My Summer Collection is Coming!

I've been super busy working on my summer crystal collection called Elementals, and I'm so excited to unveil it at the beginning of July! Elementals is extremely inspired by the forces of nature - earth, air, wind and fire - while the name itself refers to the spirits of nature. I chose to shoot the collection's photos in picturesque Tofino, on the west coast of Canada.  Here's a very sneak peak of what to expect when the Elementals launches:

{ Model: Shauna of Connekt - Photo by Krista of Social City Networking - Edits & Necklaces by Waves of Fire }

Do you feel worthy of connection?

{ Admiring the vista }

Sometimes I put pressure on myself to connect with Nature in the way that I want to. I read epic stories of adventure, of spiritual connection, and of rebirth, that take place amongst the trees and ocean, and I want that for myself. 


On a muddy hike out to a secluded beach last Friday, I sat at the ocean, meditating, hoping to connect. And what the wind's whispers reminded me of, was that I am connection itself. I am a part of the land, I am a part of the waves, and really, I am a part of nature. Instead of pushing to feel worthy enough to be a part of nature’s epic party, I can now surrender to the fact that the trees and the creatures are, like the Native peoples before us have said, my brothers and sisters - we can never be separated. 

{ Muddy boots and lounging legs resting mid-hike }

{ The secluded beach we hiked out to }

{ Age-old trees near the ocean }

{ Traversing pathways before heading back }

Organic Eats & Delicious Treats

{ The delicious salad we made with freshly picked organic veggies and edible flowers! }

I absolutely adore the feeling of picking fresh organic food from the garden, and making a meal from it. I’d never had the experience until last summer, when my partner and I grew our first garden, and now I’m hooked! There’s something incredibly magical about being so connected to what’s on your plate.

While our plants this year are still in their infancy, the sunny valleys of British Columbia are already bursting with ready-to-eat veggies. I took advantage of this while staying with friends last week, and made an epic meal with edibles I’d never heard of. I looked into a few of the plants in our meal, and found that they're surprisingly nutritious.  

{ My friends' incredibly beautiful garden. }

{ Mallow - Mallow is great for inflammation, and when made into tea,
it is very soothing for sore throats and coughs. }

{ Chickweed - Chickweed is high in iron, chlorophyll, calcium, manganese, and a host of other minerals. When applied as a poultice, it’s great for bacterial infections. }

{ Viola - High in vitamin C and antioxidants,
viola contains a substance that neutralizes free radicals. }

Sobbing on a bathroom floor

{ Inspecting an ancient fallen tree } 

I recently found myself sobbing on a strange bathroom floor, totally entranced by the emotions that were finally pouring out of me. For too long I have been stuffing away emotion, beginning in my teen years when I used to forcefully tell myself “STOP!” whenever I sensed tears. This fear of unhappy emotion inevitably lead to a numbness that encompassed not just the icky stuff, but the good stuff as well.

After a walk in an ancient forest, and a lower-chakra stimulating tea, I realized how profoundly scared I still am of feeling. That’s what lead me to the shedding of tears in that bathroom. And that’s what lead me to this discovery: “In order to feel love, I have to feel my pain.” 

{ Fun fact: This is where they filmed an instalment of Star Wars }

{ The view from under the canopy }

{ Taking a moment to connect }

{ Beautiful rings resting on a giant }

{ Journeying off the path }

{ Mocassins on an impromtu pathway }

Photos 1, 5, 7 & 8 by Sara Rose McKenna of Social City Networking.