staying soft in this tender and infuriating time
How are you hanging in there right now? I’m doing my best over here to stay connected to community and to the strong belief in the power and import of beauty as an essential human need and right. But I admit that it’s
not always easy. Shocker, right?
I wanted to share some of the things I’m paying attention to as I navigate this moment. Besides calling my senators and reps so often that they know my voice and the spelling of my name (thank you to the creators of 5 Calls!!), I’m turning towards hope and strength and wonder. Here’s a partial list of some of my favorites:
The Telepathy Tapes is an incredible podcast investigation about human consciousness through the relationships of non-verbal, neurodivergent children and their care-givers. It took me an episode or 2 to invest, but it is well worth it.
I sing this short song to myself over and over again when I am feeling fear, doubt, frustration…you get the idea. It nourishes me on a deep level.
This beautiful list of actions you can take towards the future you want to see, is both tender and fierce.
Of course, I’m also calling on my personal talismans and protection amulets as I move about the world. I am loving wearing high quality sandalwood and beautiful hand-crafted things like a wonderful new jacket from Otto Finn, and of course, my (mostly) daily jewelry pieces.
Right now these are the charms on my personal charm keeper. I made the sacred heart charm for myself as I was emerging from my marriage almost 7 years ago, as a reminder to stay soft and centered in my heart and to hold self love as a deep intention. I made the moonstone drop for my birthday 2 years ago as a reminder to connect more with the nourishment of water element and community. (I have a couple more of the quartz eye intaglios, if a charm keeper like this speaks to you.)
Charm keepers have become one of my favorite things to make. I love the versatility and I’m a big fan of collections of little things. :-) Not all of these charm keepers are available right now, but most of them can be re-created as a custom, if one catches your eye.
I also love creating multi-stone, fixed-in-place charm necklaces, like this piece which sold last year. But it was recently suggested to me that I figure out how to offer them as a customizable option. I haven’t figured out quite how to do that on my website, yet, but if you would like to curate your own multi-stone/charm necklace, hit reply and lets work on something together.
Each of these charms is currently available (though a few aren’t listed yet), and more are in the works for my next shop update on Saturday, March 29 at 11am EST. I love it when you all curate your own collection and let me know about it. I am happy to fix charms in place on a chain if you let me know after purchase, too.
One sharp-eyed customer spotted this set of stones in an IG post and claimed them for a custom charm necklace of her own. I did buy these stones with a necklace like this in mind, but it was really nice to know where it was going home as I was making it.
I have similar plans in mind for these sherbet-y ombre sets of unheated, natural color sapphires. so gemmy and pretty.
And, just for good measure, I almost never leave the house without these 2 rings on my hands. The gold ring inspired a friend to comment that my jewelry “looks like the pieces that Wonder Woman and her sisters on Themyscira wear when she’s giving her gold cuffs a rest.” I used the hashtag #whatwouldwonderwomanwear or #wwwww for awhile after that. It makes my heart light up. (These are both always available on my “made to order”page on the website.)
If any of these stones calls out to you and you’d like to discuss a customized project, please reach out and let me know. I really love hearing from you—even if it’s just to say “hi.”
With love and care,
Susan