Texas State Veggie Fair/Handmade Girls Dresses Giveaway

I'm heading off, on my way to the Texas State Veggie Fair in Dallas. If you're going and you happen to see me, say hi!!! I'll be the one with a bunch of obnoxious cute kids hanging onto me. And I'll try to catch up on my blog reading this weekend, too.

Until then...

This isn't going to be applicable to many of you, but if you have a young girl or know someone who does, take a look at the rest of the post. (And sorry for two consecutive posts with my daughter modeling. I promise we'll move on to Kid A in the next post.)

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I was really excited when one of my hometown best friends told me about a sewing initiative that she is working on. It is called Gingham Trundle, and it is helping to provide jobs for women in Africa.

Taken from Gingham Trundle's website: Who we are: We started as a mother and daughter making clothes together. When a good friend (www.leastofthese.net) of the daughter donated sewing machines to a sewing collective in Africa, we all got an idea. Now, we bring Gingham Trundle to you.  Fair trade: We employ fair trade principles in all of our purchasing. We pay above-market wages agreed upon by the women; we give no time frames (so no undue pressure); we put a portion of our profits back into the community through healthcare and economic programs; and we ensure safe working conditions and no child labor. We are too small to afford the free trade certification process, but we are working toward that goal.

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I am offering this giveaway to help spread the word about this project. Right now, they are seeking to improve the development process (creating products that are high enough quality to sell - and verifying fabric content, etc. so they can be sold in the U.S.), and as they do this, they are offering free dresses in the hopes of building customers and gaining feedback. There are imperfections in this round of dresses. The women are selling the dresses in their communities. The end goal is to create sustainable, long-term jobs for these women. Great, right?

My 5 year old daughter helped me out by modeling the dresses. They are sized anywhere from 3T-5T, but this will kind of show you that they will fit a range. (I mean, my daughter still has 2T dresses in her closet that she wears as shirts. It's really hard for me - and her - to part with them, if you know what I mean.)

I wanted to show you the cute pocket on the back.

Tiny Flowers

I believe this one is sized 4T. There are some faded spots on the material, but it fits very cute. (Read more about this and the dresses in general here.) My daughter has one like this that she is going to wear as a shirt. I think any girl from age 2 to a small 6 would fit.

Red, Red

The equivalent of a "little black dress," this one would go with so much and could be dressy or casual. I love it.

Grandma's Quilt

This one is sized 4T. It's very sweet. I would say it's a true 4T size, as she could wear it - but it's starting to get a little snug under the arms. I love the short-sleeved dress designs.

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I will pick a winner for the 4 dresses on November 4, at 9 pm. Please just leave a comment telling me which dress you like the best. If you do not have a blog, comment as "Anonymous." Just make sure you leave an email address or way that I can get a hold of you.  If you would please share a link to this giveaway, I'll give you 2 extra entries. (Feel free to leave it all in one comment, however, to make it easier for you.) I am going to list this giveaway on my family blog and combine the entries.

Please check out Gingham Trundle's website to see more designs like this one above. Check out the reversible coats which are so cute and include a hidden doll in the pocket. You can request a FREE DRESS on their site, but you will just need to pay for shipping (flat rate $5.15).

Thanks for taking a look, and consider supporting Gingham Trundle in the future!

Vegan Cuts: Vegan Jewelry

Have you had a chance to shop at Vegan Cuts? I have been browsing around for months, determined to make an order, so I was very excited when they asked if I wanted to participate with a review.

Vegan Cuts was co-founded by a vegan couple named John and Jill. They work with a team to find vegan products to sell at more affordable prices. They offer daily deals, the vegan version of groupon.

I was sent two necklaces designed by 

Christy Robinson, an artist in Texas.

You can view more of Christy's jewelry (including rings and bracelets) on her website. Two of my favorites: here and here. (Oh, I keep seeing more that I like: this Ahimsa locket.) She can custom design something for you, as well.

These necklaces are made from recycled aluminum with a sterling silver chain. Also, the baggies are biodegradable, and the cards are made from recycled paper!

You know how I said I was excited about reviewing these products? Guess who was EVEN MORE excited to open the box and try them on?

I like this necklace, which is only 

$13 right now at Vegan Cuts.

When ordering myself, I might choose something longer than the 16" chain. But it is definitely light and a good feel.

We'll get back to the cuter model.

Here are Christy's other designs listed on Vegan Cuts right now. They all ship FREE.

Some of the other goodies from Vegan Cuts that caught my eye: GF lavendar cake mixes, flavored caramels made with coconut milk, glass straws (I need some more.), Parmesan (made with almonds and cashews), and kale chips (less expensive than the ones I get at WF). You can even find a deal right now on vegan caviar. I'm also thinking about trying out November's Snack Box for $19.

Andrea recently highlighted some yummy chocolate and peanut butter treats, available through Vegan Cuts.

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Until October 31, 2012, you can save an additional 10% off your order, when using this code: 

BLOGFRIEND

If you want to shop, consider going through my referral link: SHOP HERE NOW.


*I received these necklaces free for the purpose of review. However, all opinions expressed are my own.