Nadia's Rose Garden by kiwisaskatoon

Who is Nadia?

2010-01-28T10:18:00.002-06:00

As you may or may not know, my shop is named for two women, both of whom were dear to me. Nadia was my cousin and Rose was my grandmother. Today, I've invited Paulette, my only other female cousin, to write about her sister. It is a beautiful and moving tribute to an irrepressible and irreplaceable woman.

Nadia, A dessert first kind of girl

First I should note that it was incredibly nice for my cousin Carrie to ask me to write about my sister on her blog. Second, in case you hadn’t figured it out Carrie and Nadia are not the same person. Though they were related, both had dark hair, a love of chocolate and animals they were not the same person. Anyway, the point of this is for me to write about Haw, as she was better known, not compare Carrie and Nadia.

So now I guess I should try to figure out where to start with my sister. I guess I could say that she was my best friend, one of the few people that would tell me I was being stupid and to shut up, the only person who ever had the nerve to push me into a bathtub and also the only person I ever had to the nerve to dump a bucket of water on her bed during a water fight.

My Haw (yes, I am a bit possessive, always have been) was pretty freaking awesome. She knew what she liked and what she didn’t . She never really tried to be anything she wasn’t. She always danced badly, making her the hit of any party. She belted it out to some pretty horrific boy bands (I’m guilty too I guess...) and wore the most appalling clothes you could imagine... most of which I have now inherited.

Best of all, she didn’t care. You could tell her that her pants looked like a flower had thrown up on them or that her music was an assault on your ears and she always said “Oh Paully, it’s not that bad.” She did what she wanted and that was what made her awesome.

Haw had her flaws. She didn’t like to leave her house. You really had to nag her out if you wanted to do anything. She would never drive anywhere despite the fact that she was the only one with a car. She was moody and annoying like all little sisters are.

When we were little, we always wondered what it was like not to have a sister. I never really thought we’d never have to find out. I was wrong. My life and future were Nadia and now I have to piece them back together without her. What else can I do? I know that if I stopped doing all the things I love doing or living my life the way I want, she would probably haunt me for the rest of my life. Seems like a bit of a waste of her afterlife, no?

I guess the only other thing I can say is that I’m going to do what Nadia loved- eat dessert first. For her it was pointless to eat a proper meal when what she really wanted was the Snickers cake. Unfortunately I’m not the biggest fan of Snickers so I think I’ll have the raspberry bash cake instead.

Nadia was taken from us one year ago on February 2. Three men are awaiting trial for her murder.

Giveaway Time!

2010-01-18T20:41:00.000-06:00

My Facebook Fan Page now has 149 fantastic fans. So close to 200! So I'm giving away a free gift from my shop to the 200th fan who joins. And to sweeten the deal, somewhere between the 149th fan and the 200th fan, there will also be one random giveaway of an item from my shop!

Hiatus

2009-12-12T01:43:00.003-06:00

The blog is on the backburner while I get through the end of term and then Christmas preparations. But I'll be back soon!

Monday photo

2009-11-23T09:08:00.002-06:00

Our unusually mild and bright weather is slowly giving way to more seasonable temperatures. Though it's still quite pleasant for November, here's a not-so-subtle reminder that winter isn't far behind.

Kiwi Loves...Opals

2009-11-19T19:44:00.001-06:00

Fireflies Glass Opal Earrings by laralewis

Vintage Opal Glass Jewel Necklace by mylavaliere

Misty Morning Bracelet by groovymooncreations

Dramatic Opal Ring in Sterling Silver by samantharose

Sunset

2009-11-17T20:04:00.000-06:00

Along with the unusual weather, we've had some unusual skies, even for Saskatchewan -- which calls itself "Land of Living Skies" for good reason. Tonight's sunset was spectacular.

Good morning!

2009-11-16T08:22:00.001-06:00

Sunrise over my neighbourhood. Haven't seen one like this in awhile.

Happy Monday! Have a great week!

Kiwi Loves...Knits

2009-11-12T06:55:00.000-06:00

Sea Waves Shawl by LamaWorks

Gauntlett Style Smittens by Waysideviolet

Chunky Mobius Cowl by Pixiebell

White Cable Mittens by KindredKnits

Truly only a micro sampling of my faves. There are so many more I'd like to buy, or try to knit, for myself or as gifts!

Monday photo

2009-11-09T20:12:00.000-06:00

Despite our unseasonably warm and sunny weather this past week, I'm seriously missing summer. I've been sorting out my summer pictures and I was pleasantly surprised to recall taking this one. I photographed this inquisitive fellow on a lovely summer afternoon in Niagara Falls.

The Friday File

2009-11-06T12:59:00.002-06:00

Just bought the pattern for t hese mittens, not because I'm a huge fan of Twilight (actually the whole Twilight thing utterly perplexes me -- another post for another day, perhaps) but because I *love* gauntlett-style mittens. They are really the ideal mittens to wear for a Saskatoon winter. The Saskatchewan winter wind gets into your clothes everywhere and feels like a million tiny razors slashing your skin. Rather like the Florida equivalent of sand in your bathing suit, without the beach, or the sun, or the ocean. These mittens will cover my arms up to the elbow and give me just one more layer of protection. In case you're curious, no, you never get used to a Saskatchewan winter.

The really exciting part, though, is that knitting these mittens will represent my first attempt at a cable pattern, and I'm looking forward to the challenge. I just finished crocheting a vintage-inspired cover for a throw pillow, and so was in need of a new project. Now to pick the wool -- something durable and warm, I think, in red or burgundy, perhaps? We'll see how they turn out!

Kiwi Loves...Pearls

2009-11-05T16:52:00.001-06:00

A micro-treasury of my favourite pearl-themed items on Etsy.

Vintage Bloom Necklace by Lillyella

Xenon Bracelet by ThePeachTree

Twig Line Drawing Pearl Ring by kathiroussel

Sterling Silver Freshwater Pearl Earrings by asecondtime

Monday photo

2009-11-02T10:41:00.000-06:00

A cheery image with which to start the week. Is there anything more beautiful than a perfect autumn day?

Kiwi Loves...Sterling Silver

2009-10-29T09:27:00.002-06:00

A micro-treasury of my favourite Etsy items. Today’s theme: sterling silver.

Kitty Bangle by Michelle Chang

Moonstone Turret Ring by Sudlow

Set Adrift Necklace by ShopClementine

Tiny Hearts Earrings by 2TrickPony

Welcome!

2009-10-26T16:21:00.001-06:00

Welcome to the blog for Nadia's Rose Garden, my Etsy shop. I have always been a passionate lover of jewelry, and I have dabbled in creative arts for as long as I can remember, but I have only recently merged these two passions.

The current items for sale in my Etsy shop were inspired by a year of loss. My family lost two beautiful women. My shop is my way of celebrating their lives and honouring their memories by raising money for their favourite charities. Please consider checking out the shop, and if you see something you like, fantastic! You'll get some handmade jewelry, and you'll be donating to charity, too!

Particularly close to my heart right now are the Nadia Earrings. Named for my cousin, taken from us violently and far too soon, all of the profits go to her favourite charity, the Animal Hospital of Kitchener, in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Right now, I have two styles for sale: Nadia in Sparkling Pink, and Nadia in Ruby Red. I plan to expand this line to include many more variations; right now, I have designs in mind that incorporate blue, red, and orange.

Nadia's Rose Garden is also a tribute to my grandmother Rose, and the Rose Collection is in development now. For sale in the shop today are the Crystal Rose Earrings, and all of the profits from these are earmarked for Granny's favourite charity, the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Moreover, a portion of the profits from all the items in the shop will be divided equally and donated to those charities. This is my way of remembering two loving, kind-hearted, and generous women.

I hope you will visit my blog often. I plan to cover a variety of topics: recipes, interviews with other artists, books, gardening, possibly even contests/giveaways. Please feel free to email me with suggestions for topics you'd like to see!

In the meantime, thanks for dropping in!