Come on over, take a seat, let Auntie Char tell you a little story. A story of real life magic...

I have had the pleasure of visiting a new local shop called The Printed Word over the past year and each time I visit, I end up with the most incredible books. It's funny because as I write the word "books," I'm keenly aware that the word doesn't come close to describing what it is I actually found there. In fact, the whole premise of visiting a bookstore and buying a book sounds super ordinary, like, "yeah? Aaaand I had 2 cups of coffee this morning...".

Are you confused?

"Why write about it at all!?"

Hang on, lemme explain...

I have been to The Printed Word several times. Early on, to find books for my kids who were 8, 6, and 3. I wanted something that wasn't Geronimo Stilton or Harry Potter, or like, the Magic Tree House books. I wanted something of good merit, something exciting and well written. Something that my kids would get lost in.

 

Listening intently, owner James, nodded and led me to a small section of books by an author named Enid Blyton. I had heard of her once before from a good friend who had also visited the shop and had read one of her books called: "The Secret Forest," but what James recommended was a series of her books called "The Enchanted Wood," "The Magic Faraway Tree," and "The Folk of the Faraway Tree."

To date, they are my son's favourite books. They are the books he will keep coming back to. They have become a part of the narrative of his childhood. Which is amazing!

I even could wrap up here and say:

"Well, so there you have it! Check out The Printed Word! Owner James clearly knows what he's doing, the store is amazing and local, so what are you waiting for!?"

But it's not enough. If I read all of that, I'd still feel like... "So... books... Yay! Also, Amazon... sooo easy..." 

Here's why. Here's why The Printed Word is a thing of beauty...

I went into the shop about a month ago with my dad who was, again, looking for a gift for my now, 9-year old son. My dad, who has zero hesitation in engaging in boisterous conversation with our friendly locals, gave James a personal profile of the gift recipient- The gift was for:

- a 9-year old boy

- who is an advanced reader for his age

- and likes magic and wizards

- who is also very creative

James, again nods, and says something like: "right, I know the type," and then bends down and picks up a book off of the bottom self, located in a sea of books stacked floor to ceiling and says:

"This is a book called Kaytek the Wizard by Janusz Korczak. It was written long before Harry Potter, actually before the Second World War. It is one of two books written by Korczak who was a Polish-Jewish school teacher to Jewish children. He only wrote two books because during the Jewish roundup, when all of the Polish Jews were taken to extermination camps; Korczak, boarded a train with his children (refusing repeatedly to accept sanctuary) and was never heard from again..."

And then he handed my dad the book...

I'm not going to lie, I felt froggy-throated and a little light-headed. I felt like we had just been handed an amazing gift.

Guys, James IS an amazing gift. I think it's because to him, at least in what I can deduce from my interactions with him; is that books are not just books. They are three dimensional, relational, living, breathing, things. His store, IS an amazing three dimensional, relational, living, breathing, thing.

I go into a bookstore and feel overwhelmed by choice and by the 'not knowing' what's good and what isn't good, and James has a whole store full of personal life experience. I would hazard the guess that he knows the inventory of his store like Ollivander knows the wands in his shop. There is a story or a poem that is just right for you.

I think the bottom line here is that you can shop on Amazon, you can go to Chapters, but if you want to have the experience of actual real-life magic, to dig up treasure, and find beautiful works of art, check out The Printed Word. It's an experience worth having to find the books that are worth treasuring. 

Xo

C.

The first time I meandered into 7th Heaven Fashion Exchange, in my cozy little town of Dundas, Ontario, I was expecting a regular consignment store. A place to root through racks of mediocre second-hand clothes and maybe turn up an interesting article of clothing, or like, a cool belt, and be on my merry way, fashion find in hand. What I found instead was Beth and her amazing fashion oasis.

Allow me to explain....

7th Heaven Fashion Exchange is not a consignment store and it's not a thrift shop. Owner Beth, buys her clothes outright from ladies looking to sell off their lightly worn clothing, shoes, and accessories, and then sells them in her shop. In adopting this business model, she is able to strategically and lovingly select the items she wishes to re-sell, so in effect, everything is carefully curated. And buds, 

Whaaaaaaat?!?! Yup. Heaven.    

As I poked around the store, coffee in hand, I quickly realized this wasn't an ordinary store; it was clearly the physical manifestation of someone's creative life's passion and joy. Beth. 

Beth has intentionally created a shop with a "warm friendly atmosphere," a place that feels like a "great, cool, chick hangout," so that women feel liberated to shop and joyfully try on and discover new things. When talking about her shop's vision and purpose, you get the distinct sense that Beth's objective is to help the women who come into her shop, feel loved, nurtured, and excited about what they find. If you ask her, she'll tell you she's not a "label-snob," (but she still manages to bring some heavy-hitting labels: Louboutin anyone?!?) that she's interested in good quality (lots of great leather...), and unique items; but that she's priced things in such a way that everybody can find something (no word of a lie, my last purchase was a, $11 Banana Republic shirt). 

Which, coincidentally, is why she carries a range of sizes from 0-XXL, she's not elitist, she's inclusive. 

What I like about Beth, is that she's all heart; bundled up in great style, with a no-nonsense attitude. I have the distinct feeling at if I were to try on an article of clothing that was ill-fitting, she'd urge me to try on something else and then, bring those "other things" to the change-room. She's like the good friend you always want to take shopping, except, it's her store.

I also really like that she has taken fashion, something that she is passionate about, and turned it into her career, but, BUT, in order to maintain a good work/life balance she made the executive decision to open the store from Wednesday to Saturday and remain closed the other three days. A ballsy move! As someone who came back into the workforce after 25 years at home and now manages her shop and still cares for aging parents, Beth is a gleaming example of prioritizing what's most important, while also pursuing the challenge of life's big, creative adventures. 

Bottom line guys: she's really cool and so is her store. 

Next time you're in town, wander on in, it's a complete joy, promise. 

Xo.

C.

I *heart* small businesses. I love when you walk into a store and some business owner has lovingly and creatively arranged their wares for sale. There is something old world about that type of shop. It's nurturing. But it's also rare.

I have spent quite a lot of time in my own little town of Dundas, Ontario, poking around and getting to know the local shop owners as I have a soft spot for learning the stories behind the stores. So, when I learned in August that a new artisan store called: The Handmade House, was coming to town, my attention was peaked. 

Hmmmm, all local artists and artisans featured, hailing within a hour of Hamilton you say? Interesting...

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. Was I going to find an overly curated store, showcasing beautiful but high-end artwork? Was it going to be a store filled with crafty knickknacks and macrame kleenex box covers??? I didn't know! But in I wandered.

 I liked it immediately.

Warm, fun, bright, beautiful displays, and lots to look at. My first thought, was literally:

Hang on... this store is filled with everything I've pinned on Pinterest, but done perfectly and not by me! SA-WEEEET!

Did I say my first "thought"?!? Well, I totally thought it out loud (what else is new...) which lead me to have a little chat-ski with owner Kelly Girard. Who coincidentally, is just like her store: warm, interesting, and engaging. 

Starting her career out as a nurse, Kelly decided after the birth of her second child, that her work/life balance needed to change. But what would that look like? 

A full-time nurse and weekend artisan herself, Kelly had always collected the business cards of fellow artisans at the shows she attended selling her handmade dream-catchers. But it wasn't until she became connected with a store, who rented out shelf space to artisans (versus the traditional model of buying inventory outright), that Kelly said she had her 'ah-ha' moment.

So, in early June of 2017, Kelly threw out some inquiry e-mails from her stack of collected business cards to take the pulse on potential vendors and by August 12th, she was open; sixty-five local vendors in tow. 

The shop is filled with interesting vintage fabric cross-body bags, quirky knitted baby toys, soaps, lotions, candles, beautiful and unique jewelry, cards, prints, artwork... the list goes on and it's always changing as new suppliers come in. Did I also mention the price point is excellent? Well, it is. 

Kelly now says that she receives two to five e-mails a day from potential vendors and she has a wait-list of a hundred people wanting to participate in her store. 

Her sights are now on continuing to build a solid infrastructure so that she can expand in a couple of years, delegating some of the day-to-day tasks, and then spending the rest of her time creating an amazing place where people like to hang out. So. Awesome.

Aaaand her work/life balance has been achieved. She's open from Tuesday to Saturday and she's home for dinner every night.

She's the kind of business owner you love to see succeed and she in turn, uses her platform to help local artists succeed. A perfect loop.

So, go, GO(!) check it out, wander around and maybe buy a gift. At the very least, bask in the freedom that you no longer have to feel burdened by the Pinterest projects you'll never attempt. The Handmade House has you covered buddy. Consider yourself off the hook. 

Xo.

C.