It Won't Be Long

In just a few short weeks I will be back in the place where a piece of my heart always is. I'm SO excited to have the opportunity to return to Haiti to work with more artisans, teach some classes, and work on some exciting new things. Of course the added bonus to all this is spending time with the children in the Rescue Center. Little Darlens (pictured above) came very close to death a few weeks ago. He caught a really bad bug during the Cholera outbreak and truly by a miracle his is OK today and as adorable as ever. I can't wait to kiss his cheeks and spend a week in this wonderful place. We will be returning with lots of great new items to help make a difference in the lives of Haitian people. I hope you are as excited as we are!

Strength and Beauty

Ever get tired doing your laundry? Does your laundry basket sometimes seem way too heavy to carry up and down those stairs?

This is the picture I have hanging in my laundry room.

This strong and beautiful Haitian woman has some incredible laundry carrying skills. I honestly think of her every time I wash my clothes. I tried a few times to carry my laundry basket on my head, but I didn't come close to the poise and elegance of this lady. I totally need a lesson during my next visit to Cazale. Amazing!!!

So Stinkin' Cute

Even babies love our baskets from Haiti! :)

Wish You Were Here

I wish everyone could have been here on Monday night for the first official Caribbean Christmas Open House for Haiti! It was a fun, bustling, inspirational night for everyone and we were thrilled with all the people that came out to support Artists For Hope, learn about the children and people we love so much in the mountains of Haiti, and purchase great artwork and handmade Haitian items that will make a difference in someone's life. Thank you to everyone who helped make this night a wonderful success! I will let the pictures show you just a little taste of what you missed and we hope to see you at the next one!

The Time Has Come

Our Open House for Haiti is tomorrow night. We are so excited! I mean really REALLY excited. This is the first time we are showcasing everything all at once and debuting the handmade Haitian items that are helping to create jobs for people in the mountains of Haiti. We promise to take lots of picture and post them here soon. :)

We have taken everything "off" the website and our Etsy site so we can have them available for viewing and purchase locally for tomorrow night. Once the Open House is over...we will have lots of amazing things for sale again online. Thank you for your patience and for all the excitement over the last two years. Your purchases and donations have made such a difference in the lives of children at the Rescue Center and for the Haitian people we are working with!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot

It's beginning to look a lot like an Open House for Haiti!

My amazing friend/designer extraordinaire has been over helping me decorate my house for the Caribbean Christmas Open House that we are having to showcase and sell all the beautiful artwork and Haitian crafts that we have. We are hoping to raise a lot to help the kids at the Rescue Center! We will be adding more items to our etsy site after the Open House. Most of the items have sold that
we just listed...but we like that problem!
Promise there will be MORE to come!

I hope you are all getting in the Holiday spirit too and thank you for shopping to make a difference this year!

The Girls ~ Week 5 and 6

Love it. Love it. Love it!!!

Week 1

Week 5

Week 6

Our Name In Lights

We are so thankful and overwhelmed to have had someone offer to pay the expenses so we could get our Non-Profit status. We are over half way through the process and we have started to get things in the mail that are specifically for Artists For Hope. Last week we got this photo from an Ad Agency that showed our name in lights...and it was truly a moment for us. Years of hopes and dreams ~ that stem from a passion for creativity and a love for the Haitian people.

It is fabulous to see our name in lights!

Haitian Proverb

Dye mon, gen mon.
Beyond the mountains, more mountains.

Coming Soon

We have lots of fun things planned coming up, and we're excited about some new ideas that we will be working with our artisans on. One of my favorites right now is this cute ball made completely with recycled materials. Watch for these to be for sale on our website in the future!

My awesome Veterinarian/Friend

My awesome friend (and our Veterinarian extraordinaire) is doing a blogathon to help raise money to get A Puppy For Bradyn. This puppy will help this adorable little boy survive with uncontrolled Epilepsy.

Shawn wrote this wonderful article about Artists For Hope and is a talented blogger, writer, and Vet. She's just all around very cool.

Check out her blog, Riley and James, and everything that is going on to help this little boy! I love seeing people come together for such a great reason.

Go AWAY Cholera

This adorable little boy, Onelson, went home from the Rescue Center 3 weeks ago because he had won his fight with malnutrition.
He was healthy and happy.

He came back today and has been diagnosed with Cholera. He has lost 6 pounds since yesterday. He's fighting for his life.

I can't begin to explain why this is happening. I've read so many articles about Cholera in Haiti and why it is spreading and what should be done about it. Tonight, I'm feeling helpless and wishing I could do something to make things better for Onelson and for everyone else who is suffering and dying.

They are setting up a make-shift hospital in Cazale tonight. They have had people arriving the past several hours with severe vomiting and diarrhea. They know there are more to come. They don't have electricity in the house they are using as a hospital. They are hoping they have enough supplies to help the people who are sick. Once again....please keep Haiti in your thoughts and in your prayers. They have suffered so much. Too much.

I can't sleep...so tonight I will stay awake and pray for the Haitian people and for Onelson and for Cholera to GO AWAY! :(

2 Sweet Girls

These 2 sweet girls, Kephania and Erline, lost their fight with malnutrition today. These days are so hard to understand. We're so thankful they aren't suffering anymore, but it's very hard from this side to not be completely heartbroken when another child (or 2) dies because of poverty. So very hard.

Thank you to all of you who have helped to make a difference in the lives of these children. I hope more and more people will want to do something this Christmas to make life a little easier for children and their families living in poverty. As we go about our day in our comfortable homes with our pantries full of food, a lot of people around the world are struggling to live because they don't have the food, shelter, and health care that they need.

I hope children like these 2 sweet girls won't be forgotten or overlooked as just another statistic. Their lives were cut short, but we can do something to change the lives of children in this same situation. What will you do this holiday season to make a difference in the life of someone who is hurting or hungry?
Someone just like these 2 sweet girls.

Great Weekend and New Items

We had such a wonderful evening at the World Wide Village Festival For Haiti and left feeling encouraged, hopeful, and even more excited about the possibilities of empowering the Haitian people through art and job opportunities. We will be returning to Haiti in January to work with more artisans and teach some classes to people who are interested in art and creating things to earn a living for themselves and their families.

We just listed some beautiful handmade items from our art co-op in Haiti on our Etsy site and
we will be continuing to list new items,
so be sure to check back often!

We also have amazing works of art that have been donated to us to help feed and care for severely malnourished children at the Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center in Cazale. They are for sale on our website and 100% of the proceeds go directly to help these children. Can you think of a better reason to shop for Christmas. These gifts will give more than you can even imagine!

This Weekend

We are on our way to a wonderful event with World Wide Village this weekend and we're honored to be sharing a beautiful basket of many of the handmade items we will have available for sale with them to help raise money for all the things they do to help Haiti.

I know we will be thinking ALL weekend about the children at the Rescue Center and our friends in Haiti as they prepare for Tomas. They are currently boarding up all the buildings at the Rescue Center and Clinic and they are hoping and praying that the river that runs in front of the Rescue Center doesn't flood. They are prepared to bring the children up to the second floor if needed, but they have 70 children in their care, many who are very sick and I can't imagine having to move them all. Please keep Haiti in your thoughts and prayers as you go about your weekend activities. They have been through too much already.

If you would like to see what Haiti is like right now, 10 months after the earthquake, here are some powerful photos to show you.

Week Four for the Girls

Don't you just LOVE this???
The girls look amazing! You can read more about how they are doing and how you can help RHFH and the Livesay family raise money to provide Medika Mamba for these beautiful kids HERE.

You can also purchase artwork from us! Remember 100% of the proceeds go to RHFH and help provide food and care for the children in the Rescue Center. Christmas shop with a purpose!!!

Homemade Laundry Soap

Some friends gave me a batch of this homemade laundry soap and I'm quite excited to try it. I love finding ways to save money.

Thought I would share the love.

Check back often this week.
We will be listing new items on our etsy site!

Week THREE for The Girls

Oh my goodness!
Wait until you see these girls in their new picture!

Look at those smiles!!!
That is the miracle of Medika Mamba and the amazing care given at the Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center.
Doesn't that just warm your heart?