These Boots are Made for Walkin'!!!

     This week's post is a letter from Heather Martens, Founder and Co-Owner of Haj-Paj Boutique, about our latest, best find and one of our HOTTEST announcements yet!!

Now that's a pair of boots that will turn heads this fall!

Dear Friends,

     In case you haven't heard or noticed...Cowboy Boots are making a HUGE

fashion-comeback!

     However, as a Colorado native,

I've ALWAYS loved a classic pair of boots, whether worn with a casual summer dress, cutoff shorts, or a great pair of jeans.
     I have long wanted to offer Haj-Paj customers a fabulous boot line, but I am a tough customer myself, and I wasn't going to settle for a foreign-reproduction of an American Classic.  Unfortunately, almost all of the "BIG brand name" boot lines on the market today manufacture most of their boots in factories outside of the USA! 

     This breaks my heart.  The Cowboy Boot is an American Icon, and by golly, it should be Made in America...And that's just the way it is!   :-)

Great color!

     So, when looking for the PERFECT Boot for our customers, we made a list of "Must-Haves" and"Non-Negotiables". 

     Topping the list (to no surprise), the boot HAD to be MADE IN AMERICA. Next, it had to be REAL LEATHER, with all the elements of a CLASSIC boot, yet STYLISH and, dare we say it... even a little sexy. And finally, it needed to be of the HIGHEST QUALITY, and yet, MORE AFFORDABLE than all its "BIG brand name" competitors.

     Finding the PERFECT boot wasn't easy, and took longer than we expected, but we believe it was well worth the wait!  Abilene Boots is everything we wanted, and more!

     Their patented Air-Ride Comfort System makes their boots FEEL as good as they look.

Two tone...too cool!

Short and Brown

     So, we invite you to stop by and check out Abilene Boots.  We have 9 styles to choose from, including several CLASSIC shades of Brown, a GORGEOUS Black, and a HOT Red.  

Red and Black...what a statement!

A little bit worn and a little bit awesome!

 

    







     We told you it'd be our best announcement to date!  If you can't stop by and try on a pair, please give us a call at 336-940-5501 and we'll tell you what we have in stock!  If we don't have the size or style that you need, Abilene Boot company is waiting for our call! 

Post-Season Clearance on TOMS

     The TOMS Winter and Spring Collections have now officially retired, and while we hate to say "Au Revoir" to these particular styles (some of our all-time-favorites), we must clear the way for the
New TOMS arriving this Summer.

While size selection is limited on the remaining stock,

if we do still have your size, you're in luck!

     Take advantage of these HUGE Post-Season Savings, and at the same time, help improve the lives of children around the world!
     For every pair of TOMS Shoes you buy, TOMS will put a new pair of shoes on a child in need... One for One.
     Thank you for your support of our Local Business and of the TOMS Philosophy...

Together we can create a better tomorrow!

     Please feel free to give us a call to check size availability and/or to complete your purchase by phone.

336.940.5501

A better TOMorrow...one shoe at a time!

     In July of 2009, we went to the Atlanta market and first learned about  TOMS shoes.  We came back feeling hopeful, inspired, empowered, and charitable...all from meeting TOMS founder, Blake Mycoskie! He makes you believe what he believed so strongly just a few years earlier when he founded TOMS. 

Blake Mycoskie, Founder of TOMS

     Years ago, during his travels, Blake realized how many children around the world were living without shoes, even though they needed to walk long distances for food, clean water, adequate shelter, school, and medical attention. 

     Unfortunately, these children are so often denied the opportunity to improve their lives simply because, without shoes, they cannot make the journey. Their little feet are constantly bruised and cut, which often leads to much more serious conditions. The diseases in developing countries are spread primarily by parasites that penetrate the body through open-sores, especially on the feet. 

     These innocent children are continually at risk of contracting these terrible diseases, many of which are extremely debilitating and life-threatening.  A pair of shoes could make all the difference in the world for these children.  So Blake started TOMS in 2006.  The concept is simple: One for One.  For every pair of TOMS shoes that is purchased by you, TOMS will give a pair to a child in need.  So far, TOMS and their customers have given well over a MILLION pairs of shoes to children all around the world!  These children now have so much more than just a new pair of shoes; they have a chance for a better life. 

Together, we can all help

TOMS shoe drop

make a better tomorrow,

TOMS shoe drop

one pair of shoes at a time

TOMS shoe drop

     Haj-Paj Boutique is one the very few retailers in the Winston-Salem area that have the privilege to sell TOMS shoes.  This gives you...our customers...the unique opportunity to help these children from all parts of the world.  Our partnership with TOMS brings you the latest in shoe fashion and worldwide social responsibility right out your front door! Who would have thought that a simple pair of shoes could evoke such powerful emotions, and change so many lives? 
     Here are just a few of the styles we currently have in stock:

Ash Dot Canvas

Just in for summer!  Black Crochet

  

Corbel canvas

Youth Navy Canvas

 TOMS are a simple-chic shoe that proves that fashionable can also be casual, comfortable, and charitable. These well made, easy-to-wear shoes has made TOMS a hit among ALL age groups. We carry Women's canvas, burlap, crochet in many different styles and colors.  We also carry Youth and Tiny TOMS in many different styles and colors.  We receive new TOMS shipments monthly so plan to stop in or give us a call to check stock and sizes!  Please join us in our quest to help put shoes on kids around the world! 

 

Just in for Summer...TOMS black wedge

 With TOMS, you will LOOK good and FEEL good, from your heart to your toe.

Mother's Day...Rich in History

Goddess Isis

     The tradition of celebrating Mothers has roots in early Egyptian, Roman, and Greek times.  During these times "mother" Goddesses were commemorated in street festivals and with various celebrations involving cakes and flowers.  The Goddess Isis was commonly regarded as the Mother of the Pharaohs.
     Fast forward to Early Europe and the Christians who had a holiday to honor Motherhood which fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent.  That day was initially used as a day to honor the church in which you had been baptized, known as your "Mother Church".  On that Sunday, each place of worship was decorated with jewels, flowers and offerings of food.

"Mother and Child" by George Hatsatouris

     Sometime during the 1600's a clerical decree in England added real Mothers to the celebration and that day became known as Mothering Day.  On that day, a one day reprieve from Lenten fasting was provided so that all could enjoy a family feast where mothers were the guest of honor.  They were presented with cakes and flowers as well as visits from beloved distant children.
     Push that fast forward button again...when the first English settlers came to America, they discontinued the Mothering Day tradition.  While the Mothering Day holiday lived on in England, an American Mother's Day was conceptualized many years later by the woman who had written The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Julia Ward Howe. Howe wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870 in response to the overwhelming deaths of young men in the Civil War.  She was calling on all mothers to come together to celebrate peace and motherhood.  She had initially proposed July 4th as the new date of Mother's Day as a symbol of peace in our nation, but eventually June 2nd was settled on.

Anna Reeves Jarvis

That date was celebrated for a few fledgling years, but it took a West Virginia woman named Anna Reeves Jarvis to bring us to the Mother's Day we know today.  Reeves began an adaptation of Howe's holiday which called for mothers to re-unite families and neighbors that had been divided by the war.  This new day was called Mother's Friendship Day.  After Reeves' death her daughter, Anna M. Jarvis, petitioned the church where her mother had spent 20 years teaching Sunday school, to honor her mother with a day of celebration.  On May 10, 1908 the first official Mother's Day took place at Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia and in another church in Philadelphia.  Jarvis' favorite flower, the white carnation, was given to each mother.
     In 1912, West Virginia became the first state to officially recognize Mother's Day and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance by declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.   

Mothers' Day postcard 1915

            Haj Paj Boutique is fully stocked with gorgeous gifts to let those special women in your life know that you appreciate them and thank them for their tireless dedication to motherhood.  We have special discounts on all of our fashion jewelry and a fine sterling silver jewelry.  We are overflowing with home accent gift items, Spring scarves, adorable Summer sun hats, and the wildly popular Lindsay Phillips sandals.  We even have Gullah Gourmet meal mixes to help you make that special dinner for her!  And never forget that we are an official retailer of TOMS shoes.  We will be well staffed this week and weekend to aid you in choosing and wrapping the perfect gift.
     Mothers have been honored for centuries...don't delay in honoring yours TODAY!!

A few Spring Musings!

     April and May in North Carolina is a magical time...warm daytime numbers on the thermometer, cool nighttime temps, beautiful flowering trees, and flowers popping up out of the ground!  Not so much...our Spring weather has been up and down with the temperatures, we've had a few late frosts and freezes, and the mountains have had late snows.  Then the hot comes...one minute it is a flashback to winter and the next it feels like summer.  Just a few days in the mid-70's, please! 
     ------------------------------------------------
     April ended with a fervor last weekend when we participated in a fantastic weekend show where we traveled to a local country club and brought the "store" with us! 

     The traveling Haj-Paj Boutique was a show stopper and gave us the unusual opportunity to meet and mingle with our customers.  Thanks Mocksville Women's Club for such an awesome day!
     --------------------------------------------------

     The first weekend in May also brings the Kentucky Derby to our modest boutique in North Carolina...only because one of our employees (Lousivlle, KY native) insists on it!  Wear your hats, ladies! (or your sombreros since it's also Cinco De Mayo)  The bigger, the flashier, the featherier (yes, that is a real word) the BETTER!
          --------------------------------------------
     THE most important thing that happens in May is Mother's Day!  This year Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13th.  It's the time when we show our Mothers, and/or those that have mothered us, how special and significant they have been to us.  Whether you choose a personalized piece of jewelry, build them a charm bracelet, select a scarf or handbag, or even a simple card...you can show how much you care and appreciate all their love and support.  At Haj-Paj we are fully stocked and prepared to give you all the help you need in choosing the perfect gift for Mom...after all we're the experts!

         -----------------------------------------------
     And last, but certainly not least, our GRADUATES...the future presidents, teachers, corporate moguls, environmentalists, doctors, nurses, accountants, mechanics, artists, moms, engineers, lawyers, electricians, dads, and of course, boutique owners...will be counting on us for gifts that are sure to launch them in the right direction!  Graduation gifts say "thanks for your hard work, thanks for your dedication, and Good Luck!"  Stop by today and let us help you tell your Graduate how you feel!  Happy May!!!

Charmed, I'm sure!

     Haj-Paj Boutique carries two spectacular lines of charm jewelry that are created by a special company named The Good Bead.  Again, as we always do, we like to choose products who fulfill several needs; one for our customers and one for social causes some where in our world.  The Good Bead was founded on this principal and they continue to honor this belief today.
      They believe you can be fashionable and expressive in your style all the while wearing jewelry that supports a social cause.  The Good Bead strengthens it's local community by collaborating with Opportunity Partners & Trade which is "a group that supports people with disabilities and other special needs in their effort to improve their self sufficiency".  They also partner with and support national organizations including the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Young Survival Coalition, and Angel Foundation.  Find links to these wonderful organizations here:http://www.ovarian.org/, http://www.youngsurvival.org/, http://www.mnangel.org/.

     Bauble LuLu:  These high quality beads fit all the popular brand names of European charm bracelets yet at a fraction of the cost.  The attention to detail and craftsmanship make these charm bracelets one of the most requested gifts in our shop!  Their affordability make them easy to build bracelets based on your mood or your outfit for the day...playful to classy in just a switch of a bead! These glass beads are hand-blown and so much fun to collect and they feature solid, one-piece cores.   

     The delightful "themed" charms help you to build bracelets that express...well, YOU!  Sports fans will love all the sports beads; Animal lovers can easily tell the world about the animals in their lives; and Grandmothers are able to tell the story of all their grandbabies with a one beautiful bracelet on their arms!  The rhodium-plated little charmers add tons of personalization AND personality to each piece created!  A word about rhodium...it's a very hard, durable metal in the platinum family and when worn under normal circumstances (no water, please), they will keep their shine for a long time.

     This fantastic gift line features over 1,000 styles of interchangeable beads that fit onto bracelets, necklaces, watches, earrings, lanyards, rings, and pendants.  The beads are available in lampwork glass, high quality crystals, Murano-style glass, polymer clay, and the above mentioned rhodium-plated.

 Lottie Dotties:  Our other The Good Bead line that we at Haj-Paj love, love, love is Lottie Dotties.  Lottie Dotties feature over 100 magnetic, interchangeable "dotties" that can be popped into several styles of finely crafted necklaces, rings, bracelets, and even a key chain to create nearly 1,000 different looks...now that's math mixed into fashion...who knew?!  Each Dottie has a super strong magnet that is attached to the bottom whereas the tops are adored with colorful glass, shimmering rhinestone crystals, decorative silver, and a myriad of other fun stuff.  All of the Lottie Dottie jewelry is silver-plated and, like the Bauble LuLu line, is extremely affordable.  Nothing makes better sense than that! Unique and versatile, Lottie Dotties, let you change the look of your jewelry as easy and often as you change your mind.

     You can always count on The Good Bead to offer a wide variety of fashionable products that align with current trends, and are priced to appeal to today's more value-aware consumer.  Fashion conscience and social conscience all wrapped up into one gorgeous gift!  Don't forget Mother's Day is just around the corner...wouldn't these two awesome gift lines make her know how special you think she is?!! 

Helping you Help Kids!

     In past blogs, we introduced you to some of the wonderful products that we carry in the store that not only make fantastic gifts for family and friends...and yourself...but also have a connection to international charities that are making huge contributions in our world.  By purchasing these products it allows you to easily reach out and touch those that are less fortunate.  The proceeds from your thoughtfulness extends your hand to lift up the life of someone that you have never met...someone that really needs you.  Let us introduce you to another line of gifts that will again allow you to not only purchase a beautiful and meaningful keepsake, but one that will also help some people...mostly children...in Honduras.

     Let us back up a little...Heartstrings Enterprises, was founded in 1986 out of a family owned gift business in Alabama.  Their business grew to become the industry leader in personalized jewelry and gift ware. Their product line covers every aspect of  engraved and personalized jewelry and unique gift offerings...all custom made with care.  And to raise the bar even higher, in 2005, Heartstrings added an exciting line of embroidered items to complement its engraved line.  Our partnership with Heartstrings, allows us to provide you with an avenue to an ever expanding line of over 2,000 custom made items that will be the perfect gift for you, your family, and friends!

     These hats are just a drop in the bucket of the many custom embroidered products that we can order for you through our affiliation with Heartstrings.
     Fun vinyl license plates are again just one of the numerous offerings in the Heartstrings vinyl line.  We can place an order for you and in 7 to 10 days you can be expressing yourself in vinyl on your car, your laptop, your locker, or your dorm room window!
     This gorgeous sterling silver filigree is the ultimate personalized gift.  It comes in a ton of styles and metals...some styles include silver, goldtone, pewter, acrylic, and wood.  Stop by and let us show you how you can design one for yourself!
     Now, back to the real reason behind today's post...the people!  Heartstrings Enterprises pride themselves on their charity affiliations.  Through those partnerships they allow us to allow you to provide for an abundant number of families and children all over the world including people right here in America.  They support the following charities:

• Heartstrings International Missions in Mexico, Venezuela, Honduras, and Africa
• USO
• Anysoldier.com
• Habitat for Humanity
• Lifesavers 
• American Cancer Society
• Lee County, Alabama Rebuilding Together

     Jim Storbeck, founder and CEO of Heartstrings, is volunteer board member of Helping Honduras Kids (HHK) which is an organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of orphaned, abandoned, abused and neglected children in and around La Ceiba on the northern coast of Honduras.  They believe "that opportunity, education, hope, and love are what children need to break the cycle of poverty and abuse".  HHK has The Jungle School which provides education, meals, and medical care to over 100 children; Grandmas Kids which supports grandmothers that are the main caregivers of Honduran children; and they run Hogar de Amor (House of Love), a children's orphanage which provides a home to 22 children (when the new home is finished they will provide for 43 children).  With a staff made up entirely of volunteers, donations go directly to helping the poor and orphaned children of Honduras.

     Heartstrings promises to donate 25% of the profits of their Behind The Glass Pendants to HHK each time you choose one these custom designed keepsakes.  These vintage style monogrammed pendants with matching necklaces are part of Heartstrings best collection ever!  Encased forever in bubbled glass, our customers can choose the shape, metal, and background for a truly one of a kind pendant sure to become the recipients favorite gift ever!  The possibilities for self expression are endless with the Behind the Glass line.  See the full line of these pendants at Haj Paj Boutique today!  Tell your story or the story of your friends, your moms, your teachers, or your girlfriends all the while helping to ensure a brighter future of the children of the Helping Honduras Kids organization.
     The following video features the founder of HHK, David Ashby, speaking about the organization and how you can further help:

"Flabuh"... Flavor from the South!

     After receiving Gullah Gourmet food items as gifts several times ourselves, the entire staff at Haj-Paj Boutique decided that since we loved their flavor, their authenticity, and their salute to southern culture then so would our customers.  But as usual before we decide to bring in a new product for you we research it fully so that we are confident that you are getting the best!
     But first a little about the Gullah people:  In the 1700's the Southern colonists discovered that rice would grow well in the moist climate along the coastlines of what is now known as South Carolina and Georgia. Rice is not an easy crop to cultivate so, when the colonists realized that they had no experience with growing rice, they looked to areas of West Africa for native people who did.  Rice plantation owners purchased slaves from West Africa and rice began to flourish in these southern colonies.  The Gullah people of today are direct descendants from those slaves.  The heirs of those West Africans that were brought to the coastal islands of South Carolina and Georgia strive to preserve and honor their heritage with Gullah storytelling, music, folk beliefs and spirituality.

Queen Quet, Head of State for the Gullah/Geechee Nation.  Learn more about her and the Gullah traditions at http://web.me.com/gullahgeecheenation/Queen_Quet/Chieftess_and_%22The_Art-ivist%22_Bio.html

     Two of the most prevalent traditions that are currently being preserved in South Carolina's Low Country in particular are the Gullah food and the Gullah language.  Gullah Gourmet, is located in Charleston, South Carolina, which is the premier city of South Carolina's Low Country.  Charleston is steeped in history, beautiful architecture, and delicious cuisine.  Gullah Gourmet has been reproducing the finest Gullah fare since 1994.  They offer gourmet meals, dips, dressings, and sauces.  But it's the personality of the packaging that sets them apart from other gourmet gift items.  Owner, Debbie Nelson, wanted to capture the true essence of the Gullah people by incorporating the Gullah language on each and every bag.

Gullah Gourmet Shrimp and Grits

     Debbie remembers as a child listening to the Gullah tell stories and sing songs in this all but lost language.  She wanted to keep the Gullah language alive and pay homage to these time-honored people by using bits of it on every item in Gullah Gourmets extensive line of foods.  She says "when someone buys a package of Gullah Gourmet, I not only want them to take home the flavor of Charleston, but also a bit of the culture".   

These and much more at the store!  Yum!!!

     Haj-Paj Boutique is bringing you the finest that Gullah Gourmet has to offer.  It's our version of  "good food and good living"...you can use these scrumptious mixes to recreate familiar comfort food or get to know specialty South Carolina cuisine!  Each has the ingredients to make wonderful gourmet meals, breads, dips, and dressings with very little effort.  Low Country lifestyle is waiting for you in every bite...a lifestyle to take home with you to share with family, friends, and guests.  Meals to be remembered!!