Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Put a Ring on It

a little blog love for one of my favorite pieces to make. Recycled sterling silver band with 14k gold pin detail. 


Posted on 
Brian's second anniversary ringAs you may know, we recently celebrated our very first wedding anniversary! As part of the festivities, we decided to get new wedding bands that, we hope, will kick off a yearly tradition of sitting down together to find some new bling. Seems fun, right? Well, it was also kinda tough. We really wanted some rings that would go together. Not necessarily matching rings or anything like that, but rings that were similar in some way. Eventually we found two that we both liked on their own, but also happened to go together (marriage is about compromise, right?).
Sarah's 2nd Anniversary Ring
Sarah’s ring (from Meander) is very simple and dainty, but the curves echo the rounded inlays of my ring (from Harmony Winters)…and thus, a match was born!
http://www.westervin.com/blog/2012/09/26/put-a-ring-on-it/

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

a little bright and shiny

While I'm still editing the wedding jewelry photos I'd intended to share last month, here's a little splash of color to welcome summer.

 I'm working on getting these glass button earrings ⤵   ready to be a happy little wholesale item. (sold in galleries)

 They look so simple but a lot goes into getting one little product ready for the world. Days and sometimes years of trial and error, research and development go into the making each little piece of jewelry, whether it's a simple earring or a complicated necklace.  These are getting close to finalization...just a few adjustments such as streamlining colors, sizes, metal etc. and they'll be 'done' and I can move onto the next project.

One of the many fun parts of working with glass is choosing colors. Here's a sample from one of the manufacturers, many of which are small companies hand pulling the color rods.  Too many choices = paralyzing.  Then throw in the names like Elphaba, Slytherin, Grumpy Bear, Heffalump and I want them all!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

it's wedding jewelry time!



 For the past few weeks I've been hammering away until late at night working on 6 sets of bridesmaids jewelry and one for the bride. It's been so much fun customizing each set.
Each girl will receive a set of 3 hammered silver bangles with a mix of aquamarine, emerald, amethyst and blue sapphire gemstones and a hand cut star or flower.
The bride is getting a mix of pearl, aquamarine (faceted and cabochon) and white sapphire.
They're also getting earrings to match...hammered silver hoops and moss aquamarine stones.
 The best part is I'm one of the bridesmaids so I get to be there for the gift giving moment at the beach wedding in Puerto Rico!




Monday, April 2, 2012

kid friendly green smoothie


This is a fun and healthy smoothie to make with the kiddo's.  Ryder came up with this a few months ago. He wanted to make a green drink, so he pulled all of the green fruit and veggies out of the refrigerator. (I put the zucchini back :)

1 pear
1 kiwi
1 avocado
1 small bunch of kale
1 tbs wheatgrass powdered or fresh
1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
2 cups sugar free apple juice 

blend for a few minutes

Saturday, March 10, 2012

growing wheat grass

Ah, wheat grass. I love it for the health benefits and am now happy to discover how easy and fun and it is to grow! 
 I've been drinking powdered wheat grass for a few years and didn't know much more than it has alkaline, detoxifying and regenerative properties. Simply, it makes me feel amazing, soothes my acidic stomach, energizes me and reduces recovery time after climbing or surfing. It doesn't make much sense to buy it regularly if I can grow it myself and I'm all over anything to bring the source of what I consume closer to home. While researching how to grow it I also want to know exactly why it makes me feel so good and why I'm bothering to take the time to do this. Time is valuable around here!  Unfortunately it's difficult to find unbiased information on this topic with so many sites selling something, some leaning heavily in the benefits direction while their opponents feel strongly against it. So the search for information continues... meanwhile I'm following my intuition and greening it up!

   Regardless of the details it's fun to grow. So juice it, feed it to your cats, do a science project with the kiddo's, or just to add a little green sparkle to your house during the dark winter months.  

How to grow wheat grass...


You will need:

-1 pound of hard red wheat berries (found in the bulk bin in the grocery store or see resources below)
-2 planting trays about 2 inches deep. 1 with holes and one without. If you can find one with small drainage holes, that's best. Trays with large drainage holes should be lined with a sheet of newspaper before adding soil.
-1 bag of soil (organic if you'll be juicing) 
-sand (if you are growing without drainage)
-plastic bag or another planting tray to create a dark environment while sprouting
-watering can or kitchen sink sprayer 

Now the fun stuff...

-rinse and soak the seeds for 8-12 hours. rinse again

-spread about 2 inches of soil in your tray. (lay about an inch of sand down first if you have no drainage)

-sprinkle about 1/2 inch of seeds over the soil (too many and they will get moldy) spraying with a mixture of baking soda and kelp extract can prevent mold as will constant airflow.

 -water well

 -cover and keep moist-  I used a recycled plastic bag but another growing flat works great too. water twice a day.

-in about two days you'll see the roots begin to grow and little green shoots. it's time to uncover and give them a little sun!  water about twice a day.

-if you are growing to juice (you need a juicer specific for wheatgrass) cut about 3/4 of it's length when it's about 8-10 inches tall or right before it parts (grows two shoots) juice away and enjoy!

soaking
loving...

sand in the house was too irresistible


our setup

yup...there were seeds everywhere



Ryder was in charge of his own jar. It was great watching how excited he was to water it every morning and evening. He did drown the first batch, but has been very careful with the second. 
It's fun watching the roots extend down into the soil through the glass jars and a great way to teach about plant science.


Day four
It grows about an inch a day!









books  (please consider your local bookstore or library first...keep it local :)


Wheatgrass Nature's Finest Medicine by Steve Meyerowitz


The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore


web - 
http://sproutpeople.org/


http://wheatgrassgrower.blogspot.com/2009/10/why-wheatgrass.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheatgrass

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Gratitude



“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” — Denis Waitley

Sunday, February 19, 2012

little sprout




My favorite part of being a jeweler is getting custom orders.  There's something special that goes into a piece when I know exactly who it's for and what it means to the customer. 

The process of creating this necklace was filled with so much joy, love and excitement...from original idea to the message thanking me when the gift was given.  The story began when a friend was looking through the tangled mess of my jewelry after my holiday shows - in the trunk of my car (that sometimes happens around the holidays) 
He wanted something special for his wife's birthday to celebrate their beautiful little boy, Sunny.  The front has the actual impression of his wee little fingerprint, in the back I set his birthstone, a fair trade fire citrine. Attached are the parents birthstones. The best part was showing the finished piece, knowing his wife is going to cherish it like I do mine...of course I had to make one for myself and haven't taken it off since. 

Another added bit of goodness was trading.  Even better than buying local, handmade, organic, used etc. is trading for those things.  It's so easy to buy something when we need it, it's how we were raised... in a throw away disposable era. It still surrounds us, there are plastic sippy cups call 'take & toss' what???
When we open up to the idea of simply doing without, or finding a better source we can become more ethically concious consumers.  A good place to start is by asking yourself  'where did this come from?' then...'is there a better source?' 
 Alright...getting sidetracked, so I'm always on the lookout for ways I can barter and this worked out perfectly since I was looking for a wheatgrass juicer and he had one to get rid of.  Sweet! 

I'm excited to work on this as a little side element of my business and am grateful to have friends that are happy to be my testers as I work through new ideas.

I've been thinking a lot lately how I can give and do good with my jewelry, more than donating a portion of my proceeds to a great cause, but something more direct.  Before owning my jewelry business I worked with brain injured and mentally challenged adults for ten years, though grossly underpaid and overworked I enjoyed parts of it immensely.  Nothing can replace the feeling of giving or helping selflessly.  There's that euphoric feeling when you know you've contributed to someone's well being, even just a minute of it.  Those moments hint at something greater than the trivialities that we allow to engulf us.

I'd like that personal connection to be intrinsic to the nature of what I create.  I feel so lucky that projects like these cross my path and inspire ways to bring that into my work....

I have some ideas cooking, so look for good things to come :)  


Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Discovering Sattva

Something green - food wallpaper                                                                              
The more I learn about health and well-being the more I'm in awe of how amazing and complex our bodies are. The ability to maintain homeostasis, or a stable environment including temperature, pH, energy, pressure and volume makes me so grateful for my good health. The danger is that all these wonderful things are happening quietly, without requiring us to be active participants. We can 'survive' on processed food, lead a sedentary lifestyle, and fill our mental space with stress while our systems compensate quietly.  It's only when something forces us to think about it that we take action, whether it's illness or inspiration.

It wasn't until I was preparing for pregnancy that I became fascinated with the effects that food and stress had on me. As I learned about the benefits that certain foods have on fetal brain development, the chemical conversations between mother and child and the importance of maintaining proper pH levels in the blood that I realized I'd been living on primarily an acidic diet. yikes! The amount of energy it took to process the dairy, grain and meat that made up most of what I ate left no energy for repairing damage or living a vital life.


When our pH level is off our blood cannot absorb enough oxygen and a plethora of ailments ensue.  Fatigue, weight gain, poor digestion, and sickness (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis) have all sadly become commonplace in our society mainly because of the products that now pass as food.  Creating an internal acidic environment forces the body to take minerals such as calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium from our organs and bones to neutralize the acid and remove it. Our systems are constantly fighting to regain the balance we've thrown off.  


                 alkaline foods                                                                    acidic foods
 citric fruits, almonds, coconut, avocado,                          meat, eggs, fish, milk, sugar, corn, rice
 green leafy vegetables, buckwheat, quinoa                      fried and refined food, cheese, beer & wine



Sandywoods Farm community garden
This also translates to our spiritual well being. Stress, like an acidic diet, is a toxic element that strains our physiological systems creating another list of ailments.  Our intuition will lead us to choose foods and a lifestyle that not only nourish our body, but our minds as well. The more you listen to that inner voice the stronger it gets. Be patient with yourself while you find a balance that feels right, without judgement.  


Through some inspiring friends and research I found the Sattvic diet, also referred to as a yoga or sentient diet. It is a way of eating to benefit both the mind and body. Simple, pure clean foods. I love it!


According to Hindu philosophy there are three types gunas, (think of them like types of energy) that are inherent in all food and objects. 

Sattva is defined as calmness, energy, purity, clarity, creativity
Raja is defined as energy, change, creation, action, generation
Tamas is defined as destruction, lethargy, death, darkness, inactivity


"If the food contains sattvic energy-then the body becomes more sattvic by eating it. It is very obvious that what we eat not only affects how we look physically, but also how we feel energetically and how clear and creative our mental energy is also. Some foods support and enliven our life-force energy, whilst other foods inhibit and undermine them." ~ Vidya Heisel

Here's a basic guide to eating a Sattvic diet from My Yoga Kitchen                                                                                                   

SATTVIC FOOD - EAT MOST

sattvic
Sattvic Foods are foods that should be eaten the most and that are very easily digestible. These foods nourish the body, purify the mind and heal the imbalance in the body by generating good health, energy, vitality, vigor, mental alertness, peace and strength. These include foods rich in vitamins and minerals such as vegetables, fruits, herbs; essential dietary fiber and carbohydrates required by the body include whole and unrefined grains; protein rich foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy; natural sweeteners such as honey and raw sugar, therapeutic spices in small quantities, oil and ghee (Indian clarified butter) in small quantities for the required fat in the body.

RAJASIC FOODS - EAT MODERATELY

rajasic
Rajasic Foods are foods that should be eaten moderately or occasionaly and are foods that are not as easily digestible like Sattvic foods. Although, these foods create restlessness and provide extra-stimulation, it is sometimes required when the body needs higher amounts of energy or during the fall and winter seasons. They include very spicy, hot, salty, bitter, sour, pungent, and gaseous foods such as chickpea, toor lentil, white urad lentil, black and green gram, soy bean, hot spices such as red chili powder and black pepper, stimulants such as onion, garlic, tea, coffee, chocolate and wine.

TAMASIC FOODS - EAT LEAST

Tamasic Foods are foods that should be eaten the least and are foods that are difficult to digest. These foods require a lot more energy to digest and are known to be the least beneficial to the mind and the body. Tamasic foods can enhance dullness, lethargy, depression the body feel heavy, generating the least amount of energy. When eaten too often or in excess they could destroy the body’s resistance to disease. They include meat, fish, eggs, intoxicants, alcohol, and foods that are processed, chemically altered, artificially flavored, food kept for over 24 hours, reheated and deep-fried foods.




Here are some resources if you'd like more information. I'm just beginning to learn about this and welcome all of your thoughts, recipes , book suggestions etc...
  
information- 
http://www.worldyoganetwork.com/articles/yoga-diet
http://amwellness.org/articles/vegetarianism/
http://tiffanyvidal.blogspot.com/2011/12/seeking-sattva.html
http://thealkalinefoods.com/


recipes-
http://shanghaimonkey.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html
http://tiffanyvidal.blogspot.com/search/label/Recipes
http://www.sattvicfood.com/
http://www.myyogakitchen.com/




Saturday, January 21, 2012

balasana

The cold has finally settled into the bones of our house, the garlic has stopped sprouting and my son's toy trucks are frozen at awkward angles in the sandbox. It comforts me a little, knowing that I can't do much outside...the quietness opens up more space.
It's time to look inward, refocus and set intentions for the coming year.


This past year saw me bounce between frazzled and elated while juggling the daunting task of re-launching my jewelry business, a three year old, odd jobs and a time draining 'intentional' community. It feels good to sit down with a cup of ginger tea and plan the year ahead while reflecting on the past. Like child's pose (or balasana) while practicing yoga...my forehead on the mat, breath flowing in and out, focusing on what is truly important. 


So, January has been full of dinosaur stories, sticky glue, hide and seek...simply being present.
In between those precious moments there was a whole lot of organizing and cleaning my studio (sometimes during hide and seek), photographing jewelry, applying for craft shows, and ordering supplies for new work. 


Looking ahead, February will be a time to nourish. Cleansing my mind and body with much needed studio and yoga time, maybe even a little trip up north with the wee one. I need to balance all of that organizing with some creativity and peace :)




here's a peek at what's inspiring me right now...


from left...
clear bubbly glass from the first series of dawn patrol jewelry.
earrings backed in copper are part of the second series.
last, this pale green glass ball comes from the glassblowing studio i'm working out of in pawtucket, ri. they melt a different type of glass called cullet. i'm so very excited to test these out!

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this place...

 a surf and yoga retreat in Morocco. I've dreamed of a surf trip to Morocco for over ten years, filled with a rugged coastline serving up endless magical waves, rich culture and exotic food.  i think it's time to start planning.




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ocean inspired blueish greenish grey that I painted my living room. a friend gave me about 10 gallons of paint, so in an effort to not waste it or spend money ryder and i spent a week of messy mixing to get the perfect color.
there is an ocean smell this color reminds me of. sometimes when surfing i smell it,  like the wind has been blowing over the ocean, untouched for thousands of miles. ...pure, fresh and sweet. 

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    moss aquamarine gemstones on my wish list, but i can't find them fair trade which may pose a dilemma...

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i love this delicate, whispy, watery necklace by pippa small, a jeweler who has a strong commitment to creating ethical jewelry http://us.pippasmallshop.com/ethical-trade




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