Category Archive for ‘inspiration’

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! I’m so grateful for your love and support! I love this photo of this elderly couple sharing a special moment of laughter…oh sweet love.

I know each of you has that piece of jewelry that you’ve been holding onto because you like one thing about it, but you know you’ll never wear it because no matter what outfit you try it on with…it just doesn’t work!  You might like the pendant, but you it’s just not a good length on you or you might like most of the stones but why did the designer have to include that huge medallion in the front? You know you should keep it because it’s sentimental, but gosh darn almighty, you’re just never going to wear it. My friend, Jeannie had that same problem about a single strand of coral stones that she was given several years ago from a friend. She loves the color, loves the size of the stones, but it’s the wrong length and is just too plain for her. She asked me to take it apart, throw in a little gold, and let my creative juices flow. She also loves the Waverly Earrings so with the extra stones, I made them into a very similar design to those exact earrings. Below, you can see the first strand of coral she gave me and how I broke them apart to create a statement necklace and earrings.

My friend Carrie just sent me this e-mail about New Paths in life!  I loved the images of the different paths and thought I’d share…

I’ve always been a DIY (Do it yourself) lover… I’m all about any projects that I  can create from home and turn into something crafty, original, and one-of-a-kind. DIY projects are fairly inexpensive and you can put your own individual twist on them.  My friend Laine keeps an awesome blog (click here) where she adds great DIY projects that she’s tried. I’m still dying to try the glass etching and salted caramels that she wrote about.  Here are a few other DIY projects that might be fun to undertake this year! I found them all here!

• Click on image for source.
• Mini colorful envelopes
• Print your own fabric
• Make your own leather passport
• Make a ottoman pouf.
• Rustic pencil holder.

It doesn’t matter where they are…holiday lights just make me smile.

*click on image for source.

Each morning, I walk into my studio with my cup of coffee, get ready to hunker down for a day of work, and start by lighting a few candles.  With all the chaos and jewelry materials floating around my work area, it’s nice to have a little peace with one or two candles. This morning, I lit this candle that my friend Liz gave me a few weeks ago for my birthday.  It literally burned for 9 hours straight and was fantastically lovely every second of the way.  Did I mention that it’s made from a recycled wine bottles?…

So, it got me thinkin’ over here about all the awesome things that can be made with old wine bottles.  Each bottle has unique shades of green, purple, red and brown and the possibilities are endless of how to incorporate them into your home. Here are a few creative ways to  use old vino bottles! Cheers.

*click on image for source.

source found here:

this quote. this color. this outfit. this table.

I’ve  always loved the idea of having chalkboard paint in my kitchen as a space write down quotes, recipes, weekly menus, grocery lists, etc….here are a few other ideas to do with it.

Click on image for source.

source found here…

The holidays are just around the corner and i’m in the process of lining up holiday jewelry shows.  I’m always looking for fun ways to display my jewelry during these shows and i’m loving the look of these creative displays…

click on image for source…

This Kayak would have been perfect for me last week in Aruba! How cool!

This is a photo of my mom when she was just about my age.  Happy Mother’s Day to her…the one who taught me to follow my dream, never settle,  always be curious, love with all my heart, and to eat a hot fudge sundae or take a nap when the opportunity presents itself.  love you mom!

I was touched by this idea from Candy Chang, an installation artist who strives to make cities more comfortable for people.  She transformed a wall from an abandoned house in New Orleans into an inspirational chalkboard.  She reminds us what is really important in life in the Before I Die project.

Val’s day is right around the corner, Hallmark is making a killing & love is in the air.  Here are a few Valentine’s Day treats for someone who makes your heart smile.

*click on image for source.

My sister-in-law, Helen, came to visit last week and introduced me to this song.  I had it on repeat all weekend… it just makes me happy & the lyrics are really cute.