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Mashi Moosh

June 20, 2019

Every once in a while you stumble upon someone whose amazing story of success inspires you and makes you strive to be a little bit more successful yourself. The owner of Mashi Moosh, Jacqueline Lilley, was that for me after learning about her road to success. Her journey to open her own home decor boutique specializing in Moroccan items is motivating. If you’re someone who adores one of a kind items, this is the place for you!  

All of the items in her store are personally sourced from Morocco, and all are authentic and handmade. Jacqueline knows if an item is worth carrying in her store based on a gut feeling. 

"I look for beauty, quality, and affordability.  Generally, anything I buy is something that I love and would want in my own home."

Giving Back.

One of the things I love about Mashi Moosh, aside from the beautiful items they carry, is that they donate a portion of their sales to support FOFO, Friends of Fez Orphans. It's a non profit organization which is dedicated to enriching the lives of orphans throughout Fez, Morocco by providing socialization, therapy, and education. How incredible is that!

"I’ve always enjoyed helping others and wanted to give back to the Moroccan community…not just by helping the artisans sustain their incredible art forms, but also by helping those less fortunate."  

"Not a Problem"

The name Mashi Moosh comes from the popular Moroccan phrase ‘mashi mushkil’, which means ‘not a problem’. I love the business name to begin with and how catchy it sounds. After Jacqueline shared its origin and what it means, I love it even more!  

“When I opened my business last year, I wanted to lead a simpler and more carefree life, and so I drew from this popular Moroccan phrase and shortened it to the fun sounding Mashi Moosh!”

Jacqueline's inspiration comes from her belief that it’s important to surround ourselves with people and things that make our hearts smile. I couldn't agree more!

The Back Story

As a young girl, Jacqueline didn’t envision herself owning a home décor and accessories shop. She initially studied psychology and criminology at University but then went on to pursue her Certification as a Professional Accountant (CGA) and worked for many years in that field. She later co-founded and co-owned an international language school for ten years. After selling it in 2007, she began working again as an accountant in the corporate world. But as time went on, she felt unfulfilled and had a lack of passion for her job. It was also around this time that she went through a difficult time in her life, the passing of her mother. 

So, in 2016, she decided to leave her job in the corporate world and do some soul searching. She did some travelling and ended up in Morocco where she immediately fell in love with all of the beautiful treasures there.  It was during this trip to Morocco that she realized she was done with the corporate world and decided to open up a Moroccan home decor boutique!

A collaboration

Olive Studio recently collaborated with Mashi Moosh for our Frida Kahlo inspired bridal creative where we were fortunate enough to have the use of some of the exquisite items from Jacqueline’s collection. These pieces really elevated the look and feel of our set and we were so grateful to have had Mashi Moosh on board for this shoot. 

Best Sellers

One of the most popular selling items at Mashi Moosh is their handmade leather pouffes...and it’s easy to see why, they’re so beautiful! Jacqueline explains that they’re both decorative and functional, something we can all appreciate, as they can also be used as extra seating, footstools or even low side tables. 

Jacqueline says she really enjoys the experience of going into a shop and being able to touch and see the quality, colours, textures, and workmanship of the goods she might like to buy and while online shopping is still very popular, she explains that she still enjoys and feels it’s important to have a tactile shopping experience. 

The Challenges

Jacqueline says she recently faced the challenge of getting her website up and running. For someone who is not very tech savvy, it was a bit overwhelming for her to complete this very important project. But technology be damned...she got it done and the Mashi Moosh website looks fabulous! 

With this particular business, Jacqueline explains that she also faces the challenge of getting past the language barrier. Understanding and bridging the cultural divide between the ways Canadians and Moroccans do business is also an ongoing challenge. 

Future Visions

If she wasn't the owner of Mashi Moosh, Jacqueline shares that she would more than likely be working in some capacity helping others. Or, as someone who loves to travel and enjoys meeting new people, perhaps she might be working in the travel industry. Who knows, maybe one day she can combine the two and start a whole new business!

I think the future holds great things for Jacqueline. She says she would one day like to be working with more artisans and produce a line exclusively for Mashi Moosh.  She would also like to be working with interior decorators and designers. Ideally she would source pieces for their clients, and hopes that one day, other shops will carry Mashi Moosh products too. 

I hope you achieve all your personal and professional dreams....all of us at Olive Studio can't wait to see what you conquer next!

~Marilyn

moroccan artisanal treasures

Every once in a while you stumble upon someone whose amazing story of success inspires you and makes you strive to be a little bit more successful yourself. The owner of Mashi Moosh, Jacqueline Lilley, was that for me after learning about her road to success. Her journey to open her own home decor boutique specializing in Moroccan items is motivating. If you’re someone who adores one of a kind items, this is the place for you!  

All of the items in her store are personally sourced from Morocco, and all are authentic and handmade. Jacqueline knows if an item is worth carrying in her store based on a gut feeling. 

I look for beauty, quality, and affordability.  Generally, anything I buy is something that I love and would want in my own home.”

Moroccan rugs toronto
moroccan cushions and pillows

moroccan cutlery

One of the things I love about Mashi Moosh, aside from the beautiful items they carry, is that they donate a portion of their sales to support FOFO, Friends of Fez Orphans. It’s a non profit organization which is dedicated to enriching the lives of orphans throughout Fez, Morocco by providing socialization, therapy, and education. How incredible is that!

“I’ve always enjoyed helping others and wanted to give back to the Moroccan community…not just by helping the artisans sustain their incredible art forms, but also by helping those less fortunate.”  

colourful woven baskets

The name Mashi Moosh comes from the popular Moroccan phrase ‘mashi mushkil’, which means ‘not a problem’. I love the business name to begin with and how catchy it sounds and after Jacqueline shared its origin and what it means, I love it even more!  

“When I opened my business last year, I wanted to lead a simpler and more carefree life, and so I drew from this popular Moroccan phrase and shortened it to the fun sounding Mashi Moosh!”

 

moroccan pottery

Jacqueline’s inspiration comes from her belief that it’s important to surround ourselves with people and things that make our hearts smile. I couldn’t agree more!

woven basket morocco

moroccan leather floor pouf

As a young girl, Jacqueline didn’t envision herself owning a home décor and accessories shop. She initially studied psychology and criminology at University but then went on to pursue her Certification as a Professional Accountant (CGA) and worked for many years in that field. She later co-founded and co-owned an international language school for ten years and, after selling it in 2007, began working again as an accountant in the corporate world. But as time went on, she felt unfulfilled and had a lack of passion for her job. It was also around this time that she went through a difficult time in her life, the passing of her mother. 

So, in 2016, she decided to leave her job in the corporate world and do some soul searching. She did some travelling and ended up in Morocco where she immediately fell in love with all of the beautiful treasures there.  It was during this trip to Morocco that she realized she was done with the corporate world and decided to open up a Moroccan home decor boutique!  

Olive Studio and Mashi Moosh collaborate in a wedding inspiration decor shoot.

Olive Studio recently collaborated with Mashi Moosh for our Frida Kahlo inspired bridal creative where we were fortunate enough to have the use of some of the exquisite items from Jacqueline’s collection. These pieces really elevated the look and feel of our set and we were so grateful to have had Mashi Moosh on board for this shoot.

One of the most popular selling items at Mashi Moosh is their handmade leather pouffes…and it’s easy to see why, they’re so beautiful! Jacqueline explains that they’re both decorative and functional, something we can all appreciate, as they can also be used as extra seating, footstools or even low side tables. 

Jacqueline says she really enjoys the experience of going into a shop and being able to touch and see the quality, colours, textures, and workmanship of the goods she might like to buy and while online shopping is still very popular, she explains that she still enjoys and feels it’s important to have a tactile shopping experience. 

One of the challenges that Jacqueline says she recently faced as a small business owner was getting her website up and running. For someone who is not very tech savvy, it was a bit overwhelming for her to complete this very important project. But technology be damned…she got it done and the Mashi Moosh website looks fabulous! 

With this particular business, Jacqueline explains that she also faces the challenge of getting past the language barrier and understanding and bridging the cultural divide between the ways Canadians and Moroccans do business. 

If she wasn’t the owner of Mashi Moosh, Jacqueline shares that she would more than likely be working in some capacity helping others. Or, as someone who loves to travel and enjoys meeting new people, perhaps she might be working in the travel industry. Who knows, maybe one day she can combine the two and start a whole new business!

I think the future holds great things for Jacqueline. She says she would one day like to be working with more artisans and produce a line exclusively for Mashi Moosh.  She would also like to be working with interior decorators and designers. Ideally she would source pieces for their clients, and hopes that one day, other shops will carry Mashi Moosh products too. 

~Marilyn

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photo credits: Mashi Moosh // Olive Studio // facebook: @mashimooshtoronto // instagram: @mashimoosh


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Olive Studio is a documentary based photography studio, specializing in unique, intimate and off-the-beaten track weddings. Our candid shooting style allows for couples to...
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Every once in a while you stumble upon someone whose amazing story of success inspires you and makes you strive to be a little bit more successful yourself. The owner of Mashi Moosh, Jacqueline Lilley, was that for me after learning about her road to success. Her journey to open her own home decor boutique specializing in Moroccan items is motivating. If you’re someone who adores one of a kind items, this is the place for you!  

All of the items in her store are personally sourced from Morocco, and all are authentic and handmade. Jacqueline knows if an item is worth carrying in her store based on a gut feeling. 

I look for beauty, quality, and affordability.  Generally, anything I buy is something that I love and would want in my own home.”

Giving Back.

One of the things I love about Mashi Moosh, aside from the beautiful items they carry, is that they donate a portion of their sales to support FOFO, Friends of Fez Orphans. It’s a non profit organization which is dedicated to enriching the lives of orphans throughout Fez, Morocco by providing socialization, therapy, and education. How incredible is that!

“I’ve always enjoyed helping others and wanted to give back to the Moroccan community…not just by helping the artisans sustain their incredible art forms, but also by helping those less fortunate.”  

“Not a Problem”

The name Mashi Moosh comes from the popular Moroccan phrase ‘mashi mushkil’, which means ‘not a problem’. I love the business name to begin with and how catchy it sounds. After Jacqueline shared its origin and what it means, I love it even more!  

“When I opened my business last year, I wanted to lead a simpler and more carefree life, and so I drew from this popular Moroccan phrase and shortened it to the fun sounding Mashi Moosh!”

Jacqueline’s inspiration comes from her belief that it’s important to surround ourselves with people and things that make our hearts smile. I couldn’t agree more!

The Back Story

As a young girl, Jacqueline didn’t envision herself owning a home décor and accessories shop. She initially studied psychology and criminology at University but then went on to pursue her Certification as a Professional Accountant (CGA) and worked for many years in that field. She later co-founded and co-owned an international language school for ten years. After selling it in 2007, she began working again as an accountant in the corporate world. But as time went on, she felt unfulfilled and had a lack of passion for her job. It was also around this time that she went through a difficult time in her life, the passing of her mother. 

So, in 2016, she decided to leave her job in the corporate world and do some soul searching. She did some travelling and ended up in Morocco where she immediately fell in love with all of the beautiful treasures there.  It was during this trip to Morocco that she realized she was done with the corporate world and decided to open up a Moroccan home decor boutique!

A collaboration

Olive Studio recently collaborated with Mashi Moosh for our Frida Kahlo inspired bridal creative where we were fortunate enough to have the use of some of the exquisite items from Jacqueline’s collection. These pieces really elevated the look and feel of our set and we were so grateful to have had Mashi Moosh on board for this shoot. 

Best Sellers

One of the most popular selling items at Mashi Moosh is their handmade leather pouffes…and it’s easy to see why, they’re so beautiful! Jacqueline explains that they’re both decorative and functional, something we can all appreciate, as they can also be used as extra seating, footstools or even low side tables. 

Jacqueline says she really enjoys the experience of going into a shop and being able to touch and see the quality, colours, textures, and workmanship of the goods she might like to buy and while online shopping is still very popular, she explains that she still enjoys and feels it’s important to have a tactile shopping experience. 

The Challenges

Jacqueline says she recently faced the challenge of getting her website up and running. For someone who is not very tech savvy, it was a bit overwhelming for her to complete this very important project. But technology be damned…she got it done and the Mashi Moosh website looks fabulous! 

With this particular business, Jacqueline explains that she also faces the challenge of getting past the language barrier. Understanding and bridging the cultural divide between the ways Canadians and Moroccans do business is also an ongoing challenge. 

Future Visions

If she wasn’t the owner of Mashi Moosh, Jacqueline shares that she would more than likely be working in some capacity helping others. Or, as someone who loves to travel and enjoys meeting new people, perhaps she might be working in the travel industry. Who knows, maybe one day she can combine the two and start a whole new business!

I think the future holds great things for Jacqueline. She says she would one day like to be working with more artisans and produce a line exclusively for Mashi Moosh.  She would also like to be working with interior decorators and designers. Ideally she would source pieces for their clients, and hopes that one day, other shops will carry Mashi Moosh products too. 

I hope you achieve all your personal and professional dreams….all of us at Olive Studio can’t wait to see what you conquer next!

~Marilyn