Playing around with jewels and walking in gardens

How’s your summer going? Are you HOT as a bbq oven? I honestly didn’t know what other comparison to make but you get it.

My summer has been somewhat quiet and slow which I absolutely LOVE. I’ve been teaching weekly jewelry classes and just generally spending time with my family.

Two weeks ago we traveled just outside of Raleigh to visit the Juniper Level Botanical Gardens and it was such a treat! We loved the waterfalls, all the amazing BIG cactus’ and being in nature. I tell you it is SO soothing.

We marveled at all the different and beautiful plants. Are you growing anything, doesn’t have to be plants? Are you growing a new project? A new idea?

We accidentally grew sunflowers and my daughter and I lost our minds, it’s such a delight, and the sunflowers bloom just outside my studio door. We’ve also got Japenese eggplant, pumpkin, green peppers and of course cherry tomatoes.

I also had a chance to visit my parents in the mountains and I made sure to harvest some of my Dad’s abundant sage and lavender. I created some really pretty bundles with some other wild flowers grown on their property.

When I sit down and spend time with these herbs I feel so connected to Mother Earth, we’re cocreating beauty and presence with these sage and lavender cleansing bundles.

Ya’ll know I LOVE to gift these cleansing wands to you and my friends. I was visiting my parents last month (June) to participate in the Girl Tribe Pop Up in Charlotte.

I had such a great time reading tarot at the event that I decided to participate in the July event which is happening this coming Sunday! If you live in the Charlotte area, come out and shop this super fun event!

I hope to see YOU there and if you can’t make it, be sure to check out my late summer and Fall events. It’s going to be a busy yet fruitful season!

Momboss update - the toddler years are incredible

At the Mucha exhibit in early January at the North Carolina Museum of Art

Oh hey, it’s me over here working part time in my studio and caring for our intrepid and curious 4.5 year old. Tallulah is growing like a sassy little weed and I love it! It’s been some time since I’ve given ya’ll an update on what it’s like raising Tallulah AND balancing an at home jewelry business.

it’s SO challenging and exhausting and precious, so, SOOOO precious. I know that I will look back on these years with yearning and fondness. She is easy to be with most of the time but she also has her tantrums and I have mine. I’m learning patience and presence which are both big lessons.

To give you an idea of our schedule Tallulah is in preschool half the day and she’s at home the other half, my father in law watches her two afternoons a week and then I work one day on the weekend.

This schedule is very tight, for me, meaning that within three hours everyday I squeeze in studio time, computer/marketing/advertising time along with replying to emails, cleaning up the house. And even within those three hours sometimes I schedule doctors appointments or meetings.

Just like with you the hours - every hour - is precious. My sanity and my self care is precious as well. I don’t know about you but within these pandemic years I’ve taken a big OVERALL look on my life and how I spend my time.

Ice cream is a weekly activity we enjoy in our small town of Farmville.

With Tallulah’s baby years gone, I’m recognizing even more that now I must be completely PRESENT with her, watch her grow and learn as well as look less at my phone or obsess over my next Instagram post or reel.

Of course, social media and internet has been a HUGE blessing for my business however I’ve been experiencing burnout and the consequences are real. So when I get time with Tallulah I try really hard to be there for her instead of wandering off to my phone.

Okay so here are some of the FUN activities we do. I’ve taught Tallulah how to rider her bike, so we bike ride to school in the morning, she knows how use the potty on her own, she’s learning some new Spanish words and she’s OBSESSED with slime and play-doh.

Tallulah has her own crafting room and her favorite medium is GLITTER….so there is glitter in every knook and cranny of this house. I’ve even busted out my old gem beads for her to craft her own jewelry. She really loves doing that. And I think one of my new favorite traditions is having Tallulah deliver jewels to some of my local customers.

Whenever Tallulah is at the table, so is Lady Shadow Cookies.

All in all being Tallulah’s primary caretaker is a role I take joyously, the sacrifices we’ve made for that means so much more. Being a mom has made me a more patient and aware human being, I have this immense gratitude for the life I had as a young human and the work my parents put into my life.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and update. I am INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO YOU for watching me grow and evolve as a mother.

Ten years I've been in business, here's a look back

Ya’ll WHAT! WHAT & HOW have ten years in business gone by?! I remember, in 2012 sitting at my desk planning for what my business would look like in ten years and it felt so far away. Time is like that, a construct we create to manage life on earth. Okay I won’t get all esoteric but seriously!

So I’m going BIG on this anniversary because to be quite honest I’m in awe and surprised at myself. No one truly prepares you for what it’s like to go into business for yourself, it is BRUTAL. Being an entrepreneur means a mirror is held up at you at all times because there is no one but yourself to hold yourself responsible.

But it’s super rewarding and absolutely gratifying to be in the driver’s seat of your own destiny and business. And once my husband and I were ready to start our family, it became so seamless to raise our daughter while also running Eilisain, perhaps not ideal but I have truly loved being home with our daughter especially now.

With that said, here’s some photos of me back in 2013 at Art Avenue, trying to look SO boss! lol, what strikes me as funny is that I had ABSOLUTELY no clue what I was doing, just doing my best.

Anywho, let’s get back to the FUN part. Ten years ago I graduated from East Carolina University and promptly moved my jewelers bench to a co-op studio in Uptown Greenville, NC. It was one of the best experiences of my life, I never thought that I’d get to share the experience and support of beginning my business if it hadn’t be for Art Avenue. Because once Art Avenue closed in 2016 my husband and I moved into a house in which I could have my own studio.

Over the years I’ve been blessed to hire interns and assistants that helped me along the way. My second intern, Ashton is here with me in my small studio. It was tight and cozy and I loved it.

I want to go back a bit further though, back in 2007, when I was working full time in Washington, D.C. I DREAMED of this life I have now. I dreamed of a family and working in my studio creating and making. At that time, I was working a desk job and it was not suited for me. I got easily distracted and pretty much doodled jewelry designs in meetings.

My old bench in school at East Carolina University.

So when I look at my life here & now, I’m so GRATEFUL for the chance I took, for the risk. That’s what I want you to take away from my 10 year anniversary. YOU CAN FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS, you just have to believe in them with every fiber of your being.

Badass bossbabe Kelly Boutilier wearing the Hunted badger claw pendant.

And let me say, that my journey is your journey, of discovery and curiosity and wonder for animals. Thank you for joining me on this journey. THANK YOU for supporting me, sharing Eilisain Jewelry, sharing YOUR story.

So if you live in the Greenville NC area, please come and celebrate with me. Safely of course, with masks and loads of hand sanitizer. Join me for a party of jewelry and badassery!

You Wore it Best...How Eilisain Customers Style Their Jewels

Here’s an update on how you style your Eilisain jewels. There were so many good ones from this holiday season (aka Halloween).

I really love seeing how you wear your jewels because it shows them in real life on REAL humans.

My friend Allison is dressed as the Goblin King (yesssss!) wearing her moonstone and badger claw pendant.

Below is my friend Rosie and her wild cat with the owl talon earrings. Rosie and I went to ECU together and she works with animals at home and work. She is such a badass.

My friend Katie is Medusa and how absolutely appropriate is it that she’s wearing several Medea pieces? Katie is a badass as well, she has gone thru the fire and back and I’m so lucky to call her a friend.

How fabulous is this lady and her red nails with the rose gold plated Hunted owl talon arch ring? It looks so good on her! I met this lady and the silver fox below in Norfolk at the New Moon Market last weekend. I always have such a good time when I do shows in Norfolk.

I truly LOVE photos of YOU in your jewels. You are a badass and you should show it off!

thank you as always for reading and popping on by!

5 Places I love in Farmville, NC

About a year ago I wrote my post, 10 Reasons why I love Greenville and it’s one of my most popular pages so it’s led me to believe that maybe you’d like a 5 places I love in Farmville. And to address the question why only 5 well I haven’t lived here long enough for a 10 reasons. Anywhooooooo, let’s get back to the point.

My husband and I moved to Farmville four years ago and it was not entirely intentional. We weren’t dead set on moving here, the circumstances just posed a perfect place to be within distance of Raleigh.

So what makes small town living so amazing? It’s all about the people. When we moved here we didn’t know that many people however as I came to walk daily with my lil baby Tallulah at the time we slowly got to know the arts community, the library and all the fantastic small businesses that make Farmville so amazing!

1. Friends of Farmville on Facebook - Okay, yes this is a virtual place but we’re kinda living in a strange new virtual world with COVID still raging. I joined this FB group last year and it’s become a fun way to stay up to date with what’s happening AND more importantly to communicate with each other. We recently lost power and many of us logged on to aid each other with space heaters and warm food. Community is everything right now!

2. Cafe Madelaine - I don’t recall life before Coleen’s French cafe opened! Seriously, I love the space and vibe at Cafe Madelaine. Coleen and her crew create the yummiest sandwiches and pastries. Her croissants are divine and her wine selection is only growing! People travel for miles to eat at her cafe!

3. Farmville Community Arts Council - I may be biased as I’m a board member but our Arts Council unites our community with featured arts monthly with artists receptions and live events. We haven’t had a chance to, dang COVID however come time we can gather the Arts Council is the place to be when there are community events!

4. Farmville Library - Probably one of my favorite places to visit other than Cafe Madelaine, the staff at the library are super friendly! They have fantastic activities for kids online and offline, you can pick up a kit for your kid to use and learn. They host special events too, guest authors and artists and once they had a wine and chocolate tasting - let’s just say it was a good night!

5. Duck Rabbit Brewery - See, we’re legit, we have a brewery! Just kidding, seriously tho, it’s so awesome in the Spring & Summer when the brewery hosts a mini craft & food market with the Farmville Business’.

There are countless more places & reasons why I love Farmville and I’m sure I’ll create a second post. However for now, please enjoy these fabulous suggestions and try as much as possible to shop local. I can’t stress it enough, as ya’ll have read in my many previous posts.

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