lifelong fascination

As long as I can remember, I've been drawn to jewelry, particularly lockets, prayer beads, birthstone rings, those things that seem to hold special meaning.

Here I am in my grandma's clip-on earrings.  I remember poring through her jewelry box, much of it costume jewelry, but it didn't matter, I was mesmerized by those faceted beads, those colors, that shine.

This is grandma Leona (who lived to be 100!) and the beautiful locket I inherited from her.

And the making has always been a part of my story.  From the friendship bracelets of childhood to the repurposed adornments of my twenties, I've always felt connected to creating jewelry + making meaning of it.

A simple wooden bead on the ground outside the yoga studio - a sign from the universe I was on the right path. Threaded on suede and worn as a bracelet.

Beads bought from a street vendor on my college campus - a reminder of my education and perseverance, that even though I took the long, hard way (literally 10 years to get a 4 year degree), in the end, I studied what spoke to my soul and not what was expected of me.

In 2016, we traveled for 4 months in Africa - a bracelet from every country became my ritual and a record of our travels.

I used these adornments as records of who I was + where I had been.

And the fascination continues.

It is not lost on me how lucky I am to have been able to turn this lifelong fascination into a vocation.

I am honored to adorn you.