Taking the Leap!

Today is my last day of work for someone else.  Wow, that seems crazy when I write it down, or say it out loud.  But it's true!  My last day!  After today I will be devoting all of my time, energy, and love to making a living and living a life centered around my art.  I have worked so hard to get here, and yet it still seems unbelievable that I've done it.  I am feeling so many things today.  Blessed, scared, excited, ready, sad, hopeful, grateful, accomplished, and oh-so-very free! I will most certainly be sharing my challenges and successes with you along the way.

Wish me luck!

Glorious Summer Time

Our August here on the Oregon coast was particularly spectacular this year.  Full of clear blue sky days, sparkling waves and, everywhere you look,  bright green growing things.  It was also, for us, full of friends, family, good food and adventures.  We were lucky enough to have some dear dear friends come stay with us for a few weeks, and we spent the time surfing, hiking, potluck-ing, brunching, camping, talking, laughing, and generally enjoying each others company.  It was so grounding and important to spend time with such good friends, and I am undoubtedly blessed to have so many amazing humans in my life. Enjoy the photos!

The Alberta Street Fair 2012

[caption id="attachment_1045" align="aligncenter" width="529"] © Justin Bailie[/caption] First off dear readers, I apologize for the delay in this post.  There are always so many things I want to share with you, photos and stories, but alas life seems to get between me and my computer.  These days that isn't a bad thing though, as life has been full of old friends, outdoor time, good food and lots of laughter.  Mid August is always a really hectic time for me, and I have been struggling to find balance and take care of myself.  That is a story for another time though, so on to the Fair!

[caption id="attachment_1047" align="aligncenter" width="529"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1048" align="aligncenter" width="467"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1070" align="aligncenter" width="529"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

The Fair was a blast, a success, and a learning experience.  The Photographer and my fantastic mother (AKA Mama Bear, AKA my right hand woman, assistant, BFF, etc...) accompanied me for the day and helped get my display all set up, then hung out and helped run the show.  A few Portland friends stopped by to visit, I ate multiple amazing shave ice, and we generally had a great time.

[caption id="attachment_1051" align="aligncenter" width="529"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1052" align="aligncenter" width="529"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1054" align="aligncenter" width="529"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1056" align="aligncenter" width="467"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1057" align="aligncenter" width="467"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

It was (to this coastal creature) a blistering hot day in the city, which generally makes me want to melt into a whiny little puddle on the ground.  Despite this, I managed to persevere, and to sell some jewelry.  It was really fun to interact directly with the people who are buying my creations and to get feedback, most of which was overwhelmingly positive.  Even though I've been doing this for awhile now, it still never ceases to feel so good when someone really likes my work or connects with it in some way.  I hope this never changes, and I look forward to doing more of these kinds of events if only for that reason alone.

[caption id="attachment_1060" align="aligncenter" width="529"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1061" align="aligncenter" width="529"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1064" align="aligncenter" width="467"] © Justin Bailie[/caption]

Preparing for the Alberta Street Fair 2012

I'm very excited to share with you that Roots & Wings Jewelry will have a booth at the Alberta Street Fair in Portland this weekend!  Alberta Street is a hip, fun little neighborhood, and the Street Fair is an annual event full of music, art, handmade creations, beer, food and fun.  With over 300 vendors, covering 20 blocks, it's quite the event! Needless to say, I've spent the last few weeks working my little jewelry-making-butt off to create a ton of bling for the day, as well as put together a display, packaging, pricing, and all of the other little details that inevitably come up.  Now that the day is drawing near and most of the work is behind me, I'm starting to get really excited.  For those of you who are local, I'd love to see your face at my booth on Saturday!  Here are the pertinent details:  11:00 AM-7:00 PM, Sat. 8/11/12.  I will be on the North side of Alberta St. between 14th Pl and 15th Ave.  Hope to see you there! *All photos (except the last two) by The Photographer, AKA Justin Bailie.  Check out more of his truly amazing work here.

Hamapalooza 2012!

  We don't have a freezer in our new place yet, so when I moved out of my apartment recently we had a bunch of food, including a whole ham, that needed to be eaten.  This seemed like the perfect excuse to have an afternoon potluck, and thus Hamapalooza was born! It was a perfect, sunny summer afternoon full of good friends and family, food, beer and laughter.  The evening light was amazing and I captured a few images that I really like, so I thought I'd share.  Enjoy!