There is new life in the family....my sister in law had a beautiful baby girl late Friday night. We headed to Hood River on Saturday morning and got to see (and hold) Lyla Eileen for quite a while. She is absolutely gorgeous...it's amazing how long you can stare at a newborn! I am so happy for the parents, and so super excited that I have a new niece :D You can view more photos on David Woody's flickr page (my partner).

My birthday sale is still on, with most items 27-50% off. But hurry--the sale ends tomorrow!

I have been following My Marrakesh for a while now. I am always completely astounded at the beautiful images from a faraway land that I have yet to see for myself. Myriam writes of her travels, as well as family, and their adventures building a home in Morocco. I hope that someday I might visit this beautiful place. Someday...

image via my marrakesh

I just discovered Anna Wadham over at Modish. I love her fantastical paintings and illustrations--the colors and lines speak of dream land, which I love to be in. Enjoy!

Etsy has a great gift guide going on right now called "A Cozy Home". Check out some of the talent infusing Etsy, from this great selection:



Gun Rack Organizer by stufingerhut



Little lucky ceramic feather by ourlittlelovenest



Delight Lampshade by mixko




Macrell by Jenny Lee Katz



Wire Sphere Lamp by De Beaux Souvenirs




Whale Boot Scraper by arkiron

Just found Jen May's work via dear ada....it's gorgeous! I love the variety of materials, the use of writing/drawing, layers, and colors.

And one of the best presents I've gotten today is a beautiful bouquet of flowers sent from my brother, Henry, who is serving as a pilot in Iraq. When I opened the card, I totally cried. He's such a good big brother. Thank you Henry!


Now, since it's my Birthday, I'm having a sale in my Etsy Shop from today through the 24th. Go have a look! There are lots of items for 27-50% off!

Tomorrow, the 19th, is my 27th Birthday. So, in honor of that, I am having a huge sale in my Etsy Shop! My Titanium Rings will be 50% off, and I will be marking down a lot of other items (starting Tomorrow). So, come get your jewelry on!

On Mother's Day, I wanted to do something outdoors with my mom, that would not be too strenuous for her, and not break the bank for me. For some reason, I though of the Japanese Gardens here in Portland.



We went out to brunch at Blue Pig, a cafe down the street from my house, which was wonderful, and then onto the Portland Japanese Garden. It was gorgeous! I had not been there since childhood, and I'm really happy we went. We visited the Bonsai exhibit, and got to speak to some of the artists, and spent a couple hours wandering around the various types of gardens.



I highly recommend this to anyone who is visiting Portland, or just needs something different to do on the weekend. Ideally, it might be followed by some good sushi :)

Whew! After a long semester at the Oregon College of Art and Craft, school is out for the summer, and I am back to blogging :) Look out for images of the projects I made last semester, as well as new jewelry, upcoming events, and adventures!

On a side note, I got a wonderful little present for my impending 27th birthday...two sets of charms from Tord Boontje's new designs! I'm so excited to get them :D You can find sets at Artecnica or Charles & Marie.