inhale. exhale. (a meditation)

inhale . exhale soul mantra earrings (in the shop)

pause in this moment.

inhale.
notice.
exhale.
find you in this moment.

inhale.
notice.
exhale.
stay right here. 

what is resting inside you today?

try to notice without judgement.

without a need to feel a certain way.

just notice.

then when you are ready:

inhale
compassion
exhale
love

repeat as needed 

***

Deeply appreciating how popular the Inhale Exhale Soul Mantra earrings have been. I imagine women pausing to take a deep breath as they put them on, when they see them in the mirror, when they feel the amethyst gemstones gently touch their neck.

Somedays even putting on earrings becomes part of the practice.

If you would like a pair of Soul Mantra earrings customized with your phrase, just let me know.

the space between collection

open up and live bracelet

As I move in and out of the roles I play in my life...
teacher, mama, friend, wife, artist, business owner, writer, and how the list goes on...
I try to pause for a few moments
to notice the space found in between these roles
to notice the world around me so I can get out of my head
and back into my heart.

stand in your light necklace

During these moments, I take a deep breath, soak up the world around me, and listen to the words I most need to hear.

i am home necklace

The Space Between Collection is inspired by those words and the colors I see in the in between spaces of my day during this winter season in the Pacific Northwest:

As I look at the window holding my morning cup of coffee
When I walk from the studio to my house
When I notice the changing colors of the sky throughout the day
When I see just a peek of Puget Sound when I pick up my daughter from school
When I walk in the woods and try to just be present to this moment right here...

I'm having so much fun creating with these colors and phrases that have been swirling around my heart for the last couple of months. Like the "Forest to the Sea" collection, creating these pieces felt like a true meditation. And I'm excited to include several pairs of new Soul Mantra earrings in this collection. Almost all the necklaces are one of a kind, but I will be making a handful each of the bracelets and earrings. You can see more of the collection here in my shop.

so i fly necklaces in the shop

I'm working like a little elf over here having so much fun updating the shop (and feeling so much gratitude for those buying handmade this holiday season).

a few of the new so i fly necklaces in the shop

This week I uncovered a few more butterfly and bird pendants in my studio and created a new collection of "So I Fly" necklaces. Last year around this time, a few words came to me that inspired this favorite soul mantra phrase:

When life pushes me beyond what I know
When the joy fills me up 
When the fear tries to settle in
When I am holding on to hope with each breath
When all this and more leads me to feel unsure of the next step,
sometimes I step outside, feel the warm sun upon my shoulders, look up at the blue sky, and decide it is time: 
So I fly.

I also added a handful of simple earrings and a couple of other necklaces.

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving this week, I'm thinking about you as you begin to gather with family and make final choices about your plans and menus and sink into the goodness and intensity that this time of year brings. Sending light and love as you find your way.

where the forest meets the sea (a new collection of soul mantras)

This past spring, Somerset Life published one of my articles about the sea and how it calls to me and how I feel at home there. It was paired with photos I've taken on the Oregon Coast, and the beautiful way these photos were shared really pushed me to own that I am a photographer.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

I stand with my toes sinking into the sand with my senses enveloped by the push and the pull of the crashing waves in front of me. The water pools around me as I find my breath. I notice how my mind begins to slow as my breath expands the space around my heart. The seagulls soar overhead and the plovers rush back and forth along the shoreline. The sun bounces light off the sea; I spot bits of blue peeking out behind the clouds; and I begin to find a rhythm within that pushes me to just be right here.

I come to the sea to remember there is magic around me as I watch light shimmer, dip, and twirl where water and solid ground meet. As the tide moves closer and then back again, I think about the conversation the sea has each day with the moon as they keep time with the light and shadow dancing around them.

I come to the sea to remember my stories. It is at the sea that I hear my grandmother’s laughter, see my parents holding hands, feel the joy of finding a whole sand dollar, and remember the first time I was brave enough to wade all the way out to my waist, gripping my grandfather’s hand with each bobbing step.

I come to the sea to let go of what no longer serves me as I ask her to take pieces of grief and all that will not be out with the tide. I imagine all of it tumbling with shell fragments and driftwood until it entwines with the seaweed that sways farther than I can see.

I come to the sea to remember me…

A few weeks ago, I was in the midst of one of those days that was thick with "stuff." I found myself longing for the clarity the sea brings me, especially those sacred places where I'm able to stand right where the tall green evergreens of the Pacific Northwest meet the water.

I was in my studio hammering a few custom lockets when phrases about this sacred place and the wisdom found there began to float through the air. I decided to catch them in lockets and on soul mantras as they appeared. Then I gathered a few of my favorite beads that remind me of the brighter sunny days at the sea and then ordered a few gemstones that remind me of the cloudier days on the coast.

And through hours spent curled up in my studio and in the family room while everyone else was asleep, the "where the forest meets the sea" collection came to be.

 

This is the first collection I've made in a while where I listened to intution instead of thinking about what would sell. Each piece truly calls to me, and I hope you love them as much as I do. You can find these and more from the collection here in the shop.

On Tuesday, I'll be sharing more about the prayer flags sets I've been making that will be in the shop Monday evening. If you'd like a sneak peek, head over here to this Flickr set. (And if you want me to reserve one for you, just email me.)

ninja warrior :: a story, a soul mantra

ninja warrior . in the shop

This is me.

Ninja warrior me.

The me who holds a lunch box, juice cup, backpack, purse, and coat in one hand and picks up her toddler with the other.

Who uses words + a camera as secret weapons of peace and truth.

Who sifts through all of it to love fiercely. Me.

The me who puts a chicken to roast in the oven, colors with crayons, cleans up dog vomit, changes her clothes in the middle of the kitchen, reassures and stays calm all in under three minutes.

Who moves through roles almost seamlessly without even needing a costume change.

Who translates toddler code and social media babbling.

Who feels like she's undercover whenever she walks into Target alone.

Me.

Ninja warrior me.

The me who navigates unchartered lands and keeps her head above water even when she is terrified.

Who hides her stealth behind layers, ruffles, and knee-high red boots.

Yes.

Me.

Ninja warrior, sitting in the quiet, dancing in the beauty, honoring the realness, standing tall in all of it, learning how to rest, me.

***

This weekend, I made this locket for myself because I needed to simply own that being a woman is to be a ninja warrior sometimes. 

I shared it on Instagram and after getting a couple of emails about it, I've added it to the shop in case you need one too. Or you can customize this same locket with your own "this is me" phrase. (If you want help brainstorming your "this is me" phrase for your locket, just send over an email.)

May you stand tall as your warrior, peacemaker, real, beautiful self today.

(Thank you to Jen for our conversation a few months ago where she said that sometimes mamas are ninja warriors. I've held onto this phrase daily since then.)