Snail Mail #3

This package was too long overdue! When I first started working at Nature's Twist I immediately thought of this friend and had been waiting for the right piece for her, and it ended up being labradorite!  Normally I would mosaic or sticker a jewelry box but since this piece was special I thought it should have it's own box. These wooden boxes are 1$ at craft stores and can be painted, mosaic-ed, stained, whatever your hearts desire or covered in fabric like I chose to do this time. You can buy cheap fabric squares at the craft store or use scraps!

I took out the screws and wrapped the box like a present, using Mod Podge to secure and cover. The only problem I ran into is that the box has a hard time shutting now that there are two layers of fabric in the middle but it looks pretty! I took one picture of the pendant with flash and one without, trying to capture the coloring in the stone but it's difficult to capture the iridescence of labradorite! Let me just say this piece is ten times more beautiful in person! Of course, another funny address label and an Oscar Wilde card to inspire - 'Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.'  Happy Birthday!! 

Snail Mail #2

Mail! I really really enjoy sending things in the mail! I like to collect random things that remind me of someone and then eventually I'll send a little box of those things to them. My friend is out on the East Coast and apparently finding lots of sea glass; I have these cool old empty vials so I figure, send em out there! In case you're wondering, and even if you weren't, the wrapped package is leggings that I needed to give back, hee. I had a lot of fun with these packages - the mailing labels are macro shots of household items! Can you guess, haha!?

My best friend got published (!!) and engaged (!!!) so I had to send her something. Just a congratulatory card with some mini roses for the engagement and a necklace that I hope she likes! I had picked it out for her and was saving it, but what a better way to celebrate a job well done? 

Morningside

I've been having a lot of fun just taking photos about the house. The other morning I realized that the first 1-2 hours of being awake are my best hair hours, totally wasted, right when I wake up. I started taking photos of my alter, aka bedside table, and I wanted to try and capture this good hair feeling in my Good morning, Morning! photo shoot. 

My hair would dread up in a day if I let it. As you can see when I wake up my hair is practically in perfect rings, but give it a few hours and it will all unravel and be back to its unruly self. So, for this morning, I just laid back with my book, some tea and enjoyed it!

This little saucer is one of three from a cute little tea shop back in CA. Each saucer has a delicate floral pattern that I just fell in love with, they had lost their teacups so she was selling them 3 for 1$. I use saucers all over the house because they are perfect for collecting little things, or as candle holders, serving snacks - anything! A saucer is perfect beside for catching all my necklaces, hair ties and tiny stud earrings which I usually forget to take out until the very last second.

My friend made and sent me this dreamcatcher with feathers, beads and lichens - it's nice to feel like I'm always sleeping with nature. Is it dangling off of the most gaudy slash borderline tacky candleholder ever, yes...yes it is. This Chrysantemum stone above is one of my favorites, usually a mixture of dolmite, limestone and gypsum, its often looks like the flower, or has that 'burst' kinda shape. To surmise, this stone is often seen as an aid of good fortune and for me opens the mind to opportunity and positivity, helping me to be fully present. I won't geek out on the details but for those interested in gemstone healing email me, or this is a great summation of its properties. 

This little bowl of goodies was a wonderful gift that arrived just in time to be the first 'new new apartment' warming gift, haha! I've added a couple little things like pieces of driftwood but the little box has Desert Rose (aka Gypsum crystal), Blue Peacock, Kyanite, Agate, Amethyst, Palo Santo, Sage and Lavender. It was a perfect addition to my bedside alter!

Snail Mail!

Back in October I challenged myself to send more bits of sparkle, snail mail style. Sending and receiving mail definitely something I enjoy, especially if I can spread a little nonchalance!

I have a lot of fun making/finding things and sending out those bits of randomness! I love making presents for my friends - partly because I really like the fact that my friends are the type of people who appreciate and enjoy swapping handmade goodies! The necklace is from a local market artist and the earrings I made myself. Fun and funky decoupage (ish) packaging and these babies are ready to ship! 

 

I also like to decorate the outside of the packages, quotes, pictures, glitter, stickers, whatever! Why should they be plain when they can be fun and weird?! 

Reflections

My last post, about three weeks ago, was very positive and it was a little hard for me to maintain that level of positivity recently. All in all, it's been a rough few weeks. Not to say that the world isn't without pain everyday but from a national level to a very small personal level, there has been too much bad recently. My thoughts are with the victims and those affected by the terrible acts of violence seen in Boston as well as the tragedy in Waco and my own hometown. Death will always been a side affect of life, at once being the most horrific and the most empathetic of axiom's and also one of the most complex symbiotic human experiences; for we each battle, we each have both lightness and dark raging within. This relationship can bring a community together but it can also isolate feelings of hopelessness, blind confusion, hate...then we each have to make the choice of how to battle with ourselves. 

These past few weeks I've felt a lot of hopelessness out there. Helplessness. And that is my dark side winning. Then, someone gave me flowers totally out of the blue. And I remembered to smile, and it felt so good, and I was reminded that there are still good people in this world. And then I remembered Dumbledore. Ok technically I remembered the words of JKR but whatever, it was just what I needed. 'Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.' I've been holding onto that and really trying to cultivate appreciation and love for allll those little things. I made myself a few little easy goals but they really do help, I've been taking photos as often as possible, in any little moment I can, being more in contact with friends/family, adventuring, sending packages and cultivating happiness!

I realized I enjoy sharing happiness just as much as I enjoying sharing in others' happiness. And that, it the light side winning ; ). Like an incredible view on a beautiful, clear day in Seattle. And the beautiful evening light in my kitchen, on a rainy day after getting surprise tulips. 

Every time I see the tulips I can't help but smile! They are really so beautiful, and I seem to have gotten several different types and colors, yay! I wish I could send them to people, but I think there will definitely have to be some guerrilla tuliping from me in the near future...

 I found I have a collection of pink on my windowsill.  

Tulips enjoying showing off in the light of the sunset

I wish that life could always be silly breakfasts and elevensies of tea and bites, but it can't, so I savored every moment of such a morning while tackling 12 impossible things (before lunch).  

It isn't selfish to take care of yourself. You need to take care of yourself. Find time for yourself and enjoy it however you can. Even if it means a fancy donut breakfast, or a teacup of mandarins.