There’s a unique gift shop in Peoria Heights (handily located near the Navy Marine Club) that’s part of the Fair Trade Federation. Global Village is a non-profit store, run by volunteers and they support low-income farmers, artisans and small handcraft production communities in developing countries and in the U.S. The goal of Global Village and the Fair Trade Federation is to stimulate trade without worker exploitation and to help the poor live in dignity. Pretty nice mission statement and this is a store our community should support. So let’s hop on over show them a little MBIP love!
Here we are traveling down the long and winding Prospect Avenue to Global Village and this is just one of many “speed humps” you have to drive over while cruising down Prospect. Are you like me and do you just hate the speed humps all to hell and back? HATE the speed humps! HATE HATE HATE the speed humps! Blah!
Alright, speed humps be damned, we’ve made it to Global Village. Huzzah!
Coffee and chocolate! They were once the opening act for Simon and Garfunkel, so I’m pretty gosh-darned excited right now!
Okay, the open sign is displayed and we have one half of an unplanned obligatory door mirror shot, so I can’t think of any reason to delay our entry into this Global Village any longer. Let’s go inside!
Wow, lots of stuff inside of here and it’s a little bit of a sensory overload moment, which I always love!
This is Rebecca, who’s a board member and volunteer at Global Village. All the people that work here are volunteers and as I explained in the introduction, this is a non-profit store where the money goes to people who really need it. This is kind of the anti-Wal Mart store and I hope if you’re reading this you stop in and help support this fine retail outlet in our community. Spend your money in a store that gives back to others.
I saw this article from the PJ Star and remembered reading it. It’s about a not-for-profit knitting company, called KidKnits that was founded by Ellie Zika, when she was just nine-years-old. You can read the article here.
Here’s the KidKnits package that you can buy at Global Village, it includes yarn, a round thingy to make your knitted cap on, instructions and a bag. Who could ask for anything more? Nobody, that’s who, Uncle Floo! So there!
That’s a great quote and I’ll have to do a blog on KidKnits down the road. Stay tuned for that! Now let’s take a look around inside of Global Village.
Mexican Silver Bracelets! Perfect for those spine-tingling Wall of Voodoo moments!
Shirts and other assorted clothing hang over here and makes me think of Pete Ham and Tom Evans from Badfinger.
Unlike the door shot, this is a planned obligatory mirror shot and I have to admit, I’m really jazzed about it! You don’t encounter full-length mirrors all the time and I had a brief moment of happiness here. You have to appreciate these moments because they are few and so very far between!
I love this frog kite, too cool! When frogs fly, we will all wonder why? Fly froggy...fly!
Coffee talk, I’m getting a little verklemped over here! Talk amongst yourselves...
Marmalade and jam sit together on this shelf like twin sons of different mothers.
This is a turtle magnifyer for watching bugs. Perfect if you have crabs and want to watch them marching herky-jerky all over your crotch!
Salt lights, hey Salt Restaurant, you seeing this shit over here? These would look nice on your bar!
These little wooden cats are beautiful, but I have to confess, their gravity-challenged tails are freaking me out a little bit over here! Yikes!
Giant fly-swatter alert!
Love the paper mache bear and bunny!
Seeing this split pea soup leads to this Exorcist flashback moment! Always a wonderful moment when that happens!
Father’s Day is coming up and this is the perfect place to shop for your Dad’s day gift!
Here’s some ties for a traditional Father’s Day gift.
Ha, and check this out, here’s my dad and the official barkeep of Jerry’s Bar holding a Father’s Day sticker! The funny thing is that this guy has never changed a diaper in his life! But thanks for the ride today, Dad! Good hanging out with you!
I purchased one of the gravity-challenged cats and the paper mache bunny. Pretty wise selections, if I do say so myself and I just did, so that’s that and go check your hat and just leave me alone already!
On the way out I checked out some pamphlets and business cards. Hey, there’s the MBIP business cards, how in hell's fire did they get there? Ha! We’ll see you all tomorrow!
Global Village
1308 E. Seiberling Ave.
Peoria Heights
309-681-8180
Related posts: Shop Hop @ Shop Hop—Lovers Playground (Formerly Swingers World), Relics and Grove Taxidermy.
We are the Village Green Preservation Society.
God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety.
Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!
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Bonus Comment Art From Jaws the Cabbie!
Jaws the Cabbie sent in this art to go with his comment. Ha, nice work, Jaws, thanks!
