"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world!"

“Ever since I was a child, I used to read books under the sheets of my bed with a flashlight that would not shut off until my body gets tired but my imagination keeps screaming for more words to read. Now, as an adult, this exercise of the mind became a passion of mine: collecting vintage books. As valuable as they are, my imagination would not only manifest in the stories I am reading, but also would allow me to imagine and see the people who have read these books before me.”

"Be a pineapple: stand tall, wear a crown and be sweet on the inside."

“We believe that the world needs a little more fun and joy, and we as clowns can make that happen.”

“My dad had lots of vinyls, cassettes, CDs, you name them, and I grew up listening to music, which now became the most important thing in my life. It has been a part of me and will always remain so. I discovered who i really am and became my shoulder and I know that a lot of people out there who can relate to my story.”

“I have always loved art. I studied architecture thinking that being an architect would allow me to be creative and, at the same time, make a decent living; but I was wrong. In our context, Architecture is not an art but a system of technical tools that serves a materialistic real estate sector... a truth I found really frustrating. To forget my frustration, I started drawing random subjects during my free time and that became a therapy for me. I started posting my drawings on a blog; and, through it, I met many talented and wonderful artists who encouraged me to keep going. My work started to get noticed by publishers, and, today, I illustrate children stories and spend almost all of my free time drawing and doodling.”

“I was a baby soldier, where I carried a lipstick instead of a sword. For every good grade I was rewarded with a lipstick, until I had 200 lipsticks at the age of 7. Too much for a child don't you think? No, I did not grow up spoiled, instead, this motivated me to always do my best and realised that I wasn't only doing it for fun. Make-up became a passion, a way to express myself. This magnificent combination of colours became the reflection of my true feelings, where black meets my darkest thoughts and pink meets my inner femininity and happiness.”

“When I was a little girl, my mother taught me how to plant flowers, vegetables and fruits. Planting has become one of my hobbies ever since. But life has taught me to plant seeds of love instead, as they will be the most ethereal kind of flowers one can have.”

“Clothes can be stitched, but not wounds. No one knew during the civil war whether they will make it the next day, so we lived our lives like it was our last moment. I made beautiful clothes for others and for myself, stitched like it would be the last thing I would do. I practiced what I love and continue to do so, and with it I created the best memories that I wait the day my grandchildren.”

“Did anyone say DONUTS?”

“My father helped people by fixing their cars and adding tires during the war. And so I decided to follow his footsteps and continue helping those who are in need.”

"I am part of everything that I read."

"Every time I come to Lebanon, I pay my grandma a visit, and she welcomes me with a fresh and beautiful face like the watermelon she offers me knowing it is my favourite fruit. And every time, I count the seeds with each seed representing one year away from my country, hoping one day i would end the counting."

Because wearing ordinary sunglasses is too mainstream.

"We live in the Information Age, yet so many of us are uninformed about the political agenda's and propaganda purposely pushed through media platforms. Historically, slaves were killed if they read. Today, modern day slaves would rather die than read! Toffler said it best when he said the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. So, relearn. Question everything." - MH.

“20 years ago, a mother and a father built a beautiful home in the countryside, where they raised their family and built the foundations of their hard work. However, due to circumstances, the house was left unfinished. And that was the moment where I knew that I am the one who is going to finish it and fulfil my father's wish and my dream as a successful engineer. Therefore, I was inspired at a young age to study engineering, looking at the tools of engineers, reading about it and visiting construction sites. I wear this cap with pride and honor and hope to influence future young engineers as well.”

"I remember how we all put our hands together to repair the damages that the civil war had left us. My siblings and I helped our mother with repairing the burnt furniture, and this memory got stuck in my head and it was the main reason why I opened this shop."

When I asked my little brother: "What do you love doing the most?" He took my hand to show me his collection of car toys and said: "When I grow up I want to start collecting big cars!"

"My dad had lots of vinyls, cassettes, CDs, you name them, and I grew up listening to music, which now became the most important thing in my life. It has been a part of me and will always remain so. I discovered who i really am and became my shoulder and I know that a lot of people out there who can relate to my story."