Parks Party

This weekend Parks Canada celebrates 100 years of service. Because I love both the Canadian outdoors and a good party, I am eager to celebrate. So the question for any party…what to wear?

An outdoorsy camp party uniform is the jeans and tshirt.

Local artist Anna Stowe’s “The Way Home” tshirt is a perfect alternative to a plain or logo tshirt.

A lumberjack cowl by Pip Robins is a must, non?

Then add a wooden Canadiana wildlife themed ring by Anneke van Bommel. Sweeeeeeeet.

And because this is a party, we mustn’t forget our flask. This sweet buck is a Hamilton handtooled and dyed leather covered hip flask from Shoot from the Hip.

I can not find any official Parks Canada celebrational events here in Halifax. But that shouldn’t stop us now. We are are half way there. Now all that is left to decide on is the snacks and the music to accompany the drive. Wondering: what is the quintessential Canadian camp song? Anyone?

Love, Me Press Gang – Anneke van Bommel and Cameron Maclean

I love beautiful smart design. And this chair is just that.  

So I wasn’t surprised when I read a feature on Design Sponge about this chair-ific collaboration between Anneke van Bommel and Cameron Maclean. We first met Anneke in May 2010 via a box of fun Canadiana inspired jewellery. (Seriously your flannel is not complete without one of Anneke’s wooden axe or log brooches.)

Cameron only joined the Love, Me bunch early December with his gorgeous wooden clocks (we coined them the sexy man clock b/c they are sexy and it is a clock your guy would totally dig), wooden vases, and those killer wooden skate guards. Remember those? No? Oh yah, that is because they sold out the week they arrived.

 

I love the chair collaboration they did for the Made at Home exhibition for the Toronto International Design show – smart “upcycling” with beautiful skill and crafts(wo)manship equals stunning results. Congrats you two!

Design Sponge article

New Jewellery in Store

May 27, 2010 – Two new and very different styles of jewellery have arrived in the store.  One is pretty and light, the other pretty and bold. Both have a definite touch of whimsy.

Vanessa Neily

Vanessa is a NSCAD grad and local jeweler found through the Halifax Crafters shows.  Her earrings are a perfect choice for spring.  The branch earrings have a lovely, delicate look to them. So delicate that a customer thought they might be made of porcelain.

The earring are a bit tougher than the customer thought, as they are made with enamel and tatting done in cotton thread.  They have a look of a tree in bloom, which could make them the perfect accessory if you’re headed to the Apple Blossom Festival this coming weekend.

She also uses the tatted cotton in her enamel rings

and in the picot earrings, which can be adjusted to be as dangly as you like.  The picot earrings have a light look to them that makes them great for  work or you can make them really long for an evening out.

Anneke Van Bommel

Toronto based artist Anneke van Bommel (also a NSCAD grad) makes jewellery (and prints!) that are fun for the fan of Canadiana and getting out to the cottage.

She finds her inspiration in things like cabin interiors and vintage history textbooks and her wooden jewellery has a definite sense of being souvenirs of Canada.

Her jewellery could also be a great gift for fans of Twin Peaks: