the shop culture and style comes out of my own life journey, in a nutshell...
I was born in Ohio, raised in Birmingham England, moved to Texas, then Ohio, then back to England, then to Michigan until I graduated high school, then moved to Chicago when I was 17 to pursue fashion design but realized i didn't like the industry, moved to Kentucky, back to Michigan and then decided to get a leadership degree in Australia so i moved to Sydney for 3.5 years, spent some time in New Zealand and Fiji and moved back to Michigan 3 years ago to pursue another degree in theology, I'm now onto my masters in the same field. Needless to say I'm a big city girl, mixed with a beach hippie, living in the suburbs...after living in different places I have experienced first hand that locations have little to do with scenery because to be honest, it gets old after a while.......places are about people, and people are what matter.
I have always been an artist, paintings, sketches, music, singing, stage design, fashion, and now jewelry. I actually picked up jewelry as a hobby as something to do with my artsy friend. I used to do house parties for groups of women and sell very sparkly glass jewelry...it was fun but it wasn't "me"...I ended up moving to Australia so the jewelry got put on hold other than the odd custom order here and there. When I moved back to Michigan I started to battle my Ulcerative Colitis disease really bad and I was confined to my bed a lot. I had no clue what to do, I couldn't get a job, couldn't finish my degree so I started studying online and making jewelry to sell online. It was the first time I started to explore my "style" and I went by the name Vade Mecum meaning "go with me" in Latin. My desire was to make unique jewelry that I had not seen anywhere else using unique findings both vintage and new, especially for guys who seem to get gypped in the jewelry department. I wanted guys to be able to look flash and have something unique as well. I got really into the steampunk style and continue to enjoy making steampunk items but I also love flashy swag pieces with leather and fabric, and hippie pieces with rustic necklaces and feather headbands....Vade Mecum wasn't really representing my whole style either.
I felt conflicted because I wanted guys to be able to shop for their style without being swamped in a sea of girly items, but then I didn't want my store to only show the industrial style. So one day, today in fact, I was pondering what to do and it just came to me that the jewelry I make is about people...and not just a certain kind of person but people from all over the globe who each have a unique flair to their style and a desire to showcase their creativity through artistic fashion. We are all individuals but we all share similarities.....WE are the people, WE set the trends, WE have a voice, WE are the creative ones. So it made sense that this store should be all about representing the vast sea of amazing people who are each looking for something unique to connect to.
I don't want to just sell jewelry, I want to sell things i have made that someone else in another place looks at and thinks "she gets me, this is totally me." See we are all different but we are all united.
The name isn't meant to be political or overly patriotic - but I can't help but think about what this nation was founded upon, the people making their own choice. Do you ever shop around and get bored with the same style you have seen for the past 5 or more years and wish for something totally different..........you can't quite put your finger on it, but you know you'll know it when you see it........well thats what I want we the people to be like for everyone, to be that place where people say "thats it!" and find something that represents their uniqueness and creativity.
I'm not interested in just making money - to be honest starting your own business is not for the person who wants to get rich quick! ha I want to do this because I love connecting with people from all over and fashion is one of the most exciting ways to experience life together.
So welcome to we the people! You are a vital part of this story and I'm excited to see where this journey takes us all!