Be Mine!!!! Help Spread Some LOVE to Ethiopia!

We've had so much fun making and selling bottle cap necklaces and key chains and have been able to raise over $1600 to donate to two awesome organizations in Ethiopia. People have continued to ask us about the necklaces, so we decided to keep spreading the love to Ethiopia.

Most Valentine goodies around my house involve the kids, so we wanted to come up with an organization to help in Ethiopia that provides something special to children.

We have some really cute Valentine's Day designs. The best part...all of the proceeds from these designs will benefit Ethiopia Reads. In case you are not familiar with Ethiopia Reads, they are an amazing organization that brings children's books to kids in Ethiopia. Did you know that before Ethiopia Reads was founded, there were no children's libraries in all of Addis Ababa (not to mention rural communities in Ethiopia)? Keep in mind that Addis is a city of close to three million people! No books for kids????

Please check out Ethiopia Reads and learn more about their programs...a favorite of ours...the donkey carts that bring books to kids in the countryside! Really!!!! Think bookmobile, but much more rural...a donkey is attached to a cart that is full of kids books and they deliver the books to kids in rural Ethiopia! So cool! Check out the video at the bottom of this post to see the donkey mobile in action.

Here is Grace modeling our first design...It is made with a flattened bottle cap for a "fancier" look - perfect for my little diva. It says her name which makes her happy.

This shows Grace's hand petting our (crazy) dog. This is a really cool design, because I can personalize it to say ANY name...this makes me so happy because so many people have beautiful little ones with unique names! I can add an Ethiopian name, nickname, etc. to this design.

We came up with this new bracelet idea. It is the flattened bottle cap attached to a stretchy band with two jump rings. It is really stretchy- one size fits all type of thing. It looks a tiny big on Grace, but she is pretty small.


Here are two of my favorite girls sporting their new necklaces. Our sweet friend Kemily is wearing her new PERSONALIZED necklace. It is so fun to be able to give her a necklace with HER name on it - she is not usually able to find something with her own name on it!

These are the four Valentine's Day designs. Bracelets will only be made with the two pink designs (the stretchy bands are pink). The blue LOVE necklace is made with a traditional, black and sliver bottle cap (a more boyish option for your sweet little guys).

Key Chains are also available with any of the four designs.

All items are only $5 plus $1 shipping...wouldn't these make great Valentines for the little people in your life?

A close up of Kemily's necklace.

Doesn't she look happy?

Please consider ordering Valentine gifts for your little ones and share your love of Ethiopia in the process. I have a friend who is ordering necklaces for each girl in her daughter's class...love it~ these girls will learn more about Ethiopia in the process:) Each item comes packaged in a clear, cellophane bag with an insert explaining that all of the proceeds will help provide children in Ethiopia with books.

I am going to have a giveaway very soon to spread the word about these items and to help Ethiopia Reads...check back tomorrow for more info!

Please check out this video and see some of the beautiful children in Ethiopia enjoying books!
(be sure to pause the music at the bottom of the blog before you watch the video)