May 7, 2010

Gladiator-esque cuffs...coming soon!

While I am somewhat saddened to tell you that our gorgeous Berber Enamel Cuff has sold out, I find solace in the fact that 'll be trying to restock them on my upcoming trip to Essaouira in June.

I also have some very exciting jewelry news along those same lines. How much do we love this Gladiator cuff?

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I've been jokingly calling it my "Wonderwoman Bracelet" and wearing it about town for weeks now and it's been the subject of near-constant chatter. That's the prototype and I'll be picking up a handful in Morocco this summer and hope to have them on the website by late July. Stay tuned!

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May 6, 2010

From Morocco, With Love hits the road...

Last week, I packed up a variety of Moroccan luxuries, brochures and framed pictures of the kids from our first adopted school in Morocco and headed to Denver, Colorado for the annual HSMG Conference. I had been invited in 2009 to speak at the conference about export opportunities for personal care manufacturers on behalf of my "other" business (Bella Luccè). This year, the Powers That Be were gracious enough to invite me back to sit on an FDA Legislative Panel and they generously donated a vendor table to From Morocco, With Love. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to help spread the word about our nonprofit and did a little happy dance every time another email announcing a website order came through on my Blackberry. Thanks to all who stopped by and helped us spread the word!

rsz_img_0150.jpg At the HSMG Conference in Denver

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April 28, 2010

Ouch! Moroccan slippers for $139?

I should preface this post by saying that I love Viva Terra's catalog. Love, love, love it. I order from them several times a year and enjoy their blend of chic styling with ecological commitment. But I nearly fell out of bed last night while flipping through their catalogue. Why?

Those are drop-dead gorgeous leather slippers. Straight from Morocco. FOR $139.

You could certainly go that route, but may I suggest that you save almost $100 and check out our lovely selection for women at just $40? Your purchase will provide five chickens to an indigenous Berber family.

Or our supple leather slippers for men at just $45? The purchase of which provides three roosters to a local family?

Those prices left me a wee bit gobsmacked. Think of what you could do with $100 extra dollars! My mind reels with possibilities...


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April 27, 2010

If you happen to be in Denver...

Last year, I had the pleasure of speaking at the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild conference on behalf of my "other" venture, Bella Luccè. I had the most wonderful time meting people from across the country and teaching them about how to export their personal care products around the world. This year, the powers that be were kind enough to invite me back to sit on an FDA Legislative Panel and they generously donated a vendor table to From Morocco, With Love. I know that we have a lot of readers in the beauty industry...if you happen to be at the Inverness Hotel for the conference, please stop by to say hello, see some of our Moroccan luxuries in person and pick up a discount card for future purchases on this website. I fly out to Denver this morning to attend the conference and promise to post pictures upon my return.

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April 25, 2010

Don't forget- Mother's Day is May 9th!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. May we suggest you treat Mum to some decadent Moroccan luxuries? You can show her your devotion and bless those in faraway lands simultaneously- and we think that’s truly the spirit of the day...nourishing those in need. Some of our favorite gift suggestions for Mum:

Wool Berber Blankets: $80

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Sparkling Leather Slippers:
$40

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Twisting Vines Pashmina: $45

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Silver Filigree Cuff: $60

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Heirloom Silver Tea Pot: $110

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Small Handmade Luxe Platter: $30

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Rest assured that, no matter which handmade luxury you select, we'll swaddle each one in our signature blue tissue, nestle it inside a gift box made with recycled fibers, tuck in a narrative card explaining the history of the piece and the impact your gift has made on the indigenous people of Morocco and seal it all with our logo. Can't decide? We offer handsome gift certificates, styled as Moroccan postcards.

Through May 5th, we invite you to save 10% on every order by entering code MOTHER in the coupon box at checkout from www.FromMoroccoWithLove.com.

We wish each of you a wonderful Mother's Day full of joy and peace.

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April 21, 2010

Inventory Update

Thanks to your support, we're temporarily SOLD OUT of several items. Please note that we do not have stock of these lovelies at present:

Etched Brass Tea Tables
Morjana Tea Glasses in Amethyst
Burgundy Decorative Camel Saddle

In better news, our inventory counts were off by one, so our previously "sold out" Thuya Wood Bowl (one of my personal favorites!) is back in stock. If you're craving an out-of-stock item, fear not. New stock is due in the States by late summer and we'll be introducing some fab new items as well!

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April 19, 2010

Read all about us in Lake Murray Magazine!

We're thrilled to be featured in the April issue of Lake Murray Magazine. It's a wonderful piece and we're very grateful to the local press for the generous coverage. You can click here to access the digital version of the magazine and flip to page 37 to read the full article.

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April 13, 2010

Morocco profiled on VH1 Series

VH1 has a new series, hosted by Jessica Simpson, that travels the world to discover beauty secrets in various spots around the globe. They recently traveled to Morocco to film an interesting episode about what traditional Moroccan culture finds beautiful. There are definitely some concessions made for TV (for instance: you would never see men and women in mixed company in a public hammam), but it's rather interesting viewing nonetheless. Click through to watch "The Price of Beauty: Morocco" and learn more about why women veil, what indigenous ingredients are often used in local beauty rituals, the tradition of hammam bath houses and the seductive dance known as the Tea Tray Dance.

Interestingly enough, the opening scene where they meet Miriam (their translator) is filmed at the Sofitel Marrakech, which happens to be where I first feasted my eyes upon on our gorgeous Silk Tassel Curtain Pulls! Click through that link to see our exact tassels featured on this chic hotel's back patio.

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April 8, 2010

A video collage of pictures from beautiful Essaouira, Moroco

Hassane recently created a great video montage of images from his village. Essaouira, Morocco is one of my favorite spots on the globe, celebrated for its washed blue stucco medina,surfing spots, fishing culture and medieval citadels. My next visit is coming up in June and I am anxiously counting down the days. Enjoy!

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March 22, 2010

NYTimes piece on the Essaouira Gnawa Festival

My girlfriend Robin (who's traveling with me to Essaouira this June!) turned up this great piece in the Gnawa Festival. Gorgeous imagery, alluring tales, 3 minutes well spent. Give it a peek.

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March 13, 2010

Look what you did!

I thought it was time for another update post- I am continually amazed by your support and how far these dollars are going to go in Morocco. Since our last update, together we've provided:

new shoes for 2 children
clothing to 1 child for an entire year
enough seeds and tools for 5 families to plant gardens
1 goat, who will provide: milk, meat and leather
11 olive trees
8 dental kits
2 chickens

I say we all give ourselves a round of virtual high-fives! Please help us spread the word- all orders are giftwrapped and include a storycard which highlights the history of the item and its place in Moroccan culture, along with a discount card for you to share with a friend (or us it yourself, either way it's 10% off!). Many, many thanks for your continued support...

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March 12, 2010

Moroccan Music Festival Madness

Morocco is renowned throughout all of Africa and Europe for its abundance of music festivals. 2010 has a stellar lineup that has me salivating. Yes, the airline tickets are pricey. Yes, it will take you an entire day to get here, but accommodations are very reasonable upon your arrival and I promise the arduous journey is oh-so-worth it.

Fes, Morocco: World Sacred Music Festival, June 4-12 (featuring Ben Harper this year!)

Essaouira, Morocco: Gnawa African Music Festival, June 25-28 (see my video from last year's event right here)

Rabat, Morocco: Mawazine Music Festival, May 21-29 (Eight days of live music featuring Sting, Elton John, Santana, Mika + more)

Marrackech, Morocco: Popular Arts Festival, July 16-24

I'll make 2 of 4 this year, but am kicking myself that I'll miss Sting on a huge oceanside stage in Morocco. That's as close to heaven as I may ever get! I'm in Casablanca at the moment on a long layover on way to attend the Global Shea 2010 conference in Bamako, Mali on behalf of my other company (Bella Luccè). I am spreading your love and good juju here on my 15 hour stopover. I plan to spread far more of that good juju (and all those dollars you've raised) on a month-long journey through Morocco in June. Stay tuned!

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February 26, 2010

Humbled and amazed...

So 5 months ago, this little Moroccan venture was conceptualized. Four months ago we got the ball rolling. Ten days ago, the website opened for business. In ten short days, here's how much money we've raised together...enough for:


Two Berber families to receive a goat
Ten chickens to be bought
Three olive trees to be donated
Three Berber children to be clothed for a year
Two little girls will go to school for one year
Ten Berber children will receive reading books
Two families will receive all the tools and seeds needed to plant large gardens

I had no idea what to expect- I just decided to stand at the very edge of that cliff, throw my hands in the air, close my eyes and jump...hoping for the best. And I can honestly tell you that tonight I am so humbled and amazed at what ten days has brought. And that's ten days without a single piece of press (lots of magazine coverage soon, but they work months ahead of publication and nothing is on the shelves at the time of launch). Ten days without any ads placed anywhere. Ten days without us showing up in the search engines yet. Truth be told, I'm so buried in work right now that I've not even sent an email announcing the launch to the thousands of people on our Bella Luccè mailing list. That's just you and me chatting it up on blogs, Facebook and Twitter. And I think it's just an inkling of what's to come. It's pretty awesome stuff and I hope you feel the same way. Thank you, thank you, thank you- to each of you who has made a purchase, or helped spread the word or even just sent us kind words or silent positive energy. I feel it all, I welcome it all and I go to bed tonight so ridiculously excited about the good we've already done for Morocco. And it's just the beginning...please universe, let it be so.

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February 21, 2010

Enter to win Moroccan leather slippers + my favorite tea glasses!

The amazing Donna Maria Coles-Johnson, president of Indie Business, graciously wrote a feature article recently on From Morocco With Love. It's a really wonderful piece that provides more of the backstory behind this venture. I invite you to read the article at the Indie Business Blog, but time is of the essence!. Through Monday, February 22nd, she's doing a very special giveaway...it's simple to enter and one lucky winner will walk away with a $78 Moroccan prize pack- your choice of leather babouche slippers and a set of our Arabesque Henna tea glasses!

To be entered to win both of these fabulous Moroccan goodies, you must do each of these three things:

1. Leave a comment at her blog. Tell her how this story inspires you to make a difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate, especially children. You may share as many comments as you’d like. Each will be considered separately.
2. Join the Indie Business FaceBook Fan Page. Here’s the link. How easy is that one?
3. Twitter a link to this post. You can do this automatically by clicking here. That link opens up your Twitter page and makes it easy for you to Tweet this post with one click.

Hurry- the contests ends on Monday, February 22nd. Good luck!

Posted by Lela at 9:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 15, 2010

We are live...

As of 10am this morning, we are officially launched at From Morocco, With Love. It's been a tremendous journey to get us to this point and I can't wait to see this new venture sprout wings and impact lives in a powerful way. Please, Universe, let that be so...

This entire Moroccan venture is very much a collaborative effort which wouldn’t have come into existence so quickly and beautifully without the efforts of some very generous souls. Please indulge me for a moment while I thank those people who either volunteered their services or offered them at ridiculously reduce prices.

Many thanks to Padraic Ryan of Ryan Design Studio for donating his time and talents to this website. Having long been our web designer for Bella Luccè, I approached him for a quote on launching this website and was floored when he offered to do it gratis. If you need a sleek, intuitive, and highly efficient website delivered on-time and in budget, Padraic is your “go-to” guy. I affectionately call him the Jedi Master of web design and am so thrilled to have him in my corner.

My dear friend Robin Nalepa, a brilliant writer, photostylist, PR gal and all-around fabulous person patiently styled dozens of products, drew up our press release, edited a small mountain of web copy and helped me maintain both my focus and my sanity. I am forever grateful. If you need a skillfully written press release or want to add some panache to your web copy, I invite you to contact Robin via rcnalepa@aol.com.

Kim Kim Foster is a feature photographer for The State newspaper. She’s also one of the grooviest chicks I know and she stepped right on up to the plate when I threw myself at her feet, pleading with her to photograph crate after crate of Morocco’s finest artisan goods. Because I have a tremendously hard time editing myself, Kim Kim ended up shooting two or three times the number of photos I originally estimated, yet she still delivered on time. I'm thrilled to announce that Kim Kim and Robin have joined forces and are poised to launch their own new venture, christened Flower Boots. Coming soon: beautiful product photography and copy writing services for small businesses...stay tuned.

Brooke Stant, of Villainess fame, is a cherished friend who also happens to design uber-cool custom blogs. She volunteered her talents and time to create Lovenotes, where we’ll keep you informed of new products, community donations, highlights of Moroccan culture and upcoming philanthropic efforts. Kisses on both of her cheeks for being so amazing.

Professional Printers in Columbia, SC is our “Printer Of Choice” and I am indebted to Clint and his team for rolling back the prices on a variety of collateral materials necessary to launch this venture. Recipients of a 2007 National Premier Award, Professional Printers uses digital presses to create some of the most brilliant work in the industry, with quick delivery and extremely competitive prices. If you need a drop-dead fabulous printer, please call Clint at 803.796.4000.

I am forever in your debt. Please help us spread the word far and wide. You can also follow us on Twitter or join us on Facebook. Hope to see you soon!

Posted by Lela at 10:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 11, 2010

Come on in and get cozy....

Today I thought I might offer an official "Grand Tour" of our blog. There's a good little bit to see, so grab a cup of hot tea and settle in. It shouldn't take too long.

Main blog entries will be divided into several categories:

Money For Morocco: A running tally (updated monthly) of just how much profit has been raised via website sales of Moroccan products.

Stories of Hope: Stories and images detailing the return of profits to the Moroccan people and the positive changes that result.

Lela’s Travels: Follow my travels as I journey through the Middle East and Africa, providing interesting photos and insights into indigenous life.

Coming Soon & New Arrivals: Sneak peeks of what’s due for delivery in our next shipment and what’s hidden inside the crates fresh off our docks.

Consumer Polls: Your opinions are invaluable! We’ll offer frequent polls to see what Moroccan goods you’d like to see offered and how you'd like the resulting funds to be spent.

In addition, we'll have a monthly product spotlight- featuring my personal favorite product-of-the-moment. Many of these treasures will be offered in extremely limited quantities, so if you love it, don't hesitate. Over there on the right, you'll notice a Photo Album. These are pictures of people and places in Morocco, and I've snapped each and every one of them during one of my journeys there. We'll add new photos to the album with each trip and each page refresh of this blog will bring up a new image. You're welcome to click to enlarge and see a bit more detail.

Just below the Photo Album, you'll see a box where really savvy folk can sign up for our newsletter which will contain exclusive discounts, special offers and sneak peeks the general public won't ever get to lay there pretty eyes on. Don't you want to be among the lucky few? There's also a search box so you can comb through past entries on a rainy day. In the very bottom of that right column, you'll see lots of groovy ways you can stay connected with us here at From Morocco, With Love. There's an RSS feed option, plus a button to connect you to us on Facebook and Twitter...I'd love to see you there, too.

Along the very bottom, those postcards are more photos from my Moroccan travels. That's a pottery shop from Marrakech on the left, followed by: the famous blue boats of Essaouira, a woman contemplating the sea in Sebta and a soap shop in Chefchaouen. The little postcard in the middle? Squint your eyes and you might be able to make it out: a love note from me to my babies while I am away. :)

Hope you enjoyed the mini-tour. Also hope that you'll join us frequently to share my passion for Morocco and my hopes for changing the world, one pair of leather slippers at a time.

Posted by Lela at 4:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 10, 2010

Just how far your mony will go in Morocco....

People are often amazed at just how far their money will go in a developing country. The simple truth is that what you spend each morning for a fancy coffee can buy a dental exam for child in Morocco. What you spend in a modest dinner out for two can send a Moroccan girl to school for an entire year. What you spend on a new dress could help her family start a new business that means the difference between becoming self-sufficient and falling further behind with each generation. Here’s just a sampling of what From Morocco, With Love can do with the profits from your purchase…

Thuya Wood Chess & Backgammon Set: $95: This single purchase will provide a goat to a Moroccan family. Goats provide an invaluable source of milk, meat and leather to the local people. They also assist in argan oil production by chewing and removing the outer shells of the nut before processing.

Handcrafted Cedar BBQ Skewers: $35: This single purchase will feed an invalid for ten days. Moroccan hospitals provide limited nutritional support, relying heavily on patients’ families to supplement dietary needs. With these funds, we can provide ten days of nutritional support to a patient including milk, bread, eggs, cheese and fresh fruit.

Hamsa Brass Door Knocker: $55: This single purchase will provide ten dental kits to young children. With only one dentist per 80,000 Moroccans, dental hygiene is a serious problem in this developing country. Our dental kits are comprised of a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a pamphlet (translated in both Berber and Arabic) explaining the importance of oral hygiene.

Hammered Silver Tea Pot: $80: This single purchase will provide a year of education to a local schoolgirl. While the Moroccan government provides educational opportunities, families must provide books and transport for each child. In reality, these expenses often prohibit impoverished families (and especially young girls) from having access to education. This purchase will provide the books and transport needed for an entire school year.

Moroccan Camel Saddle: $195: This single purchase will provide a donkey to a Moroccan family. Donkeys are used to transport children to school and produce to market each week, helping a family provide for themselves moving forward. Donkeys also transport water and help work the fields, making the donation of this animal a life-altering, empowering gift impacting several generations.

Sequin Leather Slippers for Children: $30: This single purchase will provide two local Berber children each with a pair of tennis shoes. Many of these children walk several kilometers each way to-and-from school six days a week, so proper footwear is essential to their continued education.

Posted by Lela at 6:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 9, 2010

Your questions, now with answers!

Hi all,

We've received quite a few questions about precisely how From Morocco, With Love with work and I'm serving up some hot-n-fresh answers.

Q. How many of each item will you have available?
A. Though we do our best to anticipate demand for any particular item, we do occasionally have temporary runs on stock. Because From Morocco, With Love stocks all inventory here in the states and receives quarterly shipments, we are occasionally unable to immediately restock an item and many of our treasures are custom runs offered in extremely limited quantities. Our recommendation? If you love a piece, don’t hesitate to make the purchase as we cannot guarantee availability and all items are first-come, first-served. If an item you desire is out of stock, drop us a line to make your wishes known and we’ll do our best to have it included in the next shipment.

Q. Since these treasures are handmade, are there variations from item to item?

A. Every item featured on From Morocco, With Love is handmade by an artisan in Morocco. As such, there will be slight variations between individual pieces. You can rest assured that we independently review each item to assure that it meets our stringent quality standards. In all instances, color, size and quality will be consistent, though handpainted or handsewn patterns may vary. Your satisfaction is our ultimate goal and we do offer a flexible return policy if any purchase presents other than expected.


Q. I’m socially and environmentally aware. Is From Morocco with Love?

A. In an attempt to “walk our walk”, we adhere to specific business practices as a socially conscious company:

1. All goods are produced in Morocco by true artisans using traditional methods.
2. Artisans are paid a fair wage for their efforts.
3. No child labor is used in the manufacture of any products offered for sale on this website.
4. Our warehouse facilities are eco-conscious and certified carbon-neutral by TerraPass.
5. The gift boxes and tissue paper we swaddle your purchase in are made with recycled materials.

Q. How does From Morocco With Love work?
A. Our “agent on the ground”, Hassane travels from his home town of Essaouira throughout Morocco. He searches for treasures, negotiates pricing, documents the artisans and prepares shipments of beautiful Moroccan luxuries to the United States. When he discovers a new treasure he sends digital images to Lela Barker, our US-based coordinator. Lela hand-selects each item for sale and authorizes the purchase. She then waits, impatiently, by her office door for the next treasure to be delivered. On occasion, Lela travels to Morocco to directly assist with shopping excursions.

From Morocco, With Love customers order and receive exquisite Moroccan goods at reasonable prices. Hassan is paid a fair wage for his expertise. The native artisans each receive a fair wage for their work. Lela earns warm fuzzies and (hopefully) a dash of good karma. Most importantly, the profits from the sales benefit Moroccan families and individuals living without the basics we take for granted in the Western world — from clean water to shoes, basic healthcare to education.

Q. How are profits determined?
A. From Morocco, With Love profits are determined monthly by comparing sales versus expenses (actual product costs, shipping and import fees, one employee’s salary and a few other nominal expenses such as a dedicated phone line). 100% of the profits are sent directly back to Morocco to benefit the Moroccan people.

Each artisanal luxury for sale via From Morocco, With Love clearly indicates just how far we can stretch your dollars to make a difference in this developing country. Every penny– of profit returns to the communities of the craftsmen who supply our goods.

Q. How do you keep the expenses low?
A. Overhead expenses are kept to a minimum by utilizing the fulfillment staff, office and warehouse space and customer support capabilities of Lela’s full-time venture, Bella Luccè.

Q. Can I tell you how I want my money spent?
A. We are so honored that our customers believe in our dream and understand that each purchase directly benefits another human being. While we can’t earmark exact purchase dollars for specific projects, we can guarantee that the monies will be spent for the greatest good of the Moroccan communities we serve. For example, the purchase of a Berber blanket could provide shoes for an entire family. However, the money may be used to install a freshwater well to benefit an entire community. Or sufficiently fund a round of vaccinations for a newborn baby. Or send a young girl to school for a year.

The success of this organization requires the flexibility to use your dollars in the area of most immediate need to make the largest possible impact.

Q. How will I know how my money is being used?

A. Watch the “Money For Morocco” ticker via this blog to see how many dollars and cents we’ve raised together. Here you also can learn more about the people who are directly benefiting from your generosity and thoughtfulness. Watch videos. Read true stories. See for yourself how From Morocco, With Love is impacting lives.

Have a question that I didn't answer? Just leave a comment to this blog entry and I promise to circle back around to it. Stop by tomorrow to see just how far we can stretch your dollars in Morocco...we promise it'll amaze you!

Posted by Lela at 3:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 3, 2010

How it all began...

Once upon a time, a Southern girl with big dreams founded a small beauty company inspired by global beauty traditions.

With hard work and dedication the venture blossomed into Bella Luccè. The company transformed founder Lela Barker into quite the little globe-trotter. She chased big contracts, new development opportunities and indigenous beauty ingredients around the world. Lela often found herself captivated by the traditions and people of the places she visited from Mumbai to Athens.

However, Lela was completely enchanted when an impromptu visit landed her in the gorgeous, sea side village of Essaouira, Morocco. After a week of exploring the beaches, scouring the souks and making many wonderful friends Lela reluctantly returned home to the United States. She promised herself to return soon.

Unable to quell her Moroccan wanderlust, Lela returned just a few months later. She hired one of her Moroccan friends, Hassan, as a private driver and translator and set off on an adventure to discover the beauty riches of the region. Criss-crossing nearly all of Morocco, Lela explored Rhassoul clay mines in the Atlas Mountains, watched argan nuts ground into oil near Marrakech and learned about botanical essential oil distillation near Khemisset.

During the same visit, Lela spent a day with local school children in a remote village in the Moroccan countryside. The two room school house had no library, no computers, no overhead projectors, no smart boards. The school had neither heat nor air conditioning. There were no crayons, no jump ropes, no playground equipment, no hot meals. The students, those that can afford the $50 per year tuition, walk or ride the family donkey between two and four kilometers one-way to reach the school.

The teachers leave their homes and families during the week and travel to the rural area to aid in the development of these children. The women share the most basic living quarters. On less than $400 per month, the teachers must provide for their transportation to and from the school, their food while at the school, and all of their family expenses at home. The “teacher house” has no heat, no air conditioning, no refrigerator, no computer, no running water, no stove, no cabinetry.

The tenacity and commitment to learning of the 156 students and their dedicated teachers left an indelible impression on the American. Lela planned for her company, Bella Luccè, to adopt the Moroccan school. However, she soon realized there was more work to be done than her small beauty company could tackle alone.

Lela returned home to her family and business determined to stay somehow connected to the country and its people. She brought as much of Morocco as she could carry in her luggage home to share with friends and family—gorgeous Berber blankets, hammered silver earrings and embossed leather poufs.

Amidst the “ooh’s” and “aah’s”, a flood of people slipped in “bring-me-back” requests for her next trip. Always a people pleaser, Lela attempted to fill the requests immediately. Yet the online prices for the Moroccan goodies she’d just purchased so reasonably left her gobsmacked.

Yet, with the sticker shock, came inspiration:

What if Lela could employ Hassan to shop for the most exquisite Moroccan luxuries, pay the artisans well for their work, ship the goods stateside and sell it at reasonable prices? Most importantly, what if all the profits could be returned to the Moroccan people to help them with the basics so many take for granted such as clean water, education and health care?

Lela immediately phoned Hassan, her plans tumbling out with wild enthusiasm. Hassan simply and humbly replied “Alhamdulillah” (thanks be to God).

And so it began…

From Morocco With Love: our way to share the rich culture and remarkable beauty of Morocco with the rest of the world, to the direct benefit of the Moroccan people.

All products offered on this website are handcrafted by true artisans in Morocco who are paid fair wages for their work. Lela and Hassan hand select each item, wrap them beautifully and then send them off to you, accompanied by a storycard detailing the history of the piece and its place in Moroccan culture. All profits are returned to the indigenous people, in the form of school supplies, scholarships, working animals, dental exams and new construction designed to provide them with the same opportunities we often take for granted each day.

From Morocco With Love, holds nonprofit status within the state of South Carolina. We minimize overhead expenses by utilizing a warehouse and fulfillment staff already in place at Bella Luccè. All profits are returned three times per annum to various villages in Morocco and we document the entire process for you via this website. Our sincere hope is that you, too, will begin a torrid love affair with Morocco and be inspired to make choices each and every day that serve the greater good of all people. Our deepest thanks for being a part of our dream…

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Lela Rain Barker & Hassan Akhiyad


"We must be the change we wish to see in the world..." -Mahatma Gandhi

Posted by Lela at 10:05 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 2, 2010

Countdown to launch: T minus 13 days!

I am insanely excited to welcome you "Lovenotes", the official blog of From Morocco, With Love. We've been scurrying about behind the scenes for months now: shopping the souks of Marrakech, Fez, Sale, Benimallal, Essaouira and Safi to bring you the most exotic Moroccan luxuries that marry reasonable prices with exceptional craftsmanship. We've been meeting with import specialists and talented freight folk to discover the best ways to bring it all to you. We've been working on the streets in Morocco to determine how to best serve the needs of the impoverished and the determining the logistics by which we'll return the profits from this website to the people who need it most. We've been hurriedly coordinating a team of photographers, photo stylists, graphic designers, blog designers and web developers to deliver a fully functional e-commerce website that's as lovely to see as it is easy to use. We've been working with printers to design storycards for each piece, and lovely packaging to swaddle each purchase inside. And lest we forget the paperwork (ohhhh....the paperwork!) to formally incorporate this little venture into an official nonprofit. But you know what? It's almost air time!

From Morocco, With Love will formally launch on Monday, February 15th at 10am EST (Insh'Allah). The warehouse is full of goodies, the photos are hot of the presses, the packaging is delivered, the website is being put through its paces and we're officially registered as a nonprofit in South Carolina. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that I CAN. NOT. WAIT. to show it all to you. I likely won't sleep a wink between now and February 15th, in a heady mix of last minute to-do's and unbridled glee about the launch. Until then, here are a few of my favorite Moroccan luxuries to whet your appetite...

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Moroccan Camel Saddles

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Sequin Leather Slippers for Girls

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Pretty Silver Teapots

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Thuya Wood Vases

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Stone Cuffs with Silver Filigree

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Thuya Wood Chess & Backgammon Set

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Handpainted Moroccan Pottery

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Embroidered Moroccan Bed Linens

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Hand-embellished Moroccan Market Basket

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Brass Hamsa Door Knocker
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Moroccan Pashminas


Please leave a comment if you feel so moved, take our poll to the right of this page and join us again on February 15th to see it all come together!

Posted by Lela at 12:41 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack