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.

Colour Therapy: Coral

Coral is undoubtedly one of my favourite colours. It's girly and fresh, but the orange hue makes it feel much more relaxed than plain pink. I recently got this bright coral shirt at a clothes exchange, and have been wearing it ever since. In the past, I've often wondered why I consistently reach for some items in my closet more than others. I now know part of it has to do with the colours of the clothes! Every colour has a specific vibration, and choosing the right colour can energize and support you at any given time. It's up to our intuition to know if one shade will give us a boost more than another.

Since I've been loving this peachy-pink hue lately, I decided to consult my colour cards to see what it's all about! It seems coral is all about allowing flow & synchronicity into your life. It restores physical vitality with its grounding properties, releasing stress, worry, and anxiety. If you'd like to work with it, but don't have anything in your closet that fits the bill, no worries! Simply visualize brilliant coral light surrounding your body and say aloud "My life is easy and full of synchronicity. Coral now energizes and invigorates me".

Coral picture from here. 

Top Picks at the April Market Collective

Market Collective is undoubtedly my favourite reoccurring event in Calgary.  If you frequent this once a month, boutique style market, then you know it showcases one of the most thriving communities in the city. Market Collective reps local artists of all shapes and sizes, from musicians to cupcake crafters, jewellers to photographers.

Anytime I'm in town, I make sure to attend, (I was even set up selling the Waves of Fire crystal collection at the February market), and always find an inspiring mix of goodies. This time I decided to narrow it down to my top 6 picks, which I've included for you below.

#1 - Animal Inspired Artwork by Katie Green

How gorgeous is this display by local artist, and good friend, Katie Green? She's well known for her colourful renditions of owls, lions, and more, but took a different route this time by featuring these tribal-feeling, mouse bone necklaces. Yes, I said mouse bone. I was so entranced by them that I bought one on the spot. Katie says that since we share roughly 85% of the same DNA as mice, they're "a symbol of honour of our connection with this species." I dig it.

#2 Cheese Making Kits by Make Cheese

How ingenious are these cheese-making kits? My roommate, Kai, bought the Cream Cheese mix, and I can't wait to try what homemade cream cheese tastes like! Although since I don't usually eat dairy, perhaps we can substitute the milk for something a little more exotic like Almond or Coconut milk? Check out the Make Cheese website to get your own kit!

#3 Angel Wing Earrings by Cinder & Sage

When I saw these turquoise angel wings at Cinder & Sage's booth, I stopped in my tracks instantly. I had just finished writing the Waves of Fire manifesto, which included a homage to turquoise & gold, as well as angels. I've worn these earrings almost every day since the market, and I can't tell you how much I love having a constant reminder that my angels are always with me, in my favourite colour, mimicking my logo, no less.

#4 Global Buckets by Light & Soul and the Leaf Ninjas

Global Buckets are an innovative way to grow food in containers, and they're absolutely fantastic for those of us who don't have a backyard to garden in. These beautiful pieces have a water reservoir at the bottom of the buckets, which allows you to get away with not watering them for days, while simultaneously strengthening the plants root system, by bottom watering. The magicians at Light & Soul Creations and Leaf Ninjas turned each bucket into a work of art, by painting each one differently, and auctioning them off. I took a picture of my favourite piece, by Kai, called Sustainable Starlight. Love these!

#5 Organic skincare by Sapwood

I haven't seen many skin care booths at Market Collective, so when I saw these treats by Sapwood, I was super excited. I'm a sucker for anything with herbs, pretty packaging, and a purpose, so naturally, I was enchanted by her selection of organic products. My favourites were the Pomegranate & Rose Facial Scrub, and the Wellspring Perfume Solid; both smelled absolutely incredible, and vibrated a completely beautiful energy. Ashley Cooper, the artisan, put a lot of love into this line. Her products are available for purchase here.

#6 Hand-painted leather bracelets by Taryn Hailey

I loved these hand painted, leather bracelets from Taryn Hailey. I'm a big fan of wearing a stack of bangles, and the width of these allows you to just wear one or two pieces, and get that same, eccentric, effect. My favourites in particular were those that combined blues and golds. Gorgeous, no?

WINTER RIVER

This was one of my first photos after getting my camera for Christmas, and its also when I discovered my love of sunbeams in imagery. I was captivated by this image, which managed to turn everyday infrastructure into a work of art.