Growing up, when we would visit my Scottish grandmother’s house, I would climb up the three flights of stairs to the tiny guest room at the top of the house, and from there, clamber through the small door halfway up the wall into the attic.
There, I could spend hours looking through old family photographs. Stiff 19th century portraits, tiny contact prints taken on college camping trips, photographs of great grandparents, distant cousins, and immediate family members taken years before I was born.
When my grandmother died, she left these photographs to me. They still fascinate me as much as when she first shared them with me.
I know some interesting stories about my family (like how my mom was the model for Fern in Charlotte's Web), but recently I had an experience that made me realize how little I really know about my ancestors, and how much I want to find out.
Over the next 12 months I'm going to research and write about my family and share what I find here. Here's the beginning of the journey.
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End of Year Sale - Get 20% Off!
I skipped the Black Friday hoopla but I will be having an end of year sale DECEMBER 8-10.
I'm taking part in Narrowsburg's Indie Mart with a great group of area artists and makers. Local products include gorgeous ceramics, delicious honey, handmade clothing... and jewelry! See the vendors on Instagram.
I'll be there the whole first weekend with 20% off my usual pricing. Can't make it in person? The sale will also be available online for that weekend only — December 8-10.
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These 3 things:
I thought my work was finicky until I saw these vegetable carvings;
NY subway cars are dumped and become something beautiful;
two artists exchange illustrations chronicling the details of their lives.
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I love how objects have inherent meaning
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks tells the sweeping history of a precious Jewish prayer book through several centuries. Things carry their stories inside themselves.
I've previously mentioned my love of bedtime cookbook reading. Julia Turshen's Feed the Resistance is the perfect cookbook for these times, full of inspiring, hopeful essays and yummy, generous recipes.
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Are you on Instagram?
I post a lot of pictures of the latest jewelry, my process and the studio.
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