe QuoteConsumers have tremendous power to create a better world for all workers.  We can demand better working conditions and greater rights for workers just by purchasing fair trade items. Such a purchase may seem small to us but in fact it may be huge to others!

Have a wonderful day – Dawn

Real Couple’s Favorite Fair Trade Products – Kelly & Michael

- Posted by to General Real Couples

Today’s couple is dear to our hearts. Kelly and Michael are two of Seven Hopes United’s biggest supporters. We met this lovely couple at the farmers market in Rancho Santa Fe, in northern San Diego. Kelly fell in love with our products the first time she saw them, and we were so honored to be included in their wedding. Thank you Kelly and Michael for sharing your favorite fair trade products with us, and for your continued support for fair trade.

If you are interested in having your favorite fair trade products featured, email me and I will give you more details (it is easy and painless, I promise)!

Michael and I love to travel. Our experiences living, working, and traveling in Europe and beyond opened our eyes to the world around us. I was an exchange student in France in high school and college. Michael worked and lived in a suburb of London for two years. I also spent one month living with Japanese family friends in a suburb of Tokyo called Kichijoji.

I discovered Seven Hopes United at the Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market about 2 years ago. Ashleigh is a great person and I loved the sometimes rustic, always beautiful handmade artistry of all of the Fair Trade items. The linens, aprons, and especially the wooden pieces have always been favorites.

Michael and I were  thrilled to find out that Seven Hopes United had a wedding registry, and were very happy to have them be a part of our wedding. I LOVE LOVE Seven Hopes United’s products. Michael and I felt good about supporting the Fair Trade value system by registering with Seven Hopes United for our wedding. We are more mindful of the Fair Trade movement thanks to Ashleigh and Seven Hopes United. We now go out of our way to buy Fair Trade products whenever possible.

-Kelly

kelly-michael-registry-favs
1) Vintage Sari Throw (See their engagement photo above!)
We bought a vintage sari throw specifically for our Engagement photo shoot. One of our favorite Engagement photos by Bethann Greenberg Photography has us lying on the blanket. I use the sari throw around the house to keep warm and keep it on my futon in my Craft Room (my special place).

2) Twisted Olive Wood Server Set
These are hanging on the wall in our kitchen/dining area. They are too beautiful to store in a drawer!

3) Rustic Guapinol Serving Bowl (Sorry, no longer available)
Bought for us by my “French exchange family.” I stayed with a French family for the summer after my sophomore year of high school. My French exchange family came to our wedding (we were so excited to see the two of them…) The bowl is currently on our kitchen table.

4) Citrus Splash Goblets
I love the colorful yellow & orange blown glass goblets, they too are on display in our bay window.

5) Gingko Orange Apron
I have 2 aprons from Seven Hopes United that I LOVE (the orange Gingko apron and my current Fav, the Kenzie Apron…love love my Kenzie apron! It fits to perfection!)