a huge and humble thank you.

now this was a pleasant surprise.

for all of you who thought of us and think of us, we can't thank you enough.

xo caroline and daniel

'naturally' beautiful jewellery...

one of the things that stands out about these pieces is the use of natural materials.  take these 'cement pearls':

"...modeled on classic pearl studs, each concrete sphere is cast by hand and set onto a sterling silver post. with wear, the colour of the earrings will deepen as the concrete is exposed to the air and the oils from your skin." beautiful.

"the name Metsa comes from the Estonian phrase “minu väike metsa maja”, which means “my little house in the forest.”

when I was young my grandfather and I built a tree fort on a small property they owned north of toronto. when I started this company, I decided on the name Metsa not only because it reminds me of my grandfather but becasue it is the only word in the phrase that is pronounced virtually the same in Estonian and English. every item represents our belief that a piece’s value comes from its narrative; how it was made, who created it, why, and how it is worn."

made of red clay, these pieces are so lovely...and have been recently featured in this month's vancouver magazine.  designed and handmade right here in our neighbourhood. 

again, made here in vancouver these resin pieces are punchy and heaps of fun. 

available in store in celery, ivory and smoke; we have earrings and necklaces too.

a stockholm story.

"Founded by Anders Färdig, Design House Stockholm have distinguished ourselves as a publisher of design rather than a conventional producer, working in the same way with designers that publishing houses work with authors. We look for products that add something new to their genre, products with personality and character. The ambition is to be a mirror of the very best Scandinavian design today - the term ‘Scandinavian’ referring to a philosophic and aesthetic perspective, rather than geography and nationality. To gather a collection of design classics with timeless appeal and qualities that outlives temporary trends. These are the foundations of Design House Stockholm."

 i'd say those are excellent foundations on which to build a company, no? 

this sexy stepladder was awarded 'furniture piece of the year' by Elle Interiör.  the jury noted that Step is “a talented design of an often neglected piece of furniture”.

Read more at www.elleinterior.se


as we watch the snow fall - this makes us happy!

Native SS11 Photoshoot from Native Shoes on Vimeo.

with all this sunshine, the time is coming to peel off those layers,

and slip into some new kicks.

if you haven't already heard, vancouver's own, native shoes, has been creating quite a stir...  the founder, damian van zyll de jong's desire 'was to deliver classic, casual silhouettes in the lightest and most comfortable material available'.  done, done, done and done!

'the jefferson'

'the miller'

'the jericho' also available in dodger blue

all styles pictured above available in adults and kids sizes. 

features: waterproof, animal free, shock absorbant, anti-microbial, washable, odor resistant



surprise visit from a stelton designer!

who knew the 'Your Choice' tealight lantern designer for Stelton lived right here in our city?  we didn't, until he humbly came into the shop and let us know! 

meet Sören Schou.

"Staying away from quantity, trends and fashions, Sören’s style is that of Scandinavian functionality, quality, sensibility and longevity. Sören believes that products should enhance life, making it more comfortable, exciting and enriching.

Upon arrival in Vancouver, Canada in 1993, he joined the BC Industrial Designers Association (BCID) and started at Designlines Canada (now merged with Busby Perkins+Will Architects), where he remains the industrial design leader. With the desire to challenge different niche markets, he launched soren schou design in 2004."



this beautiful piece was winner of the 2007 red dot design award.

new stock just arrived along with the simply carafe...

jamie; the man behind the macarons

"I have always been interested in food. As a young boy, I watched my mother and grandmother cook in the kitchen and prepare dishes which sparked my interest with cooking and baking.

I remember making my first batch of macarons three years ago as a welcome home surprise / birthday cake replacement for my older sister. After days of research, painstaking work and grueling sweat, I attempted making 6 different colours and flavours. Needless to say, I failed. . . and ended up having to make the birthday cake.

Being a person who loves to take on a challenge, my failed attempt made me want to strive to perfect this classic French dessert.

Over the years, I’ve continued to experiment and develop my macaron making skills, working with different flavour combinations and colours at every possible occasion (spiced pumpkin pie macarons at Halloween, dark chocolate peppermint mocha at Christmas, matcha green tea with black sesame for the weekend… you get the idea…). Thankfully my friends and family enjoy eating them as much as I love creating them."

think special occassions, he's up for special orders!  his big sister and big brother are here for the weekend helping him out - love this sibling business...

jamie siu
info@ilovemacarons.ca

whew! new jewellery and just in the knick of time...

...if you celebrate that 'v' day people are gushing about on monday...then we have a few new pieces that we're excited to show you!

"Based in Brooklyn, NY, Sergio and Matthew are an extraordinary design team with a focus on creating clean, modern, machined aesthetic .  Their unisex jewelry collection was conceived through their desire to make their art accessible. 

Their collaboration began about 10 years ago when they met as students at Pratt.  Collectively they've created mostly furniture and home accessories and have teamed up with such brands and manufacturers as MatterMade, Areaware, and Kid Robot.  Their work has been shown at the Heller Gallery in NY, and will also be featured in Surface Magazine's November "Avant Gard" issue.  

 

In 2005, Matthew was the winner of the Cue Arts Foundation Design Competition, and was also named one of Wallpaper Magazine's "10 Most Wanted Designers."

new work from broken english...

earrings made of oxidized bronze and sterling silver, pendant with sterling chain and oxidized bronze stacking rings.

we also have a lovely selection of valentine cards along with a new shipment of books from Phaidon!

let's clear this up before the weekend, shall we?

macaron vs. macaroon vs. luxemburgerli vs. makaron

"A macaron (French pronunciation: [makaˈʁɔ̃])^[1][2] is a sweet confectionery .... The macaron is commonly filled with buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. Its name is derived from an Italian word "maccarone" or "maccherone"...

The confectionery is characterized by its smooth, domed top, ruffled circumference (referred to as the "foot"), flat base, mildly moist and easily melted into mouths.^[4]

Since the English word macaroon can also refer to the Coconut macaroon, many have adopted the French spelling of macaron to distinguish the two items.. However, this has caused confusion over the correct spelling of the cookie/biscuit...

In Switzerland the Luxemburgerli (also Luxembourger) is similar to a French macaron but is said to be lighter and more airy in consistency.

Macarons are popular confection known as "makaron" in Japan.^[12] There is also a version of the same name which substitutes peanut flour for almond and is flavored in wagashi style, widely available in Sendai, Japan."

thank you wikipedia.  now for this weekend - tastings and freshly made batches from this young local talent will be available in beautiful flavours and in packs of sixes...

saturday 10am - 5pm

sunday 12pm - 5pm

new sweet terrariums

i love the personality that miss iris reilly puts into her terrariums...kind of enchants me and brings me back to the wondrous land of 'miniature world' in victoria.

a musical serenade - i love this dancing girl!

not only great for home and office, but for anyone who just can't seem to keep plants alive...

tree planting, by klee larsen

up in the shop:

"Barley" 36" X 36"

"Suncore" 36" X 36"

"Tolko" 36" X 36"

"The Block" 36" X 36"

"Klee has recently moved back to Vancouver after spending her last two summers tree planting across Canada and living in Montreal during the fall and winter. She has been having fun working on the classic idea of landscape photography but putting a different twist on the finished shot. Using very grainy film, no tripod and placing the horizon line across the center adds a creepy feel to an already odd perspective."

i love the simple way these hang in the shop.

Printed on archival paper with a laminate finish.