Ahem. Pardon me whilst I climb onto my soap box.

Today’s topic is brought to you from a place I like to call I-can’t-believe-they-get-away-with-that! Yesterday, while perusing a popular online retailer for hipsters (I like to stay on top of what the cool kids are doing – I am mom to a teenager), I decided to take a gander at the jewelry department and almost had a heart attack. I make jewelry. I know what’s involved. I have a pretty good idea of what the cost of materials and labor probably work out to be. By my calculations, the entire jewelry department was overpriced by about 1000% and I’m being conservative. With less than $10 in materials and no more than an hour’s labor, a $300 necklace (it didn’t even have a clasp!) made my blood boil. So, of course I did what any reasonable person would and immediately put up a disdainful post on Facebook with pictures. A girl doesn’t like to be alone in her fury.

I have to say, being ticked off is an uncomfortable place to be for a girl like me. I like to laugh, smile, and have a good time. So I got to thinking… why am I so ticked off about this silly necklace? What is it that is getting my goat? Can I gleen anything positive out of this temper tantrum?

It didn’t take long for me to figure out that I was feeling outraged on behalf of myself, my friends, fellow artists, and crafters that work their tails off to make unique and often sustainable goods that are not only beautiful but reasonably priced. With lots of friends who are small business owners trying to limp along in a sluggish economy the blatant piracy of this chain establishment makes me barfy. Call me a bleeding heart, but for $300 you can buy a water buffalo ($250) that will help a needy person become self-sufficient and still have money left over ($50) for something cute and locally made.

Think global, act local. You’ve seen it on bumper stickers, right? But how does a girl put that in to action?

Think global. Often big chains are powered on the blood, sweat and tears of small children. Kids that should be in school, not sewing until the wee hours of the morn in a dirty factory. Kids that have often been sold or traded like cattle, may be beaten and abused, and are certainly neglected. The garment industry is a particularly nasty beast and, along with produce, is at the top of the list for the greatest number of offending practices. In 2009, The U.S. Department of Labor produced a list of goods produced by child labor or forced labor (see pages 29-44) . This is the sort of reading that makes you want to snatch up every kid you know and love (and maybe a few extras), hug them hard, then spoil them with pizza, ice cream, and Disney flicks. This just shouldn’t happen. So what can you do to help?

Act local. What does that mean? Stimulate the local economy with your hard-earned dollars. Buy from the little person whenever you can. Get your produce from a local farmer. Soulard Farmer’s Market and lots of other produce vendors are easily accessible and offer much better prices than the grocery store. These farmers are more than just dirt diggers, they are food artists. You’ll often find varieties of vegetables and fruit you’ve never seen or heard of before in addition to the standard fare. Customer service is top-notch too; being an eater of green beans, carrots and peas exclusively until my thirties I ask a lot of questions and I get a lot of helpful answers.

Before you hit the mall for some new purse or tote bag, say phooey on Gucci and check out, Sew Good & Trendy, this totally awesome eco-crafter has a generous selection of fab bags and price tags that won’t make the baby Jesus cry. Need a cute make up bag to go in that purse? DownZipper can help! Beqi can outfit you in a sassy new dress and shop Twisted for stylish and colorful upcycled accessories. Need something for your kiddo to squeeze? These ladies make adorable plush critters from upcycled clothing – Riley Construction and Super Chick Studios.  If you’re a fan of cute, you’ve got to snap up one of C. Bunny Binx’s critters for your curio cabinet – they will make you squee with delight.

Is your home feeling left out of the shopping spree? Squaresville can jazz up the kitchen with reusable grocery totes and holders for hot stuff. Be good to your skin and try Bella Luna’s handmade bars and lotions. Want something pretty to hang on the wall? Jane Linders will knock your socks off with her stunning photography. If you’re giving a gift, don’t forget the card, Mermaid Garden Party has geek chic sentiments to put a smile on giftee’s face.

Where you spend your dollars really does make a difference and can be the source of lots of warm and fuzzies. By shopping locally you are literally putting food on someone’s table and supporting local talent at the same time. Often handmade is less expensive or competitively priced. There might be a kid in the room when some of these items are made, but I can bet that not one of them is being exploited, they spend their days in school, and are probably being spoiled rotten by loving moms who shower them with affection. Many crafters and artists upcycle materials lightening the load in the landfills and making something old new and useful, too. Buying handmade just feels good and don’t we all need a little more of that?

Stepping down from my soapbox now. Anyone want to join me for a little sing-a-long? How about Kumbaya?

Holly is the Arts & Crafts Editor for Girls Guide. You can check out her site, South City Studio, to see her handmade jewelry, read about her upcoming craft shows, and learn more about her artsy self. You can contact Holly by Emailing her – holly [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter –@southcitystudio.