Death and Decay - Memento Mori

Thanksgiving, when I was about twelve years old, we were living in Northern California at the time and we received a phone call that my Abuelito Rene had passed. We lived on a depressing, beige Army base and I’ll never forget feeling as if we lived in some mirage, miles away from anything colorful or different (aka Panama, where we had moved from prior). I recall hearing my mom crying in my parents bedroom and feeling incredibly sad for her, I wasn’t that close to my Abuelito, I have fond memories of him but at the time I didn’t experience intense sadness for his passing.

I recall this as my first association of death, I can say that I’m somewhat fortunate that I haven’t experienced the immense loss of a a loved one that I was close to or even the death of a family pet. And for the most part of my life I haven’t known that loss. It changes a person. Well I’m changed, a week ago we buried my cat Stevie.

Stevie was not the prettiest cat, she was rough around the edges. I found her about eight years ago when I first moved to Eastern North Carolina. She was abandoned by someone and being the cat lover I am, I fed her and next thing you know she’s my second cat.

Stevie obliging a photo.

Stevie had feline aids, so her immune system was weak but not her spirit. She was a chatty cat, always talking to me and she LOVED fresh warm water! What a weirdo! I named her of course after my favorite musician, Stevie Nicks. She truly embodied that name, so sweet and loving.

Her passing has given me a new understanding for life and now death, she struggled towards the end to keep food down, she peed everywhere…my studio was a bit stinky due to her accidents. But I realized that we have to care as much for our beloveds near death as we adore them in the beginning. It’s rough but that is what love is. Our American culture doesn’t like to acknowledge death, we tuck it away, move the body and bury them before even giving them one last hug or kiss.

When I found Stevie outside of my studio, I gave her a last pet, cried quite a bit and lit some sage and said a prayer. I thanked her for her love, her sandpaper licks and all our fun conversations.

The decay, the slow movement of and change of life can be slow and almost seem nonexistant but then you look in the mirror or you see your child grow two inches and you’re reminded of the swift passing of time.

God I miss the moments of holding her in my lap and petting her.

Memento Mori is the concept of acknowledging our mortality everyday, knowing that anything could happen and to appreciate all the the precious moments of life. I try to do this at the end of the day, writing in my journal three things I’m grateful for, the reminder of all that I was blessed with.

My jewelry has meaning in this, the Bast necklace I created from a cat skull was to honor that cats life. My cat claw earrings and charms came from Stevie’s discarded cat nail….the things you find can take on a whole new meaning.

Hold your loved ones, your pets and family close. Tell them you love them and hold them dear. If you ever would like to commemorate the life of your familiar, your pet, I am more than happy to help create a custom piece for you. Click the link below to start the conversation.

How My New Morning Ritual Has Improved My Mindset

Lighting my sage and lavender bundle marks the beginning of my meditation.

I’ve written on here before about meditation and several methods and ways to meditate but on this post I wanted to share some of my newest methods and also the immense benefits of a meditation practice.

I’ve created a new ritual in my life and it’s having massive impacts on my mental and physical health. I wake up about an hour before my daughter Tallulah wakes up, sometimes this varies, like I’ll have a half hour and some days I struggle but on average I get a lil chunk of time in the morning to set myself up for the day.

Here’s how my routine begins: I wake up around 5-530am and I head to our kitchen and pour myself a glass of lemon and basil or rosemary water (I’ve heard and read that it’s a great way to cleanse and hydrate your body), then I head upstairs to my meditation room. I light some candles and sage and then I sit at my altar for about 10 minutes for mediation and prayer. I’d eventually like to increase this to 20 or 30 minutes but for now it’s ten. After I’ve meditated and prayed I go through a 10 minute yoga routine. I absolutely love how the stretching and yoga poses work out kinks in my back, arms and neck. After my yoga I sit in my comfy grandma chair and journal, I also do a short tarot reading, usually it’s a three card spread. This act of journaling does two things: it cleanses my mind of the clutter, thoughts and dreams I’ve had AND it gives me time to reflect.

I love this sacred pace so so much.

Ya’ll, this ritual really has changed how I behave throughout the day, I just feel centered and reprogrammed for intention. I’ve become more focused in my goals, felt energized throughout the day and I just feel so much more connected to my ancestors, spirit guides and most importantly my inner teacher. In addition I’ve noticed how my perspective on my life and reaction to situations has become calm and centered. When my daughter has a meltdown or something sudden and perhaps typically stressful would happen I breathe and allow myself to let it go.

No surprise here, Tallulah loves playing with all my ritual objects.

Maybe some of you are thinking, well I just can’t get up at 5am to do all that. I’m not suggesting you do, although I honestly believe you’ll get used to it and come it enjoy it. What perhaps I’m hinting at for you is that carving out anytime, maybe during your lunch break or in the evening setting aside anytime to journal, go for a quiet walk with no phones, or maybe playing Frisbee outside - ANY kind of act that allows you to be still is incredibly helpful to your mental health.

“We need to listen to ourselves FIRST before anyone else, what do YOU need to feel happy and whole. Often times we get up and go, look at our phones or flip on the tv but we don’t give ourselves the time and space to LISTEN.”

— Lisette Fee

You are so worthy, worthy of your time to BE.

Back in my mid-twenties when I began meditating and praying and when I look back at how that time I had gave me space to dream about this time right now, HERE, I know that it was well spent. I dreamed of being a jeweler, of being the weird, nerdy and jewelry obsessed person that I am today.

So my dear friends, take back your time away from the distractions and noise and just BE.

If you want to continue to read more of these blog posts and shop some of my newest one of a kind jewels please sign up for my email list and I will keep you in the loop. Thank you as always for reading!!

Get Ready, 'Cause the Holidays are Coming!

So we’ve already got our Halloween decorations out and we’re sipping pumpkin spiced latte - we’re all ready for the weather to cool off so we can bust out the long sleeve pajamas.

Along with that we’re marking our calendars because there are some amazing craft shows coming up. The longer I participate in local handmade shows the more I love shopping for my loved ones at the shows. And I’m participating in several new shows this season.

LIke CraftedVA in Norfolk, Virginia, it’ll be held at O’Connor Craft Brewery on Saturday, October 12th.

I’m also doing the femme empowered Girl Tribe show in Charlotte, NC December 14th &15th.

There are so many great vendors at these shows, ones that are local to the south. These shows are kid friendly and are just a fun outing for the whole family. Did you know when you spend money on locally made products 110% goes back into your community? It’s a win-win situation!

I hope to see you at any of these events - be on the lookout (those on my email list) you’ll be getting a postcard in the mail. And if you aren’t on my list, sign up today!

Every City Should Have a Cat Cafe

Okay, maybe I’m biased, cause ya’ll know I’m an official CRAZY CAT LADY but still, cats are SO awesome.

Which is why I’m so SO ecstatic that my cat claws are now at Crooked Tail Cat Cafe in Greensboro AND in Winston-Salem. I’ll paint the picture for you. Last year my husband and I took a lil’ trip to Greensboro, he had work and I had never visited so I walked around downtown (which is pretty awesome btw) and I happened upon Crooked Tail, of course, i had to pop in and get my cat fix while out of town. I had such a great time watching the cats play, there was one black tuxedo cat that seemed to own the place.

I was fortunate that when I visited, Karen Stratman, the owner, was there, and we chatted for a bit. I love Karen’s story, her animal journey of studying them at the University of Florida (go Gators, I’m one too). And it’s pretty badass that Karen opened the first cat cafe in North Caroline too! Of course a light bulb went off in my head. My cat claws would be purrrrrfect for their cat shop area. I can’t believe the idea didn’t dawn on me sooner.

And now here we are with my sterling silver cat claws are now being sold at Crooked Tail Cat Cafe! So if you’re in Greensboro or Winston-Salem pop in and give a cat some love and maybe you’ll walk out owning one. That’s the best part of Crooked Tail and all the other new cat cafe’s, there is the opportunity to find a loving home for a cute fur baby.

Fifi, my first cat model. Isn’t she fierce?!!

If you want to find more locations where Eilisain Jewelry can be found, click on my stocklist link below. Thank you as always for visiting!

The Power of Myth

When I was eleven years old I distinctly recall picking up a book at the library about Greek mythology and finding the stories and deeds of Gods and demigods awe inspiring and fascinating. At the time I was intensely creative, I sketched fashion outfits, I made clay jewelry, and dreamed up my own stories.

Reading the infamous Greek myths gave me an opening into the massive tales of love, betrayal, deceit and loss of innocence. The myths were a window into other worlds and life lessons.

As I grew older I still found myself drawn to myths and legends. I became particularly enchanted with Celtic myths and the land sites that connected humans to the fairy realm. Not only that I LOVED learning about the sacred objects that connect us to the gods and goddesses of the Celts. There is something magical when reading about giants that roamed Ireland and fought over each other and called upon druids and witches to protect their offspring and homes.

Later when I entered university, my ‘major’ was Anthropology which seemed so fitting, for someone who is now a jeweler. See the intersection of handmade objects and human activity in our world resulted in culture which also ran it’s course with religion and mythology.

What I love so much about mythology is that their UNIVERSAL and most can relate to the human emotions in these epic tales, why do you think we’re so obsessed with Marvel and the Avengers movies, they’re essentially mythologies.

When I first began creating my jewelry collections I knew that I wanted to create stories and themes to the pieces I created. For example my Valkyrie Collection was shot with my friend Claire who has gorgeous short red hair and the presence of a Viking.

Mythologies guide us through life, and connect us to the universe at large. When our ancestors looked up at the night sky and saw the twinkling beauty of planet Venus and constellations they told tales of our our world came to be.

We can travel through time to another era when we read the Celtic, Nordic, Hindu and many other world mythologies and tales. We can understand how greed leads to destruction, rebirth and renewal of the earth.

Kaltes Collection drew from Ugric peoples of western Siberia. She was a shape-shifter.

I hope that this post gives you pause to open a Greek myth book or revisit old myths and legends. There are so many lessons and takeaways.

Flip through some of my lookbooks and videos inspired by Gods and Goddesses of past.

10 Reasons Why I Love Greenville, NC

Image from my Bast Collection photoshoot at the Tar River in Uptown Greenville.

I have a confession to make, when I moved from a bustling, cultural city like Washington, D.C. to a small college city, Greenville in eastern North Carolina, I was convinced I’d leave after my four years at ECU.

I’m a former Army brat and I was used to moving and I love being around international people and the traps of big city life. But something interesting happened, I grew to like Greenville and even more so I grew to LOVE the community and friends I made here. I swore up and down to my friends that I was leaving after graduation and moving overseas for a residency or something. However, my story turned right around when I met my husband during my last year in school. In addition to meeting my husband I had a perfect opportunity to move into Art Avenue in 2013 with several other friends and classmates from ECU.

Mural wall in Uptwon Greenville

Within the span of ten years of living in Greenville and now Farmville, my love for Greenville and for Eastern Carolina to has grown so much. Because as I said moving around so much, I found that when I settled here I realized that I was actually longing to grow roots and stay put for awhile.

So with that said, I felt I had to share some of the reasons why I love Greenville, (I won’t lie that I do miss the big city immensely tho).

1. The Art Community - It should be no surprise that it’s the major reason I love Gvegas (how’d we get that nickname btw?). We’re a tight knit community. On any given day, you can find my dear friend Sim Asher (photographer, teacher & more) or Jonathan Bowling (sculptor) sharing their artwork or beginning new projects around town or Holly Garriott of the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge organizing another successful community arts project like the Vincent Li mural at the corner of Evans and 5th street in Uptown Greenville. There is just SO much talent in Greenville. My dear friend Kelly Boutilier opened up Moxie Pop, a gallery and pop up shop location specifically to highlight and expose the rich community of artists, musicians and creatives. There is NO shortage of amazing creative talent in Greenville and Pitt County itself.

2. The Tar River & Town Commons - There is always some kind of fun & FREE event going on at the Greenville ampitheater, we love going to the Sundays on the Park events with free live music and food trucks. Or we take Tallulah to the childrens playground & park. The Tar river runs through Greenville and Pitt County and there are tons of treasures to be found, shark teeth, fishing and a gorgeous walk way. Again, Kelly Boutilier also teaches yoga on paddle boards on the Tar River - oh and btw Kelly also helps run Starlight Cafe as well!

3. Christy’s Europup - Okay I know it’s a bit of an odd thing to put a pub on this list however there are SO many special memories I have of ‘Crusty’s’ as my friend affectionately calls our local pub. The food is always good, the people are the BEST and the atmosphere is like Cheers, seriously, people know and remember name there! And it is the place I met my husband. They also have live music and open mic night.

4. Starlight Cafe - Ha! Can you tell I love food & drinking? More beautiful and fond memories made at my favorite restaurant. Just like Christy’s, when I walk into Starlight it’s like a second home, they know my name and my favorite drink. AND it’s where my husband and I got married so there’s that major reason. But if you’re looking for gourmet cuisine and fine dining this is where you want to go.

5. School of Art & Design at ECU - I mean this is the main reason I came to Greenville to get a degree in jewelry and metal design. The art school has serious talent and though the art building itself is crumbling a bit, the professors & programs they offer are stellar. If you’re an art student looking to learn from world renowned artists and professors then East Carolina University SOAD is where you want to go. The jewelry & metals department has the best professors, when I came I knew that I would get instruction from a wide range of talent and knowledge.

6. The People - I’d say that I have a pretty good understanding of people & places considering I’ve lived in 3 continents and traveled through North & South America, and overall I’ve felt so welcomed and humbled by the generous people I’ve met here. Here’s an example of how generous people are here, when our current President came for one of his ‘rallies’, my favorite breakfast spot The Scullery made national news when they donated a days worth of income (over $5K) to an immigration nonprofit. And an op-ed was published in our newspaper condemning the xenophobic statements made at the rally, stating that Greenville is a diverse and welcoming city. Another example, I was at the Umbrella Market and a friend of mine just met newcomers to Greenville and she introduced me to them so that we could take about the art scene. Hows that for a welcome mat?

7. First Friday ArtWalk - I think this is probably one of my absolute favorite traditions of the month and Uptown Greenville. Back when I had a studio at Art Avenue, we held all sorts of events that landed on the art walk evenings. We held music shows, exhibitions, fashion shows, poetry slam and more. This is where small town culture & art have a major impact on business and exposure. You really get a sense of what Greenville is all about when you walk through town on First Fridays and absorb incredible art and talent.

8. Proximity - Think about it, you’re roughly 2 hours away from amazing beaches, OBX, Atlantic beach and so on. You’re also about an hours drive from other beautiful towns and cities like Wilson, Farmville, Kinston, Belhaven and Bath - all perfect getaways for the weekend. I never would’ve known about these fun adventures had I not lived in Greenville.

9. Dickinson Avenue - If anything has truly evolved and changed it’s this street that used to be super sketchy and mainly the only reason to go was Jonathon Bowling’s epic parties. Now you can choose from a handful of delicious restaurants, throw axes, visit several breweries, shop and pop into an art studio, The Art Lab.

10. The Wildlife and animals - So this last one isn’t specific to just Greenville, it’s more of Eastern North Carolina. Until I moved to Greenville, I had never shot a gun, tasted deer meat, let alone seen a wild bear. I made friends that went hunting, lived on farm land and had that experience of being out in the wild. Now I’m so much more familiar and I love being that close to nature. My jewelry is made by all of the beautiful animals of eastern North Carolina, the barn owl, bear claw, deer antler, sea shells, and so much more.

The ECU metals Guild from 2010, some serious talent in this photo!

One Halloween night at Christy’s Europup.

An image from the Bast Collection shot at the Tar River by Aileen Devlin.

Our wedding in the Starlight Cafe courtyard.

Living in Greenville and traveling and visiting the places of Eastern North Carolina has broadened my concept of community, it has opened my eyes to so much more than the usual offerings of a city. I tell many of my friends back in the DC metro area that it would’ve been so much harder to get my jewelry company off the ground in a bigger city but in Greenville, I was able to grow and expand my business.

Also the cost of living in a smaller city is so much more manageable. You can eat out more, spend your money on local art & culture, and maintain a art studio outside of the home.

I hope this gives you more reasons to visit and stay in Greenville. If you want more of this kind of knowledge and tips on everyday living, sign up for my email list below. Thanks as always for reading friends!

How to Solve This Giant Jewelry Problem

As a jeweler, I often get asked many questions that are quite simple or even insider secrets that not many people know about.

So read on because I’m about to share some BIG secrets and solutions to many of your jewelry problems.

• TAKE OFF YOUR jewelry! Let me say that again, take it off DAILY. Yes, you love those earrings, but do you know what builds up between skin and jewelry? You don’t want to know. So take my advice, take off your jewelry and create a special space for it. I put jewelry dishes all over my house to hold my studs, rings and more.

• Have your highly prized, family heirlooms and wedding rings cleaned professionally and do it twice a year. I worked at a jewelry repair shop and let me tell you, that a good steam and soak in the ultrasonic cleaners at a repair shop will have your jewels looking BLINGED OUT!

• Create spaces to hold and display your jewelry. I keep pretty little dishes in my bathroom, bedroom - everywhere to hold my sacred jewels.

• Save the cheap stuff for your children or teenagers. Honestly, some of the mass marketed jewels are made with lead in China. I know it’s SO tempting but at the end of the day you want your jewelry to last and not kill you slowly.

• SAVE and mail out gold and silver jewels you no longer want and get cash from them. I do it often with all my scrap metal. Don’t take your jewels to a pawn shop, they won’t give you the full amount of what your jewelry is worth. My favorite refinery is Hoover & Strong. click the link to learn more.

So there you have it, my INSIDER secrets and tips on jewelry. I hope they help you and pass them on! We all need that one friend that saves us time and money right?

Thanks so much for reading and coming with me on this journey called life. And if you want to learn more secret ways to care and save on your jewelry, click the link below and sign up for my email list. You’ll get 15% off your next order too.

My Favorite All Natural HANDMADE Beauty Products

Over the course of the past three years I’ve truly begun to move towards consuming all natural and organic products in addition to using more oils, cultivating a garden and reducing our waste as a family. One of my new favorite hacks is creating my own home cleaning products. I use vinegar, lemon juice, water and a dash of eucalyptus oil to clean my counters. We have begun composting and we’re planning to expand our vegetable and herb garden next year.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I really love using handmade beauty products. When I use the term handmade I truly mean handmade. The herbs have been either harvested or ethically sourced and even some of the marketing materials have been created by the maker. I know personally several of the owners of these companies and I just LOVE it that I can shop with them versus CVS or Target. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy a good clearance item at Target but the core products I use are small business owned and most likely female owned.

Totally cheesy photo of me but I post it to show you how great my skin looks with no makeup because I use Priya’s Deep Radiance Face cream nightly!

So I’d love to share my favorite products made by some amazingly talented bossbabes:

1. Priya Means Love - I’ve mentioned her products before on my here and suffice it to say, I’m a loyal fan of her rich, creamy and absolutely earthy goodness creams, lotions, balms and fragrances. Priya and I met years ago at the Craft Bastards Craft show in DC and we had a lil trade which led me to being addicted to her goods!

2. Lo&Behold - I absolutely love Lizzie and her delicious products. We met several years ago at a local craft show and her lotions and potions are just incredible AND she employs young adults to help her craft her products. She uses all natural ingredients and they just make you FEEL SO good!

3. Ritual Elements - I discovered Nique’s products several months ago by chance on Etsy and I’ve given several of her Room + Body Self love sprays as gifts to my friends. These make fantastic wellness gifts for special people in your life, and for yourself. Her bath bombs are tiny treasures with hidden treasures!

4. Mother Mountain herbals - When I need a dusting of coco rose dry shampoo I turn to Mother mountain. I discovered them through my stockist Everyday Magic and I’ve been a loyal fan of their products. Stina also got her start creating her creations in Asheville, so I love the extra North Carolina representation.

I’m sure I’ll add more to that list however I’m kinda itching to create my own! Since we’ve begun our herb and vegetable garden it has gotten me closer and more comfortable handling plants. With that I also want to venture myself in creating my own remedies, oils, tinctures and more. You can say I’m a novice of herbal studies and I”m really loving it.

There is such a wonderful feeling in getting a bit dirty, using your hands and body to become familiar with the earth. I urge you to move towards more natural and organic products. It’s better for you and our world.

As always thank you for reading and stay tuned for my herbal studies progress. Join my email list and I’ll share more with you!

Summer Rituals and Habits

Being half Spanish I have inherent comfort level with heat and warm temperatures. I love being warm, baking in the sun by a pool. And despite some of the oppressive temperatures lately, I still love summertime.

So here are some of my favorite rituals and things to do this time of year.

1. Enjoy the sunsets! I try to get outside in the early morning and in the late evening. Even if there is a warm drizzle, being outside with my daughter is so fun in the late summer nights. She enjoys a popsicle while I sip on rosemary seltzer water and we soak in the natural beauty.

2. The Uptown Umbrella market and all farmer markets - Ripe red tomatoes, local honey, shaved ice and live music, it’s free and we get to see our friends! And if I’m lucky we go to my favorite farm to table restaurant Starlight Cafe.

3. Outdoor concerts and movies - another fun and FREE activity. Now that our daughter is running around and has all the energy it makes sense to take her to a musical outdoor event. It’s another excuse to be outside enjoying the late nights.

4. Harvesting - For our garden summertime explodes with green and purple peppers, Japenese eggplant, mint, basil and cherry tomatoes. It’s so gratifying to go in our backyard and pluck fresh vegetables.

5. Stay inside and paint - Yes I love warm weather but I also enjoy the cool temps inside. I’ve taken to setting up a paint station for my daughter and we get totally creative. It’s also a meditative activity. You don’t think, you just paint and allow your mind to empty!
   

Every season has it’s extremes, fun and drudgey but overall, I try to enjoy each season for the wonderful offerings and ways to move with time.

Thanks as always for reading, stay in touch with me via my email list and I’ll send you more rituals and ways to celebrate a more present life.

Revisiting the Vespa Collection

Over the past seven years I’ve been pretty consistent in creating two collections or sometimes one collection of jewels a year. And since the beginning I’ve had friends and long time customers tell how much they loved my Vespa Collection.

The Vespa Collection was inspired by the wasp nest and it’s geometric shape. Now, you know my jewelry is very much inspired by animals and the natural world and I tend to use more organic looking shapes versus geometric so this was a bit of a departure to create jewels with more defined edges. However there was a nice combination of both.

I truly enjoyed making this collection because I didn’t use any ‘cast’ elements, meaning any talons or claws. As much as I love them, it’s fun to switch it up. I especially loved using warm honey colors like citrine, gold druzy and other druzy stones. AND the best part is the fantastic shape of the ring, a five sided pentagon with a ring in the middle. I’m quite proud of that design and I love how different it is for a ring shank.

How dreamy is this shot of my Vespa citrine earrings???!!

I’ve decided to re-introduce the Vespa Citrine ring as I’ve acquired new citrine stones. That’s the trick is finding the right stones, it can be incredibly difficult to find the right stones especially when you can’t go to all the fun gem shows (one day)!

I’ve only got TWO stones for this ring. I’m working on acquiring more stones but for now I expect an all out panic, just kidding, in snapping up this fabulous ring.

Don’t worry friends, I’m on the look out for more faceted citrine stones and if you have your own or find some contact me! Let’s work together.

Tarot and Why I Love It

Tarot is experiencing a widespread popularity and resurgence and I’m so incredibly happy because it’s such an amazing spiritual tool and method for inner growth and manifestation.

I started reading my tarot cards about 18 years ago - dang I feel old! My first deck was the Rider-waite (the most popular deck to begin with). At first it felt overwhelming to shuffle through and try to understand but over the years I’ve become so much more familiar and adept at using them.

Tarot is a divination tool and a very ancient one.

“The word tarot can have several associations, some may liken it to the Hebrew word, Torah; the latin rota, meaning “wheel” or the Arabic Tarah or turuq which refer to “four ways”. However most point to the connection between the Italian Tarocchi or Tarocco which refers to the original renditions of the play-card games that appeared in Europe sometime during the 15th century.”

— Danielle Noel auther of The Book of Tarot

Over the years tarot went through several renditions and new designs but the ultimately the tarot deck that has endured over time is the Rider Wait-Smith tarot designed and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. Both were occultists and practitioners of Kabbalism and they added a whole new mystical symbology to the deck.

An excerpt from one of my favorite Tarot guidebooks, Modern Tarot by Michelle Tea has a fantastic description of tarot:

“The Tarot is an ancient story system, a pack of cards that tell a multitude of tales depending on the ways in which they’re placed alongside one another. Pull the High Priestess, the Page of Coins, and the World, and it tells a story of an individual seeking higher purpose through the material world, someone who isj ust beginning a path of knowledge but whose deep inspiration and devotion will take her very far....The trick to being able to deduce this is to know the cards well and allow yourself to link their stories together and — and this is really important — trusting that you are reading the cards clearly. It could, if you’re nervous to look at that last spread of cards and then say, “Oh, um, actually, it could also mean that walking away from this situation might bring the Tower down and ruin your life. I”m not sure! Thanks for coming!” Tarot speaks to your intuition, to our guts. More and more scientific research points to the right-on power of our “guts” to make quick, intuitive , and correct decisions.”

— Michelle Tea

Here’s the thing to understand about tarot and all forms of divination; it’s a tool which means it isn’t going to predict your future, what tarot does is provide a visual aid of delving deeper into what you’re experiencing. Tarot is akin to a telescope allowing you to see much closer into your life.

My daughter and I looking through the cards

Tarot is just one of the divination tools I use.

I want to be clear that tarot is for anyone, of any faith. And you don’t need years of experience to read your own cards. Because here’s a secret friends, you know the answers. Deep down you are your greatest teacher and that is how you understand the cards.

Here’s a list of my favorite decks:

The Fountain tarot deck - I feel as if I’m deep within my unconscious when i look at these cards. It’s as if entering a dream world.

The Moonchild deck - Another otherworldly deck, I love the collage effect of these images. Danielle creates a beautiful and sumptous world with her images AND the booklet for the deck is full of juicy information and ways to attune yourself to the moon.

The Arthurian Tarot deck - This was the second deck I acquired and one of my most cherished. Caitlin and John Matthews are complete scholars of Celtic and Arthurian lore and legend. This deck delves into the myth and stories and provide fantastic illustrations that really get you thinking what the symbols mean.

Anima Mundi deck - My daughter loves this deck for all the dark and fantastical images of the animals. I also enjoy this deck for totem spiritual work. What is a lovely surprise about this deck are some of the animals are associated with characteristics that I normally wouldn’t have.

Threads of Fate oracle deck - My newest deck and one that isn’t tarot but oracle, somewhat the same but doesn’t follow the traditional minor arcana and major. Brit June and Blair Porter have created a beautiful deck with gold inlay and the illustrations touch upon larger themes like Soul Work and Speak Truth. Some cards feature healers, sages and spiritual practitioners with a lil bio in the booklet.

Some tips for newbie Tarot nerds:

• pull one card a day to get famililar with your deck

• Keep a journal to record your thoughts and feelings towards the card

• Before you pull a card, sit with the deck and allow your mind to cleanse the cards and connect with them.

• Take your deck with you whereever you go, so that you can sit and play with them or share with a friend.

I hope you enjoyed this post and especially learning more about tarot. I promise that time with a tarot deck is never wasted and is so cleansing for the spirit.

If you’d like to learn more about divination, meditation and how to combine jewelry with those two, sign up for my email list below. I email weekly about my jewelry, up coming craft shows, mindfulness and more.

As always thanks for reading - stay badass and fierce friends!

How Becoming a Mother Changed My Perspective of 'Work' and Life Balance

Over the course of the past two years of being a mother I’ve been through a bit of a roller coaster of emotions. Some days I’m at peace with my new role and other days I feel complete overwhelm and anxiety.

I’ve posted on my blog several times about my journey and how I finally came to some peace with the fact that there won’t ever truly be balance. And I’m sure so many other moms have the same feelings, what I think is unique about being a stay at home mom AND running a small business without much child care is that it can take an incredible amount of patience, flexibility and community help to get through the the long haul.

One significant factor in my coming to terms with the role of motherhood and working from home is my mindset has changed incredibly. I’ve listened to podcasts that encourage meditation, working smarter and less, creating rituals that ensure productivity.and mindfulness. I’ve also just allowed myself to take time to rest and relax.

AND the major part of all of my changes in mindset is my daughter Tallulah; toddlers have a way of forcing you to be present and incredibly patient. Toddlers will TEST you like no other and in the end you begin to understand that they are simply curious. And that curiosity is immensely beautiful and grounding.

You might be thinking, ok Lisette we get it, you’ve accepted being a mom and a boss, what’s that have to do with me?

“I share my experience with you because I know we all struggle with balance and just BEING, and knowing that perhaps in the moment there can be anxiety, stress and overwhelm but if we acknowledge that it isn’t us - any situation that we’re in is one we’re experiencing but it doesn’t define us. ”

— Lisette Fee

Thus here are photos of me in my studio, garden, meditation space and most importantly of all photos of me with my pookie, Tallulah.

Tallulah loves flowers and being outside. It’s our daily ritual to walk all around our town.

Watering our vegetable and herb garden.

Tickles are the best with a little person.

Rose in hand, surrounded by jewels.

While Tallulah naps, I work!

Tallulah loves playing in my meditation room.

sorting through tarot cards and rune stones.

I hope you enjoyed this post and an inside look into my studio and life. And thank you as always for supporting and following Eilisain.

My Morning Ritual and How It Sets Me Up for the Day

I’m one of those people that loves routine and likes to set things up ready for the next day. For example, I prep my coffee and electric kettle in the evening before I settle into bed so that there is less to be done the following morning. And I enjoy certain rituals at the beginning and ending of the day.

I thought I’d share with you my morning ritual as it has truly made a difference in my well being and sanity. My main goal with my morning ritual is to bring my mindset to the present yet also preparing myself for the rest of the day. As my kettle boils the water for my coffee, I sip room temperature water with lemon and basil. I crack open my calendar notebook and my journal. Mind you this all happens AFTER I get my daughter out of her crib, fix her a sippy cup of milk and turn on Hotel Transylvania (it should come as no surprise my child loves movies about monsters!).

I review and jot down three goals for the day, then i recite my morning mantras and manifestations. One of my favorites is stating:

“Wealth and abundance is plentiful and comes into my life easily.”

What this calls into my life is gratitude and a viewpoint that imagines enough for everyone. There is love, knowledge and joy all around me. I’ve been working hard on my mindset this year, to be aware and present and keep my eyes and heart open.

Once I’ve performed this ritual, I prepare my coffee and then allow myself to look at my phone.

Notebooks are essential for capturing ideas and goals.

I’ll be honest it can be SO HARD to not automatically reach for my phone and scroll thru my favorite apps when I get up in the morning. And there are mornings where I do this first, however I notice that once I crack open phone there is not telling when I put it back down and it tends to make me more anxious in the morning.

Surrounding myself with special objects, crystals, plants and of course a furbaby or two keeps me calm and happy in the morning and throughout the day. And keeping books and magazines on the coffee table provide more sustenance than my phone.

Having a toddler has also forced me to be aware and present with my daughter, watching her grow and learn. I don’t want to forget those precious moments.

I highly recommend you keep a morning ritual (other than the usual, wash your face and brush your teeth). Something about the act of gratitude and centering yourself provides a base for which a day has been set with intention and awareness.

3 Mombosses I Admire

Are you tired yet of me talking about being a momboss? I hope not because I have a new post to share with you several MOMBOSSES that I admire and respect.

We can all agree that being a bossbabe is a ton of work, responsibility and juggling but add being a mom on top of that and it’s even more scheduling and organization.

Erica Letchworth - I met Erica when I first moved to my small town of Farmville three years ago. And right off that bat I knew that we would become friends. We have so much in common, we both lived in Gainesville, FL, we both attended ECU AND we’re both bossbabes. And now, we have even more in common, Erica became a mom a year ago. Erica is a portrait photographer and she is in the same boat as I am, running a small business AND caring for her daughter full time. Somehow she makes it all work!

*side note: Erica will be shooting me in my home studio and meditation space next week. I’m SUPER excited to work with her.

How beautiful is this family? Erica with her husband and daughter.

Kelly Boutilier - Kelly is a veteran entrepreneur, she has run her own boutique, organized epic fashion shows and now she owns a yoga practice and a pop up shop/gallery for exhibitions and shows. When I met Kelly her son Kingy was just a baby and now he’s practically a teenager! Watching Kelly juggle all her projects and endeavors has always inspired and motivated me. She makes it look so easy, fun and fierce!

Here I am with Kelly and our friend/artist/momboss Kristen Hardee

Courtney Kerr - I introduced ya’ll to Courtney when I did my fav photographers post. And as you know she’s also a mom. She’s managed to shoot families and children while also caring for her toddler. Courtney most recently had a baby and she’s continued to amaze me with her momboss strength and tenacity. Courtney shot our family photos and I’ll forever cherish them.

Such a fun and happy photo with my hubby and daughter.

So this Mother’s Day, not only do I urge you to support small and local business’ but also the mombosses in your life. They deserve and need your support and love; especially these MEGA MOMBOSSES. They are true warriors in home life and work life.

Thanks as always for reading and popping by my blog. If you want to get more information like this sign up for my email list.

And if you’re still shopping for a mother’s day gift…SHOP my guide below!