From Top Left, Clockwise: Eye Will / Voir / Eye Do / See / Love

Holiday gift guides are just starting to pop up  (gulp!) meaning the time for present shopping is near! Anyone who follows Brass Tacks knows this is my favorite time of year. While I scour the globe for my favorite finds I always give special extra attention to products that fall into one of two categories. Those that are made locally (Hello MN!) and those that benefit a greater cause. To kick off the 2014 giving season I couldn’t be more excited to highlight an amazing product that falls into the latter. Meet Eye Will Artistry! Eye Will Artistry is the brain child of my talented and charitable mom, Jeanne Aufmuth. At first glance you’ll find an eclectic assortment of bright and colorful pillows. But these aren’t just any pillows….they’re pillows with a purpose. Since her thirties, my mom has lived with a unique eye disorder called Retinitis Pigmentosa. RP is a degenerative retinal disease that slowly eats away at your vision, resulting in peripheral vision loss and ultimately, complete blindness. While most people afflicted with this disorder would wallow in the frustrating effects, my mom as admirably tackled the obstacles she’s faced with a mixture of hope, grace and good humor. Now, she is combining her passion for art with her passion for helping others by raising awareness (and dollars) for those dealing with loss of sight. Eye Will offers a limited edition of her pillow art with all proceeds benefitting RP research. These pillows won’t last long…so take a look and consider gifting with a purpose this year!