Our upcoming Watermelon Fundraiser

Some of you may know I have 4 children, a 10-, 8-, 5- and 3-year-old. When I bought the shop, I only had 3; my eldest was 5, my second 3, and I brought my 6-month-old to the shop with me in a baby carrier. These kids love and are invested in this shop, with dreams of owning one of them one day. (After they go to culinary school, open a car mechanic's shop and finish getting their teacher's licenses, that is.)

Juliet, drinking my coffee and pretending to upload a new event while Maggie supervises.

We spend many nights around the dining room table talking about my day, what I actually do for work, the difficulties and joys of being a small business owner, and more. They give me pointers for how to be better to my employees, what events kids might like, and how they would have avoided all of my mistakes. Most days, they have great ideas. Some days, we talk about how we should sell bunnies instead of pottery. It's hit or miss.

One day in May, Juliet walked past our Alexa Show, with its endless cycle of news stories and consumer driven reminders to buy more Skittles Drink mixes. She asked me with her head cocked, "What even is Gaza?" I don't believe in lying to my children, so I took a concerned interest in her question and approached with caution. What was necessary to tell her: It's a place in the Middle east, a small strip of land near Israel. Then she said, "But why are they in a war?" A more difficult question that I simply had to answer with uncertainty.

We set out to learn more, looking up news articles, reaching out to rabbi friends, looking up old resources from the beginning of the conflict. Throughout it all, Juliet was absorbing the information and asking more pointed questions, "Who is wrong? What are they going to do to stop it? How do they decide what they want to do next?"

But this particular question caught in her throat, "What about the children? The ones who live there. How do their parents get them out?" I don't lie to my kids even if it's hard. Even if it hurts. I told her the truth. That kids are suffering every day in Gaza. More questions flooded out here, "What about the Israeli kids that live there? Where are all of the children going? Why don't they let the children go?" I couldn't answer any of those questions. I can't explain why adults wage war without thinking of the children. I can't explain what might happen next.

Then she said with tears running down her cheeks, "What can we do?"

I don't have much. I am not a politician with power. I am not a lobbyist, or a doctor, or a nurse, or a human aid worker. I have only my hard work to offer up when the world seems bleak. And currently my hard work is all in an effort to provide art adventures in a small Midwest town. So, I pledged my broken-hearted kiddo everything I have at my disposal.

A watermelon graphic Juliet made

That is why we are running a fundraiser for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. We'll be painting watermelon themed items in solidarity with the Palestinian children living through war. 20% of all sales Saturday the 29th go to the PCRF. Sales from event on Friday and Sunday also will go to the fund. If you would like to read more about the fund, you can do so here.

If you would like to know more about the fundraising efforts, or why we chose the watermelon as a symbol, please click here.

Please consider reading Juliet's story. Please consider joining us.

-Louise, Owner and Artist