Global Green USA: Our Spotlight For January

What a crazy beginning to this year. Good things and sad news things and all I can think of to do is put one foot in front of the other and work to make things better every day.  Spreading messages of hope and sharing whatever I learn with others brings a yin to the loud yang of the news, helping to feel like we can still make a difference.  Like I can make a difference.

So far in 2011, we've had private showings in Los Angeles, Maui, New York and D.C. for the pieces being auctioned to benefit Global Green for the month of January.  Global Green USA (www.globalgreen.org) is the only national environmental non-profit headquartered in Southern California with offices in New Orleans, Washington DC, and New York, and is one of over 31 national GCI affiliates throughout the world to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future by reconnecting humanity with the environment.

We look forward to your continued suggestions of causes we should spotlight in the future, and communities that you would like to see carry Missing Links.

Traveling around, it is so clear that everywhere I go we are universally sharing the need for Peace, calling out to an end to senseless violence.  Yes, I'm a peacenik.  It's more important than ever to speak loudly these days about your beliefs, your hopes for change.  Or at the very least, incorporate your beliefs into the way you choose to make money.  Right?

Well, it turns out, without really meaning to do so, I've been collecting things.  In my desire to learn about what kind of good is already being done in the world, I collected stories, shopping adventures, jars, and containers, and tools and books.   Wherever I went, I always managed to make time to dash away and discover whatever vintage jewelry shop or local beadery might be open. 

I made a hobby out of working with semi-precious stones (since 2003 actually), and started sitting with artists and beaders from Holland to Hawaii, studying color choice and adding bags of brightly colored beautiful bits to my collection.  Gathering seed beads, hammered silver, items of pewter, beach glass and gems that make me just blush, like Garnets and Citrine.  My first teacher started out the first class by saying, "Never go shopping for beads unless you have a lot of time, and a lot of money."  Lucky for me, I had both.  And I'll go more than a few extra miles to find that intimate item I can add to our collection of odds and ends, ribbons and starfish, dreams and causes. Often pleasantly surprised that the walk itself swept me into adventures I would never have had otherwise.  But those stories are for another time.

When I moved to D.C., I decided to round up all the different hiding places I had filled with my sparkly divalicously decadent loot.  Now, surrounded by rainbows of carvings and facets, I have to say, I could open a bead store myself and probably not run out of stock for years.  ;-)

I believe in working with sustainable materials, stones I've carried around with me as I go, adding to my jars and baskets, bowls and boxes of stones, pearls, glass beads and art beads and Czech glass, and silver lined beads, and blown glass pieces, items made from discarded elk horn, just amazing how the wide range of colors and textures grew and grew.  It's from these elements and intentions that all of our Missing Links items are born and seeing the response from all of you is so very encouraging. 

Our next private showing (snow or shine) will be Wednesday, January 12, 2011 in Baltimore, MD.  To receive an exclusive invitation, or even if you are unable to attend, please "like" our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MissingLinksFound

and visit our blog frequently at:
MissingLinksFound.blogspot.com

Happy New Year & eBay auction

Happy New Year to you and yours! May 2011 bring health, wealth and happiness.

For those of you who I haven't spoken to in forever, I've moved to Washington D.C. to produce Shepard Fairey's VOTE FOR CHANGE Redux. It's been exciting and worthwhile work, juxtaposing all these incredible clips of celebs sharing what their hopes for change were back in 2008 against what we've accomplished so far. With so much Change manifesting at the end of 2010, I am approaching the 2 years ahead of us with relish!

November 3rd a great deal changed with the passing of my animal companion of 16 years, Baroness Jadzia Dax of McFarland, who most of you knew as Dax. In her later days, I took to making her glamorous necklaces to wear when she would gad about town. Little purse dogs all over were visited by Pretty Paws Presents and adorned with one-of-a-kind fashion jewelry made from world traveled semi-precious stones and they were pitched as perfect accessories for the "Fashion Hound" in your life. They were elegant and she would get compliments all the time, leading to commission pieces and word of mouth orders.

That was just a couple months ago now and so many beautiful cards and thoughtful sentiments have come from all directions from those who remembered my gorgeous furchild. Dax had traveled everywhere, been backstage at The Lion King on Broadway, loved going to the theatre, lived in Maui, drove cross country, and was such a personality she received her own invitations to parties. The very loved and very famous Baroness Jadzia Dax has been memorialized by contributions from friends to veterinary schools, various animal charities, and the Humane Society.

December came, I turned 46 smashing all champagne records with really good old chums and lifelong pals in Manhattan, NY, and made all sorts of resolutions to start machining my intentions into action items of activism moving forward.  To that end, in lieu of any other gifts and donations, I would like to focus your support on my newest philanthropic venture in both mine and Dax's names:

Missing Links 

Missing Links, a Limited Edition line from Lindo Exclusive, was created to combine art with philanthropy and sustainability. 25% of each and every sale from the our first January collection, the "She Sells Seashells By The Seashore" Exhibit, goes to the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Global Green USA, supported by some of our favorite celebrities, including Sheryl Crow, Leonardo DiCaprio, Rosario Dawson, Heather Graham, Rosie Perez and Maria Menounos.

Each month, we are proud to spotlight a DIFFERENT charity and focus awareness to raise funds through wearable art. Each piece inspires and evokes dialogue about the regions and histories of these semiprecious stones. Whether a gift for you, or someone you care about, your purchase lets you feel good about being fashion forward while making the world a more beautiful place.

So, my friends old and new, if you are feeling generous and looking for a perfect sentimental, heirloom gift, you can bid for these one-of-a-kind wearable pieces of art, handcrafted by yours truly, on eBay NOW at http://cgi.ebay.com/Lisa-Lindos-Missing-Links-Pearl-4-Strand-Necklace-444-/270687169602?pt=Handcrafted_Artisan_Jewelry&hash=item3f06366c42: 

Missing Links eBay charity auction

Keyword search: Lisa Lindo Missing Links

Please feel free to email me personally at missinglinksfound@gmail.com to commission a custom piece, recommend a philanthropic cause close to your own heart, or to volunteer some good old-fashioned spin-doctoring to help put Missing Links on the top tastemaking trends of 2011!

Other ways that you can show your support that won't cost you a thing:

*Follow our blog -- www.missinglinksfound.blogspot.com

*Follow us on twitter -- http://twitter.com/MyMissingLinks

*"Like" our Facebook Fan Page -- http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Missing-Links-Found/117607254975937

*Or Tell A Friend... ;-) -- (you could always hit forward on this email... ;-)...)

Lisa Lindo

Former National Administrator for USACAN

Producer: Shepard Fairey's VOTE FOR CHANGE Redux

http://www.MissingLinksFound.com

Linking Art to Philanthropy & Sustainability