Winter seems to be a time of cleansing and renewal for me. I tackle closets long neglected, clear the horizontal surfaces of clutter, make space, and bring bright beauty back in. It helps me to shake the dust of the grey skies off my shoulders and invigorates my spirits. In the spirit of renewal, I will soon be

....which means I have been busy, busy, busy. My mind is full of concept, ideas, inspiration, ideations... The concept behind my Thesis year has been 'communication', but I have realized that the main concept behind it really lies in 'self-censorship'...that moment when we choose not to communicate. How we do so, and why. It's a lot of exploration,

I cannot believe I forgot to post about London. The last few weeks since my return have been an absolute whirlwind. Sometimes I feel as if I am in Dorothy's spinning, twirling house in the tornado, just waiting to set down. It was wonderful. Fantastic. Amazing. I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum at least 4 times (and

On Saturday, I woke up to a surprise. An amazing surprise. An offer of travel, to a place I've never been, and don't know when I'll be able to visit again. On Monday, I zipped up to Seattle (photo on the left) to renew my passport...as soon as I stepped out of the car, I got a whiff

 Oregonians are a proud bunch. We live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, with climates ranging from temperate rainforest to desert. In every direction you look, there are trees, water, and mountains in various formations. Oregon has taught me to appreciate nature, to respect its highest peaks and deepest lakes. Oregon has taught me to

If you have been following my work on instagram, flickr, twitter, or facebook, you have probably noticed that I've been working on a certain project for the past few months. I often refer to this project as "The Commission." Every year, the Oregon College of Art and Craft hosts a benefit auction, Art on the Vine, featuring art

  The return to the city is always difficult for me. Sleep doesn't come easily, and the sense of constantly needing to be busy returns to quickly. If I could sleep outside every night, I would.  (I once lived in my jeep for 6 months--my own choice--and I remember how difficult it was to acclimate back to sleeping

I've realized recently that all of my actions lately revolve around the need for peace in my life. You may have seen me use the "D-Word" (aka Depression) here before, and when Lisa Congdon talks about anxiety, I cannot help but feel a certain kinship. The last couple years, my life has resembled various levels of chaos. Through

 Belt buckles from Andy's collection. Some made by the artist, others collected.  Recently, I had the honor of assisting Andy Cooperman in his The Art of the Belt Buckle workshop at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. I have been watching Andy's work for years, so when I was asked if I would like to assist him,

Last weekend, DW and I tried to go on an adventure. We got pretty far, but nowhere near our destination. On Sunday night, I said wistfully, "I wish you could take tomorrow off and we could try again." He did. He's an amazing husband. The next morning, we hopped into the car and drove East, instead of West.

Today was a strange day. It was one of those days that requires endless patience, courage, and positivity. It started with nightmares that left me sobbing. Thank goodness I have a loving husband who can comfort me in the middle of the night. (I've been having many nightmares lately. Almost every night.) I woke fresh and clear-headed, and