lovely rainy saturday.

it's been a perfect saturday so far.  the mini and i got out early before the rain started in earnest, mailed all my outstanding jewelry orders, headed off to get groceries and bagels, then, after breakfast, put on our rainboots and mucked around in the backyard.  we put down some grass seed (our lawn is full of weird "bald" spots and the dandelions are threatening to take over even though it feels we're pulling them out in spades) and transplanted some hydrangeas (one of my favorite flowers) near the fence.  i'm hoping to throw in a few pots of tomatoes and peppers as the season progresses and maybe we'll be able to pick our own salad during the summertime. 

the view from here. 

although i will never have a martha stewart-esque garden, i am hoping to at least have somewhere we can run barefoot and pick some blooms.

as the mini and i napped this afternoon during a gentle rainstorm, i couldn't help but think that it's the little things in life that make everything worth it.  domestic bliss, anyone?

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welcome little byron!

early, early this morning - like 12:45am or something like that - i get a txt message from becks that she finally had her baby!!!! (funny how we all do our birth announcements this way now) this little guy has been a long time coming - and is very very much wanted. welcome to the world, little byron wesley! mommy and daddy have been waiting for you forever!!!!

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heroes. (and cleaning house.)

the husband has gone away for the weekend with the boys and the mini and i are rocking out to our iTunes playlists, cleaning house. (a wonderful way to work out frustration while getting some cardio!)  in the spirit of a fun friday night, i leave you with my all time favorite david bowie track - which we have now played about ten times. enjoy!

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alaskan daydreams.

a picture of ketchikan, AK - courtesy of travelandcruisedeals

the original "slugs" - by withtherain

i don't know what it is about the idea of moving to alaska, but sometimes i daydream about it.  having spent a year up in northern manitoba, i know that the long dark winters and huge amounts of snow don't really agree with me (and not being a winter sports type of person, sitting on my behind on the couch for months at a time watching TV is not really my idea of fun).  i do miss the northern lights though, and the sense that we were breaking new ground and exploring new territory (for us anyways). 

this morning, i was reading an inspiring article on etsy seller withtherain, who lives in ketchikan, AK, with her boy Jacob, and who spends a good chunk of her time crafting.  i have loved rayana's "slugs" for ages, plus her product photos are the BOMB.  ketchikan is only reachable by boat and plane and she's lived there almost her entire life.  i found myself feeling - well - slightly jealous.  one, she is making her living doing something she absolutely loves (after coming home from her day job, of course!).  two, she is doing it in a place that she has known her entire life.  three, there is something about being only reachable by a few modes of transportation that appeals to me.  quite an inspiration!

i guess my daydreams are of a little warm wooden house in the great white north, filled with sunlight and the smell of freshly baked bread (made in my breadmaker, of course), with a crafting space stuffed to the brim with sterling silver wire, surrounded by trees and a starry alaskan sky, and me mucking around with the mini in our rainboots in the mossy forests.  (and of course, our feet kept warm with rayana's "slugs".)
(go read the feature on rayana.  i think you'll find it inspiring too!)

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all that glitters...

.... is gold! well, at least 14K gold filled!  by request, (rushbomb, these are for you!) i'm adding some gold filled skinny stacking rings to my repertoire.  lush, warm, rustic and classic, these are seriously fantastic, and fit seamlessly with any of my other skinny stacking rings - if i can't be skinny, at least my rings will be!!!!  i will also be making a rose gold fill version as well for those who are into the new pink gold trend.  (i am definitely one of those.  sometimes i surprise myself at how girly i am.)  (oh wow, i think i puked in my mouth a little.)

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spring? finally?

after spending the early evening in my parents' backyard, where spring officially seems to have sprung, i am going to tempt fate and say that we think that spring is finally here!  i have had a few requests for spring wedding ring sets - so i think we're heading to warmer (and more romantic?) weather forecasts.  finally.  I snuck out while at the bank this afternoon and got my hair trimmed - i am still getting used to having super short hair after a lifetime of super long hair - and i still am thrilled at the sensation of the breeze on the back of my neck.  (kind of sexy, kind of ticklish, kind of awesome).  on the way home, i rolled all the windows down, opened the sunroof and blasted my favorite warm weather songs.  for a few minutes, all my worries floated away into the sunshine. who cares about the high gas prices?  who cares about voice mails piling up at work?  who cares about unanswered emails and angry clients? 

 joy, bliss, spring!

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love will tear us apart.

this one was stuck in my head all day. a classic awesomely done by broken social scene. because love will always tear you apart.

(incidentally, "love will tear us apart" was inscribed on ian curtis' headstone. which was famously stolen from macasselfield cemetary in 2008. it was never found and eventually was replaced with a new one. i guess love won't prevent thievery!)

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happy mother's day!

my "mommy and me" set of knot rings

slept in, and woke up to a sunshiny sky.  a beautiful start to a beautiful day.  am now rolling out some homemade cinnamon rolls to take to our mother's day luncheon at my parents' house.  (note to self - the dough is much easier to handle when chilled!) 

happy happy mother's day to all the moms out there!  (especially to my mom and to becks, who is going to be a mom any day now!)

love love love to you!  xoxoox

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