Home Sweet Home

I recently purchased the above bracelet from Netherlands graphic and jewelry designer Lisanne Janssen. What first attracted me to the design was the inscription "home is where your heart is." Written in her grandmother's handwriting, Lisanne has managed to package the sentiment perfectly by including small images of her grandmother with the bracelet. To further that point, she puts it all in a gorgeous Lokta box with the word "home" letter pressed on top. I actually loved the whole experience of this purchase and have worn the bracelet every day since I received it. To top it all off, it also makes me feel good since the piece is entirely fair trade and handcrafted in Nepal. Now that is what I call the total package.

L.

I am a phillumenist. So was my grandmother.

Although this sounds impressive and I think it would look great on my resume, in reality it means I collect matchbooks. It probably will not help advance my career, but I still think it’s pretty neat. I inherited the collection from my Grandma and love everything about them. The colours, the graphics, and the history behind them all add to my fixation. My Grandma did a ton of traveling in her lifetime and along the way dabbled in a bit of black jack according to the many casino matchbooks that are part of the collection! She was quite the popular lady, explaining why nearly a third of the collection is wedding favours. Dating back to 1966, most of them are white, with metallic writing, but there are a few pretty pinks, blues, and even one with rainbow cursive. Unfortunately, this trend has faded as the dangers of smoking have become more evident. Perhaps a resurgence is in order? I think this would still serve as a charming favour for any occasion.

Other matchbooks in the collection sport logos of hotels and restaurants from Indiana to Hawaii. Each matchbook tells a story from my grandmother’s life and I hope that I will be able to add my own stories with the same colour and flare as she did.

J.