Made You Look Jewellery Robbery Fundraiser at the Cadillac Lounge

When I first moved into Parkdale over a decade ago, there was a store on the north side of Queen West near Brock that was boarded up for renovations, with just a little peek hole cut into the plywood to allow a glimpse of what was going on inside. I was immediately hooked. Sarah Hamel, owner of Made You Look, was in the middle of restoring one of the big beautiful buildings that had been neglected for years in the perpetually "up and coming" neighbourhood. She had a great vision and has built an amazing and unique business - a jewellery boutique that's also a studio for more than 20 resident jewellers who create their piece on site. Over the years she's expanded the collection to include work from over 100 local Toronto designers, with a wide range of styles. The atmosphere is artistic, eclectic, fun, and friendly. It's exactly the sort of business I love - one that really celebrates creativity and helps make it possible for independent designers to make a living doing what they love and are so talented at.

So when I heard that someone had broken in and robbed Made You Look a couple of months ago, I literally felt sick to my stomach. Who on earth would target a business built on beauty and dreams, and the designers who work so hard there? Although a suspect was apprehended, the over $300,000 worth of handmade jewellery and raw materials that were stolen were not recovered. With the shock and anger I was feeling came a deep desire to "do something" to help out - and I wasn't the only one who responded this way. Made You Look has a devoted following both in the community and among lovers of unique jewellery, so when they organized a fundraiser at the Cadillac Lounge to help out the jewellers who'd been hit the worst, it was a well-attended evening. There was a great silent auction, as well as music from The Neil Young'uns. Sarah made a lovely speech, thanking everyone who had come together to show their love and support for Made You Look and the designers it represents.

For those of you who couldn't make it but would love to help (or if you did make it, but still want to help MORE..), Sarah has set up a fundraising campaign through indiegogo - even a $5 contribution helps and is much appreciated. So far they have raised over $5,000 towards their goal of $15,000 (the funds will go directly to designers who lost items not covered by insurance). Check it out, and donate if you can: http://www.indiegogo.com/MYLfundraiser

Here are some of the lovely items that were generously donated for the silent auction..

..and here's everyone having a great time :)

If you've never been to Made You Look, make a point of stopping in to see how special it is, and if you haven't already PLEASE HELP WITH A DONATION HERE!

Much love and best wishes for a speedy recovery to everyone at Made You Look :)

xo Jessica

Toronto Bakes for Japan Fundraiser

Remember bake sales? When your class at school needed to raise money for a field trip or something, and everyone went home and asked their moms to make cookies or cupcakes so they could bring them in for the bake sale..? 

This is that, only on a grand global scale. The very simple and lovely concept of lots of regular busy people pitching in what they can and coming together to help people who need it. I love a good bake sale, and I really love this idea. There's something fantastically grassroots-y about bake sales in general and this event in particular - it started as just someone who wanted to make a difference, asking other people if they would help. And now there are 6 venues across Toronto who are hosting this fundraising event, and every time I check the website the list of people involved has grown. 


I've never been to Japan, although I'd love to go. Japan has held a strong place in my imagination and for almost 20 years now I've been enjoying Japanese films and animation, as well as novels and travel memoirs. The book that started it all of was called "Ghosts" by Morio Kita - I read it in high school and loved it. Then came "Kitchen" by Banana Yoshimoto. Both were a bit morbid, but so incredibly beautiful. Nature was a strong theme, as was history. These and other pieces have left me with an image of a country simultaneously so full of tradition and so modern it's practically the future. In love with nature and technology at the same time. Maybe it's because I'm a Libra, but there's something really compelling about that kind of balance of extreme opposites.


Anyways, one day I plan to visit Japan. And when I do, I want to have a little feeling of pride that when they needed help in a way we can't even begin to imagine, I did something. Maybe something small, but something.


Since I think it's been roughly half a decade since I baked anything, and I'm better at making a pretty picture than I am at making a cupcake, I thought that perhaps I could be helpful by capturing the event at the various venues...some fun candid shots, some yummy details - that kind of thing. I originally found out about it from an awesome event planner named Kristina Chau (Not Your Average Party), who will also be donating her expert services to the weekend. Plenty of people who aren't bakers have decided they still want to be helpers by donating their time, skills, or something for the auction. 


I'm proud of our city for doing this, and I'm proud to be part of a community who is taking simple steps for a good cause. If you know how to bake anything, or if you have time April 9th or 10th to help out in any way (even if it's just by coming out and buying cupcakes!), check out the website or email them to get involved.


Hope to see you there!