Kate Towers

Kate Towers' clothing absolutely blows me away. What a talented designer. Can you handle it??

Another new one

I spent most of my adolescence and 20's terrified of the idea of ever getting married. I always thought that marriage only ties you down and takes away your freedom. (I've recently discovered that isn't the case after all.) This necklace is about those feelings I used to have.

Croquet and speedy dogs

My parents and one of my brothers came up to Michigan for a bbq over the weekend. We played croquet with this really old set David got at an antique shop in Union Pier. It was a ton of fun, until Woody Guthrie decided to run off while we were distracted with the game. I about had a heart attack and freaked out completely. One of my big fears is him running away. He made it about 5 feet out of the yard into a wooded area where we couldn't see him, and while it felt like a lifetime that he was gone, it really only ended up being 10 seconds. I need to chill out, and perhaps let him play next time.

New charm necklaces

I just finished another series of charm necklaces. You can see them over at my etsy shop. The charms dangle from an 18" sterling silver chain. I'm very excited about them!

Party party

I was at the most fabulous party last Saturday night. It was a pig roast (yeah, that part was gross) in the back yard of a very cool house on a lot of property. Here is the waterfall and pond, equipped with ducks.

My devastatingly handsome husband.

That's me.

This is the pool house!

Normally I don't like going to parties because I get socially awkward and shy. I tend to follow around the waiters passing the appetizers. This party was different and I had so much fun. Ok, I still did keep my eye on the appetizers. They were delicious.

New Logo

So here is my new logo, designed by Mike Morgan of Fugitive Design. My new business partner Flora (for Strong Girl) hooked Recycled Rings up with a great designer that I highly recommend. He doesn't have a website, but if you need a logo, email me and I'll get you his contact info. I'm really excited about the new look!

Pitchfork

For those of you in Chicago going to the Pitchfork Music Festival, head over to Emerging Thoughts' tent. Lauren, the extremely sweet owner of the company, which sells clothing and accessories created by independent designers, will be there selling a bunch of my jewelry all weekend long!

I'm a great lake swimmer.

I've kind of been on a vacation this past week. David and I have been staying in Michigan, and I've been commuting to the city for work in the mornings. It feels like vacation because I get to come home to the peace and quiet of this little beach town. No city sirens ringing in my ear. Not once this week have Woody Guthrie and I been nearly hit by a car blowing a red light. It's been a little dream life.



I hop on my bike and ride down a quiet road to the Whistle Stop and load my bike basket with pastries, wine, and cheese. Every night we take an evening swim together in the great Lake Michigan. I brought my sewing machine and fabric so I've been making away. It's all good.

Warm toast, hot pink mold

I tend to have very vivid dreams. Most of the time I remember them. Sometimes I wish didn't because I have bad nightmares. This week David was in Ireland. My dreams get even more vivid when I sleep alone. (Well, Woody Guthrie was with me so I wasn't totally alone)

Last night's dreams included warm toast with hot pink mold, super-vision that allowed me to look in the ocean and see every single animal that lived there, and then a nightmare that involved a bad guy who attacked people by forcing two different flavors of hot sauce in their mouth. I was the victim, and I was screaming HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!! I think I should make a painting of these dreams.

Treasury

I made another treasury today on Etsy! Check it out HERE.

Fill in the Blank Gallery

The lovely Katie from Fill in the Blank Gallery did a nice write up about Recycled Rings today! Check it out!

Craft afternoon

My cousin is coming over today to craft!
I've got all my jewelry supply containers out and ready to go!

New Headbands!

This is the project that I have been so excited about the past few weeks!
Here's the first part of the Faux Feather Headband series.

I was inspired to create this line of feather headbands without using actual feathers while I was selling at a craft fair. Many people I was talking to were telling me that too many people were making the same exact thing, especially the feather headbands!
(Ok, and I'm also a little bit afraid of birds/feathers after being pecked on the head by a bluejay as a kid.)

I made these headbands by first making a drawing or watercolor painting of a feather. I then transferred the image onto fabric and stablized them with several layers of stiff fabric, and attached them to a headband. Voila!

They are only $18, so please buy one!!

Anti Diamond

Even though I make jewelry, ironically I am not into wearing it. I always told my then boyfriend (now husband) that I did not like diamonds and never wanted one. For my engagement/wedding ring, he found the perfect ring. It was designed by Paloma Picasso, and is called the "Puzzle Ring." It's basically two interlocking bands that fit side by side together, like a puzzle. I love it so much.

I'm not the only woman who felt this way, read on:
"When jewelry designer John Welden set out to design an engagement ring for his wife, he chose to create something truly special. While the now Mrs. Welden asked for a simple band with no stones, John decided to meet that request with a spin of his own. The Mechanical Engagement Ring is simple and stoneless– until you gently press the bars on either side to expose a diamond hidden beneath. While Mrs. Welden got her request, John’s unique vision surely gave her the best of both worlds." -from www.thecoollist.com

Fourth of July Sky

I just had my 4th of July hot dog and cheese fries from Al's Beef. Now I'm on the balcony watching the sunset bounce off the buildings, leaving a really odd color all around. We're pretty high up, so our tradition on the 4th is to watch the firework shows from our balcony. We end up seeing about 25 fireworks shows at the same time. I think the rain/clouds might ruin it this year.






Woody Guthrie was following me around (as he always does) while I was taking these photos...

Happy Fourth!

It's rainy and gross in Chicago today, so I am on the internet looking for knit organs, naturally.
I found this knit heart and lung by Sarah Illenberger of Berlin. Aren't they great?

MCA

I played hooky today (from my Recycled Rings job) and went to the Museum of Contemporary Art with my husband!!! There was a great exhibit with work by Olafur Eliasson. Check it out if you live in Chicago!

Olafur Eliasson, Beauty, 1993. Installation view at AROS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, 2004; Collection Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles with funds provided by Paul Frankel; photo: Poul Pedersen; © 2009 Olafur Eliasson