You have to start somewhere, right? In a different life I had a blog and it's time to reincarnate that energy but about La Canasta. La Canasta isn't just a business for us. Don't get me wrong we want to make money but there is so much more to it!
Let's start with who we are! Alex here.
I'm writing. From my couch. In my jammies. With a cat snuggled up on me. This is my full time gig. Besides the full time gig of herding kids, taking care of our two horses, nagging about shoes getting picked up, being chased by La Canasta's Quality Control expert Bill
the Macaw, and let's just admit to having a minivan and being a chauffeur to kids and our baskets for markets and festivals. I always said I would never drive a minivan. I really thought I was too cool for that but no I'm rocking the suburban life. I hear my 16 year old in my head making it clear I am not cool. Just in case anybody is fooled ;)
Sixteen years ago I lived in Guatemala with Scarlett my oldest for a year. Everyday I would walk to the market in Antigua with my baby on my chest and my first basket in hand! If you know me you know I go a little nuts at markets and I have to try all the fruit. Oh it's a vegetable I have not met before. In you go my new little veggie friend into the basket. A five pound papaya?!! Don't mind if I do! I think I need a new molcajete. Yes I do. Take all the veggies and fruit out to place molcajete on the bottom so as not to smoosh all the yum produce. Molcajetes weigh 11 pounds. Don't ask how I know that. I can share later.
I'm sidelining in the molcajete business. You want to buy one? Lol! Ok I will explain. In order to get some of my smaller shipments less than a pallet back here with my best rate I have to beef up the weight because my baskets are super lightweights. I'm shipping feathers folks! So we have been adding molcajetes into the boxes! Coming soon to a market or website near you ;) But seriously I will need to sell some eventually. The molcajete division of La Canasta. Where all of your volcanic mortar and pestle veggie smooshing needs are met! How can I get you into a molcajete today?!
I have not yet had my coffee. And I'm already on coffee talk. Where was I? These baskets weave (see what I did there lol) themselves into the fabric of our lives. We have history, practical use, a business, community support in Guatemala, organization, connection to a lot of people, and not to mention really good laundry baskets all from one product. This has been a business in the making for 16 years.
Every time we went back and visited we always had to bring back more and more baskets for friends and family. Finding them in the maze of the markets is a bit like a rat maze! My prize is the beautiful and colorful basket but first I have to find them. It's a windy, confusing, small aisle, all out marathon pursuit of one of my favorite things. By the time you arrive you are sweaty, discombobulated, and excited. Because you have been lost in the market for five hours. It's time to eat again.
It became clear that we had to start a business so I had a reason for a tax write-offs for my beloved trips to Guatemala lol!
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