Handpicked for May

Looking back through the month of May.  This is a personal log of a few favorite experiences.

Material to work with:
Sterling silver sheet in 22-gauge from Rio Grande. (It is a sustainable material.) This silver is a good thickness; strong yet not difficult to work with.

Home cooked meal:
Simple grilled sweet potato and black bean burrito bowls with spicy cumin garlic drizzle from Laura Wright of The First Mess. Packed with flavor, this vegetarian dish was a hit with my family.  The spicy cumin garlic drizzle is especially tasty.  I will be using it to season additional recipes.

Local musician:
Chad Mills. Got a late dinner one evening and the pub had live music.  One guy with with his guitar. Enjoyed it so much that I called the restaurant the following day to find out who he was.

Greeting cards to send:
With a sentiment for any occasion, Little Low Studio is a great online spot for greeting cards. (She has an Etsy shop too.) The Mother's Day cards I purchased were beautiful.

Podcast:
The Unmistakable Creative. These episodes are candid conversations with fascinating, creative individuals.  Thought provoking and highly recommended. I'm hooked.

Wearing:
I bought this top from Thimble and Acorn.  The organic cotton is so soft, and the colors are gorgeous.  I love the cap sleeves.  Eve, the owner and maker, is fabulous to work with.

Watching:
Now that Parks and Recreation has ended, I do not watch many comedies.  It takes smart writing to make me laugh. Silicon Valley is brilliant.  Never thought of myself as a Mike Judge fan, but loved season one, and this season is also quite good.

Fresh flowers:
We experienced many gray days this past Winter in Indiana.  I am thoroughly enjoying the sight of fresh flowers in my kitchen this Spring. Handpicked arrangements are especially cheery.

What have you enjoyed during the month of May?

Secret Message Jewelry, Part 2

The intent of this necklace is very simple. I wanted a design to honor special dates without being traditional. The result is small and clean; something that can be worn everyday. Numbers displayed are significant to the wearer while being curious to the casual observer. 

This piece could memorialize adoptions, births, graduations, anniversaries, pet adoptions, or any significant life event. Several different dates may be honored on one chain.

The numbers across the top represent the month. Left to right of the middle row commemorates the day within the month. Bottom numbers side to side are the final two digits of the year being honored. 

Once described as "a mom necklace that doesn't look like a mom necklace!"

 In an earlier post, I featured rings with hidden messages.  This particular necklace may not appear to have a secret message.  However, with limitless possibilities for customization, I have had the opportunity to create a couple that were quite inventive.

This custom request was for 19, 16, 03. The numbers coordinate to letters of the alphabet.

This was for a customer wanting a design that held everything special in one pendant.  The days of the month for each of her children's births are commemorated on a single piece of silver.

My husband and I joked that had I been creating this style of necklace ten years ago, there may have been some interesting requests from fans of  Lost (TV Series).