Sipping From My Bold, Full Bodied Life.

As I sit here drinking my coffee, swinging in my lovely hammock, and taking in the fresh air slightly tinted with hints of last night's campfires. The laughter and happiness from yesterday still permeating  the surroundings. I take in all of this and I just can't help but be grateful.

Today,

this week,

this month,

this year,

this time.

It's a shy step from perfection.

I look at every facet of my life right now and I couldn't be happier.

First and foremost my family. 

A beautiful, energetic, intelligent, funny, happy and healthy little boy for a son. There are days when I wonder if I was cut out for motherhood, but what I don't wonder is how much he has brought to my life. How happy I am to spend even a blip of this existence together. He's taught me so much already and it's fulfilling beyond measure.

A husband who I don't have the words to describe. A being who is worthy of so much more than I can offer, yet graced me with his love and unchanging devotion. A love indescribable in depth already, and the possibility of it growing over this journey together blows my mind.

A bigger, more glorious family that would take years to write about, but I'll name a few.

A mother who has taught me about dedication and somehow taking care of everyone and everything and herself. A father who gifted me his passion and drive that has brought me to where I am today. A sister who has shown me resilience and determination. A grandmother who has shown me true kindness and generosity. Wisdom of generations, my grandfather has provided me with so many tools for my work and for this life. 

Friends, so many. 

Some have gone, some I've yet to meet.

Some will stay forever.

The laughter, the guidance, a bond and sisterhood I couldn't get along without.

A home. 

A place to call ours.

To put our most prized possessions in.

The backdrop to our story.

And most important, a retreat after our endless adventures.

Work, if I can even call it that. 

Something so special it barely feels like work at all.

Challenging yet fun.

Something I built with my own 2 hands, and the ability of it to be flexible as I grow and change. 

I know I have so much more to do here. 

So much more to put out, to show you, I'm excited for what is to come.

All of these things right now in this moment, and some I failed to mention.

My heart is full.

These are the best years of my life.

These are the times I want to remember.

I need a special place to keep the memories.

An album if  you will.

Or maybe just a maker in time to remember this. 

All of it, how it is and how it feels.

Cups to store them in. 

Small ones at first, and bigger ones when I realized the littles just wouldn't hold all the memories I'm making.

♥ Carin

P.S. These will be in the next shop update. I'm shooting for later this week. Exact day and time TBD

75/365 - An Earring A Day Project Update

As I packed up my tools a few weeks ago to head great old state of Texas, 

I was feeling really good about the Earring a Day Project. 

Not only was I caught up with the timeline, but the earrings were coming to me fairly quickly. 

I wasn't feeling over burdened with the work, and quite honestly felt like I was getting much more out of the project than I ever expected. 

If you've been following along, you might remember that I joined this whole crazy scheme because I was feeling less than inspired.

At the start of the new year, my creativity was feeling drained and my tank on empty.

I knew I was more than capable of coming up with new ideas and designs, but I found myself second guessing everything I did. 

Was it right? 

Would it work?

And biggest of all, would it sell? 

I was just plain sick of it.

The level of frustration I was feeling was so overwhelming. 

I'm not going to tell you I'm not here to make money. 

To make sales.

This is my livelihood, of course I need things to sell.

However, it is by FAR not the most important thing. 

If it was only about money I could mass produce crap and live comfortably.

Hell, I could get a dead end job and that would cover the income.

But it's so much more than that.

I want it to be more than that.

What I'm doing here, it's important. 

It's so incredibly important. 

Art is important. 

But I digress.

The first 60 of the EAD project brought me so much happiness. 

It brought me back to the place I knew I could be. 

Where I wasn't thinking about the sales, but just feeling the art. 

Creating pieces that were unique and significant.

Having the safe space to test ideas and thoughts without the fear of them failing. 

As I left for Texas I already felt inspired.

I had so many ideas.

Then, in the lone star state, I found myself studying under some of the most amazing artists. 

People I really respect.

And I met other smithies.

Lots of them.

All of them wonderful and inspirational.

Needless to say, I came back with my creativity tank overflowing.

My sketchbook so full it actually seemed heavier than when I left.

I couldn't wait to get back to the studio.

And I came back to emails upon emails and deadlines galore.

It's part of it. 

I was ok with it.

(and I'm honestly really still trying to catch up.)

Once I had any open creating time, it went to pieces in the sketchbook.

Stuff on the bench I left.

And all those new ideas.

I found myself in a much different place than I was at the beginning of 2015.

A place where I had too much creativity.

I had a hard time focusing on just one project.

And I found very little time to make these lovely little earrings.

Honestly, I thought about quitting this whole thing.

I got what I set out to get right? 

Inspiration abounded, why stress over completing the earrings? 

Why worry that I was  behind? 

Each time I'd start to saw a little squirrel, I'd think, "ugh, I have so much more important work to do."

But do I? 

I spent over a week just letting that question sit.

Is the EAD still important to me? 

Is it still worth it? 

Are there still lessons to be learned? 

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

I know there is still so much more this journey will bring me.

Maybe this bump in the road is a lesson.

A lesson of drive and perseverance.

Learning to commit to something even when it's not seeming to give you what you need in the moment.

Finishing something you started.

And so I just started.

Back again, I didn't worry about how much silver I was using or how the pieces would look.

When I second guessed my design, I just kept going.

Pushing.

Driving.

Sawing.

Hammering.

By the time I finished 10 of them I was smiling again.

I remembered all the EAD had brought me.

I knew it was still part of what I needed to do.

I can't guarantee there won't be bumps along the way.

I might not finish 1 earring everyday.

Maybe I get behind.

Maybe I have to get ahead sometimes in order not to fail.

But I'm recommitted and it feels good.

shop here.

♥ Carin

Settling into the Chaos //

 

 

 

As the temperature cools down.

As the days shorten.

As the leaves change color.

I settle into the routine of our days.

 

Wake up

Coffee (lots of it) 

Breakfast

Get Kaleb off to school

 

Then coming back to the studio. Oh, the studio. My special perfect place.

Most days I rush to get everything that I want to completed.

I find that I have no minutes to spare before school is out.

 

The evenings are mostly spent together.

Walking the dogs.

Making dinner.

Catching up with each other's day.

 

I find little time to run errands.

Complete chores.

 

The dishes usually need put away.

I find toys in every room of the house.

We're living out of our laundry baskets.

 

Nothing is perfect. Everything is messy.

 

But I'm happy.

_

 

To me this chaos is a sign that I'm enjoying life. Living it to it's fullest.

 

That I'm not tied down with the minor details. I'm soaking up all the beauty and time life has to offer.

 

I pick up a little here, a little there, but it's never spotless.

 

When friends ask to meet up, I say yes.

When Kaleb wants to cuddle for a few extra minutes, I say yes. 

I'm spend the evenings with my husband instead of answering emails.

 

This is how life is meant to be lived.

 

Learn to the let go of what life should be. Instead embrace what it is.

 

 ♥ Carin