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July 22, 2008
Artful Giving
I was sorting through my emails today, and came across an interesting press release from Stray Dog Designs that I want to share with you. Let me start by saying, this company rocks! Not only are their lamps, furniture and other home décor accessories beautiful, they are also handcrafted using materials that are completely recyclable or sustainable. Jane Gray, designer and co-founder (with her husband, no less!) strongly believes that environmentally responsible materials should be used whenever possible and that artisans should be paid a fair living wage. This alone makes them awesome, but Jane is taking it to the next level.
Look at some of her gorgeous designs:
Ophelia Lamp—A branchy base, striped shade, and flower finial make this lamp cute and kind of fancy. Tole. Handmade and hand painted by artisans in Mexico. |
Peacock—A truly magnificent bird. Handmade of papier mache from recycled materials by artisans in Haiti. |
Weed Cube Stool/Accent Table—Wraparound weeds adorn a versatile cube. Handmade of papier mache from recycled materials by artisans in Haiti. |
Now here’s the really exciting news: Effective immediately, SSD will donate a portion of the purchase price of EVERY product to local charities in the communities where their products are made. This includes feeding and housing the homeless, and medical care for animals. The new giving program, aptly called Stray Giving—!Vaya con Perros! (Go with Dogs!) stemmed from holiday overload that Jane experienced in 2007. Not only did it look like Santa’s elves took over every store (immediately after Halloween. Do I really have to look at this stuff for two months?), but she noticed that her children received a ridiculous amount of gifts—most unappreciated and only played with a few times. So she encouraged her family to buy each other less gifts (but perhaps more thoughtful), and use the money they saved to give to those in need. To her surprise, everyone loved the idea and from that, Jane realized that she could give back even more using her company as the vehicle. Basically, you get the best of both—beautiful items to add to your registry and good karma.
Go to straydogdesigns.com to check out these wares and to learn more about Stray Giving. Cheers!
Posted by Aimée at 1:54 p.m.
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