Life And Such

Apologies, readers (I hope that should be plural) for my less than inspired blogging as of late. I've been trying to stay afloat with a few new jewelry projects thrown into what already felt like a packed schedule. Nothing makes me happier than having exciting new creative endeavors on the horizon, but making everything happen and handling real-life stuff (RE: taxes, car stuff, etc, etc.) is oh-so-tiring.

I am aware that I sound like a whiny brat and to make it even worse I'm going to tell you this: sometimes I long for the simple days of adolescence when my summers consisted of Sweet Valley High books, magazine collages for my friends and tanning competitions at Danielle's mom's pool. We didn't know how good we had it...There is so much responsibility and pressure to be successful as an adult and sometimes I want to just move to Indiana and live on a farm, barefoot and pregnant style, sheltered from the stresses of building a career and making money. BUT. As tiring and busy as my life can sometimes seem, I love it. I love being busy with projects I want to be working on and I love building connections with people as a result of those projects. The pressure to succeed can suck. A lot. but I find that not having expectations and just accepting the challenges that come my way with a "go-with-the-flow" sort of attitude makes it all a little less intense. Here I go sounding all new-agey and spiritual but the mantra I keep repeating in my head is this: Come from a place of love, not fear. Cheesy to the max but so so true. I love my hectic schedule, I love my memories of simpler times, I love knowing that everything will work out just as it should.

There's my 20 cents on life and such and here are a few shots of what I've been up to lately...

I actually managed to cross all but one item off this list. Yoga/Run...not today!

Ginourmous beers with Dani before watching One Day at LA Live. Tearjerkers are way more tearjerking when tipsy. FYI.

Homemade sopes at a welcoming dinner party for Fabi (and now my) friend Sara who just moved to LA from Portland

quality time with our cat, Martel. Our hot-cold relationship has been on the warmer side.

Watching an unhealthy amount of Mad Men. The outfits, the jewelry, the Don Draper...to die for.

Better than Draper...enjoying lots and lots of QT with Jash since his return home from a 2 week work trip

Happy Hour absinthe cocktail at Thirsty Crow. Yes.

Beautiful, colorful, yummy beads I picked up at a gem show in Long Beach over the weekend.

where the magic happens....been spending a ton o time in ye old workshop fixin up some real purdy things

Thanks for reading friends (again, I hope that should be plural) :)