Excitement. That's what I'm feeling.

Because I'm about to order a pair of these beauties.  Enjoy their lovliness.  Enjoy.



But it's not just their awesomeness that caught my attention it's the story behind them.  I'll just let you read the story for yourself:

If you happen to find yourself in Kampala, Uganda, make your way to the Old Taxi Park. From there, grab a taxi van to Matuga. Jump off at the end of the line, and hop on a boda boda to the Cornerstone Leadership Academy. After a (bumpy) ride along a dirt road, you will find yourself in the company of some of the most intelligent and committed young women in Uganda. These women are graduates of the Cornerstone Leadership Academy and employees of Sseko Designs.

Sseko \say-ko\ Designs was created to help these bright young women continue their education. The Ugandan school system is designed with a nine month gap between secondary school and university. These nine months are intended to allow time for students to earn money for tuition before continuing on to university. However, in an impoverished and male dominated society, many of these young women struggle to find fair work during this time.

Sseko Designs hires recent secondary school graduates for this nine month period to live and work together, while earning money that will go directly towards their university education. These women will not make sandals forever. They will go on to be doctors, lawyers, politicians, writers and teachers that will bring change and unification to a country divided and ravished by a 22 year-long war.

Sseko Designs is a not-just-for-profit enterprise that recognizes the power of business and responsible consumerism to support sustainable economic development, which in turn affects a country's educational, justice, and health care systems. The goal of Sseko Designs is two-fold: provide university tuition for these promising young women through a sustainable monthly income, while also contributing to the overall economic development of Uganda.

Although consumerism makes many empty promises, responsible and proactive consumerism has the ability to change lives. Like the lives of Mercy, Mary and Rebbecca.

Every sandal has a story. This story has only just begun, but with your help, it will be a story of hope, success and change.  (Copied from the Sseko Designs website)

I love it.  I love supporting these women in their efforts to become something more than the normal.  So, although I don't normally buy forty dollar sandals, I'm going to this time.  That's that much more towards the education of a doctor who may save someone's life, towards the education that may make a difference in the lives of hundreds.  You want to as well?  Go here.

Life is Crazy

Yeah... Have you seen the date of my last post?  I just barely did.  That just proves that life is CUH-RAY-ZEE.  CRAZY.

Well, besides that...  I just got back from sunny California.  Boy, oh boy did I love that place.  OH, you want to see some pictures?  Okay.

This is me and my best buddy Dale.  Not to be confused with Chip.

I am just SOOO excited.  Or crazy.  You choose.

Our neighbors went with us to Disneyland.  So to answer your question, no I do not take pictures of any random children at joyful places.  That would be creepy.

Some cool tiki heads, or masks, whatever you would like to call them.  I was bored while a few members of our party were relieving themselves, if you know what I mean... :)

Even the trash cans are cool at the Happiest Place on Earth.  (And yes, I did take a picture of each different type of trash can they had.  This was not the only one.)

This is where I get ALL of my Magic Carpets, brass and silk.  Or brass silk.  That's what I thought it was the first time I saw the sign.  What would that even be????

And who can forget the Disneyland main train station???  Not me!  It's so pretty...

Lastly, an image from the beach.  Sorry about the horrible quality, but there were a lot of weird people standing close to the sign, this was as close as I dared to get (and I was on the closest zoom my camera had.)  I just thought it was a funny sign.

Well, that's just about it.  Except for I have a few videos which I cannot figure out how to upload.

Does anyone know how to upload videos on the new blogger layout?  I cannot for the life of me figure out.

Well, Toodles!  And here's to hoping I'll blog more in the future!