Dear Diary

A few weeks ago I opened up about a project that’s super close to my heart with BluBoho, and today I’m sharing the big reveal, plus a little bit more of the full story.

As previously mentioned, I brought some of my “forgotten gems” to the women at BluBoho to be reimagined, giving new life to old pieces with negative connotations. Jewelry is such a precious marker of special memories, and often those memories can turn from positive to painful as life moves forward and changes course. I’m not the kind of person to forget those I have connected with, even if things turn cold and dark, and I feel the same way about jewelry – it’s important to salvage what’s good from that time and turn it into something positive and sparkly to carry forward.

The earrings were a simple fix – a momento from a past relationship, the diamonds had turned black and were crafted with a poor setting which made them impossible to clean properly. We swapped out the setting for a simple rose gold backing that’s easy to clean, and they’re back to being sparklier than they ever were in their original white gold casing. I proudly wear them everyday, and can’t wait to start layering on more piercings and glimmering ear additions from the shop.

The ring was a different story. Like I said in my first post, I wanted to redesign my grandmother’s engagement ring into something more wearable, something clean from the pain of losing her, something that truly mirrored the amazing, golden woman she was.

I worked closely with the team at BluBoho and together we decided to replace the chunky gold solitaire-style setting of the original ring with a more flat rose gold design, crowned with a halo of tiny pink sapphires. A big bit of her, and a little bit of me, I dreamed it up as a new family heirloom that holds no connection to a man or marriage, instead signifying the strength and unity of the women in our family.

In all honesty, as I get older and those around me settle down with massive sparklers on their ring finger, I can’t help but feel a little bit left out… but all along I had my answer. Whether an engagement is in my future or not, near or far, I can absolutely wear a big beautiful diamond ring that stands for something altogether different and in some ways, more special. I hope one day I can pass the story of my sassy, stylish grandmother and her love of all things gold and sparkly down to my daughter, along with this ring, and the idea that you don’t need a life partner to sport a really big, really pretty ring.

The women at BluBoho have been a constant source of inspiration and support for me, and it was such a magical experience to go on this journey with them. I am so deeply thankful to the entire team for all the love they put into my new pieces. If you need custom work done, especially for a special occasion, I wouldn’t go anywhere else.

Some of our current favourites from the shop:

Rings //

10k Rose Gold Vista Ring
The Gemini Ring II
10k Yellow Gold Opal Aura Ring
10k Yellow Gold Diamond Aura Ring

bracelets //

10/14k Yellow Gold Hold Me Tight Bracelet with Diamonds
14k Original Coco Rose Gold and Nylon Bracelet

Earrings //

10k Rose Gold Vista Earring (Single)
10k/14k Rose Gold Diamond Tripod Earring (Single)

Necklaces //

10k Yellow Gold Choker
14k Yellow Gold and White Diamond Flirty Necklace

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Dear Diary

It has been a *very* big week for #teamRAOP. We like to jump into things with both feet, so this week we launched our new site design, opened a web store, and we’re thrilled to announce we’ll be hosting a pop up at CONVEY this weekend too!

I don’t even know where to start with my feelings right now. Its been such an incredible experience to watch all of these dreams come to life at once, but I think I might need a hundred year nap next week!

I couldn’t have made any of this happen without my incredible team, amazing roster of talented makers, and most of all the super talented Jeanine Brito, who designed both the storefront and our new website! How great are all these gradients and shades of peach?

Scroll down for full Pop up details!

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What // A chance to shop our brand new RAOP goods in person and skip shipping fees!

Where // CONVEY, 754 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON

When // Friday November 4th – Sunday November 6th (12-7 F, 11-6 S, 12-5 SU)

See you there!

Dear DiaryDress Up

Warning- this month’s editor picks is seriously special! For the first time ever I get to choose my favourites from my very own STORE. That’s right, you’re about to get an exclusive close up look at some of the treasures we’ll be selling this Monday on the #ShopRAOP site!

I’ve been talking about curating a shop for most of my life, and watching this dream come true has been seriously surreal. I honestly feel like to luckiest girl in the world to have had this incredible opportunity, and now that all of the product is in I’m *so* excited to share it with all of you! Of course everything in the shop is deeply and completely adored, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek at the items that are currently catching my attention.

Without further ado, my (Shop) RAOP picks!!!

*note: you won’t be able to access links until the shop opens tomorrow morning!*

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Trust Fund Beauty x RAOP Nail Polishes //

The perfect nail polish is hard to find, especially when it comes to milky pastels with great coverage. We worked with Trust Fund Beauty, a vegan cruelty-free brand based on Montreal, to craft two custom shades, and they really made all of our nail polish dreams come true. “Peach Please” is a magical sparkling peach champagne inspired colour, and “RAOP Pink” is our ideal shade of pastel bubblegum pink. Are you ready to paint your paws pastel?

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Ballet Slipper Necktie //

Crafted from the softest Japanese vegan suede and finished with 24k gold hardware, these elegant neckties were made by our friends at CONVEY and really complete every FW/16 outfit. We especially love layering them with delicate gold necklaces, and rumour has it a baby pink colour is coming soon as well…

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Rosy In Reykjavik Sweater //

I fell hard and fast for Iceland when I visited a few years ago, and ever since I’ve had a weak spot for Icelandic knits and patterns. This vintage one of a kind sweater caught my eye immediately because of it’s Nordic style, and I’m seriously considering just keeping it for myself…

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Bergamot Rose Black Tea //

I had the pleasure of working for Sloane Fine Tea Merchants a couple years ago, and in that time I learned so much about the fine art of tea blending, tasting, and more. A unique combination of Earl Grey, rose and lavender, this black tea is bursting with floral flavour. Enjoy it with milk, honey, and your favourite sugar cookies!

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Daisy Chain Denim //

Is anyone else obsessed with dressed-up denim these days? My amazing friend Mari hand embellished four unique pairs of vintage denim, and each one turned out more special than the last. My favourite of the moment is this pink daisy pair, but I change my mind almost daily.

Want to see everything in person?! We’re hosting a surprise pop up at CONVEY on Queen Street from Friday November 4th to Sunday November 6th!