Our Novica Package
Our package from Novica.com came today. (See the original story here.) The kids were so excited that they crowded around and tried to hurry me as I attempted to slowly unwrap each package so I could get photos of it all. Finally I let them do the unwrapping, making them stop between each stage so I could get a photo.
First off I want to say that I have been repeatedly amazed at the shipping speed of Novica items. We ordered in the evening on the January 24th and both packages got here on January 31st. So far the shortest time to get here was 3 days, the longest was 8 days.
Both packages came from Bali and were beautifully wrapped. The wrapping and packaging have also been consistent in quality (for that matter so have the items we have ordered). For protection the items are carefully wrapped in many layers of paper (done in such a way that it makes perfect drawing paper for kids later– my kids stashed all the paper and kept the wrapping paper and raffia ribbon for projects. In fact, they turned a lot of the packaging into crowns and paper masks yesterday. Even the box it all came in turned into a robot head.) If you choose to order you can watch for certain items that specifically say free gift wrap– they come automatically wrapped and are stunning. However even those that are not gift wrapped just need a bow to make them perfect for presentation (my only concern is that because there is no label on the outside, if you order more than one item you will probably have to unwrap just to find out which is which).
When I finally let the kids unwrap the packages completely (before the exploded) the items themselves were stunning. The Storytime Mice are absolutely adorable, heavy and well made. The color is so much deeper and truer than you can see from photos (which is to be expected with dark metal). They are simply wonderful. I probably should buy some candles to put in them but for now they look lovely on the mantelpiece without. Unlike most candlesticks these are well weighted at the bottom so I wouldn’t worry about the kids messing with them and knocking them over. Every time I see them they make me smile. 🙂
The Swimming Turtles are just precious. The color is more green than in the photo (which was fine and we actually prefer the green to the brown but might be a problem if you wanted them to match something). The texture is amazing– everyone keeps coming in the kitchen and picking them up to hold them. The kids literally coo over them, they really are that sweet. I got them because the little tea cups we use to hold our supplements in the morning are all beginning to break but I haven’t been able to bring myself to use these yet though knowing they aren’t particularly expensive to replace is a comfort. Ideally, if we ever have the money to spare I would probably want to order 2 more sets and use those for our daily supplements. In fact I just checked the artist’s work and he has so many different little cups with lids that I think I would have a hard time choosing and I am now a big fan of this gentleman’s work which you can see here.
God has blessed us so much through Novica.com and I am so grateful to see this company with good connections (they are associated with National Geographic) encouraging artisans around the world to create and sell their items.
And because Novica.com sent us the gift certificate to buy these items I want to again share some for the links they requested that I share with you:
fair trade corporate gifts: These really are lovely and I love that they are fair trade and would make lovely gifts for anyone.
green gifts: I am not big on the use of “green” but I do love that they are environmentally savvy because God does want us to be wise and take care of the home He has given us.
unique gifts: Absolutely unique. I have found so many things here that would make great gifts for the hardest people in my family to buy for.
microfinance: LOVE this link. I so want to be able to donate to help other artisans around the world do what they love.