Each of my lines is inspired by a fabulous woman. Rather than spring, summer, or fall, my lines are Alanna, Maria, and Nellie Bly. With them as my inspiration, I strive to create pieces that last — jewelry that resonates both emotionally and aesthetically.  Read below to learn how the stories of these amazing women imbue the jewelry I create. 

Alanna

The name for this line comes from the heroine of my favorite childhood book. Alanna was brave, driven, and independent (not to mention a magical knight).  This line is about the strength we derive from having heroes (whether real or fantastical) to live up to. It is about striving, reaching, stretching to live up to ideals.

On a personal note, this line is also about love. Alanna was my favorite story, one I read and re-read over and over again. Some time back I met a wonderful man, a guy who laughed at my jokes and loved my art – and somehow in the few belongings he had with him in his rental apartment, he had a hard copy of the first edition of my favorite book, Alanna. I married that man. 

Striving and love, reaching and being vulnerable. The pieces in this line are a combination of smooth edges and rough surfaces. In recognition that each of our attempts will always be unique, each piece is hand-made and slightly different from the rest.  

Maria

This line is inspired by my incredibly brave friend, Maria. She is an amazing climber, but in October of 2012, she fell 60 feet from a cliff while climbing in Maine and was seriously injured. Friends and community members from her small town joined together to help her through her recovery. She was skiing again that winter and won a 9-mile trail race up and down a local mountain that spring. She's not just recovered, she's overcome. 

The fundamentals of each piece are taken from the knots used in climbing ropes. Just as knots connect one climber to another, the knots in this line signify our connections to each other. Like our relationships, knots become stronger when we pull on them. These knots represent the love that connects us and the strength gained from adversity. Each piece in the Maria line explores this theme in a slightly different way. 

Nellie Bly

Nellie Bly was a journalist and explorer in the mid-late 1800s. She launched her career by purposefully getting committed to a women's mental institution in New York City. She then penned an exposé on the abuses she witnessed inside, and she is widely considered to be the first American investigative journalist. 

She soared to international fame when she set out to circumnavigate the globe faster than Phileas Fogg, the fictional protagonist in Jules Verne's Around the World In 80 Days.  Bly departed from New Jersey and journeyed by train, boat, and burro. She returned 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes later.  

The pieces in this line are reflective of treasures one might encounter when traveling the globe. Although our pieces don't date back to Nellie Bly's time, they are all the types of things that she surely would have seen. This collection is a tribute to exploration. It is meant to inspire the adventurer in all of us.