Inspirational Sunday

I'm doing something a little different this Sunday. While browsing the Etsy forums this week I came across a thread about shops that donate part of the proceeds from a certain item to Cancer Research. We all know someone who has been affected by cancer. Both of my inlaws died young (54 & 67) because of cancer, my sister-in-law had cancer at a young age (30), but has been cancer free for 8-9 years now, my neighbor just went through breast cancer surgery and treatments. The list could go on. We donate to the Canadian Cancer Society every year. It's important to fight this disease!

I asked each shop to write something telling us why they donate to this worthy cause and show which item they are using. Each picture will take you to the shop and the listing. Please take time to check out these two amazing shops and read more about these two women and what they are doing.


Blissful Bags
I decided to do the Liz Tote aka the Ovarian Cancer Tote for a dear family friend that is going through her 3rd round of chemo after having the cancer in remission twice already. There's not enough fundraisers out there for Ovarian Cancer because most people focus on Breast Cancer, so this is my opportunity to help give to a cause that may one day save our friend's life. I am also raffling off a different bag, called the Lea Bag, to launch a new line of bags. These Blissful Luxe bags are made from more natural and luxurious materials, such as lambskin leather, silks, linens and even hemp organic cotton. The Lea bag is made from a supple Robins Egg Blue Lambskin Leather and is lined with a Slate Gray Hemp Organic Cotton.






Simply Flaunt
A few years ago, on a trip back home to London, UK, I got a phone call from a friend telling me that her sister, Liz, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Liz was 33 years of age, with 2 young sons. This was the era of modern medicine. All would be well, we thought, with surgery, with treatment… Unfortunately, despite everything that the doctors did, we were wrong; the cancer was incredibly aggressive and within 11 months Liz had died at the age of 34. Too young.





Recently I made a pretty sterling spiral pendant. I knew that spirals were an ancient symbol of eternity – and therefore, to me, of hope, that life and love continue. I decided to embellish the pendant and, as I was doing so, was thinking of Liz. I chose pink gemstones, the color we most often associate with breast cancer awareness; pearl, the stone of feminine wisdom, and rose quartz, the stone of love and of emotional healing… After phoning my friend in the UK to ask her if it was OK to tell Liz’s story and name the piece after her, (it was), I decided to offer the “Elizabeth” pendant for sale and donate part of the proceeds to charity to raise money to search for a cure for breast cancer, a disease that ravages the lives of women and their families worldwide. We can’t bring Liz back, but maybe, one day, in some indirect way, we can be part of saving somebody else’s Liz – a loving mother, daughter, sister, wife and friend. And that would REALLY be something worth doing…