Houses, Dogs, Music, Babies, Career changes

It has been so long since I have written anything and I think it has to do with having just a blog.  I am working on a website and it has a blog built into it.  I think this will make me want to write in it more since I won't feel like I have to write a huge long story for people to look at it.  Anyhow...

Adam and I bought a house in the spring!  We only moved maybe three blocks away from our old apartment and it's in a neighborhood we have been admiring for a long time.  It's blue and sits up on a hill and has tall ceiling with skylights.  A big difference from living in a basement!

Right after this we got a dog.  We went to GPA Northwest and found a beautiful greyhound named Hotwire.  She was in thirteen races but wasn't too great at it so now she is an amazing pet.  She has warmed up to us so much and even in the last week has been really affectionate to us.  She loves her big polyester monkey and boat rides.

Adam and I have been listening to a lot of music this summer.  We went to a four peaks music festival for my birthday.  It was so much fun even in the rain.  Now we can't get our hands on enough bluegrass.  Some new faves are Hot Buttered Rum, Shook Twins, Milk Carton Kids, Comatose Brothers etc.  Adam has also taken up an interest in learning how to play every instrument out there.  So far we own a mandolin, banjo, 3 ukuleles, electric guitar, harmonica, and slide guitar.  Yikes!

My sister had a baby on August 3rd.  His name is Conner.  He is such a little cutie!  We have been spending some good quality snuggling and napping time with him.  I haven't been around that many babies in my life but I can tell that this one is pretty special.



















Adam and I celebrated our first anniversary.  We went camping at Waldo lake overnight and took Hotwire swimming.   She sank the first time so we tried it with a life jacket.  She kinda got the hang of the whole pushing the water around technique but not so much the one NAMED after her: Doggie Paddle.  She went sideways a couple of times and then ended up floating on her back and gave us this look like "umm...I give up." We got her upright and out of the water before she started to hate us for laughing at her.

Adam has made a decision to leave his job at the jewelry store and go on to teach high school and middle school at Redmond Proficiency Academy.  He is going to teach jewelry as well as some general art classes.  This was a huge and nerve racking decision for him but he is really great at instructing.  Like one of our dear friends put it: "He will be a great teacher because he loves being a bossy pants!"  Well put Mudgie, well put.

Okay so I think I covered all my bases for the happenings that went on since I last posted on this blog.  Like I said at the top I am getting a website going that will have a blog as well so I will be making more posts that will be shorter and wont sound like I am sending you all a long winded Christmas letter.

Until next time.

Return of old friends

Sometimes I don't welcome winter with open arms but this year it feels so different for me.  I am excited for the the snow we have been getting here in Bend  it makes me want to climb into my studio and start working like a mad woman.  All of my summer clothes go towards the back of the closet and all my pretty scarves and mittens come out. Rivers start flowing at runnable levels which makes Adam especially happy and I am happy for him :) Adam and I start making hearty meals like white bean chili, broccoli mac n' cheese, and matzo ball soup. And HOT TODDYS...yum!  In fact I am sipping on one right now as I am writing this.

The return of old friends makes me really excited.  Our Blue Heron and King Fisher start showing up regularly in our back yard.  The other day I woke up at 7:30 and went straight to the back window and saw a beaver swimming around in the river.  I know if I get up then and go to the window he will be there; I think he has a routine.  

I am also really excited for the Holidays.  In August I gained new and wonderful family members in the Mendel family and in December Adam and I will be visiting them in Georgia. Can't wait!  We are also going to celebrate Thanksgiving with my sister and her husband  who we really don't get to see often enough. Can't wait!  

I have so many reasons to be excited for Winter and so many reasons to be thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Upcoming Show

I am getting ready for an upcoming show and guess what?  You are all invited!  It's at Kim Jones house it is her annual Art Party, I will be there with my handmade pretties downstairs.  There will be lots of other great artists as well as an abundance of food and drink.  I hope to see lots of people there and it is great for all your holiday shopping.  Plus I'm going to have some new work that hasn't been posted on Etsy yet.

Today not only am I getting ready for the show I am preparing for a trip to the coast!  I am super excited!  I will be joined by Adam (my husband) and our friends Waylon and Justine and their little girl Emmaline.  Adam and I are hoping to get some coast boating in if the weather behaves.  Last time we went coast boating I think we made some of the surfers upset because we were catching all the waves ( don't worry we were probably a football field lengths away from where they were) so I hope this time we wont run into any of them.  I haven't been in my boat for a while so we'll see how I do with my roll.

Until next time...

I need to be in front of my laptop more...

I have not blogged in a while...oops!  I have pretty much been dog sitting, cooking, at my part time job, at my other part time job, and making more jewelry!  Zeke, who I had the pleasure of dog sitting while his owner and my husband were on a raft trip down the lower Deschutes River, was great besides the time he ran away at my parent's house.  The rest of the time he chilled out with me on the couch while I recovered from a cold.

I have also added more goodies for purchase on my Etsy site and I am making more treasures for an upcoming show on November 13th at Kim Jones' annual art party.  Once I get all that info I will post it and mail it and pass it out to as many people as I can think of.

I have been thinking hard about these earrings I made recently.  I love them and they have been received well.  I want to expand upon this idea of hammered textures on silver with a little keum boo to add that fine quality contrast to the metal.  I think I'm going to expand from just circles and go for more and more organic shapes maybe play with rivets and patinas.

Let me know what you think!

Harvest Faire success and new pieces

The Harvest Faire is over and the work week has begun again.  For my first show after I guess you can say putting my own jewelry making on hold it was great.  I made connections with people and other artists, I made sales and the two days we were there it was sunny and beautiful and we were outside in it all day!  Adam (my husband) helped me in my booth both days even though he was recovering from a cold.  It was so nice to have him there not only to keep me company but to make caffeine runs, bathroom breaks and nailing the sales.  The booth looked great and I made a bunch of new pieces on the fly before the show that went over well. Here are some pictures of the work in progress before the Keum Boo and after the Keum Boo and they are earrings in case you cant see that from the photos. These pieces will be added soon to Etsy and hopefully more pieces that are similar in style.

 Tundra Earrings

Swoon Earrings

Harvest Faire or Bust!

I am so glad I am finally getting a blog up and running!  My goal is to post about my jewelry and the process and any art related things I might be up to. I might even throw in some things I do with my family and friends.

Right now I am getting ready for an upcoming show, The Harvest Faire in Sisters, Oregon. A dear friend of mine Missy Powell is helping me get ready for the show by donating her booth supplies and art show knowledge. Now all I need to do is continue to make my inventory and a few more new designs.

Here are some pieces I am working on to display at the faire.  If you happen to be in Sisters on October 8th come and see me!