I come from a creative family!

There is no way to overemphasize the creativity and craftiness of my family. I was just telling my Mom how it is only as an adult that I can appreciate this. I thought everybody's parents sewed them elaborate Halloween costumes and taught art classes (my Mom), and built treehouses and furniture (my Dad). These examples, of course, barely scratch the surface. Above is a picture of my Mom's fingerless gloves, and here is a picture of the fireplace that my Dad and my uncle remade. I keep telling them that they should go into business...and I'm actually not joking.

My Mom knits and crochets beautiful hats, gloves, socks, and blankets. She actually just sent a set of pillows up to New York--I have got to photograph them. They are chocolate brown and a rich lime green, which fit right into the color scheme of our house. Amazing. At the market where I sell jewelry every weekend, I see people selling similar items (well, mostly hats and scarves), and I think about how much people would love the stuff my Mom makes. Every time I wear a pair of her gloves, all my friends are trying to figure out where I bought them. Her pieces are really unique and beautiful.

And my Dad, of course, is equally impressive. At one point he wanted to be an architect, and he has always been a talented woodworker. Every room of the house I grew up in had pieces of his furniture. I have had his pieces in all of my apartments, except here in New York--it's a bit of a long haul to bring a bookcase up from North Carolina! I do really miss them, though. Although he did make a special trip up to the city just to help Nick and I overhaul our little backyard garden, so he has still made his mark on this house!

I feel increasingly grateful for all of the results of my parents hard work--mainly, the creativity that was deeply instilled in me. It is something that I learned not by being told, but through watching the way my parents lived and created so many of the things that made up our world. The creativity didn't just rub off on me, either--below is a necklace my sister made. She insists that I'm the "crafty" one, but the truth is in the woven hemp below (she's also a fantastic cook, paints, and makes duct tape wallets, among her many other talents). I also have a brother whose specialty is creativity of the mind (he's a natural born philosopher). It's no accident, I think, that we are all related.

I really am glad that the desire to create things has always stayed with me--when my boyfriend and I moved into our new apartment last April, we designed everything ourselves. We painted, we ripped out all the old light fixtures and installed new ones (some of which we made). We built a wall to separate the kitchen from the sleeping area, and we built a trellis in the backyard. Half the art on the walls we made ourselves. I am glad that I have found a partner who likes to make things as much as I do, and that we are often able to enjoy that process together. We did meet through our jobs at the same theater, though, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

Now, I am just appreciating the creative mindset a lot more. Without watching my parents creative lives, maybe I never would have thought to start this jewelry business. And it will all just keep expanding...when I go home for Christmas, my Mom has already agreed to teach me how to sew handbags :)