In mid-August we attended Powering Green – a fundraising event for the Milwaukee Community Service Corps and we were once again awed by the success of their commitment to educate, employ and empower at-risk youth in the Milwaukee area. We are truly fortunate to have an organization like the Corps!

Again, thank you for helping us support them. We look forward to the second half of 2010 and all the ways we can find to continue giving back.

This past year thINK was proud to have joined forces with an outstanding local non-profit – the Milwaukee Community Service Corps (MCSC). Through community service, young adults lead a local clean water initiative to preserve, conserve and restore water quality throughout the Great Lakes basin.

In late December, thINK had the honor of presenting Chris Litzau, director of MCSC, its first annual charitable donation. Part of the proceeds from every thINK purchase is given directly to the Milwaukee Community Service Corps.

Visiting with the Corps members was a heartwarming and moving experience. We share in the commitment to all of the great things that this organization does – both for the community and local youth – and we look forward to continuing this relationship. Thank you to all of our customers that have helped us in supporting this important cause!

http://www.inkdesigns.net/think-apparel/site/Community.html

What I have noticed most with each consecutive Our Milwaukee meeting, is how nice and truly sincere the members are. The focus of the group is local business supporting local business; we join together to network and help each other spread the word about our businesses. There is such a willingness to work together and help each other out – and there’s a very sincere interest in each other’s businesses as well – it is very refreshing!

The need to support local is even more important than ever these days as the economy struggles to slowly rebound. The more money you spend with local businesses instead of national chains, the more money that stays locally and helps our local economy!

If you are a small local business interested in supporting local and getting involved in the community – check out Our Milwaukee. A truly great organization and a great group of people!

Here are some Our Milwaukee members to check out:

Indulgence Chocolatiers

Beans and Barley

Troy Freund Photography

Satellite Crepes

The Tool Shed

Murray Hill Pottery Shop

The Establishment Salon

Not only is it an amazing fabric to feel against your skin – it has tremendous environmental benefits as well. Bamboo as a plant does not require pesticides and is naturally anti-fungal. It grows rapidly and thus us very sustainable as a resource, as well as being a great plant for aiding in prevention of soil erosion. As a fabric it wicks moisture away from the skin, is very breathable, and helps keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Definitely worth any extra money for the quality and benefits.

When you find a product you like that is made from bamboo, be sure to give it a second look – it should not disappoint.

The East Side Green Market is a wonderful event. It isn’t your typical farmer’s market – it is much more. There is definitely wonderful produce – some from the Milwaukee’s only two roof-top gardens – but there is also beautiful arts and crafts, a variety of food and drinks, and even live music by local bands. And it all happens at Beans and Barley – so the restaurant, deli and grocery store is all right there for your convenience too.

Though the size of the market in area is small (the Beans and Barley parking lot), there is much to see and many wonderful products to purchase. The market runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. each Saturday through October 10. I would highly recommend it as a must-stop destination on Saturday afternoons.

Hope to see you there!

2009 is officially here, and by now most people have made their New Year’s resolutions.

Each year at this time, we are faced with this same decision – are we going to make yet another New Year’s resolution. Sometimes they can seem trite – if you find yourself making the same resolution year after year with little or no results.

But this annual reminder that causes us to stop and think about what we might do in the year ahead to make things better for ourselves – or help make things better for others – can bring about positive change.

For that reason we are excited about the changes that 2009 is bringing to thINK: a new line of products, a commitment to giving back to our local community, and our increased focus on sustainability and the environment. Without question, 2009 is going to be a year of change, and we are excited to be a part of it!

We welcome you to join us in finding a way to help make things better for others this year too. And we look forward to sharing more about the changes at thINK with you in the weeks ahead.

Happy New Year!

[oh-nee-uh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh]   –noun

An uncontrollable desire to buy things.

thINK conscious apparel will be at the Bay View Bash this Saturday, September 13! It is a fun Milwaukee, Wisconsin, outdoor street festival that has been going on now for five years… food, drinks, music, local vendors… even a fashion show and car show… lots to see and do! You can learn more about it at www.bayviewbash.org.

Stop by and say “hi” if you are in the area. We will have our thINK line of socially-conscious apparel as well as information about and screen-printed tees from INK Designs – the custom screen printing end of our business! And with the summer coming to a close and the holiday season fast approaching – we have some great “military-style” caps and jersey knit scarves that make great gifts!

Hope to see you there!

Ever stop to take a close look at what’s in your closet? How many items support what you truly believe in? With the recent launch of thINK – our line of socially conscious screen-printed apparel – it has really made me stop and think about my own closet. Do I walk the walk or just talk the talk?

When you look in your closet what to do you see? Sustainable? Fair trade/fair labor? Organic? Local? Recycled? Original? Or do you see inexpensive, mass produced, who-knows-where-it-came-from clothing?

It isn’t easy to walk the walk with fashion – at least not completely – and especially given the state of the U.S. economy these days. However, with the green industry continuing to grow and expand, there are more and more options available to us each day – and at more affordable prices. But most of us already have a fairly complete wardrobe; the basis of which, for many, has been around for years and is made up of what we grew up with – inexpensive, mass-produced clothing and accessories – and lots of it! I know I have always been of the fashion mindset – more is better; more colors, more styles, more shoes, more accessories! And to have more, most people usually have to spend less per item. And that can make the mass-market, economical products extremely appealing.

So, how does one move beyond this? Where do we even begin?

Maybe it’s about the small steps? Instead of feeling overwhelmed by an entire closet full of clothing that is not socially conscious, make a decision to start with that next purchase… make a promise to yourself that the next time you purchase clothing, an accessory, anything for your closet… your purchase will be locally-made, organic, recycled, fair trade/fair labor or sustainable. Be proud of your choice, and proud that you have taken the fist step. I’d love to hear any ideas you have as well!

This last year has been one of change. Not only is the world around us going through huge changes – in climate; in leadership; in how we view our resources, live our daily lives and make ends meet as a population; but also for me on a more personal level. My husband and I started a new green-focused, custom screen-printing business, and with it launched our own line of custom designed, screen-printed apparel.

With all the worldly change going on – and all the change that is still so desperately needed, we wanted to do something to help.

That led us to thINK; our line of custom, screen-printed apparel. Our hope is that it will help to bring about awareness of some of the social and environmental issues that we are all struggling with on a global level.

We are excited to be going green wherever and however we can. We screen-print everything by hand; the shop uses only recycled rags, soy- and citrus-based cleaners; all of our water is run through a filtration system; and we are powered in part by wind and solar energy.

The garments we source have to be at least one of the following, if not all:

• Sustainable

• Fair trade/fair labor

• Organic

And lastly, our designs – all of which are done by myself, my husband, and hopefully someday other local artists –  all focus on peace, nature, the environment, and things like endangered species and climate change, that we hope people will stop to think about.

If you’d like to learn more or see more of the product by thINK – please visit our Web site at www.think-apparel.com. And if you know anyone else that would be interested, please share this info. We appreciate it!