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October 2023
October 2023 Well, there’s no sense in denying it any longer… winter is on the way, the holiday market season will soon be upon us, and my plans are almost set. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, know that I’ll always notify you of upcoming events on my pages....
Reintroducing I AMulet®
Hello Recently, I shared plans to shift my creative efforts from many different gemstone designs onto the I AMulet® intention necklace, alone. It's not that I don't enjoy creating necklaces and earrings - I do. But, sharing I AMulet® necklaces with you gives me the...
News & Notes – February 2023
I recently participated in a workshop to make my very first vision board. It was hosted by the amazing Jasna Bursa and held at my coworking space, Modernwell. What an experience! There were more than 70 people at the event, all of us flipping though magazines...
January 2023
now. Have you ever chosen a word for the new year? It’s meant to be an intention setting activity that serves a similar purpose as New Year’s resolutions, only more open ended and adaptable across situations. Resolutions are firm statements such as: I will go...
December 2022
Welcome to December! Somehow we’ve gotten to the final month of 2022 and I can’t figure out where the time went. How can we be on the cusp of 2023? I’m happy to still be here, though, and even happier that you are too. And... I’ve got lots of good news to share...
November News and Holiday Markets 2022
Hello and welcome to the end of November! I know, I know. I’ve fallen into the routine of posting these blog entries MID month instead of at the beginning, but let’s be honest. If EVERYONE writes shop updates early, your inbox gets too full of notifications, you...
October 2022
Hello and welcome to my mid-October catch up! Unlike most makers who are already in full holiday market planning and production mode, I’m lagging a little behind because, um, October = Halloween, and I am easily distracted by Halloween. Full disclosure, I’m not...
September 2022 Greetings!
Hello! I bet you were expecting this note to open with a season-conforming greeting along the lines of “Happy Fall”! But I didn’t because it’s still summer. It’s. Still. Summer. How do I know? Because the State Fair is in session. When the 2022 Minnesota State Fair...
April 2022 In Person Events UPDATE
April In-Person Market Events (perfect for upcoming Mother's Day and graduation gift ideas!) Hello! It's getting close to market days and this quick update is to make sure that you have the most up to date information to come and find me! I'll have some new items for...
Good Bye 2021 | Hello 2022
Good bye 2021. You wanted to fix everything that went wrong in 2020. I know you did. But 20’s legacy was too heavy a load to carry and even the most amazing and fruitful year would have had a tough time. Truthfully, I think you did raise our spirits a little bit, and...
May Spotlight Stones Emerald and Clear Quartz
I bet you already know this about me, but in case you don't - I like rocks. I’ve always liked rocks. It doesn’t matter where I go; I’ll likely find a rock somewhere, put it in my pocket, and bring it home. I’ve had this bring-a-rock-home habit for as long as I can...
April Spotlight Stone – Amazonite
April has been a month full of transition. Winter to Spring, Inside to Outside. My child now drives a car, and I am no longer considered a taxi. You know that saying, the only constant is change? Yeah, it’s true. For this month, I’ve chosen to spotlight the stone,...
March Spotlight Stone – Aquamarine
Hello and welcome to March! The snow is disappearing quickly, the birds are chirping brightly, and I’m getting antsy. I can’t wait to go outside and dig in the dirt, lay in the sunshine, and breathe some fresh air that won’t freeze my nostril hairs. I’m excited to...
February Spotlight Stone – Rose Quartz
Ah February. In Minnesota, it’s traditionally a dreary and gray month, tempered by warm beverages and tasty carbs. February is also known for hosting Valentine’s Day, a holiday that (IMHO) is only about chocolate. If it wasn’t for that, well, I doubt we’d still be...
I AM UNSTOPPABLE
Happy New Year! If you’re visiting my website and reading this, it means you made it through the hellscape called 2020. Congratulations! I know I’m grateful to be a 2020 survivor; unfortunately, too many others in this world can’t ever claim the same title...
November Spotlight Stone – Jasper
Welcome to November! Normally at this time of year, I am in full holiday market mode with weekend events and pop-up shops. But unfortunately, COVID has made in person shopping impossible, leaving makers and artists no choice but to move their work online. It’s...
October Spotlight Stone – Carnelian
Welcome to October! In Minnesota, this month is full of brightly colored leaves, crisp cool mornings, and mosquito absent sunsets. The locals reluctantly put away their summer clothes and rummage in the closet for scarves, boots, and matching mittens. Personally, I’m...
September Spotlight Stone – Amethyst
Hello and welcome to month two of my Spotlight Stone series! For September, I’m featuring amethyst, a stone easily recognized by its purple hue. Yes, I know that amethyst is February’s birthstone, but September is back to school season, and purple was the good luck...
Golden Thoughts About Pyrite
A good friend’s daughter, Ora, recently graduated from college and is now headed toward her professional goal of becoming a doctor. I remember being in that gap/space between college and med school; I was full of questions, many of which I had to answer on faith...
The Garnet Project
What do creative folk do in quarantine? Well, I can’t speak for ALL creative folk, but THIS creative person went into a funk. For the first I-don’t-know-how-many days, I didn’t want to make or write or design or sketch or do anything. I only wanted to sit. And...
Here Comes The Sun!
Well, February has come and gone and we are officially on the way to Spring. SPRING! The days are slowly stretching out again, and so in honor of the sun’s welcome return, I’m excited to feature these beauties. Sunshine-y Lemon Quartz suns! They are so super sparkly....
What’s Your Word for 2020?
Happy New Year! I'm not much of a resolution maker, but the turning of a new year is the perfect time to stop and think about where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’d like to go. Last New Year’s Eve, I tried something new by choosing a word for 2019. I’m not...
I AM IMPORTANT – Rhodochrosite
Two things happened recently that didn’t feel related at the time, but in hindsight, I’m not so sure. 1) I finished a PeanutMark blogpost about how caregivers must prioritize self care before they can best look after anyone else. In my essay, I also admit that saying...
Finding My Voice
I belong to a cooperative working space in Minneapolis called ModernWell; a creatively magical place where I can write, dream, and network, while still checking items off of my To Do list. In addition to working next to brilliant women, ModernWell membership...
Music From My Workbench – Summer 2019
Summer Music 2019 I’m in full blown summer mode these days. The days are long, the temperatures high, and the dewpoints … heavy. It’s what we Minnesotans live for, and I’m soaking up every bit of the sun drenched mosquito laden wonder that I can....
Music From My Workbench – June 2019
Music is my omnipotent influencer; it affects my mood, memory, creativity, and productivity. I can honestly say that if all music disappeared tomorrow, so would I. It’s THAT important to me. I can chart my life by songs and artists, a personal soundtrack of sorts....
Bumblebee Jasper
During the first week of February, I went to the Tuscon Gem and Mineral Show for the very first time. It was fantastic, and not at all what I expected. Before I go on, let me tell you a couple of important things: Number 1 - it’s not a single “show.” No. It’s a month...
Brave not Perfect
I don’t know who first coined the phrase, Brave Not Perfect, but it has wheedled its way into my every day existence like an earworm. I like it. Merriam-Webster defines the word brave as: having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty:...
New Year 2019
Hard to believe that 2018 is almost in the rear-view mirror, isn’t it? When they tell you that life goes by faster with age, believe them (and if you figure out who “them” refers to, let me know. The curiosity is overwhelming). It’s really sobering, actually… this...
A Woman in Transition
I’ve been busy. You wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at me, because all the activity has been in my head, but trust me. I’ve been busy. And, I’ve had quite a time of it, too … plotting and creating and worrying and dreaming and drawing and writing and...