Personalized... From Me to You!!

     The idea for personalized address stamps was born out of Lynn Fleck's need for a gift unique for  each of her clients in her graphic design firm.  That first year, the personalized stamps were received to much acclaim from the recipients who then begged Lynn to design the stamps for family and friends.  Lynn soon realized that there was a great need for this type of product.  Lynn immediately called a former client, Lori Eddelman, who had a ton of retail gift experience, to help her develop her personalized address stamps into a viable gift idea.  The two launched Three Designing Women in 2005 and the product has skyrocketed to the top of gift lists for corporations, moms, sisters, girlfriends, brides, daughters, and everyone else who want to give a truly unique and personalized gift!  

    At Haj-Paj Boutique, we also love to give personalized gifts so, of course, we jumped at the chance to  stock the full line of Three Designing Women products. Lynn and Lori have grown their line to not only to include the stamps, but have added personalized embossers and a fabulous line of paper products that can be stamped or embossed.  It truly is a complete gift idea for the discriminating giver! 

      Available in many unique, sophisticated designs, the stamps and embossers can be fully personalized with address information, family names, name and monogram or designed as book plates, birth or moving announcements.

     When you come to the store we can assist you in designing your own personalized stamp or embosser.  There are hundreds of choices from Three Designing Women to satisfy all your gift giving needs or even if you just need a stamp for yourself. 

     Also, if you want to give a stamper for a gift and you just aren't sure of what to choose, there are stamp "gift certificates" from Three Designing Women.  Each box comes with a Self-Inking Stamper,  Personalized Stamp Design Certificate, plus a Black Ink Cartridge. Stamp Designs "gift certificates" are easily redeemed online and ship within 5 days...thus, giving your gift recipients the option of designing their own gift!  How unbelievable is that?!

     Also available from Three Designing Women is a complete line of fresh, colorful paper products designed to coordinate with the custom and monogram stampers and embossers.  Ask us!! 

     Personalized gifts are for all the special people in your life who will remember you with affection not only for the gift itself but for the care you took to choose it.  Stop by Haj-Paj today or give us a call at 336-940-5501 and let us help you design a memorable gift for all of those people on your lists!!

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!!

Proudly Made in the USA

     At Haj-Paj Boutique we hand pick each and every item that we carry in the store...we thoroughly enjoy the "hunt"!  We carefully choose items that we love and we know you will too.  Finding these fabulous things that are manufactured or hand-crafted all over the world is what makes our job so much fun!  We embrace the sensibilities of all of our customers including those who enjoy affordable opportunities to buy American made products.  Keeping that always in mind while we do OUR shopping for YOU, we conscientiously look for things that are not only unique, affordable, and adorable, but also made right here in the USA!  

     Check out this list of some of the awesome Made in the USA gifts that we stock every day:

• Toffee to Go handmade in small batches in Tampa, Florida
• Haj-Paj Soy Candles handpoured in Wilkesboro, North Carolina
• Vintage Bee Creamed Honey direct from the apiary in Chapel Hill, North Carolina 
• Danny K Handbags meticulously hand cut in Los Angeles, California 
• Shallowford Farms Popcorn grown and popped in Yadkinville, North Carolina 
• Gullah Gourmet Foods prepared and packaged in Charleston, South Carolina
• Devine Lip Shimmers made in Oak Brook, Illinois
• Whitney Howard Designs designed and made in Calabasas, California
• Belle Manor Farm Goats Milk Soap produced from their dairy goat herd in Lewisville, North Carolina
• Many Hand Made Jewelry pieces in our Urban Couture and Vintage Revival lines are made in the USA, as well as a line of polished semi-precious stone pendants and earrings. 

     Stop by soon and see what Red, White and Blue tags are proudly hanging on our products!

Upcycle and Recycle... Making Smart Chic! Part Two

"Recycling a single ton of corrugated cardboard saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 462 gallons of oil and approximately 3 cubic yards of space in a landfill" according to PaperTrail.com.

Learn more at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/159194-why-should-you-recycle-cardboard/#ixzz1nPDhDW5R

     Yesterday, we talked about our commitment to reducing our waste footprint on the Earth that we all share and the Earth that we leave our children. At Haj-Paj Boutique we do this by recycling our own waste, i.e. packing materials and personal trash, at the store as much as we can. Further, we strive to purchase items from companies that also embrace our Eco-philosophies.  Previously, we introduced you to Whitney Howard Designs, artists and Eco-jewlery designers of a fabulous recycled pewter line made in the USA that we stock, and Silly Yeti, an upcycler of fabrics into super cute clothing and bags from Nepal.  Now we'll meet two more unbelievably wonderful, Eco-conscience products that we are proud to carry:

EEKO Chic: Style that Matters to the Earth

This style is not available, but many others that are similar are in stock today

     EEKO Chic's handbags and totes are making a bold Eco-fashion statement all around the country!  These stylish bags are constructed from recycled international fashion magazines. Each bag is a unique, one of a kind, work of art. The interior is also lined with colorful fashion print and only recycled poly-plastic is used. Each bag easily wipes clean with water. We have laptop totes, cross-body clutches, wallets, over-night totes, and great evening shoulder bags. Make your stylish, green fashion statement by checking out this new line!

SHAINS:  Say it, Wear it, Mean it

     The name SHAINS originally began as an acronym meaning - State How Action Is a Necessary Solution - but when developer, Ewa Martinoff, realized that was not going to be easily remembered, she revised it to one that summarizes her philosophies quickly; Say it, Wear it, Mean it.  That was the birth of the SHAINS product line.

     Ewa believes that everyone should have a chance to have a voice and make their own statements. She started with these bracelets and the interchangeable elements that you can push into the bracelet to allow you to express your mood, celebrate a friendship, or just plain allow you to be silly!  And here's the best part of all:   SHAINS products are made of recycled and recyclable parts and everything SHAINS produces is certified lead free. SHAINS packaging is also recycled and recylable.  They are dedicated to producing eco-friendly products and donate a percentage of net profits to environmental organizations.  SHAINS are recycled accessories that encourage and empower people to make their own statements and change them whenever they want...could it get any better than that! 

Upcycle and Recycle... Making Smart Chic! Part One

     At Haj-Paj Boutique we take recycling very seriously.  As a business that receives daily shipments of new and exciting gift items, you can only imagine the amount of packing materials we need to dispose of.  We strive to be sure to recycle as many of those materials as we can.  From the packing peanuts to all the corrugated cardboard, we personally haul it to designated recycling centers.  We are very aware of what we put in the landfills in our community here in North Carolina. We want to reduce our waste so we can be kind stewards of this Earth that we all share and that our children will inherit.

     When choosing the products that we stock in the boutique we are constantly seeking out those products that also share our deep interest in our Earth.  Here are just a two of the fabulous, fashion-forward and Eco-conscience products that are available right now in the store:

Howard Whitney Designs: Accessorizing Life's Journeys

Heartfelt and Made in The USA!

     These cuffs with heart-felt inspirations are made from Recycled Pewter...great way to save the Earth and express yourself. We also have equally wonderful necklaces from the same artist that makes the cuffs. All are made in the USA! Gotta love this jewelry!

Promise Rings "I Promise to Count my Blessings"

     Married artists and Eco-conscience jewelry designers, Howard and Whitney Schwartz, share a unique sense for creating “heartfelt art objects” out of recycled pewter. They are grateful to be able to express themselves as artists and designers of products that touch peoples’ lives. Their entire collection is inspired by the desire to bring joy, peace, love, healing, and gratitude to those who give and receive them.

Silly Yeti   /   Give:Green

This style and one other is available at the store today

     These fabulous, fun and flirty sundresses are not only super cute, but up-cycled from silk and cotton fabrics from Nepal.  As it states on each tag, "the product is handmade.  The individual craftsmanship of the artisan will create variations in color, size, and pattern.  Since no two are exactly the same, slight differences will occur from piece to piece."  Silly Yeti artisans also use recycled jute to make several different totes that we stock.  And they hand embroider a gorgeous fabric backpack.    

Jute Messenger Bag

     We fell in love with Silly Yeti (and their fun name) while at market in January.  We just knew that their commitment to upcycling and recycling fit right in with our ecological philosophies not to mention our LOVE for a great look!

    Tomorrow we will feature two more Eco-conscience products that we currently stock at Haj-Paj Boutique. 

    See you soon!