Another day...

Well, hubby and I went to Bellingham yesterday. It was such a nice trip. If you get to Bellingham at all stop at the shops in Old Fairhaven. They have some very nice shops. My favorite to date is called Arrabellas. They have terrific pieces of vintage looking clothing, and jewelry, chandeliers, and a room that I honestly think I could live in forever.. Full of chenilles, and brocades and wonderful lush yummy fabrics. I wish I had a ton of money when I visited since I honestly think I could have bought half the store. Instead I bought a wonderful broach. I collect vintage brooches and love them but this one was definitely not vintage. Anyway, of course I visited the bead shop.. Got away from there having only spent $11.50. A cheap visit. I have one gripe. The wonderful pieces of art we saw in some of the shops were very cheap. When I asked about the prices I was told that they came from China. I HATE that! First of all I hate that we are selling art items that look American in design for so little money, when there are local artisans who need the exposure and the places to display and sell their work. Granted they are much more expensive but if you want something that is beautiful and unique you want it made well and that costs money. I saw wonderful beaded purses for $30 each and I know they took hours to make. I also know that they used substandard thread that breaks very easily so if you purchase a purse like the ones I saw you can expect that there will be a trail of beads following you down the sidewalk. I also hate that labor in china is forced labor from prisons or from women who are so poor they will do anything for enough food to feed themselves and their families. By buying these items you are forcing these women to undervalue their labor and their circumstances will never change. I find this appalling. I have no problem with the coops that have been opened for women in Africa and other areas. The materials produced for these coops are well made and sold at reasonable prices for the amount of work produced. It seems wrong that we as consumers are not more conscious of where the items we purchase come from and the impact our purchasing them has on others. Don't even ask me about Walmart. I have to admit that on occasion I do shop there. The items I purchase are usually small and generally are not made in China or Indonesia. I don't claim to have easy answers. I just think that maybe we should be more aware of our purchases and their impacts and start buying accordingly. I do have to admit that there is no easy answers to this problem. If we take away the items that women and slave labor in China produce we eliminate an income that these women need to survive. It is an important income even if it is much smaller than it should be. I have no easy answers... I just hate seeing local artisans undermined by poorly made cheaply priced crap.
I have been known to talk to artisans who underprice their things as well. I hate seeing artisans selling things for the cost of their materials. This undermines the rest of us who are trying to make a living off the things we make.
Well, I have ranted and raved for the day. I cleaned my kitchen and am off to paint! Take care till later.