World Shoppe LAUNCH Party/Trunk Show - December 2

Finally - World Shoppe's LAUNCH Party & Trunk Show is in just 7 days!

I hope you'll join me on Wednesday, December 2, 2009, as our full collection of copper and brass jewelry from South Africa is unveiled and available for purchase!

Shown here is one pair of our reconstituted turquoise earrings (we have two more designs). Among the items in our fair trade and handmade collection are necklaces, cuffs, bracelets (and earrings) using copper and brass. Many of the designs also feature semi-precious gemstones such as onyx, carnelian, tiger's eye, red tiger's eye, tinted jade and hematite.

The collection ranges in price from just under $30 to around $70.

I'll be on hand to share stories from my recent trip to South Africa and Swaziland, meeting the designer of these beautiful pieces, showing photos of the artisans, and my overall involvement with the fair trade movement over the past decade. We'll enjoy yummy complimentary appetizers and South African wine throughout the evening as well.

I hope you'll join me and invite your friends and family to come as well! Hope to see you in a week!

Greenheart
1911 W. Division Street (in Bucktown/Wicker Park)
Chicago
4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Thank you again for your support of fair trade! Please let me know if you have any questions - or to let me know you'll be at the party!

-Megy Karydes, Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com

Fair Trade and Handmade Copper and Brass Jewelry on its way

We just conducted our pre-clearance exercise with our shipper so hopefully that means our shipment of fair trade and handmade copper and brass jewelry from South Africa is well on its way to the U.S. Let's hope our package doesn't get held up in U.S. Customs!

We're still trying to sort out our recycled billboard line of handbags. For some reason we're having trouble getting the shipment out from South Africa. Part of the challenge is working with artisan groups who aren't well-versed in exporting so this is a learning curve for them. Couple that with the fact that they don't have a ton of shipping options available, and the challenge is compounded. Nonetheless, our shipment is ready, packaged and eager to ship...we just need to finalize the shipping arrangements!

In the meantime, we're posting some new items on www.World-Shoppe.com this week before we send out our September newsletter (which is, of course, late since we've been tied up with our South African partners much of the month). We hope you'll find some new treasures!

-Megy Karydes, Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com

Newest Artisan Partner Profile - Recycled Billboard Accessories

Our newest artisan partner is a design and manufacturing studio in the heart of Johannesburg, South Africa. The non-profit group recycles obsolete vinyl billboards and use this durable, weatherproof material to create trendy and unique lifestyle products. Also just as exciting, the group creates job opportunities and helps the environment by creating one-of-a-kind accessories since each of the components are literally taken from parts of a billboard!

The Process
When used billboards (which vary in weight from 50 – 180kg) arrive at the workshop, the artisans follow a meticulous and time-tested process to ensure absolute quality and consistency in all of its products:

• On arrival, all billboards are opened, mopped, dried and folded neatly for storage.
• When a billboard is selected to be a bag, file folder or other product, it is unrolled and the relevant piece/portion is cut. These pieces can vary from 2 – 10m.
• The large pieces are then cut into the relevant pattern pieces needed to make the chosen product, by our highly skilled and talented cutter/designer.
• All the individual pattern pieces are then washed again by hand, and dried.
• All the pattern pieces are ironed, and finally…
• They are sewn into the end product by our team of seamstresses, to be enjoyed by you!

Final Product
All of the groups products are 100% handmade, eco-friendly and proudly South African.

Our latest order is about ready to ship from South Africa and we're making the final plans to get them to the United States this week! We can't wait to get them in. I've been trekking around in the Tote and using my Padfolio and love both of them. I've received so many compliments on the tote already and one woman offered to buy it from me while I was grocery shopping (I gave her my card and told her they will be in shortly - I couldn't bare to part with my bag!).

If you're interested in placing an order, check out our Facebook page to see the full line of products: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Chicago-IL/wwwWorld-Shoppecom-Fair-Trade-Gifts/103796615105. The page has dimensions, pricing, etc. (which aren't on our Web site yet since the items aren't in stock yet). You can call or email me and I'll make sure to set aside whatever you'd like. We ordered very limited quantities because we wanted to get customer reaction before we placed larger orders with the group...but they are ready, excited and willing to ship many more samples to the United States and I'd love to help increase their employment opportunities while offering fashionable and eco-friendly accessories to our U.S. retailers and customers!

I'm at 312-560-2715 or megy at World-Shoppe dot com. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

-Megy Karydes
Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com

What does The New York Times say about CARE? Find out Sunday.

Below is part of an email I received this afternoon by non-profit CARE's President and CEO, Dr. Helene D. Gayle.

I wanted to share it with my loyal World Shoppe supporters because CARE is an organization that is working to help women all over the world. If you get the New York Times, please check out this Sunday's magazine. And if you're not a regular subscriber, I hope you'll have the opportunity to pick it up at your local newsstand!

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The New York Times Magazine this Sunday is dedicated to international women's issues, and places CARE's mission at the center of a national dialogue on solutions to global poverty. The issue's feature article, "The Women's Crusade," highlights CARE's focus on women and girls. Goretti Nyabenda, a participant in one of our village savings and loan programs in Burundi, is featured on the magazine's cover, and her story is told in the audio slide show, "A Powerful Truth."

We are thrilled that The New York Times Magazine is shedding light on the pivotal role that women and girls play in fighting global poverty. As the magazine notes, "The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren't the problem; they're the solution." At CARE, we couldn't agree more. We encourage you to read this issue of The New York Times Magazine, and share it with your friends and family.

A catalyst for the magazine's focus this weekend is the release of Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book, "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide," which will be available on September 8, 2009. This moving book shares poignant tales of women's struggles and triumphs in the face of poverty and discrimination. You'll meet inspiring women in the developing world and even learn more about our friend in Burundi in the book's chapter, "A CARE Package for Goretti." Through these compelling stories, the authors brilliantly illustrate the connections between women's empowerment and social and economic progress.

We're inviting you to read "Half the Sky" with your book club, women's group, alumni chapter or family and friends. Then, start a conversation about the challenges and opportunities women and girls face, and what you can do to help, such as joining CARE in the global movement to end poverty by empowering women and girls.

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As a side note, if you pre-order "Half the Sky" through Amazon using this link, CARE will receive at least 4 percent of the revenue (but you need to use this link). I don't have anything to do with this offer so if you have questions about the revenue share, you may want to contact CARE directly. CARE's 800 number is 800-422-7385. You can also learn more about this organization by visiting www.CARE.org.

Wouldn't this book make a wonderful gift for any woman (and man) in your life?

-Megy Karydes, Founder
World Shoppe
www.World-Shoppe.com

Meet Lindi, a South African Fair Trade Artist

I met Lindi on my recent trip to South Africa and was immediately drawn to her infectious smile. When Lindi smile, you can't help but smile back.

Lindi lives in the Northern Cape province in South Africa and makes handmade and fair trade jewelry including this red number I'm wearing around my neck although it's a tad hard to see with my bright pink sweater. Lindi was engaging, fun and beautiful inside and out. She showed me some of her designs and shared with me the fact that she has taken some jewelry classes offered in Johannesburg. Lindi is talented - as were all of the women I met while traveling to South Africa and Swaziland this month. What they don't have, though, is a market for their work. A sustainable one, at least. One that can provide them with ongoing employment opportunities and a way to help contribute to making their local economies stronger.

Lindi and I will begin working on some jewelry designs and hope to share some of them with you in the coming months. My intention wasn't necessarily to begin a wholesaling business when I traveled to South Africa but I'm excited to be working with several artisans I met so we're going to give it a shot. I think the U.S. is ready for Lindi's designs and I hope you'll agree!

In the coming weeks I'll be posting some of the new products I found while in South Africa and Swaziland online. In the meantime, please keep supporting fair trade. And, if you've haven't become a fan of World Shoppe on Facebook, please connect with us! I just posted 30 photos on our Facebook page this afternoon!

Enjoy your week...I can't believe it's already the middle of August.

-Megy Karydes, Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com
Fair Trade Gifts, Jewelry and Home Accessories from more than 33 countries

Howard Dean speaks at Barbara's Bookstore

For most people in the world, health care just isn't an option. That's the case in the United States, too, one of the richest countries in the world.

This blog post isn't about whether I'm a Democrat or a Republican, but I am interested in learning as much as possible about the health care plan President Obama and his administration is proposing.

Howard Dean, a former presidential hopeful and a 6-term governor for the state of Vermont, is going to be speaking on his prescription for real health care reform on August 5th at Barbara's Bookstore (1218 S. Halsted, near the UIC campus; 5:30 p.m.).

We all have the power to make a difference. We may not have health care for everyone in the U.S., but we can make our voices heard. Hear everyone's take on this issue, Democrats, Republicans, Independents...and make your own decision in the end.

-Megy Karydes, Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com

Countdown to South Africa

In one week, I'll be boarding a plan to travel more 24 hours to visit the other side of the world - on so many levels. My destination is South Africa and while it seems like a million miles away, I also feel like we live in a small world. Just as in my hometown of Chicago, women live in poverty in South Africa. Just like mothers in Chicago, mothers in South Africa want to raise their children in the best possible way. To allow the to go to school. To eat healthy food. To have shelter.

But for many in South Africa, that isn't possible. Which is why fair trade is so important to them. By having employment opportunities, they can make decisions that are good for them and their families.

I'm in the process of finalizing my plans on what to see and do while I'm there and look forward to sharing their stories with you!

-Megy Karydes, Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com