(Note: Megg would like to add that no food was injured in the making of this blog post.)

1) Our items could not combine for a total of more than $15

2) There had to be some international products

3) We were given 15 minutes to shop

After running around like crazy people, these were our finds:

Daniel:

Distilling oneself into a handful of international groceries is a more accurate depiction of the core of our very being than I had initially expected.

Organic Aloe Vera Juice from South Korea – I try to buy organic whenever I can as well as try new things from around the world. And aloe reminds me of surfing and the ritualistic aloe treatments for the post-surf sunburns.

Quinoa from Peru – How can you go wrong with an ancient super crop that’s been harvested for 3000-4000 years in the Andean region of South America? Plus, as a pseudo-vegetarian, it’s important to get essential amino acids and this is one of the few crops that provides all of them.

Castile Beauty Soap Dominica – Oddly, all the best soap packaging seems to come from the Caribbean islands so I had to pick up this olive oil infused castile soap from Dominica, “the nature island.” The smell reminds me of soaps we used to have in Hungary as a kid and the location of origin takes me back to the rainforest.

Hungarian Paprika from Hungary – This is probably the most well-known export of my home country and it should be used like salt in everything from omelets to Csirke Paprikas, my favorite dish of chicken bathed in a paprika-based sauce and surrounded by gnocchi.

Udon Noodles from Japan – Equally good in stir-fries and soups, Japanese noodles always seem to have a touch of class to them. I’ve always been fascinated by Japanese culture and a trip to the far island is at the top of my list of upcoming travels.

Teriyaki Nori Seaweed from China – While the brave eat this like a snack chip, I typically stir it into miso soup to give it a flavor that reminds me of swallowing ocean water on a good day of surfing.

Achiote Paste from Mexico – I love the rugged landscapes of Mexico and this traditional seasoning paste made from an inedible fruit’s seeds is essential for cochinita pibil. It’s also a natural dye often used as a substitute for food coloring.

Yerba Mate from Argentina – Buenos Aires is still one of my favorite cities for their art and design culture, and if you’ve ever been there you know that Mate is something of a religion, constantly being sipped at all hours of the day and night out of gourd cups with metal straw filters. It’s also extremely high in antioxidants and has a natural energy boost without the caffeine crash typical of coffee.

Rachel:

I bought food and beverage products to represent myself because I LOVE to eat.

Cornbrights from El Salvador – These are just a bit over the top, but they look happy and fun which I think conveys my personality. They’re also corny so that’s fitting as well.

Octopus from Mexico – I’m a scuba diver and have gone on long underwater searches for octopus in faraway waters.

Ginger Beer from Jamaica – Hello! I’m a Ginger!

Spotted Dick from England – It’s a British pudding (“dessert” for Americans). I bought this because I’m an Anglophile and because it was weird. I’ve spent a lot of time in England and have still never tried it.

Dinosaur Sippy Cup – Above all, I’m the mother of my one-year old son, Baylor, who loves straws and dinosaurs.

Jenn:

I wasn’t so good at finding products of international origins. BUT I did a great job finding items that had more than one application. I think I win as far as least amount of items, though I think Megg beat me on cheapest haul. Super fun field trip!

Toy – I love to eat (not that I’m a good cook) and I used to play house as a kid. I had one of those life-sized kitchen sets that I loved. “Playing house” also represents how I’m more of a relationship-type person. I’d much rather have a few close friends than hundreds of acquaintances.

Yeo’s Chrysanthemum Tea Drink (Malaysian brand) – I can say a lot of with this drink. It’s Asian; my favorite color, yellow; and my favorite kind of tea, chrysanthemum, which I love to drink while eating Dim Sum.

Melitta European Indulgence Coffee – It’s from the US; I couldn’t afford the import coffee on my $15 budget. But the point is that I’ve always wanted to visit and live somewhere in Europe. Very determined to make this happen.

Bubble Sword from China – This thing is awesome like me! Soft bubbles juxtaposed with a sharp ninja sword. It mirrors my sweet persona and love for post-hardcore/metalcore/screamo music. People are usually surprised with what I’m calmly listening to at work with my headphones on.

Megg:

I’m still really upset that the purple pony piñata was just barely outside of our $15 budget, and I still think that guy should’ve been more open to haggling. But all in all, this was really fun, and I don’t think Fiesta knew what hit ‘em.

Ball – I love red and usually it’s hard for my playful, energetic self to sit still. I can be rather bouncy.

Clown Candy – It’s ridiculous like me, and it reminds me of how much I wanted to be in the circus when I learned how to juggle in 4th grade.

White Tuna – What a ridiculous name for a cactus fruit. I wish I had thought of it. I saw this awkward, somewhat frumpy fruit and connected with it. Us weirdos have to stick together.

Broncholin Throat Drops – I have been asthmatic my entire life and I get a lot of upper respiratory infections, so I couldn’t walk out of Fiesta without something to soothe my ailments.

Mardi Gras Masks – This item couldn’t have been more perfect for me. 1) I come from just north of Galveston where Mardi Gras is a big deal 2) I was born in February 3) I’m really into theatre and these reminded me of the symbolic double masks and 4) My mom always encouraged us to paint everything as little kids. Rocks, masks, faces… nothing was safe. It helped me grow into the creative person I am today.

Lauren:

I had way too much fun with this. Also, I can use everything I bought. Except for the Estefania book, which I can’t read because it’s in Spanish. Oh well. It’s still fun to look at.

Coffee from Germany – It’s fitting that I’m starting with coffee because I start pretty much every day with a cup of coffee. I love it. The brand I chose is German, but I mainly liked how fancy it looked.

Chocolates from Mexico – Like most girls, I absolutely adore chocolate. This particular kind from Mexico is really awesome too. It was way denser than American chocolate and had a great taste. It also contained within the wrapper stickers of endangered and extinct animals, which was way too cool.

Oatmeal – I eat oatmeal pretty much every morning. I used to hate it, but I love it now. It’s filling and awesome and goes great with coffee.

Tea – The tea in the picture is representative of the kind of tea I drink in real life. (Apparently, the kind I got was some kind of herbal tea, which I’m not fond of.) I really love iced tea, as a true southern girl, and I’d drink it every day if I could.

Pen – You probably can’t see it in the picture, but the pen I got is just your standard black pen. It’s representative of the fact that I’m a writer and I can’t leave the house without a pen somewhere on my person. Seriously. I have a problem.

Red Marker – This is to symbolize my love of editing. I went a little dramatic here – I obviously do not mark up everything I read with a red marker, but in my younger days, I did. Today, it’s purely symbolic.

The book Estefania – I can’t go anywhere without taking a book; I love to read and it’s what I want to make a career out of one day. Also, I love that Estefania seems to have a strong female lead, which I can never resist – even if I can’t read this particular instance of it.

Mask – The mask was partly for fun, but also because I love to dress up for Halloween, which I love and kind of wish happened more than once a year. Besides, it was $1 – how could I pass that up?

Our founder, Rachel Clemens, is also a founding partner of SwapYourShop along with former Creative Suitcase employees, Jennifer Wright and Mackenzie Walsh, and partner Josh Peichoto. Recently, Rachel submitted a panel submission to the 2011 SXSW Interactive Festival. The panel made it past the first round of scrutiny and is now up for voting as part of SXSW’s Panel Picker. Help Rachel out by voting for her submission and telling SXSW what you think of the panel idea. Here’s the description:

Bartering Life: The Trend of Online Exchange Services
Today’s transactions have reverted back to a pre-industrial barter and trade system, with a technology twist. With the growing trend of online exchange websites, users are searching for ways in which to live, work and consume without paying for the experience, product or service. ‘ This emerging type of online transaction is viewed as smart, frugal and environmentally sound. The act of barter and trade is nothing new, but with technologies allowing us to tap into a vast amount of resources in a matter of minutes, the exchange transaction creates an entirely new way in which online users choose to consume. ‘ This panel will discuss the appeal of online exchange services, why they’re becoming increasingly valuable, how they’re transforming the way users consume and how one can use these online services to consume at a low to no cost.

Questions Answered:

1. What is the appeal of online exchange services and products?
2. Why are exchange services becoming increasingly valuable in today’s world?
3. How are exchange services transforming the way in which users are consuming products and services? And at what cost?
4. How can we use technology to connect large user bases who have good or services to trade?
5. Where is the future of online exchange services going?

Head on over to SXSW’s Panel Picker to vote now!

Creative Suitcase has decided to share $5,000 worth of website services to ConnectHer, a local nonprofit, as our holiday gift to our clients this year. Thank you for supporting us in 2009 and, in turn, supporting a nonprofit like ConnectHer.

ConnectHer.com matches donors with projects, making an immediate impact on women and children in developing countries. ConnectHer plans to launch their website the first quarter of 2010.

Happy holidays from your Creative Suitcase team!