Fair Trade is a Beautiful Thing

Hi, world. Meet my new wind chime. This collection of old shells started its life in the waters off the coast of Indonesia. After farmers harvested the "Jingle oysters" inside the shells, the shells were discarded.

But not for long. A fair trade group called "zen zen" works with artisans all around the Pacific rim. Fishermen (and women) who work with "zen zen" harvest the trashed capiz shells, and string them together to make beautiful works of art like the wind chime that is now on my front porch. It's almost too much--one simple chime is a) made of recycled shells that would otherwise become trash, b) helping to sustain fishing families in Bali, Indonesia, and c) looks really good on my porch.

It's true--fair trade is beautiful! Come by our store and see what other amazing products (and stories) you can find.

This reading nook is my favorite spot in the house (or, in this case, outside of it)! The chimes make it even better. Birds chirping + gentle wind + chimes = a perfect Chattanooga morning. (Don't get lost--that's the chime in the upper right-hand corner of the picture.)