mark. Goes Fair Trade

I am SUPER excited about this!



If you've been reading for some time, you know that I'm all about "voting with my consumer dollars" and that mark. is my choice for beauty products because they were one of the first to have a strong position against animal testing.

Launching a line of fair trade products? Just as cool!

Can't wait to get my hands on these. I hear the "Do the Right Thing" Smoothing Body Lotion with SPF 15 is going to be my new favorite because it's so much like the "For Goodness Face" lightweight moisturizer with SPF built-in.

If you want to check out this line, visit my mark page and search "fair trade" (I'd link it for you, but mark doesn't have the best options for deep-linking directly to products.)

Cute Boutique Alert: Calm & Sense

The store's tagline is "reach relaxation"... which is SURE to be a breeze once you've picked up some goodies here.

Delicious teas, bath salts/bombs/fizzers, shower steamers, beeswax candles, and more!
Here's her story:

People have been asking me how I came to open a store focusing on stress relief, relaxation, and a healthier life. As a refugee of over 25 years of corporate life, I was ready to start a new chapter—something about reaching an age milestone and being laid off all within 12 months does tend to empower oneself! Because of my experience working in large corporations, as well as raising two boys and being involved in my community, I also knew something about how stress impacts the body and the soul. So I decided to manage my own destiny and open a store that helps others cope with life’s stresses. In fact, the title I chose for my business cards is not Store Owner, but Chief Relaxation Officer.The extra cool part? The owner, Susan, makes a sincere effort to source all of her goods in fair trade manners and from as many women-owned businesses as possible. I like that retail karma :-)

Essential details below!

Calm and Sense
Glenwood Village Shopping Center
2603 Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27608 (map)

Holiday Sale at Beleza

From the Beleza email newsletter:



RED, WHITE and BLUE!
On sale and more...

We are OPEN on July 4!
From 10 am until 4 pm, the entire store is 24% off!

Come in on the 4th and mention this email to get 40% off the regular price of any item of your choice. This is a real celebration of fours! We hope to see you.
And now for the rest of the month, check out these specials:
-The Color of the Month for July is actually three colors...red or white and blue. Any jewelry with one of these colors in it is 20% off for the entire month.
-Raffia purses and beach bags are 40% off for the entire month.
-We continue to enlarge our 50% off area.

What's new in the store?
-We recently added an exciting new artist from Greensboro. Check his work here: www.theartistjay.com and come see this awesome aluminum jewelry for yourself.
=A large selection of necklaces with glass pendants is sure to catch your eye.
=Plus new shipments from our artists are arriving continually.

Don't Forget...
-We are your headquarters for custom made jewelry, a service which is growing for our customers.
-Need that necklace or bracelet repaired? We are usually able to do this very reasonably and again, we are glad to provide this for our customer.

www.shopbeleza.com
2014 Cameron Street - Cameron Village
Raleigh, NC 27605
919-832-4775

Store Hours:
Monday through Friday - 10 am until 7 pm
Saturday - 10 am until 6 pm
Sunday - 1 to 5 pm

{Double Post} The Shop with a Conscience

I can't believe this is another thing I've never remember to blog about, because it's one of my Cameron Village favorites - Beleza: A Fair Trade Boutique.Described on their website as a place where:...you will find unique and extraordinary textiles and hats, jewelry and art that catch your eye and touch your heart.

Beyond offering beautiful things, Beleza exists to provide hard working people from countries around the world – and here in the US – essential support to provide daily necessities for their families.

While the store is fair trade, the major emphasis of Beleza is to treat people as they should be treated, and assist in global economic development.Beleza is owned and operated by two of the most wonderful people I know: P. Dail and his wife Sara.

I received the following email today from Sara about a new addition coming to their store that I am really excited about:Recently we met Audias from Honduras. Born without arms, he paints with his feet. We will have his work in the store very soon and encourage you to come see this work. Audias has no other means of support. We plan to host a special event for you to meet him.I'll be sure to update when I hear more details!

In the mean time, go check out Beleza and become an addict of their amazing selection of goods with a heart, too.