help japan

The events that have taken place in Japan over the past several days are heartbreaking, to say the least. It is easy to feel hopeless at the sight of all that devastation, but there are ways to help, and every little bit counts. Listed below are just a few online resources that provide information about donating, volunteering, and locating family & friends in Japan. I'll be adding more links as I come across them.

Unpluggd

Unpluggd.com has posted a detailed list of donation services and relief agencies that can be found on the web.

The Lede

Robert Mackey's blog at The New York Times website also lists many organizations that are accepting donations for earthquake and tsunami relief, as well as a short list of resources for locating loved ones in Japan.

hitRECord.org for Japan

At hitRECord.org's online store, make a $5 donation and get 2 red "REC" buttons. 100% of proceeds go to globalgiving.org's Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. You can also donate directly to the fund here.

Poketo

This post from Poketo's blog features artists who have pledged to donate 100% of profits from their print sales to Japan relief.

Waratte, Nippon

Another way that you can support Japan is through the Facebook community Waratte, Nippon ("Smile, Japan"). They are asking people to submit drawings, photos, and words of encouragement that will be then be compiled into a video and posted online in order to provide hope to the Japanese people. (Thanks to K. for sharing this link with me.)

Threadless

100% of net proceeds from the sale of Jason Yang's "Rebuild Japan" tee (above) will be donated to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund.

unique los angeles

If you're going to be in the LA area this weekend, you should check out Unique Los Angeles. This is a marketplace of 200 local vendors, selling everything from t-shirts to beauty products to housewares to cute little plush toys. Find one-of-a-kind gifts for your loved ones, support independent artists and businesses, and help out a good cause (50% of ticket proceeds go to Create Now!) all at the same time. Plus, there will be cake! All in all, a great way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Visit uniquelosangeles.com for more info.

back from chicago

I returned from my trip from Chicago on Tuesday. It was a nice change of scenery. The weather was lovely. It got a bit humid at times, but not unbearably so. I ate a lot of pizza, saw some fireworks, and (unintentionally) got a tan.

Thanks to everyone who placed an order while I was gone. All your orders will be shipped out today. I'm going out of town (again!) in a couple of weeks, so there will be a store update before I leave.

Today I donated 10% of Ninja Vintage proceeds from the past 3 months to the American Cancer Society, in honor of my mom. Thank you to every one of you who helped make this donation possible. The donation page can be viewed here. I'll be donating to a different charity this month, though I haven't decided which one yet. If anyone has a suggestion, feel free to comment or e-mail me.

Hope everyone's having a lovely summer so far!

april showers

The next Ninja Vintage update has been delayed once again, this time due to rain. It's been windy, rainy, and cold all weekend. No need to worry, though. As soon as the sun comes out I've got a bunch of cute things to put up on the site, including a pretty embroidered cotton blouse, nautical skirt, and even more warm weather attire.

In the meantime, check out Yellow Bird Project, a non-profit website featuring t-shirts designed by a select handful of bands and musical artists, including Devendra Banhart, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Rilo Kiley. Each shirt is $25 and all proceeds go to each artist's charity of choice. You can do good and look good at the same time!