bridal jewelry? yes, bridal jewelry.

even though the jewelry i make is great for every day wear and for dressier occasions, now the jewelry is getting recognized by stylists in the bridal fashion crowd. i can see why, the handmade, heirloom quality jewelry and fine gemstones do make for nice complements to luxurious bridal gowns.

*butterfly in the sky. i can fly twice as high. take a look, it's in a book. a reading rainbow.* where is lavar burton when i want to give my book recommendation?



while searching for another title in barnes and noble recently, i was intrigued by a book with a simple white cover with a black and white illustration of a mcdonald's value meal adorned by prada's signature logo that is found on the dust bags that hold many of my favorite shoes and handbags by the line. knowing that the book must be an expose of sorts, i had to buy it. i am glad i did.

"deluxe: how luxury lost its luster" is a must read for anyone who is interested in fashion history, branding, marketing or the effects of globalization. the author, dana thomas, skillfully details the history of couture fashion houses and luxury goods lines that became synonymous with style and craftsmanship, but have more recently become victim to the greed of multi-billion dollar global conglomerates that mass-market and mass-produce collections in order to reach a brand and label obsessed middle market consumer and increase profit share. not to spoil it all, but stick with hermes and chanel. now if only i could find an extra $10K+ for my own birkin bag. i will not look at some of my clothes the same way again.

since i am not much of a book reviewer (as evidenced above), just take my word for it that it is a good read.

but don't forget that not everything out there is mass-produced. for instance, there is some great handmade jewelry (of course). also check out this site of independent artists and designers. my collection of handcrafted gemstone jewelry even has its own home there.

can i get an Amen? rejoice in the fact that water resistant shells are no longer automatically damned to ugliness.

here in seattle, where it is rainy and windy in the fall and winter, it is a rite of passage to own not only one jacket by the north face, but many. the have a way of keeping one warm and dry, but the problem: the rain jackets are just scary ugly. the choice of styles include bulky bland color blocked fabric or bulky toxic waste color blocked fabric. it is a no-win. since staying dry is a good thing, one eventually decides to come to terms with looking as if dressed in a coleman tent that was on clearance.

thankfully, we must settle no longer because a great looking rain jacket has emerged by a new company called nau. the durable and well-made jacket, which has a detachable hood and is resistant to wind and rain, is cut to define the waist and has a curved, asymmetrical button placket that nicely hides the zipper. not only is the jacket a great find in that it is actually fashionable, but it is also environmentally friendly (as are all nau designs) since it is made of 100% recycled materials and can be put back in the closed-loop system to create new fabrics when the jacket has seen the last of its days.

the company only has a few stores aside from the one in the seattle area, but has an online store. a tip for those with a local storefront: order the clothing you want to purchase for home delivery, since they will take 10% off the retail price and deliver it to your house for free. this is useful to know, since the prices can be a little on the high side. another fact that pleasantly surprised me is that 5% of every sale goes to an environmental charity--they have a list about 10 from which one can choose.

i look forward to getting some more items from this company.

farewell to summer, the sun and the 20 or so adorable little fingertip sized frogs that lived in my backyard and loved to perch atop my sedum plants.


fall wasted no time here in seattle. cold weather, rain and winds have been the norm over the past few weeks. luckily i have and will continue to have chances to get away from the weather. i just got back from puerto rico recently and will be heading to las vegas, san francisco, kaua'i and the great state of mississippi over the next few months. travel to sunnier areas in the fall and winter is definitely a requirement for me during the rainy season.

although the fall and winter weather can be on the gloomier side, i love getting to break out the boots, cashmere sweaters and coats.

inspired by fall leaves, i have recently started making one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that consist of fall colored gemstones and hand cut leaf pendants that are transfers from actual leaves i have found. here is a picture of the first piece of the collection. the pendant is based on a larkspur leaf. it is currently at hitchcock in seattle. i will post each piece as it is completed.