Friday’s column in the Daily Camera features Hope’s Storehouse Thrift Store in Longmont, which raises money for humanitarian aid for major disasters and the development of depressed and needy parts of the world. Check out www.helpint.org.

My favorite part of the store is the international market, a sort of clearinghouse for products made in other countries, mostly by poor orphans and widows.

As if that’s not reason enough to shop there, here are a few of my top picks from the store:
Clutch purse, $3.
The square shape with the circle pattern looks vintage (where are my go-go boots?), and gold is still a hot color.
Pink necklace, $2.
For less than the price of a croissant, this pink can add spunk to your outfit. Plus, it feels springy and feminine.

Blue dress, $9.95
So soft and flowy. Also, I love empire waists with halter ties. They really accentuate your bust… you know, if you’re lacking one. Not saying I am. OK, I am.

Pink and white tweed blazer, by Spiegel, $12.95
Twelve bucks for a sturdy blazer is great. I also dig the pink color with the masculine feeling of a blazer. Extra props to the slightly disgressed edges of the jacket.

Vase made by orphans in Romania, $25.50
Price is a little high for a small vase, but the shop says it intentionally doesn’t lower the prices of the international goods because they want the sales to help provide a good income to the residents who make them.
I like the sleek, contemporary look of this vase. I want it in my house.

Bead necklace hand-made in Uganda, $15
Ugandan earrings, $7/pair
Having spent a lot of time in Uganda — and purchased a lot of jewelry there — I can tell you this is actually a great price. The brown-gold color is eye-catching, too. It seems to glow. Nearly everyone who walked past this stopped and wanted to touch it. I can see this jewelry paired with a simple black top.

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