heaven scent

i recently expanded my love of orchids to include some exquisite beauties from the local experts at Paramount Orchids outside of Calgary. my lovely golden phalaenopsis not only provides visual satisfaction, it is one of the few fragrant orchids - the blossoms are truly heaven scent!

my orchids are showcased in the re-purposed bread-bag from Stelton - the vibrant pistachio colour offers a brilliant accent to the variegated multi-hued green leaves and highlights the elevated blossoms with absolute panache.

norm03 provides a great backdrop to my Stelton orchid basket.

establishing the norm

simple yet elegant, the norm03 from Normann Copenhagen is a stunning lampshade and a conversation piece at any time of day.

where it really shines is in the evening, when ambient light is low and the norm03 can do it's magic, casting organic sculptural shapes on the walls and ceiling.

got a flat?

great for cruising around, Flat Bags garner alot of attention. pictured below is a happy customer with her new 'save the animals' print satchel. look out Olds, Alberta!

Flat Bags are designed and built in Nelson BC using reused bicycle tire tubes and rediscovered vinyl and fabrics.

shout out....

it is exciting and gratifying when people find our shop and make their first steps through the door. the typical reaction is one of surprise. "Where do you find these beautiful, unique products?" Stelton? Holmegard? Bicycles? Atlantico furniture? Finisterre outerwear? Fabulous artisan foods? "Your shop is amazing!"

in addition to great support from the Okotoks area, a number of our regular Clientele are from Calgary. they tell me they love the shop and are more than happy to head to the peace of small town shopping than fight the ever-growing traffic battle that has consumed the city over the last several years of rapid growth.

most recently I have had the pleasure of meeting wonderful people from Vancouver, Olds, Victoria, Edmonton, the UK, Denmark and several US origins as they made their way into the shop. we are also fortunate to enjoy a strong web-based presence with queries from North America, South America, Europe and Australia. we find ourselves shipping to interesting destinations on a weekly basis.

so in addition to surrounding myself with the luxuries of the products we offer for sale, i get to interact with some amazing human beings. the people really do make the difference.

a big shout out to everyone for your interest and support!

live.
work.
eat.
play.

from the 'hood

my neighbours Rich and Jan stopped by for a little shopping. Jan's parents were in town visiting from Victoria BC. everyone was rewarded with a little DCDuby Wild Sweets chocolate treat for their day's efforts.

life really is good!

morning ritual

i enjoy my mornings as a time of quiet reflection with a cup of tea. rarified sources high quality tea from Silk Road in Victoria, BC: we offer a range of black, green, semi-green, herbal and flowering varieties.

the Eva Solo Tea Maker is a brilliant design and provides a perfect cup of tea. a beautiful glass carafe showcases a stainless steel dripless insert with plunger - the mechanism stops the brewing process to allow for premium use of the tea leaves. the neoprene sleeve provides dual functionality as it protects the hand from the heat and keeps the tea warm - it also adds an edginess that tea does not normally get to express! Eva Solo also offers a Milk and Sugar Set with the same detailing.

enjoy your brew from a Timo thermal glass from Design House Stockholm to extend the experience.

Brompton World Championships

filmed in 2007, this brilliant video captures the cult-classic Brompton folding bike in full-on competitive action. elevates the whole deal from commuting to lifestyle.



the 3rd annual event will take place 28 September in the UK. it's not too late to get your Brompton and skin across the pond for some jolly good fun!

give us a shout at rarified for more info on getting set-up with a Brompton.