Now, if you decide to use traditional make up and have naturally light colored eyebrows, obtaining a bright result won’t be too hard. However, if your eyebrows are naturally pretty dark, you can tone them down using a concealer pencil. I tried it myself and I love it. It’s playful, futuristic (definitely makes me feel like I’m from The Capitol) and perfect for summer …so get loose with your make up, paint your face and have fun!

Image source

I am sometimes nostalgic of my teen years during the 90s, but when nostalgia strikes, I always find a way to ease my pain, like putting on a Lionel Richie record or watching 16 Candles, Weird Science, or even better:  Untamed Heart (you have to see these movies).  Sometimes a movie doesn’t make it so I dress up like it’s the 90s again, good thing it is pretty trendy these days!   So I decided to recreate this crazy trend we had in the late 90s called the convertible pants, or the zip-off pants.  This time around, I made it from an American Apparel (our sponsors, thanks!!!) easy jeans, the most comfortable pants.. EVER!

Ari’s tips:

I suggest you use a plastic zipper so it won’t iritate your skin or get stuck in your skin (or hair if you have leg hair lol)

You can finish the hem or leave it raw, but the raw fabric will fray, and this means you’ll have to re-sew it once in a while!

You can do a short or a bermuda, I went for the mid-thigh length which I think is a unique length we don’t see much in fashion these days, which I love. :)

Material:

• 30-40 cm plastic zipppers
• Scissors, thread, pins
• sewing machine
• Skinny pants

Watch video tutorial:

Boat People’s co-owner Mel moved three months ago in this cute one bedroom apartment downtown Québec, Canada.  Being a true vintage worshiper, she decorated this tiny space with care and style, giving an amazingly modern twist to her romantic vintage furniture.  Mel is a great example of someone who can make a lot with a little;  The 500 square feet apartment has a monthly rent of 490$ but when you step inside, it feels big and fancy!  Hope you enjoy the tour xo

Indoors:

Decor inspo ideas: add rugs, pillows, lights and plants or fresh flowers to your space.

Backyards:

In the city:  you’ll need plants, plants and more plants!

Image source here, here and here.

Below find some styling inspiration

As a last minute “Goodbye, California” trip I decided to gather my girl posse to embark on a single day adventure to Joshua Tree National Park.  For those of you who haven’t been, well, you must.  This California desert has been an inspiration to musician everywhere and you can instantly feel the otherworldliness as soon as you enter the park.

Now I’ve only visited in the summer. When temperatures are over 100 degrees, camping is a must and nudity is optional. I’m not going to lie, visiting during winter does have it’s perks – no crowds, cool hiking days and cold campfire nights.  We even caught some snow throughout the shadows of the rocks.

When most people think of deserts, you think of bare vegetation, miles of endless sand, but Josua Tree National park is actually a forest of, you guessed it, Joshua Trees!  Not only do you encounter many desert plant species, but one of the desert’s main attractions is Jumbo Rocks.  Strange formations and huge boulders that somehow balance themselves on cliffs exist throughout the park.  Beyond every boulder there’s a majestic view to be seen, caves to hide in and cracks to squeeze through. The wind chill was bearable, but the two pups that came along, looked like they were cold, so we cuddled one in a jacket and the other stayed cozy in my backpack!

We hiked all day and raced to the tallest rock we can climb to catch the sunset.
The evening sun brings golden light and the afterglow leaves us with painted pink and purple skies. We were hoping to be abducted by aliens, so this day would never end.

Tel-Aviv based artist Julia Ye’ela Berg makes beautiful handmade crochet jewelry using hard-to-find gemstones, not subject to any kind of chemical alteration. Julia’s creations are influenced by nature, native American art, pagan & Celtic myths.

“PETITE MORT is the moment of pure ecstasy & transcendence one experiences in front of a piece of great art << in french it is an idiom of an orgasm >> with my work I try to accentuate the esthetics of nature, using materials from the earth. There’s always a small death in the act of taking something from the earth, & then the pure joy of recreating it into a new & beautiful object Δ ” -Julia Berg

Julia is a busy lady but we got lucky and caught up with her! Get a glimpse of Julia’s wonderful creative world with the interview below.

What’s the meaning/idea behind Petite Mort ?

PetiteMort is the name of my jewelry collection created by crocheting with metal chains, often cradling a piece of gemstone. The term “La Petite mort” is an old french idiom meaning “small death”. It is the spiritual moment one feels after experiencing a great piece of art, an orgasm or a life transmuting event. Petitemort is the moment of pure ecstasy & transcendence. I think of it as the paradox of feeling extremely happy and sad at the same time. Inspired by this, themes of rawness, juxtaposition between hidden and seen, darkness and light, objects captured in a trap-like net or cradled tenderly (depending on your interpretation), are poured into every piece of jewelry I create. With my work I try to give shape to the life force of objects, accentuating the seemingly chaotic aesthetics of nature through using materials from the earth. There’s always a small death in the act of taking something from the earth, & then the pure joy of recreating it into a new & beautiful object.

What inspired you to use crochet techniques to create your pieces?

My initial inspiration to make jewelry came from an interest in gemstones for healing as well as beauty. I realized while shopping around for a gemstone necklace for myself, that in order to have what I really wanted I would have to create it. I went on to experiment with many different materials until I came up with chain crocheting. This allowed me total freedom to use many raw gemstones, to sculpture the jewelry the way I desired, as a delicately flowing organic structure.

Each of your pieces are unique and different from each other. When creating a new piece, do you know what to expect as a final result?

I’ve been making jewelry for a few years now, and even though I developed & refined my technique over time, it is still a mystery to me how a piece of jewelry will come out in the end! I can have a general direction of what I want to do, pick color themes, etc, but when working with raw or free-formed stones, together with the fluidness of the chains, I have to completely give up to the creative process and let the piece “shape itself” into being. If I try to control it, the process becomes very frustrating. I like to think of it as reaching with your hand into the ocean & picking up a treasure tangled in seaweed.

What are your favorite stones to work with and why?

My favorite stones to work with are raw gemstones & clusters. Nowadays not enough people know the natural beauty of minerals before they are cut, polished and put through heat treatment, where chemicals alter the crystal’s color & structure. It can be hard to obtain certain raw minerals since some countries have a law that forbids them from being exported. Sometimes I have a direct connection with mines. This way of working is more personal and I like to know where the materials I buy come from.
Other from that, my favorite gemstones are kunzite, quartz, malachite azurite, sunstone & crysophrase. I like to combine healing aspects of gemstones with the designs I give them. For example, with crysophrase I make a “broken hearts necklace” capturing the beautiful torquiest green gem in a dark silver net. This gemstone is known for it’s tender energies that help to heal the sorrows of a broken heart.

According to you, what makes a good piece of jewelry?

I have a weakness for things that are ageless or have a story to tell. I admire jewelry that is passed down for generations in a family, because there is always an intimate bond between them and the one who wears them. When making jewelry I always want to infuse this intimacy and agelessness into the piece. The combination of good craftsmanship, materials & creativity is what makes a piece ageless to me.

Julia Ye’ela Berg by photographer Ania Mokrzycka

I’ve been obsessing over edible floral herbs for awhile now.  I love the unexpected flavor of lavender in tea and ice-cream, but when I came across this recipe for  white chocolate lavender mashed potatoes, I was genuinely delighted and excited to try a savory dish with the aroma of lavender.
Surprisingly earthy, yet perfectly paired with the sweetness of creamy white chocolate, this side dish can be served with roasted vegetables, but is just as good on its own.

Cliquer ici pour voir la vidéo.

Playing with Fire from Alexandra Levasseur on Vimeo.

With warmers days ahead of us, I have the green thumb itch coming back to me.  I love (but I suck at) growing my own herbs, and to stay safe I stick with the basics like basil, cilantro and thyme.  This summer however, I’d love to explore more and this what lead me to this post.  I gathered some very clever and fun DIY ideas of how to make your own planters from natural or vintage material.  Most of these ideas come from Etsy, you’ll find the link bellow each image! :)

Test tube planter

Sea urchin planter

Wearable planter!

Tree log planter

Skull planters

Vintage box planter

Prism Planter

Glass Terrarium

Vintage jar planter

woodbox planter

Cross wooden planter

Brick planter