Akemashite omedetou.

A quiet moment before the awakening of a new year.  

2012 has been a whirlwind of events, both the fastest year of my life and also the slowest.  

I've cried tears of sadness and I've cried tears of more joy than I've ever felt before.  

I've lost friendships near and far and I've made new friends in the most unexpected places and under surprising circumstances.  

I've been terrified, hurt and disappointed..but I've also experienced more freedom, confidence  and happiness than any other year I can recall.  

This year has been a time of change, personal growth and achievement.  

And looking back at it all there isn't a thing I would change if I could live it all over again.

As I sit here in the cosy light of the still-lit Christmas tree, I wiggle my toes deeper into Sachi's warm, abundant fur.  Her rhythmic breathing is soothing, the whistling of her big olive nose, such a comforting sound for me.  

Leo, who will be turning a year old in just one day and 38 minutes is sleeping soundly upstairs despite the occasional hooting and burst of laughter next door as the clock gets closer to midnight.  

It's a welcome quietness here tonight.  

I've never spent New Years Eve by myself before, alone with all my thoughts and I wonder why I haven't done this before.  

A million thoughts and memories threaten to choke my flow of thought, every single one wanting and deserving to be written down lest I forget about them someday

as it happens to us all eventually.  

But time is too short for all of it..and I'd like to try to spare you, dear reader, the agonizing pain of mentally watching someone else's family videos.  

So I'll try to keep this short.  

This year has been one of the most difficult years of my life.  

For everyone who's been with me though my highs and lows

seen me at my best and worst

I love you to pieces

and my deepest gratitude.  

The measure of friendship, I believe, isn't who's been around through the good times..but rather who never leaves your side through the bad and ugly.  

And oh, there was a lot of bad and ugly this past year!  

For those of you who seemed to slip through my fingers like the finest of sand when the going got tough..I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of my life thus far and blessing me with your acquaintance.  I hope you understand my need to let you go.  You've left footprints on my heart and I wish you nothing but happiness in the years to come.

So with 4 minutes to go here, on EST, I wish you all a wonderful new year.  

Stay safe, be happy, love without fear.  

To another year of perfect mistakes, unlimited limits and beautiful experiences!

This is your year.

Akemashite omedetou!

xo Blue Gnome

Love Of All Things Furred And Feathered.

It doesn't seem that long ago that my grandparents lived in a beautiful log house with cathedral ceilings.  Their master bedroom was a huge loft that overlooked the living space below and their bedroom window faced the hilly mountain side that was their backyard

heavily treed with huge evergreens, the ground thick with fallen needles and tall grasses.  

It was the perfect place for quail..enough ground cover to hide and nest in and

sheltered up above by the majestic branches of the ponderosa pines.  

During my grandparents time there, it had become a sort of breeding ground and sanctuary for these adorable birds - every morning my grandma would open the sliding door from the family room and scatter a handful of seeds out on to the grass

within seconds, the tall grass would rustle and sway.  

The adults always came impeccably dressed for breakfast

wearing their jackets of black, fawn and light grey, 

their plume like tiny facinators on their perfect little heads.  

My grandma would always count the number of young and report to my little brother, who for a time when he was little, would be at my grandma's side during her many bird watching walks.  

It was during my time living in the Okanagan that I first became aware of these wee birds.  

In the spring time the mountains are teeming with them, always in a big hurry, the females bustling about up ahead while the males follow behind, herding what seems like a bazillion itty bitty chicks from straying from the group.  

Driving up the mountainous road to my parents house could sometimes be a treacherous affair - quail crossings are not uncommon and they dart out of nowhere, zigzagging hurriedly across the pavement while the unfortunate male would frantically being up the rear, 

their young like a bagful of marbles, 

spilling out onto the hilly roads 

where cars were whizzing by.  

Driving white knuckled, eyes darting back and forth watching carefully for tattletale signs of movement in the tall grass roadside, I'd been told numerous times that swerving for an animal crossing was one of the most common causes of vehicle accidents.  Personally however, I'd rather land in a ditch any day over running over a family of quail...

being singlehandedly responsible for the massacre of an entire family would be something I would never get over.  

My father I'm sure would disagree - especially since I'm usually driving his vehicle.

It's been years since my grandparents lived there..

my brother no longer seems interested in pursuing a life of bird watching

and my grandma passed away a few short years ago.

But in the springtime the hillsides are still abundant with quail and you still have to watch the roads for family crossings.

Sterling

A whimsical little necklace inspired by the beautiful Okanagan and my grandma's love of all things furred and feathered. 

Available in the New Year.

 xo Blue Gnome

A little cleansing of the palate.

This holiday season was wee Leo's first Christmas!  And although he seemed far more interested in the lint balls under the couch and sprinkling of needles on the floor around our tree, it was one of the best Christmas mornings.

After the last few days of over indulging in decadent holiday treats, I thought it fitting to introduce a couple of simple, small offerings to the shop today.  A cleansing of the palate, so to speak..with no bells or whistles needed, these natural beauties stand out all on their own.

Two classic, natural turquoise solitaires from the Kingman mine in Arizona.  Set simply in sterling, handcrafted in my little studio.  Available in the shop.

Happy Holidays everyone! 

xo Blue Gnome 

Perfectly Flawed

In elementary school, I had a classmate with a small scar on his upper lip - he was born with a cleft lip and the scar was a result of the surgery to correct it.  Children of that age lack certain social etiquette..and I remember asking him quite bluntly on the school bus one day what it was.  

His response was that his great grandfather was a knight and got that mark while slaying the most ferocious dragon in the world.  It had skipped a generation but Kenny was the lucky one who too was chosen to someday fight dragons..for he was born with his great grandfather's special mark.

I went home that day and looked all over my body for any special marks..hoping that I too was destined for greatness like dragon slaying and such.  And thinking back as an adult, what a fantastic story to tell your 5 year old..too young to understand the medical logistics of a cleft lip but old enough to feel shame and self conscious if other children made fun.  His parents must've known that other children would ask about it and decided to give him a story that allowed him to talk about the scar without any shame in being different.  It gave Kenny a sort of celebrity status in our classroom, although we all felt too old to believe in fairytales, here was Kenny with physical proof..and who didn't want to be a hero and slay dragons?

I believe that we're all perfectly flawed, in our own unique way.  

It's what makes us human and an individual, perfect imperfections.  For every scar, whether physical or emotional there is a tale to be told, battle scars that hold within them our experiences and the wisdom we've collected from them.

It's what makes each and every one of us so wonderfully different.  

Falling down is a part of life..getting up and carrying on is what living is all about.

Sterling, Agate

Created by mother nature, an impeccably flawed agate showcased in a simple sterling setting.  

Gloriously unique and perfectly flawed.  

Available later today in the shop.

xo Blue Gnome

Last Weekend SALE

It's the last couple of days of the SALE!  

Sterling and  Baltic Amber

 Sterling, Amethyst and Lapis

Sterling, Aventurine and Baltic Amber

There will be some new items filtering into the shop later today..make sure you take advantage of the holiday discount!

xo Blue Gnome

Sale Notice

Leo's turning 11 months old tomorrow and to celebrate, I'm having a SALE!

 Sterling and Turquoise

Sterling, Lapis and Coral

For a limited time, simply enter LEO11 at check out for your 11% discount on all items currently in my shop.  

To start your holidays shopping, come visit me HERE.

Happy Shopping!

xo Blue Gnome