Arrieta Roman Family

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I'm Maureen Roman and I'd like you to meet my family — my husband Juan Carlos and our two children, Genesis and Jean Carlo. Juan Carlos and I have been married since 1990. He began learning to work with pita fiber in his family's workshop when he was nine years old. All of us are artisans.

When we got married, I discovered that I love everything about this art and, little by little, I learned at his side. Sadly, work became more and more scarce and we had to find another way to earn an income. We began searching for items that were well accepted by shoppers, that were utilitarian and, above all, that had a cultural identity.

"Today we craft beach chairs, hammocks and handbags with handwoven fabrics we create by recycling remnants from fabric factories.

"All our designs are created with a technique we inherited from Juan Carlos' parents. Thanks to him and the skills he taught us, our family has learned to love the traditions of Costa Rica and the cultural identity we strive to preserve. We continue teaching them to others in our community, as it's a wonderful opportunity for another source of income.

"As a family, our dream is for our designs to be widely recognized but, even more, for people to appreciate the legacy behind our work. Everything we make is crafted completely by hand with much love and dedication.

"We believe that by preserving our traditions and ways of working, we can achieve many things. This is a dream that is beginning for us and we are sure that it will bring blessings."

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NOVICA was started with a dream to create a better world for artisans, because a better world for artisans is a better world for all.

Along the way, the founders of NOVICA discovered something very important - as artisans around the world succeeded, there was also a visible and profound impact on the communities around them.

Your purchases are that powerful. They directly and indirectly provide for education, help with health care, fund basic needs, support children, preserve disappearing arts, and of course, spread happiness around the world.

The founders of NOVICA had a vision of the future that is not one of mega factories producing cookie cutter products for all to cheaply consume. Instead, a bright future that celebrates artisans who take the time to create an item by hand. A future where time is protected, where stories are told, where unique details are honored. Love, respect, inclusiveness become driving force.

For best chance of delivery for Christmas, place orders using Standard Shipping by December 14th. United States shipping only. Expedited shipping is unavailable. Allow for 1-2 days extra processing time. This product may ship separately from other products in your order and may have longer than normal shipping timelines as it will ship directly from its country of origin.

All sales of this product are final -- we do not accept returns or issue replacements unless there is a defect with the product. Please review our Returns & Exchanges policy.