Good in Bangladesh

Good pineapple is so refreshing and if it is not pre-cut, it takes a lot of effort to get to the fruit of the matter - tough skin to cut through and leaves to remove. All to waste. Well not for some people. The wrap on my wedding invitation is made from pineapple leaves. This paper is beautifully and proudly made by women in Bangladesh who are part of a Fair Trade Certified Co-op called Prokritree (meaning "nature" in Bangla).

"Prokritee is dedicated to hiring women who are head-of-households (widows, divorcees, or separated), have little, if any income, and have few or no assets. Paper is made of local sustainable materials such as water hyacinth, hemp and pineapple leaves. Their screen printing skills are excellent and they are constantly creating new designs. Prokritee welcomes customization (if there is time, mailing samples back and forth to Bangladesh takes awhile) and De Milo has been very pleased with our custom orders. Read more about Prokritee online at www.prokritee.com. "
From the Sustain & Heal website.

Sustain & Heal is an artisan line of beautiful letterpressed papers and invitations created by Annika Buxman in 2008.  After many telephone conversations I finally had the pleasure of meeting Annika in person last month at The National Stationery Show. She helped me create a dream invitation that I still feel good about on so many levels. 

My cousin lived in Bangladesh for a while; below are a few photographs from her time there.

A Deep Thought: Sustaining and Healing - What is Fair Trade Paper?

As I am on vacation with my children enjoying life, the sunshine and much laughter, I think about those that don't necessarily have it as good. Women who live in areas of war and tough economic conditions. And last night when we were in a store called "Next Summer" (www.thelakehouselife.com) I was reminded about Fair Trade artisans while looking at a funky red organic looking floor pillow. “Sustain & Heal” is one of my favorite letterpress stationery lines and it comes from De Milo Design in California and they say it best: " In one word, Fair Trade (not to be mistaken for NAFTA’s “Free Trade”) is Dignity. 10,000 Villages explains it best. They focus on relationships with people who have been marginalized by war, weather, and damaging cultural systems. Hearing stories of people who have reclaimed life through Fair Trade is important for us western shoppers. The invitations in “Sustain & Heal" use Fair Trade paper from Kenya, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. If we can’t get it Fair Trade, the designs are supplemented by 100% Post Consumer Waste recycled paper produced by eco- friendly methods. With "Sustain & Heal” invitations our celebrations sustain our planet and heal lives!" In addition to invitations, Sustain & Heal can letterpress your personal stationery, thank you notes and everyday notecards and those we keep in stock at the office. And, of course, all are beautifully done. Fair Trade products are popping up all over. Call to find out more.