Think Global, Shop Local
Like many Texans across the state, our family has spent the past two days grounded. School cancelled, roads closed, we spent a lot of time running through all the toys and games and eventually ended on the playful homework calendar still unfinished from December. I smiled when Leila picked this square, “Make a list of ten things in your house that are made in other countries.”
“We have so many!” I beamed. Of course, the Persian carpets around the house, or the intricate khatam clock, and the plate painted in vibrant blues that hangs in our kitchen handcrafted in the city of Esfahan. There are the plethora of hand-woven baskets, along with the unique geometric black and white painting resourcefully and amazingly created from cow dung that we brought home after our year living in Kigali. Between our dining room windows hang two small wooden plaques, one from Croatia, another from Vietnam, gifted to us by friends and family. In my closet is the leather coat with intricate stitching purchased in Iran, the timeless skirt and tops bought during the sale season in France, and the brass bracelet handcrafted by Rose + Fitzgerald’s talented artisans in Uganda.
Our home is full of new favorites from the store like the beautiful leather Moroccan pouf. The playful décor from Nobodinoz, made in Barcelona, has found a home in the nursery, and I cannot wait for the custom made 3-door vitrine from Europe2You, to finally arrive. Each week I fill our Higuerilla wooden bowl, handcrafted in Peru with fruit and veggies grown in and around Houston.
When we buy for the store, the global inspiration is both innate and intentional. We have explored both as ex-pats and travelers alike. In our collective treks across North and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, East Africa, the Middle East, and Australia we have yet to find a spot on the globe not bursting with beauty. It fills us with pleasure and pride to curate goods from around the world. We cannot all go everywhere, but we love to bring a taste of the artistry and exquisiteness of countries, near and far, to our shop in the middle of Texas.