Friday Lovelies!

starting from the upper lefthand corner & working our way around clockwise:

:: Ark° says on their site: You know the idea by now - Every time you wear the brand, you are reminded to perform an Act of Random Kindness° (an Ark°) before you take it off. Simple, right? I found the video below while browsing through String-Ring The Kindness Reminder's Blog & fell in love with the idea, at the end of the video I just had to see what these lads were all about! I went to The Ark° Headquarters & fell completely in love with the project. You will too, I just know it! Fit Business & Ireland AM ran a Start Your Own Business competition in which Cameron is trying to win €50,000 to help Ark° - you can watch a video of that interview & VOTE FOR THEM HERE! You can join them at Facebook & Twitter too! We are rooting for you guys! ::




:: Stephanie Levy, known for her stunning collages, recently wrote a blog post about The Simple, Handmade Beauty of a Clove Orange. When I saw the post I had instant nostalgia for the holidays at my late grandmother's farmhouse, these beautiful but forgotten gems were among the many smells that wafted through that house around the holidays. I think I will have to make a few of these, to keep & to give away, thanks Stephanie for uncovering this memory for me, I am truly grateful. ::

:: Each year, roughly 600,000 women & young girls are trafficked & sold into forced prostitution. Some are eventually rescued, or manage to escape. They're taken to shelters, where they receive medical attention & counseling, & slowly begin rebuilding their lives. As part of their recovery, many sex trade survivors work with their hands to create clothing, jewelry & handicrafts. Now, an East Sandwich non-profit is helping these women market their skills in the U.S.* The Emancipation Network was founded by Sarah Symons & John Berger in 2005. John & Sarah are married & together have built TEN from the ground up using their personal savings & dedicated community of friends. Today they partner with 18 anti-trafficking shelters in 9 countries around the world helping them sell their handmade goods, you can visit their store. Made by Survivors, where you'll find beautiful jewelry, purses, clothing, paper goods, you name it! You can also follow them on twitter or help them reach their goal of 2,000 Facebook Fans by Christmas! Become a fan!
(* from an NPR article) ::

:: Most of us know about the Cake in the Jar phenomenon, well what about a recipe for a Single Serving Pie in a Jar from Our Best Bites?!? You can even freeze these babies, pull them out in a time of need, bake them for about an hour & Poof! You have pie! Coupled with Printable Pie Tags from LollyChops that fit perfectly on top of the jars & these tasty treats would make an awesome gift! (ummmmm, my favorites are blackberry, apple crumb & cherry crumb! haha!) ::

Have an AWESOME & kind-filled weekend!!!
We love you!!!