#SustainableSunday with Tulia's Artisan Gallery...

Perhaps now, more than ever, considering diversity and embracing it is at the forefront of our collective minds. Our world is definitely wobbling on the edge of what could be some amazing positive changes in the way that we connect and in the way that we make decisions. Since we are examining the way we treat one another in person, perhaps now would also be a prime time to also examine the things that we are wearing.

I've got to say that after a 3-month maternity leave and then another 2 months of sheltering in place and wearing PJs/workout clothes, putting together fun outfits has become more fun than usual and I've been having a lot of fun making outfits around statement pieces like these earrings from Tulia's Artisan Gallery.

First of all, they are my favorite color, so when they popped up on my Instagram feed, I knew that I needed to investigate them more. What I discovered was a whole store full of beautiful handmade statement jewelry! Founder Karen, is a Chicago native (like me), but also has Colombian heritage, and wanting to help Colombian's preserve traditional art forms and break the country's stereotypes about violence and drugs, she created her shop. It is named "Tulia's" after her grandmother, who instilled in her children and grandchildren the characteristics of generosity, kindness, and service to others.

With these attributes as inspiration, Karen has connected to indigenous peoples and traditional artisans in Colombia who hand-make all of the jewelry, home goods, and cards in her shop. They create these goods in a fair trade setting, so every artisan is paid fairly and has a new outlet to share their art with the world. Also, by creating goods for Tulia's, these artisans are able to help preserve their ancestral lands by contributing to and empowering their local communities.

These Carmen earrings are beautifully hand-woven from palm leaf threads and are then embellished with 24k gold-plated brass. Tulia's donates 5% of each pair purchased to the Wounaan community to aid them with health and cultural preservation projects since these peoples are continually displaced due to conflict in Colombia.