we love to highlight other creatives, makers and content generators that are sharing a perspective that might help inform and empower our choices. 

This week, we highlighted@PrettyAuthenticated. 
She is from Roatan, Honduras and based in Indianapolis, Indiana. 
She shared her seven tips on how to thrift like a boss. Simply click on her her embedded Instagram post to see what the tips are. Hassan Minhaj offered a thirty minute breakdown, based on facts and research, on how thrifting, which is essentially how we create salvaged beads, can impact the amount of waste we are currently producing. The entire episode is available beside our shoppable slideshow (yes, just click on each image to be sent to Shoptiques where you can shop the actual design). 

We also featured some of our left-over bead bracelets below. 
We'd love to hear what you are doing to care for the earth and how you are getting your community, or circle of influence, involved. Otherwise, we wish you health and wellness through the holiday season. 
Thank you for journeying with us, 
The LHo Team (The Empowerment Initiative)

Hello Lovelies, 
We bumped into a story we wanted to share.

Traveling with a few of you (to East Africa) allowed us to reconnect with a lot of our East African upbringing.

Being on the ground reminded us just how much East Africans recycle, reduce, reuse, rot/ compost and upcycle.  We are actively returning to our East African roots/ values that remind us: waste not, want not. The saying was a constant reminder in school and at home. If you live to waste, you will eventually get to a point where you do not have. Be conscious of your usage as you are only a visitor passing through these earthly streets. Just as you are passing through, leave a world for those that will visit after you. East Africans are very much philosophical thinkers and we have been for centuries. That's why some of our traditional garb is littered with proverbs and sayings.

Now, as we reconnect with our roots and find new avenues to reduce our waste footprint, we wanted to share an exciting story from IKEA that we thought quite a few of you might appreciate or would like to pass on because we all know that one person that is IKEA obsessed. Remember, we are forever learning, growing and connecting and this felt like a push in the right direction from a big business brand. It felt like the kind of push that might normalize discussing sustainable living ideas. 

Here's what you need to know: 

• According to BBC News, The Swedish giant, IKEA, will as of next month, launch a scheme to buy back some of your unwanted  IKEA furniture. 
• Under the plan, it will offer vouchers worth up to 50% of the original price, to be spent at its stores.
• The "Buy Back" initiative will launch to coincide with Black Friday in order to make sustainable living more attainable. 

This is GREAT news for the planet and for us, as a small social enterprise that was always BIG about reusing, it helps us become bolder about reducing our waste footprint (BBC BUSINESS, 13th Oct 2020)

Our shopping bags and shipping materials are now 100% upcycled. You might receive a jacket you purchased from us in Kate Spade packaging. We're upcycling and a lot of our customers and friends are ready to assist with this decision.

On average, we ship out thirty five packages a month (except over the holiday season and all the way to valentines day when our online orders triple) and if we are doing our normal circuit of pop ups, we have a sale every 1 1/2 -2 minutes. Instead of creating demand for new trees to be cut down so we have enough packaging and bagging material, we've just started collecting from our customers and friends. We're choosing to use what's already available in the community so that we can reduce our waste and especially plastic footprint. This is just one of the ways we are choosing to do our part as an organization. For more, visit this link: "About Us" . 

And we know, it might seem strange that a small business would write about a big business, but we are all winning in this instance. When we all do what we can, we all win. If we were more focused on caring for each other and this beautiful world we share, we'd find there can be enough resources to meet all of mankind's basic needs comfortably. 

Below, are a few pieces from us that include salvaged and upcycled beads/ creations. Others are included because they are eco-friendly. Click on each image to purchase it on Shoptiques and if you need to ask us questions etc message us: +17656060777. And yes, you can meet us to pick up pieces you are interested in. If you don't spot anything for you, please share this blog with a friend that might (sharing is caring). 

So in the future, should you see we've described a bead or finished design as salvaged know that either our suppliers or our team was working to reduce our waste footprint as an organization (contact us to find out how. Yes... we'll go into detail and no, you're not bothering us).

Lastly, we included a video from Ghana highlighting one social entrepreneur that is making bicycles from bamboo and in the process, creating dignified sources of income for others. How are you going to reduce your waste footprint in the remaining months of 2020? Here's the link to the rest of the IKEA story: please feel free to read the rest of the article (it's a 2-5 minute read depending on your reading speed). 

Love yous,
Wishing you HEALTH, safety and enough
The LHo Team (The Empowerment Initiative).  

Reflecting is not a sin.
We wrote this piece from a genuine space and to provoke thought.

Sharing thoughts in a respectful manner can provoke reflection and growth.
So this was written so we can listen, reflect and share with each other.

Listening to each other is not a sin either.  

There will be more pieces written and shared through our platform that promote conversation and growth. 

If we do not speak with each other and/ or ask questions, while connecting as human beings (and allowing each other a listening ear), then nothing changes. 

We also wrote this piece to mark days... otherwise it's all just sunrises and sunsets jumbled together (especially in 2020).

We added various dresses that are still available for purchase online. 
Only dresses though they vary in style (may that provoke thought and conversation too)

Happy Friday 
Stay healthy, safe and open to The Universe
The LHo Team

Scarves are a fashion accessory that can be spotted irrespective of the weather. According to quite a few members of our styling team, there are scarves for cold days and scarves for warmer days. Either way, scarves can be worn all through the year. 

Scarves have a way of adding sophistication, class or a breezy and carefree vibe to your look. As an accessory, they are also versatile because they can be rocked by both men and women alike. They can be spotted around the neck, shoulders, as a head wrap and in this age of Covid-19, as a mask. So, what are all the ways you might be able to wear a scarf? We have the perfect videos thanks to, Wendy's Lookbook and Wabosha Maxine. 

Our selection of scarves is constantly growing. Feel free to click on each picture to shop the design or visit our Shoptiques store. The scarves, like all our pieces, have their individual stories from the various makers that supply us. Enjoy the stories, the entrepreneurial spirit and the designs we have available. More designs coming soon. 
Bisou Bisou 
LHo Team 

So social media can lead to great connections and finds. Via Instagram, we recently bumped into From Coffee to Wine, a podcast produced in Indiana by Jacqueline Martinez. Jacqueline is based in Greenwood, Indiana. I loved that she was "local" (yes, we travel. However, there are certain cities and towns that will ALWAYS be home to us. Indy is one of those places. It was the first state we resided in when we moved to America in 2004).

I also liked the name of her podcast and her hashtag #LetsBeHuman.
I asked her for the top three things she does to stay true to this hashtag and this is what she had to share:

1. Have a "serve first" mentality
2. Listen first. Talk second (if at all)
3. When I do share, I'm very real and go deep quickly
   ​

In 2020, let's spend more time being kind and being human as opposed to making sure we tick all the boxes to impress people we might not necessarily truly care for. Let's spend time with those we value, doing what makes us happy and makes the world a better place. Your mental health will thank you for this. 

I also thought it would be GREAT to feature her because she's holding both a cup and a wine glass. 

I did not know that we could sell as many mugs and wine glasses as we have until the end of 2019 rolled around. We're still shipping out mugs and wine glasses and for that we are grateful. We hope they are serving you well as you go from tea/ coffee to wine and back to tea/ coffee again. To shop any of the mugs or glasses, simply click on the image. 

​We also featured one of her podcasts where she discusses how the podcast was born. Whenever we embark on a project, a lot of us struggle with lining things up in the name of perfection when really, we just need to begin. Listening to her process might inspire you to begin or continue yours (irrespective of whatever it is you are embarking on or moving forward with). Her vulnerability (humanity... #LetsBeHuman) might just birth your strength. 

Cheers
​The LHo Team. 

​​During World War I and World War II, some of the buttons on U.S. military uniforms were carved out of tagua, a durable white nut about the size of a golf ball that grows on a South American palm tree.

The material was cheaper than ceramic or metal, so exporting tagua became a major industry in Colombia and Ecuador beginning around 1900. By the second half of the 20th century, demand halted with the popularization of plastic. Today the material is mostly forgotten in the United States.

Tagua is making a comeback though, this time as a decorative novelty.

While Ecuador now has a burgeoning tagua trade, Colombia's resources are only starting to be retapped. In Bogota, I visited La Tagueria, a factory in the city's gritty industrial zone. Forty employees process about 10 tons of tagua annually into colorful, intricately carved jewelry and decorations.
Tagua, sometimes called "vegetable ivory," is "the only plant product that produces a material this white, durable and pure," says factory owner Alain Misrachi.

Today tagua is more expensive than plastic, but Misrachi says it is a valuable alternative crop that helps preserve the region's tropical forests. The palm grows in the wild at lower elevations across Colombia, so there is no need to start tagua plantations. Locals collect fruit from the forest floor year-round after it falls from the tree, and the seeds are then extracted and dried. 

Our latest designs (earrings) from Colombia are featured in the slideshow above. Each pair of earrings was styled with clothing from our boutique. To shop each design, simply click on the picture. We currently have them on sale. The earrings were sourced from a fellow maker in Florida who hails from Colombia. She, like us, shops directly from traders in her home country. 

What green fashion are you sporting or selling? Tag us!! We'd love to regram and retweet them. We are @LHoCreations on most social media platforms. 

This article was originally penned by Kenneth Fletcher for the Smithsonian. Read the full article through the link below. 
Fletcher, Kenneth. “Colombia Dispatch 8: The Tagua Industry.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 28 Oct. 2008, www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/colombia-dispatch-8-the-tagua-industry-88312416/.

We've been teaching and guest lecturing across the US for almost 15 years now. The constant request we seem to receive is, "How can we remain connected?". There are requests to remain connected to our work and the cultural information we are able to share. We've sort of turned into a cultural resource center, and to be honest, we love it. Thanks to platforms like YouTube, we are able to share playlists, movies and so much more and now we've decided to include these recommendations in our blog posts. 

The songs included are some of our faves right now. 
The clothing can be shopped simply by clicking on the images. 
We hope to share a blog post every week with content and updated merchandise. 

We are honored that our small business is able to facilitate cultural connections. For a long time, we tried to focus on the business angle until we realized, we are the small business that people turn to when they seek cultural connections and this is a great thing. The more connections we generate as human beings, the better this world will be and so we take our work very seriously. Our differences shouldn't divide us. As we celebrate ten years in business, we are looking to celebrate, and embrace, this unexpected element we are now known for.

We will also include curated videos about the continent and other nations, or regions that supply us.  

Updates from the Western portion of the continent. 
What do you think about the proposed Eco?
​Let us know in the comments. 

So these pants caught my eye through our mum. Yes, she's a little fashionista herself (which she got from her mum). 
What a lot of women ask me is, "I don't know if I can pull them off,"
So we had a whole dance video shot to show you that yes, you can. Whether you are dancing like Yvonce, walking in your neighbourhood or on vacaycaycay-hey, you can rock these pants. 
Whether you are curvy or petite, the pants just have a feel good vibe that you can roll with. 
Grab a pair today. 

PS: The latest batch were purchased either at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Moshi or in Nairobi, after our wonderful dana (grandmother) was laid to rest. I bought the pairs from Moshi while travelling East Africa with Kirsten and our mother bought the ones in Nairobi after she laid her mum to rest. 

Happy Shopping. 
The LHo Team.