31 Dresses: Day One

Do you remember the movie "27 Dresses"?

It's a cute flick about a cute girl who was always a bridesmaid, yet never a bride. That is, however, until she met Mr. Perfect and fell in love with him over the course of a couple weeks (because that's a realistic timeframe for love), ending like all other chick flicks: the girl gets the guy that we've been swooning over since the opening credits. It's a feel-good, light-hearted movie that many women can identify with because of the bridesmaid dresses that fill our own guest-room-closets.

We also identify with it because we want to be noticed and loved. We want to feel beautiful and we want others to recognize our dignity. We desire to be desired.

In a perfect world, in a world without sin, each of these desires would be fulfilled. But the news and media don't lie -- we live in a world where women are oppressed, trampled on, taken advantage of. Where sex-crazy men and power-hungry people use their prestige and money and strength to squelch, dehumanize, and devalue women and girls. I've seen it with my own eyes in Bolivia and even on the streets of Portland.

And that is why I'm participating in Dressember. I believe in everyday advocacy and I know our voices matter. You and I can help change the world that millions of abused women and girls wake up to every morning. Your voice matters, too, and all our voices are louder together. Let's yell, let's run, let's dress for the restoration of dignity for all women.

Dressember uses fashion to advocate for women who've been exploited for their femininity. As women take on the creative challenge of wearing a dress for the 31 days of December, they are advocating for the inherent dignity of all women.

Dressember exists to inspire and empower a global community of like-minded women who are locking arms to face one of the greatest injustices of our time.
The heart of Dressember is freedom-- that every woman has the right to live a vibrant and autonomous life.

I'm choosing to include my 4 month-old twin girls in Dressember, as well. Ada and Libby are my baby abolitionists...world-changers in the making. Currently, Ada May is napping in her crib, and baby Libby is wiggling on my lap while I type with one hand. As I got them dressed this morning, stretching their little arms through sleeves and wrestling tiny leggings over their giant diaper-clad bums, I told them why I was putting a dress on them when it's 20 degrees and frosty outside. They may not be able to choose their own outfits yet, but I want my girls to know that from the day they were born, they had purpose. Purpose to advocate, to empower, to motivate and inspire. A purpose to breath life and hope and speak love and joy into others.

My heart is full of anticipation this month, as it was a year ago.

A year ago, I longed to be pregnant and I begrudgingly identified myself, Elizabeth, with Elizabeth of the Bible, a woman who desperately wanted a child but was barren. Turns out, I was pregnant and didn't even know it yet. God had fulfilled His promise in me (twofold!) as He had done thousands of years ago with Jesus and John the Baptist.

I'm expectant again, this month. Not as a woman with child, but as a mom full of dreams and hopes and prayers for her babies who need Jesus as much as the oppressor and the oppressed do. Advent season is upon us, and I crave the freedom and justice and light that only the Savior of the world can bring. Jesus Christ, from his humble beginnings as a baby in a manger surrounded by donkey poo, came to proclaim freedom for the captives, bind up the brokenhearted, and comfort all
who mourn (Isaiah 61).

Dressember is bigger than a dress. ‪It's about celebrating my freedom as a woman and claiming freedom for my baby girls' futures. It's about setting captives free and ending modern-day slavery. The heart of Dressember is dignity for ALL women. (Whether you've been a bridesmaid, or not, whether you own a dress, or not.)

• Will you cheer us on this month?
• Will you support our cause and donate to IJM on our behalf?
• Will you think of us as you bundle up in your jeans and sweaters, and say a prayer for victims of oppression around the world?

Ada, Libby and I are hoping to raise $4,500 to fund a rescue operation with International Justice Mission. 

IJM is leading the fight for freedom by defending the oppressed and putting the oppressors (pimps, rapists, perpetrators) behind bars. They are rescuing thousands and protecting millions. They are the good guys who fight the bad guys in real life, and it's so much better than the movies.

Dressember begins today. Help us meet our goal and create real change. Every dollar counts, and the process is fast, easy, and secure. You can also partner with us by sharing my link on Facebook and Twitter. Or, send an e-mail to friends you think might be interested in contributing and include a link to my page!

‪

To donate, click here: https://support.dressemberfoundation.org/fundraise?fcid=378706

You can find me under the team name: "Dress UP and Raise UP" My team is comprised of my youth group girls and my baby girls. We are dressing up to raise up world-changers.

Ada & Libby's dresses for the whole month of December, thanks to hand-me-downs. (Not pictured are leggings and fleece sweaters.)  They certainly have more options than I do this month!

Follow us all month on Instagram by using the hashtag #DressemberBabies.

Baby World Changers: Noonday Collection << GIVEAWAY >>

<< Welcome to the next stop on the blog train! >>

It's Monday, August 11th, 10:44pm.

I've been a mommy for exactly 12 days and 6 hours.

On Wednesday, July 30, my husband and I joined the ranks as parents as we welcomed Ada May (6 lbs, 14 oz) and Libby Joy (6 lbs) into this world.  Two beautiful baby girls, who, despite keeping me awake for approximately 18-20 hours a day, have breathed new life and energy and purpose into my being.  I am a new woman with a greater capacity to love, to nurture, and to advocate than ever before, even though I'm foggy-brained and exhausted.  I have two little bodies completely dependent on me to provide them with their every need, which God designed for me to do.

Over the course of three years, God prepared us to be parents and, after many late night cry sessions where I reminded God about my desire to be a mother over and over again, He answered our prayers two-fold...TWINS!  Read more about our infertility journey here.  Obviously, a lot has happened (babies) since my last entry and I have some major catching up to do, but maybe my journey will encourage you or someone you know.

So, how does Noonday Collection fit in with this?

Many people have asked if I will continue as a Noonday Ambassador now that I have my hands (and heart) extra full.  The answer is an emphatic YES!  I realize my time will look very different and I'm trying to figure out what that will look like for my family as I pick up trunk shows again and send my youth pastor-husband through Seminary.  It will take sacrifice... of sleep, of evenings, of time with my girls and my husband.  At the same time, I believe that pursuing my passion and fulfilling the mission of Isaiah 61 will make me a better mom and a better wife.  When I am in my element, serving Jesus and doing what he commands, I am full of life.  It's one of those paradigms where pouring out actually fills me up.

I have a globe prominently displayed in the girls' room.  My hope is that they will gain an appreciation and love for the world before I did as a young adult.  From early on, I want my girls to be hungry for world change.  I want them to thirst after righteousness and generosity and mercy.  I want them to crave justice more than they crave the Frozen soundtrack.  

(Speaking of Frozen... my photographer friend Karina set up this shot with my girls.)

It's late, and it's almost time for the babes to eat again. (I'm told this too, shall pass, and I will leave the house again and I will stop walking/sitting around half-naked all day, and I will resume jewelry wearing.  Some day.)

So, I leave you with my prayer for my new chapter of life.  It's actually part of a blog written by my friend Jessica, Noonday's founder, in which she wrote about taking her 6-year old to Africa.  Her words echo my heart, so I leave you with her wish for her daughter and I'm praying it over mine.

When Amelie, my 6 year old, is 22, I want her to tell me that her life isn’t all about her. I want her to risk everything, to lay down her life, in order to co labor with Christ to make His love known among the poor, the oppressed, the disenfranchised. I am taking her with me to Africa so she can SEE the face of poverty; the face of strength and beauty. I want her to see that Africa is not just a land of moms and dads so poor that Americans have to send lots of money to “sponsor” their kids. It is a place where God’s image bearers dwell. Talented people, who with a market place for their goods, can create beautiful things and overcome insurmountable odds. She will meet the ladies behind the accessories that have filled our house and now office for 2 years and know why mommy is working so hard. She will see the 50 crib room that Jack [Jessica's adopted son] called home, and will meet many other kids without moms and dads. I want her heart to be ruined and wrecked for the God who ruined himself for her.

***
GIVEAWAY TIME!
(Did you enter yesterday's giveaway?  My friend McCall is giving away a $50 gift card!  Be sure to click here for another giveaway this afternoon, courtesy of Shannon.)

YOU can be a world-changer, just by wearing a Noonday necklace and telling the Noonday story.  I'm giving away the Helena necklace.

14k gold-plated

made {with love} in India

Read more about Noonday's work in India here.

TO ENTER:

My fellow world-changers aka Noonday lovers, I want to know......

1) Are you a mother?  If so, how are you/will you encourage your child to be world-changers?  (I need some ideas!)  What is your prayer/desire for your children?

-or-

2) Who has inspired YOU to change the world?

*to enter, follow the prompts from Rafflecopter below*

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Like what you see/what you've read?  Want to join forces for greater global impact?
Check out the brand new collection on my website: www.elizabethbricknell.noondaycollection.com
Contact me about being an Ambassador or hosting a trunk show!  bricknell.elizabeth@gmail.com

Forever 21 vs. Noonday Collection {{GIVEAWAY}}

WARNING:

This post might make you fired up.

This post might make you mad at me and mad at your favorite store.

This post might ruin your life.

Over the past year and a half, I've revolutionized my shopping by utilizing my purchasing power at second-hand stores, Insta-sales (Instagram shops that support various ministries and adoptions by selling lightly used clothing), and a number of online retailers that abide by fair trade principles.  

Need ideas? Check out my Pinterest board for fair trade ideas for women, men, children and the home. 

The other thing I've done is AVOID shopping at certain retailers because of their labor practices. Where I spend my money communicates my values to the marketplace.  I cast a vote for worker's rights with every dollar I spend.

  

Here's where I might make you really mad.  But it's ok.  I've been known to ruin my friend's lives (in regards to their shopping habits) and I'm ok with it.  After all, you know what they say: #sorrynotsorry

*deep breath*

Forever 21 is one of the worst places you can shop.

On a grading scale from A (the best) to F (the worst), they consistently received a "D" grade on:

• worker rights
• traceability
• monitoring
• use of excessive overtime
• they don't guarantee their workers a living wage, or even a local minimum wage (which is rarely enough to actually live on)  
• they have not taken steps toward responsible purchasing, even though they have a code against child labor and forced labor.

I wish I was making this up, but I'm not.

The Huffington Post, in their sweatshop investigation, explores "how the leggings you just bought [from Forever 21] may have more problems than just an excess of sequins." 

The US Department of Labor revealed evidence of significant labor violations:

"Since 2008, our investigators have identified dozens of manufacturers producing goods for Forever 21 under sweatshop-like conditions," said Ruben Rosalez, regional administrator for the division in the West.  "When companies like Forever 21 refuse to comply with subpoenas, they demonstrate a clear disregard for the law, and the Labor Department will use all enforcement tools available to recover workers' wages and hold employers accountable." (read more)

If you need even more convincing, here are some additional articles:

•  "Forever 21's Fast (and Loose) Fashion Empire" by Business Week Magazine from January 20, 2011 
• "Forever 21 Fueling Modern Day Slavery" by Ecouterre from November 23, 2012
• "Forever 21 Fortune" by Forbes Magazine from April 29, 2009

One of the most unfortunate things about Forever 21 is that they print John 3:16 on the bottom of all their shopping bags without any regard to God's love for the world.  Last time I checked, the "world" refers to ALL people, from every tribe, nation and tongue, from every economic status, with every job title.  

The "world" means those living and working in desperate, horrific conditions like Forever 21's cotton growers, cotton pickers, fabric dyers and garment sewers... those exploited by the company's cheap and fast fashion.

Until they make drastic changes to how they source their products and treat their workers, I will not set foot in their store.  (I recently had a nightmare where I was stuck inside of one.  Yikes.)  

 

Slavery still exists and YOU can make a stand to end it.

One of the biggest red flags about Forever 21 (and other retailers with similar labor practices) is how low their prices are.  Think about it: if an accessory costs less than $4 (for example), someone in the supply chain isn't getting paid appropriately (or at all).  Considering Forever 21 has a net income of $135 MILLION, one would hope they would invest a little more money into the humane treatment of their workers all over the world today.

Yes, Noonday Collection is more expensive than Forever 21.  Things have to cost more to ensure dignity and sustainability among our artisans.  Consider the real expense when you find a bargain.

Everything at Noonday Collection is handmade.  NO factories are involved in producing any of our products.  All our workers are ensured a living wage.  (Often times this is higher than minimum wage.)  And everything is made with love by people working their way out of poverty.  Entire communities and families are being transformed.  Nearly 9,000 family members are impacted.

Dominique at the Let's Be Fair blog compares popular retailers like Anthropology and Urban Outfitters with their fair trade counterparts.  I love this concept so much that I did my own comparison with some of Forever 21's products.

Because human lives are worth the price difference.  Click the links below to see for yourself.

Forever 21's Out at Sea scarf vs. Noonday's Beachcomber scarf

Forever 21's Dimpled Curve Necklace vs. Noonday's Golden Leaves Bib Necklace

Forever 21's Sweet Twisted Bead Necklace vs. Noonday's Fishtail Necklace

Forever 21's Classic Beaded Layered Necklace vs. Noonday's Lovely Loops Necklace

Forever 21's Down to Earth bracelet set vs. Noonday's Safari Stack and Glimmer Bracelet

Forever 21's Sweet Side Curb Bracelet vs. Noonday's Linked Lace Bracelet

Forever 21's V-Shape Drop Earrings vs. Noonday's Geo Drop Earrings

Forever 21's Dangling Triangle Earrings vs. Noonday's Renegade Earrings

Curious how your favorite retailer measures up?  

Look them up on Not For Sale's "Free to Work" website.  Their article, Apparel Industry Trends: From Farm to Factory, "ranks 300 apparel brands on their efforts to address child and forced labor in their supply chains.  It provides a picture of the practices of industry leaders, and calls out brands that fuel modern slavery through their negligence."

And now for today's GIVEAWAY... a $50 gift card for you to spend on the Noonday item of your choice!

Enter yesterday's giveaway from Tesney, a hero in the adoption world and the fiercest adoptive mama I know, and hop over to Mandy's inspiring post and giveaway tomorrow!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The heart of Noonday: Adoption

Adoption is expensive.

I have friends who are constantly fundraising to meet rigid deadlines.  I can image it is a daunting endeavor and not for the weak at heart.  The price tag along is enough to send some people running the opposite direction.

Adoption can cost anywhere from $10,000 - $30,000, and yes, domestic adoptions can be expensive, too.  Some families opt to invest in the health of the uninsured mom, so they cover her medical fees. Then, there are agency fees and dossier fees and referral fees and country fees and fees for things I don't even understand.

Families spend their paychecks to provide homes for children who they aren't even biologically related to, all in the name of LOVE.  

Adoption requires sacrifice.  After all, aren't we, as believers, also adopted by way of a loving God who allowed his Son to die so we could live?

*****

Since November is National Adoption Month, I wanted to share how you can help Noonday Collection alleviate the financial burden for adoptive families.  Jessica Honneger, Noonday's founder, started Noonday as a means to bring her adopted son home from Rwanda.

Not only do your friends get to shop for super cute accessories, a portion of EVERY purchase goes toward adoptive families who are making a special home for an abandoned or unplanned child!

[ shop at www.elizabethbricknell.noondaycollection.com and select "Elizabeth Bricknell" as your Ambassador on the checkout page.  By shopping through my site, you're even helping me raise money to visit our artisans next summer! ]

As a hostess of a Noonday trunk show, you can donate your hostess rewards to benefit a family in the midst of their fundraising process.  Noonday will write a check for 10% of sales to help cover costs and the hostess gets the opportunity to shop at 50% off!

Do you know someone who is adopting who would benefit from some additional funds?  I'd love to partner with you to bring their child home.  All you have to do is open up your home and invite your friends to shop.  I'll do the rest (or find your local Ambassador to do the rest)!  There are nearly 400 ambassadors all over the country who would love to help.  Email me and I'll connect you: bricknell.elizabeth@gmail.com

Are you an adoptive mama?  You can host a trunk show, too!  

Plus, I've partnered with my friend Heather and she's graciously giving away my favorite Noonday necklace & a beautiful t-shirt to celebrate YOU!

If you are an adoptive mom or know someone else who is, "like" Heather's "Love is Waiting" Facebook Page and comment on the image to win the La Jolla Necklace (providing living wages for the poor in Ecuador) AND this Love is Waiting t-shirt!  (Retail value: $102)

Heather's shop, Love is Waiting, raises funds for adoptive families through t-shirt sales.  Aren't her designs lovely?!

Heather & other adoptive parents: I greatly respect and admire you.  You have much to teach me about taking care of people who are not "blood."  Thank you for the example you set; may I have the courage to follow your lead in my own journey.

Now what are you waiting for?!  Go enter the GIVEAWAY!

Our Journey: The Two Year Mark

I remember the date clearly:  October 1st, 2011.

We'd been married for two years and took a belated Anniversary vacation to Sun River for a quiet weekend away.  It was there that Paul told me he was ready to start a family.  It was there that we sat in the hot tub and dreamed together about our future children, prayed for wisdom in parenting, prayed for their future spouse, and cried tears of joy together that we were both ready to be parents.

We were ready to embark on the biggest adventure of our married lives.
We were ready to share our lives/home/families with another.
We were welcoming the challenge and the adventure.

Naive as it sounds, we were not ready for the waiting which lied ahead.

What I didn't fathom at the time or prepare myself for (who does?), was the time in which it would take for our dream to become a reality.  The "pregnant pause," if you will.

Two years of frustrating appointments and health complications.
Various approaches to natural medicine.  Acupuncture, chiropractic visits, a no-sugar diet.
Herbal teas and supplements.
Prenatal vitamins, ovulation predictor kits and an unreal amount of feminine products.
Prescribed medication.
Two painful, invasive procedures.  Blood tests which have yet to show improvement.
And lots & lots of waiting...all while teenagers within my community are having babies outside of marriage and I'm having none.

Ironically and unintentionally, we found ourselves at Sun River during the exact same weekend as we had been two years prior.  Two years ago, I would have fully expected we'd be with child by now -- if not in our arms, then at least in my belly.

Instead, we were still uttering the same the same prayer that has occupied our lips, minds, and hearts for the past 730+ days.

730 DAYS.

During that time, I have identified with the woman in the Bible who suffered from prolonged bleeding.  I could picture myself reaching out to touch Jesus' cloak as he walked by, believing in His healing power.  There have been moments where I genuinely, without a shadow of a doubt, believed the timing was now.  And I've been wrong over and over again.

I have identified with the persistent widow who prayed until the judge changed his mind.  I have found myself questioning why I still have to plead with God to give me the deepest desire of my heart when He already knows it all too well.

God is delaying the answer to my need which has caused me to consider how I receive God's silence.  Do I trust God in the delay?  Could I be right where he wants me to be, right now?

I've been reflecting on the story of Lazarus, thanks to some notes from summer camp.

Jesus knew Lazarus was sick, yet he stayed put for two days and let him die.  My finite mind immediately thinks "Jesus could have saved him!  Why did he put so many people through the misery and mourning of his death when He could've stopped it?"  Of course, Jesus, in his infinite wisdom, knows best.  It's the Sunday school answer and it's the truth.  There is always purpose and God is always right on time.  Even in my situation.

I am well aware that I am not alone in my journey of infertility, which is why I'm sharing about it on my blog.  It's a way for me to process and for others to identify.

In case you haven't asked lately or haven't known how to bring it up, I hope this is helpful. We could get pregnant tomorrow and I'd still be glad I wrote today.  I am growing increasingly more aware of the pain of delayed answers and know I can relate to some people better because of it, whether it's about wanting a baby or not.

I'm sad sometimes, and growing our family is on my mind every. single. day.  But I'm ok.  I really am.

I have the best husband of 4 years who believes FOR me when it's hard to believe for myself.
I have an incredible community of prayer warriors who are pleading my cause.
I have a business that has renewed my joy, purpose and calling and I am dressing up to go grocery shopping "just in case someone asks me about my jewelry so I can tell them about our artisans."
I'm making silly music videos with my 9th grade small group girls and winning awards because of it.
I am running 4 days a week with a friend.

I'm learning and growing and becoming.
And all the more ready to be a mom.

Hosting a trunk show + Noonday Collection {GIVEAWAY}

UPDATE: Thank you for stopping by the Noonday Collection blog train and for partnering with us along the way to bring hope and opportunity to the oppressed!
The giveaway is closed and a winner has randomly been chosen!  Congratulations to Ellen G. for winning the Inca Steps Necklace in the color of her choice! For your chance to win something else, follow the links at the bottom of this post for giveaways that may still be open!

*****
If I’m not talking about it, I’m wearing it. And if I’m not wearing it…I’m probably sleeping. 
And that is NO exaggeration!

That’s right: it’s Noonday -- the jewelry that has taken over my dresser, my husband’s dresser, the bathroom counter, the window sill above the kitchen sink and the guest room. 

It’s the most jewelry I’ve ever worn...at one time. 

(Instagram users, search the hashtags: #ambassadorarmparty and #ambassadorstyle right now!)

It’s also the biggest, most beautiful jewelry I’ve ever owned. 

It's the only jewelry strangers have ever stopped me about and I don't leave the house without it for that very reason.  Every compliment is an opportunity to advocate!

*****

Our brand NEW Fall/Winter product line was just released with beautiful hand-knit alpaca scarves from Peru and hand-carved water-buffalo horn bracelets and necklaces from Vietnam.

Today’s stop on the blog train {34 giveaways in 34 days} focuses on the importance of TRUNK SHOWS.

With the Christmas season quickly approaching, I am more determined than ever to provide gift-giving alternatives so we can be a resounding voice this year in the marketplace...all over the world.  One easy, practical way you can amplify your voice this shopping season is to partner with your local ambassador and host a trunk show!

What is a trunk show?
A trunk show is a gathering of women that helps create pathways out of poverty for vulnerable and oppressed families around the world. The artisans we represent handcraft distinct accessories out of repurposed materials like bullets, paper and seeds. Your ambassador will bring awareness to issues of poverty and injustice around the world by styling you and your friends with accessories that provide longterm change of sustainable income + hope!

I have had INCREDIBLE response within my community about hosting trunk shows. You know who you are: Thank you for trusting me and inviting me into your home to share.  Because of your hospitality, birth mommies are keeping their children, girls are receiving scholarships and food is on the table.  You are changing the world.

I understand the hesitation of not wanting to host.  Maybe you can identify with some of these, and perhaps I can help change your mind?

1) I don’t want to be a pushy salesperson.
I’m glad! I don’t either. I always tell my guests there is NO pressure to purchase anything. As you invite your guests, emphasize the awareness component of Noonday and invite people regardless of their intention to buy anything. Before I became an ambassador, I had never hosted a direct sales party, nor had I been to very many. In fact, most of my hostesses never have either!  It doesn't take much to convince them that this isn't your average jewelry party.

2) My house isn’t big enough!
Having a small house doesn’t disqualify you from being a rockstar hostess. If space is legitimately an issue and you have a larger guest list, consider co-hosting with a friend and using her home instead. Or, look into hosting it after hours at your favorite coffee shop.

3) I’m afraid I won’t be able to get enough people to come to make it worth your while.
Yes, we want to share Noonday with as many people as possible. However, even a small turnout can start a domino effect of awareness! I am telling you -- people I just met are changing their shopping habits because for the first time, they are understanding the importance of fair trade. It only takes one convinced guest to host a future trunk show and the results are exponential! 

Besides, a small turnout does not equal small impact! Check out these figures from actual trunk shows:

• 2 guests showed up, yet she still qualified for $97 in free stuff after a few “no-shows” ordered. 

• An inspired, motivated hostess collected over $800 in outside orders! She passionately shared her enthusiasm for Noonday’s mission and her friends jumped at the opportunity to help. Some of them were already thinking ahead to Christmas gifts, and it was only June!

• A woman, whom I had never met, called me from her hospital room after her friend had dropped off a look book.  She did her Christmas shopping and placed a $600+ order! 

• An adopting family’s support system rallied behind her and hosted five adoption fundraisers over five months, where Noonday was able to pay almost all the foster care expenses for her son while he was still in the Democratic Republic of Congo! 

• One gal had never considered adoption until she went to a trunk show. God stirred her heart, and over the course of the next year, she had five adoption trunk shows raising $1000 to bring her son home from overseas! 

Don’t you see? Orphaned children and impoverished families are waiting for someone to use their voice on their behalf. Hosting a trunk show is one way you can use your voice! Do not listen to satan’s lies and disqualify yourself from this life-changing experience. Vulnerable people around the world are depending on us.  On me.  On you.
Your ambassador will coach you through the invitation process and help you think about all the people you encounter on a regular basis. 

Think outside the box: Your hair stylist who is always wearing funky jewelry.  (My hair stylist is my biggest fan!)  Your child’s teacher and parents from daycare or PTO or sports team.  Your favorite barista!

4) My friends can’t afford Noonday.
Most often, shopping fair trade means spending a little bit more money. It will probably mean buying less items less frequently and deciphering the difference between “needs” and “wants.”

Personally, this is a no-brainer for me. A screaming deal most likely means the person who made it was not getting paid enough for their work. I cringe when I see sale racks with rock-bottom prices of $3.98 for shirt. There is NO way that product can be made that cheaply unless an expense was eliminated somewhere along the line. Think about it: the fabric, notions and labor involved, not to mention overhead costs at the factory in which it was produced, and the cost to have it shipped to your local store, set up on a display by other employees and the operating expenses of the retail shop.  Someone is not getting paid fairly.  (Read my previous post titled: The Costly Bargain.)

Thankfully, Noonday Collection offers a wide range of products for the shopper on a budget (like me)! 

• Water Drop Prism Earrings $38 
• Minted necklace $28 
• Annie’s feathered earrings $32 
• Dew drop necklace $42 
• Tagua seed bracelet $28 
• Exotic wood bangle $18 
• La Noche bracelet $38 
• Picked plum scarf $42 
• Tea towels, journals or notecards $18 - $22 
• Eye-catching Market tote $28 

If you or your friends fall in love with a budget-buster piece, they can host the next trunk show and buy it for half price, or get it for free!

5) I love the mission of Noonday, but the products “aren’t me.” If you love the mission of Noonday, let that be why you host. You don’t have to love accessories to be a voice for the voiceless. Accessories are simply a platform to advocate, but it’s not why we do what we do. It’s ALL about the artisans.

If our artisans were knitting toilet seat covers to rise out of poverty, you better believe I’d still be encouraging you to host a trunk show – whether you were in the market for a cover or not. (knitted toilet seat covers would be way harder to sell, though.)

Chances are good that you have friends that love accessories or you have birthday/Christmas shopping to do.


6) I don’t have any idea how to a host a trunk show and wouldn’t even know where to begin Your ambassador will help you! You will be well equipped with a hostess document full of easy worksheets and tools to get your friends excited and your creative juices flowing. We supply the invitations and look books to hand out, as well as create a Facebook invitation or Evite. All you have to do is add friends to your guest list or plug in their email addresses.

As for the actual event, we bring the displays and jewelry. All you need is a tv and dvd player (if possible) and a table to let her work her magic and set things up. Sips and snacks are up to you. You don’t even have to make that new recipe on Pinterest. Seriously. Who doesn’t love chips and salsa, anyway?!


7) I’m too busy. I get it. Family time is sacred and weekends and evenings are precious! You don’t have to host right away; put something on the calendar for a couple months from now so you can plan accordingly. Consider tying a trunk show in to something you and your friends already do together instead of fitting in something “extra.”

Do you already gather together once a week for morning play dates? Invite your ambassador to your play group so she can set up her displays and tell artisan stories.

Do you have a small group/Bible study/book club? “Donate” a night to poverty awareness and let your ambassador do her thing!

Invite Noonday to your workplace during the lunch hour. Provide sandwiches and invite your coworkers to eat in.

Bring some meaning to your special event and throw a combined party! A “housewarming with a purpose” party. A “buy something for yourself for my birthday” party. (The birthday girl will earn a % of sales in free stuff.)



So, how about it?  Will you host?  Or find a friend to co-host with?

I'm offering a special incentive to anyone (within reasonable driving distance) who partners with me by hosting by October 31st.  *details below*  If you don't live near southwest Washington, I'd be happy to connect you with an ambassador near you.  Simply leave me a comment below!

I'm giving away one of my favorite statement necklaces today!  If you win this, I guarantee you will have the opportunity to share Noonday Collection with someone because they will ask you about your necklace.  You get to choose the color: coral or teal!  (It's made out of tagua seeds in Ecuador.) 

Retail value: $72

Click here to find yesterday's giveaway for a $50 gift card from sweet Lindsay!  

Tomorrow, the blog train stops with Heather.

ENJOY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Noonday Collection Fall/Winter LAUNCH + {giveaways}

Ana is a 25 year old entrepreneur living in Guatemala working full time weaving scarves while earning her MBA.

Bukenya, from Uganda, recently got married and is saving money to buy land to build a home for him and his new wife.

Olivia is a hard-working mother who once was on the verge of abandoning her beloved daughter at an orphanage.  Her life radically changed when she started rolling paper beads for African Style and now her daughter is at home where she belongs because her mom can finally afford to care for her.

THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE!

Noonday Collection really is creating pathways out of poverty through dignified job creation for the world's most vulnerable and you and I get to be part of it!  Purchasing from Noonday Collection enables people to earn fair wages and empowers them to not only receive an education and go to college, but pull others out of poverty as well.  The vicious cycle of poverty is breaking with every accessory purchased.

Have you checked out the BRAND NEW Fall/Winter look book yet?  It launched yesterday and it's breath-taking.  Every piece is painstakingly crafted with so much detail and love.

Scarf season is around the corner and we've got you covered.  What better way to cozy up on dreary days, than with alpaca and hand-woven cotton dip-dyed using natural, ancient techniques?

Spruce up your wardrobe with a statement necklace.  You will certainly turn some heads and with every paid compliment, YOU get the opportunity to share how your purchase creates jobs for people living in poverty in Uganda, India, Ecuador, Ethiopia, etc.

From leather, upcycpled artillery, precious stones and cow horn, earrings are an easy way to add a pop to any outfit and strike up a conversation while you stand in line at Target, the post office, or at work.

Noonday Collection is known for its "arm parties."  That's code for layering, stacking, mixing and matching bracelets.  The more, the merrier!

Zip on over to my website and start making your wish list.  (Christmas isn't too far away, you know!)  If you're on a tight budget like me, your list is bigger than your bank account can handle.  Do not be discouraged...partner with me to host a trunk show by October 31 and be entered to win $100 off your order!  Leave me a comment below or send me an email to book yours: bricknell.elizabeth@gmail.com

Additionally, check out these {generous giveaways} sponsored by Noonday Ambassadors around the country for your chance to win a piece or two for free.  Each day will point you to the next day's giveaway...for the next 34 days!

Two giveaways are currently open, starting here with Krista's blog from yesterday, and linking to Alicia's blog today.

August 28:  Krista Box- www.thegirlwhosaidyes.blogspot.com 

August 29: Alicia Hale- www.raisingalittlehale.blogspot.com 

August 30: Stephanie Nunes- www.nunespartyofthree.blogspot.com 

August 31: Natalie Perry- www.perrysplate.com 

Sept. 1: Laura Walton- www.runningwithpurpose.blogspot.com

Welcome aboard the Noonday Blog Train.  Enjoy the ride that changes lives!

The Costly Bargain

The mound of clothes on my bed horrifies me.  I really need to hang them up and do laundry instead of scooping them to the foot of the bed so I can climb under the covers at night.  But that's beside the point.  I'm horrified for reasons beyond my messy room.  I just checked the tags of 20 or so articles:

Made in China.
Made in Pakistan.
Made in Hong Kong.
Made in India.
Made in Vietnam.
Made in Taiwan.
Made in Guatemala.
Made in Thailand.

I'm afraid I've been ruined...again.

First, it was my awakening to the billion dollar sex-slave industry where women (even men) and children are bought and sold for sex and money.  This has me alarmingly aware of my vocabulary, the movies I watch and the jokes I once tolerated about "pimps" and "sluts" and "prostitues."  I have a heightened awareness for those lacking safe, viable economic options who are forced into prostitution simply to care for their children and feed their families.  I weep over movies like "Taken," and "Pretty Woman."  I have an affinity for products made by women who have escaped the industry.  I began purchasing thoughtful gifts and advocating for these ladies every chance I could.  I claimed the phrase "with greater knowledge comes greater responsibility" as my own by genuinely trying to use what I've seen to educate others.

Much to my dismay, I was blind to a different type of slavery until this year.  I've been bragging about bargains and relishing in my comfortable consumerism for far too long.  And I'm embarrassed to admit I've justified so many of my purchases.

I have found myself uttering the following:
At least it was on sale.
Others have more.
We have a small house, so I can't have thaaaat much stuff.
I have less than *insert more fortunate person's name here*

So, when I started working with Noonday Collection, I just had to change my shopping habits.  Especially after reading article upon article about the factory collapse in Bangladesh.  The factory that produces cheap clothes for American consumers, catering to our "Is it on sale?" shopping mentality.

Here I was, made so aware of people working in SAFE working conditions, creating AFFORDABLE things, that tell BEAUTIFUL stories of hope and redemption through Noonday Collection.  In between placing orders from customers and advocating for families living in poverty, I was drowning in my own heap of corruption and consumerism evidenced by the pile on my bed.  Not to mention, crying over images like these:

 Here, family members cover their noses from the stench of death as they try to identify corpses recovered from the collapse.

 This woman was recovered ALIVE after 17 days of being buried in the rubble.

This couple was found dead, embracing each other in the rubble after the factory collapsed.

And to think THIS reality is behind most of the clothes on my bed, whether they were produced in Bangladesh or not.  I am part of the problem and I am so not okay with that.  My spending and bargain-hunting habits have contributed to a corrupt society of "saving money" at the expense of 1000+ deaths.

My shopping habits have been frozen.  I'm petrified to purchase anything that was made from forced labor, yet I know I can't and won't be able to avoid it all.  I'm second-guessing my new camera purchase (happy birthday to me)... and I'm almost sick when I think about the hands who made it and the working conditions in which it could have been produced.

I don't know about you, but I can NOT keep buying what I've been buying without knowing it was ethically produced.  The tension I'm facing is moving me to a place of action which is what I implore of ALL my friends and family members.

I read this article from Relevant Magazine when I first learned of the collapse a month ago and it's haunted me ever since:

Evangelicals are excellent at organizing boycotts and protests, or, in the case of Chick-fil-A, massive showings of ideological and consumer power. But it seems that Christians are slow to speak clearly and loudly against atrocities like this one. Evangelicals once attempted to boycott Disney for offering health benefits to the same-sex partners of employees. But with Disney items found in the rubble at Tazreen (it is a small world, after all), will Christians speak up? Will they to leverage their considerable cultural and financial capital on behalf of those for whom families now grieve? Does the professed Christian faith of the Walton family cover the fact that their everyday low prices are tainted with the ashes of the poverty-stricken mothers and fathers who produce them? Does it simply sound too risky for evangelicals to insist upon laws and upon consumer habits that protect the life and the flourishing of the already-born, whether within our borders or across the globe? Have evangelical political commitments become so circumscribed that we cannot discern, much less name, the moral outrage of poor people dying so that rich people can become richer?

If those Bangladeshis were all still in their mothers’ wombs they would have been deemed worthy of concern by evangelicals in this country. However, by being born they disqualified themselves from such consideration. 

We must advocate for the lives and flourishing for all people at every stage of life, including those to whom we've outsourced our jobs. This isn't just being globally aware or even mindful. It's simply decent. Simply Christian.

Where are we, Christ followers, in these factories?  Are we shopping the sales and feeding the demand for cheap labor and blue light specials?  Or are we using our voices to speak up for the voiceless and demand a better way?  There are 27 MILLION people working as slaves today.  That's more slaves than at any other time in history.  That number alone should make us abandon our old spending habits

I commit to spending the year leading up to my 30th birthday (and beyond) on behalf of the oppressed.

Spending less, giving more thoughtfully, advocating more passionately.

We, as consumers, and ESPECIALLY as Christians, have a responsibility to use our purchasing power for good.  Where we spend our money communicates our values in the marketplace.  If we continue to spend money on things that are produced by forced labor, we are devaluing our brothers and sisters and saying that our saved pennies are more important than their spent lives.

It's not going to be easy, but most important things aren't a breeze and this is something I'm committed to wrestling with from here on out.  I hereby commit to:

1. Buying less.  I am struggling to draw a line between wants and needs.  Our consumeristic society blurs these lines and I am going to fight it.  I definitely do not need anything that was made by slaves.  As it is, I have 50-some slaves working for me based on what is already in my humble abode.  Gross.  How many are working for you?
2. Purchasing second-hand clothing/shoes/etc.  Used is better than new because, if only by a little bit, it keeps me from perpetuating the corrupt industry by demanding new things.  I vote every day with every dollar I spend, because how I spend my money communicates my values.  
3. Refusing to buy new clothes unless they are fair-trade certified.  This calls for drastic measures at Target... so I've already created a detour to avoid the Target clothing section because their stuff is so tempting...and so cheap.  See the problem?
4. Publishing a list of fair trade resources to encourage others to purchase ethically produced items.  (I already have suggestions for clothing, prescription glasses, and gifts.)
5. Encouraging the church to evaluate our spending habits. I'm talking fair-trade chocolate at Halloween, ethically-produced summer camp t-shirts, etc.  Imagine what this could communicate to our kids and our families and the WORLD.

What is it going to take for us to speak up?  We cannot wait for another collapse, another fire, another... Are you with me?

Isaiah 58: 6-12 

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

to loose the chains of injustice

and untie the cords of the yoke,

to set the oppressed free

and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry

and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—

when you see the naked, to clothe them,

and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.