Gratitudes Gifts & Home Decor is proud to carry Palecek. Allan H. Palecek was born and raised in Kansas. A strong connection to nature and agriculture was inevitable in his rural youth, laying the groundwork for his environmental awareness and respect. His distinctly American upbringing was the springboard for an expanding world view as Allan joined the Air Force during the Vietnam War. In his travels across the globe, he was repeatedly drawn to native, woven handicrafts. Regardless of the culture or country, there was a global connection that emerged: exquisite, local, sustainable materials were the connection throughout their organic designs.