Happiness Ready to Wear

Think about something happy and positive.  What did you think of?  I thought of butterflies.

Gentle creatures, they flutter their colorful wings and make the adult world disappear around me taking me back to when I was 5.  I grew up in a country far-far away and there in the middle of the city there were no fancy butterflies.  There were only pale yellow ones with black spots, and they were rare guests.  Now I know they're called Pieris brassicae but back then we called them KAPUSTNICA, the word coming from KAPUSTA - cabbage.  That's because in other places they're considered pests, but for me back then there were very beautiful - the best ever.

I never miss a chance to see a butterfly exhibit, and this is where my tons of butterfly photos come from, the ones you see above are from Arizona.  Luckily, there is an exhibit every year at the gardens close to my house, so I can go often. 

I really enjoy going into the butterfly tent with my kids and watching butterflies, colorful butterflies, hundreds of butterflies everywhere.  "Oh, mommy, there's one on your head!" - pure happiness.

Here is another place where I get my butterfly fix - the Julishland shop on Etsy.  The person behind the shop is Julia - a brilliant young designer of accessories from Israel.  She started designing leather jewelry five years ago and she admits "loving every minute of it".  Julia has two young kids and divides her time between her family and her business. 

My guess would be that the vibrant colors she uses in her works come from the warm climate and rich flora of Israel.  Julia's works exude happiness, they're very dynamic and full of motion.  Julia makes her accessories from leather, yet they're soft and delicate and have so much painted detail that it is often hard to guess that it is leather from just looking at the photos.  Julia also uses crystals and fresh water pearls in her works which give her creations an additional touch of whimsy.  

I love the butterfly bracelets, necklaces and even anklets Julia has in her shop - they're so much like the real ones - fun and happy.  There are colors and designs for any taste and to match any outfit.  I just want to buy every single piece there - they're a perfect match for my summer outfits.  I love other Julia's creations too and I keep adding more and more to my collection.