The Explorer Fashion Icon Archetype stops to smell the flowers.

On a recent trip to Ontario, Canada, I happened upon a lovely young creative artist named Shireen Nadir at an organic winery called Frogpond Farm in Niagara.

I couldn’t help being drawn towards The Blue Brick Jewelry table because the designs are so unique and magnetic to the eye. I immediately whipped out my trusty iPhone and asked if I could take a quick little video of her to share with all of you. Shireen was delighted and jumped towards the opportunity like a cat to catnip.

Shireen comes across as soft spoken and quite knowledgeable about her craft. Not only that, she speaks warmly of her fiancé, and soon to be husband, who is the silversmith and metal maker who designs the encasements that host the delicate flowers molded in resin.

Because Shireen is confident in her understanding of how to make this unique art, she doesn’t mind telling you everything about it. In fact, she has written a step-by-step book featuring her own illustrative photography sharing all of her knowledge in detail with those interested in learning all you need to know about resin jewelry.

However, Shireen doesn’t stop there… she is also an avid photographer, a diligent knitter, (her knitwear designs sell on Etsy and Ravelry.com) and and a blogger too! In her blogs she’ll tell you all about her yarn designs, color schemes, and most likely, she’ll even teach you to knit it yourself!

The Explorer Fashion Icon Archetype™ stops to smell the flowers…and wants to wear them too!

As an image consultant and beauty blogger myself, it is always refreshing to come across a true artist that inspires me too. I am now the proud owner of a very unique necklace made by Shireen and her Salvadoran, husband to be. (pictured here)

The Blue Brick jewelry by Shireen Nadir.

The delicate heart of an iris flower was my mothers’ favorite flower, so now when I wear it, I think of my dear mum. Being that one of my own dominant Fashion Icon Archetypes™ is the “Explorer” archetype…I love to find things on my travels that nobody else has. I want to feel a connection to everything I wear. It has to have a story, a memory, and a feeling attached to it. It gives meaning to the things I wear. As author and philosopher Eckhart Tolle, (who ironically lives in Canada,) reminds us… beauty is everywhere… it encourages us to be present. Tolle says that when we stop and smell the flowers, we will be “grounded in stillness and inner peace.” It is all about “awareness.”

That is why meeting Shireen and discovering her one-of-a-kind, hand crafted jewelry made from real flowers, was like finding buried treasure for me! I am all about bringing consciousness to dressing and helping others become more aware of what they are buying, wearing, and the messages they are sending about themselves every time they walk out their door.

This beautifully, mindfully, crafted piece of wearable art speaks to my inner explorer as well as my outer explorer. When I made that purchase I knew that this was money well spent. My purchase had meaning to me and hopefully to others too. Why, because it is beautiful, and beauty is what I love to share with the world. Not only that, I know whose hands made this tiny piece of “her-story.” And I am blessed to wear it always.