Hi! My name is Annie Grace.

I was born in Ontario, but moved here to Cape Breton when I was just a little girl. Cape Breton island will always be my home, and I will always be a Caper at heart!

I graduated high school in 2018, and last year, embarked on the biggest adventure of my life all the way to Australia and Papua New Guinea for six months. There I did some mission work and grew in my faith. I am deeply spiritual and have found so much life and joy in someone that is much greater than I am. 

Since being home I have had the privilege of working here at La Quaintrelle, this unique and lovely little treasure of a place has brought me so much joy! I have a love for little quirky and unique items - whatever that may be! I enjoy seeing customers come in and fall in love with something that makes their day a little brighter.

A little more about me...

What are you currently obsessed with?

I am currently obsessed with Friends!

What's your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure would have to be Netflix days, curled up with some tea.

What is the best thing you've ever read, watched, or listened to?

It's hard to pick just one thing! This quote by C.S Lewis is one I love. 

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

This quote has brought me so much comfort as I journey through life. Often I've found myself wondering what God is up. Have you ever felt you didn’t quite turn out the way you’d hoped or wondered where you're going in life? Let me tell you, there is purpose, beauty and meaning in whatever we walk through and in whatever place we may find ourselves in. God has plans and purpose for your life, and sometimes they are much bigger than what you may have chosen for yourself. Trust His process and embrace the unknown.

If you could spend 24 hours with anyone, who would it be and what would you do?

If I could spend 24 hours with anyone it would have to be an older brother you could say, though we are not related biologically. I was adopted when I was younger, and the man who adopted me had a son (about 10 or so years older than me) that passed away before I was ever a part of the picture. I never got the chance to meet him. I’ve always reminded my dad of him and he always tells me I would have loved Jeffrey. I’ve heard he is a lot like my dad. I would love to have a day to get to know him and go sailing with our dad together.

Describe your personal style.

I have been really inspired by the clothing style in Friends and have tried to incorporate that into my own personal style. I also really love earthy tones and I absolutely love all things cozy, so I find much comfort in sweaters and cardigans. 

If you were given an unlimited amount of money to fix any one problem in the world, what issue would you choose and how would you help?

There are so many things! I would have to say I would definitely use that money to help with the poverty rates here in Cape Breton, as well as our mental health facilities and overall health care. 

What are your favorite items currently in the shop?

Some of my favorite items here in the shop would have to be the Covered By Hope items. The proceeds go to such a wonderful cause. All the items are made at the Hope House, which is Cape Breton's first live in recovery home for women. I love the Kindred Clothing, a Canadian made ethical clothing line. I also love some of the cute items like earrings and socks from Mimi & August. 

What would you tell your 13 year old self about life thus far?

Where do I even start? I could say so much. I would start by saying there is so much ahead that she cannot see yet, and many times it will feel that way, but life is always moving forward and before she knows it the leaves will have changed and things won’t quite look the same. I would tell her that it's so important to not put so much focus on the destination, it's actually the journey that matters most and finding life and love in the midst of the messy. It's those in between stages and times of most confusion that bring forth the most surprises, light and life. Embracing these times are essential. These are the moments you remember more and even cherish more than actually getting to where you wanted to be, and sometimes you won't even end up where you thought you’d always be. So life definitely hasn’t gone the way I thought it would at that age, but I wouldn’t trade the way it has gone for anything. 

What is your personal motto or mantra?

My personal motto or mantra would be to do the next right thing and be mindful of that moment by moment, whatever that may be in any given situation. I desire to have a pure heart and do the right thing, which can often be a struggle, though this has encouraged me in many ways to either make a step I need to take for myself even if it's uncomfortable, or for someone else.