buy handmade!

Why buy handmade?
Buying handmade is better for people, better for the environment, and better for giving truly special and well-crafted gifts. The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us all dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. The connection between producer and consumer has been lost. Buying handmade helps them reconnect.
We encourage all consumers to be aware of the social and environmental implications of their purchases.
Below is a list of resources that can get you started in the right direction:
coopamerica : Co-op America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982. Their mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society.
Sweat Free : A Network For Local action against Sweatshops.
The Institute For Local Self-Reliance . The Institute’s mission is to provide the conceptual framework, strategies and information to aid the creation of ecologically sound and economically equitable communities.
Wal-Mart Info : You could spend a day learning all about what Wal Mart’s effect on communities around the world.