New Year, One Resolution.

Happy new 2013 to all!!

Like most normal people, I have a lot of resolutions for the new year, most of which are just old resolutions I have from the previous new year that basically they boil down to one big ol' resolution: to simply stick to one, or ANY resolution at all. So since my resolutions to battle the bulge, spend more time with friends and family, take over the world, stop expecting the zombie apocalypse, yada yada yada have YET to work, I'm taking a different approach this year. A philosophical, enlightened, almost biblical approach to making a positive change. One that will be constant, yet oh so changing. And here it is:

To love and show love more.

Yes, I know, I'm basically saying what the Christian bible says. But I realized that on top of doing a better job of wholly loving myself (which comes naturally because we are all selfish beings,) I resolve to better love and show love to everyone. Yes, in that tree-hugging-ganja-smoking-peace-not-war hippy kind of way. Not just my family and friends, but the lonely floor waxing guy at Walmart and the sour bank teller who snaps. Everyone needs lovin'.

I made a pretty scrapbooked reminder note for my bathroom mirror with this quote to start off my new year on how to act on this resolution:

"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

At least this is one resolution that isn't that hard to stick to. Being nice isn't hard if you're able to put yourself in other people's shoes, right? Wait, nevermind. That is hard. Otherwise we wouldn't have war and famine. Well, at least I can at least try to work on it.

Peace and love!

Slow and Steady

So I'm beginning to learn that trying to start a business while staying at home with a four year old, two year old, and near 3 month old is like trying to get somewhere while driving a car that has a sticky brake. A lot starts and stops, distraction, and loss of momentum. It's been an interesting ride.

My four year old began 4K this year. Originally, I thought this meant that it freed up my mornings for a few hours so that I could get my beadin' on. Wrong. Apparently it has only freed my two year old son from his regular playmate. So now mama is his new playmate/magic 8 ball/jungle gym.  It's not that I'm not enjoying getting to know my two year old better. He is hilarious, sensitive, sweet and curious. Plus, he is a tremendous helper with his little brother as he tends to take up his sister's older sibling duties when she isn't around. I know that sacrificing personal desires for our little ones is part of the motherhood package, but as someone who (pre-kids) used to spend hours in the land of imagination and creation without interruption, it's not one that I have readily accepted.  My dream of silent mornings filled with faithful, sparkly, enthralling tiny beads and satisfied sighs after completion of an art piece has yet to come true. But I know that it won't be too long before I'll have that at the pace children grow. So I can wait, and do as I have been doing- catching rare quiet moments here and there when the husband is home and I can bare to ignore housework or constant curious little knocks from little fists on my office door.

"Slow and steady wins the race." 

I hope so. And so I keep on.

Birth of my blog, a dream-fueled beginning.

In the Beginning....

I've felt like my mind has been on a five year hiatus. Basically, if creativity was a muscle, mine is a limp noodle stuck to the bottom of the pot after all the pasta was dumped out. What seems like ages ago I was an early 20-something who was looking for the next creative outlet centered around instant gratification. (Cue romantic music/) A doe-eyed leaf blowing in the free wind, caring not what the world thought of my restless soul, only breathing to flit from work and events in search of laughter, creative inspiration and unconditional love... Enter reality in the form of my first child, Eliora.

 Five years later, I am discombobulated (I love that word,) yet responsible (ugh) mother of three who is happily married, fatter (I conveniently blame the pregnancy munchies,) and aged fifteen years (five for each child.) Now, my idea of creative expression is being able to simultaneously rock the baby's lounger with one foot and repeatedly yell at my two year old to get his hands out of the toilet while putting makeup on without ending up looking like Pennywise on a caffeine binge.  

But such is life. /end ego deflation

So anyway, I'm on a journey. Not only a zen-inspired journey of self discovery and growth, but one to begin exercising my limp noodle of a creative mind so I can expand my horizons beyond potty training, dirty dishes, and the grocery store! 

Let there be..JEWELRY!

Like most females I know, jewelry has always been something I use as a way to be a living Christmas tree daily. But my appreciation for creative and quality jewelry has always went beyond the adornment factor. As a child growing up in Japan, I was part of the friendship-bracelet weaving boom. Then came the beading fad. I recall spending hours carefully weaving my name with pink beads against a background of lime green into a bracelet then wearing it as if were part of my skin. Until one day, after I had washed my hands, it broke and the beads scattered everywhere like mice escaping my wrist. That's the day I realized that sewing thread doesn't hold up well with beads. And so I learned that quality is an investment.

Fast forward to today. 

People catch me staring at them all the time. But really, I'm not staring at them, but the jewelry they are wearing. I'm inspired by how people portray themselves. This is part of the reason I began making jewelry a year ago. I'd see beautiful pieces people were wearing and think to myself, "Wow. That's beautiful. I bet I make that." And so the idea for my own business was born. 

Since I began my new obsession during the pregnancy of my third child, I haven't been very consistent with it. Now that my son is out (oh the relief) and he's a little over 2 months, I'm ready to dive back in head first, eyes wide open. Over the past year most of my creations were inspired by loved ones that that I gifted with my jewelry, but after much ego-inflation and prodding, I'm ready to show my art to everyone outside of my circle. 

Wish me luck!