A Cozy Place Called “Home”

There’s something magical about my studio. With the addition of the TV, Jesse and I have been bonding over watching the Big Bang Theory consecutively from Season 1. It’s been fun and Hui.1 enjoys the theme song very much. Hui.1 learned to crawl forward in this room, a week before we got the keys to move in. And just last week, he decided to start walking up here as well. I always knew my studio area would be magical and kid-friendly, but I never dreamed it would be like this. It’s quite a mecca of cozy and how home should feel like. Hui.1 also loves to get his hands on everything he could possibly get, so I need to spend more time tidying and finish unpacking.

Pictured above is my new easy chair. My mom said it’s very me, unless she meant the Snoopy rag quilt I love to huddle under. I expect to spend a lot of time in this chair in the coming months. Jesse has dubbed this room as the Hui Hui Nest. Yup, Hui.2 is on the way, making his debut sometime in the early throes of summer. And yes, another boy.  Fear not, I’ve been keeping myself busy with perfecting my website so I can get my online portfolio up and running. Part of my nesting process means getting that streamlined as well as stocking the new collection that will soon be released. I’m really excited for the debut. It’s one of the super duper epic projects Allison has been trying to crank out of me for the past couple months. This past Saturday was our model photoshoot and now it’s just waiting for the proofs and photo edits.

Maybe I am biting off more than I can chew between the jewelry business and family. But the jewelry business allows me to be at home with my kids, which is the most important thing. Also, being a bored housewife is not what I envisioned for my life at all. As usual, the hardest part about life is finding that perfect work-life balance. Once I get the process streamlined between the website, production, and photos, it’ll be a well enough oiled machine that I won’t have to worry so much about. That’ll take longer than the 5 months I have left, but it’ll be a good start.

Holidays 2013

The Laguna Beach gallery sold this necklace last week.  I’m really excited at the prospects of the future with this gallery.  It’s called Orange County Creatives and I’ve linked a Google Map to it for any locals who would like to check it out.  The owners are also excited about their future because they’ve only been open since the beginning of November and it’s been going well so far.  They’ve joined the Art Walk Association so they’ll be getting a trolley stop at the January 2nd and all future Art Walks.  Tourist and wedding season should spice things up a bit as they get in contact with the surrounding hotel concierges.

I’m really looking forward to where this venture ends up going.  One of the owners told me the straight up chainmaille and the chainmaille with my favorite glass beads get the most attention.  That makes me happy and scratches the itch to do nothing but make beautiful chains.  Now that we have a TV, I just need to find a good lap tray to do just that.

I also sold these earrings while I was there on Saturday doing a live artist demo.  A lovely Beaumont couple was spending the day on the coast and the wife was very happy to know I knew where Beaumont is.  These earrings are certainly my favorite pair ever.  It’s a perfect blend of 3 metals and 3 different sizes of barrels.  Perfect for everyday wear, dressing up and dressing down.  I need to make a whole bunch more of these just to keep them in stock.  And keep a pair for myself.

Allison and I got a ton of stuff done last week, so I can somewhat enjoy the holidays that are coming up.  I have a few projects to work on and get to her soonish, but it’s nice to cross off most of the things on the to-do list.  2014 is going to be an exciting year and I hope I can keep up with it all.  I haven’t checked in on XCVI, but I’ll wait until after Christmas.  Hopefully all goes well.  I need to start cranking out more jewelry to restock when needed.  Yup, lots to do and lots to be thankful for.  I’ll do a yearly recap before New Years.

The Tower of Hui Hui

Slowly organizing the loft.  Whoo hoo!  Keeping it neat when the baby likes to take everything out of its container is hard.  And don’t even get me started when I go into Sheldon mode… the house and myself are still recovering from the last big production.  The long pillows are a perfect fit.  They’re from an Indian textiles shop in Artesia.  Once I saw the window seat (which is hiding a ventilation pipe), I knew I had to get these long, skinny pillows.  I think I can fit another 3 pillows to go along the entire length of the wall.  The curtains are perfect with their velvety texture and regal feeling.  They’re also blackout curtains which is good for watching TV.  I’ve been catching up on the latest season of “Once Upon A Time” and it’s been really hard to watch downstairs with all the pretty natural light, even with the curtains.  Oh well, that’s the price to pay for pretty light and windows everywhere.

I come up here to escape, despite the fact that if people are talking on the second floor, all the sound travels up here.  I can even hear people from the first floor, but that may be my super duper sensitive hearing.  But it’s the best place in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep or when the baby is napping.  My futon is up there, which makes it the perfect napping spot.  Only the TV will reside up here, because I don’t need the buzzing distractions of computers and portable electronics bugging me while I’m trying to concentrate.  Unless Jesse and I manage to have more boys in the future, I don’t think I’ll be able to toss all the kids up here and turn the two smaller bedrooms into a guest room and studio.

So far I like it a bit empty, with lots of open floor space.  That will eventually change, but for now, it’s nice and minimalist.  I’m trying really hard to keep the clutter at a minimum, even if it means using some of Jesse.1’s closet for jewelry display storage.  As a courtesy, I asked her if it was okay if I did.  She said it was.  Whew.

A friend mentioned I should test the window screens to see how much force it takes to pop them out.  Don’t need curious toddlers falling out the window…

Organized Creativity

I have a new design process. After I’m finished being in my “Sheldon” mode, I take a step back and place the new piece on a jewelry bust. Then I analyze the way the piece sits and how the energy flows. Usually it’s a necklace or pendant because bracelets are pretty straightforward and easier to get along with. 😉 I give it a good poking and tweak as needed. Sometimes I’m too tired because I’m working before the butt-crack-of-dawn and connected something in the wrong place. Or I need a smaller jump ring. You get the idea. This helps me finalize the piece faster so I don’t dwell on it and I can move on to the next piece.

I did that with the necklace pictured above. The center stone begged to be showcased amongst smaller stones so I came up with that. The final tweaking consisted of making the connecting rings to the chain smaller and with the top two beads dangling on top for a cleaner look. I’m very happy with how this turned out and hope to sit down to make more pendants like these. Embellished Rock on a Rope. And I’m slowly starting to realize that everything I make doesn’t necessarily need to have a chainmaille bit. While my foundation is rooted in chainmaille, sometimes the stones speak for themselves. 😉

This is all new and exciting because I’m used to operating in my usual, haphazard, creative way. Slowly, I am organizing my creativity so I can make the most out of my output. Yay!

A Room Above the World

As the weather calms down, my studio becomes comfortable to inhabit again, without sticking to the furniture. Let me tell you, after the heat wave that smacked us the week before and after Labor Day weekend, it’s been a beautiful reprieve. There’s been a wonderful cross breeze blowing through. We also had Jesse’s family over that weekend, which was more motivation for me to unpack most of the stuff that’s still up there. I’m better at tackling small projects instead of larger ones, so scurry cleaning is easier for my brain not to freak out over the big picture. Jesse is good at taking the mess and relocating it to a designated area for putting away later. We make a good team. 🙂

Still need to get the hanging wire for my epic He-Man poster, but I have most of the stuff I want hung on the walls already. I’ve been waking up hungry and/or cold at 4:30am lately and sometimes I sneak up there to work on stuff since I’m busy during the day. But the gates on both ends of the stairs are installed and Hui.1 can only access the stairs if I leave the bottom gate open (oops) or if we’re playing and I let him go up there. He loves climbing stairs. Going down is still tricky because he doesn’t know how to turn around and start feet first. So the weather and the gates leave me no excuse not to go up there. 😉

After writing about the Emily Gilmore necklace and last week’s chaining fest (see bracelet above), I’ve realized how much I’ve actually missed making chains. Sometimes I get too caught up in the moment, surrounding myself with nothing but stones, stones, and more stones. Sometimes glass, too. Gotta love those handmade glass beads and Swarovski crystal. 😉 Eh, my style is tied together, but there are a lot of facets to it. Allison has been doing an awesome job helping me realize that, as well as streamlining and tying everything together. I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made. I can’t wait to show you what we’ve been cooking!

Catching Up

Today has been the first time in a few weeks that I can enjoy getting up at 5am to work on jewelry and simply enjoy the peacefulness this early in the morning.  The days have been fleeting by so quickly that Friday is Hui.1’s first birthday.  I can’t believe it’s been a year already.  Sheesh, time flies as you get older.  I remember being bored all the time when I was a kid.

I’ve been working on my Chinese Knot Collection and there are some really awesome pieces I can’t wait to show off.  I’ve been test running a lot of them to make sure they work, but so far so good.  Allison’s mom fell in love with one of my new designs with an aqua aura quartz and started making her “Ooo shiny” face.  Instant sale.  I like sales like that.  I love that design and must make more of it. 😉

I shipped out my carnelian and rose gold necklace out to my biggest fan.  I started posting more on Pintrest and she just couldn’t resist this beauty.  I’m glad it went to a good home because it’s one of those pieces that’s near and dear to my heart.  It was my first attempt at making a full necklace in rose gold because I had limited supplies at the time.  And that focal stone is just awesome.  I think I have one more, but I need to check.

Hui.1’s Auntie “Carl” requested a Rock on a Rope with a moonstone last week, so I made this little beauty for her.  I adore the fact that I can get more commercially made rose gold filled findings and chain now.  It makes me happy beyond belief and I truly believe it will just take my jewelry designs to the next level.  It’s really exciting and I can’t wait to test run the new necklace I finished this morning.  I may have to make it a tad bit longer, but we’ll see.  I’m getting back into the groove of things and making more lariats.  Allison helped me design one last weekend and it was one of those “Ooo shiny” moments that begs to be made into more.  I haven’t started one yet, but I have the notes. 😉

I’m making my friend Priyanjaili a custom order lariat, so that’ll be exciting.  I hope to finish a necklace before I start on hers so it gets my full attention.  I’ve been making a true effort to finish projects before starting a new one.  For the “Ooo shiny” lady, it’s really hard.  Just another one of those life challenges that makes life interesting, right?  Overall, I’m so much happier with my progress lately.  It feels good to be productive and having some down time to play catch up.

Oh, and this is my little jewelry assistant.

A Quick Peek

Have I told you how much I love my new studio?  No, I’ve been too busy trying to put it into order.  But I thought I would share some photos since I just made room on my phone again. 😉

I’ve been trying really hard to work on only one project at a time, from start to finish.  As an artist, that’s really hard for me to do, but I’ve been using the mindset that it’s a sacred practice that needs to be started and completed with the best intentions.  Some projects I’m waiting on supplies and some are in construction phase.  So far so good.  I’ve been attaching chainmaille bits and chains to complete the Rock on a Rope necklaces that had the stones and nothing else.  It’s been

My sister had this old and faded He-Man poster framed for me as a birthday present several years ago.  I think I said that poster had hung on my bedroom closet mirror door for 17 years and I put it up when I was 7.  Anyway, that was an awesome birthday present.  It’s so wonderful to have a home with clean white walls to hang photos and art that is so dear to my heart. ♥

I had this poster framed after the one mentioned above.  It portrays the newer 2002 version of He-Man and Skeletor, but nonetheless epic as the original.  I have one more poster I need to get framed to complete my collection of He-Man and She-Ra posters.  I searched eBay for years looking for a movie sized poster of the “Secret of the Sword” poster that was the cover of the comic book I received at the premiere of She-Ra.  I think the showing was at the Brea Mall or something and it was really exciting because I was 4.  Hehehe.  That movie in particular is what I turn on to watch when I need to escape the pitfalls of life.  Once He-Man and She-Ra started being released on DVD, I was watching it and Dad sat down to watch it with me (he enjoys watching cartoons).  Then Mom came home to ask what we were watching and we all laughed when I said, “He-Man”.  Same answer for 22 years. 😉

Equilibrium

My dad’s handyman is installing baby gates for us since we have two sets of staircases. They make me happier than I thought because I cannot trip over them and they’re made from old doors that are heavier than my front door. He has to come back to install the Tower of Hui Hui gates and then he’ll take all of them for sanding and final painting. It’s nice not needing to worry about falling down the stairs with the baby because I tripped over the plastic storage boxes I’m using to block the stairs.

Here are all the fun things I learned about myself lately:

1) I should never skip yoga.

I try not to skip, but there are days when I tell myself I’m hungry or tired or [insert excuse here]. Then I’m extra grumpy because I didn’t go and Jesse also agrees that I should have gone to yoga. I really love my yoga studio too, so I really don’t have a legitimate excuse. I stocked up on power snacks (nuts and granola bars) from Trader Joe’s, so I really don’t have an excuse.

Kundalini yoga nurtures the spiritual side I’ve been neglecting as well. I love the chanting and what all of the intentions of the exercises are. It’s fun and the instructor, who is also the studio owner, is really funny when she’s trying not to be too hippie in her explanations of the universe and metaphysical energy. Yoga has also been helping my postpartum health because my butt (well, sacrum) doesn’t hurt as much as it used to. While I’m still not a fan of lying on my back, it seriously doesn’t hurt as much. I need to keep going.

I went last night and stopped at the local farmer’s market on my way home. I got whole wheat bread, a giant heirloom tomato, hummus, whole wheat pita bread, and strawberries. Oh! And some really yummy bundt cakes. It was a nice stop before going back to reality. The strawberries are really the best from there too. The first time I stopped there, I got a waffle sandwich but I already made dinner before I left or else I would have gotten the veggie sandwich with fresh heirloom tomato, mozzarella cheese, pesto spread, leafy greens, and a balsamic reduction sauce. Holy crap it’s so good. But I was good and even didn’t get French fries. 😉

2) Organized clutter is better than heaps of clutter.

The Tower of Hui Hui is a nightmare. There, I said it.

Jesse thought it would be a great idea to shove everything up there so the downstairs area looks nice and presentable. But it’s been seriously hampering any creative process I could have. So I look for excuses to be frustrated with the room because it’s supposed to be my sacred space to unwind and dream all those big dreams I’m supposed to be putting into fruition but I’m beyond annoyed. As soon as I saw the EPIC PILE OF DOOM I kept thinking my sacred space has been defiled. As much as that scene from the last Harry Potter movie when Harry is taking to the Ravenclaw(?) founder’s daughter’s spirit.

“HE DEFILED IT!”

Last week I spent more time up there and decided to take back the futon. So I dragged the mattress upstairs from Jesse.1’s room and nestled it back where it belongs. Then I busted out my fluffy oversized white Shabby Chic pillows to make it more cozy. I put away all the jewelry I had out from my show, but last weekend I went digging for something and made a mess again. I really need to put the pieces I’m keeping into the jewelry armoire. Baby steps, baby steps.

First thing is getting everything off the floor. I don’t like stuff on the floor because it hurts when I kick it and stub my toes on it. Then Jesse’s utilitarianism doesn’t help either.

3) I enjoy bucking the status quo

I’ve always been one to do my own thing, regardless of the people around me. I have no idea how I managed to be a people-pleaser at the same time during my younger years, but I still stuck to my guns. Some friends were talking about how they’re lactose-intolerant, while a friend’s husband and I high-fived each other for drinking whole milk. Once I got married and moved out, I realized as I was grocery shopping that I could buy whole milk because I’m the only one besides Jesse.1 who drinks milk. Well, she did have a stint of not drinking it because she’s used to 2% but she jumped off that horse this year. It’s safe to say that one of the top 5 adult decisions I made was drinking whole milk.

I never took parenting classes, read any books (I skimmed them), nor did I take a birthing class. Come on, parenting is seriously flying by the seat of your pants because each kid is different and you can’t practice having a baby. It just doesn’t work that way. And having a husband who kind of knows what he’s doing helped a lot too. 😉

And what have I learned from all of this? Stay true to yourself, constantly clean/tidy, take some time for yourself, and enjoy being able to drink milk of all kinds. With everything in equilibrium, the creativity flows, jewelry gets made, and life is good. Even the husband and kids are happy, and that’s also just as important. 😀

A Classic Skeletor Moment

My bestie (Krill’s mom) told me to go watch He-Man because I have no idea how to unwind right now.  Great idea, I should have thought of that. 😉  Makes me want to fork over the money for a TV and DVD player since He-Man isn’t on Netflix anymore.

We still need a little bit more furniture.  A bunk bed for Jesse.1, another futon, a TV/DVD player, and a TV stand.  Once we get these last remaining pieces, I can start truly decorating the Tower of Hui Hui.  Maybe.  And, back to watching He-Man. 😉

The Dawn, Finally

It’s always “darkest before the dawn”, right?  I think I finally hit my dawn with July being over, work deadlines met, and the art show done and over with.  Last weekend I took Jesse.1 with me to the Pasadena Bead and Design Show.  She had the best time and bought cute things like soap, a collar necklace that looks like a Wonder Woman tiara, and one of those New Mexico-style woven beaded bracelets.  Apparently all the vendors she visited with adored her, so she had even more fun.  Allison’s mom also helped entertained her while Allison and I were blowing through all our favorite vendors.  We got a cute picture with Jesse.1 and my crazy pirate rock lady.  😀

At home, I’ve been settling in and slowly figuring out my new routine.  Jesse hauled all the boxes that need to sorted and filed upstairs, so whenever I’m downstairs, I’m happy because I don’t have to put stuff away.  That is, until I got upstairs and groan over all the boxes everywhere.  But now I have the time and energy to slow down and enjoy the process.  I’ve been brutally purging my closet, simply because my style has changed, my body has changed, and it’s just time to go.  I even declared “no more furniture”.  I like the emptiness of the house without a lot of clutter and furniture.  I can breathe and I want to keep it that way.

I’m enjoying my Tower of Hui Hui.  I posted Larry the Dragon and Snoopy to guard the entrance.  Hehehehe.  During the day, there’s a nice, cool breeze that blows through the room and cools everything off.  I love all the natural light that streams though the 3 windows.  It’s beautiful and serene, mostly because I’m up there while Hui.1 is still asleep.  I’ve had stuff on the floor he’d love to chew on, so he doesn’t go up there often.  Also, we’re getting baby gates made for all the staircases (as insisted by my dad) so no playing up there until I know everything is secure.  I still need to bring home my He-Man posters from Mom and Dad’s so I can figure out where to hang them.  There may be an issue if we’re putting the TV on the big wall, next to the storage cabinet, but we’ll see.