Greetings friends ~

As March comes to a close, we reflect on Women's History Month and the incredible women who inspire us every day. With every newsletter or post or product sold, we strive to honor the artisans behind ixöq. I am truly in awe of them & all that they accomplish.

Since founding ixöq in 2018, our focus has been on providing employment & support to our artisan partners in Guatemala. We're proud to celebrate their resilience, creativity, and ingenuity & to work with them to create beautiful, functional & lasting products for you. Their dedication to their craft and their communities continues to inspire us, and we're endlessly grateful for their contributions to our collections.

Las mujeres de la Asociación Pensamiento y Corazón de las Mujeres (ASPECOM) ; the women of ASPECOM

The women of ASPECOM never cease to impress. They have a thriving business creating woven products for ixöq, along with their keystone project making jams & jellies to sell at local markets. Over the past few years, they have received educational funding from the government, been nationally awarded for producing high quality exported products (for ixöq 😀), and trained almost 50 women in both of these crafts.

The two women in the front of this photo, Tita & Ruti, coordinate all of the ixöq orders & distribute the work amongst the artisans. The women are then able to return to their homes & weave their assigned products, while balancing household & family needs. This work provides opportunity to earn money & contribute financially to their families & community, and to learn a skill that honors the traditions of their ancestors, creates useful products & uses recycled materials. It's all pretty amazing!

While Women's History Month may be drawing to a close, our commitment to supporting these artisans stretches beyond a single month. As we look ahead, we're excited to continue showcasing their talents through outreach, and in person at our upcoming spring markets. Thank you for joining us in celebrating women and supporting artisan empowerment. We're doing our small part to help create a brighter future for women everywhere & we couldn't do it without you.

I love spring & I love markets. So what better way to spend the next several weeks than to combine the two. It's a great way to connect with you, introduce ixöq to new people, and unveil new products & designs.

Last year I only did a handful of markets in the spring but this year I've decided to go all in. The list keeps growing but below is what we have on the schedule thus far. Mark your calendars & come visit!



I keep an ongoing, always updating list of markets HERE (where you can also find more details about the above). I will also make market announcements on instagram so please follow @ixoq.boxi to stay in the know. We LOVE connecting in person so hope to see you soon!

Last month I shared that we've taken "Katie's Picks" private. This means that month-to-month only YOU ~ our valued email subscribers ~ have first access to these exclusive deals. I really appreciate everyone who follows these updates & I want to make sure there is always something special on the site that's just for you!*

This month's sale is coming to an end & it's a big one so don't forget to check it out. I rarely include so many products in the monthly 'picks' so this sale is special. With just a few days left, now is the perfect time to treat yourself to something from our Katie's Picks collection or stock up on gifts. Our planters & storage containers are the PERFECT gift. These handpicked favorites won't be on sale again for a while, so shop now before it's too late!

Make sure you bookmark the Katie's Picks page so you can check back each month to see the ever changing saving opportunities.

*Note: this month I advertised the sale more broadly for the last week of March because of the breadth of it, but this won't be the norm.

Flores de Primavera

En primavera la tierra se llena de flores,

pequeñas, de muchos colores.

Las hay azules, rojas, amarillas,

y algunas que, como estrellas brillan.

Las flores de primavera son testigos,

de los días grises y tristes,

que con sus colores alegran,

y con su perfume consuelan.

Abrázalas con ternura,

y deja que su belleza te envuelva,

pues son la promesa de vida,

que la primavera nos entrega.

-Julia Esquivel,

Guatemalan Poet 1930-2019

Thank you deeply for your ongoing support! Wishing you a splendid beginning to the spring season, hopefully full of sunshine, daffodils, & lots of good cheer.



~ all the best & with much gratitude ~



Katie

(co-founder / director / creative)

Follow along on instagram to keep up with the latest ixöq news!

Copyright (C) 2024 ixöq, llc. All rights reserved

You are receiving this email because you made a purchase & checked the box or we met at a market & you signed up for our email list (directly or through a raffle signup). That is the only way you got here. We do not add names randomly but if you would rather not be part of our list, you can unsubscribe below. For those of you who stay (THANKS!), we will share info through this list on markets & events, new product info & sales, & general updates. We appreciate you following along & your support of ixöq & our partner artisans in Guatemala.