Accessories That Give Back
Written by : Julie Cove
In great anticipation of this blog I have had so many ideas as to what I would choose as my first topic of interest for my “favourites” blog. I have so many favourites which is why I decided to write about them all but to choose one that would start this whole series was tricky. I have to say that when I look at the top couple of things in my world that really get me jazzed and have always gotten me excited it became obvious. I simply can’t get enough of accessories, accessories for the home of course. After 18 years of owning my retail store filled with home accessories and furniture it is still the looking, buying, merchandising, sharing, selling and decorating with accessories that makes me lose my mind. No matter where I am, in the grocery line up I pick up the magazines to peruse them, I sneak peeks in distant window ledges as I walk the neighborhood, I meander thru retail home accessories and gift shops, I surf on line, and I scour over supplier catalogues. To me the most exciting visual is an accessory that I have never set eyes on before, my personal coach calls this the shiny syndrome- always wanting to see the shiniest, newest thing.
Pineapple Shaped Cutting Board
I remember going to The Conran store in London and soooo enjoying the incredibly unique collection of accessories- I only wish I had some way of transporting a good lot of them home! I am forever on the lookout for the newest the neatest and the latest great looking accessory- if I find me one that looks great and has a clever function, I am in heaven. I have often written articles about the importance of surrounding yourself in your home with things you love including found items from your travels that offer a story each time you see it – it brings you joy and the story can be shared with others .
These are a few of my very favourites.
Veggie Plate House
We just returned from Maui 2 weeks ago and I couldn’t resist this cutting board in the shape of a pineapple to use up at our summer cottage- love the function and each time I use it I will be transported back to maui and all the yummy tropical fruit we enjoyed, the sun, the beaches…
This is the bowl I bought at the Conran store at least 10 yrs ago that we still use each day for our crudites – the kids love the little house in the middle and it’s way more fun to eat their veggies! which of course makes me happy!
My favourite accessory that we have in the store right now has to be the fun teapots in various designs- I especially like the swan and it’s gracious lines. It certainly makes teatime a pleasure to indulge!
Fun teapots in various designs.
I also can’t get enough of seashells- I have them in almost every room and we carry them almost year round. My husband is such a good sport and knows the deal when I am racing down to the beach on the last vacation day gathering ziplocs of beach sand to bring home. I swear I have sand enough to make my own beach! But I love having the reminder of the memories of all the wonderful beaches we have seen. Life can get so filled with mundane daily chores, so having these in your space can offer an escape for the mind! If you haven’t been, you must check out Glass Beach as it is often referred to, at the end of Beacon Ave in Sidney BC, directly in front of the Sidney Hotel as it was once where the recycling of glass and ceramics was carried out and it is completely littered with beautiful beach glass for you collectors!
Fun teapots in various designs.
But my all time favourite accessory that I am forever collecting or buying for the shop are birds- my staff are often giggling when they see some of my countless bird themed purchases but they sell time and time again so it can’t just be me that is cuckoo over birds! Here’s a couple and there’s no doubt I will share more on another posting!
We all have our favourite things that bring us simple joys that we tend to surround ourselves with. For me, it’s lovely accessories all the way! There’s no better way to do this than to own an accessory shop but what I love most is sharing them with all of our loyal customers.
Bird themed purchases
I am sooo excited to write about some my most favourite and wonderful experiences, shops, restaurants, decorating tips, excursions, quotes, colours, recipes and much more in a manner that will inspire you to appreciate the things that get YOU jazzed. I invite you to join in and gather yours so you can share them too.
Countless bird themed purchases
