Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Etsy Fait au Quebec recap!


So, this year's EtsyFAQ has come and gone, it went in a bit of a blur, a happy blur. A weekend full of hard work but also lots, and lots of smiles and wonderful memories.

This experience left me so energized and well happy that I feel like running, like laughing, but specially I feel like thanking everyone who made it possible: vendors, visitors, customers, Etsy, the volunteers, family, awesome co-organizer Michelle Beausejour and our wonderful, wonderful organizing team from Les joailliers du dimanche and the Montreal Etsy team.

I could say a thousand things of how amazing it all went this past weekend, but I better post a few photos I took at the market to show you how Etsy Fait au Quebec was!


The Joaillier du dimanche collective, part of the organizing bunch, just missing Maxime here! Such resourceful, intelligent, hard working, enthusiastic women. I'm so proud to be part of them.

The whole organizing team! comprising Les joailliers du dimanche and the Montreal Etsy team! Etsy teams rock!

For more photos check out this FB album and to see all participant's work, check out the Shop the Market page!

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Etsy: Fait au Québec Montreal edition line up!



Once again, I'm part of the organizing team for Etsy: fait au Québec  market in Montreal and look: I'm in the poster! hahaha!

Etsy: fait au Québec is an Etsy Canada initiative to promote and celebrate local makers. On September 26th all across Canada, craft shows, markets and pop-up shops will host many of their local etsy sellers and open their doors to collectors and lovers of all things handmade. The Montreal market will be open for two days: September 26th and 27th at the Technopôle Angus in the Rosemont neighbourhood.

Last year the event was a huge success and this year we are planning more amazing things: We'll host more than 60 local makers, designers and artists + free workshops and live music for all our visitors to enjoy.

As part of Les joailliers du dimanche team on etsy, we were invited to take part of the organization of this event since last year and alongside the Montreal Etsy team, we have been working super hard to make this possible. Etsy teams are truly a wonderful thing and I've always loved being part of them. Working alongside other etsy team has allowed me and my team to get to know other like-minded people and put our ideas together to make something big. It has been an exciting journey and I hope you can come to our Montreal show and get to see all the things we have prepared for you!

Choosing the vendors is one of the hardest parts of all: We received more than 300 applications and we could only fit about 60 of them. We came up with a team of jurors that went through hours of studying amazing applications. We just hope we had a place for everyone of the makers that applied! At the end, we are very proud of our line up and we think you'll love it. Now, the stars of the show: our amazing makers, artists and designers!




For the Home:







Marie-Claude Girard, Céramiste - www.etsy.com/shop/MCGirardceramiste

Alice In Montreal - www.etsy.com/shop/AliceinMontreal


Tablewear by Katy Lemay - www.etsy.com/shop/Tablewearbykatylemay

The hat with no feather - www.etsy.com/shop/thehatwithnofeather



Bath and Body:








Clothing:



Rue du léopard - www.etsy.com/shop/RueduLeopard




Accessories:




Nanoukiko & Triko - www.etsy.com/shop/nanoutriko

Julien & Emily Design - www.etsy.com/shop/JulienEmilyDesign




Jewellery:


The Angry Weather - www.etsy.com/shop/TheAngryWeather












Baby and children:





Jules mon poisson bulle - www.etsy.com/shop/Julesmonpoissonbulle

A hippie with a minivan - www.etsy.com/shop/ahippiewithaminivan










Photography, Illustration and Art:


Veni Etiam Photography - www.etsy.com/shop/VeniEtiamPhotography

Jackie Bassett Art - www.etsy.com/shop/JackieBassettArt

Cara Carmina - www.etsy.com/shop/Caracarmina

UNIK Printshop - www.etsy.com/shop/unikprintshop

Olive Branch and Co - www.etsy.com/shop/OliveBranchandCo

Marie-Claude Marquis - www.etsy.com/shop/MarieClaudeMarquis

Baltic Club - www.etsy.com/shop/BalticClub

Amélie Legault - www.etsy.com/shop/AmelieLegault

Darveelicious - www.etsy.com/shop/Darveelicious

Kristy Boisvert Illustration - www.etsy.com/shop/KristyBoisvert

Le bocal de mag - www.etsy.com/shop/lebocaldemag



Vintage:



Fripe Fabrique - www.etsy.com/shop/FripeFabrique



Gastronomy:

Les Beurres Becsucré - www.etsy.com/shop/LesBeurresBecsucre


On Septermber 26th and 27th, come support the work of all this wonderful local makers! RSVP to our FB event here. See you soon!

Iveth

Friday, September 4, 2015

Mexico


A week ago we returned from the longest vacation we have had in a long while. We went to visit our friends and family in Mexico and stayed there three weeks. We went to the north of the country, from where my husband is and then to central Mexico as the adventure part of our trip. 

It was an intense trip, full of emotion, discoveries, adventures, tears, smiles, food, plane trips, car trips, stomach flu and heat, lots of heat as you'd expect from a summer in Mexico. 

The loveliest parts where the hugs to our families and friends, the meals together, the smiles, conversation, support and love.

There were a lot of tears, too, unfortunately, not of the happy kind of tears but of sadness and anger because there is much injustice in my native country. More than a year ago I told you about an injustice committed against my sister-in-law and unfortunately things got only worse and it all unravel while we were there.

I won't get into details 'cause it's a long story, but i'll only say that she's now in prison, accused of a fraud she didn't commit and her family (my brother and two young children) is fighting everyday, very hard to take her out of there. can you imagine how it feels when your three year old ask you when are you coming home and you don't have an answer? i was there, i saw it, and there's nothing more sad, no situation more unjust that seeing that family struggle to keep their heads up and fight against a machine of the vilest kind. They are fighting, fighting as hard as they can: fighting to keep the children happy, my brother is fighting to give them a smile and help them with homework while he's crumbling inside; to go to work everyday to keep up with bills while the only thing he'd like is to be with his wife. My sister in law is fighting to keep strong and endure the horrors of a mexican prison wondering why the fuck is she there when she's absolutely innocent; they are also fighting to take her out, with a team of lawyers. And I'm trying to help them, too. If you care to join my cause and help a family in desperate need, please purchase something from my "Hopes and Dreams" collection, all the sales from those pieces will go directly to them, a kind, loving, honest family that is in great need of help.

So, as you can see it was a hard time, and like them, imagine how many people are suffering injustices right now. Some countries have hard, cold machines for justice systems that allows only the people who have money to buy justice. Those of us living in places like Canada, we are so lucky, so lucky. Of course bad things happen here, too, but you simply cannot compare the horrors that happen in Mexico  or in so many other countries. All those people looking for refuge, just imagine the injustice they had to go through in their countries to just want to leave everything they know, everything they have in hopes of finding a better life, some peace, some quiet. 

As you can see, my mind is in a hard place right now, so I'll stop here. I'll just show you some beauty, because there is, there is beauty and goodness everywhere, and it's worth to search for it and to be happy when you find it.

All in all, it was a hard summer vacation, but i'll take from it the best I can, there are lessons to be learn in everything, even if right now they are hard to see. 


blue-green cactus in northern Mexico.
Morning light hight up in the mountains and desert of Saltillo.
A cacti struggling for ground in the rocky desert. 
We went hiking to the desert and found a little store in a small village, the counter was painted with a huge Mexican flag and emblem: the eagle over the cacti, eating a snake. The hike in the desert didn't go that well, Amelia got thorns on her feet for stepping on cacti so we had to walk back. The locals at the little shop were laughing at us for our lack of endurance! 
My in laws have close to 10 tortoises living in their back yard. Some big, some small, all so beautiful! 
Part of the Sierra Madre mountain range in Monterrey.
The day I celebrated my 37th birthday in Mexico city. Here, outside the Casa Azul, where Frida Khalo lived and rests. 
Walking Mexico city.
Lazy afternoon at La Roma neighbourhood in Mexico city. 
The little one.
Puebla, Mexico was a wonderful discovery. I truly don't know why on earth I didn't know how utterly amazing this city is! it's one of the most wonderful places i have ever been to.
Huge colonial houses with their courtyards and balconies everywhere in Puebla.
Regional candy in Puebla.
This is my favourite photo from the trip: a balloon merchant walking in the streets of Puebla.
In Puebla, we stayed in a very, very old building (16th century) that for many centuries served as a convent. Now turned to a hotel, it keep the old, heavy doors and round windows that once, were barred with iron. There were hidden courtyards round corners and lovely gardens. 
Eye-shapped window. 
This is the library Palafoxiana: considered the first public library in the Americas founded in 1646. Such a gem, such a treasure! 
Original, hand painted bookcase number dating from the 16th century. 
And here we are, little family. Thank you so much for reading my post!