November 05, 2020
I woke up this morning, November 5, 2020, and the US 2020 presidential election results are still up in the air. The Covid-19 Pandemic is still raging across the globe, and at an all time high in the US. Social and racial injustice is still a reality here and around the world. There seems to be no end to the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Climate change is still accelerating. The coming "holiday season" looks bleak.
And however bad things look for us here in the United Stat...
Continue Reading
October 28, 2020
Are you feeling squashed by the stress of life today? The pandemic . . . the political polarization and upcoming election. . . kids at home trying to learn remotely, while you try to keep working . . . social injustice . . . the list goes on and on.
It wakes me up in the middle of the night sometimes. And I can go from happy to grouchy to enraged in a split second.
I find myself getting lost in mindless TV and funny dog and cat videos to escape. (My daughter and I trade our favorites, which ...
Continue Reading
October 19, 2020
I was thinking again this week about my travel grief.
I had planned a major European trip for the summer of 2020, a trip two years in the making that was going to be a treasure trove of exploration. My husband and I were going to take a small ship cruise from Copenhagen to circumnavigate Iceland, and slowly explore the island and its beautiful natural environment with local guides.
Then we were going to spend almost a week in Dublin, getting in touch with our Irish heritage. I couldn't wait ...
Continue Reading
October 12, 2020
My inbox and social media feeds are overflowing with ads from Amazon ("Prime Days"), Target ("Deal Days"), and Walmart ("Big Save") this week. Other big commerce companies are also flooding my advertising feeds, in hopes of jump-starting holiday shopping. And they all seem to be offering incredible "deals."
Sometimes, it just seems so much easier and convenient to hop onto their online site and grab one of those deals, especially if the shipping is free! Sadly, I've personally spent far more ...
Continue Reading
October 08, 2020
We lost an iconic figure when Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last month. It’s hard to believe it’s already been 3 weeks since her death on September 18th. The daily whipsaw of news since then has left us all dizzy and wondering how we'll manage without her.
At HoonArts, we just received our latest order of new RBG Christmas ornaments a few days ago. Looking at these little gems set me thinking about RBG's legacy.
Continue Reading
September 30, 2020
I took the photo you see above during my morning walk today. What captured my interest was the little patch of leaves that were starting to turn red. Living in the high desert of New Mexico, we don't see a lot of trees turning red--it's usually only yellow and occasionally orange. So when I see leaves turning red, it's like a small touch of magic.
But what really inspired me this morning was the sudden thought that the leaves beginning to change color was a symbol that life does indeed go on...
Continue Reading
September 19, 2020
In these pandemic days, the idea of travel–of exploring new cultures and landscapes and connecting with new people–seems like a dream. Will we ever be able to travel again? And as Americans, will be ever be welcome again?
In this short video, HoonArts founder Rikki Quintana shares some of the images from her 2015 to Tajikistan, where she and her husband Jim (with the long white beard) experienced the remarkable hospitality for which the country is known. Along the way, you'll meet some of th...
Continue Reading
September 03, 2020
Color in Uzbekistan has deep cultural meaning. The traditional art of ikat weaving joyfully celebrates this connection with color. Traditional ikat patterns often use 4 to 8 different colors. Enjoy this mini-travelogue through the modern ikat world of the artisans of Uzbekistan.
Continue Reading
August 17, 2020
Do you love blue? It turns out that blue is the favorite color of many fair trade fans! (According to one survey, it's the most popular color of both men and women in the US.) And there are so many wonderful shades to choose from.
Continue Reading
August 13, 2020
2 Comments
Some days it seems like global civilization is collapsing around us. And business continues to fiddle while Rome burns.
Competition still rules. It’s a game of winner-takes-all. Only the apex predators ultimately survive because they already have the money, sales, staff, connections, and visibility to beat out the competition.
Bigger is better, and more is never enough. Income inequality grows daily.
Even for small businesses, the object of the game to build YOUR brand and business, grow YOUR...
Continue Reading
August 06, 2020
Does the mystic color purple call to you? Check out the blog post and Fair Trade Gift Guide from fellow Fair Trade Federation member Sevya Handmade, which pulls together a collection of memorable handmade purple products from the artisans of HoonArts, Sevya Handmade, Dunitz & Company and Baskets of Africa. The blog also shares more about the history and meaning of the color purple, as well as the artisans behind these lovely products.
Continue Reading
July 20, 2020
Explore this Fair Trade Gift Guide that showcases memorable handmade fair trade fashion and home decor items featuring the color red, from four Fair Trade Federation members working with artisans in Central Asia (HoonArts), India (Sevya Handmade), Guatemala (Dunitz & Company) and Africa (Baskets of Africa).
Continue Reading
