#Supporting women artisans for a brighter future

[greenthestral]

Empowering Women Artisans: Celebrating Creativity and Equality

In today's world, women continue to break barriers and shatter glass ceilings in various fields. One area where their contribution is often overlooked but incredibly significant is in the realm of artisanship. Women artisans play a vital role in preserving cultural heritage, fostering creativity, and driving economic growth. This article aims to shed light on the incredible work of these women and the importance of empowering them to thrive in their craft.

The Rich History of Women Artisans

Throughout history, women have played a significant role in artisanal trades, showcasing their remarkable creativity and skill across various crafts. From pottery and weaving to jewelry-making and embroidery, women have served as the custodians of artistic traditions, passing down their knowledge and expertise from generation to generation. These crafts not only contribute to the cultural fabric of societies but also serve as a crucial means of economic sustenance for countless women around the world.

In every corner of the globe, women have been instrumental in preserving and advancing traditional artistic practices. In many cultures, pottery has been a craft passed down through generations, and women have been at the forefront of this art form. From shaping the clay to adorning the finished pieces with intricate designs, women artisans have demonstrated their mastery of this ancient craft. Their delicate touch and attention to detail have resulted in exquisite pottery that reflects their cultural heritage and artistic sensibilities.

Weaving is another craft where women have played an integral role throughout history. Whether it's creating intricate patterns on textiles or crafting beautiful rugs and tapestries, women have honed their weaving skills to perfection. In many indigenous communities, weaving has been an essential cultural practice, and women have been the primary weavers, using age-old techniques and traditional looms. Their creations not only showcase their artistic abilities but also serve as a means of preserving cultural narratives and identities.

The art of jewelry-making has long been associated with women artisans who possess a keen eye for design and a deep understanding of materials. From crafting exquisite necklaces and earrings to intricate bracelets and rings, women have elevated jewelry-making to an art form. Through their work, they infuse pieces with personal stories, symbolism, and cultural motifs, creating wearable works of art that carry a piece of their heritage.

Embroidery, too, has been a craft dominated by women artisans. With a needle and thread, they transform plain fabrics into stunning works of art, embellishing them with elaborate patterns and intricate stitches. Embroidery has traditionally been used to decorate clothing, household items, and ceremonial garments, and women have excelled in this meticulous craft, showcasing their creativity and attention to detail.

These crafts have not only contributed to the cultural heritage of societies but have also provided economic sustenance for countless women artisans around the world. In many communities, artisanal trades have been a primary source of income for women, enabling them to support their families and create a better future for themselves. By engaging in these crafts, women have gained financial independence, empowered themselves, and contributed to the economic well-being of their communities.

Moreover, these crafts have often provided a safe and supportive space for women to express their creativity and forge connections with their cultural roots. They offer an avenue for self-expression, allowing women to showcase their artistic talents and leave a lasting impact on their communities. Through the act of creating, women artisans find a sense of fulfillment and purpose, as they channel their passion and skills into their craft.

It is crucial to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of women artisans throughout history. Their creativity, skill, and dedication have enriched our societies, preserved cultural traditions, and provided economic opportunities. By empowering women artisans and ensuring their work receives the recognition and support it deserves, we can create a more equitable and inclusive world that values and celebrates their talents. As we continue to appreciate the artistry of women artisans, let us also strive to provide them with the resources, training, and platforms they need to thrive in their chosen crafts.

Challenges Faced by Women Artisans

Despite their immense talent and dedication, women artisans face numerous challenges in their pursuit of artistic expression and financial independence. Discrimination, limited access to resources, lack of market opportunities, and gender-based violence are some of the obstacles that they encounter on their journey.

In many societies, women face cultural and social barriers that hinder their ability to engage fully in artistic pursuits. Traditional gender roles often confine women to domestic responsibilities, leaving little time and support for them to explore their artistic potential. Moreover, limited access to education and training programs further exacerbates these challenges.

Lack of financial resources and market opportunities pose significant hurdles for women artisans as well. Without access to credit or capital, they struggle to invest in tools, raw materials, and infrastructure necessary for their craft. Additionally, gender bias in the marketplace can prevent them from gaining fair recognition and adequate compensation for their work.

The Importance of Empowering Women Artisans

Empowering women artisans is not just about ensuring gender equality; it is a vital step towards sustainable development and cultural preservation. When women are given the necessary support and opportunities, they can contribute significantly to economic growth, poverty reduction, and community development.

By empowering women artisans, we can unlock their creative potential and nurture innovation. Their unique perspectives and skills can enrich artistic traditions, leading to the creation of diverse and culturally significant artwork. This, in turn, fosters a sense of pride and identity within communities while also attracting tourists and buyers interested in authentic, handmade crafts.

Furthermore, empowering women artisans has a multiplier effect on society. As women gain financial independence and improve their living standards, they can invest in the education and well-being of their families. This creates a positive cycle of empowerment that extends beyond the individual and contributes to the overall progress of communities.

Initiatives for Empowering Women Artisans

Recognizing the significance of empowering women artisans, numerous organizations and initiatives have emerged to provide support and create opportunities for these talented individuals.

Microfinance institutions and nonprofit organizations play a crucial role in providing financial assistance and training programs to women artisans. By offering microloans, these institutions enable women to invest in their craft and develop their businesses. They also provide training in entrepreneurship, marketing, and financial management, equipping women with the skills necessary to thrive in the marketplace.

Government policies and programs also play a crucial role in empowering women artisans. By implementing gender-responsive policies, governments can create an enabling environment that supports women's entrepreneurship and access to markets. Initiatives such as setting up women-centric artisanal hubs, organizing exhibitions, and providing platforms for skill-sharing and networking can significantly boost the visibility and market reach of women artisans.

Furthermore, consumer awareness and conscious buying practices can contribute to empowering women artisans. By actively seeking out and supporting businesses that prioritize fair trade and women's empowerment, consumers can contribute to creating a more equitable marketplace. Social media platforms and e-commerce websites have become powerful tools for connecting women artisans with a global audience, amplifying their reach, and creating sustainable market opportunities.

Success Stories of Empowered Women Artisans

Across the globe, there are inspiring stories of women artisans who have defied the odds and achieved remarkable success in their craft.

One such example is Fatima, a skilled ceramic artist from a rural village in Morocco. With the support of a microfinance organization, she was able to establish her pottery workshop and train other women in her community. Today, Fatima's intricate ceramic artwork is highly sought after, and she has become a role model for aspiring women artisans in her village.

In India, organizations like the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) have been instrumental in empowering women artisans. SEWA provides training, access to credit, and market linkages to women engaged in various crafts such as embroidery, weaving, and block printing. Through their efforts, thousands of women have gained financial independence and transformed their lives.

Conclusion

Empowering women artisans is a powerful step towards building a more inclusive and equal society. By addressing the challenges they face and providing them with the necessary support and opportunities, we can unlock their creative potential, contribute to economic growth, and preserve cultural heritage. Through microfinance, training programs, policy reforms, and conscious buying practices, we can collectively work towards a future where women artisans thrive and their invaluable contributions are celebrated. Let us stand together in empowering women artisans and create a world that values and nurtures their creativity.

[calabria-mediterranea]

Weaving the Future of Italian Silk with Nido di Seta

Fostering a new silk supply chain in Italy

The history of silk spans thousands of years, inextricably woven into Gucci’s own heritage and found at the heart of the House’s most iconic creations. Though this material embodies the excellence of Made in Italy craftsmanship, its production has been almost entirely lost in the country.

Gucci is supporting its reintroduction in Italy with a pilot project as part of the House’s commitment to promoting regenerative agriculture practices – a key pillar of its nature-positive approach – and where sustainability and innovation go hand-in-hand in silk production and cultivation. An entirely new technique in the silk supply chain is being championed – from the planting of mulberry trees in abandoned landscapes and improving these rural areas through organic farming, to developing new technology for the manufacturing processes, and upskilling farmers and artisans in their silk craft. This initiative will allow the House to source silk from organic farming practices in Italy that can be used in the House’s future collections.

A Cultural Renaissance Starts at the Il Nido di Seta Farm

Nido di Seta is a farm located in the small hillside village of San Floro in the Calabria region of southern Italy where three young friends, Miriam Pugliese, Giovanna Bagnato, and Domenico Vivino have come together to bring local traditions back to the fore. After their paths diverged, the three came together again and decided to build their future in this small village of 600 inhabitants and restore the traditional mulberry tree planting and cultivation needed for the rearing of silkworms. Historically, San Floro was famous for a very significant production of raw silk in the 17th century, though this heritage had been completely lost in modern times.

“We keep a reproduction of the property registration map of mulberry groves dating back to 1500. All of Calabria was covered with them and some mulberry groves even dated back to the year 1000. In every Calabrian village and city there is a district name that recalls the mulberry trees in the local dialect and today it’s a rule of thumb that every piece of land, every property, has one or more mulberry trees on it. Regarding the production of the cocoon, however, there are documents showing that starting from the beginning of the 19th century, San Floro produced around 1,500 kg of cocoons every year.”

The only surviving elements of this rich legacy were the 3,000 abandoned mulberry trees and the memory of the elderly villagers. Miriam and her friends brought back the production of silk, rewinding the threads of history and travelling across the world to exchange best practices with silk institutes in Thailand, India, Switzerland, and France. The friends supported the creation of a small group of local women artisans, each working from a home laboratory based in their own small village. As part of its development, they trained people interested in their new, sustainable production model and also brought thousands of tourists from all over the world to visit their farm to experience how silk is produced first-hand.

Gucci Supports the Project

At the beginning of 2022, a meeting with Gucci saw the future of the friends’ farm grow even brighter. Thanks to this collaboration with Gucci, Miriam and her friends have undertaken an even greater ambition. The goal of the pilot project is to create a new silk-farming supply chain, including the production of Gucci’s first scarves made with silk thread that comes from local organic farming practices over the next years. Using this pilot as a best practices example, Gucci will also be able to look into the expansion of the farmers involved, promoting the adoption of regenerative silk production, ultimately bringing the abandoned silk supply chain in the region back to life. With scientific partners CREA, the Italian public research institute specialized in silkworm breeding and rearing technologies, and Ongetta, the producer of silk yarns, the project’s future, and the multi-benefits it creates, is very promising.

A Positive Impact on the Community and the Land

The initiative with Il Nido di Seta will allow for the rediscovery of traditional artisanal skills and create job opportunities in marginalized areas, which have a high risk of depopulation due to the lack of available jobs, which is critical to keep the countryside flourishing. The collaboration will also support Miriam in her objective to maintain the network of local artisan women and Il Nido di Seta’s traditional techniques. Culturally, there is a local Silk Museum to preserve this heritage of silk’s history and traditions, and the three friends have also created an Academy to guarantee the passing on of this ancient knowledge to the next generations of artisans.

Environmentally the project gives back to nature through the planting of mulberry trees, improving the condition of the soil and increasing its ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The tree’s fruit and the residue from the silk production can also be transformed into by-products in a great variety of ways: from jam to cosmetics, encouraging a circular economy through using the resources above and beyond those from the primary silk producing focus.

“With our work we are preventing a tradition, that was a great source of pride for our region, from disappearing into thin air. We are creating an economy taking lessons from our past and now the next exciting challenge is to see the traditions of our ancestors on the international fashion runways,” says Miriam.

Source: gucciequilibrium

Follow us on Instagram, @calabria_mediterranea

[mythical-song-wolf]

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale AU that has no proper name yet but Anne is raised by Kat & Hugh in a comedic co-custody arrangement part 2 (part one here)

Shenanigans that occur before Anne is 15, plus whatever random shit my brain's rattling off

Kat & Benjamin having matching ascot things when Benjamin just starts wearing his wing around

Between Kat and Hugh, the most responsible parent for Anne is Salim. This small child was not part of his contract when he started working for Hugh but by god is he letting two idiots raise this poor girl alone

When Hugh becomes the Silver Sugar Viscount, the King and Queen meet Anne when Hugh had to bring her along once. They adore her, but the fairies serving them love her even more. Alas, Anne's encounters with them are incredibly far and few

Lady Christina lives in this AU since Anne has been making confections for her when Hugh could no longer

Hugh or Kat make the "terrible" decision of taking Anne with them to the Paige workshop

Anne & Bridget pack bond immediately like two lost birds in the middle of winter

Bridget and her dad have A Talk about thing, and suffice it to say Bridget's future is still tough but brighter

Bridget & Anne have a Sister Dynamic because Women Supporting Women goddammit, and by their many similarities

Anne grows up studying her mom's notes, but also the styles of the many fellow artisans she gets to watch growing up

She hits a brief slump of not finding her own style, but on a rare breezy summer's day, she gets to witness Lady Christina fly and that's when it clicks

Now onto her Dads™, smart and capable men, yes, but by god are they not at all prepared to father a small child. Benjamin and Salim are the main reasons Anne didn't die

But that doesn't mean they were bad dads, just not prepared at first, once they get the hang of it, its a mix of who's the mother hen at any moment

Anne loves her dads very dearly, she mostly calls them by their first names but when she does call them dad, they're dying inside because they love their daughter so very very much

Lady Christina & Sir William always plan their monthly visit to Lewiston around an event happening within the city or area at the time, so generally they're there during the festival for the royal medal

Naturally, the Mercury Workshop knows of Anne, but given who her dads are and the fact that even after several classes with both the Viscount and Alph Hingley, they can't catch up to Anne's early nurtured talent, so most accept her as their own, a collective little sister/cousin in a sense

The Radcliffe Workshop knows of her, and generally despises her because Master Marcus doesn't like nepotism unless it favors him and his favorite students (even then, Anne's situation isn't nepotism, he's just bias and cannot fathom why a girl would be considered talented in a craft that is etched into her bones)

Jonas is the technical heir to the workshop, but by Master Marcus' favoritism, if he could he would make Sammy the heir and Jonas knows this but that won't stop him from doing whatever he can to become the Master of the workshop and become the next Viscount

Keith & Anne are childhood friends, though they don't get to hang out as long as they'd like as they get older and Keith joins the Radcliffe Workshop

[bandabags]

Kali Weekender Bag! Inspired by the goddess of time, change, and empowerment, our bag is the perfect symbol of our commitment to empowering women and supporting Indonesian artisans. Each bag is carefully crafted by hand, using traditional techniques passed down through generations of skilled artisans. By supporting local artisans, we can help create a brighter future for their families and communities. And by empowering women, we can help build a more equal and just world for all. Thank you for supporting our mission! . . . #bandabags #handmade #ethicalfashion #fairtrade #handcrafted #ethicallymade #sustainablefashion #shopsmall #purchasewithpurpose #slowfashion #womenempowerment #womensupportingwomen #localartisans #womenartisans #bandababes #shoppingonline #giftideas #supportsmallbusiness #veganbag #ethicalfashion #embroideryart #weekenderbag — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/XW872zN

[mudassarmalik]

The Tears and Triumphs of Pakistan's Gypsy Community: A 13-Year Bond of Trust

Pakistan's Gypsy community, comprising bear keepers, musicians, and artisans, has long been marginalized and misunderstood. Their nomadic lifestyle and cultural practices have led to social exclusion, poverty, and limited access to education and healthcare.

A Life of Misery

Gypsy children are often forced to beg or perform dangerous stunts with bears, perpetuating a cycle of exploitation. Women face domestic violence, and men struggle to find dignified work. Living in squalid camps, they lack basic amenities and healthcare.

The Plight of Asiatic Black Bears

Bear baiting, a cruel practice, has plagued Pakistan's Gypsy community for centuries. Asiatic Black bears are:

- Captured from the wild

- Mutilated and forced to fight dogs

- Subjected to unbearable pain and cruelty

This barbaric tradition must end.

Mission

In 2007, I joined an international organization to eradicate bear baiting. Through:

- Education: Informing communities about animal welfare and alternative livelihoods

- Advocacy: Collaborating with authorities to enforce anti-bear baiting laws

- Economic Empowerment: Providing skills training and microfinance initiatives

Aimed to:

- Break the cycle of poverty

- Promote cultural understanding and acceptance

- Foster dignity and self-worth

Triumphs and Tears

Over 13 years, we:

- Rescued hundreds of bears from abusive situations

- Educated thousands of children, focusing on animal welfare and rights

- Empowered women through skills training and economic independence

- Supported alternative livelihoods, reducing dependence on bear baiting

Challenges Ahead

Despite progress, challenges persist:

- Entrenched cultural practices

- Limited resources and infrastructure

- Ongoing poverty and social exclusion

A Call to Action

- Raising awareness about Pakistan's Gypsy community

- Supporting inclusive policies and initiatives

- Promoting cultural understanding and empathy

- Promote such organizations working towards bear welfare and community empowerment

Conclusion

The tears and triumphs of Pakistan's Gypsy community will forever be etched in my heart. Our bond of trust has been forged through shared struggles and victories. Together, we can create a brighter future – one where Gypsies are valued, bears are protected, and compassion triumphs over cruelty.

[amberaurajewelry9]

Sustainable Jewelry Pieces: Timeless Elegance with a Conscience

In today's world, the demand for ethical and sustainable products is higher than ever, and the jewelry industry is no exception. At Amber Aura, we understand that our customers seek not only beauty and elegance in their jewelry but also the assurance that their pieces are crafted with respect for both people and the planet. This is why we are dedicated to creating sustainable jewelry pieces that combine exquisite design with ethical practices.

The Essence of Sustainable Jewelry

Sustainable jewelry refers to pieces that are made with minimal environmental impact and are produced under fair labor conditions. This involves sourcing materials responsibly, reducing waste, and ensuring that the artisans who craft these pieces are treated fairly and compensated adequately. At Amber Aura, we take these principles to heart, integrating sustainability into every step of our jewelry-making process.

Ethical Sourcing of Materials

One of the cornerstones of sustainable jewelry is the ethical sourcing of materials. At Amber Aura, we carefully select our diamonds, gemstones, and metals from suppliers who adhere to strict ethical guidelines. This means ensuring that our materials are conflict-free, meaning they are not used to finance armed conflict and are mined under safe and fair labor conditions. By doing so, we not only guarantee the quality of our products but also support communities and workers involved in the mining process.

Eco-friendly Production Practices

In addition to ethically sourced materials, our production practices are designed to minimize environmental impact. We utilize eco-friendly methods such as recycling metals and reducing waste in our manufacturing processes. Our commitment to sustainability also extends to our packaging, which is made from recycled and biodegradable materials, ensuring that even the presentation of our jewelry reflects our dedication to the environment.

Empowering Artisans and Supporting Communities

Amber Aura is deeply committed to empowering female artisans and supporting communities around the world. We collaborate with women-led businesses and workshops, providing opportunities for female artisans to showcase their talents and gain financial independence. By choosing Amber Aura, you are not only purchasing a beautiful piece of jewelry but also contributing to initiatives that support women’s education and leadership training, fostering gender equality and community development.

Designs that Inspire and Empower

Our collections at Amber Aura are a testament to the harmonious blend of traditional techniques and modern design elements. Each piece is thoughtfully crafted to embody both elegance and strength, encouraging women to express their unique personalities and ambitions. Our sustainable jewelry pieces are more than just accessories; they are symbols of empowerment and personal expression, designed to inspire confidence and resilience in every woman who wears them.

A Lasting Commitment to Sustainability

As we look to the future, Amber Aura remains steadfast in our commitment to sustainability. We continually seek innovative ways to enhance our eco-friendly practices and expand our support for female artisans. Our goal is to be a catalyst for change in the jewelry industry, setting a standard for ethical practices and inspiring others to join us on this journey.

Join the Amber Aura Movement

We invite you to explore our collections and discover the beauty and integrity of our sustainable jewelry pieces. Each item from Amber Aura is a celebration of craftsmanship, ethical practices, and the empowerment of women. By choosing Amber Aura, you are not only adorning yourself with timeless elegance but also supporting a brighter, more sustainable future for all. Together, let's make a difference, one beautiful piece of jewelry at a time.

[sillygalaxyangel]

Unlocking Empowerment: The Significance of Microfinancing for Women 💪🌟

Hey Reddit fam! Let's dive into a topic that's close to our hearts: microfinancing and its profound impact on women's empowerment. 🚀💼

Understanding Microfinancing: Microfinancing, often associated with small loans and financial services, has emerged as a powerful tool for socio-economic empowerment, particularly for women in underserved communities. It provides access to capital, allowing individuals to start or expand small businesses, improve livelihoods, and break the cycle of poverty.

Empowering Women: Microfinancing has a unique significance in advancing women's empowerment on multiple levels:

Financial Independence: By providing women with access to microloans, they gain the means to start their own businesses or invest in income-generating activities. This financial independence not only boosts their confidence but also enhances their decision-making power within their households and communities.

Education and Health: With increased income from microenterprises, women can prioritize investments in education and healthcare for themselves and their families. This leads to improved literacy rates, better health outcomes, and a brighter future for generations to come.

Community Development: Women are often the backbone of their communities, and when empowered economically, they become agents of change. They reinvest their earnings back into their families and communities, leading to overall socio-economic development.

Gender Equality: Microfinancing addresses gender disparities by providing women with equal access to financial resources and opportunities. It challenges traditional gender roles and fosters a more equitable society where women can thrive alongside men.

Success Stories: Countless success stories attest to the transformative power of microfinancing in women's lives. From rural artisans to urban entrepreneurs, women have leveraged microloans to start businesses, support their families, and become leaders in their communities.

Moving Forward: As we continue to champion gender equality and inclusive economic growth, it's crucial to recognize the pivotal role of microfinancing in women's empowerment. By supporting initiatives that promote financial inclusion and entrepreneurship among women, we can create a more just and prosperous world for all.

Let's keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts, experiences, or any questions you have about microfinancing and women's empowerment. Together, we can make a difference! 💬✨ #Microfinancing #WomensEmpowerment #FinancialInclusion #GenderEquality

Hey Reddit fam! Let's dive into a topic that's close to our hearts: microfinancing and its profound impact on women's empowerment. 🚀💼

Understanding Microfinancing: Microfinancing, often associated with small loans and financial services, has emerged as a powerful tool for socio-economic empowerment, particularly for women in underserved communities. It provides access to capital, allowing individuals to start or expand small businesses, improve livelihoods, and break the cycle of poverty.

Empowering Women: Microfinancing has a unique significance in advancing women's empowerment on multiple levels:

Financial Independence: By providing women with access to microloans, they gain the means to start their own businesses or invest in income-generating activities. This financial independence not only boosts their confidence but also enhances their decision-making power within their households and communities.

Education and Health: With increased income from microenterprises, women can prioritize investments in education and healthcare for themselves and their families. This leads to improved literacy rates, better health outcomes, and a brighter future for generations to come.

Community Development: Women are often the backbone of their communities, and when empowered economically, they become agents of change. They reinvest their earnings back into their families and communities, leading to overall socio-economic development.

Gender Equality: Microfinancing addresses gender disparities by providing women with equal access to financial resources and opportunities. It challenges traditional gender roles and fosters a more equitable society where women can thrive alongside men.

Success Stories: Countless success stories attest to the transformative power of microfinancing in women's lives. From rural artisans to urban entrepreneurs, women have leveraged microloans to start businesses, support their families, and become leaders in their communities.

Moving Forward: As we continue to champion gender equality and inclusive economic growth, it's crucial to recognize the pivotal role of microfinancing in women's empowerment. By supporting initiatives that promote financial inclusion and entrepreneurship among women, we can create a more just and prosperous world for all.

Let's keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts, experiences, or any questions you have about microfinancing and women's empowerment. Together, we can make a difference! 💬✨

[reasoningdaily]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-clintons-haiti-development-plans-succeed--and-disappoint/2015/03/20/0ebae25e-cbe9-11e4-a2a7-9517a3a70506_story.html

How the Clintons’ Haiti development plans succeed — and disappoint

Hermain Jean Pierre looks through a fence at the Caracol Industrial Park on Haiti’s Caribbean coast. Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton had touted the park as a model that would change the economy of this impoverished country, but it has not done so. (Andres Martinez Casares/for The Washington Post)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Deep in the Haitian countryside, peanut farmer Wismith Moricette epitomizes the success of Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton's charitable work: Through an innovative program backed by the Clintons, the 23-year-old has doubled the yield from his one-acre plot. Along with all those peanuts, Moricette said, have come visions of a brighter future for his wife and young son.

Fifty miles away on Haiti’s north coast, Anelle Germinal exemplifies another reality of the Clintons’ work here: disappointment. The 33-year-old mother of four has been standing in the baking sun every day for months waiting for work in the struggling Caracol Industrial Park, which the Clintons have touted as a model that would change the economy of this impoverished country.

“They said we would have work,” Germinal said, “but I have nothing.”

Moricette and Germinal are two faces of the Clintons’ increasingly complicated relationship with Haiti, where their high-profile development efforts after a devastating earthquake in 2010 have produced both success and disillusionment.

As Hillary Clinton moves toward a second run for the White House, her family's global charitable work, mostly through the Clinton Foundation, has come under intense scrutiny. The foundation has accepted large donations from corporations and foreign countries, raising concerns that the Clintons are creating conflicts of interest by blurring the lines between their political, business and charitable interests.

The Washington Post reported last month that the foundation’s donors include seven foreign governments that contributed millions during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state. Among those donations was a $500,000 contribution from the Algerian government for earthquake relief in Haiti that the foundation has acknowledged violated the terms of an ethics agreement with the Obama administration.

The Clintons’ defenders have dismissed concerns about the donations as political sniping, saying the test of the foundation is not where it gets its money but how it spends it. They said their work has created economic opportunity, improved lives for women and girls, raised health standards and fought the effects of climate change across the developing world.

The work has been especially visible in Haiti, where the Clintons first traveled as young newlyweds in 1975 and where many people credit them with drawing the world’s attention immediately after the earthquake, which killed more than 200,000 people

With former president Clinton assigned by the United Nations to head up the emergency recovery effort and Hillary Clinton guiding official U.S. assistance as secretary of state, the couple helped a relief effort that has included some of the world’s richest people, biggest celebrities and most successful businesses. The Clintons also helped mobilize an effort in which international donors pledged $10.4 billion, including $3.9 billion from the United States.

Greg Milne, director of the Clinton Foundation’s Haiti Program, said projects include efforts that have helped more than 2,000 small farmers, an artisan-goods company that employs more than 300 people, a fish-farming operation, a cholera treatment center and improvements to schools in some of Haiti’s poorest slums.

Clinton supporters also point out that their successes have come amid Haiti’s chaotic political situation — parliament is not functioning and President Michel Martelly, dogged by scandal, is ruling with virtually no checks on his power — which is marked by endemic corruption, weak institutions, poverty, poor public education, terrible roads and other factors that have historically made it extremely difficult for development efforts to succeed.

The country has long had a fraught relationship with foreigners who come to invest and provide aid. Haitians often regard them with gratitude for desperately needed resources and, at the same time, with suspicion that their motives are more to make a profit in Haiti than to help it.

Nevertheless, the Clintons are facing a growing backlash that too little has been accomplished in the past five years and that some of the most high-profile projects they have backed — including a just-opened Marriott, another luxury hotel and the industrial park — have helped foreign investors and Haiti’s wealthy elites more than its poor.

"Bill Clinton is a good guy and well-intentioned, but the people here don't think so — they think he's here making money," said Leslie Voltaire, a former government official who worked with Clinton on post-earthquake reconstruction. "There is a lot of resentment about Clinton here. People have not seen results. . . . They say that Clinton used Haiti."

In January, Haitian expatriates picketed the Clinton Foundation’s New York headquarters, demanding to know why more progress has not been made with the billions in international aid pledged after the quake.

Said Raymond Joseph, a former Haitian ambassador to the United States: “People are asking, ‘What has Bill Clinton done for us?’ ”

The Clintons’ long influence in Haiti is hard to overstate.

As president in 1994, Bill Clinton deployed about 20,000 U.S. troops to Haiti to restore President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who had been ousted in a coup in 1991. Clinton’s trade policies as president, which he later called a “mistake,” were devastating to Haiti’s rice production and made it harder for the country to feed itself.

In 2009, Clinton was named U.N. special envoy for Haiti, and he has visited the country 37 times since then.

After the earthquake, Clinton united with former president George W. Bush to create the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which distributed $54.4 million in the two years after the earthquake. Separately, the Clinton Foundation has spent more than $30 million in Haiti and led efforts through the Clinton Global Initiative to persuade private companies to spend vastly more.

“What I think most people don’t know, even if they’ve been on the ground there, is these people are immensely talented,” Bill Clinton said in a 2010 interview with NPR. “They have suffered from 200 years of outside and inside abuses and neglect and misgovernment. And a lot of the people who’ve gone there even to help them in the best of faith have done so in a way that would never have allowed them to support themselves and to lift themselves up. And now there is a true consensus for and determination for a sustainable, comprehensive, long-term, modern society in Haiti. And they can do it.”

But as the initial emergency response has evolved into efforts to ensure Haiti’s long-term development, Haitians increasingly complain that the Clintons’ most ambitious plans are disconnected from the realities of most people in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

For instance, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund invested more than $2 million in the Royal Oasis ­hotel, where a sleek suite with hardwood floors costs more than $200 a night and the shops sell $150 designer purses and $120 men’s dress shirts.

One recent afternoon, the hotel appeared largely empty, and with tourism hardly booming five years after the quake, locals fear it may be failing. A spokeswoman for Occidental Hotels, the chain that runs the hotel, said that ­occupancy is up this year and that the project will “mature in the long run.”

Bill Clinton also introduced Marriott officials to Denis O'Brien, an Irish telecom billionaire who has contributed millions to the Clinton Foundation. The result is a $45 million Marriott hotel that opened this month in central Port-au-Prince. O'Brien said no Clinton money was invested in the project.

The ultra-modern hotel is adjacent to the headquarters of Digicel, a communications giant owned by O’Brien. When The Post visited recently, many, if not most, guests seemed to be foreign businessmen connected to Digicel.

Clinton defenders argue that hotels that cater to well-heeled foreign guests can still buy local products and provide local jobs, and those guests are often involved in business investments or aid projects that benefit the neediest Haitians.

O’Brien said his hotel employs 200 Haitians, is filled with locally purchased art and serves food from Haiti. O’Brien leads the Haiti Action Network, a collection of private businesses that have committed through the Clinton Global Initiative to spend $500 million on projects in Haiti. He and his company just built 150 schools and rebuilt Port-au-Prince’s historic Iron Market.

“I don’t know any modern leader that has spent more time helping a country and being so effective,” O’Brien said of Bill Clinton. “He works like a demon in the developing world. Nobody is doing that. Is Tony Blair doing that?”

Other Clinton-backed projects have not delivered on lofty promises: A 2011 housing expo that cost more than $2 million, including $500,000 from the Clinton Foundation, was supposed to be a model for thousands of new units but instead has resulted in little more than a few dozen abandoned model homes occupied by squatters.

Controversy surrounding the Clintons only deepened with the recent revelation, contained in an upcoming book by Peter Schweizer, that Tony Rodham — Hillary Clinton’s younger brother — serves on the advisory board of a U.S.-based company that in 2012 won one of Haiti’s first two gold-mining permits in 50 years. After objection from the Haitian Senate, the permits have been placed on hold.

“Neither Bill Clinton nor the brother of Hillary Clinton are individuals who share the interests of the Haitian people,” said Samuel Nesner, an anti-mining activist who thinks mining poses great environmental risks and will mainly benefit foreign investors. “They are part of the elite class who are operating to exploit the Haitian people.”

Clinton Foundation officials said Bill Clinton had been unaware of Rodham’s involvement in the mine project. A spokesman for Hillary Clinton said she does not know the chief executive of the mine.

“I strongly believe the Clintons came to Haiti in good faith and they wanted to have an impact,” said Jean-Max Bellerive, who was Haiti’s prime minister at the time of the earthquake and served as co-chairman with Bill Clinton on the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission. (Bellerive is also on the mining company’s advisory board.)

But, Bellerive said, the former president was hampered by a “weak” staff of American aides who were “more interested in supporting Clinton than helping Haiti.” Echoing a common sentiment in Haiti, Bellerive also said Clinton should have listened more carefully to the opinions and needs of ordinary Haitians: “How do you want a guy coming from Davos or Dubai to get the real feeling for what’s happening downstairs?”

Milne, of the Clinton Foundation, said the criticism is wrong and unsurprising.

“President Clinton is one of the most dedicated and highest-profile advocates for Haiti, and he is still engaged while others have moved on,” he said. “So it’s not surprising that, for some, he is an easy target for natural frustration that the change we all want isn’t happening faster.”

Milne said the country has experienced strong economic growth in recent years, with more Haitians employed and more children in school.

“Is Haiti building back better?” Milne said, using a phrase that the Clintons frequently quote. “In many ways, yes, though challenges remain.”

Paul Farmer, a doctor whose Partners in Health has helped provide medical care in rural Haiti since the 1980s and whose health network has received more than $1.8 million from the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund for a medical residency program, also praised the Clintons’ work. He said he forged partnerships at CGI meetings with private businesses and other charities for a variety of projects he said would not have taken place without the Clinton connection.

He said that by any objective measure, Haiti has been improving, in part because of the Clintons’ efforts.

"Is the whole country built back better? I doubt it," Farmer said. "Water insecurity and food insecurity are very pressing problems. But if you look at the health statistics for Haiti . . . infant mortality, child mortality — they're all improving."

Still, even some who have benefited from Clinton-backed programs have grown disillusioned.

"I read that Bill Clinton is the most popular politician in America, but he couldn't get elected mayor in Haiti today," said Jacky Lumarque, rector of Quisqueya University, a private school that was damaged in the earthquake and received $914,000 from the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund to create an entrepreneurship center.

Lumarque said the program has helped hundreds of Haitians turn their informal street businesses into formal entities that keep records, pay taxes and have potential for growth.

He said it has been a huge success — but stands apart from the usual strategy of foreign groups, including the Clintons, who tend to favor projects imposed by well-meaning foreigners that are more “about Haiti” than “for Haiti.”

The entrepreneurship center, Lumarque said, “is an example of what Clinton can do, in spite of himself.”

When Bill Clinton came here late last month to help inaugurate the new Marriott, he made a side trip by helicopter to Haiti’s central plateau to have a look at a Clinton-backed program that is revolutionizing the peanut-farming industry.

The Acceso Peanut Enterprise Corp. was started with a $1.25 million grant from the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership, which is headed by Bill Clinton and Canadian mining executive and philanthropist Frank Giustra, as well as the charitable foundation of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim.

Acceso buys feed, fertilizer and fungicide at bulk rates, then sells them to farmers for far less than normal prices. Acceso also hires tractors for farmers who otherwise would be using an ox and plow.

Robert Johnson, an American who runs the program, said the improvements are vastly increasing yields, quality and farmers’ profits.

He said Acceso worked with about 1,000 farmers last year and bought about 120 metric tons of peanuts. This year, it expects to triple the number of farmers and buy almost five times as much peanut tonnage.

At least half of Acceso’s sales have gone to two large Haitian factories that produce a peanut-based paste that is given to malnourished children. Most of the rest goes to local peanut-butter producers, he said. The program’s success, Johnson said, comes from its market-driven approach: It’s not a charity, it’s a business with a charitable purpose.

“We’re building something that is going to be sustainable,” he said. “We talk to the farmers. We’re not going to just bring in something that someone thought up in ­Davos.”

The program is branching out into lime-growing, and Clinton visited a site last month where thousands of seedlings are being cultivated by dozens of workers.

Benel Auguste, 32, is one of the small landowners who rented his plot, about a third of an acre, to Acceso to plant limes. “It’s a good idea; it’s going to work,” he said. “We know limes and we need them. We can do this.”

The Clintons also were enthusiastic backers of the Caracol Industrial Park, which was built on 600 acres of farmland just east of ­the port city Cap-Haitien.

They agreed with economists, particularly Oxford University development specialist Paul Collier, who concluded that Haiti is an ideal place to create mass jobs in garment factories because of its proximity to the United States, favorable trade agreements and cheap labor.

The Clintons helped Haitian officials identify Sae-A Trading Co., which operates factories across the developing world and sews garments for giants such as Target, Gap and Wal-Mart, as a potential major investor.

As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, along with top aide ­Cheryl Mills, lobbied for the project with South Korean officials and hosted Sae-A executives in Washington to press the plan.

Bill Clinton attended the Sae-A contract-signing ceremony in Port-au-Prince on Jan. 11, 2011 — a day before the first anniversary of the earthquake. He later laid the first stone of the park’s construction. And then in October 2012, the Clintons, Martelly and other officials attended the ribbon-cutting.

Speaking to a group of investors at the ceremony, officials and celebrities that included actors Sean Penn and Ben Stiller, as well as business moguls Donna Karan and Richard Branson, Hillary Clinton said it represented “a new day for Haiti and a new model for how the international community practices development.”

“Haiti is truly open for business, and we want your help,” she said. “We see this partnership between governments like our own and the private sector as absolutely essential in promoting and supporting long-term prosperity in Haiti. We know very well that long-term prosperity cannot come from just the provision of aid. There must be trade and investment like we have seen here today.”

Today, Sae-A employs about 4,500 people. Company spokesman Lon Garwood said the operation has been steadily growing and will open a new facility next month. Henri-Claude Müller-Poitevien, a Haitian government official who works in the apparel industry, said the Caracol project is on schedule and continues to expand.

A power plant was built, but plans for a new port at the industrial park to carry finished goods to the United States have been shelved. Residents of the plant’s housing project say their land floods when it rains, and few said they think the plant will ever create the number of jobs originally promised.

“I believe that the momentum to attract people there in a massive way is past,” said Bellerive, the former prime minister. “You can do interesting things with Caracol, but you have to reinvent the concept. Today, it has failed.”

Each morning, crowds line up outside the park’s big front gate, which is guarded by four men in crisp khaki uniforms carrying shotguns. They wait in a sliver of shade next to a cinder-block wall, many holding résumés in envelopes. Most said they have been coming every day for months, waiting for jobs that pay about $5 a day.

From his envelope, Jean Mito Palvetus, 27, pulled out a diploma attesting that he had completed 200 hours of training with the U.S. Agency for International Development on an industrial sewing machine.

“I have three kids and a wife, and I can’t support them,” he said, sweating in the hot morning sun. “I have a diploma, but I still can’t get a job here. I still have nothing.”

[techlazy5]

Weaving Tradition And Innovation In Handloom & Textiles.

In a world where technology advances at a breakneck pace, handloom & textile in Muzaffarnagar craftsmanship stand as a testament to the enduring beauty of tradition and the power of human creativity. The vibrant tapestry of handloom and textile artistry weaves together a rich history, a sustainable future, and an intricate fabric of culture. With threads spun from history and innovation, these crafts continue to shape the global fashion industry and provide an economic lifeline for countless communities.

Handloom, a timeless tradition, reflects the heart and soul of a community. The intricate art of handweaving transcends mere threads, imbuing each fabric with a story. Whether it's the graceful Banarasi silk of India, the vibrant Kente cloth of Ghana, or the intricately patterned textiles of Peru, handloom textiles are a living repository of cultural heritage. Passed down through generations, these techniques showcase the distinctive designs, colors, and weaving methods of different regions.

Beyond preserving cultural legacies, handloom and textile production also play a pivotal role in local economies. Many artisans and weavers rely on these skills as their primary source of income. The sustainable and labor-intensive nature of handloom production fosters economic self-sufficiency and helps bridge the urban-rural divide. Furthermore, handloom and textile enterprises often adhere to environmentally friendly practices, using natural dyes and sustainable materials, contributing to the broader global movement towards eco-conscious fashion.

However, handloom and textile craftsmanship are not limited to the past. They are continually evolving, embracing contemporary design and innovation. The fusion of tradition and modernity is creating unique and trendsetting fabrics. The ability to blend heritage and innovation has brought handloom textiles to the forefront of the global fashion scene. Designers and fashion houses recognize the unparalleled beauty and authenticity that handloom brings to their collections.

The resurgence of handloom and textile craftsmanship is also intertwined with sustainability. As consumers become increasingly conscious of the environmental and social impact of their clothing choices, handwoven textiles are gaining prominence. Not only are they often produced using environmentally friendly techniques, but they also support local communities and fair labor practices. Handloom textiles, with their enduring quality and timeless appeal, are antithetical to the fast fashion culture, championing the idea of "buy less, choose well."

The rise of e-commerce and digital platforms has further amplified the reach of handloom and textile artisans. Through online marketplaces, artisans can access a global audience, breaking down geographical barriers and connecting with customers who appreciate the artistry and authenticity of handcrafted textiles. In this digital age, traditional craftsmanship is finding new avenues for expression and commercial success.

Handloom and textile craftsmanship also foster a sense of inclusivity. These art forms provide opportunities for marginalized communities and underrepresented groups to make their mark in the fashion industry. The empowerment of women weavers, for instance, is a global success story, as it helps bridge gender disparities in the workforce.

As we navigate the path to a more sustainable and inclusive future, handloom and textile artistry remain beacons of hope. They remind us that while technology may shape our future, it is the preservation of our cultural heritage and the pursuit of sustainable practices that will ensure a brighter world for generations to come.

In conclusion, handloom & textile in Muzaffarnagar craftsmanship are more than just fabrics; they are the threads that bind together history, culture, and innovation. These crafts offer a unique and vibrant tapestry of traditions, economic sustainability, and eco-consciousness. As we celebrate the past, embrace the present, and look to the future, handloom and textile artisans continue to weave the fabric of a more sustainable, inclusive, and beautiful world.

[selenocysteine]

Traditionally Suzani refers to a wall-sized tapestry, but Americans don’t  typically decorate their walls with small size tapestries so what they’ve done is they've taken the technique and created modern products to appeal to modern buyers. Suzani comes from the Persian word suzan which means needle. Suzani refers to the large wall hangings and it also refers to the hand-made embroidery technique the needle and thread embroidery technique.

The Ozara group is the handicraft arm of the National Association of Businesswomen of Tajikistan which is an organization that does lots of work in different fields with women and entrepreneurship and they have a very important presence in the country. 

In 2011, the National Association of Business Women of Tajikistan, with help from international organizations, launched a project “Saving Our Heritage-Saving Ourselves (SOHSA)”, which has both contributed to the revival of the suzani (embroidery) tradition and provided women artisans of the country with income generating activities. The project has provided the marginalized women participating in the project with education and material support, including high quality raw materials, quality control and design, and especially promotion of handicrafts and artisans in international markets. The program has developed a large network of existing masters and artisans from around the entire country who are effectively transferring their knowledge to students through regular training.

The “Ozara” brand products are exported to the USA, England, Germany, Canada, Australia, India, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and listed on several online stores. 

Armughon Handicrafts is the handicrafts arm of the Zerafshan Tourism Development Association (ZTDA) in Panjakent, Tajikistan. ("Armughon" means "gift, a reminder of a place" in Tajiki.)  Supported by grants from the Soros Foundation and other international donors, ZTDA implemented projects on crafts in 2009, 2011 and 2013-2014, with the aim of preserving, nurturing and developing local art traditions and also improving the quality of life for women living in the Panjakenti rural areas by involving them in the local economy.   

Through these craft projects they have started to work with unemployed women from the impoverished mountain regions, and now work with several clusters of women.  In June 2013, Designer Munira Akilova of Khujand (who also has her own craft business, Arinumcrafts) began to work with ZTDA.  She was initially invited to do research on the traditional Tajik crafts of Suzani (embroidery), 

Quroq (patchwork) and carpets, and has now become the new product designer for Armughon. Munira began her career in economics and spent 14 years as a university teacher, before she decided to leave the university and spend her time on the embroidery that she loved.  Whenever she creates a new design for Armughon, she "always tries to put a part of Zerafshan into it.  It means all of products should have Zerafshani ornaments/patterns."  She also thinks deeply about how the product will be used, by whom and when, and then focuses on color.  As she explained, "Each piece has its own meaning."  

This is the process that led to the development of products that have received the UNESCO Award of Excellence for Craft, the small set "Tuppi" needlework ornaments modeled after traditional male and female hats (already offered by HoonArts under the Arinumcrafts brand), and the wall hanging  "Marhamat" (which we plan to add to our collection).  All the Armughon products are made by unemployed Panjakenti women living in the mountainous areas.

“HoonArts” is the fusion of the Tajik/Persian word for “craft” and the English word “arts,” which reflects our mission. We offer extraordinary hand-crafted gifts and accessories for the true lover of world culture, while building community and empowering artisans. Travel the exotic streets and mountain back roads of this little known corner of the world, explore the culture that reflects 3000 years of civilization, meet the people in our HoonArts community, and shop for one-of-a-kind and limited edition treasures crafted by master artisans on the other side of the globe. We are committed to Fair Trade principles in all aspects of our operations, so you can rest assured that your purchase is helping impoverished artisans build a brighter future for their families and communities. Come join us on this journey of a lifetime.

[percynotpercival]

Is that LUKE MITCHELL on campus? Oh no, that’s PERCIVAL ‘PERCY’ OLIVER. From ATLANTA, GEORGIA, the 23 year old has come to study ART. Rumor has it she is FREE-SPIRITED and CREATIVE, but RECKLESS and IMPULSIVE, which is why he is known as THE ARTISAN. He resides in DELTA PSI BETA and can’t wait to graduate.

+ Free-Spirited, Creative, Playful, Confident, Liberal - Reckless, Impulsive, Fanatical, Not Serious, Easily Distracted

With a family like his, Percival had a lot of weight on his shoulders from being the first born son. His father was a hardass which you can already guess by his choice of names for him and his sister. He was very traditional and for the most part, he believed that men should rule the house and bring in the money while the women should tend to the men. However, Percival and Arden would later come to swap both of those roles. His mother, on the other hand, may have been a trophy wife but she was much more relaxed about their lifestyle. She only ever wanted her kids to be happy and live the best life that they want to live. That’s why Percy found much more love and comfort in his mother than he ever did in his father. From the get go, Percy was a personality. He loved to play jokes and make people laugh. He liked to entertain which his father didn’t mind too much initially - it showed promise for him being a business man by being able to socialise easy with other. The thing that let Percy down with his father was that he didn’t take things seriously. He learnt pretty quick from his dad yelling at him not to take it seriously. He didn’t really care much about what his father thought because his mother agreed with his free spirit nature. Arden came along and knowing he was the disappointment in his father’s eyes, he hoped that he could steer Arden like him and not care what their dad thought about them but instead, it pushed Arden to work harder to be on their dad’s good side. He’s tried for years to get her to loosen up and although they are very close, they do sometimes clash when Percy tries to purposely annoy their dad.

Throughout school, he was always the class clown. He didn’t care much about academics and learning but one subject did shine brighter with him. He loved art. He would draw and doodle in most classes instead of actual work and although his academic grades weren’t the best which ultimately upset his dad more, he continuously shined in the more artist areas of school (art predominantly but drama and music too). Once again, his mother was very supportive of his artist talents while his father called it a ‘deadbeat job’ and constantly reminded him that he’d fail which he didn’t pay much mind to. It did affect him deep down but this only made him more determined to annoy and push back at his dad.

Once he left school, instead of going straight to university (once again, like his dad would have expected and wanted), he went travelling around the world with his girlfriend, Lacey. He’d known Lacey all his life from the second they started school. She wasn’t from a rich household like he was which made her wholesome and humble. She was the most down to earth person he’d ever met. Eventually, in high school, they finally admitted feelings for each other on the roof of some random house party. Although they weren’t each other’s first, it felt as magical as if it was. So when they were leaving high school, neither felt ready to go to college - she didn’t know what she wanted to do and he just didn’t want to settle in to that life yet - so Percy decided that he wanted to show her the world. He wanted to help people. Their first trip was in a programme in Africa to help build houses and give aid to those in need. They would play games like football (soccer) with the kids and teach them games. After a year in the programme, they went on to actually travel around Asia for a year and doing things like riding elephants and helping people out along the way as best they could. After another year, they decided to travel around Europe where he proposed to her at the top of the Eiffel Tower. He couldn’t imagine a life without her. They made their way back to America to visit their families. They had a solid moment of happiness in telling their families about the engagement and when they went to go and get champagne and treats to celebrate with her family, a lorry crashed in to Lacey’s side of the car. They both ended up in hospital and although Percy still has scars from this crash, he was ultimately fine. Lacey on the other hand, after taking the full hit of the lorry, was left in a coma and if she ever did wake up, she would most likely be brain dead so Percy and the family ended up pulling the plug.

After an argument with his father over how he was handling the loss of Lacey with the words “Man up” being thrown in by his father, he left his family home and stayed with Lacey’s family who practically treated them like he was their son too. He made efforts to see Arden and his mum but he never talked to his father again. After living and mourning with Lacey’s family for a few months, he up and left to continue travelling. It was part of his mourning process to reliving his memories with her. He went back to help in African villages, back to Asia, back to Europe but has settled in Australia for six months which would have been next on their list of places to go. He’ll never forget Lacey and everything she taught him about life but he also knew that she would want him to be happy and have a future which is why he still holds a strong sunny demeanour. In her memory though, he still wears his own engagement ring on the right hand ring finger to honour her but without constantly being asked if he was engaged. He got her initials carved in to the inside so if he ever takes it off, her initials still hold an indent on his skin.

Finally, Percy has made the decision to go to college and made sure to choose where Arden was. He would drop in to Monarch every so often while Arden has been there and visited for two weeks at a time so he is familiar with the campus and familiar with some of her friends which is why it was so easy for him to get in to Delta Psi Beta. He settled with doing Art as his major as a second fuck you to his dad but he’s also here for the parties and to be carefree.

[thedyingmoon]

🖤 I See My Future Before Me 🖤

***

XXII

***

"Hello?"

"Kyrie, it's me."

"Nero! Oh, thank God, you're alright!"

"How are things there?"

"I've heard Fortuna's in complete ruins now because of the Dreadnought and its horde. But, we're safe here. You don't have to worry about us."

"Glad to hear that."

"Yes."

...

"Nero?"

"Hmm?"

"Is,... something bothering you?"

"Ah,... nothing."

"Hmm,..."

"Haha. It's nothing. Really."

"Nero, I can tell something's wrong, even if we're thousands of miles apart. I love you, and you know you can always tell me anything. I'm here for you."

...

"Kyrie,..."

"I'm listening."

"What will you do if,..."

"Hmm?"

"Well, let's say you confessed your,... ah,... feelings for me."

"Yes. And?"

"And,... ah,... I rejected you. Like, badly. Like, not even friendzone. What will you do?"

"Hmm, to tell you the truth, I can't imagine you doing that to me. But, if that happens, well,..."

"Well?"

"Of course, I would definitely get hurt. A lot. Nothing hurts more than a special someone, a loved one, pushing you away from their life. My heart would be shattered to pieces, and I would feel like my existence won't matter anymore."

"Whoa! The existence part is too much!"

"Ah, you don't understand, Nero. Girls' feelings are delicate. They may act tough but, deep inside, their heart is dying. No matter how much they struggle against the sadness, eventually it will come back and haunt them. It's like a sickness, being heartbroken. And it's very hard to heal."

"Oh. How do they, uh, cope? They can't stay like that forever, right?"

"Hmm, let's see. With company. With friends who would never leave them. Who would stay for them, eat ice cream with them, and watch romantic movies with them. With honest people who would tell them that the right man would come for them in the right time and everything would be just fine."

"The right man? So, they're just gonna make her forget that she loved - "

" - a man who hurt and rejected her? Well, of course! He hurt her, so he doesn't deserve her."

"Listen, Kyrie: what if he's the one? The one who rejected her?"

"...

... if he's the one, then he shouldn't have rejected her in the first place. It's just,... wrong,... and,... stupid."

"I see."

"Oh, don't tell me you're courting someone while I'm on the other side of the globe?"

"WHAT?! NO! I would never do that to you!"

"Hahaha! Of course, Nero. I know you would never do that to me. So, who's the sad girl?"

"..."

"Nero? Tell me."

"It's (Y/N). Do you know her?"

"Yes. Nico's always telling me about her. She sounds like a great person. Why? Who rejected her?"

"Ah, it's,..."

"Who?"

"I - it's a long story. You know what? Prepare the ice cream and the movies. We'll end this battle quick, because she needs your company. (Y/N) needs you. Us."

"Okay, Nero."

"Wait for us, Kyrie."

"I will wait for you, for as long as I live."

"I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too, sweetheart."

Nero hung up the phone, sighing as he did so. Ever since hearing about your dire situation ( meaning, everything ) from Nico, herself, he couldn't help but be sad and angry.

Sad for you, and angry at V.

What man could ever stomach doing that to a girl who clearly loved him?! Enough to follow him at death's door?!

The young Devil Hunter shook his head in disbelief. He could still remember the Artisan's words to him a few minutes prior.

"Go after (Y/N)! She's reckless right now, and she needs someone who could stop her from killing herself!"

"Seriously, V." Nero said to himself as he scratched his head in confusion, unable to envision himself rejecting his beloved Kyrie. "You are one stupid son of a bitch for doing that to (Y/N),..."

"Winter, spring, summer or fall,

You know all you have to do is call.

And I'll be there, yeah! You've got a frieeennnddd!"

"You sound terrible."

"Are ya kiddin'?! I sound angelic!"

"Right,..."

"(Y/N) and,... Griffon?" Nero uttered upon hearing the conversation not far from where he was. He left the last good phonebooth of the city and went to his vehicle,...

"Now, you do it." Griffon challenged you as you two made your way towards the Dreadnought.

You cleared your throat and opened your mouth, belting the lines that the bird just sang.

"Winter, spring, summer or fall,

You know all you have to do is call.

And I'll be there, yeah! You've got a frieeennnddd!"

"UGH! AND YA CALL THAT SINGING?! YE SOUND LIKE A CAT IN HEAT FALLING FROM THE TOP OF THE EIFFEL TOWER!"

"I TOLD YOU! I'M TONE DEAF!"

"Yeah, ya better stick to dancin', sweet pea. Haha! Haha! Ah, haha! Well, ah,... no offense. You really sound terrible."

"I know but, you don't have to rub it in,..."

"(Y/N)!" The two of you suddenly heard a voice behind you.

"Is that?" Griffon questioned as you two looked behind you,...

... to see Nero going full speed towards you in a sleek and sick - looking motorcycle that seemed to glow both blue and purple. He stopped just a few steps from you and proudly revved his new vehicle.

"Hey, (Y/N)! Need a ride?" The young Devil Hunter asked you with his signature, charmingly boyish smile.

"I thought Eleison's destroyed?" You asked as you glanced at the amazing vehicle in awe.

"Yeah. I saw it with ma own eyes." Griffon added.

Nero chuckled. "She is. But, you see, a few hours ago, I defeated this knight - Demon thing who wields electricity. When I fought it, its broken parts kinda merged with some vehicle gears. Long story short, I now have Kyrie Eleison!"

"And it has a name now! Right,..." the demonic bird sarcastically replied.

"Anyway, I'm going straight to that ugly ship to make it sink! Wanna tag along?"

"I don't know, Nero!" You answered. "I mean, can it even fly?"

The boy may not have mentioned it but, he can clearly see your red puffy eyes. Like you have been crying a lot. He chose to ignore this, planning to bring this up for after the battle, and spoke. "We'll see about that. Hop on!"

You awkwardly took a seat behind the boy, feeling a bit weak in the legs, and held tightly unto his wide shoulders for support. Griffon automatically positioned himself behind you, grabbing unto your hoodie with his talons.

Seeing that you're prepared and ready for a wild ride, Nero revved Kyrie Eleison and sped fast. He laughed so hard upon hearing your and Griffon's screams and made the vehicle even faster.

"NERO! CAN WE SLOW DOWN?!" You hysterically begged the boy.

"No! We're gonna fly, remember?!"

"AAAHHH!"

Meanwhile, Trish and Lady were still fighting against the Demon horde below when they heard your screams.

"What's that?" Lady asked as she fired her Kalina Ann, making one Demon's face blast into bloody pieces.

"It sounds like,..." Trish said as she slowly looked up.

And there, right above that hill, the two women saw you, Nero, and Griffon, riding a weird - looking motorcycle and actually flying towards the entrance to the Dreadnought.

"How in the world - ?!" Trish exclaimed in utter awe of the reckless feat.

"They will never make it!" Lady yelled as she prepared for the worst.

"WE'LL NEVER MAKE IT!" You screamed, terrified for what will happen next.

"WE'LL CRASH!" Griffon, who seemed to have forgotten that he could easily fly away from all of this, hysterically added, still clinging unto your hoodie for dear life.

"NOT TODAY!" Nero answered, growling like hell as he revved the motorcycle, willing for it to land safely inside the demonic ship.

All of a sudden, Kyrie Eleison glowed even brighter than ever before with electric currents running all throughout its mechanical body. Its light blinded the Demons below, giving Trish and Lady enough time and opportunity to murder more of them.

"GGGYYYAAARRRGGGHHH!"

"SSSQQQUUUAAAWWWKKK!"

"I WON'T LET YOU DDDIIIEEE!" Nero howled as the motorcycle came into contact with the light barrier that guarded the entrance.

You closed your eyes and wrapped your arms tightly around Nero, not wanting to see yourself crash,...

But, everything seemed normal as you finally landed. You opened your eyes, seeing your uninjured body, and glanced at Nero.

"Is this it? Are we safe now?" You asked, unable to believe that you just flew a motorcycle towards the monstrous - looking ship

"Seems like it." Nero answered you with a bashful smile.

"Look at this!" Griffon exclaimed in both awe and fear as he looked all over the place.

From the outside, Shinano Musashi looked like a huge hunk of demonic - looking metal with strange horns and protrusions. An impossibly huge mechanism that could float on the sky.

However, inside it was a different story, altogether. The Dreadnought may look robotic and lifeless on the outside but, its insides surely looked like the innards of a monster. Huge veins of both purple and red crawled all over the fleshy, bloody walls, and there was a distinct scent of sulfur wafting about the place. The floors were entirely filled with pools of a crimson - colored liquid that felt sticky when stepped on. Strange green crystals that provided some form of light protruded on the walls of flesh, and different moans of both pain and suffering could be heard echoing all over the place.

It was as if you entered a floating hell.

"What a putrid smell!" The demonic bird complained as he finally let go of your hoodie.

"I actually agree with you, little chicken." Nero answered as he merely dodged a sticky yellow substance that dripped from the pulsating ceiling.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! YOU UNGRATEFUL, SON OF A - !"

"It's calling me."

Both Nero and Griffon looked at you as you got off of Kyrie Eleison and started walking deeper towards the cavern of the Dreadnought.

"Who is calling you?" The bird questioned as he flew towards you.

"I,... don't know,..." You answered. You, then, turned and glanced back at your two companions, your eyes looking heavy and empty as if in a trance. "It's calling my name. Can't you hear it?"

"No!" The young Devil Hunter and the demonic familiar simultaneously answered.

"There it is. I'm,... coming,..." You said monotonously as you looked away from them and continued walking.

"(Y/N), don't go there alone!" The boy called after you, then clicked his tongue in annoyance. He dismounted and went after you together with the bird.

A few hours of endless walking and various turns deep inside the Dreadnought led you to a slightly different room with less wet flesh and pulsating veins.

You stopped walking as soon as you noticed the quiet and much darker atmosphere. You looked up, wondering who called you there and noticed a subtle glow of light right in front of you in the form of a floating orb.

As soon as Nero saw this orb, he protectively pulled you away as he took out his Blue Rose and pointed at it.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, (Y/N) but, I don't trust this fairy dust." The boy said as he faced the suspicious - looking orb.

"I don't think it wants a conversation with you right now, kid." Griffon told him as he perched at your right arm.

All of a sudden, the orb grew bigger, casting numerous malicious - looking shadows on the walls. Nero took a step away from it, shielding his eyes from the blinding light until it imploded, leaving the whole room in darkness.

"What happened?!" Griffon squawked as he looked around for potential danger.

"I don't know but, I have a bad feeling about this,..." the boy answered as he drew The Red Queen in preparation for a battle.

A few moments later, all three of you heard a noise coming from the far end of the room. Your heart suddenly became heavier as a black mass went towards you.

Nero revved his Red Queen, ready to attack the enemy, when, suddenly,...

"Kyrie?" Nero uttered, bewildered to find the woman he loved standing in front of him. "Sweetheart, what are you doing here?"

Your eyes widened as you noticed the sinister smile on Kyrie's face.

Something was off!

"Nero! Wait - !"

When he was about to reach out to his lover, a strange kind of light in the form of multiple dark whips emanated from her, throwing the boy towards the other end of the room.

"Griffon, please!" You asked the familiar as you took out your rapier and shield.

"No need to tell me!" The bird answered as it gathered its power for an attack -

"Don't you dare hurt her!" Nero screamed as he finally stood up.

"Can't ya see, kid?! This chick's not yer fling! She - SSSQQQUUUAAAWWWKKK!"

"GRIFFON!" You yelled as one of the whips of dark light coming from the creature impersonating Kyrie grabbed one of the demonic avian's talons and practically threw him away with much force. The bird landed on the ground beside Nero, which left you as the last fighter standing.

You drew your weapon and carefully walked towards the enemy when it suddenly looked at you with its sinister eyes and evil smile. It engulfed itself with its dark light once more, and when it subsided, you saw, in horror, the poet standing before you.

"WHAT IN THE SCHTICK?!" Griffon swore, his golden eyes wide with both humor and fear.

"V?!" Nero muttered in confusion. "(Y/N), look out!"

Before you could even attack, the man strode towards you, raised his hand with the metal cane, and brought it swiftly down on your face, wounding you and making you stumble to the ground.

Your hand automatically went up your cheek and felt something moist from it. You looked at your fingers - blood.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU CHEAP V RIP - OFF FROM HELL!" Griffon shrieked as he flew towards the creature. He released a strong electric attack with the full intention of killing the enemy.

However, the "cheap V rip - off" simply dodged it, flawlessly jumping in mid - air and hitting Griffon with his cane with unbelievable strength. The bird landed on the ground with an ugly thud.

"Nobody told me he's not sissy like his real counterpart!" Griffon quipped as he tried to get up from the ground. But then, the enemy stepped on him and drove his cane deep into his flesh, instantly making him enter his stalemate state.

"Griffon!" You quickly stood up and ran towards the familiar but the enemy whacked you with his cane once more, this time, straight on your back.

"FUCK YOU!" Nero swore as he charged towards the fake V. The enemy noticed this and changed back to Kyrie. The boy did a mistake of stopping in his tracks, making the enemy attack him once more with its dark whips. He came flying towards the other end of the room, feeling fresh wounds and multiple injuries all over his body.

"TAKE THIS!" You screamed at the top of your lungs as you whacked your shield on Kyrie's back, making it stumble. Then, you hastily went to Nero's side, helping him on his feet.

"We can't attack it like this!" Nero thundered as he stood up, giving the enemy an angry look for taking the form of a person as pure and as angelic as Kyrie.

You looked at him, knowing exactly what the enemy's weakness was. "Nero, listen to me. That is not Kyrie - "

"I know! You don't have to tell me!"

"But, just now, you hesitated to attack her!"

Nero punched the ground in frustration. You grabbed his arm and made him look up at you.

"We'll attack it together! Come on, Nero! We have to do this!"

A few minutes later of quick strategizing, the two of you came charging towards the enemy. You took turns attacking it, Nero with his Red Queen and you with your rapier. However, the enemy also switched from Kyrie to V, confusing you and unintentionally opening yourselves for its deadly attacks.

Nero, on the other hand, had enough and slashed the enemy's torso the moment it turned back to V. It drew back in shock, clutching its wounded stomach, then turned to you two with murder and malice in its now red eyes. It dropped its cane on the ground and changed back to Kyrie, extending one of its whips and pinned Nero to the wall, fatally wounding him.

Just when you were about to attack it, it rapidly went back to V, waved its arms, and summoned mulitple blades of blue light that rapidly went down on you like bullets.

Nero watched helplessly as the enemy rained its blades of light down upon you, wounding you to the point that you could no longer get up. He wanted to retaliate but, when he tried to even move a muscle, the shape - shifting creature only pinned him to the wall again with its dark whip of light, injuring him even more.

You looked up at Nero, feeling the endless lashes on your battered body. You reached a single hand towards him, wanting to help him despite your torture. Bloody and torn, he also reached out to you,...

That's when you saw it.

His Breaker suddenly disintegrated and turned into ashes. The boy was engulfed in a warm kind of blue light that instantly healed all of his wounds and injuries. Slowly and like a true miracle, the blue light that engulfed his right arm took form, morphing into something more solid,...

... turning into real flesh,...

His eyes widened at the sight. He forcefully grabbed the dark whip that imprisoned him using his newly formed right arm and almost melted it with the sheer light and warmth it radiated.

The enemy took notice of this and abruptly halted its attack on you, turning into Kyrie once more but, this time, more evil and seductive - looking than ever. And with more dark whips that surrounded its whole body like numerous tails.

"Your tricks are getting too old, you bitch." Nero quipped as he motioned for the enemy to come closer. "I'll make you pay for this!"

With wide eyes filled with wonder, you watched as the youth fought the enemy with ease, wounding it, tearing it apart with his bare hands, and exposing it for what it really was. The beating went on for three unbearable minutes, and when it finally went down to the ground helpless and dying, he went towards you to help you stand.

Grabbing his warm right arm, you spoke, "This is a miracle!"

"I know." Nero answered as he supported you.

You turned towards the dark, beaten, writhing mass on the ground that was the remnants of Kyrie and limped your way to it with Nero still on your heel.

"Who called me here?" You asked it, foolishly believing that it could somehow shed light to the mystery of the Dreadnought and the voice that was calling you.

However, it made one last dying effort to morph once more into V to confuse you. But, the V this time never had the chance to even lay its fingers on you as it remained on the ground beaten and broken.

You felt a pang of guilt as you looked at it and realized that it was only making you feel that way to defeat you.

With one last sigh of apathy towards the enemy, you took Nero's Red Queen from him, held it above your head, and plunged it to V's heart, making it writhe and wriggle even more with pain. Feeling your tears pour out of your tired eyes for this unspeakable creature for exposing your true emotions, you plunged the hot sword even deeper, skewering its heart and reducing the enemy down to its true form - a short and wrinkled creature, about four feet in height, with long twisted claws, sharp red eyes, green skin, and skinny legs. You took the sword out of its body and slashed its head, decapitating it and finally putting an end to it once and for all. The remains of the despicable creature caught on fire and slowly turned into ashes.

You gave the sword back to Nero as you collapsed on the ground.

"So, that's how Mina felt when she decapitated Dracula." You sighed as you settled on the ground to make yourself comfortable. "Oh, that's wrong. That's no Dracula,..."

"Why Kyrie? Why not somebody else?" The youth asked as he watched the creature's ashes get flown by the wind.

You sighed, feeling the massive weight on your heart and shoulders. "It only reflects how much you love a person. The enemy used it against you because it knew it would be your biggest weakness."

Nero looked at you in dismay. "So, you still love him,... V?"

You blinked twice, not sure if your heart could take any more pain. You, then, let out a long sigh of depression. "After all this time. Yes." You answered, wincing in pain as you touched one bloody wound on your arm.

"Hey, you should fall back now, you can't fight like this!" The boy pleaded as you let him support you.

However, the moment your skin made contact with his new arm once again, a new set of visions flashed through your mind about him. It was rapid, and yet,...

You only shook your head in disagreement. "Don't mind me. I'll be fine."

"You'll be fine?! What are you - ?"

Nero's sentence was cut off as he saw, with his own two eyes, how the wounds on your body miraculously healed. He watched the phenomenon in total shock, and when your last wound closed, he could only laugh in disbelief.

"Don't tell me you're immortal?!" Nero questioned you.

"And what does that make you?" You asked him as you gave a knowing look on his new right arm.

"Come on, (Y/N). I'm serious here! How did you - ?"

"You never asked how Griffon came to be my familiar." You cut him off. "And you never asked why my eyes are red. I know Nico told you everything. But, the question is,..." You said, giving him a questioning look as you raised an eyebrow. "... how much do you know?"

The youth could only gulp down in nervousness, his sweat running cold in the process. "Everything."

"Oh."

"FUCK YEAH! What? Hey, what did I miss?" Griffon, who was just fully healed and revived, asked as he flew down towards the two of you.

"Nero pulled a rabbit out of his sleeve." You answered without so much as a fuss.

"Really? Oh, wait. You're being sarcastic - !"

"Which brings me to my next agenda." You said as you held up a hand to silence Griffon. "Nero,..."

"What is it, (Y/N)?"

You looked into the youth's sincere eyes, deciding whether to tell him what you just saw or not, then shook your head.

"Forget I said anything." You quietly answered as you stood up.

"I know you saw something about me. Tell me!"

You narrowed your eyes at the boy.

Well,...

He had the right to know!

"Listen: do you know Luke Skywalker? The Jedi?" You asked him as you removed your shredded parka, letting Nero take a glimpse of the contract markings on your right arm.

"Luke,... Skywalker? I'm not sure I could follow,..."

"Yeah, the woman likes movies, ya know?" Griffon added as he perched on your arm.

"So, what does this Luke have to do with me?" Nero inquired as he followed you out of the dark and depressing room.

"Hmm, I don't know. Could you say, that's impossible!"

"That's impossible! There, I said it."

"You'll say that again later."

"What do you mean by that? Hey, (Y/N)!"

You turned to glance at the boy. Taking pity on him, you spoke, "You know, you are very fortunate."

"Uh, thank you, I guess?" Nero replied, scratching his temple in confusion.

"Thank you for everything, Nero."

"Nah, it's nothing."

"Tell Kyrie I said hi."

"Sure thing."

"This will be the last time. You'll never see me again."

"Okay. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

But, you were already gone before he could even ask you that last bit that Nico never told him,...

***

~ A V X Reader set in an Alternate Universe where cheap rip - offs are way stronger than the originals. 🤔

~ This chapter is dedicated to @micaelagua , @vergils-daughter , @yepps and @sofia-micaela . 🖤

~ Tagging @heaven-on-a-landslide , @lessy86 , @krazy06 , @simmy-ships , @boundbysoul , @ehrzeth , @ceruleanworld , @gxthghoulfriend , and @diabeticsugarush . 🖤

***

In silence and total darkness, V waited for you to arrive. And during those tense moments, he could only think of Fleminger's words to him.

"I know it is power you seek, my Lord. She has that power you're searching for - the power to make yourself invulnerable. The power - to put you back to your former self. Deep within the Dreadnought lies her true heart. But, piercing it would do you no good. Pierce,...

... her body first, then make her power mine. Only then can I defeat the Dreadnought." V uttered as Shadow morphed into an indistinguishable form before him. "Only then,... can I truly become,...

... whole. Once more."

At those final words, something huge behind him pulsated, splashing the suffocating room with its sickly crimson glow and casting unearthly shadows before the poet.

V looked down on his hands. His crumbling flesh. His time,... was coming to an end.

And so, he shall soon receive the power,...

"Come to me, my love." He called for the third time, knowing that you would come to him right away without hesitation,...

***

🖤🖤🖤

***

~ 15 ~

***

[babythings]

Baby & Mother Accessories

Find all you need for maternity and baby care products in one place! From prenatal to pregnancy to postpartum to parenthood, from prenatal to pregnancy to postpartum to parenthood, we’re here for you every step of the way. Because we’re a leading provider to OB/GYNs and hospital maternity wards, we have a unique understanding of what products Baby & Mother Accessories need. We’ve used that knowledge and created a carefully curated selection of mom and baby care essentials, baby diapers and wipes and baby feeding products

Mother's Day is just a few weeks away. Are you ready? How can we choose a gift that’s good enough for these special people who have helped shape who we are? Moms are always on-the-go and typically carry enough with them to keep a small army fed and entertained for a few days. When you go out shopping for Mother's Day gifts, remember that finding the perfect accessories and wallet for mom helps you to work on your day with confidence.

We have best Baby & Mother Accessories

Mother accessories:

ROUGH & TUMBLE

Blow your mom this Mother's Day with the fabulous, new and flying off the Self-Bag of Roof & Tumble. Rough and tumble specializes in a variety of leather accessories such as totes, wallets and shoes. Their leather pieces are timeless and they will never go out of style, which makes them a good value.

The EDC Wallet comes in many different colors, allowing you to match your style. You can choose more than one option. Keep the EDC wallet in your 1904 pack or wear it around your wrist. This wallet fits your cell, cash, and cards for easy organization just for essential needs!

If Mom is wanting something a bit larger, the 1904 Pack is also a great option for a Mother’s Day gift. This bag is versatile and perfect as a diaper bag, backpack or weekend tote. It has four spacious pockets on the inside to help moms stay organized. It also comes in five different waxed canvas colors that are sure to please any mom this Mother’s Day.

ALOHA COLLECTION

Mom needs some Aloha in her life right now, so give her the gift of Aloha Collection travel and beach bags this Mother’s Day. At some point, we’ll all travel or visit the beach again, so give mom something that reminds her of the brighter days ahead once we have flattened the curve.

DUNE JEWELRY

Even before the corona virus crisis began, there was a lot of anger at the experimental gifts. Now most of our day experiences are at home, and there aren't many experiences that can be given this Mother's Day. Although a gift certificate is good for future experience, there is still a way to give an experimental gift on this Mother's Day. Think back to one of your mother's favorite family vacations and capture the memories of this experience with unique designs handcrafted using natural elements from thousands of monumental and spectacular locations around the world with sand and dunes ornaments.

MOBILE EDGE

As a working mom, having a stylish and functional bag is a must. Mobile Edge is a unique and stylish way to get all your gear to and from work. Whether your mom is looking for a new laptop bag to work with or a durable and stylish pony to ride on an airplane, the Mobile Edge Urban Laptop Break is a great gift down the line! Not only does it have enough padding to protect your laptop, but it also has a variety of poly-fur-lined compartments within for storage of your phone, mouse, notebooks, pens, and for some working moms, diapers! This lightweight and stylish laptop bag also gives you the ability to remove the computer padding and carry it as a regular tote, allowing you to truly show off the Tartan cotton-twill lining. With a lifetime warranty, your mom will absolutely love this gift!

JOSEPHINE ALEXANDER COLLECTIVE

If you want to feel good about your purchase this Mother’s Day, look no further than Josephine Alexander. It is a small, women-owned business that provides unique pieces of fashion from artisans all over the world. When you buy from this company, you are helping provide a secure and stable form of income for these artisans, as well as looking into a treasure-trove of purses for moms of all fashion tastes!

We love these Juicy Lime Beaded Earrings for the fun-loving mom. These fruity earrings pair perfectly with margaritas, guacamole & the beach.  What makes them even better is that they are fade-resistant and waterproof. See, we told you they were perfect for the beach!

LAT AND LO

Our lives tell a beautiful story of where we’ve been and where we’re going. Our accessories should represent those special moments and places that shaped us into the person we are, and the person we are going to become. This Mother’s Day, help the special Mother in your life tell her story with Lat And Lo.

 Baby & Mother Accessories

Baby accessories:

FridaBaby Nosefrida

Is sucking snot from your baby’s nose gross? Yup. But is the relief you’ll get when your fussy little one can finally breathe again worth it? You bet. The NoseFrida is the ultimate snotsucker and a much more effective alternative to the traditional nasal bulb. And don’t worry—there’s an air-tight filter to ensure that you won’t get any baby boogies in your mouth.

  UPPAbaby Vista V2 Stroller with Bassinet

There’s so much to love about the Vista, a parent (and baby) favorite that continues to only get better with each new edition. This beautiful, durable stroller features a full-size reversible seat with a full recline, a huge storage basket, a cushy suspension system, outstanding maneuverability, and so many more thoughtful details. (Hello there, gorgeous leather handlebar accents.) The Vista comes with a bassinet for the newborn days and can accommodate up to three children with the addition of a rumble seat and a ride-along board as your family grows.

Solly Baby Babylist + Solly Baby Collaboration Wrap

Soft carriers are a great option for calming a fussy baby and keeping them close, especially during the fourth trimester, but they can be confusing to use. Not the case with the Solly Baby Wrap. This buttery-soft, lightweight wrap carrier is easy to get the hang of (we promise!) and supports baby while also being comfortable for you. It comes in a universal fit for every wearer, and this classic, black-and-natural stripe print available exclusively at Babylist.

Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Original Newborn Bottle Gift Set

The unique venting system on Dr. Brown’s sets these bottles apart from others on the market. The vents eliminate air bubbles during feeding, reducing the amount of air your baby takes in while eating and potentially helping to prevent colic, spit-up and general fussiness. The bottles do take a bit of effort to clean (there are a lot of small parts, and there’s a special brush that’s included in the set), but many parents don’t seem to mind trading a bit more elbow grease for a more content baby.

Haakaa Breast Pump

A manual breast pump is a convenient solution for breastfeeding or pumping parents that’s easy to keep stashed away in a purse or diaper bag. The Haaka takes this ease to a new level—simple squeeze the silicone pump, attach it to your breast and let the suction work its magic. This ingenious pump is compact, travel-friendly and easy to clean and works well for milk expression and for catching milk from your let down on one side while your little one is feeding from the other.

Babybjörn Bouncer Balance Soft

A bouncer is a fun, safe spot for baby to relax and play while you’re busy doing other things, and this minimalist one from BabyBjorn is one of the best. The brilliantly simple design creates an ergonomic seat that moves in response to your baby’s movements. The fabric slips off for easy cleaning in the washing machine, and the bouncer folds flat for compact storage. When your little one gets older, the bouncer can be reversed and used as a chair.

Nuna Pipa Infant Car Seat & Base

There’s a lot to love about this parent favorite car seat from Nuna. For starters, the Pipa weighs only 8 pounds, making it one of the lightest infant car seats around. (Your biceps will thank you!) It’s extra easy to install thanks to a special True Lock safety system and is packed with extra safety features. And don’t forget the high-end fabrics, all flame resistant but without any added fire retardant chemicals. If you’re looking for an even lighter seat, check out Nuna’s Pipa Lite, another parent favorite. It weighs only 5.3 pounds, but just keep in mind that you’ll always need to use it with the base, not with a seat belt.

https://babythingsonline.com.au/

[jorjathomas]

Group Mood boards

Throughout the project so far, our group decided to create mood boards frequently to make sure we all are on the same page with what we want to present to the class. This is a good way to see what other members are thinking for this project and how these visuals will help get their ideas across. Below are some updated mood boards as well as my own and how they relate to our brand so far. These mood boards should progress over time as we develop new ideas and intentions for our business. All of these boards are inspired the Repurposed Rave trend on WGSN.

Repurposed Rave Action Points sourced of WGSN

Use colour to revitalise perennial stories: bold, vivacious colour is a core element of our Euphoric forecast. Explore naturally derived brights and mid-tone mixes to brighten up core lines sustainably.

Collaboration makes for more creative communities: a more inclusive world view will open gateways for collaboration. Don't design for; design with. Empower artisans from around the world while reaching a more global audience.

Use deadstock as a key opportunity for custom capsules: circularity is high on the agenda. Look to aesthetics that encourage reuse, repair and re-design for an individualist consumer.

  Repair and redesign are key strategies in offering a sustainable product. Reconsider your deadstock via over-dyeing and reconstruction, up-speccing with repurposed embellishments. Create capsules that will obtain a desirable status for this individualist market

Taking the right elements of this trend is crucial as we shouldn't completely copy its action points as they don't fit with out brand and its purpose. The idea of using existing garments will be the most beneficial information to use when creating our garments as not only does it increase circularity and reduce fast fashion but, it would also make our business more unique as most pieces wont look the same. Having the feeling as though your clothes are one of a kind makes the brand more sentimental to a consumer.

Sushilas Board

Sushi’s board has prioritized what garments she thinks would be suitable with our brand. I like the patchwork idea incorporated in the tops and I think it would be best to have similar materials sewn together like these images. This is because we suggested creating practical wear and it cant be too restrictive. In my opinion the patterns of these tops are nice especially the top left however I don't think we should include these designs as they aren't practical or comfortable for what we are aiming to produce.

Talisha's Board

Talisha has added more images on her board that helps us become inspired by the Repurposed Rave trend. These images seem to suit our desired colour palette more than the brighter colours which the trend report consists of. As we are still aiming to be a sustainable brand, it is harder to create vibrant colours with dyes which aren't chemically based. I like this board as its softer and more relatable to our message of empowering women. The first few images I believe could be used for our garment collection because although its style is slightly different to the standard t-shirt and joggers, which you would normally identify with loungewear, they are still simple to an extent in which it would be comfortable for the customer. I think for these designs its important that the member of the group who designs realizes that the patchwork style is the unique part of the garment and already differs us from existing loungewear brands so they shouldn't try and make something really extravagant as this would defeat the purpose of being a loungewear brand as its not comfortable.

Shannens Board

I think Shannen's board explains what I was just mentioning in Talisha's analysis. I like this board the most as its simple designs made it the most effective and relatable to our brand. As we want so much incorporated in our brand such as charities, tips and sustainability, these simple garments does make our brand look too cluttered. I love the ideas of clashing colours together which this trend is all about however I think its just as beneficial having these designs in one colour as it could reach a wider audience. These styles are much more flattering despite being activewear. This matches our ideas perfectly as it still completed its purpose of supporting a women when working out, it also makes them feel more confident with the help of more flattering neck lines. I really hope we take this board into consideration when creating our garments. I hope using these designs as inspiration can help us achieve our purpose of enabling women to wear whatever they like without these preconception consequences which society have created. These designs would have a women feeling more comfortable in their body and empower them to believe anything is achievable.

Lydia's Board

Above is Lydia's Board in relation to the trend our brand is interested in. These colours match our brand and the ‘Euphoric’ colour palette well. It is best if we have a slightly different colour palette for our clothing collection in comparison to our brand aesthetic as the trend wont always be long term. Incorporating some colours such as purple and pinks into our collection will help the collection relate to our brands aesthetic however it would be best if we use some that don't relate in order for our brand to progress in the future when this trend isn't as popular. Again I like this board for its designs however I'm unsure the lace up, criss-cross style of tops are going to be practical for our loungewear.

Julia's Board

This is Julia's work and I think she has got her ideas across well. These style of tops are much more practical than the other boards. We briefly mention creating these clothes that can also be suitable for other occasions which I think Julia has portrayed though the use of the imagery. I also like the pictures of the silhouettes she has used to show this which I think could be an interesting way we could show our designs. I might sketch some illustrations inspired by these silhouettes and show the group to see if they like this idea. I also like the idea of using the brighter colours as a statement piece by incorporating them with neutral shades. This may help a consumer who wants to be more confident in what they wear but isn't there yet and wants to ease into this new lifestyle process. I know that it can take time for some women to achieve this sort of mentality and I think it would be beneficial to covey that we are there for all women.

This is my mood board for the group to see. I wanted to incorporate other images which I felt related to our brand in order for the group to visualise the garments alongside our existing ideas. I decided to find images which show my idea of using patchwork on the same fabrics rather than different cut outs. I think these suit our brand better than the bright and vibrant colours however they don't significantly match the euphoric trend and its idea of using vibrant colours to lift a persons mood. I think this board relates to the trend Colour Me Happy more as they show more opaque, block colour clashes. I like the idea of adding in drawn illustrations to this brand which I have added into this board. As the logo, which I made in the CAD lectures, is quite childlike and not as mature as existing sustainable loungewear brands I thought it would be good to add illustrations in as it suits our younger audience. As I fit into our desired age range, I think these illustrations are very common amongst social media and businesses are starting to use this style of work to inform and persuade their audience. In addition to this, I researched what particular materials would be most eco friendly if we needed extra fabrics or didn't want to used existing garments to make our clothes. I found recycled Cotton and Nylon was best for the brand and matches the mood board above. It would also be easier create these calmer colours with sustainable dyes as they take well to them. 

(Debra Maslowski, 2018,  How To Dye Fabrics Using Natural Materials)

To conclude, these boards has enabled me to see how other members of the group visualise this brand. In order to receive the best outcome for this brand, I believe that we should discuss which ideas from each board would be best to develop for the brand Self Made. In my opinion, keeping the garments standard but incorporating the patchwork style would give the best results for the business and help achieve our internal goals. Its important we remember that we want women to feel comfortable yet confident in these clothing and these goals should help change current lifestyles for women in society. I believe things such as flattering necklines and pastel shades would help achieve this in relation to our brand.

[nwbeerguide]

Looking back on 2019, No-Li Brewhouse saw a 10% uptick in sales, resulting in fund raising for over 10 local charities.

Press Release

image courtesy No-Li Brewhouse

SPOKANE, USA — No-Li Brewhouse 2020 community outreach recap celebrates a year of community outreach, 30th international brewing medal, addition of three-barrel pilot brewing system, and financial impact into local and regional economies.   No-Li reported a 10% increase in total sales in 2019, donating and engaging into local and state-wide nonprofits and launched an experimental and small batch series of Juicy, Citrus and Hazy recipes.  A significant investment into new equipment and laboratory analysis to create the first hard seltzer in the region.   

“We are 100% family owned and independent and we take this spirit into engaging our communities at a local level,” said No-Li Owner John Bryant.  ‘No-Li Brewhouse pub and brewery is an extension of our community.”    During 2019, No-Li made donations to non-profits such as, Crosswalk, Odyssey Youth Movement, Teen & Youth Closet, St. Margaret’s Family Shelter, Spokanimal, Scraps, Volunteer Forest Fire Fighters, Hooptown Community Courts, Women & Children Free Restaurant, Terrain and CASA that serve members of our communities with dignity and respect.   2019 saw No-Li roll out new beer recipes and brands, including the No-Li Corner Coast 6-pack CANS and new Juicy, Citrus and Hazy IPA recipes.  

No-Li’s beer lineup brought home additional international brewing medals during 2019, totaling 30. 

No-Li is a community centric brewery that starts with outreach within communities and its own staff:o    80 No-Li employees living in and contributing to Spokane, N. Idaho and Washington communities.

No-Li health & wellness employee support: o   Comprehensive dental, vision, health plan and 401-K.

About No-Li Brewhouse WE ARE 100% family owned in Spokane, USA.  We are rooted in the spirit of community and the artisan trade of hands-on craft beer making.  We innovate, we create and we celebrate together.  We have a deep respect for our natural resources and we share optimism for actively shaping a brighter future.  We unite with a spirited fabric that binds us together. WE CARE.

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide http://bit.ly/3a7beMt

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Update:  IBU MOVEMENT and IBU Foundation - Information about supporting and joining the Founder’s Circle !!

SCOUTED || Join the Movement at .ibumovement.com and enjoy a discount as well as more updates such as:

A note from Hannah Blatt, the Executive Director of Ibu Foundation, the sister non-profit arm of Ibu Movement:  

It took us two hours to get to Sefrou��� a small rural village located at the foot of the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Jobs are few and poverty abounds in this quiet Berber town. Here I got to meet the amazing Wafae Safar, who leads one of the artisan cooperatives that the Ibu Foundation is proud to support. This was our first Foundation donor trip, and I was blown away by the opportunity to meet our artisans, see their workplace and hear their stories.  

As we sat among looms in Wafae and her mother-in-law, Amina’s home, Wafae introduced each woman in her cooperative and told us what Ibu Foundation’s support has meant to them. Tears rolled down her face, as they did mine.

She described how Ibu's support, in the form of three industrial-sized sewing machines and a refurbished workspace, including a desk, computer, and printer, has enabled these women to work more efficiently and effectively, increase their sales and thus their income, and offered them the means to welcome in more women and contribute to their livelihoods.

We then went on to learn (or at least try to learn) how to make cherry buttons and how to naturally dye wool, and we saw Wafae beam with pride as she sat behind her new desk and computer funded by Ibu Foundation. It was an unforgettable day filled with tears, laughter, singing and dancing, and when we left that evening, I couldn't stop thinking about their smiling faces and their hopeful, sparkling eyes. I was touched by their kindness, their graciousness, and by their potential to change the world.

It’s one thing to wire money across continents and know it’s going to a good use; it’s another to meet women who now stand taller and smile brighter because they can support themselves and their families. I didn’t need proof that Ibu Foundation is making a difference--I knew and believed that already, but I now feel it in my bones. I’ve seen it first hand. And I’m more committed than ever to our mission of providing tools, training, and supplies to women artisans living in poverty. Wafae and her team are just one of the artisan groups the Ibu Foundation is supporting, and thanks to your generosity, we will continue to expand.

To our current supporters, thank you for forming the heart of our work and making it possible for Wafae and women like her to realize their potential. To  future supporters, please consider making a donation to support women around the world who, with your help, are rising out of poverty and into financial independence.  You have until December 31 to become part of the inaugural year  Founder’s Circle by offering a one-time gift. Don’t wait!