urbanite jewelry: stories from the studio

In The Studio: Bubbly Baubles

2011-11-30T12:59:00.001-08:00

Just sharing a little peek at some special pieces I've been working on especially for our December craft shows. They're tiny bubble necklaces filled with delicate and gorgeous feathers. Simple & stunning.

They'll be available at our shows this weekend, Urban Craft on Saturday (10am-2pm at The GCTC, Holland & Wellington) and Shanghai & Daily Grind Craft Shows (Somerset St. West) on Sunday! Pop by & say hello!

Where You Can Buy Urbanite Jewelry this Holiday Season!

2011-11-25T04:42:00.001-08:00

Photo by Anne-Marie Bouchard of AMBPhoto

Shows
We will be at the following shows with tons of jewelry--including new and never-before-seen styles for you to shop from! Come say hello to us!

Urban Craft
Saturday, December 3, 2011
10am - 2pm
GCTC @ The corner of Holland & Wellington
Ottawa, Ontario

Shanghai Winter Craft Sale
Sunday, December 4, 2011
10am - 3pm
Shanghai Restaurant, 651 Somerset St. W.

Craftalicious
Saturday, December 10, 2011
10 am - 5 pm
St. Matthew's Anglican Church, 217 First Ave.

Stores
If you aren't local to the Ottawa area, or donèt have a chance to come out to the events above, our jewelry is now available in 13 stores across Canada (and one on St. Louis)! Pick up some jewelry and support your independent, locally owned store while you are at it!

CANADA
Workshop Studio & Boutique
242 Dalhousie Street, Ottawa, ON

Flock Boutique
1275 Wellington Street W, Ottawa, ON

Steel Style Garage
21 King Street E, Gananoque, ON

Relish Vintage
6 Cannon Street E, Hamilton, ON

With Love Bridal Boutique
1501 Stittsville Main Street, Stittsville, ON

General 54
54 St. Viateur Ouest, Montreal, QC

twigg & hottie
3671 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

Frakas - Kelowna
#20 3155 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna, BC

Frakas - Saskatoon Downtown
#1 - 183 2nd Avenue S, Saskatoon, SK

Frakas - Saskatoon Erindale
#9 - 410 Ludlow Street, Saskatoon, SK

Dots & Loops
183 Lincoln Street, Lunenburg, NS

Love, Me Boutique
1539 Birmingham Street Halifax, NS

U.S.
Charm Boutique
7312 Manchester, Maplewood (STL), Missouri

First Snow.

2011-11-23T06:48:00.001-08:00

Just a little snapshot of the first snow of the season here in Ottawa, Canada. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. :)

In The Studio: Holiday Prep

2011-11-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

November and December are hands-down the busiest season for me--and indeed, for many small businesses and crafters out there. So although we're barely past Halloween, the reality is that I've been gearing up for the holiday season for weeks now. This season I'm not only gearing up to stock the 10 stores that carry our jewelry, and preparing wild amounts of jewelry for the craft show season...but also running four craft shows and producing Ottawa's first Craft Crawl. Thank goodness I have so many wonderful people helping me out; otherwise I probably wouldn't sleep for the whole month of November!

The busy season kicks off for me this weekend with Urban Craft here in Ottawa and Handmade Harvest, a fantastic show out in Almonte. Two shows in one weekend? Whew! I spent this morning preparing over 100 pieces of jewelry to ensure we have enough stock on hand for both shows! I also spent this weekend ensuring we had enough packaging ready for the whole holiday season, which meant preparing nearly 500 polaroids (pictured above). My little fingers are tired, but I'm feeling quite accomplished!

In The Studio: A Business Evolves

2011-10-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

When I first launched my business 2 1/2 years ago, one of the first orders of business (aside from, you know, making and releasing my first pieces of jewelry) was to order business cards. I remember designing them on Vista Print, placing the order, and eagerly awaiting for their arrival. This may or may not have involved checking the mail box multiple times every day. At the time, I was living in the UK and had roommates from Australia, China and Cyprus. My Cypriot flatmate Kalia and I became fast friends and soon we were as close as sisters. When the cards finally arrived, we went to get the mail together and squealed in delight when they arrived. I was so proud! Since then, I have used the same cards (with the design altered a bit), and people seem to swoon over them and love the design.

Over the past few months, my business has really moved to the next level as I have picked up quite a few stores across Canada. In May I started with one store account and I currently have 8 stores across the U.S. and Canada selling my stuff. By the beginning of November, there will be 10. This fact in itself completely blows me away and I am constantly grateful.

As urbanite has shifted into a new era of sorts, I figured it was time to finally upgrade my business cards. I contacted Aiko to redesign my cards. Aiko owns Potomac Studio and she is the graphic designer we work with on all our projects; she is incredibly talented and so wonderful to work with. I asked her if she would do a bit of a redesign for me and she was happy to help. Within a few hours I had a new business card design, which I am so excited about:

I am sending the cards off to Deja Printing, a local company that comes highly recommended from my friend Amy of Splendid Events. Having held Amy's cards in my hands many times, I cannot wait to get my brand new cards in, printed in full color on both sides on heavier weight paper. I can almost imagine how luxurious they'll feel already! I'll be sure to share them as soon as they arrive!

In The Studio: Limited Edition Lovelies

2011-09-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hello loves! Just wanted to pop in and share some a little peek. I've been working on some new and limited edition pieces for Urban Craft this Saturday. The spread will include the beauties above, a special edition of our Casablanca style. If you're free on Saturday, join us for Urban Craft from 10am-2pm at The GCTC (Holland & Wellington in Hintonburg). We'll have over 20 fantastic modern, indie vendors for you to shop from! xo!

In The Studio: A Second Peek

2011-08-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

Another quick little peek for all you wonderful people. We'll be releasing a slew of new cities this fall including Barcelona, Manila, Beijing, Victoria BC and so so many more. Here's a peek at some of the new styles which we'll have available for the first time at Urban Craft this Saturday (10am-2pm, The GCTC @ Holland & Wellington)!

In The Studio: A Little Peek

2011-08-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to say a quick hello & give a little peek at some of the new styles I'll be debuting at Urban Craft this Saturday (10am-2pm at the GCTC in Hintonburg). I'm releasing a slew of new cities soon including Barcelona, Mombasa, Goa, Manila, Vienna, Istanbul and more & they'll be in the Etsy shop soon--just in time for fall! :)

The Creative Life: Creating Urban Craft

2011-08-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Guys! For the past month-and-a-half or so, I've been working on a not-so-secret project that I haven't had a chance to share here yet. We're launching a new craft show here in Ottawa called Urban Craft! I'm incredibly excited about it, to say the least, and it's been so fun working on it.

We were inspired by other monthly shows that have become wildly popular in other cities, and wanted to bring the idea to Ottawa. We also really wanted to provide a place where crafters and artisanal food producers could sell their creations every month in an indoor setting. Out of all this grew Urban Craft, a curated show that will be taking place in Hintonburg, an up-and-coming neighborhood in Ottawa.

The show has an indie and modern focus and we are incredibly excited about the vendors who have signed on. The talent that we've discovered through Urban Craft is ridiculously amazing and we can't wait for the first show, which will be taking place in a little over two weeks. Urban Craft will run the first Saturday of every month from 10am-2pm at The GCTC (on the corner of Holland & Wellington, for the locals).

We worked with our favorite graphic designer, Potomac Studio, who created our branding/identity as well as these awesome-as-heck posters which just came back from the printer yesterday. I'm giddy with excitement!

More information & all the juicy details at our brand new website here

Music Monday: Theivery Corporation's Latest

2011-08-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

Thievery Corporation's newest song, Take My Soul featuring sultry yet airy vocals from LouLou.

A Weekend Away & A New Shop

2011-08-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

{on the st. lawrence}
Over the August long weekend here in Canada, some lovely friends invited us down to their parent's home in Gananoque, Ontario. The city--and their incredible home--lies on the St. Lawrence River. In this part of the country, the St. Lawrence divides the U.S. from Canada, and is also home to the 1000 Islands area. The area, as you can imagine, is spotted with islands--over 1700 of them--and is so incredibly gorgeous.

{back yard}
We spent the weekend on the river on our friends boat and jet ski and it's safe to say that I am now hell-bent on owning a house on the river and a boat. Some day...some day.

{sunset}
On Saturday we had a chance to explore quaint downtown Gananoque. It was filled with old pubs, retro candy stores, and stores you didn't even know existed anymore. As we walked down toward Gananoque's marina, I said to my beau Robin that what the town really needed was a lovely, modern coffee shop and cute boutiques. No sooner than the words came out of my mouth that we stumbled upon the most amazing thing ever: an old building which had been renovated and converted into 3 spaces and now housed a BBQ joint, the most beautiful coffee shop ever and one of the best decorated and curated boutiques I've seen in a while! In doing some more research, I discovered the place, called Axleworks, has been designed to help transform their part of the city into a bustling arts and cultural area. My kind of place!

The smell of the BBQ wafting out of the restaurant and Pig Iron BBQ's neat sign (which I didn't get a chance to snap a pic of) are what drew us in and lead us down the rabbit hole. While we were really disappointed we didn't get a chance to eat at Pig Iron while in town, we had a chance to snap a pic of their menu which reminds me that we need to go back to Gananoque very. soon.

{BBQ}
As we wandered into the business next door, we came upon this gorgeousness:

{amazing coffee bar}
The Socialist Pig is seriously one of the loveliest cafe's I've come across. It included a bar built from books(!), tables made out of old suitcases(!), a huge communal table topped off with a full chalkboard wall featuring the cafe's menu and a lovely chandelier. Utterly swoon-worthy. We had to indulge, of course, and had a couple of infused iced teas and lemonades. They were as wonderful as the decor.

{adorably clever}
We then stumbled next door onto my favorite discovery of the weekend: Steel. One of the loveliest boutiques I've seen with the most eclectic yet refined decor and displays around. I was instantly smitten with this place and snapped a few quick pictures while I was there. The owner, Shannon, has done such a great job of curating the space both in terms of merchandise and displays.

{steel.}
I emailed the store immediately after we arrived home to ask if they would carry urbanite in their store. To my absolute delight, she said yes and we popped a package full of goodies in the mail to her yesterday. If you're ever in the area--or on the 401 somewhere between Toronto -or- Kingston and Ottawa--stop in to Gananoque and Axleworks. I think you'll love it as much as I did!

Currently Coveting: Comfy Bags

2011-08-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

Swooning over the comfortable loveliness of this Belgian Etsy seller's gorgeous bags.

Music Monday: DJ Spooky - Everything in Its Right Place

2011-07-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

As far as I can tell, The Voice Project is one of the coolest things on the planet. Famous singers doing innovative versions of other famous singer's songs? Yes, please. This one features DJ Spooky and Joshua Roman doing a cover of Radiohead's 'Everything in Its Right Place'. DJ Spooky in and of himself is awesome; I was first introduced to him while I was working for the Mayor of Denver during the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He gave a performance including recordings he had made of the sounds of glaciers melting. He did so to bring attention to climate change in a new and innovative way. Incredible, right? His contribution to The Voice Project is pretty darn fantastic, too.

The Tour De Tea's Triumphant Return!

2011-07-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know that I have a ~~bit of~~ an extremely large obsession with tea. Back in January I started a project called 'Tour De Tea' in an effort to work through the 60+ blends of tea we have in our house. Yes, 60 (and 90% of those are loose leaf). Well...as it turns out, when you drink a cup of tea a day, it makes you think about tea more...and consequently buy more tea. I believe our collection is nearing 80 blends now. I know, I know--we have a problem. The good news is that this means I was able to extend and continue my Tour De tea project. Yay! Follow along with me over here to see the progress. Today's tea? It's from Boulder, Colorado and it's called Blue Spring; Oolong leaves are wrapped tightly and then coated with ginseng powder. One of the most unique teas I've come across! And it's day 73 of the tour!

P.S. It's probably little coincidence that this coincides with the most well known tour de. July is Tour De France month, and I'm such a sucker for cycling!

Allons à Montréal!

2011-06-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! We're headed out to Montreal for an extra extended long weekend! This weekend is a three-day weekend for those of us in Canada (and in the U.S., too!), and both I and my beau are taking a couple extra days off. It's much needed after the truly crazy past few weeks that we've had!

Montreal is one of my very favorite cities, and we head down there every few months since we're lucky enough to live just a couple of hours away. I'll be back next week with new jewelry (at long last!) and a brand new blog column which I'm so excited to debut!

Alfie.

2011-06-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our household, Alfie.

He is probably the most prolific aloe plant I've ever met in my life, and he came to live with us by way of our generous neighbor, Anita.

Alfie quickly outgrew his original digs, so I decided to spread the Alfie love around.

Which didn't come without its own challenges--some potting soil managed to escape the craft paper barrier I laid down...

And now there are five Alfies (Alfi?)...ready for new, loving homes. All of this pales in comparison to these little babies:

Which came from my the garden my beau planted just around the corner (at our local community garden). I'm pretty impressed with him.

Currently Coveting: Laura Amiss' Art

2011-06-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

A little Friday afternoon eye candy for you. I'm completely in love with Laura Amiss' art. Is it any wonder--with the teapots, tea cups and the city scapes? So sweet & lovely.

Images all from Laura's Etsy Shop.

Music Monday: Lal Meri's 'Dreams of 18'

2011-06-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

I discovered Lal Meri in a way that can only be described as 'through the wonders of globalization and the interwebs'. I did my master's degree in the UK and while slogging through my coursework and master's thesis, there were times where I desperately needed inspiration and a taste of home to make it through. Enter KCRW, an amazing public radio station out of Santa Monica, California, which has a show called Morning Becomes Eclectic. I would go weeks on end listening Morning Becomes Eclectic without fail every day, and it has introduced me to some truly amazing music, including Lal Meri. This group has achieved the perfect blend of downtempo beats and east Indian sounds, and their music is truly unique and addicting. Enjoy!

In The Studio: Idle Hands Sneak Peek

2011-06-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

Just a brief little sneak peek of some new pieces we'll have available at Idle Hands tomorrow! Idle Hands is a truly fantastic indie craft show featuring 40+ seriously talented designers, artisans and bakers. It's seriously one of the best-curated craft shows in Ottawa and I'm insanely proud to be a part of it.

Idle Hands: 10am-5pm at St. Lukes in Ottawa's Chinatown (760 Somerset Street West).

Currently Coveting: Pigeon Toe Ceramics

2011-06-09T05:06:00.000-07:00

It's official: I'm in love. I recently stumbled across Pigeon Toe's Spring/Summer 2011 collection and I'm completely smitten.

The clean lines...the pops of color...those geometric drawer pulls!?

I absolutely love the sweet detail on lid of that sugar jar.

Oh my. Where's my wallet!?

Music Monday: Broken Bells 'The Ghost Inside'

2011-05-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hello long lost friends! My life has been a wild whirlwind lately, mostly full of shows (I had back-to-back ones this past weekend). Whew! It's nice to have a day to sit down and focus, concentrate and, honestly, relax! If you're looking for a little respite from your personal whirlwind, may I offer you some Broken Bells? This is their favorite song of mine and the video doesn't disappoint. For all you Mad Men fans, it even features the lovely Christina Hendricks. Win win.

Music Monday: Adele's 'Hometown Glory'

2011-05-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

The world is completely atwitter over Adele these days...and with good reason. She's got an incredible voice...amazingly composed songs and lovely lovely lyrics. I discovered her music while doing my master's degree in the UK, and her latest album, 21, has been in constant rotation here in the studio lately. I find that Adele does such an incredible job at distilling her feelings into each of the songs she writes. I recently found out that she's only 23 years old...can you believe that? What an incredible young talent.

I hope that if you've heard Adele's more popular songs (namely 'Rolling in the Deep'), but haven't delved into her library that you'll enjoy this song, Hometown Glory. Beautiful.

Music Monday: Jason Mraz, 'It's A Lovely Day'

2011-05-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

Simply the perfect song if you're having a hard time dragging yourself out of bed on a Monday morning, or if you're having a hard hump day. (Includes adorable bonus footage when Jason Mraz has a chat with the busker about where they're from. I love it when people from divergent worlds come together.)

In the Studio: Our New Packaging!

2011-05-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gents...it's finally here! I've been working on finalizing our packaging for what seems like forever (more on that in a later post). Without further adieu...our brand spankin' new packaging is FINALLY here!

Each piece of our jewelry now comes hung on a polaroid snapped in the city your jewelry is named after! I'm so thrilled to be able to share an extra little piece of each city with you in the form of a photograph, and I'm so happy with the way they turned out!

The pieces also now come in our new signature urbanite jewelry bag! Each drawstring cotton bag is hand stamped with our logo. It's also reusable and works great as a travel case for your jewelry. If you're like me and you're always losing things in your purse, tuck your lip gloss and travel perfume into your urbanite bag, slide it into your purse and go! It also works as a perfect case to protect your camera or Blackberry from scratches!

And...the icing on the cake: for so long everyone has been asking for the city stories to come packaged with their jewelry. We finally found a way to make that happen: each piece now comes with its city story printed on the back of the polaroid.

I can attest--these little bundles of joy are so much fun to open and I can't wait to get them (and the jewelry, of course) into your hands!

Currently Coveting: Little Things

2011-05-04T07:38:00.000-07:00

This morning I came across Little Things, a blog which catalogs those little things in life that bring a smile to your face.

It's the beauty in every day and the tiny things that make you laugh and smile that truly make life enjoyable, don't you think?

Right now, the little things I love are: eating Magnum Ice Cream for the first time since I was in Morocco...reaching 300 hearts in my Etsy Shop...seeing the Rocky Mountains every morning, noon and night...having lunches with friends whom I haven't seen in a long time...discovering new parts of my home city...and celebrating little victories.

What little things are you loving lately?

(Hat tip: You Are My Fave)

Music Monday: Mumford and Sons 'The Cave'

2011-05-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about coming home to Colorado is being able to listen to KBCO, my favorite radio station in the whole wide world. The variety and quality of music that they play on this station is just bar-none, and they play the perfect mix of songs you love and artists you've never heard of.

KBCO introduced me to Mumford and Sons, a fantastically unique folk rock band out of England which is getting a lot of radio rotation lately. (Side Note: Seriously, England--you never stop producing fantastic musicians. How do you do it?). Their music is full of intricacy a complexity and yet so approachable and fun to listen to. I hope you'll fall in love with these boys, too!

Currently Coveting: Lovely Leather from Poketo

2011-04-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with these upcycled leather goods from Poketo. I love the clean lines, contrasting colors and uniqueness of each piece.

I'd be totally smitten jet setting with this passport cover tucked away in this tote. Of course, I'd switch to this clutch for the evening.

(Seriously, can someone buy me that clutch? Swoon!)

Music Monday: Marie-Pierre Arthur's 'Porquoi'

2011-04-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Oh, I am so very in love with this song and its adorable video. Marie-Pierre Arthur is a Quebecois singer, songwriter and bassist. You can read more about her (en français) and listen to a couple of her other wonderful songs (also en français ;) here!

Springtime in Colorado

2011-04-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

I moved to Canada in October 2009 and promptly decided to plant my feet firmly there. Life became so full and so busy so quickly that I didn't even have a chance to come back to my home country, the U.S., until...now. So it's been a year and a half since I've been at home in the amazing state of Colorado. It's been so wonderful to be here--I've practically consumed my weight in Mexican food and spent a large amount of quality time with Target.

For those of you who have never been, Colorado is a lovely place (and a lovely place to grow up). So I thought I'd share some photos...

Spring in Colorado means...gorgeous trees in bloom! When I left Canada a week ago, parts of the lakes and rivers will still frozen over. To see trees in full bloom like this makes me giddy.

Long roads that you can see for miles and mountains that are gorgeous even when it's hazy!

Hanging out at the Denver Art Museum on a gorgeous day.

Baking GIANT cookies with my mom. We made equally GIANT ice cream sandwiches for my nephews with them!

And...THIS view outside my bedroom window every. single. evening. Swoon.

Name The Necklace Contest: Winner!

2011-04-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

Ladies--I have to tell you; you are one talented group of gals! I was so completely blown away by all of your incredible entries! Your names for our lovely little necklace stretched from the shores of Australia to the streets of Spain to the ancient histories of both Istanbul and China. I so enjoyed each and every one of your entries; I really felt as though I was exploring the world through your eyes.

So now, without further adieu...the winner is...

Landylicious!

Laura (I think that's your name!) submitted the city of Seville. Her description of the city instantly transported us to this Spanish city and made us wish we were strolling down its streets:

The necklace reminds me of the flesh of an orange, and so I would name it Seville, after the Spanish city. Seville's streets are lined with orange trees and in the Spring the entire city smells like orange blossoms. I've never experienced anything else quite like it.

Well done, Landylicious! We'll be in touch so we can send off your prize and this necklace (and its matching earrings) will be arriving in our shop tomorrow along with EIGHT other new styles!

For all the lovely and talented ladies who didn't win, we've got something for you too: just enter the code NTNWIN to receive 20% off your entire urbanite jewelry purchase! A huge thanks to everyone who entered! You're amazing!

Contest: Name the Necklace Entries!

2011-04-11T13:15:00.000-07:00

We're totally loving the entries you lovely ladies have submitted thus far for our Name the Necklace Contest! It's SO interesting and fascinating to see all the places you love and have visited--and which cities you think fit this piece so well. I feel like I'm discovering the world through your eyes, which is amazing.

Some highlights from the entries submitted so far:

From Kate: This piece reminds me of a natural sea sponge or coral - which brings back memories of my time in Cairns in Australia! Going scuba diving and snorkelling with green sea turtles and giant fish!

From Landylicious: The necklace reminds me of the flesh of an orange, and so I would name it Seville, after the Spanish city. Seville's streets are lined with orange trees and in the Spring the entire city smells like orange blossoms. I've never experienced anything else quite like it.

From Karie: I'm saying Saigon. To me the design looks alot like lotus seed pods - which were everywhere in the neighbourhood we lived in.

I'm loving ALL your entries, ladies! Still want to enter--or enter another city? You have until Tuesday night to pop on over here and comment with the city you'd name the necklace after as well as why!

music monday: yael naim's 'paris'

2011-04-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have been completely and totally smitten with this song for probably a year or so. And even though my downloaded version of this song is missing its first verse, I find myself listening to it over and over again. Yael Naim (of New Soul fame) sings this song in Hebrew and French, which I completely love. It's a beautifully melodic and gorgeous song. Enjoy!

Music, Innovation & Eye Candy

2011-04-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

A completely amazing display of workmanship, patience, precision, ingenuity and innovation. Color me mesmerized & consider me entranced.

P.S. There are few materials I love as much as wood & would love to see a phone like this come to North America.

Contest: Name The Necklace!

2011-04-05T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here at urbanite headquarters, we're pretty fond of travel (as you can probably imagine) and the stories and experiences travelers pick up as they traverse the globe. One of the things we love the most about naming our pieces after world cities is that people often purchase jewelry because of the city it's named after. They love that they can carry a memory of their favorite destination around their neck, or wear a pair of earrings that reminds them of their hometown.

Something we've always wanted to do is enlist our lovely fans to name one of our designs after their favorite city. And well, we finally found a chance to do so with a design that we're sure you're going to love!

We've been selling this necklace (and matching earrings) locally for a few months and it's been a huge hit. It reminds us of a very modern take on a crysanthemum (mum) flower. We love it and we'd love for you to name it!

How do you get in on the action? Simply comment below and tell us which world city you would name this necklace after & why.

Does the piece remind you of your grandmother's garden? Maybe you'd name it after her home town.
Does this necklace remind you of a designer's or aritst's work? Maybe you'd name it after his/her home city! Get creative!

The person with the best entry will have the necklace named after their city! The winner will also receive matching necklace & earring set of the pieces they named! The Fine Print:

You can submit multiple entries with different cities, but each entry must include a different city and explanation.
Submit your entry by commenting on this blog post with the city you would name the necklace after & why.
Be sure to include an email address in your entry so we can contact you.
The contest closes at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Winner will be announced by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, April 13, 2011.

And while we're at it, a sneak peek at the matching earrings in gold (they'll be available in silver & black, too!):

music monday: mr. scruff's 'music takes me up'

2011-04-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

I love, love, LOVE Mr. Scruff. Never heard of him? He's a really fabulous DJ out of Manchester, UK, which is where I went to grad school. You may have heard his music around 10 years or so ago when one of his tracks (Get A Move On) was used in a super popular commercial for Lincoln (the car company).

Not only is his music totally chill and awesome, but the adorable cartoonified fruit in the video above is hallmark Mr. Scruff. Scruff draws completely awesome cartoons for his live sets, CD artwork and even for the tea company he owns. I know, I know--it's no wonder I love this guy: awesome music + an artist + a tea shop owner and a maker of my favorite brew? I'm sold.

Enjoy!

currently coveting: ouma

2011-03-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled upon ouma's shop on etsy and was immediate smitten with her whimsical designs.

Monique, the owner and designer of Ouma, creates amazing dresses and skirts that are full of plumes and puffs of tulle. And yet, her creations are so light and feminine and ephemeral.

All of her dresses feel like a grown-up version of the tutu to me. So sophisticated and chic.

{Photos from Ouma's Shop}

music monday: bonjay

2011-03-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

music monday: a new feature around these parts where we share music that’s on heavy rotation in our studio. this week: ‘stumble’ from toronto’s insanely talented duo, bonjay. we’re pretty smitten with their slick beats, sweet vocals and all-around awesomeness.

currently coveting: matcha green tea

2011-03-10T07:03:00.000-08:00

My personal obsession with tea has been well documented, but it’s time to let you in on a little secret: while I love all teas equally, I have a penchant one kind in particular, and I love this one above all others.

I’m absolutely obsessed with Matcha, a form of green tea which is ground into an incredibly vibrant green powder. Aside from being packed with antioxidants, Matcha (or green tea powder) packs a punch of other health benefits. But let’s be honest, this is not at all about health—I’m absolutely obsessed with the flavor of Matcha. It’s earthy and slightly floral and completely unique. In the past six months or so, green tea flavored everything has been popping up everywhere, much to my delight!

You’ll often find me sipping on a Green Tea Latte from Starbucks, and sometimes I get really strange looks from fellow friends when I plop down into a comfy chair with a cuppa full of green. But since discovering Green Tea Lattes, I have eschewed almost all other coffee shop drinks. I’m a woman possessed.

Much to my delight, green tea is quickly becoming the flavor du jour at many bakeries, with places like Isobel’s Cupcakes here in Ottawa offering up green tea cupcakes and Asian grocery stores carrying Matcha-infused chocolates (above). It’s seriously like heaven for me!

So local chefs, bakers and confectioners, take note: green tea is the next big thing, folks. And if you add something to your menu with it, you can be sure that I’ll be there to snatch up every last bit of it!

in the shop: new lovelies for spring!

2011-03-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

Oh friends! It’s been so long, hasn’t it? The first two months of 2011 were such a whirlwind for me, to say the very least. Wed By Hand—the handmade, eco-friendly & DIY wedding show that I produce—was an absolute smashing hit, to say the least. Our lovely official photographer, Anne Marie of AMBphoto took the most spectacular photos ever and was able to capture our day in a way that far exceeded my expectations.

After working on Wed By Hand day and night for months on end, I woke up the day after the show surprisingly refreshed and inspired—and ready to start planning the next show. Insane, but a total testament to how brilliant the show and all those involved in it were!

The rest of February was a complete blur of meetings, custom bridal consultations, fulfilling orders, and just plain relaxing for the first time since November. It’s been lovely! We’ve had amazing dinners, nights out, brunches and lunches with friends…mini trips to Quebec…and simple moments of solitude. It’s been brilliant, to say the least.

This is all to say…things have been quiet around the urbanite front as of late. But I finally had a chance to make, photograph & release some new lovelies for Spring (it’s so close—can’t you almost feel it in the air!?). A little peek at some of the new pieces:

Our Banff, Canada Necklace matches a pair of earrings that you’ll probably recognize. Totally stunning. $15 & available in the shop.

Our Chicago, Illinois Earrings are one of my personal favorites. They’re perfect with every outfit and I just can’t stop wearing them. $12. Matching necklace $15.

Oh man—this necklace has been a HIT at the craft shows since November! I finally got around to naming & releasing it online. We named after Cape Canaveral, Florida (where Kennedy Space Center is located) because the lines in the pendant remind me of a planet's orbit in space! $25.

Regal. Royal. Simple. Our York, England earrings remind us of royal crowns a bit. We really love these! $10. Also available in silver.

Well, hello Miss Sass. These earrings pack quite the edgy punch and are named after Los Angeles, California, which is the City of Angels. They’ve been supremely popular over the past few months & we think you’ll love them too!

Whew! And that’s just a little taste, folks! 7 other new styles are now available in the shop!

the creative life: rockin' the tv appearances

2011-01-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

This is me. On tv. Awesome.

My partner Robin and I run a little show called Wed By Hand. It’s a handmade, eco-friendly and DIY-themed wedding show; one of only 4 of its kind in all of North America! We’re running the second edition of the show on February 6th and the biggest morning show asked us to come on! You’ll see a couple of my lovely jewels in there as well. Happy Friday!

the creative life: our tea collection

2011-01-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

you’ve heard about my tour de tea project. now, a casual peek at our collection of 60+ teas. someday soon i’ll get around to taking a nicer picture & list out all the varieties. for now, enjoy the tea overload!

in the studio: january bounty

2011-01-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

eye candy for your thursday afternoon: a small sampling of the amazing supplies that have arrived here at chez urbanite this week! a bunch of new cities & styles coming your way soon!

woman, thy name is entreprenuer

2011-01-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

A little inspiration for my fellow female entrepreneurs this Tuesday morning. Woman, thy name is entrepreneur. So very right in so many ways. As women we have so many incredible things to offer this world and I sincerely believe in the power of women to transform the world we live in and transform our economies.

This video gets it right: the exact qualities that make us uniquely women are what make us uniquely qualified to transform the way that this world does business. And treats workers. And treats the Earth. And oh-so-many other things.

So whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned professional, take the next step. The world needs you, your voice and your contribution.

happy 2011 + Tour De Tea

2011-01-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, friends! It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Things have been quiet around these parts lately as November and December are notoriously busy times for those of us who make & sell. The holidays began early as a whirlwind of craft shows (5 weeks in a row, beginning in November) gave way to a whirlwind of holiday celebrations which just wrapped up last week. Life has been so full and busy and I feel incredibly lucky!

I’m excited for what’s in store in 2011; the new year always brings with it a great sense of renewal and possibility and I like to take this time to think big about our little business and life in general. What does the new year mean to you? Does it stand for fresh starts? New resolutions?

One of the things I love most about a new year is trying new things. If you know me (or my Twitter feed) at all, you’ve probably figured out that I truly love tea. Close friends (okay, even mere acquaintances) know that our house boasts over 60 teas, mostly of the loose-leaf variety. They’ve been acquired from places near and far, a spice shop tucked away in a tiny town in Morocco…an insanely lovely shop on the streets of Frankfurt, Germany…and even from right here where I live in Ottawa.

Each of the teas we have here in the house is completely special to me, but I found that when I went to make my morning tea, I often resorted to making the same few favorites over and over again. It’s hard to choose from 60 teas when you’re bleary-eyed in the morning.

So in an effort to establish a new ritual for the new year, I’ve decided to do what I’ve dubbed a ‘Tour de Tea’. I’ll be tasting and photographing a different tea each day and sharing it on a specially dedicated blog, Tour de Tea. I started this little tour with one of my favorite teas, Bamboo Shoots (pictured above). Genmaicha (green tea w/toasted rice and popcorn) with papaya, pineapple, coconut, pink peppercorns, cardamom & more. It’s one of my all-time favorite teas and it’s from right here in Ottawa. I hope you’ll join me for this tea-filled journey over on the blog.