A few shots from around the house...and a few randoms!

Mom and Dad came to town to cheer me up and offer up a little extra TLC!

I must be feeling better, I've been taking pleasure in the small things...Such as taking pictures, and working on some jewelry projects in the studio!  It feels great to be back in action...now I just need to keep my patience hat on for the rest of the healing process, keep stretching my leg, and stay positive! 


I got some nice work done in the studio this week as well...I found myself making loops and links by the hundreds...well maybe not hundreds, but I made a TON!

They ended up in a trio of necklaces...

 I've been experimenting with some new picture taking ideas, including actually using myself as a model for the necklace shots...I'm not usually a fan of myself in ANY pictures let alone ones that will be up on the internet for all to see, but I kind of like the way these turned out, and it's kind of cool for me to see my work and me in the same picture!!!!

This trio of neck adornments just found their way into the shop...It was really hard not to keep one for myself.  I always say that I'll go back and make myself another of this or that favorite item, the reality is that I have so many ideas in my head I can rarely contain them, let alone put them aside for a while and duplicate something.  These babies will be missed, but I hope they find just the right neck to decorate!

xoxo
S

Hanukkah?

There seems to be a lack of all things Jewish here in Hawaii...I am aware of this and know that I need to do my part and plan ahead for holiday traditions etc.  Unfortunately I regretted to get on the Hanukkah candle band wagon quickly enough, and seem to have missed the boat!  How is it possible that there are no candles for the menorah left on the island?  It seems I will be constructing some sort of make shift menorah out of taper candles shoved into house plants...I'm thinking I'll line them up in the sideboard in the living room and just stick a few candles in, that ought to do it!

In other holiday celebration news, Jo busted out the mini tree last week and it has bee sitting sadly naked in the corner...today she lit it up, added some silvery swag and viola...

I took a bunch of pictures, and they all looked AWFUL...except these blurry ones!!! Something about them looks just right to me, I can almost smell the fireplace that we don't have.  Christmastime in Hawaii is awesome for many reasons, but I have to say I wouldn't be too sad if I happened to be somewhere cold next year, celebrating in the cold, curled up with some hot cocoa by the fire!

Put a Little Love in Your Heart

I just had to say that having my mom and dad here has been an amazing thing. 

The emotional rollercoaster that I have been on since my accident seems to keep rolling down it's track, determined to make me feel so many things...the good, the bad, and especially the ugly.   I have always been an emotional lady, everyone knows that about me, so you might think I would be accustomed to outbursts of tears and the semi-occaisonal bout of tearful sadness.  The emotions and feelings that have come with this story seem to come on so fast, and sometimes I honestly don't know why I feel so down...which makes it much harder to communicate how I feel when Jo asks what's wrong and how she can help.  And then just like that, after filling a few tissues with fluids, I'm back to me...a bit puffy around the eyes, but I feel much better having gotten it all out! 

Being able to spend time with mom and dad has been such a great gift, of smiles, and laughter, and I think a lot of it just has to do with a change of routine and a distraction from my discomfort.  After a solid 7 weeks of house arrest, It was a wonderful thing to drive over the mountains yesterday morning, and see the green, lush island gorgeousness!!!!  Oh, how I've missed her!

It's been a busy few days of walking more that I have in months, and getting out of the house A LOT!!!  Which is a great thing...It's quite exhausting though, and today I slept in very late, did much internet browsing, editing of jewelry photos and mini shop update.  I think I just needed to have a little extra time off my leg today, and I'm feeling better already!

Aloha Amigas!

 

Photo session fruits...

After a long break from photo editing and blogging over the last 7 weeks, my eyes hurt from staring at the computer screen for so long!  But it feels DAMN good to get some work done and put these babies out into the world.  Like the others I'm not sure when they'll make their way to the shop...hopefully in the next few days!

In other happiness...My parents are coming to town tomorrow to offer me a bit of extra TLC!!!!! I am beyond excited to see them, spend some much needed quality time with them and Jo, and get back to living life on the islands as it should be.  This will likely involve much driving around the island, watching some big wave surf on the North Shore, and many many moments spend eating raw fish and edamame from a cooler in the back of the car...AMEN SISTERS!!!!

Today was a good day...

       
     
Just had to throw that in there, when I was typing the title of this post it just popped in my head!

So far today, I swept the house, cleaned the bathroom floor and sink, put away some laundering, dusted a few surfaces, did some plant re-arranging, and a few other random house cleaning tasks!  It is no small feat to tick of this list considering a little over a week ago I was still on two crutches...I graduate to one and am now working on getting around with none, and just a little bit of help from a cane now and then.  Major improvements!  Body, getting better...Now I really got work on the mind part. 

With that in mind I took a few pictures this morning of some earrings that have been very patiently waiting their time to show off!  I have another half dozen or so waiting for the battery to charge.  I had some great company this morning while I took pictures, we listened to happy music, Bob Marley...While we chatted and I snapped away with the camera!  Amazing what a few smiles and some back to normal activities can do for my soul these days!

Matte faceted chartreuse glass beads...what could be better than that?  

The tiniest coin shaped corals

N>S>E>W> Hoops with the tiniest coin shaped corals

The fabulous chartreuse again, with faceted pinky jade and molten dangle

Swinging sisters...Vintage white coral nuggets of a fabulously irregular shape, with tiny green glass and faceted pink coral

 These may or may not be spoken for already, I'm not sure they will make it to the shop or if a friend will be collecting them for sister and mom holiday gifts!  I love it when friends want to pick something I made to give to their loved ones...Keeping it in the friendship family is so great!
If you are interested in anything you see here shoot me a message in the SHOP and I'll set them aside...I'm off to check the camera battery, drink some more tea, and have earring photo session #2.

Happy Afternoon,
S

Brain dump

Please pardon the extreme personal nature of this post...I kind of just need to get some things out of my overactive head. 

It's been a rough day, my emotions are like a roller coaster of doubt, helplessness, general sadness, and the most self defeating emotion...self-pity.  I'm having a rough go of it with the rehabilitation portion of this healing process.  I need to start with the difficult work of trying to walk again...mainly this means lots of painful stretching and trying to bear weight on my foot/leg.  I can literally hear the TIC-TOC of the time passing, it will be six weeks on Wednesday...I have only seen the ocean maybe twice in that time...that right there is sad. 

The mental part of dealing with this situation has been so much harder than I realized it would be...During the course of the day there are moments when I feel so incredibly weak of spirit, like I cannot possibly get through this, and that I simply am not strong enough to deal with all of it.  I realize all of this is absolutely NOT true, I know somewhere deep, deep down inside that these are just the voices of fear, and emotional exhaustion.

Eventually these ridiculous defeating feelings pass and I busy myself with some household task for a few moments until my leg gets to sore and I have to sit for while.  Today's task was cleaning out the fridge and organizing the turkey day leftovers.  Picture this...I've made it to the kitchen on crutches, and once there I scoot a chair in front of the open refrigerator door, take a seat and begin!  I probably sat there for a good 20 minutes, a lovely mind-distracting 20 minutes where I did not think about my pain, or anything really...just a great zone out cleaning activity! 

Note to self: hold it together, distract yourself, and do a little bit at a time.

See the thing is, I know all this stuff, it just seems to be that I forget for a little while and let in the negative.

Second note to self: don't forget the stuff you already know...it's really just a waste of time.

I already feel better...As I type this I'm listening to Jill Scott.   Perhaps it is not coincidence that I put her on when i sat down to write this.  Her music is infused with so much woman power, soul sister positivity, and general kick ass-ness!!!!!  One of my favorites songs of hers is One is the Magic Number ...Basically another reminder that this whole thing is up to me, "there's just me" as in her song.  I really need to dig deep, find that place or that stuff inside me that is the real me, the strong and brave and happy woman that I was before all this happened.  I know she's in there...I miss her.

Third note to self: typing all this out, getting it out of my head and really taking the time to think it over, always ends up making me feel better, more positive, and ready to take a deep breath and begin again. 

Fourth note to self: Again, as in #2, don't forget the stuff you already know...like that listening to some good music and writing a bit is a good thing.

Alright, I believe it's time for some tea now...I have a favorite that we get in Chinatown, it's a blend of relaxing herbs, good to calm my emotional state and help with the sleeping, Jo and I have dubbed it "calm yourself woman tea".  I think I'll have a double.

With a clear head and determination...

It has been 31 days since I've been here, since I've been in the studio, since i have felt like myself...These days have been filled with pain meds that clouded my entire being, making me feel anything but whole.  I have come through the worst and am feeling human again today.  The body is an amazing machine...while my mind had been so many places, dark and self-defeating places, my body continues to heal.  Where I'm at now is that I have a clear head, A LOT less pain, and a burning desire to get back to creating!!!!!! 

I long for hours in the studio, focused on bringing life to sheets of metal and a pile of stones...I have so many ideas, so many half scribbled notes of ideas that I have thought about in the haze of these past few weeks!  Yesterday I actually was able to sit at my bench and clean up the mess I left sitting there a month ago before any of this happened...I cannot put into words how happy it made me to be in that space again, to touch my tools, to sort beads and scraps of metal.  In the next week I hope to spend a little time in there each day, doing whatever I can, and gleaning a bit of healing from the simple acts of using my hands to create...It's a bit like meditation, I have said this before and now more than ever I need this type of release.  To give my mind a break from all the topics and categories of thoughts racing around. 

I never thought I would miss working so much...I have thoughts of my clients all the time, wondering how they are doing, missing those connections and relationships.  Are they happy with the therapist they've been seeing since I've been gone?  How is so and so's neck, or Mr. X's back pain...Massage is such a personal experience and so many of my clients would come to see me twice a week.  After months of that much contact with someone you can't help but connect with them...I miss doing massage, providing my clients with a bit of relaxation and relief from their stresses, or injuries.  I know I need to give it time, and that eventually (hopefully soon, depending on how the physical therapy goes) I will be back to work and loving it!

Each day is one more day closer to being back to normal, each shot of searing hot nerve pain is a sign that things are healing, every single awful moment of this experience must have been for a reason...Jo keeps telling me that this will teach me something in the end, that everyone goes through trauma, and if we are lucky enough to be open to it, that we can come through it with open eyes and lessons learned.  I'm trying to figure out what my lesson is...

For one thing, I can tell you I'm ready to get back in the water, I miss the ocean so much...The other day I finally got out of the house and Jo took me for a drive, we went to Diamond Head Beach look out and parked at the top of the hill, overlooking her favorite surf spot...As we drove up Diamond Head road (the place that is my favorite walking/jogging route), and I caught sight of the ocean, I lost it...Tears streaming down my face as I took in the beauty of the ocean, the beach, and this amazing place I call home.  It wasn't a sad outpouring, I was so happy to see the water!  Blubbering like a baby, I thanked Jo for taking me out of the house, for bringing me to see the ocean, and for being such an amazing lady! 

So, things are looking up...I vow to stay positive, to smile more, to believe that in time I will be back in action, walking, jogging, massaging, working in the studio, and someday maybe even surfing again...

Please pardon the lack of pictures...I don't even know where the camera is, and believe me you don't want to see any of what I've been up to anyway.  It's been kind of boring around here, but I feel a bit of inspiration coming on...Studio time and pictures from the land of Aloha are on the way!

Thanks for listening,
Sierra

A surf adventure story an a few firsts

Yesterday I set out with Jo and a friend of ours for a lovely morning surf session, as I mentioned before I'm trying to get back on the surf train, push myself to do things that are not always easy, and to try and snag a bit of that "stoke" that my lady always gets from being out there in the waves. All was well and I caught a few waves, the sun was shining, I had a huge smile on my face and then it happened...collision! Its all a blur now, but the consensus is that someone came from behind me as I was catching the wave and barreled right over me. I felt a pain in my leg, I saw a bit of blood and knew I had to get my butt onto the shore...I really had no intention of being shark bait. With help from Jo I got back on my board and made it back to shore. Long story short, I had a few major firsts...first oxygen mask, first IV, first ambulance ride, first trip to the ER and first stitches, 27 of them to be exact!!!

After six hours in the ER we made it back home...Loopy, exhausted and thankful to still HAVE my leg. Aside from the pain from the HUGE gash in my upper hamstring I have the craziest pins and needles feeling all over my leg as well as a few spots that have remained totally numb due to nerve damage. I dont know how it can be that an area can be totally numb to the touch but can itch like, well... A bitch!!! The pain is better already, thanks to some of the pills they gave me, and all in all I'd have to say I'm feeling pretty good! I can't put any weigh on my leg and will be at home for at least a week :(

Jo is my nursing angel and has kept me laughing through some of the more difficult moments, for instance changing the dressing and assisting with everything from bathroom stuff to simply changing positions. I feel so grateful to have her with me, I just hope she's ok to! I never saw the wound, the blood trailing behind me in the water. We were joking around this morning that she has PTSD, but the more I think about our day yesterday, I realize the amount of stress she has been through too.

The ER was buzzing with powerful, amazing, women energy...Every single person from the admissions, attending doc, nurses, social worker were women. They were calm, beautiful souls working their butts off! I felt so safe and taken care of...Woman power in the ER was in full effect!!!!

Ok, I feel like I'm rambling now, maybe that pill is starting to work :)
I had been on a very productive streak in the studio lately and have been really excited as I finished up a fee pieces for what is/was to be my first local craft/art market. I can't even think of being at the bench right now let alone setting up for a craft show. I hope to be able to participate in the show next week, but for now I just need to rest and try not to stress out about the bill from the hospital!

So now you know why I may be absent from here a bit in the near future...Our computer is on the fritz and all I've got to work with is this iPhone, I kind of go crazy after a while with it. I've read every book in the house and some of them more than once... This may require me
to request a magazine and book care package from mom:)

Alright, time for a banana, a pill and a nap! Check ya later !!!

One more ring...

In keeping with the turquoise love and theme I seem to be working in lately, I finished another turquoise ring!!! This one is more "classic" in color, the deep blue-greens with beautiful veins of dark earthyness running throughout...I am a woman obsessed, I just can't seem to keep my hands from picking out these stones to work with.  I'm just going to roll with it and follow what my hands tell me to do!

And then there are these:

These earrings have been sitting on my dresser, in the lip of my favorite mug on a table in the living room, and in and out of my ears for a few weeks!  I was so loving wearing them that I made myself a pair for keeps...Now that I have some of my own I'm offering these up in the shop!

Lastly, I'm putting up the White Buffalo Turquoise ring for sale in the shop...I feel she is ready to find her new home...I hope some lucky lady out there claims her for their own, and will love her as much as I do!

I just finished listing this group of goodies in the shop ...there they will rest until their new owners make their claim! 

I'm so happy it's friday, all I can do is day dream about the weekend studio time and the millions of ideas running through my head.  Sending all of you fabulous ladies out there mucho love and Aloha, many thanks for your sisterhood, your support, your kind words, and your love...I feel it so deeply this week, my heart is warmed.

Wednesdays Offering...

I've clocked about 20 hours in the studio in the past three days...I know, it's a lot and let me tell you my shoulder and fingers can feel it!!!  I've been trying to think outside my normal box, playing with shapes, colors and continuing my little personal class in perfecting my bezel setting skills.  Not easy people, not easy...Lessons learned so far today have been on the topics of patience with my skills, a need to take my time, and above all...make stuff, and practice!

I have a new love...Her name is White Buffalo Turquoise, I had a very successful time with her in the studio today.  Gratitude to the stone setting spirits, and to the artist who cut this cab, I will definitely be back for more of this goodess!

This one is not quite ready to leave my finger and make the jump into the Etsy shop, I may need to wear her a few days and fill her up with a little extra spirit of Aloha!

These next few earrings just made their way in to the shop, and will be joined by a few others in the next few days.

Sterling, Coral, Faceted Olive Green Glass

Sterling Textured Domes and Mango Chalcedony

Hammer Textured Tabs with Coral Stack Dangles

I Heart Texture...can you tell? :)

Happy Wednesday evening to all, I'm off to put my feet up and grab a brewski!
Aloha!