Two days 'till HOCR...thank you, rowing.

I couldn't be more excited to be racing in the Club Single event at the 47th Head of the Charles Regatta . I am healthy, well-rested and happy to see that the weather forecast (albeit a moderate headwind) will be pretty friggin' stellar. To your average spectator, the boats don't seem to move that fast and the athletes tend to reveal little of the pain that they are feeling, but the hard work that goes into this sport is understood by few. Competitive rowers spend countless hours working on technique and pushing themselves to the brink of what well-trained bodies/minds can tolerate, all before most of the population has begun to hit the snooze bar. We are a rare breed and I am ever grateful to have stumbled upon this activity, not only for the invigorating workout, but for the great people that rowing attracts. Good luck to all of my water-bound brethren this weekend; may many a finish line be crossed with empty buckets!

Photo courtesy of scullingfool.org

changing direction.

One of most fun aspects of the creative process is your own personal artistic evolution. I started making jewelry with Native American seed beads at the playful age of nine, then moved on to some fairly gaudy creations involving paper and puzzle pieces in my adolescence. Eventually, I went back to beading and incorporated wire work and knotting.

These days, I am focused on vintage assemblage and re-purposing. It allows me to incorporate all of the skills that I have honed over the years while making one-of-a-kind pieces and giving life to something beautiful, but out-dated and stagnant. And, hey, it doesn't hurt to find a niche in the Green movement either! Whatever the reason, you will now find me running willy-nilly through antiques fairs, flea markets and Salvation Army jewelry sales in search of inspiration. Be sure to hit up my valbdesigns.etsy.com for the latest and vintage greatest.