Doors and Keys

"You suppose that you are the lock on the door, but you are the key that opens it." ~Rumi

I love this quote. I have been contemplating it a lot recently as some 'doors' seem to be stuck while others are flinging wide open.

As I was leaving yoga last Thursday, I came out to my car to find my cell phone with about a million missed calls from Kathy (owner of Simply Selma's). There was a lady who was a rep for a several jewelry lines there at the store and Kathy felt that I needed to see one of the lines in particular. She told me the name of the line at which point if I could have climbed through the phone and into the store I would have. It is only about a minute from the Hot House parking lot to Selma's parking lot. I got there in about 30 seconds.

I have wanted this line of jewelry for our store for about a year but when I inquired about it was told that we couldn't have it due to the proximity of another store who already carried it. Now, if you have taken the time to read my previous posts or you just know me.....not a big fan of "No"....not at all. I will turn into a 4 year old before your very eyes. So....still sweaty and completely wrung out from yoga, I beat feet over to Selma's to meet for the first time, Charmaine...a wonderfully funny, no-nonsense lady from New York who reps several jewelry artists from Connecticut to Virginia. For the next 90 minutes we sat in our tiny back room pouring over the Pyrrha jewelry line and carefully selecting our first order. At one point, I sat back in my chair and it hit me....I had really wanted this and now almost a year after asking for it, I got it. So, not my time frame but the universe's instead. That was a big lesson for me.

After gleefully wrapping this order up, Charmaine says, "so you mentioned that you make jewelry...show me something." I showed her a couple of things, told her about my silk-wrap line and she wants to see that as well. I am sending photos and a couple of pieces to her this week. She could begin representing me to her stores as early as January. This is definitely the lady that you would want to represent you. The whole 'selling ice to eskimos' phrase springs to mind. So...look at that would you...doors opening and me being the key....how about that? Thanks Rumi.

The Light...

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel in my application process for the Buyer's Market of American Craft in Philly. It is a fairly intense process that has felt very daunting to me at times. Fortunately I have a lot of support so whether or not I make it there this time or not, it will be alright. This is a phenomenal show...one I have been to for several years now as a buyer for Simply Selma's. I buy all the jewelry for the store and have recently branched out to buying for the entire store as well. Of all the shows that I have attended, Philly is the one that would best seem to suit what I do. I have met some incredibly talented and wonderfully kind people who have been very helpful in this precess like this girl and this one as well. Those who know me know that I don't hear "NO" very easily but I feel very centered and determined regarding this show so if they tell me "NO" this time, they should know that it will only make me more persistent.

Here is one of my heroes that is present at many of the shows I attend...



As you can see I have a problem:


















Which is only a problem in the sense that I need to branch out in my color pallette of Alexis Bittar AND get a bigger bowl to keep in in. I'll keep posting on my progress in my quest for a
10' x 10' section of floor in Philly.

From Conception to Completion

In yoga, our instructors tell us that the most important posture is Savasana. It is the posture that our entire practice has been preparing us for. It is when we can quiet the mind and experience stillness and if possible enter into a meditative state. Here's the problem for me....it is in that posture at the end of class when it seems as though the 'Gods of Creativity' decide to grace me with their presence. My mind is almost never calm, instead it is usually abuzz with thoughts and ideas. In particular, jewelry designs. It has almost completely replaced the shower for me....that's where I used to do my best design work. So the dilemma is this... do I try to quiet my mind and push all those thoughts of the perfect necklace out of my mind knowing that a nice shower awaits me when I get home OR do I let the ideas come? Below I have posted BEFORE & AFTER photos of a necklace that I designed in Savasana. It was the first in what I have lovingly named my "Savasana Collection" for obvious reasons. I love seeing the parts come together into something that I am proud of.

BEFORE:


AFTER:

PJ's vs. Yoga (yoga will always win)

Living in the Tidewater area of Virginia, you get used to some pretty crazy weather. It could be hot, sunny and 85 one day and the next 60's and rainy. Today, we have a Nor'easter blowing in. We knew it was coming. Yesterday, it was so windy all day and today, the same wind is still with us but along with it is the downpour they have been promising. I don't know about you, but waking up to rain makes me want to stay in my pj's all day. I am trying not to think about that because this morning I have yoga. It is the yoga class that I love & dread all at the same time. It is a level 2 class, so much harder than the other classes I take throughout the week. I always have so much fun with it once I am there but there is so much anxiety in getting there. I am discovering that like with other things I fear, it is my attitude toward it that causes the anxiety more than the 'thing' itself. Yesterday in class, before entering a challenging posture, our instructor John asked us to notice our attitude going into the posture and adjust it accordingly. It is truly amazing at how just becoming aware of your attitude and making slight changes to it can change the outcome. So today my work is that. PJ's will wait, I have yoga to do and as John and Chris (our amazing Hot House instructors) always say..."suffering is optional."

Happy 50th Birthday!

This past Sunday was the 50th birthday of the Peace Symbol. We celebrated by going to Peace, Love and Balance (a wonderful store in Virginia Beach) where the owner, Betsey, hosted a party for said symbol. It was quite something. It was a birthday party in the traditional sense in that there was a cake and we sang Happy Birthday with some non-traditional elements as well in that we all formed a circle and Angela Phillips led a prayer for peace. Betsey is a strong advocate for supporting local artists and she has many represented in her store. She carries my 'yoga line' there and not surprisingly one of the best sellers for her has been this:
This necklace is called "Peace Rocks". A polished beach stone with a sterling silver peace symbol. The response to this necklace as well as the trend of peace symbol jewelry, clothing. etc has had me thinking a lot recently. I think that we as a world community are searching. Searching for something that makes us feel good. Cozy. Wearing things like these are not only a reminder for us of what we are searching for but also an outward expression for others as well. Something to make us all feel connected when most of the time the world seems so vast. So rock on Peace Symbol. Here's to another 50. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes on peace...

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
~Mother Teresa