spread the word!

gather round folks and let me tell you about a very worthy cause that i recently discovered in my new neighborhood --

i was walking a couple blocks from home when i saw a store window full of the most beautiful fabric pillows and scarves. i wandered in and discovered more beautiful handmade goods including jewelry and paper-less journals {made out of army tents among other things}!

the store is raven + lily and i feel so passionate about it. why? raven + lily is a non-profit made up of creative women who assist impoverished women through design. they collaborate with women from east africa, india, and even women's shelters in los angeles to create beautiful goods. once the designs are finished, raven + lily market and sell the items in their cute shop in echo park and online, then send the profits back to the original designers.

the products are made of fair-trade, organic and recycled materials. plus, there is a unique, individual woman who is going to make a fair living from each purchase! in the store they even had cards with each woman's name on it so you could send a little message to the specific designer who made the product.

here are some facts from the website:

* 70% of the world's poorest people are women

* 2/3 of those who cannot read or write are women

* 80% of refugees & trafficking victims are women

as a woman, these stats are astounding to me, and i keep thinking that if i happened to have been born in a different country, those stats might have included me. so i feel pretty passionate about empowering women however i can.

which is why i signed up to be a volunteer on the design team! i'm so excited about a way that i can get creative and empower my fellow woman! i even bought some of the beautiful coasters {one of my fun new home purchases}.

check out the site, donate, buy something beautiful, and help spread the word!