blog

Been Around the World

Wed, 08 May 2013 19:54:00 GMT

Some of my favorite moments when we travel to visit the artisans we work with is showing them their creations in the lookbook. Such a sense of pride and accomplishment, and usually giggles, fill the room. In the last few weeks, we have gotten to show off our latest lookbook in Uganda, Ecuador, and Peru.

When I first started buying products from Jalia and Daniel in August of 2010, I would wire over some money, and they would send me a box of 40-50 pieces. They truly were living in poverty, their kids were not in school, and they were fearful of how they would even eat that day. They now have a home, a car, their kids are in school and they are employing 35 people (and growing). Our orders are now in the thousands and the impact has been more that I could imagine. Employment opportunities are scarce in Uganda. Jobs where they can have confidence of ongoing work that won't be short term is even rarer still. Then, finding a place where you can work in a positive, safe and encouraging atmosphere where bosses care for you as a person, pay you well and pay you on time every pay period is possibly the rarest circumstance of all. Your purchase of these items creates dignity and opportunity.

2011

2012

2013

Our new La Jolla necklace has quickly become a top seller. Travis and I finally got to meet the faces behind our famous seed pieces a couple of weeks ago. I quickly fell in love with Ecuador. We shared lunch with Nancy and Carlos in their home, and it was right when their kids were getting home from school. Their 7 year old walked in, plopped her backpack down, grabbed a snack and turned on Nick Jr in Spanish! It felt like home in so many ways- which is what I love. The more I get to know our artisans, the more similarties I see in our hopes and dreams. Only 6 years ago, Nancy and Carlos were living in poverty. Now their children are enjoying a top notch education.

Carlos gave me a ride in his family's new car to the airport and shared more of his story with me. (so thankful my dad “forced” me to study abroad and learn Spanish. Thanks Dad!) His father left their family when he was only 11 years old, so Carlos had to drop out of school to work and provide for his family. His odd jobs have included playing music on the street for money, to going to Colombia to sell his crafts. With the consistent work he now receives from our orders, combined with others, his dreams of providing for his kids’ education is a reality. Nancy and Carlos are so endearing, and it was obvious they have a strong marriage and commitment to their family. Nancy is the community leader for their neighborhood. They have moved far beyond only thinking of their daily needs into now investing in their community. Wow.

I have to admit, I definitely have a dream job, but it is only a dream because you are spreading the word about Noonday. Collectively, we are utilizing our purchasing power to create lasting and sustainable change to traditionally marginalized groups. Some day, you will have to come with me and give them hugs for yourself!

Grace's Story

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:08:00 GMT

This week, Rwandans will commemorate, for the 19th time, the tragic genocide of 1994, which claimed an estimated one million lives over the course of 100 days. The pain is still very real for those who lived through it, including members of our Umucyo sewing co-op in Kigali. Although the women prefer not to talk about their experiences, Grace chose to share her story this week as Rwandans everywhere contemplate what they lost in 1994, and how far they’ve come in the years since.

It was April 7, 1994 in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. Grace was six years old and her mom was working as a cook for a French man. After work, her mom returned home to be with the children, where she received a phone call from the watchman at her job. He told her that her sister and all her children (Grace’s aunt and cousins) had been killed in the night. “Do not leave your house,” he warned her, “Or you will be killed.”

Grace’s father was on his way home from work. The government-supported militia met him on the road and killed him with a machete. Grace’s mom received the news and fled with her two-year-old son on her back, holding six-year-old Grace’s hands as they ran. They fled from Kigali, hiding in the bush until they made it to Kibuye (walking nearly 80 miles) where they stayed in hiding with their grandfather. Finally, at the end of the 100 days of violence, they heard news that Kigali was once again safe.

The capital was safe from physical violence, but the genocide had left a cruel mark on the city. Returning home, Grace’s family found that their house had been burned to the ground. Their grandmother was safe in her house, but her crops had all been destroyed and thrown down a toilet. There was no food for them. Grace’s mom called her employer to see if he was still in the country and he immediately came to them, bringing food and clothes. He told her to begin work again.

Grace’s mom soon remarried a soldier from the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the group that had fought against the government-sponsored militia during the genocide. However, because of injuries sustained during the war, he soon had to resign, leaving Grace’s mother as the primary provider for the household. Life remained difficult for the family. As a result of the poverty caused by the genocide, almost half of Rwandan children stopped going to school, but Grace continued trying to receive her diploma.

However, being able to continue her education proved difficult. After being denied a second chance to take her national exams and get her diploma, Grace felt she had nowhere to turn. Hearing of Grace’s need and wanting to help her pursue her dreams, Noonday Collection Ambassador Wynne Elder and customer Jennifer Verme sponsored her to go to sewing school.

In the face of so much adversity, one might think that Grace would have a negative outlook on her life. However, she counts herself blessed! She has been working consistently since May 2012 with Noonday’s sewing cooperative, providing the needed money to help her family. She loves her job and is grateful for the opportunity that Noonday customers have provided for her with their purchases. As Genocide Memorial Week officially began, Grace was asked if she’d prefer to have a day of mourning for her father since she was near tears as she worked. She said, “No. It is good for me to work. It is good for my mind.” When asked about the issue with her diploma, she said, “It is okay. People get a diploma so they can then find a job. Without a diploma, they can’t find work. But I have work. Good work. I am happy.”

When you purchase handmade goods from Noonday Collection, you are making a direct impact in the life of someone just like Grace. Whether your support will help a genocide survivor rebuild her life, an HIV positive woman in Ethiopia reclaim her dignity through sustainable work, or a member of one of India’s most despised castes rise out of crippling poverty, you are letting our artisans know that they have not been forgotten.

Wear their story; share their story.

Are you stuck?

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Getting excited for Spring

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

With New York Fashion Week just wrapping up everyone seems to be getting excited about what's new and fashion forward. Fashion week happens all over the world. The most notable cities are New York, London, Milan and Paris. It's so inspiring to get a sneak peek of what each designer is feeling good about for the upcoming season. It's amazing to see each how each city has hundreds of different designers and varying points of view; Yet each city always has a distinctive feel that is unmistakably its own.

The easy-going parisian style is perfectly portrayed in collections like Chloe, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Balmain and Isabel Marant.

The more sensual Italian style is quintessential Dolce and Gabbana, Prada, Cavalli, and Pucci.

London is often defined by the collections of Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, and I love Matthew Williamson and Pringle.

New York had some great shows this time around; among my favorites were Costello Tagliapiet, Carolina Herrera, Phillip LimMara Hoffman, Alice & Olivia, Catherine Malandrino, and Philosophy.

I am excited to see what the other fashion weeks hold in store for the next few weeks!

For this Spring we are all feeling very excited about our modern gypsy girl.

She loves to combine textures and colors when she dresses. Braided straw, leather, clustered beads, embroidery, fringe, tassels all layer together to distinguish her this season.

The accessories are bold and really stand out this season.

Want to start a Business in 2013?

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Wow. Noonday has been such an unexpected adventure and one of the most mind blowing, thrilling parts is that I get to join hands with other crazy ladies like me! Every time some one reaches out and takes the leap with me to change lives by creating economic empowerment for the poor, I feel so humbled. "Are you sure?" is what I always say! "Do you know what you are getting yourself into?" We have our own private Facebook page and the conversations on that page say anything from, "Look how I am wearing my favorite Noonday today," to "Pray for my sick baby" to, "I just read this awesome book on human trafficking," to "Have you seen the latest Vogue?" to "I am headed to Ethiopia to adopt and need some travel tips." I mean where else do fashion, adoption, fighting human trafficking, and empowering the vulnerable come together? This is like the ultimate group of girlfriends and most of us have never met (not to worry- we have big plans in the works to change that!)

So do you want to join us? 31 of our ambassadors are hosting a little blog train this month.... Each day, an ambassador is sharing about her heart for the poor and giving away some awesomeness from our collection. Want to get to know them? Start here and then follow the links to meet all these fabulous girls (there over 100 of us now, so when you start seeing a serious dent in world poverty, you will know why). And do you want your life to be changed radically while changing other people's lives? Then connect with us about becoming an ambassador. If your heart is racing, you are probably a good fit! Look how much fun we have!

When a Bride's Dream Came True

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Like most little girls, I dreamed of getting married some day. More specifically, I dreamed of wearing a big poofy white dress, high heals, and a long white veil. But for most of the world’s poor, a wedding remains an unrealized dream. In fact, for many living in poverty, even paying the legal fees for a marriage certificate is simply out of the realm of possibilities.

This was exactly the case for Noonday artisans Bukenya and Coral in Uganda. Though Bukenya and Coral were committed to each other completely, they had never been able to afford to officially get married. But after Daniel and Jalia, lead artisans, encouraged Bukenya that it was possible to have an inexpensive wedding that could still be beautiful, he and Coral began to save toward this goal.

A year later, God showed His faithfulness to Coral and Bukenya’s prayers and desires. Because of their consistent income made possible by YOUR purchases, a dream they once thought impossible came true: on December 15 they were officially married. And they were not the only ones blessed on that day! In order to help the poor make weddings more affordable, the church organized a mass wedding of 19 other couples who were in the same situation as Bukenya and Coral. I have never seen a more beautiful group of brides!

We hear so many stories of our artisans who now get to send their kids to school, put regular meals on the table, and pay their rent. But there is something so poignant about your purchases providing an opportunity for a girlfriend's dream wedding to become a reality on the other side of the globe. Bukenya is the first of ALL his father's children to ever be officially married!

Thank you for being part of this story of restoring dignity to the lives of the poor. And speaking of weddings, remember to treat your bridesmaids to Noonday Collection so you can help make more wedding dreams come true!

David's Wishlist

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 06:00:00 GMT

On Being Rich

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 06:00:00 GMT

As we left Africa, my heart was heavy from all the stories of suffering but also hopeful for the jobs Noonday is helping to create, and the ever triumphant spirit of any African I have ever met.

Before I left, our Noonday Ambassadors sent photos on scrapbook pages of their customers and families rocking Noonday. Tears spilled as I watched the women in Ethiopia open their special packages… not filled with money but with a photo and a thank you note. Many of the women kissed their photos…. And I cried as I saw first hand what I love about Noonday- your purchases and your connections to these women break down economic and cultural barriers and scream “I believe in you.” Even though I couldn’t speak their language, their pride needed no translator! At that moment, I literally longed for each of you to be there, to understand what a simple thing it is to support a person with dignified work and what it can do for her and her family.

While in Ethiopia, we spent time at the orphanage where Megan’s precious little girl is. Orphanages are always tough. They are not meant to be. They shouldn’t exist. So many of the kids we met had been abandoned because of special needs. So when we went to visit No Ordinary Love, I was filled with so much hope! Because of their work, I got to meet 2 moms LOVING and CARING for their special needs children. Instead of abandoning them, No Ordinary Love has provided money for therapy and medicine for rickets so these kids can stay in their homes with their moms. Seeing moms WITH their special needs kids made me want to empty my savings for No Ordinary Love.

Rwanda was a very special time- the last time I saw these women, we sat around a living room and I said, “Noonday customers want to put you through sewing school and afterwards you will have a job.” Of course, in faith I said they would have a job, and I don’t think any of them believed me! It was a much different greeting this time- they all met me at the airport with tears and hugs! No longer jobless, the items created by their skilled hands are selling like hotcakes! They have goals and dreams for their growing business, and I can’t wait for you to see their spring line!

When we arrived to Uganda, I felt like I was meeting family. I just can’t believe what all God has done in 2 years. Jalia, Daniel, Zoe (6) and Zack (4) all met Amelie and me at the airport. Zoe and Amelie held hands within seconds and were inseparable the entire time.

I asked them “When did you finally realize that you wanted to commit to Noonday and truly grow a craft business?” Jalia answered, “”It was when you came here a year ago and said “We are partners together in business and in ministry.” We truly are partners together. They now have a large workshop and instead of ordering 50 necklaces here and there, we are ordering hundreds, thanks to you!

Literally on the day that we left, I sat down individually with various artisans to hear their stories. These are the stories I will be sharing over the next few weeks and in our lookbook. After hearing Oliva’s story, I asked her, “Who in your life has loved you and cared for you?” Through tears she said, “No one. This is the first time for me to ever even share my story.” She heard about the jewelry making opportunity through another one of our artisans, Bukenya, “They pay well,” he said. She came to Jalia and Daniel jobless, caring for her toddler Rachel, whose father left Oliva when she was 3 months pregnant.

Oliva’s mom died when she was only three. Upon her death, Oliva lost her one advocate in her life. Her dad began to sexually abuse her, until she finally ran away at age 13, after having completed only three years of school. Her aunt found her a job as a house girl in Kampala- but the job ended up being extremely exploitive. She would work from very early in the morning until late at night, was not allowed to eat anything from the house, and was never paid for her work. She soon had to beg for food for her daughter. This is a common story in Uganda- the poor simply don’t get paid.

Since working for African Style (the official Ugandan business name), she is able to rent her own room, and feed herself and her little girl. There were times where she simply thought she could not keep Rachel. She now dreams of the day when Rachel will be in school. And now, she has family; some one to hear her, to listen to her and to say to her, “You have worth. God has not forgotten you.”

It brought me much joy to hear how having gainful, non exploitive employment can restore others. I also walked away with a burning desire to do more. Even though the artisans are earning far above the fair wage guidelines, in a land with no safety net, no credit cards, and extreme poverty, it will take more to truly enable them to rise out of poverty.

It is sometimes surreal and abstract to hear statistics like making more than $25,000 per year means you are wealthier than 90 per cent of the world’s population. If you make 50K per year, you are wealthier than 99 percent of the world. Almost half of the people in this world live on less than 2 dollars a day. Most of us don’t think we have too much, and that is usually because we are always comparing ourselves with people that have MORE. But what if we compare ourselves with people that have a whole lot less? Seeing poverty afresh again makes me want a million more people to know about Noonday. Noonday provides an opportunity for you to connect with the artisans we purchase from and engage with the poor in a sustainable way.

So stay tuned and journey with us. You have a part to play. Once we believe and see how wealthy we are, we will also see our responsibility to engage with the poor. If you are reading this on our blog, though, I am preaching to the choir! Engage your friends! Host a trunk show and our ambassadors will share these stories for you. And make sure holiday shopping includes lots of Noonday love!

Are you normal?

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Chase and Meagan have been friends for several years now after coming to our church as Austin transplants. They like a cold beer on a Friday afternoon, they enjoy hunting weekends at the ranch, and Meagan loves a nice glass of wine with all night hilarious girl conversations.

When they encountered difficulties with getting pregnant, they began asking God what to do. One day Meagan was in line at the grocery store and saw a photo of Angelina Jolie with her newest little girl from Ethiopia—I love how God used Angelina and People magazine in their lives! Meagan was already in love with the Ethiopian community in her city through her work with refugees and God used that picture to open their eyes to the orphan crisis in Ethiopia. Chase works in prosthetics, so God then gave them the vision to combine their passions (Ethiopia and prosthetics) by adopting a child with limb differences.

Soon after bringing home Elias, they completed another dossier for an Ethiopian child with limb differences. Elias’ referral came so quickly, we all thought another referral was around the corner. Then a year passed, two years passed, some referrals came that did not result in adoptions, and then Meagan became pregnant with a little surprise.

This past spring, Elias now 7, wanted to try out wheel chair basketball . Even though he has a prosthetic that prevents him from doing absolutely nothing, there was something about the rough and tumble of being on wheels where he excelled. They began to become friends with many of his teammates, and the lifestyle that comes with being in a wheelchair was somehow normalized for them.

There were so many times of praying with Meagan through confusion during these many years of waiting, I mean, seriously God? A family begging for a child with special needs from a country that doesn’t have the resources to support those kids? There definitely came a point where she thought, “Maybe we just need to adopt a healthy kid. There are plenty out there and this wait is killing me.” But then it just never felt right.

Life moved on, the wait continued, her little girl turned 2. Throughout these 4 years, the Browns literally had eyes on the ground here in Addis searching for children who had limb differences. This past spring, they heard of a special little girl with a miraculous story, eye lashes that reached the heavens, and a smile that captured hearts. She was born with no legs, half an arm, and one healthy arm. She was abandoned at her rural hospital, and nuns from an orphanage in Addis that take in kids with special needs knew that this little girl had a future and a hope.

After receiving the referral, I am not going to lie my first thought was “Are you sure about this?” Meagan is extremely pragmatic so I knew her mind had covered every angle of the challenges that would be in involved….. you may have gotten the picture by now that they are NORMAL people! They just know a God who has called them to do an extraordinary thing, that frankly in their eyes is a pretty normal thing to do.

In a crazy turn of events, my best friend from college was supposed to come with me to Ethiopia on this trip. There were some last minute health concerns, so she and her husband offered to buy some one a plane ticket to come along side me and help with Amelie, and all the work with the artisans. I thought of Meagan. Their court date has still not been settled, and it seemed like the perfect time to at least come meet her littler girl!

So a little over a week after texting that she was coming with me to Ethiopia, her daughter lies safely in her arms. And some how something that seemed so crazy, when you look at it through God’s eyes, is the exactly normal thing to do because, after all, this is the daughter he made for them . The nun who has been caring for orphans for 42 years, kept saying “You see, she came, your mommy came for you. I knew she would come.”

God is searching for normal people- to do normal things in His eyes. This world, your neighborhood, is filled with them! In this day of celebrity, where blogs, self publishing, and the desire for a good story are all the rage, it such a joy to walk alongside ordinary heroes. You will be hearing about many more of them throughout the next 2 weeks!

By the way, I hate orphanages, but love the kids in them. If you have even remotely thought about adoption—this could be the most normal thing in the world for you to do.

Why I am taking my 6 year old to Africa

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

True story: After graduating from college, I decided to put my heart for the poor and my Latin American Studies degree to work by moving to Bolivia with Food for the Hungry International. I initially decided on a 4-month stint (that felt like an eternity to me… I mean, this was prime boy meeting age and I was going to sacrifice it all to live in the middle of nowhere)…. But when I went to the initial week-long vetting process I met some one. A really cute some one with dark curly hair, green eyes, and a passion for Jesus. His name was Joe and he was headed to Guatemala for 3 years to live in the boonies.

In order to be invited to the intensive 4 week training where Steve Corbett (the dude who wrote When Helping Hurts) and Darrow Miller (who wrote one of my all time faves Lifework) would be training us, we had to commit to at least a year overseas. Cute boy was going to the 4 week-long training. I upped my commitment.

My mom picked me up from the airport from said week-long training. Mom was already slightly petrified that I was moving to third world remote poverty (during prime boy meeting years) and slightly annoyed with herself that she ever let me go to Africa when I was only 15- because now I was going to travel the world and never live in her town, make my début, and have lots of grandkids for her to babysit. “Mom, I am going to leave for a year now instead of 4 months.” I saw her grip the steering wheel a little bit tighter. “I should have had another daughter.” Now, to her credit, she tells me NOW that she meant “an additional” daughter. But let’s just say that isn’t what I heard.

Of course, you know the story. I married that cute curly haired boy. We dated long distance while I was in Bolivia and then I moved to Guatemala so we could live in the same town. We don’t live right NEXT to my mom, but only an hour away and she has plenty of kids to babysit! But I often remember that car ride home, when I told my mom something that was scary for her to hear. What do I want my daughter to tell me when she is 22?

The thing is, my Mom was right. She and my dad DID let me go to Africa when I was 15—paid my way. And it DID turn my world upside down. After walking the Kibura slums, after friending a little girl whose dad had just been killed and couldn’t afford school, after seeing thousands of people share muddy “bathrooms” with no plumbing, and after holding an orphan for the first time, I couldn’t come back to my high school and live life as usual. I got to know the face of poverty. I learned that God had given me extreme opportunity just from being born where I was born and He was asking me to give that opportunity to others. It changed my mom’s plans for my life. And mine.

When Amelie, my 6 year old, is 22, I want her to tell me that her life isn’t all about her. I want her to risk everything, to lay down her life, in order to co labor with Christ to make His love known among the poor, the oppressed, the disenfranchised. I am taking her with me to Africa so she can SEE the face of poverty; the face of strength and beauty. I want her to see that Africa is not just a land of moms and dads so poor that Americans have to send lots of money to “sponsor” their kids. It is a place where God’s image bearers dwell. Talented people, who with a market place for their goods, can create beautiful things and overcome insurmountable odds. She will meet the ladies behind the accessories that have filled our house and now office for 2 years and know why mommy is working so hard. She will see the 50 crib room that Jack called home, and will meet many other kids without moms and dads. I want her heart to be ruined and wrecked for the God who ruined himself for her.

I know that I can’t fabricate these things in her heart…. But I am crying out for God to do it. We leave in just 5 weeks for Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda! And my mom has come a LONG way! When I told her I was taking her only grand daughter with me on my next trip, she replied, “Maybe I should come with you" (she can't come this time, but will soon!) We will be instagramming and Facebooking our trip, and we would love for you to follow our journey and be wrecked right along with us!

Do you know her?

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Soul Glo, TB, and the IOM

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Joe and I sat on a beach last weekend and reflected on where we were just one year ago this time last year. We have showed you lots of warm fuzzy stuff (you can see the whole first year of us as a family of 5 below), some of the more challenging things (hopefully you read the guest blog from last week where I am keeping it real), but not much about that crazy time in between meeting Jack and actually getting him home!

One of the memories that sends me into hysterics every time I think about it takes place at the International Organization for Immigration in Nairobi. Granted- it was not a hysterical day. Jack, Joe, and I arrived at the humble compound around 7 in the morning. We were basically following the adoption order of things…. with no real understanding of what the IOM was. We just knew that Jack needed specific medical testing done and the IOM’s signature of approval before we could receive his Visa- Jack’s ticket to home sweet home.

I have spent a lot of time in a lot of countries, and I try to be as non ethnocentric as possible. I appreciate America, but love seeing the reflection of God in other cultures. That day, however, I was wishing for some American special treatment (there was none.) The IOM is the east African processing office for all refugees leaving Africa. After several hours of waiting in a room filled with refugees from neighboring African countries, we finally saw the doctor. He looked at Jack’s TB test from a couple of days before…. It was inflamed. This happens often, even when the child doesn’t have TB, because the test picks up on the antibodies from the immunization. We were told we needed a chest xray.

We were herded to a van, along with all the other adults who had tested positive for TB, for a trip to the hospital. I sat squeezed between Joe, Jack on my lap, and a Somalian woman covered completely in her traditional Muslim clothing. I heard an elderly woman coughing behind me…. And then it dawned on me that if Jack didn’t have TB now, his chances of getting it just went up 100% (along with Joe and I’s). I asked Joe to crack a van window.

After waiting another eternity at the hospital, getting xrays done on him by ancient machines while doctors yelled in swhali, his parents comforting him in English, but absolutely no one there to tell him what the heck was going on in his native kinyarwandan, we went back to wait out the results at the IOM.

We sat waiting in this tiny room, the only white faces in a sea of African refugees. At one point, I looked over and Joe was sandwiched next to a guy that looked exactly like the dude from the Sole Glo commercial from Coming to America. They were both sitting there, stroking their facial hair, trying to figure out why we were waiting so long, if we would ever get to leave. Joe gathered he was from Eritrea, and was getting political asylum somewhere in Europe.

I won’t bore you with all the other insane details that happened those few days battling for Jack’s visa in Nairobi (getting picked up on by the Kenyan doctor treating Jack, sharing an apartment with new friends who had been tied up and held up at gun point while robbers stole every last possession of theirs that morning, and visiting multiple doctors myself for what was a severely throbbing rash on my head that turned out to be the shingles). While there were crazy amounts of stress (I guess that is where the shingles came in, my face was swollen shut by the time we were literally begging the embassy for Jack's visa so we could make our flight. see below for said shingles), I was also so thankful for our days spent living as close to the life of a refugee as we ever will.

I still have these sea of faces in my mind (especially the Sole Glo guy). Where are they now? Are the settling into their new lives? Are they safe? Have they learned English? Is there even one American friend in their lives? These are the faces I think of when I purchase from Open Arms- an organization here in Austin that employs refugee women with a living wage and Hill Country Hill Tribers where Jessica often brags on us (we like to brag them on them, too). YOU see these faces all the time. Maybe when you are in a cab, or checking out at the grocery store. The next time you notice an accent, engage that person in a conversation. Invite them over for dinner! Show them the friendly America they hear about in their home countries but almost never meet once they here. And, of course, shop our Crocheted Bracelet and Earrings, hand tatted by Burmese refugees right here in Austin. (and, in case you were wondering, Jack's chest xray was clear!)

What is in a name?

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:00:00 GMT

I grew up in the kind of place where everyone got cars on their 16^th birthdays (from jeeps to BMWs if you were really lucky) and pretty much everyone I knew had a second home some where (sounds normal, right?) So In the 8^th grade, when I went with my youth group to help lead a vacation Bible school in inner city Washington DC with all my "normal" friends, we were a little shocked.

My thirteen year old brain tried to understand how we could be walking distance from the White House, and be surrounded by such poverty. I remember escorting some of our VBS kids home to their apartments, only to find their moms asleep on the couch from working all night shifts with babies in front of the TV eating Cheetos and drinking Big Red out of bottles.

One of the places we visited while there was called Lazarus House. It was an apartment complex filled with a community of people recovering from drug addiction. They came to Lazarus House after going through treatment to literally join the land of the living and the sober. We sat there, a bunch of punk kids, while one of the apartment dwellers sang us Amazing Grace in a voice that could have been Aretha Franklin’s. I remember looking out the window while she sang, while watching drug deals (in full disclosure- I was told they were drug deals, as apparently Lazarus House was located in the largest open air drug district in DC.)

There was something that happened to me in that moment, when I knew I wanted to spend my life to bring justice to places of injustice. Isaiah 58 became a scripture that I wanted to live out (I wasn’t totally in love with Jesus at the time, but something in me got this whole part of God’s heart).

¹⁰and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹²Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

A LOT of searching years happened after that day as I wrestled to discover what Isaiah 58 would look like in my life. I had NO idea when starting to raise funds to bring our little guy home that this would be the beginning of a million things God was bringing together since that day in DC. So when it came time to naming this new business idea, I knew I wanted it to encompass the essence of the opportunity God gives each of us to stand up and be a voice. The day I officially decided on Noonday Collection- a friend living in Ethiopia (they rock- go check out Ordinary Love Ministries, they are liquid love), emailed and said “I have been praying for you and wanted to leave you with this verse from Isaiah 58:10". It was pretty much the push from God to just go for it!

I love the new living translation of IS 58:10. It says “help those in trouble”. Is the women who just found out her husband died of AIDS only to discover she now had HIV in trouble? I would say yes. Is the adult orphan who just worked for 2 months laying bricks, only to not be paid by his employer in some trouble? Or what about the woman abused by her husband, who finally has the nerve to leave? When you purchase from Noonday Collection, you truly are getting the chance to live out IS 58:10.

I also LOVE how the scripture goes on to talk about how “you will be called a restorer of streets with dwellings.” I LOVE picturing homes (even second homes with BMWs) that line streets across America opening themselves up for Noonday Collection trunk shows. I know for you it is a fun night out of fashion with the girls. For the people that we are purchasing from, though, it literally means restoration. So thanks for joining this story- for helping those in trouble to provide for themselves and for wearing and sharing their story! Hopefully you are a lot cuter for it, too.

Guatemala: Through the Eyes of a Designer

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

I have been keeping a little secret from you here at Noonday Collection and her name is Johanna Hatzenbuehler. My friend Emily, who lives in Peru and collaborates with us on most of our alpaca work, told me about her a long time ago. When I knew we were ready to hire a free lance designer to create exclusive designs with the artisans, Johanna was the first person I called. We met several months ago to look over her portfolio and I definitely pretended it was no big deal when she pulled out Anthro and Free People lookbooks to show me her featured work. She is a talented woman who appreciates hand made, primarily because she knows how to: crochet, weave, sew, sketch, knit and a million things I have never dreamed of learning. After working for Free People for a couple of years as a designer in their knit department, she left to go to surfing school in Costa Rica for three weeks. She hikes volcanoes in Hawaii and heads back to her homeland of Germany a couple of times of year where she shops local designers there. Yes, she is that cool.

And one of my favorite things about traveling with her (New York and Guatemala so far) is that this girl can shop for the kill! After perusing a market all day in Guatemala, she finally decided on a bag made from a vintage huipil... and though we had seen a hundred of them, she remembered exactly where that shop keeper was and outwalked me by blocks to get to him before we had to catch our bus. I asked her to reflect on what Guatemala was like through her eyes and here is what she had to say (check out our new belts and bags if you want to see a taste of her work).

The tradition is rich and colorful. The landscape is wild and unforgiving.
Dusty cities are sprinkled with burst of bright color and passion.

The amazing thing about guatemalan women is that they wear their
traditional garb not for tourists, but rather for cultural pride and
traditional beauty. Each town has its own very special, colorful design which is used in the huipil (the traditional hand woven garment of guatemalans). Each is heavy with embroidery-like weaving which gives way to detailed graphic patterns and shapes. Some are more floral, others lacy, or sheer and gauzy, but all are special and one of a kind. (see a woman we watched weaving her huipil at her home below).

It is inspiring to see how dedicated each town is to their own design; no one seems to stray and suit up with a woven top from a different region. This emphasis on tradition leaves behind precious treasures of
old/worn inspiration for designers like me. Jessica and I found endless inspiration for the upcoming Spring13 and Fall13 lines.

The feeling for Spring will be bright fun vibrant colors paired with bright clean whites. Natural hues are the base tones for rich reds and swimming pool teals. Acid pinks are accented with cool greys and blues. We are loving heavy embroidery details, beaded clusters and fluffy
pom poms, tassels and fringe.

When it matters to ONE!

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

I am an optimistic gal but I also am a big question asker and can drive myself a little nuts sometimes. I go through seasons when I am almost constantly asking myself, “What can Noonday be doing better? How many artisans still DON’T have their kids in school? What is a living wage, really? Is this really sustainable and what does that over used word really mean any way? ” It took me years and becoming friends with one of the original guys at Tom’s before I finally bought a pair. And I live in Austin. “They shouldn’t be giving away shoes, they should be helping people make shoes in the communities where they are handing them out.” I thought. (Now I am an addict. They are my travel companion shoes and Tom’s has brought more awareness to the consumer’s purchasing power for good than any brand I can think of).

Sometimes ambassadors email me saying, “Some one asked how this is really changing a life. How much money goes back to the artisan? How can I be sure this is legit?” And I get it. I get the questions, because I have been asking similar ones my entire life. But sometimes asking the questions and always being so critical prevents people from doing anything at all.

I was in this “questioning” spot just a little bit as I traveled to Guatemala last week. That is when I sat in Maria’s humble home nestled in between corn and potato fields. Maria has been working with Jaime, the artist who makes our ceramic beads, for six years. As we sat in her clean one room home, with chickens scrambling at our feet, she served us drinks and began telling us her story. “I learned how to weave beads from my mother. Now my daughter is learning!” Her 6-year-old daughter sat beside us, weaving up a friendship bracelet for fun. Maria used to live in Panajachel, a tourist hub, and sold a lot of her beadwork there. Soon, though, her husband found another woman, and left her alone with her six children. That was six years ago, around the time that Jaime was looking for beaders to work with him. It was very difficult to find artisans willing to learn how to work with a new material and Jaime is the only ceramic bead maker I have ever known!

Maria is a go-getter and an obvious leader. When her husband left her, she went through all the paperwork to assure that the small property they owned was in her children’s name. But since it was near her in-laws, she asked to move back to her father’s property insisting she would find a way to pay her stay there. She now works with about 15 women throughout the Solola area, distributing Jaime’s beads that are made in his workshop in Antigua to all the women at a central meeting point. The women then take the beads home to work out of their house in between making tortillas, hand washing the clothes, and tending their land. “We just completed a really large order for a customer in the US. They were black with silver at the bottom!” I explained to her those were for us! She was so excited! We are excited, too, as we are working on several new designs with Jaime and Maria for spring.

(Maria with one of her daughter's outside her home)

We also visited Manuel- the man who makes all of our Nahualá trays. We pulled off a winding road to a collection of small huts. In my mind, I had expected a clean workshop with tools and men at work. Instead, it was just a room built off his house with masks, figurines, and wood to make our trays strewn about. Miguel has been working with Siggy, our main point of contact in Guatemala for many years. Siggy has a well know shop in Antigua called La Casa de Los Gigantes. He visits her often and sells her the many items he and the others in his community make for the broader market that comes through her well-known shop. My cynical mind went into action as we set among his 5 children watching him carve. “Is this really bringing a community out of poverty?”

You see, sometimes I think so BIG, that I forget about the ONE in front of me. In some of the places where we work- especially in Africa- Noonday really is on the frontlines, seeing small communities of people redeemed and working almost completely because of Noonday. In Guatemala- our work is much more spread out. The impact occurs when our orders, on top of other local and international buyers are combined. I was pondering this when Miguel’s wife asked us to take a photo of them in their new home. We stepped outside of Miguel’s shop into his new cement and tile house, with indoor plumbing to boot! You can see below the photo of us in one of the former dwellings, and the photo of us in front of his new home. Have our orders made a difference to this family? I would say yes. Was it because we gave him money? We don’t send money BACK to the artisan. We don’t do charity work. He presented us with beautiful trays- that have quickly become a top seller- and we purchased them at a fair price. It is that dignified exchange that creates JOBS that really can pull people out of poverty, one family at a time.

We use the word hand made frequently at Noonday Collection. Guatemala is the land of handmade! It is almost incredulous when you look around and realize that most of the women outside the cities HANDMAKE their clothes, and we are not talking sewing machines! Each woven piece can take up to 80 hours and are sold for at least $100 in the markets. Every region and people group in Guatemala has their own unique weave. The women will buy 1-2 a year, and that is all they wear. Jen Hatmaker’s chapter 2 would have nothing on these women!

We were able to see the weaving process first hand at Migual’s house, whose entire family is involved in the process of making our Nod to Neon scarves. His children Alicia, Irmer, and Minor are all grateful for the work their dad receives. On Siggy’s last visit to go over a new order , Alicia called Siggy later and said, “Thank you so much for continuing to work with my dad. It is because of these orders, that I am continuing in school.” When I asked this bright 18 year old her dreams she said, “I am studying to be a preschool teacher so I can work with small children and keep our native language, K'iche’, alive.”

Do you want to play a part in the lives of Maria, Miguel, Miguel and their families and communities? Host a Noonday trunk show. Wear their stories, share their stories, and join the movement that creates dignified jobs in places where jobs are the most limited resource. If you are a little bit of a cynic like I can be, then take a trip to visit them! Let them tell you first hand what purchasing handmade pieces at a fair price means to them.

(I am showing a photo of one of our ambassadors in the Nod to Neon scarf, the scarf they make! They were so excited to see it!)

Market Day!