Looking for a "Going Green" Blessing?

Yesterday, I visited a local Whole Foods and found myself inexplicably drawn to a display in the produce section. It wasn’t an impressive tower of red tomatoes or wild pile of fresh corn, it was a collection of baskets.

Orange is my favorite color and I walked right up to an orange basket. Something about its artistry spoke to me, and it had an energy I liked. Then I read its tag . . . and put it in my cart.

It’s a “Blessing Basket,” a handmade piece of utilitarian art by woman in Uganda. And the women actually sign a card that comes with the basket: Kasagga and Prossy made my basket.

Their story is as lovely as their art form.

According to their site, “The Blessing Basket Project exists to reduce poverty by providing sustainable jobs that pay prosperity wages. When you buy a Blessing Basket, you bring hope to the weaver who made the basket. Each basket sold is a life changed. Every basket is signed by the artist who made it and comes tagged with the story of their struggle. Those tags are assembled in the United States by adults with disabilities. Depending on the size and style, prices for one of these incredible works of art range from $20 - $55.”

I hope you bless your home—and the homes of your friends and family members—with a Blessing Basket.

Question of the blog: Does going green influence the way you decorate?