Emily Proud

I came across Emily Proud's work via the wonderful world of Instagram.  I'm really into dark florals at the moment, so her sweet watercolor arrangements against a black background immediately caught my attention.  Sometimes you just need something beautiful to look at.

looking back

I love these images I came across of influential women jewelers from the mid twentieth century.  It is really them who I have to thank for allowing me to pursue a career in the jewelry industry without boundaries.

 Margaret De Pata

Mary Ann Scherr

 Margaret Craver Withers

 Betty Cooke

natural dye workshop

A few weeks back I attended a natural dye class with my friend Christine at the absolutely amazing Grow Kitchen in Sebastopol, California.  The workshop was taught by the equally amazing Rebecca Burgess, founder of the The Fibershed Project, author, educator and artist.  We were greeted with a spread of homemade jams, jellies and chutneys served with breads and scones from the well loved Wild Flour Bread Bakery and an array of imported teas.  I was already sold.

 We learned about the importance of keeping our clothing and dye local, just like we strive to do with our food.  We were blown away by the range of colors and tones that could be produced on natural fibers using solely plants sourced from our immediate surroundings.

baby indigo plants

 Next was the very gratifying act of mixing dyes from flowers, leaves and roots and testing our hands at creating beautiful colors ourselves.

Oh, and I forget to mention the farm fresh lunch we were served midday.  I highly recommend taking a class at Grow Kitchen if you can.  Christine and I did some antique hunting around Sebastopol afterwards to round out our really great day.

my east coast self

Windswept, historical, timeless, classic, red lips, sink ships, stripes and plaids, cable knits, afternoon light, fall colors, summer colors, summer skin, sand in toes, seasons, 'nor easter, hurricane, snowstorm, cold noses, long winters, long hair, seashells, buttoned up, all in a row, oysters and lobster and mussels and clams, work hard, work long, values, tradition.

my west coast self

Having grown up and lived my very young adult life in New England, the east coast forever has a hold on me. I have been living in Northern California for more than six years now and I have noticed my design sense changing and evolving because of it. I feel like I have dueling selves sometimes when it comes to how I design and what I'm drawn to. The good news is that style is a mash up of your personal inspiration (in my opinion) so I don't have to choose. However, I definitely have what I call "my west coast self" and "my east coast self," both of whom I will introduce you to. Today, meet west coast Sarah.

Bohemian, free, movement, temperate, tats, bikes, tacos, pho, kimchee, coffee, melting pot, mid-century, modern, cool, relaxed, slouchy, grunge, sunshine, breezy, braids, color, pattern, textile, flowing, lofty, grit, bright, casual, worn, leather, fringe, palm trees, tall trees, succulents, bungalow, anything goes, arts, crafts, designers, makers, innovators, do-ers, seekers...all together now. Love.

1848

Running a business is fun, but also really really stressful. Last week my hubby and I took an impromptu road trip to unwind. We headed due east to the wilds of California gold country. It was here, in 1848, that gold was first discovered. We spent two days meandering old mining and ghost towns without a care in the world. It was magic.