Ok so it's been a while since I've had a girl crush. But I have a new one to share with you! JEN BOOTH. Probably the cutest and friendlist girl in Sydney. (And everyone knows how many cute girls there are in Sydney).
I met Jen Booth at The Standard Store in Surry Hills, which is where she works when she's not making ace leather lockets and/or hair accessories. It's really difficult to truly describe how sweet and gorgeous and funny and excitable Ms Booth is. Basically, when you meet her it's like you've known her for your whole life already. You get chatting and then after about 2 minutes you're genuine besties. It's quite amazing.
Jen used to make beautiful leather hair accessories under the name 'South for the Summer' - craft afficionados might recall seeing her sweet headbands at markets and online. Jen's NEW venture is a label under her own name - and it's all about TINY MINI LEATHER LOCKETS. You heard it here first people - a global trend will surely ensue.
There is a particularly sweet story behind these leather lockets, so I thought I would share some of Jen's own words -
My favourite lyrics by Bonnie Prince Billy are from a song called Three Questions. He basically asks, 'if I put a rock in a locket, and gave it to you on our wedding day, would you wear it?' Can you handle the complete romance of those words????
My heart then basically waited years and years until I was standing on a beach at Turtle Bay in Hawaii, (covered in buckets of sunscreen) when my partner gave me a tiny purple heart shaped shell and proposed!
But do you know how hard it is to find a locket big enough but cute enough for a shell? Tres difficile. So, due to my love for working with leather, I had a lightbulb moment. Tiny mini leather lockets!!
Then I realised everyone has those special things they might want to carry around with them, so I decided to make lots of them!
The best bit for me is hearing what people keep inside. Yesterday a man showed me a tiny photo of his parents who are in Germany and a lady told me she changes her tiny keepsake each day, and today had a trinket her grandfather gave her.
I can't wait to hear about boys buying them as a gift to propose with, or best friends sharing them with a little treasure inside. Some Mums wanna put baby teeth inside, but thats a bit Angelina for me.
Give it to someone you love, or put something you love in it!
Jen's lockets are handcrafted in Sydney in the most delectable range of gelati colours, with a sweet brass press stud and just enough room inside for 1 tiny special secret. (They're about 3cm wide ish, and they hang on a long long chain).
www.jenbooth.com.au The Standard Store in Surry Hills, Sydney.