Eva, a Kongoni (hartebeest), showed up in camp yesterday evening and literally moved right in.  She came into my office just now and began to eat paper and all sorts of things.  When she discovered the Zulugrass hanging on a T-stand she really  went to town.  She knocked over the display and then casually walked out as if she wasn’t to blame.

She is the most amazing animal we have ever known. It is as though she was raised from birth among people.   She is in here with me as I write this, a huge presence in my tent.   I call her and she follows me like a dog. If I walk away too quickly, she comes running after me to catch up.

I hope you will check back for more of Eva’s adventures at Camp Leakey.

Inspiration happens in our lives during the most unpredictable times. It happened to Jenny Kerchner when she  entered the Denver Museum  of Nature & Science last summer to see the Body Works Exhibit.  During her visit she combed through the store at the Museum when her eyes came across the beautiful display of  jewelry by The Leakey Collection. She was intrigued by the beautiful colors and the story behind the  jewelry.  She purchased a strand of  beautiful Zulugrass, went out to the car and started thinking about how cool this would be to bring Zulugrass to the Alternative Gift Fair which promotes “Gifts of the World that Give Back to the World”  at the Broadmoor Community Church in Colorado Springs.   She quickly ran  back into the Museum to buy more, and when she arrived back home, she went to the website to look for a contact. That is when she reached out to  Susan Barton, a sales team member of The Leakey Collection.  Susan loved  Jenny’s idea and collectively, they started the wheels in motion to make Jenny’s idea happen.

Jenny took her profits of $800  and donated them to the Beads for Learning program of  T.R.A.D.E., a non-profit organization founded by Katy and Philip Leakey, which provides funding for schools,  teacher’s salaries, women’s health initiatives, and work opportunities for women in East Africa. It was so successful that she wanted to do it again this year.

Inspired by Jenny, we asked her to share her experience with us, “What stood out to me most is how interested and fascinated people are with the beauty of the beads; their origin, ingredients and aura. One of my customers visiting the booth was admiring the jewelry. I told her the story and options as she shopped for a while. Then out of the blue she said I want you to build the same ensemble you are wearing.  I want that! (I had on eight 27” strands with a bead clasp holding them in the back so they were doubled to the front in purples/plums/Beads for Learning blended colors).

It amazes me every time I realize how intensely attracted people are to Zulugrass. You would think I would know this by now, yet over and over again it filters into an interaction with a customer,  and you can just feel this mesmerizing addiction building in them. It is such a rewarding product to sell.”

Besides being an inspiration to us, we also found out that Jenny has a love for wild equine (especially zebras) and a history of working around them. She is one of Mr. Flops! greatest fans and is always looking for updates from the bush about his latest adventures. Perhaps a guest post in the making?

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we pause to reflect on our blessings and reasons for gratitude. You are one of those reasons! So we’d like to offer you a way to express your gratitude to someone in your life with a *free* Zulugrass strand.

For every order you place over $50 (excluding s&h) through November 28th at www.leakeycollection.com, we’ll send a free strand to your special someone with a PERSONALIZED note saying “I am so thankful that you are in my life!”  At check-out, make sure the box  Do you want to add a gift message? is checked. Then add your friend’s name and address in the box. We will send that person a Zulugrass strand beautifully packaged.

As author William A. Ward said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” Now you can do both!

*Color of the Zulugrass strand will be chosen by The Leakey Collection

susquehannaStyle magazine featured one of our  wonderful partners, Kimmans Gifts  and their products for the holidays. Featured in the section of eco-friendly finds is our beautiful Zulugrass.

You can always find a beautiful array of Zulugrass in their store complimented by their wonderful  personalized service.

It is amazing how diverse and wonderful our customer base is. One would expect to find Zulugrass at eco-friendly stores, those that advocate fair trade, and at select gift stores across the U.S., but you might be surprised about this month’s featured shop. Outdoor Experience , in Sandpoint Idaho, is an extraordinary place to find everything you need for an active, outdoor lifestyle. In addition to kayaks and hiking gear, Zulugrass single strands have been one of their staples for the past 5 years. Last month, thanks to the efforts of Outdoor Experience, The Leakey Collection sponsored the Scenic Half Marathon. This opportunity gave me the chance to catch up with Kevin Nye, one of the store’s owners.

Zulukris: Tell me about your store.

Kevin:  We are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year. Our product mix is diverse with approximately 50% of our inventory in sportswear/outerwear and the other 50% in hard goods like cycling, kayaking, backpacking and cross country skis.

Zulukris: Congratulations on your 25 years!! You obviously have found the secret for success and we’re glad it includes The Leakey Collection.  You have been carrying Zulugrass for over five years now.  What was it initially that attracted you to the product?

Kevin: The colors!  We were looking for  simple new accessory items to add to our product mix that generally fit in with the active lifestyle pieces we sell.  Zulugrass has proven to be a consistently good seller for us.

Zulukris: What do you attribute to its success?

Kevin: A consistent inventory and a well stocked display of 200-300 pieces.  It sells well to all age groups, it’s reasonably priced, and our customers always come back for more.

Zulukris:    You were very involved in the Scenic Half Marathon    which used Zulugrass for the winners.  Tell us a little more about the race  and the response to the prizes.

Kevin: What made Zulugrass so perfect for the race is that over 75% of the participants are women. It seemed, and proved to be, a great fit for the event.

Scenic Half Marthon winner & coach

We want to thank Kevin and Marc  for making a difference in their  community by supporting healthy events.  Even though they didn’t know that October is Fair Trade Month, they are endorsing the guidelines of fair trade every day through their support of The Leakey Collection. Thank you Outdoor Experience!

One of our partners is promoting Fair Trade and will be holding a spectacular event Saturday, October 15th, and we love to spread the good work that our partners do.

Compleat Gourmet & Gifts has been around for 27 years.  Joan and Barb most recently passed the ownership and baton to Connie Stevenson, who introduced  Rwanda baskets to sell in their stores.  Connie believes that we can all “Shop To Make A Difference” by supporting USA made and global fair trade products. We agree!

October is Fair Trade Month, and the store will hold  their Fair Trade Event Saturday, October 15th.  Connie will be introducing a wide array of products from around the world including our beautiful Zulugrass.

Compleat Gourmet & Gifts Location

7592 S. University Blvd.

Centennial, CO • 303-290-9222

If you haven’t checked them out, Style Substance and Soul wrote a fabulous story on The Leakey Collection and the Amazing Women of Kenya back in August. We loved the way they told the stories  of  two Maasai women whose lives have been changed because of the work opportunities Katy & Philip have created.

Once again, these three best friends who have created an online gathering of women who strive to look good, feel good and do good have wrote a guest post on The Budget Fashionista on accessories that are good for your soul. Check it out!!

We are so excited that our  Kuponya bracelet was featured in People StyleWatch as the hand-selected piece by Holly Robinson Peete to benefit breast cancer awareness for OpenSky.com.

OpenSky is a place where you can connect with the brightest stars in food, healthy living, style and design. First, select your own team of celebrity curators and experts. They’ll be your personal shoppers and hand-pick the best products in food, design, health and style—just for you.

You can read the entire article here

Katy & Philip Leakey were keynote speakers at the  ITC’s World Export Development Forum in Montreux, Switzerland a few years ago.  WEDF  is one of the most influential global forums on trade and export issues for developing countries and  is organized every year by the Geneva-based International Trade Centre (ITC).

Here is a clip of an interview with Katy that took place at that event, talking about Fair Trade.

To find out more on Fair Trade practices visit the Fair Trade Federation.

Don’t Miss This 24 Hour Sale!

In honor of Fair Trade Month, each week in October, we will offer very special pricing & *free shipping * on one product.  This discount will last for 24 hours or until it’s sold out.  We’ll send you an e-mail each week with a link to that item.

We’re kicking off the promotion the first week with the Autumn Yellow Maasai Inspired Long Twist Necklaces for only $9.95 – that’s 67% off the retail price!  This week’s sale will begin 11:00 a.m. Thursday October 6 and end Friday, October 7 at 11:00 a.m.

So show your support for Fair Trade and take advantage of this deal. Keep your eyes open  for next week’s discount!

*Free shipping applies only to featured product.