Shop Spotlight: The Hunted Few

As a Canadian, a jewelry lover, and an avid online shopper, I can't tell you how irksome is it to decide to spend the money on a special piece of jewelry, and have the shipping, taxes, and duty equal the price of the bauble in question.  Countless times I've gotten to the check-out portion of the purchase, only to see a whopping shipping price added on or a sad disclaimer that the shop doesn't ship to my region.  Imagine my excitement when I stumbled across The Hunted Few - a shop that caters to finding hard to reach products for Canadians, without the astronomical international shipping.

Meet The Hunted Few Owner, Lauren Stope.

Tell us about The Hunted Few and the idea behind your shop.

The Hunted Few came about as a way to share my loves with others. Everything in the shop is something I have previously purchased for myself and wanted to make available to the Canadian market. Each and every item available in the shop is something I stand behind and hope everyone will enjoy as much I have!

What made you want to start the Hunted Few?

I am a huge online shopper. As many Canadian shoppers know it can be frustrating trying to track down products locally. So often designers charge an arm and a leg for shipping or elect to not ship up here at all. I clearly remember finding a tiny piece of jewelry I wanted but the store was asking for $45 shipping and in that moment I thought to myself – there must be a better way!


What are you looking for when considering to have a product in your shop?

First and foremost I need to be able to stand behind the designer or company. I really value relationships and believe that knowing the makers behind the lines is of the utmost importance. The item needs to be really high quality but at good price. And for all of the apothecary items they need to meet my health standards in terms of organics and natural formulations where possible.

Can you tell us about some future jewelry lines you're planing on or hoping to carry in the near future?

We have a new jewelry line arriving this week that I am really excited about! Young Frankk is an amazing independent line from designer Christine Young and perfectly fits the hunted few's roster of  beautiful, hand made, quality goods. I think our customers will love Young Frankk – lots of gorgeous textured pieces in rich colours for fall like bronze and copper. I can't wait for everyone to see the collection!

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs or hopeful shop owners?

Be brave and make your move. The hardest part is taking that first step but once you do you'll find yourself wondering what took you so long!

Thanks, Lauren!

Shop Spotlight: a-thread

I found a pin of a leather bow bracelet on my Pinterest and clicked through to find out more. What I found was an adorable shop named a-thread.

a-thread is run by super-sibling duo, Kevin and Jin.  They began a-thread with the vision of creating a fashion AND community minded business. Their motto is to “shop and effect” – which means you can look good, while doing good.  The few dollars a-thread donates from each sale add up to big dollars that changes lives. Five per cent of every sale will go straight to the charity of your choice. Currently, their charity partners include Children of the Night, LA Animal Services, Kiva, and Thirst Relief International. I love this idea! 

Here are my favorite picks from a-thread's site!

Shimmer Necklace / Get to the Point / Dainty Everyday Ring / Weave & Hook Bracelet / Between the Lines necklaces / Enamel Bamboo Bangle / Mirrored Necklace / Faceted Jade Bangle / Mint Bauble Necklace / Up and Down Long Chain Necklace / Gold Tipped Pyramid Necklace / Emerald Estate Necklace / Pink Bauble Necklace / Golden Pinhead Clover Necklace / Gold Star Ring / Silver Knot Bracelet / String Me Along Bracelet / Greystone Statement Necklace / Golden Bangle Set / Jade Street Necklace /  

Shop Spotlight: Catbird NYC

I can't quite remember how I stumbled upon Catbird but I am certainly glad that I did.  Catbird is located in the center Williamsburg, NY, where "the asthma rates are high and the tree quotient is low." But for those of us outside of Brooklyn, fear not, they have a strong online presence as well.

While the emphasis is on jewelry at this quirky shop, there is also always a wide variety of other fun stuff such as: glassware, terrariums, candlesticks, cards, water bottles, tooth fairy boxes, candles, art, boxes and trays, compasses, old fashioned toys, fancy things to put in your hair...the list goes on.

While I love their other trinkets and treasures, my real attraction to the store is because of the fun jewelry it carries.  Below I've compiled a list of my favorite pieces of jewelry that Catbird carries.  Think of it as my giant wishlist.

This order makes a little sense if you have the mind of a crazy person. Left to right, top to bottom-ish:
Adjustable Arrow Ring / Shark Tooth Necklace / Alphabet Rings / Arc Crescent Necklace / Evil Eye Ring / Arc Necklace / Ancienne Diamond Ring / Snake Bangle / Astrid Necklace / Alba Etruscan Moonstone Ring / Heart Ring / Petite Crystal Necklace / Heart Ring / Flat Band with Black Diamonds / Apex Spike Necklace / Bar Ring / Emerald Diamond Twinkle Necklace / Lily Leaf Ring with Diamonds / Dainty Stacking Pave Ring / Large Circle Ring / Dainty Heart Bracelet / Diamond Filigree Necklace / Horizontal Bar Ring / Big Bunny Ring