Fur Free Fashion Contest Deadline Approaching

In January, I posted about the Fur Free Fashion Competition sponsored by Born Free USA and E Magazine. They are accepting entries from designers for just 2 more days - the deadline is April 1st. If you are an aspiring designer and want to create cruelty-free fashion, this may be your big chance.

HSUS Hosts Its Annual Genesis Awards

Saturday was the date of the 24th annual Genesis Awards, HSUS's annual award ceremony honoring those in the media who help raise public awareness of animals.

Animal Planet will be re-broadcasting the show on April 24th and 25th, but until then check out the photos and list of nominees and winners. I was pleased to see that Bill Leuders of my local weekly reader, the Isthmus, won an award for his numerous articles on animal issues.

Lots of stars attended, and the glitz is fun. But more importantly, writers, directors, actors, and producers put a spotlight on animal issues with their work.

Track CITES Convention by Born Free USA

Sorry I'm a little late with this.

The CITES conference started on March 13th, with day 1 full of ceremony. On Day 2 however, a delegate from Botswana moved to have Proposal 6 removed from the Agenda. This proposal, submitted by several African countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, among others, would prevent further ivory trading. It would also keep the current level of protection for elephants for the next 20 years.

Born Free USA, one of the organizations instrumental in leading the fight to protect wild animals, has a CITES Tracker. It is a wonderful way to keep up to date on news and events at CITES and to make your voice heard, if requested.

PJ Publications and Gifts is now on Twitter

PJ Publications and Gifts is finally on Twitter. As of this writing we only have 5 posts and a couple handsful of followers. But our goal is to send Tweets regularly.

If you are not into Twitter, we also send out a newsletter to our subscribers. This is a great way to learn about special promotions, new merchandise and news. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Of course, if you're reading this, chances are you're a fan of blogs. Why not subscribe? This way you can have our blogs automatically sent to you. Just click on Subscribe to my Blog. You can also choose to be a follower by clicking on the Follow with Google Friend Connect icon.

New Far Fetched Designs Added to Inspirational Line

As promised, we have added new jewelry pieces to our inspirational line. Pictured is the Faith necklace. Also look for our Peace Necklace and Mom Necklace.

Our inspirational jewelry is by Far Fetched, a company that is a member of the Fair Trade Federation. The jewelry is made of sterling silver, some with mixed metals including brass and copper.

Laurel Burch Luggage Tags

We are now offering Laurel Burch bag tags! Perfect for luggage or bags, these tags are both stylish and functional. Each set comes with 2 tags and is priced at just $9.95 per set.

We currently only have 2 designs listed but will be adding more in the coming weeks. Stay posted!

New Marjolein Bastin Towels

If you are a fan of Marjolein Bastin's art, we have great news for you: We've added 2 new designs: a Cardinal kitchen towel and a Hen Kitchen Towel.

They are made of 100% cotton and feature silkscreened art work. And they are made in the United States.

I often get asked if the Marjolein Bastin tote bags will be available. The company that manufactured them is unfortunately no longer printing them. But I will continue to check on this and let you know of any good news.

More Ship to Countries Added

Last week we announced our new international shipping option. New countries added are Denmark, Norway and Sweden. We will keep you posted on new countries added in the future.

Baby Harp Seals Face Double Disaster

The annual Canadian seal hunt is barbaric in its own right. Add to that this year's environmental anomaly of virtually no ice formation. Since harp seals depend on ice for the birthing process, many baby seals will die. Despite this tragedy, Canada is still allowing sealers to slaughter the few remaining pups.

The Humane Society of the United States is urging activists to contact Prime Minister Harper, asking him to call off this year's seal hunt. You can also get additional information by going to the HSUS website.

Now Offering International Shipping

Animal Lovers outside of the United States will be pleased to learn we are now offering shipping to the following countries: Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and United Kingdom. Our plan is to add additional countries in time.

Please visit our shipping page to read more.

New Animal Lover Wallets and Bag by Shagwear at PJ Publications and Gifts

Animal Lovers: We've added new designs by Shagwear, including the cat's eye wallet (pictured here), terrier dog wallet and matching bag, zebra wallet, free bird wallet, peacock wallet, and owl wallet in blue.

Our accessories by Shagwear are made of faux leather, making them cruelty-free.

Visit PJ Publications and Gifts to see all our new merchandise.

New Animal Lover Merchandise on Sale

Find great deals on gifts for animal lovers. We just put new merchandise on sale, including from popular names including Laurel Burch, Sienna Sienna Sky, Kirks Folly and Far Fetched.

The sale is on for a limited time.

Celebrating Spring in Style

Winter is starting to loosen some of its grip, at least here in southern Wisconsin. It's getting a tad warmer. The birds sense this as we are starting to hear more of their melodious songs. Pretty soon, the first blooms will begin to sprout, and then in just a few weeks, spring will officially be here. And PJ Publications and Gifts is celebrating.

Last week I told you about our new floral jewelry collection. We have just added more designs, which I believe you will love as much as we do. Some of these include our Dogwood earrings (pictured above) and Field of Flowers earrings. Look for these and other new floral merchandise.

We have also added whimsical Alligator earrings, and Monarch Butterfly earrings, which are pictured below.



These butterflies are 3-dimensional, giving them an almost life-like appearance.

All our spring jewelry is priced just right too, so you won't break your budget. What a wonderful way to celebrate spring.