So, for someone who loves winter, we are receiving (perhaps) the BEST Christmas gift this year... a blizzard on Christmas Eve!! We are nestled-in with family on the hill in Duluth overlooking a city that is barely visible through the falling & blowing snow. Reports say that we may get 22 inches in Duluth because of lake-effects from Lake Superior. The combination of normal holiday excitement with the excitement that comes with a big snow storm makes for a stellar holiday! 
Here's wishing you and yours a happy holiday -- and the equivalent of a big ole' blizzard!!
This Friday (the 18th) is the last day that I will be at the Gaviidae. If you have some last minute shopping, or are heading out to see the Holidazzle Parade - stop by and say "hi!"
I've been wanting to share this custom BUNCH_Pod necklace, in green & ivory acrylic with camel leather and deep-red stitching, for a couple weeks now. It was a custom piece for a young woman who volunteers at the Walker and who was at the Jewelry Artist Mart back in November. It was fun to make a piece for her after getting to chat with her a bit that day. I had admired the dress she was wearing that day and her overall sense of style so I had a bit more inspiration to go on. I hope she is as happy with the result as I am! 
It never ceases to amaze me how good results can come out of random moments within a design/making process. Sometimes a vision is so strong that I don't let myself see beyond my prescribed ideas - but then something so simple as having some extra material laying around makes me step back just enough to consider something as simple as a color. Yellow is not a Christmasy color.......but gold is! (Que the tune "Silver and Gold" from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) I'm normally a Silver girl - and boy, I sure am surprised by how much I love GOLD at this very moment! (the gold ornaments are available in my shop)
So, I am back from one of the most emotional weeks in my life to date. Everything really played out in the best possible way for my family to say goodbye to the anchor of our family who seemed like he'd always be around. The fact that it took place during the week of Thanksgiving was a blessing in disguise, because it enabled us to spend an extended amount of time together which was really therapeutic. I feel as much at peace with it as one could hope to be.
The week away has created a bottle-neck for me, though. I spent all of Monday catching up on special orders. I'm behind the ball when it comes to getting my new ornaments packaged and photographed, but I've finally been able to get some of the new ones in my shop. (I plan to add the flakes in a few more colors and in plywood before Friday.) I continue to love the simple clear with blue SC sticker -- making them the perfect immediate gift.
Locally one can find selections of my ornaments at Gallery 360, at Simple Luxuries a special holiday boutique downtown at the PR firm ESBEE (M-F 10-5 until Christmas) and again - with me at the Gaviidae Market for the next 3 Fridays. 
