It is I, Alonzo! Meraki Movement’s official Spokespaca!

We are back from Ecuador! We settled in with my family and our friends in Otavalo, then toured places like Cotacachi, and Atuntaqui. We even did some hiking in Laguna Cuicocha! It was so beautiful! Our friends, our makers and suppliers, fed us, entertained us, and played tour guide for a couple of days. It was so wonderful to be back home and just be!

And then we got to work!

Lookbook Baby!

If you want a sneak peek at the new products coming in April in our 2023 Spring Lookbook you can do that here! You will read a bit about our history, our makers, slow fashion and our commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly, and fair trade practices.

While in Ecuador, we worked with our makers on new designs and created some truly beautiful, functional items:

• Like travel bags or as we like to call them, “Portmanteaus”.
• We met new makers and bought hammock chairs and table runners.
• And of course my favourite and driving purpose for returning home, the thing that rhymes with kittens (drum roll please!) MITTENS! Llama wool mittens! You thought I was going to say Alpaca mittens, didn’t you?

Well, we procured beautiful Alpaca GLOVES and stunning Llama mittens. HA!

We also took our NEW designs, colours and patterns of our old favourites, like the super soft Alpaca scarves; warm and light as a cloud alpaca throws; and luxurious Queen-size alpaca blankets with us and watched our makers work their magic and create a new line of beautiful luxurious

Alpaca slow-fashion and slow-homeware products just for us.

We are truly blessed with their talent and their friendship. Bendiciones a nuestros buenos amigos!

  

Alonzo Diary - Alpaca Support Animal on a plane

Have you ever watched Snakes on a Plane? Technically, a box office dud, but now a cult film classic! Do you know what wouldn’t be a box office dud? A film about me, Alonzo, stuck in a plane cargo hold with DOGS like a common…DOG. (I will get to the snakes in a minute. I have been told that dogs who are ESA designated are the real hero’s here. But clearly, people need to consider Alpacas!) When I should be sitting pretty with my Meraki team in first class, like a proper ESA. Sounds so official, am I right? Alpaca Emotional Support Animal!

When we purchased our tickets for the trip home, I was told (can’t recall by whom) that if I was designated a “support animal”, I could fly first class with my friends. YESSSSS! As Amanda says.

To get me designated as an official ESA, I had to get a letter from a doctor stating that I was indeed an emotional support animal. This meant that I had to coerce one of my teammates into “faking it” with a doctor, to get the letter because I am not a very supportive friend. Or So I’ve been told. Something about, always thinking about myself, never doing what I’m told and constantly getting in trouble with either the law or security. Think it was something like that. Which is ridiculous! I am warm-hearted, love to cuddle, and I’m a good listener when I’m listening! But alas, here we are, developing Alpaca nefarious plans 101!

I asked Amanda first.

“Nooooooo!” said Amanda. “And don’t even think about asking my parents!”

I do not like the word NOOOO, Amanda! And since I was threatened with threats, I didn’t ask Mr. & Mrs. Nelson either. So, I took matters into my own hooves and made a doctor's appointment for the following day. I will support myself!

I dressed up in my favourite and classiest Alpaca outfit; Pink poncho, Jolly Rancher Scarf, and stripped Alpaca toque to keep my ridiculous hair out of my face and trotted down the street!

CLIP CLOP CLIP CLOP

I found the local medical clinic all by myself and sat in the waiting room and nodded hello to all the friendly people staring at me. “I am supporting myself. I am supporting myself” I kept telling myself.

“Alonzo, come with me.” The receptionist called my name. I clip-clopped into the exam room and repeated my mantra.

“Alonzo! How are you? How can we help?” The doctor asked.

“Well Doctor, I need a letter stating I am an Emotional Support Animal so I can fly first class with mi compadres to Ecuador.”

“Alonzo, I am a veterinarian. Not a doctor. Amanda will have to get that from HER doctor.”

“But Doc!”

“Veterinarian”.

“But you’re MY doc! Isn’t there anything you can do for me?”

“I can give you all your shots so you can go, but you’ll have to ride in the belly of the beast. Not first class.”

I sighed and gave in. The wheels of my mind turning.

Alpaca nefarious plan deux!

For some very sick reason, that only HUMANS WOULD DO, we arrived at the airport at 5 am. A FULL three hours before our flight. I still had my nighttime sleepy mask on and my slippers, now forever dubbed “travel slippers”. Amanda and the Nelsons kissed me on the nose, and said nice things like, “Have a safe flight”. Like we weren’t going to be on the same plane. I was led down a hallway and into a room where a giant crate with holes and straw awaited me. They gave me a pill to make me sleepy, but I “cheeked” it until they weren’t looking then spit it out. This was so demeaning! The room was filled with barking dogs and meowing cats and some kind of giant box with creatures with forked tongues and scales…OH, MY LAWDS. THERE ARE SNAKES ON THE PLANE! AMAAAAAAAANDA! SNAKES!

I tried not to panic. I spotted the padlock on my box, and it still had the key in it dangling to the side just begging to be lifted! MWAHAHA. And lift I did.

They buttoned me up in the crate. Locked it. HA. Nice try. And I was rolled away on a forklift. Please don’t let the snakes be on the same flight, I prayed.

It took another couple of hours before the cargo hold was closed and the plane was taxiing down the runway. I didn’t want to waste any time. I pulled an Alpaca-ninja-move and Alpaca-punched a hole through the air hole close to the padlock. “Nothing can stop me now” I whistled.

“Freeedom”, I cried out in a Scottish accent. The padlock popped, and I busted through the door, BOOM! First class, here I come! I was knocked sideways when something heavy hit me. I crumpled to the floor.

The box of snakes had been stowed on top of my crate. When I kicked open the door, the snake box fell and smashed into me and the floor. I was covered in snakes!

There were snakes. Snakes! And they didn’t give them sleeping pills!

I ran to the nearest ladder, my clip-clops muffled by my slippers but my screams echoed through the plane. As I climbed the nearest ladder leading to a hatch, it flung open, concerned faces peering down into my Alpaca-face of terror, they quickly turned to faces filled with fear. Before they could slam the hatch in my face, I busted through, Alpaca pyjamas covered in snakes and ran down the isles. 

“AAAAAMMMMAAAAANNNNNNDAAAAAA! Snakes! There are snakes on the plane!” People scattered and climbed up into their seats. They screamed in horror!

“Good afternoon, folks, this is your captain speaking. There seems to be some kind of commotion on board. Please remain in your seats while we try to figure out what the problem is.” Could the pilot even fathom what was happening? Where was Samuel L. Jackson when you needed him?

And there he was. Just like that. The man himself. Cool and collected. A machete in hand, “I have had it with these &^%$# snakes on this ^%$@  plane!” he said. Then he swung the machete at me!

I woke up with a start! I was still in my crate. Alpaca drool ran down my face.

“Wakey wakey, Alonzo!” Amanda’s finger was wagging at me through one of the air holes. I thought about biting it. “You thought you could fan-dangle your way out of the cargo hold, didn’t you?” She chuckled! At me!

“Your plan deux has been foiled. But we made it to Ecuador! Welcome, home buddy!”

I decided to withhold the grudge, enjoy the trip home, and plot my revenge later.

 

Sincerely,

Your best pal - Al