i'm feeling very quiet and thoughtful these days. the images above fit my mood perfectly. they are from a walk i took on a warm october afternoon at portland's serene japanese garden. i love how nature has stained that wall with mossy patina. 

a trip to the coast always warrants a photograph. a few days of quiet, listening only to the sound of the wind and waves is so restorative. the healing power of the ocean, of warm conversations with my mom and hot soup, all deeply soothing to body and spirit. this curious gull our lone visitor, peering into the windows with his sharp eye. one day was warm enough for a long stroll on the beach, but the last morning, we woke to some snow on the sand, our signal to make haste away from a coming storm and get safely back to portland. back to life, to reality and to my work in the jewelry studio. 

there will be lots more new jewelry in my bread + butter store in the next couple of weeks, so do keep checking back. 

last friday i spent a couple of hours strolling the portland japanese garden, one of my favorite places here in the northwest. as soon as i walk through the gates, my lungs fill with that air purified by so many trees and my senses snap into focus. a few minutes more and i can feel my noisy, anxious brain starting to settle down. i drop into a deep, calm place as i walk the paths and sit in the meditation shelters. the whole garden is completely authentic, many elements brought directly from japan, like the river stones.

it's a serene, lovely spot in any season, but i really love it when the japanese maples are in glorious fall foliage. sitting under one, i snapped the shot below. it felt like a lacy umbrella.

the front gates are so wonderful, with beautiful ceramic roof tiles. i always leave the garden in a better frame of mind than when i arrived. inspired, energized, lighter and more present. little details pop up to delight you...

my interview with the tv folks went well yesterday. i got to speak about my process as a jeweler and what it is like to grow a small business from scratch. they also filmed me using my torch and working on a belt buckle. fun stuff! if you are local and want to catch the segment (which will surely be edited down to 45 seconds or so) it will be airing next tuesday morning, from 9-10am during a show called better on local channel 12. 

an image from over a year ago, my 40th birthday at the coast with my mom. after walking five miles of pristine, deserted beach, we came to this rock formation. it is stunningly tall and massive, a great chunk jutting out of the sand and sea with authority. i love the oregon coast for all it's drama and windswept beauty. breathtakingly beautiful in every season.

this is the place i dream about owning a little retreat cottage, on this stretch of hidden beach, off the main road and still free of major developments.

fantastic imagery from the ocean yesterday. i had a wonderful birthday on the coast, full of treats of all kinds. i will be posting about the details over the next few days, there is simply too much for one post. just wait until you see the jellyfish photos. be prepared to weep, they are stunning! and i had one of the best meals of my life at sunset, a proper birthday feast for the senses.

i spent first part of my day on this beautiful beach, with hardly another soul besides mia and i. she's getting slower in her old age, which suited my reflective mood yesterday, wandering over the sand, stopping often to examine the amazing treasures left by the waves. i love the giant kelp plants with their rubbery leaves. they really seem more animal than plant.

oh and the waves, the waves were spectacular!  huge and frothy, with millions of tiny sparkles from the sun riding over their surface. even though i drove through rain on my way, the coast was perfectly warm and sunny during my time on the beach. walking though a grove of pines, you first see the beach and wonder aloud, "oh my love, why have i been away so long"? thankfully, the ocean always welcomes you back.

thank-you so much, everyone for your birthday wishes yesterday! it was lovely to come home to a virtual mailbox full of sweet comments. it's great to know that what i am doing here at found object is inspiring and interesting to others.