December

Merry (early) Christmas, all.  With my 2017 track record of sporadic blog posts, I thought I'd say this now rather than wait to do so.

2017 has been a year filled with baby, learning how to be patient (me), and taking a step back from my Etsy shop in order to do these.  Motherhood is, ultimately, the most humbling job in the world.  It is also the most intense, for me.  Mentally, physically, and emotionally.  The worries; the staring at the monitor while baby sleeps due to these worries; the boundless energy (baby, not me); the staggering exhaustion.  As an introvert I've had to learn that I cannot control everything.  I have learned that my need for structure and control are second to my daughter's needs as she grows - these things, I still struggle with.

So for my sanity, I'm learning how to structure my time more wisely around my little night owl.  I read when I can, try to spend as little time on social media as possible (too easy to compare oneself to most motherhood photos), and even now try to do some writing as well.  This being said, I wish you the same: do something nice for yourself once in awhile.  Staying sane is the best gift you could give your loved ones.  Happy holidays!

August

With the end of summer fast approaching, I've been searching for glimpses of autumn in the world around me.  A sharper gust of wind, a cooler shift in the air, an early golden leaf.  Baby A. is my constant companion in these outdoor jaunts, peeping over my shoulder and looking high up into the clouds from her vantage point in the carrier.  I have to try pushing her around in the stroller because she's getting bigger and bigger - where does the time go?

Motherhood has become a sort of coming-of-age story for me, an awakening.  If I could go back in the past I'd tell myself to be kinder, to cut out the incessant worrying and the frustration because it's all happening for a reason.  The reason may be elusive in the moment, but there is always a point being made.

As the verdant colors of summer shift to those of autumn, I look forward to sharing my favorite season with my little one.  The golds and browns and oranges and reds.  The cozy sweaters and the hoodies.  I also look forward to celebrating her first birthday, helping her take her first steps, and taking road trips with her Daddy and her.  She already says 10+ words on her own; reading/studying books is her favorite pastime.

Wise Owl

via Etsy

Our world is full of questions; the unknown frightens.  And to most people, the unknown is the scariest monster of all for we thrive on following strict schedules and patterns and (sadly, in many respects) each other.  The darkness, in truth, embodies only as much fright as we project onto it.  If only we saw some value - something to learn - in the darkness and the unknown would we see that clarity ripples just beneath the surface.  The darkness, after all, always turns to light.

June

via Instagram

It's been three weeks since my last blog post.  Goodness.  In baby time, that's a lot of developmental growth.  However, in mama time, three weeks has slipped through my fingers; I've forgotten how crazy life has been lately with a teething almost-there crawler.  (I am amazed at how mamas of more than one baby manage work and family life, especially those who work from home.)  

As for my Etsy shop I am still shipping orders as time permits, usually twice a week.  Lately, my writing services have been inquired about the most, which has been a wonderful surprise.  I've also noticed that there's been a clustering, an ebb and flow if you will, of specific shop item inquiries - that only my jewelry work is asked about one week and only my writing services the next.  It's as if we're all connected somehow in this amazing vast universe.  And I love that.  I like to think that positivity perseveres over the negativity in our society, our world.  That goodness and kindness are more commonplace than we know.  It's my hope to pass this on to my daughter who is becoming more and more observant as the days go by.  More importantly, it is my steadfast hope to be the best mother I can be.  Mamas out there, I feel you.

* * *

In jewelry news, I hope to unveil new jewelry designs this autumn!

Mama Life

Are you following me on Instagram and/or Twitter?  I tend to post more on those social media outlets, especially now that I'm a mama of a little one.  Mama life is intense: life is quicker but the days are infinitely longer.  Sometimes the days are painstakingly long.  I'll often dream of a big mug of caffeinated coffee (as opposed to decaf), would love to switch from herbal to green and black teas.  I now see why mama-saying shirts are popular.  That being said, baby A. is an amazing little one - a breath of fresh, unpredictable life in this control-freak mama's heart.  Patience, patience, patience.  I'm learning each day how to be patient and go with the flow, sometimes the hard way, but I'm learning.

To my night owl baby, I love you.  Thanks for being patient with me.

New Year Thoughts

via impressus

Ah, 2017.  It still feels like 2016 to me, probably because last year was when all-wise little baby A. came into our lives - but back to the present moment...

My goals for 2017 are to enjoy family time (I often forget to take pictures!), make new jewelry when time allows, and begin again on expanding my writing services in shop.  I'm of the mindset that family comes first, so I'm continuing to accept custom orders on a case-by-case basis.  As I look at all the changes being made on Etsy and in our world, I'm astonished by the money-driven nature of it all - at the expense of creativity and ingenuity.  And need I mention old-fashioned integrity?  This I think about as I'm now a parent.

This I now realize as the first month of the new year unfolds.

2016 Donation: The Last Part

Better late than never, below is my year-end donation for the months of October-December 2016 to Feeding America.  Last year, I made a pledge to donate $1 from each sale in my Etsy shop to this charity.  I didn't meet my goal of donating $175 last year, but I learned a lot in the process.  For instance, donating over $100 to a good cause in 2016 was worth it, even if I didn't reach my goal.  A goal is merely a goal - the end product and follow through are more important.

That being said, happy (belated) new year!

April Thoughts

Oh man, is it already mid-April?  It's been quiet around here, as you've likely noticed.  But I haven't been slacking.  I've been answering convos, writing for clients, and packing orders regularly--but haven't gotten the chance to sit down and make new work just yet.  I know, I know, April is the start of wedding season and spring has sprung.  I should already have a game plan.  Yet, I'm currently going with the flow and not pushing it with new ideas, which is an entirely new concept for me.  (Usually, I challenge myself to come up with a list of shop ideas each week.)  And it's been so windy around here these past few weeks.  Pollen dusts everything, even our dog's depth of fur in a fine sprinkling of gold that, when brushed away, makes one's eyes itch madly.

I'm hoping for a less windy day for some smooth sailing...and less spring allergy aggravation.

End Of Year Wrap-Up

Get it, wrap-up?  Christmas?  Okay, my humor isn't too unique here lately, but my thoughts have been otherwise.  Over the last few weeks, I have been busily creating and packing jewelry, answering convos, and working with some wonderful clients on writing services.  The energy has been high, so much so that ebullience runs rampant here lately.  It's a nice bookend for 2015.

This year has been full of lessons: when to fight, when to let go, and when to go along with the creative process to see where it takes you--regardless of the frustration that the process may bring out.  (I've chronicled these events in this blog, which you can read, if you're interested, via the drop-down list on the sidebar to the left.)  I've built my writing services over the last two years from scratch that's equal parts grit, knowledge with an MA degree, skill, and originality--but most of all, integrity.  Thank you to my clients who realize this. Thanks too for understanding that jewelry is still a big part of my work, but that I now have a specific multifaceted focus.  Although jewelry making was the original aim of my shop (when I started back in 2010), I made fewer pieces of jewelry this year, but I did add a new offering: interchangeable earring dangles.  Jewelry is a highly saturated market, so this creation is something I'm proud of because it's different and allows for versatile wearability.  As for handmade wedding goods, my bookish seed packets with custom initials have been well-received as wedding favors.  This year, I made stamped holiday gift tags and bookmarks, too.

* * *

Something new that I've done in 2015 was write the first draft of a novel.  I haven't stated this outright here because it's been a rollercoaster of a process, and I'm a deeply private person (despite active Instagram and Twitter accounts within the last six months).  This is the first novel that I've written as an adult that has seen completion, but now comes the hard part: editing and adding detail, making the characters as complex as we all are, and forging personal ties between characters--both implied and directly stated.  These nuances, which make the story believable and emotionally gratifying, are next year's work.  Adding detail is the hard part about writing, but I'm energized and excited, ready to take this adventure to the next level, even as anxiety still gnaws at me.

But this has been a year of fears and in turn, little acts of bravery realized.  So I need to ask this of you: Is there something that you'd love to see added to my shop?  Additional writing services, handmade jewelry, bookish wedding goods, etc.?  Currently, I am thinking of adding a wider range of donation items, in addition to high-end pendants to my existing Cascade collection.  I'm open to new shop item ideas, and will keep your suggestions private--just leave a comment on this blog post.  In return, I'll send you a one-time use coupon for 15% off your next order from my shop (includes writing services).  This offer ends on January 31, 2016.  

* * *

Thank you so much for supporting my work.  As 2015 comes to a close, I eagerly look forward to 2016 and to what the new year will bring.  Lots of new products are in the brainstorming stages, so stay tuned.  I wish you all a happy wonder-filled new year.  See you in 2016!

Tentative Steps

Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her, man could not be. 
- Gandhi

* * * * * * *

I've been working on a short story for the past five months or longer; the exact span of time has since been forgotten, tucked away somewhere between the anonymity of fall and the chaotic frenzy of winter.  It was my goal to be brave and post snippets of this story in this here humble blog.  But then I decided, last minute, to shutter this idea away into the back of my mind after my writing was plagiarized for profit by someone else.  (If you don't know this story and wish to find out more, read my January 2015 blog entries.)  The Internet is truly a complex space, mixed with those who want to make a quick buck and those who want to earn an honest dollar.

I fall into the latter category, if you had any question about it.

Interestingly enough, the holding off on publishing my story here allowed for me to revisit and further develop this writing, delve into specific areas that left gaps in the narrative, and fiercely work on a consistent tone and voice that was inconsistent in the previous draft.  I deleted entire paragraphs, even the ones I loved writing and did not want to part with; danced around vulnerability and depth of emotion before realizing that those very elements were integral parts that were missing in the story; added vulnerability and emotional depth to the tune of heartbreaking melancholy meets hopeful reality.  A difficult task, indeed, when all around you buds are blossoming and the sun is shining.

I've always been a consistent editor; I edit until I am out of breath.  Writing comes intuitively to me.  Occasionally, imperfections and fleeting moments of critical self-assessment surface, for I am only human, but I continue onward.  I edit until my eyes cross; work and work until the words break my heart in the most poetic way possible.  A literary turn of phrase; a burning image that stays in one's mind for days on end; a single word in a sentence that holds such a powerful meaning that it is merely reflex to pause for a moment on its significance.  Of course I am talking here about the literary greats, but I am still learning, working my way through it all.

My yet-to-be-posted story is a shining example of this full-fledged determination to fight for not only my words, but also for my strength of character, and it feels right.  I will post the story in snippets here--but only when it feels right to do so.

Chocolate and Coffee

It's a chocolate and coffee kind of day, and today I'm milking it for all it can give, for come tomorrow, it's back to holiday season preparations.  Little Broken Hearts in the background, with breaks of gleaming silence, is the soundtrack to a day like this--tiny minimalist beats and a honeyed voice; quiet interspersed between the hum-bum-drum cacophony of my meandering mind.  A consistent rainstorm stills my mind, urges me to examine things, to read things.  Sips of coffee, nibbling on chocolate, and aural breaks here and there make today especially lovely for thinking...I really have to read more often.

Green with Envy

Sometimes I am in awe over how nicely put-together and well-branded a particular shop is, left feeling hopelessly green with envy, as I wonder aloud: Why didn't I think of that?  That is so simple!  Yes, I know that envy, to varying degrees, is a normal feeling for most people--whether it be over a shop's aesthetics and marketing, the latest fashion trends, or a life we think is honorably led.  However, this feeling of envy can leave one with an even worse feeling of inadequateness if it isn't kept in check.  This begs me to ask: What exactly is this foolishness called envy?

Here's what I think: Envy is a heavily veiled and complex emotion; at its worst, it plays devilishly upon on fears, insecurities, and sense of self.  At its best, it can help us to pinpoint why we feel so strongly envious about something.

From this perspective, envy is a product of both circumstance and mindset, and what really matters most is what you do with it (wallow in one's self-pity, or use it at a catalyst for positive change).  And like every other emotion, envy is (thankfully) fleeting--what we once envied may later morph into something we no longer attribute any sort of reaction to at all.  So take that, envy...and onto some positivity, I go.

* * *

The first bit o' positivity: 

A huge thanks to Emmaline Bride for the lovely feature!  This gorgeous handmade/DIY wedding blog--I honestly don't know why I didn't find it sooner--is filled with classy, unique handmade finds from indie sellers, as well as ingenious DIY ideas for your special day.  Check it out if you're so inclined!   See the post here.

* * *

And yes, I do see the slight irony in being green with envy over someone else's shop, and then having an EmeraldCut item featured on a well-known wedding blog.  This interesting turn of events, folks, is not lost on me.

Looking Back

First Emeraldcut piece sold!
Sold to a customer in Japan - 11/2010

Three years and seven months ago, I made my very first shop sale: an amethyst point pendant to a customer in Japan.  Who knew--those three years and seven months ago--that my little shop (as well as my photography and jewelry-making skills!) would grow exponentially?  Also, I had no clue that my shop would, in addition to jewelry, soon include hand-stamped wood ornaments, book page goods, and writing services as shop offerings.  And that they'd be well received?  This was perhaps the most beautiful surprise of all.


Some wonderful things I've done through my shop with your support include:
- Work with sweet brides-to-be to create wedding favors and bridesmaid jewelry;
- Recreate an item of mine that was given as a gift to a survivor of Hurricane Katrina;
- Design and make meaningful family pendants;
- Brand, promote, and market both my shop and professional writing services;
- Collaborate with highly creative (and innovative!), like-minded Etsy sellers;
- Sell items to amazing customers all over the world--to date, I've sold to Japan, Russia, Australia, Ireland, France, Germany, England, Spain, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Canada, Singapore, and Nova Scotia (Canada), in addition to throughout the US;
- Help donate to worthy causes when customers purchase these items (I've recently added some new donation items with proceeds to benefit the US-based charity, Feeding America).

Thank you to my amazing customers, and of course my thoughtful family and friends, for their loyal support of all things EmeraldCut!

* * *

Have you checked out my new main website?

You can visit my new site here: www.theintrovertedwriter.com

The Word Tinkerer

Oh, the Irony!

Above is an image of a well-known fiction novel about 1920s decadence and excess shown with its receipt, purchased from a shop whose owner stamps invoices with a religious verse.  The irony of this is not lost on me, and has got me thinking:
'Tis an interesting world we live in, full of spinning contradictions and moral complexities, historical realities of the American Dream and literary dramatizations as considerate (and also scathing) social commentary.    

I guess that since F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is considered one of the greatest--if not the greatest, one may argue--20th century American novels, literary canonization trumps religious creed and practice? Particularly when capitalism is concerned, for everyone's gotta make a living, right?  But then, maybe what one sells has nothing to do with one's personal belief system.

Or perhaps American culture, as a whole, holds more similarities near and dear than what we have come to expect from the current state of affairs.  As a nation, we are less polarized than the news continually reminds us--we take the high road.  Bend to the breeze when it suits us.  Know inherently that societal worth is more complex than what political parties throw at us.

It's all ironic, I tell you, but with a flashy splash of insight.

Personally, I'd like to consider myself a realist rooted in optimism, so I'll gladly take the latter.

Freewriting

This is just an exercise, a wild, frenzied foray into the art of storytelling--a truth-spinning act that I am both rusty and extremely nervous about carrying out.  Writing, contrary to my opening sentence, has tended to always be my fallback action, something that I fell back into doing when I wanted to escape the then-present time.  If it wasn't writing, it was reading, for which my vision did not thank me for as I got older, for I am as blind as a bat and as frustrated as one in daytime when in a throng of people.  As a child, books were my constant companions with whom I could converse and relate to through reading, which, when faced with people who were less than kind, was a welcome sign of relief.  Lost in thought--this phrase chiefly characterized my awkward formative years.

The phrase "lost in thought" has also been used to describe some of the most enigmatic (or conversely, truly underrated) literary characters in the history of literature to date, who were of course thought up by some seriously talented, humble writers--many of whom were, themselves, awkward and perpetually "lost in thought."

Give me a book, and I will be happy.

Give me some scratch paper, and I will write you a story...

Storytelling is a scary act because it reveals the very marrow of the soul.  Imprinted in the words on the page are various subtexts that, when read carefully, divulge our very fears and desires, our hopes and dreams (lived through the characters, of course).  Storytelling metaphorically strips you of your clothing, leaving you bare with only your emotionally-driven mind to see you though.  This nerve-inducing act of telling stories leaves one painfully bare-boned, yet somehow something deeper arises in the thickness of this anxiety and fear--wafts through the air like thick tendrils of fog along the Golden Gate.

Spring Fever

Spring is right around the corner, and I'm finding myself still gravitating towards the autumn we didn't really have last year.  Isn't that strange?  This past week, I re-found the colorful autumn leaves from this past winter, which I've blogged about here.  Those very leaves were placed inside some old hardbacks a few months ago, with the intention of displaying them once they were fully flattened and dried.  Yet, I had nearly forgotten about these natural beauties had it not been for my much belated yearning for autumn--a search for chilly weather and decaying leaves, a search for self within the natural world.

Who knew I was such a fall-leaf hoarder, with five of the aforementioned leaves stuck inside random pages of two vintage books?  (I guess you can say I'm a little scatterbrained right now, experiencing spring fever.)

Now these leaves adorn the corner of a small table that holds our printer--technology and the natural world in one small space: a visual conundrum.  Who knew this could be a subtle contradictory-yet-revelatory act, as in the nature vs. technology divide?  Some assert that the appreciation of nature is degraded by the advancement of technology, while others argue that technology advances our understanding and love of nature.  I agree more with the former rather than the latter because when we are accessing technology, whether it be through cellphones or computers, our attention is fully given to the computer screen and we do not behold the beauty directly in front of our eyes--beauty in its unadulterated, natural form propagated, but not technologically engineered, by man.  My eyes, of course, are immediately drawn to the leaves instead of the printer on the small table.  It seems that my inner and outer worlds collide in my haphazard home decor.

* * * 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Japan: Three Years Post-Disaster

It's been three years now since Japan's Tohoku region tsunami and earthquake followed by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.  According to this article on the three-year anniversary of these turn of events, a whopping 267,000 Tohoku evacuees are still living in temporary and/or makeshift housing, radiation continues to seep into large parts of the prefecture (and the ocean) since the nuclear plant has still not been fully contained, and over 2,500 people continue to be reported as missing, with close to 16,000 dead.  Rebuilding the Tohoku region is not as easy as it seems.  This is a big deal that will have long-standing repercussions, on many levels, for Japan and the world.

As many of you know, my shop has donation items for sale, two of which are still left whose proceeds will be donated to help with the ongoing Japan disaster relief efforts via GlobalGiving.  It's just a little step in the right direction, but every little bit helps, right?

Check out this thought-provoking website that showcases the stories of the tsunami-earthquake-nuclear disaster survivors, three years later.  It's worth a peek, in my opinion.

* * *

I blogged about the one-year anniversary of the Japan disaster here, and about heroism in the face of overwhelming odds here.

A well-curated Etsy Treasury for the three-year remembrance of the event can be found here.

Quiet Times

Who knew catalog colors could be a visual inspiration?

Perhaps the above image will kick my brain into high gear to (finally) create some new jewelry.  I apologize in advance to any of you who are searching for rainbow moonstone pendants.  Currently, I have a few choice rainbow moonstones sitting on my desk ready to be made, but I've lacked the impetus to get started on them (partly due to the fact that their flash is gorgeous from all angles, and I cannot definitively choose one angle over the other as of yet)--they will be made this spring, I promise.  

Until then, it will be mostly quiet time around here.  Maybe I will even get around to tidying up my workspace.  I need some rain as accompanying background noise, though, to get this all accomplished--and some dark chocolate and coffee.

January

It's been a thoughtful break, but now I am back into things full swing.  January saw the first of our much belated autumn-winter (our fall season consisted of a cold spell that lasted for about two weeks in early-to-mid November); it was a January autumn-winter that lasted all of a handful of days, for the temperature here has ranged anywhere from the low-to-high 60s for the last few weeks now.  While much of the Midwest has experienced (near) record-high snowfall and blustery, below-freezing temperatures this month, such as Detroit with Chicago close behind, we have experienced a milder form of the tropics here.  I was actually looking forward to wearing my scarves and long-sleeved shirts this winter, but with this dubious weather, my much coveted scarves and long-sleeved shirts will likely see little wear...  

That being said, the fog rolled in early last evening, and with it came a slight cool down in temperature.  Thank goodness!  Rain is even expected in the forecast.  Let's first see if Mother Nature throws us a curve ball.

Leaves collected in January 2014

Not that I'm complaining too much about the unseasonably warm weather because the above leaves collected earlier this month were beyond stunning, even if they were two months behind schedule in terms of coloration.  The poor daisies are even budding; my Thumbelina Leigh Lavender is throwing off tiny new shoots.  Our hummingbirds stayed, but now we are down to only one, and on occasion, two.

* * *

With Valentine's Day coming up, I've gone heart-crazy mad.  Coming from a person who isn't big on celebrating, this is quite a strange turn of events.  Perhaps there is a link between the blurring and skipping over of seasons and festive holiday giddiness--a similar event to, perhaps, seasonal affective disorder.  The "evidence" is shown below:

All for sale in my shop.  Call me a "crazy-heart lady" if you must, but have you been on Etsy lately?  It's like red heart central on there since December 24th.  It's pretty, it's festive, and it's all about love--so I will not critique nor dwell upon this subject any further.

Speaking of love, I found the below Etsy listing and found it appropriate (as well as witty):

MaryKralDesigns

Hope you are having a great year so far.  I look forward to blogging more in the coming months and years because January 2014 was an anomaly of sorts.