October 07, 2015

We're going to the Atlanta Apparel Market!

This fall has been a whirlwind! I can't believe next week will be our return to the Atlanta Apparel Market after almost three years! We were originally going to be in a showroom but due to unfortunate circumstances beyond our control, the showroom will not be open. Luckily, we were able to snag a last minute opening in the Premiere Accessories section, almost in the same spot we were in last time! It's been quite a while since we have exhibited there, so we're excited to go back. And I will definitely be visiting Ikea in my free time...


If you are planning on coming to the show this October, please stop in our booth to say hello! We will have show specials. . .  and probably some candy. I love candy.

Here I am at our last Atlanta Apparel Market in 2013, ready to set up!







October 01, 2015

We Welcome Refugees


I have been so heartbroken by the images of the Syrian refugee crisis. I feel helpless, but I know there are small ways in which I can help. Coincidentally, my friend and fellow Nashvillian Kate Whitley of Little Things Studio designed the above graphic and reached out to her network of makers like myself to encourage us to donate a portion of our sales to one of the organizations actively helping the refugees. The quote below is from Kate's response:
I’ve often thought what would I have done if I had lived during WWII and known about the concentration camps in Germany. Would I have sent money? Would I have spoken out and talked to my friends, local church, my city, and my government? Especially when some of the persecuted practiced a faith I did not. Because that’s what I would want to do. I wouldn’t want to live in regret. I don’t want to live in regret now over the refugee crisis. What if this moment is in our history books? What if it gets worse? And what if I did nothing?
I love Kate. So to help, we decided we would donate 10% of our booth sales and our online retail sales during the Renegade Craft Fair held on September 19+20, 2015 to World Relief. We officially donated the money we raised today and it feels so good to help, even if it just a drop in the bucket of what is truly needed to help these people. If you would also like to donate to World Relief, click here to learn more.

I also donated to the Migrant Offshore Aid Station - click to read about it if you haven't heard of the amazing rescue ship in the Mediterranean.

To read more about the crisis and what you can do to help, read "5 Ways To Stand Up" and visit We Welcome Refugees. You can read Kate's entire blog post that really resonated with me about why we should take action in this crisis.


Thank YOU friends and customers, for supporting Freshie & Zero (for 9 years!) and allowing me to not only support my family, but also to donate to causes where my heart is called. Something my pastor said to us in church a few weeks ago really struck me. I'm paraphrasing, but he said something like "You may not be called to help in this crisis in Syria. But if you are a Christian, you are called to help the poor." I would also like to believe that if you are just a human, you are called to help the poor. 

On a mostly unrelated note, if you haven't heard the Death Sex & Money podcasts about Hurricane Katrina, go listen now. SO eye opening to what people in New Orleans actually went through - I had no idea. My favorites were Big Freedia and Terri Coleman.