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735 Herndon Avenue
Orlando, FL 327972

407-308-0358

Market Colors is an online store and nonprofit organization. Our team collaborates with craftsmen in Africa and India to create handmade products that will sell well throughout the world. We exist to equip African men and women with a sustainable income, generated through the sale of their products.

Filtering by Category: Our Favorite Things

Our Favorite Things (May '13)

Lizzie Wirgau

by Lizzie Wirgau May Day. College Graduations. Cinco de Mayo. Mother's Day. Memorial Day. And, best of all, it's the time when it starts to feel like summer is upon us! Even though I've been out of college for a little while (2 years this week!) I still think in "semesters" and I know that nothing beats summer. Now, I realize that technically, summer doesn't begin until June 22nd. But with the summer heat already blazing in Orlando - a high of 90 degrees this week - it seems only appropriate we begin celebrating a little early.

We're gearing up for a LOT of things this summer: - Our new crew of interns starts up next Tuesday. - We will be selling tons of new products (did someone say leather?) - These products will be from our current partners as well as our new craftsmen communities in Namibia and Uganda. - We will be having a benefit show on June 7th at Summit Church. - We'll be taking a documentary trip to Africa late this summer.

What an exciting time of preparation. I love May!

So now we bring you the May Favorites from the Market Colors team

 

1. I Won’t Watch “Stop Watching, Start Doing” is the mission of I Won’t Watch. This team gives us all a way to stop sitting back and watching the hurting world around us but to actually do something about it. When you buy a watch, up to $15 goes toward funding projects that improve poverty conditions in a specific part of the world. Not only is I Won’t Watch doing incredible work, but their watches are comfortable, bold, and a great conversation starter. Ah, how we love it when practicality and activism meet.

2. Anthropologie – Capri Blue Volcano Candle Half the year, my team and I burn a variety of festive, holiday candles at the office, scented with everything from pumpkin spice to evergreen. But for the other 6 months (Yes, I know it’s odd that we celebrate Christmas for 6 months, but who can blame us?) we burn the greatest scent known to man… the volcano candle by Anthropologie. Not only does this candle smell magnificent, but it also burns for hours. You know how the scent of some candles fades after they’ve been burning for a while? Not this one. It’s on the pricier side for candles (The smallest size is $14) but it is well worth it. This candle lights up our (office) life!

3. Falling Whistles In my first year of college, I heard the story of the boys in Congo who were sent to the front lines of war, armed with just a whistle. Falling Whistles was created to make their weapon your voice… to become a “Whistle-Blower” for peace. The end goal is peace in Congo. They’ve been able to invest in eight Congolese visionaries that are rebuilding their communities to bring peace to Congo. On the FW site, there are a variety of whistles you can chose from to show your support for this excellent organization and to stand for peace in Congo.

4. Quinoa Salad Say goodbye to your traditional egg salad at family BBQs. This light, filling, and delicious mix will revolutionize your take on salads. Discovered by my sweet mom in Michigan, this healthy recipe is a staple whenever I come home. Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is becoming increasingly popular as it is a healthy seed, not a grain, incredibly tasty and easy to cook. Whip up this delicious salad that tastes like summer and sunshine. Click here for the recipe: Quinoa Salad.

5. Walnut Animal Society Who says stuffed animals have to be for kids? Walnut Animal Society is a collection of stuffed animals that are both thoughtfully designed and masterfully crafted by hand. Founded by Orlando’s own Lauren Bradshaw, Walnut Animal Society is gaining popularity as these little buddies are so great to hug and ideal to display. From Henry the Fox to Eleanor the Bear, each animal is unique and beautiful… and they come with their own clothes! Miniature animals, petite clothes, and timeless creations? Now you can see why we’re in love with Walnut Animal Society. 

6. Rhodia Pad “Big ideas need big spaces.” A friend once told me this when he showed me his Rhodia pad. As a creative with a million thoughts a minute, this notepad helps me get it all out while still feeling organized. Find it online or in a handful of art stores and let the creativity flow!

7. Credo Coffee – Medium Roast Guatemalan Coffee Downtown Credo holds a special place in my heart, as I really consider it one of the places where Market Colors was formed. It’s a nonprofit coffee house where you name your own price for everything you purchase. Part of their great mission is “I press through narcissism, isolation and self-sufficiency, striving to live in authentic community.” If you’re an Orlando native and have never been to Downtown Credo, pencil in a visit immediately. If you’re out of town but believe in their mission and want to try their great Guatemalan coffee, you can now purchase beans online.

8. Market Colors – Foldover Bag Sometimes our selections feel like a bit of a gamble, so we’ll just order a few of them to see how well they sell. Within a week, I had to reorder more of these bad boys! They’re handmade in Kenya by a group of amazing refugee women. It might be the unique colors: burnt orange and distressed blue. Or maybe it’s the gigantasaurusness of this bag, how it fits everything you need and then even more. Either way, this bag has quickly become a fan favorite and we are so excited to support our craftsmen through its sales.

Join us next month for our June Favorite Things!

Our Favorite Things (April '13)

Lizzie Wirgau

by Robyn Batts Spring has sprung! Well, sort of. Here in Orlando, the weather has been so back and forth that it’s hard to keep up with what season we’re in. But here inside the Market Colors office, it’s definitely spring!

March was filled with exciting things for us. We reached our first fundraising goal within the first 10 days of our campaign and saw our second goal reached soon afterward. It was a busy month, but it showed us that God is at work and is using so many of you to help bring hope to African craftsmen. We are incredibly thankful for each and every person’s support and prayers.

Now that March is over, it’s time to head into April and we’re bringing you some of our favorites to help you usher in springtime. So here are some of our (and hopefully soon to be your) favorite things to enjoy during April!

1. Monarch Playing Cards - Cloak & Dapper A new site designed as a modern American general store, Cloak & Dapper provides high quality men’s apparel, grooming and provisions. This classy deck is just one of the quality products offered on the site. Make game night even snazzier with these gold foil accented cards!

2. Hustlin’ Coffee Mug - Ashley Brooke Designs Ashley is our good friend and a member of our Product Development team. As a custom illustrator, she is unbelievably talented. Her site is full of custom illustration ideas, as well as cute and quirky stationery and other giftables. Our team is very inspired by Ashley's incredibly current and interesting blog. Although it’s hard to pick, this mug is one of our favorite ABD products at the moment.

3. Follow the Leader Baby Mobile - Market Colors Aren’t these little hand-stitched elephants the cutest? Our first baby product in the store, this mobile is handmade in Kenya by a group of refugee women. The proceeds provide them sustainability. What could be sweeter? And we hear the babies love them too!

4. Massa Peccati - Hoyle We are honored to announce that our friends in Hoyle have released their first album, and it is incredible! Several of us were able to attend their album release show and it was such a blast. You can check them out on facebook.com/hoylemusic or purchase their album on iTunes.

5. Cajun Shrimp - O.P.I. One of my favorite things about spring is the array of fun nail colors that are available! I tend to play it safe with pastels and neutrals, but am slowly coming out of my shell. Lizzie has been wearing this color recently and it’s so pretty. It’s vibrant, but has a pretty coral tone that makes it perfect for any outfit. I’ll definitely be sporting it soon!

6. Sevenly There are so many causes out there to support, so how can you have a hand in helping multiple? Sevenly has found a way! Each week, this organization designs a collection of awesome shirts to benefit a specific cause. As Sevenly partners with these organizations, they are not only helping to raise funds during the week, but are also raising immeasurable awareness.

7. Kinfolk Magazine The older I get, the more excited I get about entertaining and sharing meals with friends. It is so fun to see all the details of a special celebration or relaxing evening come together to create a memorable time with people you cherish. Kinfolk is a quarterly publication that focuses on lovely, simple ways to bring people together. Filled with beautiful photos, delicious recipes, and stories of finding home and comfort wherever you may be, each volume is a collection of work from contributors all over the world. One of my favorite things now is cozying up on the couch with a cup of tea and perusing the pages of the latest Kinfolk.

Join us next month for more favorites! 

Our Favorite Things (March '13)

Lizzie Wirgau

by Robyn Batts Okay, is it just me, or did February fly by? I know it’s a shorter month than the rest, but not by that much! Regardless, it has been an exciting, jam-packed one for us at Market Colors. In addition to rearranging and transforming part of our office space, planning some exciting events for 2013, and introducing several fantastic new products to the store, we just launched our “For the Next Craftsmen” campaign to raise funds for reaching even more craftsmen groups this year! Plenty is in store for the upcoming months, but it’s time once again to bring you our favorites!

We now present to you our March Favorites.

 

1. KENSINGTON GARDENS - ANTHROPOLOGIE 

The newest addition to my dresser, this floral scent lives inside a precious rectangular bottle complete with a vintage style bulb sprayer. At only $32, it makes a wonderful gift or the perfect new fragrance for your collection!

 

2. BRONZE PENDANT CLUTCH - MARKET COLORS

Our all-time, most popular Market Colors product is now available in three colors and is just as cute as ever! As much as we love this clutch, we especially love that proceeds go back to the Kenyan craftsmen that made it.

 

3. MAPLE ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS - SAY YES TO HOBOKEN (BLOG)

Brussels sprouts. The vegetable that you have vowed to hate since that dreadful day you were forced to eat them as a 5-year-old. Not anymore! Let me tell you, this recipe will have you wanting them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The sweet maple flavor and the saltiness of the crispy pancetta over the charred brussels is unbelievable!

 

4. KNOTTED JERSEY KNIT HEADBANDS - THE PINK RUFFLE

I stumbled across this sweet baby headband (also available in adult sizes) and immediately wanted to buy one for every baby I know. How cute is it?! We are also quite proud to introduce our first-ever Market Colors baby product this month, so keep checking the store!

 

5. PUNJAMMIES - THE INTERNATIONAL PRINCESS PROJECT

Comfy, cute and serving a purpose! These gorgeous jammies are created by women of the International Princess Project—a program that works with victims of sex trafficking to help restore their dignity and self-reliance. We were drawn to the fun, Indian-inspired fabrics, and love that proceeds are helping to transform women’s lives.

 

6. DARK CHOCOLATE NIBS - TRADER JOE'S This is it, guys. My perpetual sweet tooth has found its soul mate, and its name is the dark chocolate nib. I first tried these one-calorie (can you believe it?!) treats when I visited a friend in Nevada a few months ago and became obsessed. Unfortunately, we do not have Trader Joe’s here in Orlando, but Lizzie has been so sweet to make several nibs deliveries to me after her visits to Michigan, and they have kept me going.

 

7. INDIEGOGO.COM

Have you had a chance to check out our video and March fund-raising campaign, For the Next Craftsmen? It’s made possible through a site that has been so helpful for us over the past year! Indiegogo provides people with the opportunity to create their own online fundraising event and shows the progress that has been made toward the end goal. Please watch our new video and see what perk interests you!

 

8. COLD TANGERINES BY SHAUNA NIEQUIST

Just thinking about this book puts me in a better mood. A favorite of Lizzie's, Cold Tangerines is a collections of stories about how our small, everyday moments and choices have a big impact. With stories about God, traveling, fear, self-discovery, marriage, and more, this book is incredibly challenging and eyeopening.

 

Join us next month for more favorites!

 

Our Favorite Things (February '13)

Lizzie Wirgau

by Robyn Batts It’s hard to believe, but February is already upon us. Christmas has come and gone, 2013 has commenced and the groundhog saw no shadow, signifying an early start to spring! A lot has happened already this year and we can’t wait to see where the next eleven months will take us. As Market Colors grows, we realize there are a lot of things that make us tick here -- things we enjoy, are inspired by and, okay… LOTS of snacks we love to munch on.

We thought it would be fun to give you a glimpse inside the world of Market Colors by showing off some of the products, organizations, and other things that we love the most. So, we’ve decided to start bringing you -- drumroll please -- our monthly Market Colors Favorites! Our hope is to connect you with interests we share and hopefully introduce you to new things you might want to try.

We now present to you our February Favorites.

1. FLORAL HEART CARD - Rifle Paper Co. We are huge fans of Rifle Paper Co. They're based in Winter Park, just 10 minutes from our office! Here's just one sample of a card that's simple, beautiful and a cute way to send a note to someone you love.

2. FOREST CABLE SCARF - Market Colors Okay, so this one is ours, but we just can’t help it! We love the fun tribal accents, extra long length, and of course, the fact that proceeds go back to equipping the wonderful group of Ethiopian men and women who made it with sustainable jobs.

3. NEED I SORBET MORE BOWL SET - Modcloth In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we stumbled upon these adorable ceramic bowls and fell in love. They are the perfect size for ice cream or trail mix. They'd even work great as holders for bobby pins or coins on your dresser or desk!

4. OLD PINE - Ben Howard Do you have a song? You know, that one song that no matter where you are or what’s going on, when you hear it you are instantly transported to the top of the world and are capable of conquering any feat? Here's that song for our founder, Lizzie: "I used to spend hours in Starbucks writing and re-writing the business plan for Market Colors with this song on repeat. Whenever I hear it, I'm reminded of those days before we were an actual organization."

5. BOOM CHICKA POP POPCORN (lightly sweetened) - Angie’s Popcorn When 2:00 rolls around, we’re usually ready for something sweet in the office. We recently discovered this all-natural tasty snack and cannot get over its perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness. It boasts a long list of wonderful qualities including vegan, gluten free, kosher, cholesterol free, and the sweetest of all…fair trade!

6. WARBY PARKER This awesome organization offers quality stylish prescription glasses and sunglasses at an affordable price. And even better -- with every purchase a pair of glasses is donated to someone in need.

7. VINE APP Our new favorite app, brought to you by the creators of Twitter, allows users to record and share creative 6-second videos. It’s a fun way to share tidbits of life with friends, and it's incredibly easy to use. Set up an account and follow us!

We hope you'll check out all of the Market Colors February Favorites, let us know what you think, and watch for our March Favorites next month!