Year of the Rose and Warmest Wishes

As I sit here, having completed my final pieces for 2014, and as the year closes with the sound of music and laughter from the other room, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for making this one of the most successful, joyful, inspiring years I can remember.

You have fed me in more ways than one, you've unfolded me when I was feeling so small.  I took my son to school and picked him up each day because of your support and the subsequent absence of my needing a "real job".

You've blessed me.

I am in awe of your kind words, your patience, your interest, your hearts.  Friends, customers, fellow artists and smiths... each of you has meant more than I can say.

On Monday, January 4th, I'll be welcoming a new assistant full time.  She's been a dear friend for nearly fourteen years and is an incredible metalsmith in her own right.  She'll be leaving the safety and routine of the retail world to come join me in the chaos and creativity that is my little business, and it is my prayer that we'll build each other up and just make each other better.  She'll be the one making sure I'm organized, caught up on my communications, she'll be the one shipping your orders, filing mine, and freeing me up so that I can spend more time with my hands at the bench.  She is one of the strongest, bravest, most inspiring women I know, and she's also the inspiration behind these No Dream Killer Necklaces.

I'll introduce you soon.  We are incredibly excited for the potential of the new year....

I hope you all have have a safe and joyful New Year's Eve.  I am going to trade my camera for an apron and a spatula, as I have pickle dip to make for a few friends coming over tonight.  Tomorrow, we'll head up to the family farm in Virginia for a belated Christmas with my grandfather.  Life is good, amazingly good, and so incidentally, is the pickle dip.

Sending love from Carolina and looking forward to seeing you on the other side.  Joy to you, friend, wherever you may sleep tonight. 

Embracing October

I spent the weekend cleaning house.  Etching some skull-ish silvery things.  I edited photos for a friend.  Made bisque.  Spent time with my mother after a round of procedures she had done last week.

And I embraced Autumn.

We have a tradition of going to Porter's each year- a farm stand out on the highway heading towards I40- where Adams Vineyard is just down the road and NC agriculture reins king.  This place is magic.

The Monkey loves it.

We came home loaded up with pumpkins- racers, aladdins, queensland blues, autumn crowns, casperitas, a moonshine, musque de provence and a handful of valencianos.  We piled in the Indian corn.  And, nearly three Octobers in, I got my very first bunch of perennial mums for the this house.  (I love mums.  I LOVE mums).

It is indeed starting to look a bit autumn-eque around here.  Orange string lights along the bookcases.  Pumpkins, gourds, squash everywhere.  A few Monkey-chosen decorations dotting the place. (See if you can spot his favorite).

Back to the studio today and moving forward for some stacked stone rings, a few sugar-skull inspired pieces, and lots of pumpkin chai.  The sun is to shine all week here in the dirty south, and with the crispness cutting the air, it somehow feels downright warm all around.  Wishing you all a lovely Monday!

xo,

Ro