a peek at our dreamy Spring 2017 Daisy Chain collection

Hooray, spring is (almost) upon us! After one of the most challenging winter's I can remember in Vancouver, the advent of warmer weather couldn't be more welcome. I've been waiting for the flowers to start blooming before I released this collection, and am happy to announce my neighbourhood is peppered with little snow drops and crocuses, everywhere you look.

I'm super excited to be able to share Part 1 of my Spring / Summer 2017 collection with you! This section is called Daisy Chain, and features delicate & feminine leather lace flowers. I make each flower by hand, starting with a second hand leather jacket. After cutting it into useable pieces, I create the lace effect with 2 different types of leather punches, hammering each hole. Each flower is cut-out individually, and several layers of leather paint are applied, both to seal in the edges and colour the flower.

In our Daisy Chain collection, you'll find 3 styles: Single flower earrings, Double flower earrings, and Daisy chain necklaces. The earrings are made with 14K Gold Plated hooks, and the chain on the necklace is 14K Gold Plated as well, in 5 different colours. Wouldn't the white ones be perfect for a Spring or Summer wedding?

Single Daisy Earrings

Double Daisy Earrings

Daisy Chain Necklace

You can find all the listings for these on our Etsy Shop, and see more pictures on our Instagram.

As a special offer to you, we're doing complimentary customized calligraphy packaging when you order the Single or Double Daisy Earrings!

Just include the message you'd like along with your order.

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A look back at the year in photos, part 2.

In part 2 of this series, I am excited to share my favourite animal photos of the year. Admittedly, it was tough to narrow it down to just a handful of monkey pictures. I had my first experiences interacting with monkeys (Macaques, specifically) in Vietnam, and was delighted to run into them again many times along my journey.

This little lady was chained up in the yard of an Airbnb I stayed at on Phú Quốc island, South-West of Vietnam. As you can imagine, she was not happy about being locked up, but seemed to enjoy interacting with me, and was more than happy to eat my fruit.

It's the feline equivalent of the "we will get along shirt" . Taken on Cát Bà island, North-Eastern Vietnam.

The denim vest. Who wore it better? This guy or Bieber? On the street in Hanoi, Northern Vietnam.

I snapped this pretty lady in the national park of Mu Koh on Koh Lanta in Southern Thailand. The tribe of Macaques living in this park is super chill around humans, and will casually wander up to you, waiting for the perfect moment to snatch something tasty out of your bag (or hands!). This one had her sight(s) set on my stainless steel water bottle.

The Singapore zoo was easily the best (and least depressing) one I've been to, and the highlight for me was the tribe of over 90 Hamadryas Baboons. One can watch them engage in all sorts of fascinating social behaviours... including mating. This honey's swollen behind means she's ripe for the picking.

At Arashiyama Monkey Park in Kyoto, the roles are reversed! Us humans are caged, while the monkeys (Japanese Macaques or "Snow Monkeys") roam free, approaching the cage of humans to receive food at their leisure. We are given instructions not to touch them or look them in the eye.

If you missed Part 1 of the series, you can see it here. Part 3 soon to follow.

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A look back at the year in photos, part 1

I'm putting together this series to reflect on some of the moments from the past year of which I am most grateful for. In 2016, I spent a sum total of over 4 months away from home, travelling to places like Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and Brazil (to name a few). While these trips presented many unexpected struggles and challenges, they also filled my heart up with appreciation for the world outside of our little slice. I want to share with you some moments of beauty, which I feel so lucky to have experienced. To do these images justice, I recommend using a computer screen, as many of them are detail-oriented.

Each part of this series will have a theme. Part 1: Iconic Cityscapes.

Shinobazu pond, in Ueno Park, Tokyo. The tail-end of cherry blossom season, the beginning of sunset. During cherry blossom season, the Japanese flock to Ueno park to drink (a lot) and dine under the Sakura trees, a tradition called Hanami. In this picture it appears to be a calm, tranquil place, but the park was absolutely buzzing with people determined to enjoy the last couple days of the bloom.

I visited Tokyo twice during my last trip to Japan, both times staying in the Asakusa neighbourhood, passing by this strange trio of buildings on my way from the station to the hostel each day. The tallest one on the left is the Skytree observatory, and the far right is the Asahi Beer Hall. The strange shape on top is meant to represent the "Asahi Flame", but is dubbed "Kin no Unchi" (Golden Turd) by residents.

I went to Wakayama on a whim, without any real reason to go there. I suspect I may have been the only non-resident in the entire city. Many of the streets were person-less, many restaurants closed. I had no shortage of time alone with my thoughts, walking the empty sidewalks. This picture was taken on the rooftop of my guesthouse, in a peaceful (but chilly) moment of blissful reflection.

The view from my hotel window, 1st day of a 3+ month trip. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

If you think paying $15 for a cocktail here is nuts, you might not want to visit the bar on top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore. Do you know what? It's worth it for the view. Background: Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Foreground: Supertree grove.

The view from Kek Lok Si, a majestic Buddhist temple on the Malaysian island of Penang, overlooking the city of Georgetown. This is an incredibly special place.

Okay, this one is a reverse cityscape. I made a side-trip to Taipei for 2 nights from Osaka, and had my first experience staying with someone from couchsurfing.com (I've hosted a number of times in the past). My host was phenomenal. I mentioned I was keen to try local dishes, so she took me to the night market and explained every dish, sampling things with me along the way. Before coming here, I had no concept of Taiwanese food, but GUYS IT'S THE BEST FOOD. This is a shot of her side-street, in New Taipei. New Taipei is the most populated city in Taiwan, and is home to the working class. I was fascinated by the density of each block, crammed full with apartments, and only a small street, barely big enough for a car, between each block of building. And when I say "building", I mean several buildings butted up against and built on top of one another. I think Taiwan is wonderful, and hope to return soon.

Brasília is about as different (in terms of architecture) to New Taipei as it gets. Everything about this city is masterfully planned, with functionality, aesthetic and space in mind.

The day we rode the cable car up Pão de Açúcar it was sadly cloudy, but the view of Rio de Janeiro was nonetheless breathtaking.

A shot from São Paulo, a city with more public artwork than one could see in a lifetime.

Looking down on the city from the Top of Vancouver.

Downtown Vancouver at Sunset. A view from beer island.

Thanks for looking <3<3

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