1.16.2012

What I Miss...

I miss...

 


... writing.  There was a time in my life when things were most turbulent, yet in the spaces between the chaos, I was able to find my breath and feel at peace with myself.  And I owed it all to writing.  Reflecting and journaling was a necessity and I was often with pen in hand, scribbling away.  Poetry poured out of me, sometimes quicker than I could capture it in ink.  It was painful, exciting, and incredibly freeing.  It has been at least 3 years since I've even seen my journal (it's still packed away from our last move) and it's been at least 5 years since I've actually written in it.  I just miss purging my thoughts onto something tangible.. something that made sense of all the rattling noise in my head.  I suppose this chapter in my life doesn't demand much of a transcript.  The noise is gone, the pain is gone.  There's no longer the urgent need to pull at strands to piece together meaning.  I've since turned to other forms of expression (taking a million photos, for instance) and am at a higher level of appreciation for simplicity, and what's truly important.  Having children will do that to you.  :)  So while I'm at a happier, more stable place in my life, I miss the openness and readiness for inspiration that vulnerability afforded... and the way I was able to lose and find myself in writing.  But pen and paper will always be my comforting friends, and when time can stop for a few seconds, I'm sure they will be the first two things I reach for. 

What about you.. what do you miss?












P.S.  Thank you to my dear friend Ashley (OneInTheHand) for inspiring this post with her post!

1.15.2012

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: Can't get enough of Boston!

Where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been???


Gardening in Belmont Anne!

And making pizza...
...hanging out at Boston's Quincy Market...


Anne, thank you for participating in the project.  I miss you guys!  Hopefully we'll get a chance to visit you in Boston soon.  :)

Next stop:  Wichita, KS!  

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World! 
(my traveling necklace project, raising awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Click here to read more or just email me 
at warmhearts[at]envedesigns[dot]com to be added to the list.




 


1.06.2012

Warm Hearts Whereabouts :: catching up with Dr. Chan

Where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been???




Dr. Chan, thank you for sharing the project with the wonderful faculty and interns at CMTP!  It's so nice to see your familiar smiling faces (I miss you all)!  And a huge thank you to CMTP for your generous donation to St. Jude on behalf of this project.  The faculty's support for all the interns meant so much to me during my internship there, and is truly an unrelenting strength of this program. 

Next stop:  Belmont, MA!  

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World! 
(my traveling necklace project, raising awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Click here to read more or just email me 
at warmhearts[at]envedesigns[dot]com to be added to the list.



Happy 2012, everyone!!!  I hope the new year brings you many blessings and lots of love and laughter. I've been "away" for too long, I think.  Hopefully you'll see more of me around here in 2012.


 


8.22.2011

Weekend Project :: Memorabilia Necklace


I was digging through my jewelry box Saturday and came across a bunch of my old letter jacket pins from high school.  Immediately, I thought of the idea to upcycle them into a charm necklace so I ran into my studio to whip it together.  After some bending and a few jump rings, voila!


I also added a few trinkets from the pieces of jewelry I wore back in high school, along with a couple new beads to balance it all out.  I stuck with the blue scheme because those were my high school colors (although they were slightly different shades of blue).  I was searching for some old necklaces that I handmade back then so that I could weave them into this piece, but couldn't find them anywhere.  I'll keep digging...


I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, but I may revise it a little more... like clustering the charms more toward the bottom of the necklace so they're not so spread out.  That would make it more wearable for me.


This was super simple and quick, and makes for a meaningful one of a kind piece of jewelry!  I bet you could pull together some trinkets and breathe new life into them too!

What kind of upcycling projects have you done?  Please share!


8.19.2011

Warm Hearts Around the World :: Hearts and Hula Hoops

Where has the Warm Hearts Necklace been???


Hula hooping on the Boston Harbor Islands with Andrea!
(ah, Boston... I'm so jealous!)





Andrea, thanks for taking the necklace for a spin around one of my favorite places in the world.  I love the different ways you rocked the necklace!  It's so nice to see your beautiful face... and by the way, you still look as fabulous as you did in high school.  :) (Go Blue Aces!)

Next stop:  Belmont, MA!  (Yes, we are lingering around Boston for a little while. It's the next best thing to being there myself.) 

You can still sign up to participate in Warm Hearts Around the World! 
(my traveling necklace project, raising awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Click here to read more or just email me 
at warmhearts[at]envedesigns[dot]com to be added to the list.



It's a beautiful Friday here and I'm so happy it's the weekend!  No big plans for us, just time for me to work on jewelry.  I have a lot of new pieces coming down the pike!  

What are you up to this weekend?  Have a happy one and enjoy the remaining days of summer!  :D