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The Tip is 'Don't procrastinate' For years I've been buying ink jet cartridges from a big box office supply store. These cartridges were made overseas and labeled with the well-known brand of a large American printer company. One I remembered a local store that advertised quality cartridges. I had traveled by this local store hundreds of times but never stopped. This time I stopped at the local store. To my surprise I discovered that they carried the cartridge I needed and it was a Made in USA cartridge. Made in Chicago, to be precise, and it was half the price of the imported ones I had been buying for years. The quality is exceptional and they last longer too. Who knew? After that experience, I make a point to stop at every store I can. By doing so, I've been finding more and more Made in America products. Occasionally the clerks don't know the country of origin; this can be discouraging but finding the origin information yourself isn't difficult I've come to realize. Believe it not, there are actually a number of computers made in the US including laptops made in the USA. When the label is not visibly displayed I use the other Made in America buying tips to help me find Made in US. If the store doesn't carry what you are looking for, use Made in America Secrets to find it and tell the manager about your experience at their store. If enough people are asking for Made in America products stores will begin to carry them. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Sweetgrass From Souks to Recycled Soda Bottles ? Passion in the Making When Sweetgrass founder Paige Morse took her first trip abroad in the early 1990s, she never expected it to lead to a career in fashion design. But in the souks ? or markets ? of Morocco, Egypt and Turkey, she fell in love with textiles and color, patterns and hue. A creative fire was sparked. When she returned to the United States, she started sewing. Her first creations were fleece hats and scarves made from recycled soda bottles. Family and friends were the lucky recipients of her initial designs, once dubbed something Peter Pan would have worn if only Neverland had been a little colder. New discoveries followed when she moved to Boulder, Colorado. At a local handcrafters' co-op, she met hemp activists who educated her on the many benefits of industrial hemp. She also learned firsthand the importance of local economies and how they form the basis of thriving communities. Here she was able to refine garment fit and design, and also formulate a vision for how to sustain herself, her community and the planet while doing something she loved. On a trip to Thailand in 1995, Paige discovered the source of hemp fabric she had first seen in Boulder. She met Laotian women who had traveled for days to sell their rolls of hand-woven, hand-batiked fabric, and she came home with three oversized duffle bags stuffed with cloth. But more importantly, she returned with the conviction to create a clothing company that integrated her love of fashion with her beliefs about sustainable living. Today, located in southern Oregon between the Cascade and Siskiyou mountains, Sweetgrass has grown into a premier eco-fashion company. Please explore our site and learn more about our Design Philosophy, Environmental Ethic and Business Ethic. Browse our latest line of clothing. |
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