Happy Black Friday

May you avoid being trampled at the mall

And celebrate

Small Business Saturday

I was raised in a family where consumerism was a dirty word and the environment was meant to be protected. We weren’t allowed to buy my dad Christmas presents and if we ripped the gift paper we had a 2 hour freeze on gift opening because our greed was not going to be rewarded. Each gift was to be taken out of it’s wrapping carefully, enjoyed and revelled in.

This is to say that I am now a perfect storm of always wanting to buy more things and recognizing that there is so much joy to be had in select purchases of meaningful items. I want to seek joy in my purchases, and a thoughtful purchase from a local or small vendor feels so much more meaningful to me than buying something from a big box store.

The holidays are a tricky time of year!

I want to show people I love them by buying them gifts, but I’m super broke, fundamentally opposed to purchasing lots of shit, and everything is on sale.

Taunting me.

So if you are part of one of those families that gives gifts, or you need some new things for yourself (which is also legit and I am fully endorsing) I’m suggesting you shop on Saturday this year rather than Friday.

It’s Small Business Saturday.

Then of course to follow up with

Giving Tuesday

Where you don’t buy any shit at all, you give to people or causes who are fighting the good fight on your behalf. You can see where we gave last year instead of sending paper cards.

why shop small and local?

There are so many reasons.

Support a dream

Small business owners are out there hustlin’ every day for their dream and it’s always a win to support that. They have real stories. I work for a few small businesses and the level of effort, imagination, skill, hustle, grind, and beauty is just overwhelmingly powerful. When you buy small and local you give two gifts this holiday - one to the business owner and one to the gift receiver.

Get a story and something unique

You’re going to find different things in these shops than anywhere else. People are going to ask you where you got it from, and you can say

“Oh this was handcrafted by a single-mom on Vancouver Island.”

Instant hipster-cool cred.

Keep your community alive and vibrant

When you buy small and local you encourage other people to take the step to open up near you too. Local breweries and handmade clothing and ethically sourced soaps and custom-made furniture, and tacos and alternative daycares and all sorts of cool ideas and art can survive in your neighbourhood if you support it.

The people they employ will be more likely to get fair wages that they can invest back in your community as well.

In a small shop you’re more likely to make new friends, or become a regular or build your community where you can walk out your door and feel part of something.

More sustainablity

You’re more likely to purchase slow-made items with fair wages sourced from ethically and environmentally friendly places. The loudest vote you ever cast is with your money, and investing in places that feel good to invest in - leads to more sustainable practices and policies. And like I said you’re more likely to meet the owner of the shop and suggest, “hey, I noticed you aren’t carrying fair trade coffee, would you?” and they’re way more likely to say, “brilliant!”

Where to shop this saturday

Here’s some of my favourite shops and brands to shop this Saturday! This list is nowhere near exhaustive btw. But it’s a place to start. [I just stole their about-us-es]

For the Fashion Lover

Seek Shelter

Offering a focused line of essentials in linen, Shelter is a slow fashion collective inspired by the principles of beauty, quality, and sustainability. Each cut honours the architecture of the body, making space for women to move, play, and work. Hand-crafted on Vancouver Island in our home based studio, we are committed to clothing ourselves and others in garments that respect both maker and wearer.

Foe + Dear

Foe & Dear is a collection of one of a kind pieces that are assembled to order by hand and heart. Utilizing materials and incorporating influences from the world over, Foe & Dear offers collections of jewelry that honour humanity’s roots—from the sparkliest, most sublime peaks, to the darkest, roughest depths. This contrast illuminates a tension that envelops us: one of romance and mystery.

Charlie + Lee

Specializes in independent & ethically made quality Clothing and Home Goods.

Tofino Tote

I have wanted to paint the sky and the sea for quite a while. For years I have stopped to take photos of clouds. The Tofino Tote grew out of this desire to paint the sea and the sky, my background in clothing design and my love of making nice things. Each tote begins by hand painting canvas. I try to capture the always-changing atmosphere of the sky and the energy of the ocean. I paint loosely and freely in the same wild and unrestrained way of the sea. Each tote is one of a kind. As unique as every visit to the beach and every encounter with the ocean.

Beautiful sister Marie in Seek Shelter

For the home decorator

Much and Little

Tucked away on Main Street in Vancouver, Much & Little is jam packed with beautiful goods and clothing for the everyday. Since opening their doors in 2011, they’ve become renowned for telling the story behind each and every item.

Old Faithful Shop

A Vancouver based lifestyle store selling quality goods for considered living.

Janaki Larsen Cermaics

Janaki Larsen is a potter currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her ceramics are often revered for their wabi-sabi nature and matte hues of blacks, greys, whites. Janaki fondly refers to these hues as her non-colours.

Nineteen Ten

Vancouver based home boutique featuring natural, well made goods for you and your home.

Janaki Larsen serving bowl

For the Reader

Pulp Fiction Books

Established in June 2000, we're one of Western Canada's largest and busiest bookstores, with more than 80,000 new and used titles in three neighborhood locations. We're sticking with what we do best: an unrivalled selection of new, used, & out-of-print books chosen by readers, not algorithms. Most new books are sold at a discount to Canadian cover price.

Rupi Kaur's Sun and Flowers Purchased at Pulp Fiction, stacking rings from Foe and Dear

For the Fabric Crafter

maiwa Handprints

Thirty years ago Charllotte Kwon formed a company and opened a shop. The shop was located in a new community of artisans that had formed on Granville Island, Vancouver, Canada. The island, through its concentration of fine artists, printers, bookbinders, papermakers, potters, theatres, retailers, students, and industry, redefined itself as the cultural heart of Vancouver. The company was called Maiwa. In Cantonese and Mandarin maiwa is a word used to name the language through which art speaks. Maiwa: beautiful language.

My table cloth is just fabric from Maiwa, chairs Nineteen Ten, plate Janaki Larsen, candles Much and Little

For the younger friends

Rain People

Rain People is based out of Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island, BC. We are a team of three hardworking ladies passionate about quality children’s wear made for playing hard.