Fair trade craft (with chickens)

This little picture has been in my collection for donkey's years, I picked it up at an op shop (AKA charity shop, thrift store, the usual translations!) for a dollar.  Of course it has chickens, but I also like it because of the charming scene, it's got lots of green in it (my favourite colour), it's clearly hand-stitched, and I'm quite keen on Indian regional fabrics.

Approx 5x7 inches in the frame

It says 'Aarong, Bangladesh' on the back, and until today I didn't know what that meant.  Turns out that Aarong was established in 1978, and is 'a fair trade organisation dedicated to bring about positive changes in the lives of disadvantaged artisans and underprivileged rural women by reviving and promoting their skills and craft'.

So while I'm a bit sad that my dollar didn't go directly to Aarong, at least I've now learned something new, and I get to promote Aarong through the magic of the interwebs.

#travellingreddress - the phenomenon

We all need to feel fabulous now and then, and the #travellingred dress idea (where red ball gowns get passed from woman to woman, friend to stranger, to provide a brief shebang of glamour) gives wearers a healthy dose of fab, as well as giving donors good karma.

Here's an article about how one woman in Texas inspired other women to spread happiness around for all of us.  Bloggess, we love you!

I know, I know, this has only a little to do with chickens (Google Bloggess and Beyonce and see what comes up!), but a lot to do with women empowering each other using social media.  It also shares a lot with the 'pay it forward' idea, which I know can seem a bit hackneyed these days, but I'm a great believer in, particularly in a 'mothering other mothers' context.


Sounds like a recipe for success to me.