Small Business Tips

February 27, 2013

Inspiring Wonder Isn’t a Part-time Job

I started a little rock collection at my part-time job. One day I was telling my co-worker about how I planned to start photographing rocks as fine art. (Her desk is on the other side of this partition from mine.) She remarked as how I could fill up the top of our partition with interesting [...]

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Posted in: Arts and Crafts Tutorials, Authentic Living, Handmade Movement, Mineral, My Natural Jewelry, Nature Photography, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips

October 18, 2012

Most Natural Metal For Natural Stone Jewelry?

I’ve decided that I really believe in brass. Not only is it the perfect metal to combine with natural stone colors. It’s also symbolically, historically connected to beach stone throught the tradition of using brass on maritime vessels. And the same properties that make brass the perfect metal to use on sailboats are what make [...]

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Posted in: Authentic Living, Mineral, My Natural Jewelry, Small Business Tips

September 13, 2012

Trying To Find Rock Jewelry On A Beach Is Like Trying To See The Picture In A Magic Eye Puzzle

Trying to find good jewelry rocks on a beach full of rocks is like trying to see the picture in a Magic Eye puzzle. The harder you try to find what you’re looking for, the less likely that you’ll find it. When I first get to a beach full of rocks, I get all excited [...]

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Posted in: Arts and Crafts Tutorials, Authentic Living, Mineral, My Life, My Natural Jewelry, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips

September 6, 2012

Divining Your True Life’s Purpose

So, last week I had this revelation that my art and my river rock jewelry is really about helping people who have lost their true childhood spirit come back to themselves through nature and through art. It came to me in a flash after doing an exercise at the end of Martha Beck’s awesome book [...]

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Posted in: Authentic Living, Book Reviews, Health and Wellness, My Life, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips

August 23, 2012

Nature Is Beautiful, But It Is Not Good

“If people think nature is their friend, then they sure don’t need an enemy.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut I was once accused of overly romanticizing nature in my artwork. It was the very first day of our Junior Seminar college art class and I was the first person to have to present to the class what [...]

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Posted in: Arts and Crafts Tutorials, Authentic Living, Health and Wellness, My Life, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips

August 4, 2012

You’re Stuck Indoors, You are NOT Stuck Indoors!

It was a beautiful sunny day. I could see it through the window at the end of the hall. But here I was stuck inside working at the library. :( Or was I? I’d been reading in Martha Beck’s newest book about an exercise for inviting paradox into my life for the purpose of realizing [...]

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Posted in: Authentic Living, Health and Wellness, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips, Urban Homesteading

July 28, 2012

Cotyledon and 115 More of my Favorite Words

This was a fun journal game :D It came from an e-course I’m doing to improve my blogging skillz! The exercise was to write down my favorite words for 15 minutes straight (in order to understand better my writing style and voice.) I love making lists! Looks like my writing style/voice could be labeled “Child-like [...]

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Posted in: Authentic Living, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips

June 21, 2012

Beach Stone Hot Spot: Lodi Point, Seneca Lake, New York

Getting to look for beach stone in new places is my favorite part of taking a vacation! (Don’t get me wrong, my cousin’s wedding in Rochester last weekend was beautiful and fun and I had an amazing time dancing/talking/laughing with my 12 cousins and my aunts and uncles!) But ever since I got a tip [...]

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Posted in: Arts and Crafts Tutorials, Authentic Living, Handmade Movement, My Natural Jewelry, Nature Photography, Small Business Tips

May 31, 2012

What Good Is Tophatter For Handmade Artisans?

Tophatter is an auction site and an exciting new place for handmade artisans to sell from. It’s not an alternative to selling from your own site or from Etsy, more like a supplement! For buyers, Tophatter is a fun way to shop. It’s a venue where buying seems like a video game and they might [...]

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Posted in: Authentic Living, My Natural Jewelry, Small Business Tips

May 24, 2012

What’s Had The Biggest Impact on My Life?

Hey hey! I’ve been reading Danielle LaPorte’s awesome new book, The Firestarter Sessions (which I highly recommend to any business owners out there!) and after filling out this me-interview (on a photocopy, not on the book!) I decided I really wanted to share it with all of you :D I’m the sort of person who [...]

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Posted in: Authentic Living, Book Reviews, Health and Wellness, Philosophical Ponderings, Small Business Tips