Ahh.... The Sweet Life!

     How could we have forgotten one of our best-selling recycled/upcycled products that our customers just love...Vida Dulce Handbags from Guatemala...perhaps it's because we've saved the best for last?!  These handbags have a story that will touch your heart, make you smile, and have you running to our door!  But wait...don't get in your car yet, listen to the story behind these stunning, color-saturated, and handcrafted products from a very special place.

Hand-embroidered flowers on a Mayan huipiles...beautiful!

      Founder of Vida Dulce Handbags, Kristen Van Zandt, first traveled to Guatemala as a volunteer nurse in medical clinics all throughout that beautiful country.  It was there that she fell in love with the people who are predominately of indigenous Mayan ancestry.  She fell in love with their culture, their traditions, and their colorful clothing made from exquisitely hand embroidered fabrics.  Mayan women's blouses, known as "huipiles" (wha-peel-es), are hand woven and hand embroidered.  Each village has its own identifying weave making each blouse a one-of-a-kind and therefore each handbag a one-of-a-kind!

Example of one of the Vida Dulce Handbags

    Now back to those fabulous handbags and Kristen...little by little, she started to design more and nurse less.  She started her company Vida Dulce, which translates to "Sweet Life" as a reminder that life is just that:  Sweet.  Working with these warm and wonderful people and applying fair trade principles, she utilizes the hand-woven and up-cycled fabrics to design her unique handbags...made directly from the actual huipiles that the Mayan women have worn in their day-to-day lives. Designing with the weave, color, and pattern in mind, Kristen incorporates them into trendy, functional, and unique handbags and accessories.
     Kristen works exclusively with Mayan families where the women work earning a fair wage all the while knowing the sense of security that a steady income brings their children.  Kristen has been a board member of Pueblo A Pueblo, a nonprofit NGO since 2004.  Pueblo a Pueblo's mission is to "work with local communities to improve health, education and nutrition of the Mayan people".  Learn more at Pueblo A Pueblo's website:  http://www.puebloapueblo.org/about-us/.  Portions of the sale of Vida Dulce Handbags and accessories that we sell at Haj-Paj Boutique benefit Pueblo A Pueblo.  Many of the women that work with Kristen benefit from Pueblo A Pueblo's programming in their own communities.

     With the Vida Dulce line of products, it's not hard to fall in love with the beauty of the fabrics, the history of the patterns, and the connection to the Mayan people.  At Haj-Paj we stock the handbags, a large wristlet wallet, and a smaller coin purse wallet.  Each market in January and July, we visit Kristen and meticulously hand pick every handbag and accessory to ensure that our customers get the best and brightest product!  This collection sends you to your "happy place" and reminds you that life is...Sweet!   

Another example of the handwork on the Vida Dulce bags...you have to see it to believe it!!