My 4Bits

I was invited to a BeadsForLife party today by my friend Heather. I had a great time #1 and was extremely touched by the whole thing. Ugandan women take recycled paper and make beads that they place sealant on and put out on a line to dry. The necklaces, bracelets and earrings are amazing and beautiful. I know that she will probably post something on her blog about the party but I was just so impressed and will now be hosting my own Bead for Life get together that I couldn’t wait to tell you all about it. Straight from www.BeadforLife.org:

BeadForLife began with a chance encounter between a Ugandan woman, Millie, who was rolling beads near her mud home, and the founders Torkin Wakefield, Ginny Jordan and Devin Hibbard. Stopping to admire the beads, the women learned that there was no market for their jewelry, and that Millie worked for a dollar a day in a rock quarry crushing stones in the hot sun. They admired her paper beads and bought a few, never realizing that their lives, and the lives of so many impoverished Ugandans, were about to change.

When friends at home admired the beads, the three women realized that there might be a market after all. Torkin returned to Uganda, and Devin and Ginny began to develop a marketing strategy. In Uganda , Torkin held classes to improve the quality of  the beads and develop several styles of necklaces and bracelets. Soon women in the US began to hear the stories of the beaders and buy their jewelry.

It’s not your typical home party. You aren’t expected to spend your money. You sit and listen to their stories and experiences, which will touch your heart. You listen to Ugandan music which some of it they have written for BeadForLife. If you do choose to purchase one of the beautiful pieces of jewelry than you are helping a woman across the world feed her children and build them a home. Simple as that and know that 94% goes to the ladies in the village. With all of this said…. I can’t wait to show you what I got today. L of course will be modeling some of the jewelry because she claims that “we are sharing it”. It’s not the case but we’ll let her think that.

I bought this beautiful 3 strand black necklace.

I also bought the brown 3 string necklace that L is wearing and I did purchase one thing for L… the blue pastel bracelet she has on ($5).

Here’s one more of her modeling just because I think she is so stinkin cute.

So this is to my family, friends and my cohost Mrs. Ritz ;)…. know that when you receive an invitation to attend this party (Aprilish)  there will be wine and food but also a sense of doing something bigger and greater for the women of the world. There’ll be more to come later. Thanks again Heather.