Nicholas & Celeste's Wedding Details!

Whether you'll be joining us in spirit or in person, we hope you'll be part of our big day! Here's the invitation that Nicky made up for us (he's so good!):



And here's a link to the XBarH lodge where the wedding will be...awesome place and the caretakers Michele and J.C. are super nice!

Red Rock Retreat

A Personal Post: News Sandwich, Anyone?

You know how in the business world, management is supposed to deliver a "compliment sandwich" where they first say something nice, then something not-so-nice, then finish up with a compliment or kudo? Well, 2008 has been a "news sandwich" for our family, with the sad news alternating with the happy news.

Each time something major would happen, I've wanted to blog about it...and before I got to it, something else major would happen! So, finally, here it is, all in a nutshell (a copy and paste of our Holiday Letter to friends & family)...and for those of you wondering who Nicholas (Nicky) is, he's my sweetie, my muse & inspiration and the very reason I had the confidence and support to start this whole, crazy scarf designing business in the first place! Our letter to you all...

Happy Holidays from the Heart of Canyon Country!

So much has happened this year, we hardly know where to begin! Biggest news first: Nicholas proposed to Celeste at a formal dinner in Salt Lake City in front of about 60 new and old friends…her answer was a resounding, “YES!” We finished out the evening by being quite possibly the happiest couple in a crowd of 21,000 at the annual Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. A night to remember for a lifetime…we’ll keep you posted on an exact date, we’re looking at next Spring, 2009. Thank you all for your support and well wishes these past 3 years; we’re looking forward to many, many more.

As if a crowd-grabbing proposal weren’t enough, Celeste is basking in a bit of public glory with her booming scarf business: Vegetarian Times, a national magazine, pictured one of her designs on page 62 of the January 2009 issue (it's #2 on the Hot Picks list next to a blurb about the Vegan Etsy team that Celeste belongs to). If you get a chance, pick up a copy at your local newsstand! In fact, business with her online scarf boutique is so bustling, that when she was laid off in November, she was actually relieved because it gave her time to fill all those scarf orders! She hopes to continue concentrating fulltime on designing & selling her scarves.



We’ve been blessed to be able to visit with so much family this year, including both of our dads and stepmoms, Nicholas’ beautiful daughter Hannah who is growing up so fast & Celeste’s mom & her sweetie Mike. We’ve enjoyed keeping in touch with Nicholas’ mom who moved to the big city of Seattle late last year, and look forward to seeing her real soon….maybe at a certain someone’s upcoming wedding here in Utah. ;)

Especially important, we are glad to have had the joy and honor of visiting both Celeste & Nicholas’ grandmas shortly before they each passed away. Although we miss these two, spunky farm girls and their love of life and sense of fun, it does give us some comfort to know that they’re in a better place & that they each left behind large families to carry on their legacy of love & integrity.

We said goodbye to two amazing ladies who were the heart of their families in the span of a month’s time…followed by losing our beloved dog, Cosmo, unexpectedly last week. Cosmo was with Nicholas, every day, through thick & thin, for a decade and our home is not the same without him. Again, our hearts are breaking at losing someone so special, while at the same time we are glad he didn’t suffer and that the tumor that was growing unbeknownst to us didn’t slow him down or effect his quality of life until his last day—he even played in the snow with our other dog, Cinema, and ate with gusto the evening beforehand. Like Celeste says, “Cosmo had 15 years of good days, and one bad day…. Well, maybe the day he got neutered wasn’t so hot, but other than that…”



That’s our year in a nutshell—the happiness and the tears. Next year we will be reporting about the fun we all shared at our wedding!

Love,
Nicholas & Celeste

Lorelei's Atelier Jewelry: Welcome to Etsy!

This month, I was introduced to Lorelei of Lorelei's Atelier, a new jewelry boutique on Etsy, your place to buy & sell all things handmade.

Lorelei is a very special person. She's beautiful both inside and out. Her designs are soothing, almost nurturing, affirming and grounded. Do you see what I mean in these pictures? I love their cool weight. Their quality is palpable.

What's most important about Lorelei, though, is her goodness as a person. She's positive, she has integrity, honor and humility. I met Lorelei when she became an appreciative, friendly customer, buying scarves for herself and loved ones. Her obvious, genuine caring & kindness for those around her inspired me to feature her today. What an incredible person.

Please help me welcome Lorelei to Etsy by visiting her online jewelry boutique full of semi precious stones and quality metals. Be sure to add her shop to your favorites while you're there! :) Thanks, everyone and Happy New Year!

Why Won't June Act Like a Little Lady?

I know, I usually like to show a sampling of items from a shop I'm featuring. In the case of the wonderful Amy of tinyviolet, I'm so captivated by how she created and presented a doll named June that this post is ALL about June! Read on...

"Hello, June! June is the middle of three sisters, and her nickname is Junebug. She's a tomboy, preferring a nice tall tree to climb or a pickup game of baseball with the neighborhood boys to tea parties or anything "froo froo". You won't find ribbons in her hair unless it's picture day, and even then only until a moment after the insufferable deed is done.


Junebug is one of a kind and she has dark brown hair. Her body is made of upcycled baby clothes. (Mom tries to dress Junebug and Little Sister Janine the same, even though they are not twins.) The heart on the front of her dress is a real pocket for storing frogs, jacks, and treasure maps! :)

Junebug measures approximately 16 inches long and her sweet face is handpainted. She's a very helpful sort of child, although she does tend to shun any clothing she may deem excessive (once June's shoes were inexplicably found in the freezer behind some ears of corn)."


I also especially enjoy the hair and meaning behind Coral, a peaceful doll with a relaxed expression. Please visit her by clicking on her name....

Steampunk & Vintage & Glorious...Oh MY!

Susan of Callooh Callay jewelry, vintage, etc. has class, style & integrity.


Just look at these amazing images of her eclectic offerings. They range from steampunk style jewelry made from vintage buttons and findings to vintage postcards & more (I just HAD to show off this early 20th century example depicting the Grand Canyon, since that's just an hour from my home in the high desert). What ties everything together is her impeccable taste, eye for detail and dedication to presenting only the best.


I've been wanting to feature Susan's online jewelry and vintage boutique for a long time, and today she gave me the perfect excuse by including my Red n Pink Delight Rose and Crimson Handknit Scarf in her stunning collection called Drinking the Koolaid. Thank you, Susan (that scarf design has made it to Etsy front page several times, and your treasury is gorgeous...maybe we'll get there together again)!

Susan can also be found on flickr and her blog.

SageWest Art Gladdens the Heart

I'm such a Western Gal. Other than the first 10 months of my life spent in Germany, I've never resided east of the Continental Divide. I've lived in Montana, Oregon, California and now beautiful Utah.

I am truly touched by the art of Sage West Studios. Every piece seems to have personal meaning:

Being from Kansas, sunflowers are one of my Nicky's favorite flowers

We have a Quaking Aspen in our back yard here in Utah

We saw elk last time we drove to the Grand Canyon an hour away.

And you'll have to message me privately to find out the rooster significance (cute little story about the birds and the bees when I was a kid)! ;)

I'm deeply honored to be a member of the Utah Etsy Team along with Sage West Studios from beautiful Cache Valley!

Cracking the Glass Ceiling with Marjorie's Cracked!

I love being part of the animal-friendly teams on Etsy, your place to buy & sell all things handmade. I belong to all four and enjoy them immensely. Here is a little more information about the teams and their respective focuses!

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Marjorie, one of the newest members of the EtsyVeg team! Marjorie is so nice and fun, and I adore her online shop's profile:

"Marjorie's Cracked Plate Jewelry Store offers unique handcrafted jewelry made from broken china, porcelain and ceramic using wire wrap and wire crochet techniques. Also custom orders are taken to transform customer's broken china into lovely jewelry pieces that will be treasured for years to come. No more throwing your treasured broken china away! Now also offering sea glass jewelry."

I absolutely love this concept. Talk about reduce, reuse, recycle and HONOR...for our pasts, for items' ability to be repurposed...wow! Talk about "cracking" the glass ceiling on our consumeristic, throw-away society (pun intended)!