my week in photos

Good evening friends.  I've been a bit more silent than I'd like in this space (and this one too!)  I have a good reason though; this little business of mine seems to have taken on a life of its own, and I have been swamped with orders for the holidays.  My days have been spent in our home, pacing from the kitchen to my work space as I make a cup of tea and grab a snack between forming, hammering and assembling my creations. It hasn't all been work though;  I managed to get out for a beautiful evening walk to the jetty with my dear, funny friend Ariel.  I also spent an afternoon making Christmas stockings for The Photographer and I (ssshhh, don't tell him;) with my mother, which was too much fun!

All in all it's been a good week, and I am still dumbstruck sometimes when I realize that I am doing what I love for a living.  On a completely separate note, The Photographer is coming home from his world travels really soon, and I am ecstatic about this!  I miss him quite a bit.  I hope you had a great week dear ones:)  XO.

Holiday Open House 2012!

This weekend I had my annual Roots & Wings Jewelry Holiday Open House!  I had a blast/worked my butt off for the last few weeks, crafting close to 100 pieces of jewelry and whipping our house into holiday shape.  I am happy to say it was a total success!  Many folks dropped by, mulled wine and hot cider was drunk, tasty treats were enjoyed (courtesy of my amazing mother), and jewelry found new homes.  Thanks to everyone who came and made it great!  Enjoy the photos friends.

[caption id="attachment_1704" align="aligncenter" width="529"] My awesome friends brought me beautiful flowers and champagne-too nice![/caption]

Soapstone Lake Hike

We recently took a hike on a trail near our home to a beautiful little lake.  I've hiked most of the trails in our area more times than I can count, and while I still enjoy them every time, it was really exciting to venture somewhere new.  It was also really nice to spend most of a day outside, away from any work, computers, to do lists, etc...don't get me wrong, I love my work SO much, but sometimes it's hard to stop working when you work from home.  It's that whole balance thing you know?  More on that later though.  For now let's just enjoy some photos of a lovely day on the trail.  Happy Tuesday friends!

Chasing Light

My days have been busy and full of simple joys lately.  A blustery walk alone on the beach, foam skittering across the sand and seagulls hurtling overhead in the wind.  Cooking and eating simple wholesome meals.  And countless hours making jewelry, packaging up orders and writing thank you notes.  I have been super busy creating gifts for the holidays, and I am excited about the ways that my business continues to grow.

Working at home all day (alone for the moment while The Photographer is on a trip for work) I have had more time to grow and foster my appreciation for the small beauties in my daily life.  Light is something that I have always paid attention to; the way it shifts and changes throughout the day, the different qualities of light depending on the season, the shadows and shapes it creates.  This afternoon the sun came out between rain showers and the light streaming into my house was particularly beautiful...I was inspired by this post to snap a few photos and share them with you.  Enjoy! XO, Ashley

Photo Booth Fun

I made the trip to Portland last weekend to have a girls night with some dear friends.  We had a fantastic evening full of happy hour drinks, laughter, dirty jokes and...a photo booth!  I absolutely LOVE photo booths and come across them infrequently, so I was ecstatic!  There's such a distinct quality to photo booth images and these are no exception.  They're now on my wall and make me smile every time I look at them.  Enjoy!