Holy three days 'till MISSOULA Batman!

Cranking out all kinds of stuff.....

It's 7:30pm.

and I can barely see straight.

Been in the studio since 8:30am.

and I know that's amateur for some Artists...

but, whoah, this is kicking my butt.

Things are getting done, though....

and many pretty things made.

can't really think well, so leaving you with my new boxes and stickers.

pretty slick, eh?

kind of like Jenga, only jewelry boxes.

OOOOH, Also!!! Check out RURAL WOMEN ROCK for their holiday gift guide.

lots of cool stuff. and great ladies. and a cool blog too. Featuring lots of cool handmade stuff!

I love this tote,

found here!

My ring is listed for the gift guide too!

woot woot!

~TODAY IS YOUR DAY~

stamped on the back of this whopper.

knuckle-buster.

big-time.

all-time.

cocktaily.

bad ass.

She's large, and in charge.

Listed in my ETSY shop.

allright. nighty-night.

things are getting silly.

hearts, E

so very thankful for......

in no particular order......

(didn't get this up yesterday, too busy eating!)

............................................

friends. family. Jesse, an amazing and complex man who continues to amaze me with his "mad skills" with tools, plywood, electricity, plumbing, truck mechanics, a rifle, an axe, patience and love. Montana Coffee Traders. tex. the bungalito. Ethos Paris and Leslie. MOM ~ (need i say more). a truck that continues to turn-over on cold mornings. a man that can jerry-rig just about anything. washing machines. HOME. ladies night. furniture. good health. straight teeth. mismatch silverware. piano lessons from childhood. the piano. Fawn boutique and lynde. an amazing wood stove, and birch-bark fire-starter. etsy-folk and the love from internet communities. cory and katie, who just show up for coffee because they KNOW it's a sure thing. studio tools and space. the ability and freedom to work at home. quitting my day job. the ultimate Karen, who has metal answers for everything. front porches.a fridge full of food, and beer. Maggie and Brent. Marti and Karl. YAKIN. alaskan adventures. Ski season. my orange puffy coat. travel time. my sister, who will always make me laugh, and never fail to surprise me. Dad's Nornie, who makes him so happy. brisk fall mornings at home. Jake-of-all. homemade cider. the Person family. meat in the freezer. the internet(without it, how would i say what i'm thankful for?! :) big breakfasts. a man who truly believes in my dreams.

...................................................

So very thankful to be here, today, with a budding business to grow, a home to nest in, and a man who I adore.

Happy Thanksgiving folks.

Much love.

Erin.

Winter is fast approaching.

and the deer are hungry.

I went out today and shook our apple tree so this little baby would have something to nibble on that was actually on-top the snow, not under it.

And I don't like deer.

Actually, I despise them. Since we just moved into our home this summer, I have lost 3 rounds of strawberry plants, a few bushes, and an entire slew of potted plants on the porch. They even ate the apples I picked, that I set on the front porch, and they helped themselves....RIGHT OUT OF THE BASKET!

I love gardening....and these things are worse than aphids, mildew, root-rot.

But, They love my apple tree.

And I kind of actually feel bad for even thinking of putting a

HUGE fence around my property,

7 feet tall to be exact,

so those little shits can't eat my new garden.

It must be the time of year where winter isn't quite here yet, and everything seems to be scrambling (including Jesse and I) to get ready for another winter.

Yes, I kind of feel bad for them. And I fed the damn deer.

ugh.

confession of the day.

-------------------------

another note,

new Ring Today!

all about winter,

.....

The most gorgeous petrified wood in WHITE.

winter white.

introducing.......Winter Lilly.

New 3-petal back I am trying out....

a bit of a puzzle at first, but I love how it looks!

Listed in the etsy shop today....

......

Hope your sunday was lovely!

I GOT IN!!!

to the UC Missoula Holiday Art Fair!

(check it out, 2nd on the list : ) hehe.)

yay!

If you are in Missoula during this three day weekend,

pleeeease come say Hi!

I am currently cramming for a great show, with lots of goodies for stocking stuffers, and always one-of-a-kind jewels.

So excited.

I've never traveled to a show before, so this is very new to me, but I have great friends in the area...plus, Missoula is such a great town! Lots of fun shopping, good eats, and great people. It'll be nice to get out of the valley for a long weekend. And It's gonna' be a great show people!

Big city of Missoula, here I come!

rooted in love

Rooted in Love.....

Amethyst Sage Jasper pendant.

........

Love where the darkest of days hang over you...

love where the coldest wind stings your face...

and there are still arms to hold you.

even if you are

not exactly

the best version of yourself today.

.......

love in family.

in the act of being a family.

by blood or no.

unconditional.

unbreakable.

imperfect but always there.

even if you

aren't exactly

the best version of yourself today.

......

Because, face it.

sometimes we aren't the person we know we should be.

not our bright-eyed best.

but your roots set you right.

a nice plop into the ground.

Set you up vertical...

straight enough? oh sure.

give you a couple stomps to the loose dirt around you.

and you are...

just fine.

Your roots will set you right.

Rock Shoppin!

drool.

oh no.

He was here.

The guy.

You know who I mean.

......merlin......

not even kidding you. My stone guy's name is merlin.

And he comes to the college every November.

And he teases us all with his little shiny rock-candy.

"Ya can't eat 'em, Erin. Ya' can't eat 'em."

I love that guy. He is like an old uncle who just loves to give you a hard time.

I brought him lunch. We visited. He gave me hell for bringing him soup and bread instead of his requested "somethin' off the dollar menu, and two pies."

I told him I don't eat that McDonalds crap.

And eat your soup, it's getting cold.

He's that ol' fart who makes jokes in the post office line about screaming kids and the weather. He owns a Harley, and hates stuffy rock-folks. He goes to the Tuscon gem show every year, and stays at what he likes to call "the dive" and is proud of it. He cuts the most ridiculous stones, artisan quality shipped all over the world, shipped to "fancy art-folks" in New York City. But he's gritty, and I love it. And He always makes a priority to come to the school. Which is so awesome. I've been buying cabs from Merlin for 3 years now, and it is always a highlight of November. He has the tendency to slip shiny objects you've been eyeballing in your hand, or pocket, or purse....with a snicker or wisecrack about how "they're just rocks". I usually pencil in the whole day, just slobbering over colorful Jasper, Agates, Opal, Lapis.....the guy has a little of everything, and I usually geek out about where they came from... with an old man who would consider himself "a dirt-ball". And I love it.

Merlin moved to Livingston this year, which is quite far away...I used to be able to pop in on him at his shop in Plains, less than two hours away. And NOW....he lives almost 350 miles from me. boo.

sooooo.........

I went shoppin'!

His specialty is Montana Agates, so I scooped up a bunch of them.

Most all is Jasper and Agate.

I passed on a whole bunch of stuff....

which just means I will have to go to Livingston when this supply runs out!

darn.

(picture from last year, I forgot to get a pic yesterday....crap!

pretty much the same though, he hasn't changed a bit)

some of these rocks are spoken for, but if you see something in the quiver you love, just holler.

-love Erin

The brood...

Couldn't help myself.....

these were so much fun to photograph.

Made these this week, experimenting with assembly-line technique....it's very different than what I have been doing, but it's good to try something different.

This brood is headed to Kalispell today, the lovely Lynde at Fawn Boutique is in need of some christmas goodies...

but if they come home with me, you will find them in my Etsy store Today!

....

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.

-Aristotle

....

It's November in Montana.

You can hear things putting themselves to bed for the winter.

A long nap.

Spitting snow outside today only means one thing.

Winter is coming.

quick.

a whispering reminder that you better hurry up and get ready.

tie up loose ends, tuck away fall.

and settle down for a nice...

long....

SKI SEASON!!

...