Why I Make Jewelry

For me, jewelry is so much more than something you adorn your body with. I feel as if every piece I make or wear are mini works of art. And how cool is it that you can wear art? It's the main reason I started making jewelry. I love being able to always have a piece of my own creation on me. I also wear jewelry because it reminds me of so many things. The jewelry I make out of sea glass or rocks or other found objects reminds me of the place I found it or maybe who I found it with. It brings me back to that day and how happy I was to be on that beach. If someone gives me a piece, every time I wear it, I think of them. Or, if I do buy a piece, I get transported to that place or that feeling I had when I saw the piece, or the conversation I had with the seller or maker. Each piece is accounted with a memory, good or bad.

When I wear my sea glass or shark teeth or beach rock jewelry, I love that I always get to carry a piece of the ocean with me. I love walking the beach, or swimming in the ocean, or diving and being underwater, feeling like a mermaid, or even surfing or kayaking. When I have a ring or bracelet on that I made out of sea glass, I can look at the pieces and think, "Oh I found this piece at Redondo beach, and this one down in Laguna, or oh, this one is from Mackinac Island," and while this may make me miss Michigan and island living, or wish I was currently underwater with some fins and looking at fishies and turtles, I know that I currently have a piece on from that place. Like I wrote before, they serve as a memory. Or, they just serve as a reminder that you are a badass mermaid. :)

Hawaii!

This past week-ish I was island living! AKA one of my favorite things to be doing. I journeyed to the island of Oahu, and I fell in love. The beaches, water, food, people, and overall vibe of the island makes me wanting to grab the kitten and leave California behind! For now, I can only look back at the pictures I took and plan for when my lease is up.. ;)
 

Sea treasure hunting and shakas! 

Lanikai Beach! So beautiful. 

I spent most of my days underwater, which is completely fine with me. :) 

Really loving abstract photography. 

So beautiful. 

Love when mountains disappear into clouds! I wish I had been able to hike up one of these. 

Trying to shoot myself on a timer is very hard. 

Oh amazingly gorgeous flowers. 

Yokohoma Bay, or Yokes. ;) 

It was so so so cool to swim with turtles. 

I was swimming with these guys at Aweoweo Beach on the North Shore. Probably some of my favorite pictures. :) 

One of my views at Haleiwa Beach, which I can finally pronounce. :) 

Double Rainbow! So awesome. 

Ke Iki Beach crashes.  

Kitties and a super rad bead store? I could stay there all day. 

West side is the best side.  

This day, I saw the green flash at sunset. So amazing. 

Ohh, sunsets on the westside have captured my heart. 

Panorama addicted. 

I was on the plane home and looked down, and realized Hawaii was saying aloha. (Sorry for the trash, bad seat neighbors and I didn't know how long the rainbow would last. :)