On making a birthday wishlist as a somatic healing exercise

It’s my birthday eve. Don’t try and tell me that a birthday eve is not a thing, I am a Libra and birthdays are important to me.

My kids get to pick either a party, a special family outing, or a big present for their birthdays, and usually we end up doing more than one, not because they demand it, but because *I* want to celebrate *them* as much as I can.

My birthday brings up some baggage that I haven’t been able to articulate until recently.

As a single mom, I don’t really have anyone to volunteer to set up a celebration FOR me, nor do I have a cohesive group of friends to celebrate WITH, but, mostly that’s been fine.

In recent years I’ve just planned something *I* want to do ON my birthday (traditionally, skip school and cancel all appointments to go to Disneyland) and maybe on an adjacent day someone in my family wants to meet up or something.

However, the years have gone on, it’s been harder and harder to feel birthday-ey, and I couldn’t figure out WHY.

Last year I just… kind of dissociated at my family dinner, and never even spent the $100 my mom gave me to go out for a nice dinner (it’s literally in an envelope with all the other cash I’ve been gifted for the past couple of years). The year before that, I was DEEP in the trenches of what can only be described as an inhumane sequence of traumatic events (and one week from the emergency hearing where I got sole legal custody of my kids).

This year, I am just like… wtf this is some “back when I was trapped in a marriage with an abusive narcissist” levels of un-enthusiasm about my birthday. I mean, about everything, but the birthday thing is the most confusing. Because even at my worst, I STILL FUCKING LOVE BIRTHDAYS, ESPECIALLY MINE.

But then I remembered a video I saw on TikTok about burnout that embedded itself in my brain. It was about how when burnout gets bad enough, you don’t just not have what you want, or not know what you want, you fully lose the ability TO want. That explained a LOT about what I’d been going through, and why the offers of help and advice from others was so frustrating. I didn’t know what I wanted, I couldn’t even imagine having the capacity to want anything beyond basic survival.

It’s been a few years now of “let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!” or “Well you can just do whatever you want to!” and these conversations have just been frustrating all around. To the point where, I just don’t have them anymore. I don’t know what I want because I am so far beyond the ability to allow myself to want and that doesn’t seem to be something that others are willing/able to understand.

Since I haven’t had the energy to even consider what I *want* for my life, I haven’t been able to make the kind of decisions that would help me break out of the patterns that have me circling the drain waiting to die and into a life that I would actually enjoy and be able to share with others.

Obviously I know this is not ideal.

I’m in therapy about it (have been for years), I’ve tried several different medications (they have all made it worse), I’ve gotten deep into crystals and journaling and all that woo woo shit to the point that that was my main source of income for multiple years.

Nothing has really *worked*

But legally I am my kids’ only parent so I don’t have the luxury of giving up.

I HAVE to keep trying things.

Recently, I’ve been getting into *somatic* strategies, which are more activity based and focused on just letting the nervous system and body reconnect in safety without pushing for “results.”

I bought a vibration plate and start EVERY day with intentional, nervous system regulation, showing myself that I can just feel feelings in my physical body and that is a totally safe and neutral thing that does not have to throw my into survival mode.

Yeah, I’m that broken that just EXISTING in my body feels existentially unsafe. I don’t even know how to give myself grace or allow myself to rest or enjoy things when THERES NO ESCAPING BEING IN MY OWN BODY.

But the vibration plate has been helping with that.

It also gives me ten minutes in the morning to just BE, and as I’m learning to feel safe just BEING, my mind wanders and sometimes I think about what other areas of my life I could benefit from feeling safe.

This line of thinking eventually led me to this thought:

“Maybe in order to train my brain and body to feel safe enough to want a better life for my family, goals, dreams, the whole thing… I need to start with small, inconsequential wants. Maybe I need to just play with the idea of allowing myself to WANT little things without needing to justify it or worry about how other people will judge it”

UM. THIS WAS A HUGE REVELATION.

And to have it right before my birthday?

I mean, what are birthdays, if not the one annual excuse to focus solely on WANT and not on survival? The WHOLE POINT is light, frivolous fun.

What if instead of needing to figure out what I want to DO WITH MY LIFE, I started with something MUCH smaller and just got comfortable with allowing myself to identify items I would like to own.

So I gave myself a challenge:

Make a birthday wish list with 36 items on it.

A real, public list, with links out in the open. Not because I’m expecting anyone (and especially not random internet strangers) to buy me birthday presents, but to show myself that it is TOTALLY 100% SAFE AND OK TO WANT THINKS NOBODY IS GOING TO SHAME ME ABOUT IT.

I can not overstate how HARD this was, as a person who has spent YEARS struggling to even think of ONE thing that I want for my birthday/Christmas (even my mom, who is GREAT at gifts and even found something I mentioned liking years ago last Christmas still ended up giving me money because I didn’t *ask for enough things to use up her gift budget*).

·         But I’m proud of myself because I got through it.

·         Unfortunately, at first, I could only think of practical items with an EXPLANATION.  

·         A new linen duvet cover, because mine lasted four years before getting too raggedy to use anymore, and I got too spoiled to just replace it with a cheap cotton one.

·         Some cat treat puzzles which I guess aren’t really for ME I’m just getting really annoyed with my boy cat being so understimulated after my girl cat went missing.

·         Some new pants because I hate all of my pants.

·         Some packaging things for my business that I can never remember to buy before it’s an emergency and you know what it would be a gift to not have to worry about that.

·         New, plain black sandals because my favorite pair from 2017 is finally wearing out

But EVENTUALLY I started to connect some things in my life that I DO like with items that could be purchased.

·         Some more nail polishes that go with the gel nail kit I got for free from the TikTok shop because I love it so much.

·         Oh and while we’re doing nails maybe a glass nail file?

·         The perfume I tried at Sephora on my last birthday and couldn’t stop thinking about until I went back and figured out which one it was!

And FINALLY, like an hour into this exercise, I started to have some fun and ACTUALLY start thinking in terms of “want” and “for fun”  with items like

·         Lego sets that are for ME, not my kids

·         A drawing activity book

·         THE STICKER MACHINE FROM TIKTOK THAT I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT NEED AND HAVE NOWHERE TO PUT BUT LOOKS LIKE SO MUCH FUN

Y’all. I did it. The list has 36 items on it.

I think I healed something big.

I allowed myself to go through the process and look PAST the things I *need* to survive or could *justify* as not a stupid purchase, and allow myself to dream in a little, tiny way that was, in fact, completely safe.

Nothing bad happened because I wanted something.

And in looking for 36 items that I DO want, I was able to recognize plenty of things I DON’T want but maybe feel like I’m SUPPOSED to want, and made sure to not include them on the list.

Maybe this doesn’t seem revolutionary to a normal, not traumatized person, but this is huge for me.

Maybe I won’t have such a hard time this Christmas.

Maybe I WILL be able to figure out what I want to do with my life.

I mean, eventually, clearly I need to work up to that given that finding 36 birthday gift ideas was so difficult…

But it least there are some baby steps in that direction.

(Disclaimer, I did use Amazon to create the registry and all links in this post are affiliate links which earn me a commission on any purchases made after clicking through them. HOWEVER, I am not asking anybody to purchase any items they would not purchase otherwise just for my benefit)

Aquamarine Nuggets - my first new product drop in over two years

I can not believe I am saying this

But I have some new jewelry for sale.

COMPLETELY new jewelry.

Not a restock of a tried and true staple.

Not new listings of old craft fair inventory finally making its way to my website.

Not a pre-order of sold-out pieces.

ACTUALLY NEW JEWELRY.

15mm Aquamarine Nugget Hoops

$25.00

For the first time since… I don’t even know how long it’s been. At least two years, for sure.

I’m pretty sure I haven’t had the inspiration to design new pieces since… before all of my inventory got stolen out of my car in June 2023?

BUT HERE WE ARE.

Last weekend my oldest was invited to a birthday party, for a friend of hers that we don’t know super well. Obviously, we needed a gift, and I just… really did not want to just give cash. That’s boring.

What a convenient time to own a jewelry brand.

I dug through my supplies to find some beads that looked like they fit the birthday girl’s style and whipped up a quick custom necklace.

And then…

I kept sorting and arranging this strand of juicy Aquamarine nuggets into a little mini collection.

There are 15mm hoops, 30mm hoops, and 18” necklaces.

All on .925 sterling silver.

Aquamarine Nugget Necklace One

$35.00

They look like a breath of fresh air.

And they feel like magic.

Just like when I first started.

My brand was built on spontaneous mini-collections, guided by my intuition.

Back then, I’d let the stones inspire me, and release a few one-of-a-kind pieces at a time.

As my business grew, there was a need to streamline, to add in “evergreen” products, expand into low-ticket non-jewelry items to supplement cash flow, and invest in new opportunities…

All of this was needed, but I couldn’t keep up with it and the way that my life spectacularly fell apart through the second half of 2023.

The burnout was real. It was dark. It was heavy. I wasn’t sure there would ever be a way out.

Honestly, I’ve spent a lot of time considering if it was time to just give up.

But I knew I couldn’t.

I just gave myself the grace to focus on keeping the business alive in the most basic sense, focusing on selling the products I already have, streamlining and refining so that one day, there would be room to create again.

30mm Aquamarine Nugget Hoops - Pair Two

$35.00

Well that time has finally arrived.

And how perfect that it’s all Aquamarine.

Aquamarine is a stone of confidence, truth, taking action.

This is a stone that shows up when it’s time to say what needs to be said.

I’m not sure what the message is right now, maybe it’s just here to remind me:

I’m still here.

I hope this is just the first step into a whole new era.

Crystals for Pisces Season

Hi there, are you FEELING that New Moon in Pisces? My Pisces moon certainly is.

Pisces season is the perfect time to turn inward and really get in touch with our emotions, our intuition, and, maybe even most importantly, our dreams, and really really listen. This is our last stop before the cycle begins anew in Aries season, and there is no better time to ask ourselves what we’ve learned, examine how we feel, and identify any areas that are giving us that nagging feeling that there’s something that needs to change.

And this Pisces season is also our last stop on this journey, the one where I launch a set of journaling prompts for each zodiac season, and accompany it with a blog post exploring the crystals that I’ve selected to support each zodiac sign.

You can find the Journaling Prompts for Pisces Season PDF Download right here:

Journaling Prompts for Pisces Season - PDF Download

$5.55

And now we can get to the crystals. For anyone that might be new here (maybe coming in from a google search for “best crystals for Pisces season”?), I started this blog series to complement the Journaling Prompts series because back in 2020-2021 I spent the entire year going on a monthly deep dive to curate a selection of five stones to best support each zodiac sign to create my Zodiac Jewelry Collection, and then… never did anything with that research after the launch. So this is me making that right. If you’d like to catch up on the rest of the series, you can find Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Libra, Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus, and Aries at each of their respective links.

So here’s our very last round: Crystals for Pisces Season

Pink Opal

Pisces’ biggest strength is their big hearts, and the way that they let their emotions flow. This can be healthy (certainly healthier than repressing emotions until they explode out of us!), however, there is a danger to just letting all our different emotions run amok unchecked and keeping us from being able to thoughtfully consider our responses and actions. There needs to be a harmony, a delicate balance between thought and emotion. Pink Opal is a stone that really helps us out here. Pink Opal helps with healing emotional wounds, and supports us in developing open and honest communication. This is the stone that really helps us with processing and communication our emotions so that we are in charge of them, not the other way around. It also opens our hearts to form loving, harmonious relationships of all kinds, which, feels like something we all need as we all start to grow impatient as we wait for spring to finally get here.

Blue Lace Agate

Is Pisces a water sign? Yes. Does Blue Lace Agate literally look like water? Also yes. Is that the reason that I chose it as a crystal for Pisces season? I mean it didn’t hurt, but there was a more thoughtful reasoning behind this. Pisces placements have a tendency towards being sensitive, and internalizing not only their own emotions, but the energies and emotions of others. Blue Lace Agate helps to let that energy flow by gently re-directing it before it can become stagnant. Hardships and negativity are an unavoidable part of life, and for many of us (ahem, me), learning to let these difficulties ebb and flow is a lifelong challenge. Blue Lace Agate has a very soothing, gentle energy, that reminds us that whatever we are going though is not how things will be forever, and helps us to let go of the burdens that are not ours to carry.

Morganite

With their big hearts and gentle souls, Pisces placements truly have a gift for empathy. Unfortunately this can come with the danger of people-pleasing, taking self-sacrifice to a destructive extent, or even open them up to be taken advantage of (I say this as a Pisces Moon who struggles with all of the above). Boundaries are important, but boundaries are hard. Setting and enforcing boundaries with compassion is an extra level of challenge. Thankfully, we have Morganite on our team. Morganite is mainly known as a stone that represents commitment, friendship, partnership (that’s why it’s popular for engagement rings!), but its real talent lies in how it supports us with our boundaries. Morganite enhances our self-love, especially the self-respect that is needed when we need to have hard conversations or make difficult decisions surrounding setting and enforcing the boundaries that we know are needed.

Sodalite

Being in touch with our emotions is great, but sometimes we get too tangled up in our feelings and stop looking at the big picture, start catastrophising, start working ourselves into a frenzy of escalating emotions. It’s easy to get caught up in our emotional reactions, and Sodalite is here to make sure that we don’t. In fact, Sodalite is here not just to tone things down, but to help us see exactly what it is that we need to do, and stay focused until we get it done. However, Sodalite is not here to simply dull or suppress our emotions until we are unfeeling robots. Sodalite is here to help us calm things down when we need to, but it is also here to help us use our emotions as fuel to learn from our situation and make positive changes. Personally, my favorite thing about Sodalite is the way that it helps us to lock in and focus, which is always such a struggle as we start to come out of the stagnant energy of late winter.

Turquoise

I think there’s a stereotype that Pisces placements are all big softies that cry over everything that, as a Pisces Moon myself, I do not find to be completely unsubstantiated. While yes, it is important to learn to thoughtfully work with our emotions (which is what that Sodalite was for!) and to let negativity flow around and past us without internalizing it (that’s what the Blue Lace Agate was for!), it does not hurt to also put up a shield to protect us from external negative energy to begin with. Turquoise isn’t just protective, it’s also stone that helps us with a little boost of energy and motivation when we find ourselves in an emotional slump. Which, considering that Pisces season is the very last thing we go though before Spring finally makes her appearance… Turquoise just might be THE crystal for Pisces season.

Whether you yourself have Pisces placements, found this blog post while looking for ways to support loved ones with Pisces placements, or are simply struggling to get through the emotional roller coaster that is Pisces season, I am so glad that you’re here. I hope that you’ve found this post helpful. You might also enjoy spending some time with the Journaling Prompts for Pisces Season PDF.

If you’d like to shop the Crystals for Pisces Jewelry Collection, you can find it right here:

CRYSTALS FOR PISCES

from $30.00

Wow! I can’t believe that’s the end of our zodiac crystal guides series! Spending a year going back through all of the research I did back when I first released my Zodiac Jewelry collection has been such a special experience, and I’m so happy to now have it existing out on the internet as a resource that people can turn to over and over again.

Crystals for Aquarius Season

Happy Aquarius New Moon/Lunar New Year!

And my oh my, what a year this month has been already. And… it’s not even over yet.

Is this the “Age of Aquarius” that everybody has been waiting for? I don’t know (I don’t know if anyone actually knows? I wasn’t able to find an actual answer). But we did just have Pluto move into Aquarius back in November (for those that aren’t consuming problematic amounts of Astrology TikTok, the last time this happened was the American/French Revolutions and the time before that was King Henry VIII breaking from the Catholic church), and now the Sun as well as this fresh new moon are in Aquarius as well.

It’s… a lot.

But I’m here to help us sort out all of this swirling Aquarius energy with the Journaling Prompts for Aquarius Season PDF Download.

Journaling Prompts for Aquarius Season - PDF Download

$5.55

And as always, I am here with your guide to the crystals that I chose for this season. If you’re interested in catching up on the previous crystal guides, you can find Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Libra, Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus, and Aries right here by clicking on their respective links.

While the journaling prompts are new (I started releasing them with the 2024/2025 Astrological New Year), I released my Zodiac Jewelry Collection on the same New Moon schedule in the 2020/2021 Astrological year. The process for that collection was spending an entire year researching each zodiac sign and curating a collection of five crystals that would both complement the strengths and support the challenges associated with that sign. But what I never did was give a deep-dive on WHY I chose those stones for each sign.

So here we are with the eleventh (and second-to-last) blog post in this series.

(Side note: I can’t believe we’re actually almost done with this series! I kind of planned it out as a way to get myself back into the flow of writing blog posts, and we’ve not only gotten through it, but I’ve written other blogs as well in between them!)

Who’s ready to dive in?

Aquamarine

Maybe this is an unfair asessment, so if any Aquarius placements want to come at me and tell me this is wrong, I will willingly accept the correction. BUT, from my observation, Aquarius is like… the Aries of Air signs. I said what I said. There is a a chaotic energy that Aquarius brings to the the table and the only other place I see anything like it is in Aries. Both of these signs are a force to be reckoned with. Which, is why both of these signs have Aquamarine in their collections. Because Aquamarine is also a force to be reckoned with. Aquamarine brings an energy of courage and confidence that inspires us to show up exactly how we are, say exactly what we know we need to say, and do exactly what we need to do, regardless of what anyone else says or thinks. Which is, I think, the most notable quality of Aquarius placements, and also… maybe, what Aquarius season is asking of us?

Labradorite

Aquarius season invites us to make big changes. Aquarius placements are always ready to make a big change. This is exactly what we were talking about up in the section about Aquamarine. Labradorite is a stone that supports us through making big changes. Including Labradorite in the crystals for Aquarius collection was an absolute no-brainer. There are two reason that I wanted to make sure that Labradorite was on the Aquarius team: first, it’s protective AF, and second, it inspires intense creativity. The protective qualities are SO important because there are always risks involved when we decide to make big changes, and it never hurts to play it safe. Safe, yes, but not... boring. Which is why we also need that extra boost of creativity that Labradorite brings. Sometimes the solution to a challenge is to shake things up and do things differently, which is exactly where Labradorite does her best work.

Moonstone

The deciciveness and willingness to change is a double-edged sword for Aquarius. Big, sweeping changes CAN be just the thing that we need. But are we making them for good reasons? Are we following our intuitions and doing what we know that we need to do even though it doesn’t make sense to anyobody else? Or are we running away from our problems, avoiding discomfort and personal growth, reactively going in the opposite direction of what’s “expected” of us, or even just chasing random shiny objects? Moonstone is the stone that is going to help us out here. Because yes, Moonstone is a stone that brings luck and success in all that we do, BUT it’s also a stone that really heightens our intuition. Which allows us to address both edges of that sword by making sure that we’re making changes that align with our true vision and values, while also helping to make sure they work out the way that we want them to.

Pyrite

Pyrite, to me, sometimes feels like a little bit of a contradiction. It’s a really heavy, metallic stone, associated with grounding and protection. But at the same time, it’s also a shining, shimmery beacon of luck and abundance. While such a dense, heavy stone may seem like an odd choice for an Air sign, if you take the time to think about it, this is… perfect, actually. What better stone for the energy of making big moves (and having them turn out beautifully!), while staying true to ourselves and our vision? There isn’t one. Pyrite is here to keep those big visions rooted in reality, but also acts as a magnet to bring those juicy dreams down to earth. Pyrite is the unexpected ally for Aquarius, which is also perfect, because you know what else Aquarius loves? The unexpected.

Amethyst

Aquarius has a reputation for being a wild, free spirit, but I think that’s more of a superficial perspective. What I see is more of a deep connection to the spiritual, which, when intentionally cultivated, makes them unstoppable. And there is no better stone for cutting the external noise and allowing ourselves to stay centered on what really matters that Amethyst. Amethyst is known for helping to slow down the mind and cool down the emotions, but it also heightens our connection with the spiritual. So maybe… what looks like chaos and impulsivity isn’t what’s actually going on. Maybe it’s just… a closer relationship with the spiritual that doesn’t need to make sense to anyone else. And maybe… especially with Aquarius season coming right after we set our new year intentions and start actually making changes… that’s exactly the support that we all need right now.

So there’s our crystal guide for Aquarius. When I was initially designing the Zodiac Jewelry Collection, I was primarily thinking about Aquarius placements, but as we can all see, these stones also make a great support for the energies of Aquarius season. And also great complements to the Journaling Prompts for Aquarius Season PDF.

For those that reached the end and thought “… I think I do need all of these stones, together in one piece of jewelry,” then I have some great news for you.

You can shop the Crystals for Aquarius Jewelry Collection right here.

CRYSTALS FOR AQUARIUS

from $30.00

(And you can find all of the other signs here in the “Zodiac” tab of my shop!)

As always, thank you so much for being here, and we’ll see you next month for the FINAL(!!!!) Journaling Prompt/Crystal Guide launch on the Pisces New Moon.

What should my next blog series be?????

Labradorite: A shining light for these dark times

Labradorite was one of the first crystals that I ever bought. Yes, during THAT first ever trip to a crystal store.

I remember being attracted to the stone itself, dark and heavy, with a bright flash of light hidden within. I forget what the little card next to the bowl of small tumbled stones said exactly, but I do remember it said something about new beginnings, going after what you really want, and harnessing creative energy.

Labradorite Necklace Two

from $35.00

As a freshly single mom who had just left a serious domestic violence situation with no practical adult life experience, this was a beacon of hope.

And it’s been one of my top favorite stones ever since.

I loved it so much that it was one of the stones I picked in my second ever round of crystal beads when I accidentally started this jewelry brand.

And for over five years now, it’s a stone that I always keep in stock.

Labradorite Necklace One

from $35.00

Labradorite is a stone that I personally feel a strong connection to, not just because of how we first “met,” but also because of how it has become a stone that I go back to again and again and again, especially over the past year and a half or so, as life his hit me with wave after wave after wave of crises.

Labradorite is the stone that you want with you when you’re going through a crisis, because her special gift is supporting us through transitions and transformations.

Labradorite was a stone I leaned on heavily when I was making the transition from abused stay-at-home mom into single mom and solopreneur.

It was a stone I went back to again and again as I grew my business to support my family, as crisis after crisis hit my family in 2023 and it felt like I was going to lose it all, and through this entire year dedicated to getting myself out of burnout and on the road to financial recovery.

Labradorite Necklace Three

from $35.00

And, given recent events and the… general state of the world…

I think this is the stone we ALL need right now.

Over and over again.

Sold Out

Labradorite Necklace Four

from $35.00

You can shop the full selection in the Ready to Ship section of my shop.

Crystals for Capricorn

Ok so yes, TECHNICALLY the New Moon in Capricorn was yesterday. But it felt more appropriate to write/post the Crystals for Capricorn Season blog post on New Year’s Eve.

Because what is EVERYONE thinking about right now? Their goals and intentions for the new year.

And what is the Capricorn New Moon all about?

Re-committing to our drives and ambitions.

It’s just… perfect timing. So aligned. And what a way to close out my own personal year of alignment (“alignment” was my “word of the year” for 2024!). So, forgive me for some scheduling liberties. I think we all understand that this was worth it.

SO. Let’s get to it.

For those that are new here, with every New Moon of this astrological year I have released a PDF download of journaling prompts for that Zodiac season.

You can get the Journaling Prompts for Capricorn Season here.

Journaling Prompts for Capricorn Season - PDF Download

$5.55

And with each PDF of journaling prompts, I’ve also written a companion blog post about the crystals I chose for each Zodiac season back in 2020/2021 when I released my Zodiac Jewelry Collection (which was a year-long effort of research and monthly mini-launches!) that I just… never revisited again. Well, the 2024/2025 Zodiac year was the year I made that right. And today we're going to take a deeper look into the crystals that I chose for the Capricorn Zodiac Collection.

(If you want to go back through the archives and read the blog posts for the other signs, you can find Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius at each of their respective links)

So are we ready to dive in?

Rhodonite

Rhodonite is a stone that’s all about gentle, compassionate energy. Which… maybe seems a little bit odd to be the first stone that I picked for CAPRICORN, arguably the most aggressive of all the signs (at least when it comes to getting what they want). Well here’s the thing: when I was doing the research to pick the stones that I would use for each sign’s jewelry collection, I looked everything from both directions. What energies would enhance the strengths of this sign, and what energies would help to support this sign in their challenges. Rhodonite falls into the second category for Capricorns. Yes, Capricorns are known for MAKING THINGS HAPPEN and Capricorn season is when we see arguably the biggest push for identifying and going after new goals. BUT. This needs to be tempered with a hefty dose of self compassion. Compassion to be realistic with our ambitions, and gentle with ourselves when things don’t work out as planned (or we need to change our course due to unforeseen circumstances).

Smoky Quartz

Smoky Quartz is, and I have said this before, one of my all time favorite stones. And there are two reasons that I chose it for the Capricorn collection, that have to do with very different properties that Smoky Quartz has. First, it’s a stone that very powerfully transmutes negative energy into positive energy. This is the exact support that we need most at the time of the year when we might be evaluating what didn’t work in the past year but are hoping to alchemize it into something even better in the year ahead. But also, it’s a very grounding, protective stone that helps us stay down to earth, to set reasonable expectations of what we will do and be in the year ahead, and pursue our desires without opening ourselves up to too much risk. Now what better way is there to ensure that our goals and dreams truly make it into reality than to channel the lessons and challenges of the past into safe, realistic plans for the future?

White Howlite

One of my favorite things about Capricorn energy is the confidence. The way that Capricorns just go for whatever it is that they know they’re after and really do not care to hear what anyone else has to say. As a Libra (Sun, Mercury, AND Mars…) this is just, beyond admirable. This is straight up goals. Now I used to think that this was some mysterious, innate quality that some people just have and I was not fortunate enough to be one of those people, but, as I’ve become older and wiser, I’ve learned what the real root of this is. It’s a really solid sense of inner peace. The reason that Capricorns can just go for what they want, is because they aren’t worried about all of the other options and whether or not they might be a better use of their time. I also love White Howlite for Capricorn season because, in the depths of winter, it’s easy to let the holiday chaos, seasonal depression, and new-year pressure get to us. But, White Howlite is here to let us know that we can, in fact, chill.

Flourite

If Capricorn’s ability to go after what they want was a two-sided coin, the other side to the levelheaded peace of White Howlite is the Laser-focus of Flourite. Flourite is a stone that has earned it’s nickname of “the psychic vacuum cleaner” because it just SUCKS UP every bit of negative or distracting energy so that the path to whatever you’re after is CLEAR. Maybe this is just me and my ADHD speaking, but how often is the beautiful, ambitious vision we create for ourselves at the turn of the new year held back by the fact that a million tiny, unrelated distractions get in the way and stop us from taking the action that will get us where we want to go. Fluorite is the stone that we want on our side to stop this from happening. Her job is to help us keep our eye on the prize, and she does a damn good job of it.

Sunstone

Finally, we come to our last stone for this collection, Sunstone. She is, admittedly, maybe not the first stone we think of in the dead of winter, but she is the stone that we need. Sunstone embodies a type of confidence that is very… self assured (going back to that White Howlite inner peace!) and unafraid of showing up as who she know’s she’s meant to be. She is not just confident in what she knows she needs to do, but also, that it’s going to work out the way she wants it to in the end. Which is… maybe not naturally how we’re feeling at the turn of the new year, but obviously how we should be showing up for ourselves in this season. Obviously our friends with Capricorn placements aren’t dealing with this internal struggle, so the Sunstone energy is there to enhance what they’ve already got going on (and are doing great at!)

So that’s our Crystals for Capricorn blog post! As I’ve mentioned before in the other blogs, my original intention with the zodiac collection was to support those with placements in those signs, but as the years have gone on I have really seen how these stones can support all of us through their respective seasons.

If you’ve read this and thought to yourself “hey, I think I really do need some Crystals for Capricorn jewelry,” I have some great news: you can shop the jewelry collection right here.

CRYSTALS FOR CAPRICORN

from $30.00

And for those that are a little more on the “well maybe it’s a good time for some New Moon journaling time,” the Capricorn season journaling prompts are right here for you.

See you in Aquarius season!

Crystals for Sagittarius

I’m not going to lie, of all of the zodiac signs, I fell like I have the least amount of firsthand experience/connection with Sagittarius. Which… is interesting as I have my Venus in Sagittarius and relationships is… the area of my life that I avoid the most. Actually, I think maybe that is fitting.

But we’re not here to talk about me.

It’s the Sagittarius new moon, and it’s time to set new intentions surrounding the ideas of freedom, liberation, and optimism for a new future that isn’t burdened by our past hangups. Coming out of my cage and doing JUST FINE season, if you will.

it’s time to talk about the new Journaling Prompts for Sagittarius Season that just dropped. New Moons are the perfect time to take some time to reflect on the themes of the season and set your intentions for the new month ahead. Journaling is a great way to do this, but some of us (ahem, me) have a hard time with just facing an empty page. So I’ve made some journaling guides to make that process less intimidating. You can buy them right here.

Journaling Prompts for Sagittarius Season - PDF Download

$5.55

And of course, it’s time to give your monthly breakdown of the Crystals for Sagittarius season.

If you’re new to this series, here’s the lore drop:

Through the 2020-2021 Astrological year, I dove into researching each zodiac sign, their innate gifts and challenges, and how they could best be supported with crystals. For each zodiac sign/season I released a jewelry collection that highlights the five stones that I felt best fit each sign and released them with each new moon.

You can shop the whole collection here to see the final product.

The thing is, I just kind of released the jewelry collection, and… that was it.

It wasn’t until THIS zodiac year that I realized… It was time to go deeper and share more insight into why I chose the stones for each sign. And so here we are. If you want to go back and read the rest of the guides, we’ve gone through Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio.

And now, it’s Sagittarius’ turn.

The crystals I chose for Sagittarius season are: Amethyst, Sodalite, Garnet, Snowflake Obsidian, and Tiger’s Eye.

Amethyst

Sagittarius loves freedom and flexibility, and while sometimes this can look like being impulsive and unreliable, this spontaneity can be a true gift, IF it’s accompanied with a clear intuition. Amethyst is a stone that clears the mental noise and allows us to focus on what truly matters, which, if you think of it, is where the magic of Sagittarius’ free spirit lies. From the outside, Sagittarius energy may carry the appearance of chaos and unpredictablity, but I really don’t think that’s what’s actually happening. At their best, Sagittarius placements just make the moves they know they need to without all the fuss and second-guessing and waiting for the right time that many of us (ok me as a Libra), tend to get hung up on. Amethyst is the stone for honing that intuition, and I think it’s one we can all learn from in this season.

Sodalite

We all love that iconic imagery of the archer, painting Sagittarius as the ultimate goal crusher. Sagittarius season can be the perfect time to refine our goals for the year ahead. The key to really doing this is having clarity. Arrows are effective weapons but only if they have a clear target to hit. Sodalite is the perfect stone to support us in shooting STRAIGHT for our goals, and nothing else. Why? Because Sodalite is the stone that tells our brains to CHILL. Like Amethyst, it quiets the mental noise, but what it also does is really help us to slow down and focus. It’s only after we slow down and focus on what we are after that we can make the big moves to get there, and Sodalite is the stone we want on our side for that.

Garnet

Sagittarius season brings up a lot of thoughts and feelings around themes of liberation. And, I think this makes a lot of sense when it’s the last zodiac sign before the Winter Solstice, when we kind of… check in on where we are, how the choices we’ve made in the previous season have gotten us here, and, what we might need to release or change to get where we want to be in the next season. It takes a lot of confidence to actually make those choices. And when it comes to confidence, Garnet is that girl. Garnet says “I do NOT care what has always been done or what is expected, I am GOING to do what I know that I need to do.” And then… she does exactly that. While Garnet may seem like an unlikely stone to pair with Sodalite, I think we need both of those energies: the focus to identify our goals and the confidence to go after them.

Snowflake Obsidian

Sagittarius’ drive for freedom in all forms is a force to be reckoned with. However, it does need some support in order to stay rooted and not… just burn everything to the ground. Sagittarius is a fire sign and I think we all know that fire is equally as powerful for creation as it is for destruction. The same fire that roasts a marshmallow can also burn down the entire neighborhood. I’ve picked Snowflake Obsidian to help us keep things in line, act as the bricks around the backyard fire pit that keeps the flames where we want them to be, if you want to stick with this analogy. Snowflake Obsidian helps to keep energies balanced, to soothe the emotions, and encourage feelings of security. It’s not here to put out the fire, just to keep it where it’s going to do its best work. This isn’t related but I also really like this stone for this purpose because it’s actually not a stone, but rather a volcanic glass, which felt SO fitting.

Tiger’s Eye

While going after our desires with with all of the clarity, confidence, and passion that we’ve been talking about is INCREDIBLE, it is 100% guaranteed to take us our of our comfort zones, and possibly even into uncharted territory. And I think it would be unwise to push through without considering protection. Tiger’s Eye is one of my favorite protective stones, because it doesn’t just shield from negative energies from the outside, but it also helps us to protect ourselves by encouraging the willpower and courage needed to stay strong through difficulties. And, unfortunately, difficulties are inevitable when we are really going for it (whatever “it” is for each of us) in the true Sagittarius spirit. And I think Tiger’s Eye is the stone we want on our side when (not if!) that happens.

Thank you for joining me on this month’s crystal deep dive, I really enjoy making these each month, and I hope that you enjoy reading them.

If you love the Sagittarius crystals and want to treat yourself to a piece from the collection, you can find them right here.

CRYSTALS FOR SAGITTARIUS

from $30.00

And if you want to dive into the journaling prompts, you can grab them right here.

See you next month, I can’t believe we’re almost done with this series!

Under $20 Holiday Gift Guide

Hey, I know this year has not been an easy one for a lot of us.

You’re probably hearing a lot of stories about all of the small, local businesses that are either closing up shop, or asking for support so that they don’t have to. I know I am, and it’s a tough spot to be in when, as a small business owner myself, I do not have the means to be as supportive as I would like, because I too, am feeling all the same squeezes.

However, this year, I am not dangerously close to needing to shut everything down. That’s where I was last year if we’re being completely honest.

This year has been a big year for scaling back in my business so that I can keep it going forward into the future. Part of that has been moving out of all of my retail locations, halting all in-person craft markets, and focusing on my online sales platforms. It has not been my easiest or most lucrative year in business, but I am still here.

Last year, I wrote a gift guide highlighting my best products for gifting to various people you might need to get gifts for. I’m really proud of it, but I don’t think that’s the kind of gift guide that’s needed for this year.

This year’s gift guide is strictly gifts under $20. Some of these gifts are even under $10.

Look, we’re all watching our budgets more carefully, I get it. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still shop small and get unique, thoughtful gifts where we can.

So are you ready to get started?

Sale

Choose Gratitude Sticker (Black)

Sale Price: $1.00 Original Price: $3.00

Who doesn’t love stickers? I have two main sticker collections: One of monochrome designs I made in the early days of my brand, and the other is a bit more artsy and combines affirmations with the 35mm photography I shot in Paris. You can shop the full collection here, but for this gift guide, I chose to highlight the CHOOSE GRATITUDE design. Because while gratitude DOES change everything, sometimes it’s not an easy or natural state for us. Sometimes it’s a choice. And it helps to be reminded that we DO have that choice.

I LOVE these hoops. Very coquette, very demure. But unfortunately, very made out of supplies from the very worst most inconsistent supplier that I had to break up with last year. I haven’t really promoted them in a long time because I only have a small smattering of inventory. But I’m tired of them not getting any attention. So I’ve reduced the price for the holidays (but when they’re gone, they’re GONE).

Hand Stamped Kraft Pocket Journal (Small: 3.75" x 5.5")

from $4.00

No. There is no such thing as too many notebooks. These tiny, pocket sized journals are hand-stamped with my original designs that I had made into hand-carved stamps by another local artist, and one of the VERY FEW new products that I launched in 2024. They’re pretty popular on Faire, but I wanted to highlight them here because they come in a THREE PACK that is the PERFECT STOCKING STUFFER for LITERALLY EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST.

Affirmation Pin Pack (dark)

$8.00

Back in 2022 I made the very on-brand decision to carry my 1970’s Cannon AE-1 that I hadn’t used since college through Paris for an entire week with my two small, feral children who have never travelled internationally, while I, myself, had never travelled internationally. It was… an experience both magical and mildly traumatic, and it resulted in (among other products) these one-inch finback buttons emblazoned with both affirmations and photography. I’m really proud of this collection, and hope to develop it further on future travels. But for now, we’ll always have Paris.

Sale

15mm Tiniest Crystal Hoops (42 Options)

Sale Price: $13.00 Original Price: $30.00

I’m going to be completely honest here: I do not remember when or why I set the price for these tiny 15mm crystal hoops at $13 because they are definitely NOT supposed to be $13. But you know what? As a holiday gift for all of you, I’m just going to… keep letting them be $13. I personally own several pairs of these tiny, tiny hoops, which I love because you can totally keep them on when you sleep/shower/swim/exercise/whatever it is you need to do. And also, I think it’s pretty cool that there are FORTY TWO different stone options.

Sale

Wire Wrapped Crystal Hair Pins, set of three (set one: Tiger's Eye/White Howlite/Botswana Agate)

Sale Price: $12.00 Original Price: $25.00

My crystal hair pins have got to be the product that I developed/launched at the WORST POSSIBLE TIME. RIGHT when I got these all made and ready to list/add to my market setup, the barrage of horrible things that happened in the second half of 2023 started and I not only dealt with many, many months of severe burnout that stopped me from being able to market my business in an effective way, but I also completely STOPPED all in-person markets and retail partnerships. I drastically slashed the price on these because THEY ARE FAR TOO PRETTY TO KEEP SITTING IN MY INVENTORY (also, there are several more sets on the “ready to ship” page of my shop if you want to see the other choices)

Love and Positivity - Spiral Notebook

$16.00

Yet another thing I did this year that I’m proud of but didn’t give nearly enough attention is trying out some print-on-demand products. Remember that Affirmation Card Deck I designed at the beginning of the year? I started (and need to get back to) turning those designs into notebooks. Which are a little outside of my normal offerings, but, they are very high quality notebooks AND still under $20.

Affirmation Pencil 3 pack

$8.00

Now I have not offered these pencils for sale in a LONG time because I thought I had completely run out of them. BUT I FOUND TWELVE SETS IN MY BACK STOCK. These pencils are WONDERFUL because they don’t just bear positive messages, they’re ALSO made of FSC-certified cedar and smell DELIGHTFUL when you sharpen them.

Over the course of my business, I have gone back and forth over whether or not I should sell pocket stones a thousand times. If I don’t have them, people ask if I have them. If I have too many, they take up a ton of my display space and nobody buys any. For a while I had compromised by having a little mini-crystal shop in a local business, but when they closed, all of the crystals came back to live with me. Which, ended up being ok because these Intuitively Chosen Crystal Collections are really fun and special to make. And the small size (three stones), is under $20.

And finally, REALLY burying the lede here, I did make a (smaller than last year but still better than nothing) collection of curated holiday gift bundles. Only one of them is under $20, but they’re all INCREDIBLE deals and were a lot of fun to put together. Quantities are VERY limited (a few of them are one-of-a-kind), so definitely hurry over to the “ready to ship” page of my shop to get yours before they’re gone.

Honestly, after five years of my business being anchored around $30+ crystal necklaces (that have always been my best selling products both in-person and online), I was truly surprised to see how many options I had at this lower price point.

But I’m glad I took the time to explore my offerings from a different perspective.

I hope that this list is helpful for your holiday shopping this year, and inspires you to seek out ways to support your small business friends through this tough season, even if you’re on a budget.

Crystals for Scorpio

Wow. A new moon AND a fresh new month all at the same time. This is… big energy.

Scorpio season is all about death and rebirth: just as a scorpion must shed its skin in order to grow into the next phase of its life, so too do we have to let go of the old in order to make room for the new.

Theres a… brutal honesty that comes with this change in the season, from Libra’s bubbly social life to Scorpio’s airtight boundaries, but, it’s also kind of a breath of fresh air?

This new moon in Scorpio definitely feels like an invitation to cut the bullshit and really be clear about what we want (and what we might have to let go of in order to make that happen.

And so, we are here with our New Moon tradition, the release of the Journaling Prompts for Scorpio Season PDF Download.

Journaling Prompts for Scorpio Season - PDF Download

$5.55

And also, one of my other favorite New Moon rituals, this season’s crystal guide.

For those that haven’t been following along for the whole series, I have been writing out guides to the selections of crystals that I curated for each zodiac sign back in the 2020-2021 astrological year as I designed my Zodiac Jewelry Collection. If you’d like to catch up with the series, you can read the posts for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Libra all at their respective links.

When I was designing the collection, I was focused on selecting crystals that would help support wearers with placements in those signs, but as time went on, I really grew to see how those same stones can help us all out throughout each zodiac season.

In the spirit of Scorpio season, let’s get right to the important part: the crystals.

Black Obsidian

OF COURSE the first crystal that I pick for Scorpio season is BLACK. You know, because Scorpios are all spooky and mysterious. Actually that’s not why I chose to start with Black Obsidian. I chose Black Obsidian to lead the pack because Black Obsidian is a fiercely protective stone. And that shroud of mystery that Scorpios tend to project? That’s just boundaries, baby. Black Obsidian helps us to keep the energies we to not want to mess with out of our space so that we do not have to deal with it. She’s not just an energetic bouncer that helps us to stay in our lane, she’s also a stone of growth and exploration, which is a perfect fit for Scorpio season and its themes of resilience and reinvention.

Aquamarine

Aquamarine may seem like an odd choice for Scorpio Season, but I’m going to need you to hear me out on this one. First of all, Scorpio is a water sign, and it felt wrong to not include any stones with watery energy in this collection. Second, Aquamarine is a stone of courage and honesty. If you have any Scorpios in your life (I have a Scorpio rising and so do both of my kids… That's… a tough combo…), you know that Scorpios do not pull any punches when it comes to their thoughts and opinions. And, neither does Aquamarine. She helps us to say what needs to be said, but also… maybe helps us to take the time to do so with clarity, and maybe not be so judgmental about it. Maybe.

Smoky Quartz

I know I say this about a lot of crystals, but I do really, truly, genuinely mean this about Smoky Quartz: this is one of my absolute all time favorite crystals. Smoky Quartz is THE stone for Scorpio’s whole death-and-rebirth thing. Honestly, this might be the stone of the season. She helps us out by transmuting negative energy into positive energy, whether that’s within us or just around us. This is a stone that’s really helpful through times of change and transition. When we take the time to get really honest about what might be holding us back from getting what we really want in life, Smoky Quartz brings us the clarity we need to confidently follow our intuition, especially when it comes to letting go of those things that are no longer serving us.

Citrine

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the dark side of Scorpio season, but we can’t forget that the reason we are keeping our boundaries high and pruning away the things that are no longer helping us to live the life that we want, is so that we can move on to the next stage and actually live that life. And Citrine is the perfect stone to help us remember this. Citrine is a stone of abundance and success, but… abundance and success that flows easily and joyfully through aligned action. You know, like, the golden rewards from all the work I’ve been talking about in the sections about the other stones. And I mean, it makes sense that protecting our energy, being boldly honest about what we want, and dropping everything that was blocking us from that would just invite in effortless success. Citrine is our, quite literal, light at the end of the tunnel.

Malachite

Finally, our last stone for Scorpio Season is Malachite. Malachite is a stone associated with GROWTH. Not just lowercase, linear, baby steps kind of growth, but big, capital letters, expansive GROWTH that can only happen after we shed our old, too small skins (like a scorpion). Malachite is a stone of transformation that really supports us through this often grueling process, and encourages us to take the risks necessary to follow our intuition. Malachite, like Scorpio, can have a more serious energy. But this isn’t a bad thing here, it helps us to take ownership and responsibility for our choices, which in turn, makes it even more satisfying when we get to see the end results of the growth process.

And there you have it, the crystal guide for Scorpio season. I hope that you’ve enjoyed coming along this journey with me.

CRYSTALS FOR SCORPIO

from $30.00

If this post has made you curious about my Crystals for Scorpio Collection, you can find it right here (and if you’re interested in other signs, the full Zodiac Collection can be found here). And if it’s inspired you to take a moment for some journaling, you can find the Journaling Prompts for Scorpio Season right here as well.

See you next month for Sagittarius season!

DIY Bat/Demon Wings (easy sewing project for Halloween and beyond!)

A funny thing about the trajectory of my life is that, despite the fact that I have spent many years trying to do other “more important” things with my professional life, the unavoidable truth is that the overwhelming majority of my website traffic comes from a Halloween costume DIY tutorial that I posted in 2017.

And I don’t mean that this post gets a spike of traffic every fall leading up to Halloween costume time, I mean that this blog post has first page google results for EVERY relevant search term (first 5 results for several of them) year round.

Like, every single day multiple people read that blog post. For seven years. Dave Eggers’ editor told me in person that it was really good and funny. I reference it in job interviews as having “collaborated with a NYT bestselling children’s author” because… that’s technically not a lie NOW even though that wasn’t… really… true at the time.

But I digress.

My point with bringing all of this up is that I don’t think I can really avoid it any longer that the thing that I am best at and have had the most long-term success with is… DIY tutorial blog posts.

And as I find myself finally actually getting out of the severe burnout that I found myself in after an onslaught of personal crises that I should probably write a separate blog post about because it has no place inside a craft tutorial, I’m finding myself doing a lot more crafts.

Even… Doing elaborate Halloween costumes again.

I don’t think you, a stranger on the internet (or maybe a friend who made it here over from social media!) have any idea what a HUGE deal this is.

I mean, my kids and I did a WHOLE family DisneyBound as Hades, Pain and Panic from the Disney movie version of Hercules for our Oogie Boogie Bash night as well as Halloween.

AND LOOK AT HOW IT CAME OUT!!!!

(photo credit: Disney Photopass)

(I legitimately had no idea that the Magic Key exclusive photo op was going to be Hercules themed, and almost cried when I saw it)

This may be the best thing I have made in a long time. I am SO back.

AND, because I can not and will not allow myself to make anything easy for myself, I designed and build the wings for the kids’ costumes.

Why?

• Well first of all, we needed specific colors because Pain and Panic are… not colors that I could just get pre-made costume wings in.

• Second, there’s a very specific shape that we were after, as well as keeping both the overall size and the wing size/child size proportions in line with the vision.

• Third, since these wings needed to last through Oogie Boogie Bash (which takes place inside the theme park) AND at least one round of trick-or-treating (actually we went to a community trunk-or-treat event immediately after I finished them… the point is my kids’ Halloween costumes get some MILEAGE put on them), they needed to be sturdy enough to handle some wear and tear.

• And finally, the wings needed to be comfortable AND stay in place AND have the right amount of movement.

• But mainly I think it all boils down to a refusal to let anything be easy or straightforward.

Now I am happy to announce that these wings were a success on all fronts, and I took the time to document the process because these were so simple (only a few pieces and basic sewing machine skills), affordable (all of the materials for both pairs with plenty left over, plus some extra unrelated items came out to around $30 at Joann’s), and WAY more versatile than just this specific niche DisneyBound/Cosplay concept.

This same tutorial can be easily adapted to bat or devil wings just by changing the color, and if you got creative with the shapes, become bird, butterfly, or angel wings without adjusting the construction AT ALL.

Before we get started, here’s a quick rundown of the materials I used:

• Extra-stiff Interfacing I bought a full yard because I needed two sets of wings and did not trust myself to get it right the first time (I am happy to announce that I did! And now I have a LOT of interfacing left that I’m not sure what to do with), so I think a more realistic quantity is about 1/3 yard per pair.

• Fleece Fabric Literally I just got the cheapest “craft fleece” because these wings aren’t getting any significant wear and tear and they definitely aren’t going through the wash. But also, you could use felt if that’s more accessible for you. Again I got a full yard of each color because I didn't know how many attempts would need to be made, but 1/3 yard per pair is PLENTY, because unlike the interfacing which is one single, 22” wide layer, the fleece fabric is 60” wide.

• Wide Elastic Ok so this isn’t the exact elastic I bought because I picked some from the by-the-yard section, but this is the closest I can find online. Most kids’ sizes are going to use around a yard (maybe a little more for older kids), for reference my kids’ two sets of wings used the 2.5 yards of elastic I bought EXACTLY.

• Matching Thread Or, if you prefer, contrasting thread. There really aren’t any rules here (I used black thread throughout because I’m too lazy to change thread colors), but you DO need thread.

• Pins You’ll be able to see in the step-by-step photos that I did NOT exclusively use my favorite kind of sewing pins (glass head pins that won’t melt if you iron over them), but I just thought now would be a good time to mention that glass head pins are my absolute favorite kind.

• Scissors and Fabric shears For the love of all that is good and holy THESE ARE NOT THE SAME THING.

• A Seam Ripper I would hope that you don’t have need of one but it is nice to have one on hand should the need arise, and definitely spend the money on a more ergonomic one because the flat ones that come in sewing kits are awful

• Thread Snips I like using these to trim threads at the end rather than scissors? But scissors also work.

• Pilot Frixion Gel Pen These are my favorite pens for marking on fabric because they erase COMPLETELY with a warm iron. However, an air soluble pen can work equally as well.

• Ruler this specific size will be super helpful if you decide to make the tail.

• Seam Gauge (optional) This is extremely optional for exactly one step but there’s a link in case you need one.

• Paper or Cardstock I don’t really think you need a link for paper but you do need paper to draw your pattern pieces on and I didn’t like having all of the supplies as blue links except for the last one.

(note: I did use affiliate links wherever I could with the materials list, because those clicks and commissions are something that helps me to keep my bills paid as a full time self employed artist, you are by no means under any obligation to use them, and in the case of this tutorial, specific brands DO NOT MATTER, so if you already have something on hand, feel free to use that. That being said, if you have the time to even click the links and then not buy anything, that helps)

Ok, are you ready to get started? Let’s go!

Step One: Draw the desired wing shape that you want on a sheet of printer paper (this was just a little bit smaller than the paper, about 10 inches across at the widest point and 7 inches tall at the tallest point). The exact size and shape is up to you and your needs/preferences, and the only thing that’s important is that you extend the end that attaches to the center about 2” further than you want the wings themselves to go)

Step Two: Trace TWO of your wing shapes onto your interfacing

Step Three: Cut them out using your normal scissors because REMEMBER YOUR FABRIC SHEARS ARE ONLY FOR FABRIC (jk I actually don’t know if it’s bad to cut interfacing with fabric shears)

Step Four: Lay your interfacing pieces onto your fabric and trace around them with about a 1/4 inch margin all the way around. You can use a seam gauge to do this if you want to be really precise, but you really don’t have to. Cut out FOUR wings from your fabric. Also cut two rectangles that are about 5 inches wide by 6 inches tall and set those aside for step twelve.

Step five: For each wing, you’re going to need to make a sandwich that breaks all of the rules of sewing. Right side/wrong side doesn’t matter on most fleece and felt fabrics but in case you did something different, each stack is going to look like this:

• first layer fabric wrong side UP

• second layer Interfacing, centered in your fabric with an equal margin all the way around

• third layer fabric wrong side DOWN directly on top of the other fabric, matching the edges exactly

(note: I used the same fabric for both sides so this doesn’t matter, but IF YOU DID make sure that your two wings are mirror images of each other and not identical!)

Anyway the stack should look like this:

Step six: Pin the stack securely all the way around, paying special attention to any sharp points

Step Seven: Sew all the way around the edges of the wing shape, very close to the edge of the fabric, so that the interfacing is caught in between the two layers of fabric.

Step eight: Using tailors chalk, an air-soluble pen, or a Pilot Frixion gel pen, mark any details lines on the WRONG side of your wings (if your wings are only one color like mine, then this is a time to pay close attention to making sure your wings are mirror images of each other.

Step nine: Sew over those lines with a straight stitch (if your markings need to be ironed off, do that now)

Step ten: Measure and cut your elastic by laying it snugly (but not stretched out) on your child wrapping from the top of their shoulder blade to the bottom of their shoulder blade, wrapping around the front of their body. Then cut two pieces of elastic that match this measurement.

Step eleven: This part is hard to explain, but bear with me please. Take each piece of elastic and match the corners of the ends at a right angle, being very careful not to twist the elastic, and to make sure that you have two kind of teardrop shaped loops (if your elastic has a right and wrong side this is another time to make sure that your two loops are mirror images of each other). Pin the ends together to form a sqare where they overlap). Then sew all the way around these squares with a three-step zigzag stitch.

After you sew them they should look like this:

Step Twelve: So far we’ve been making our individual parts, and now we are going to put them together into a functional set of wings. Now we’re going to take one of those extra rectangles and fold it thusly with the two wing pieces pinned on top. I don’t know what the words to explain this would be, but with the long sides as the vertical sides, fold both edges inward towards the center. I don’t know if that makes sense so here is a picture to show what I mean by thusly.

Step thirteen: sew a straight line down both edges close to the fold on the VERTICAL edges (note: this is kid of a bulky seam and its totally ok if its a little wonky, just as long as its secure). now the wings are attached.

Step Fourteen: now we’re going to do a similar process to attach the elastic loops to each other. Start by folding the second extra rectangle of fabric in the same way as we did for the wings, and then pin the elastic loops to it thusly. Again, I’m not sure if explainig it in words is clearer but basically turn those squares of sewn-down corners so that they are pointing to the center of the fabric rectagle, so that the inside corner of the loop is aligned with the edge of the fabric. Again, a photo to demonstrate what I mean by thusly: and then sew the vertical edges down in the same way as the wings.

Step fifteen: To recap, now we have wings that are attached to each other, and elastic arm loops that are attached to each other. Now we are going to attach the two sets to each other. This is another one where I really hope the photo clarifies it more than my explanation, but what you’re going to do is fold the top edge of each connecting rectangle down about 1/2 inch and then pinning them together, with all of the wrong sides sandwiched together in the middle. Again, thusly:

Step fifteen continued: laid flat, the pinned edges should look like this, no raw edges.

Step Seventeen: Sew across this top edge. Again, this may be hard for your machine to sew neatly because of how bulky it is. That’s ok do your best. We’re almost done. I believe in you.

Step Eighteen: Repeat the same fold-and-pin process on the bottom edge of the joining rectangles.

Step Nineteen: Sew the bottom edge in the same way as the the top edge.

AND THATS IT!!! YOU’RE READY TO PARTY!!! OR TRICK OR TREAT!!!! OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU NEEDED WINGS FOR!!!

Special thanks to my kids for so graciously modeling the finished wings for me)

“But what about the tails???” you say. “What about the horns????”

Well I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I have a bonus mini-tutorial for the tails!!! And you don’t even need any additional materials!!!

Step one: cut a pointy triangle shape from your leftover interfacing

Step two: In the same way we did for the wings, trace about 1/4 inch around your interfacing onto your fabric, and cut out two of those shapes.

Step Three: Layer the fabric and interfacing in the same way as we did with the wings, then pin and sew, just like we did with the wings (do you see a theme here…)

Step four: cut a strip of fabric that measures two inches wide by eighteen inches long (I’m going to be honest that I just traced around my clear ruler).

Step five: fold the strip lengthwise, pin and sew with a 1/4 inch seam allowance leaving both ends open. Attach a safety pin to one end to turn the tube right side out.

Step six: use the safety pin to turn the tube right side out.

Step Seven: Pin the tail tip to one end of the tube

Step eight: sew the tail tip and the tail together, backtacking multiple times to ensure it’s secure.

Step nine: use a safety pin to secure the tail to the waistband of whatever garments will make up the rest of the costume.

And there you have it! the perfect set of bat/demon/dragon/devil wings (and a coordinating tail, if you need one).

Here’s a final shot of the full family DisneyBound:

Outfit Details:

• Hades (me, left) - SilverSaga Patterns Ella Dress made from a thrifted bedsheet, accented with a drape of swimsuit mesh fabric from my stash secured with a vintage scorpion brooch. Sandals from Savopoulos on Etsy, old jewelry I already had, and sunglasses from Zenni Optical (this style seems to be gone but there are lots of similar ones and this is my favorite place for glasses!).

• Pain (Benedict, center) - Sweatsuit from Amazon, Accessories from this tutorial, and sneakers from Old Navy (old)

• Panic (Alice, left) - Dress from Mightly, tights from Amazon, Accessories from this tutorial, and boots from Blowfish.

“But Victoria,” you say, “Your kids are clearly wearing headbands that you made, where is the tutorial for those so that we can complete the look???”

And to that I say, I made up the construction of the horned headbands so on-the-fly that I wasn’t sure that I would be able to write an accurate tutorial. By that point in the project I was running on pure vibes and…

I may be back with a part two if I can replicate the success of the first try.

Let’s not push our luck after getting this tutorial live a whole five days before Halloween.

Crystals for Libra

Hello, October, Hello Libra New Moon!!! Do you know what that means??? It means that it is MY BIRTHDAY!!! (and also, we are having an eclipse…)

Ok my birthday is officially only on October 11, BUT I observe my birthday for the entire month/all of Libra season if I’m being honest.

Because as the most perfect sign of the entire zodiac (representing justice, beauty, and truth), that has exactly no flaws of any kind, Libras deserve to be celebrated for as long as possible. Including, if not especially, me personally.

(I jest, somewhat)

And OF COURSE as we enter the most beautiful time of the year, we are returning to our (ok my) favorite new moon tradition: the release of my Journaling Prompts for Libra Season download, and my blog post about my top crystal picks for Libra Season.

For any that are new here (maybe you came across this blog post directly from Google or Pinterest rather than having followed the whole series): I’ve been releasing a set of journaling prompts for each season in the Zodiac, and, as a little companion, I’m also writing a quick guide to the crystals I chose for each sign in my Zodiac jewelry collection. If you found yourself here and are want to read about the other signs, I’ve already gone through Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Virgo.

Journaling Prompts for Libra Season - PDF Download

$5.55

I really should have written this series back in the 2020-2021 astrological year, when I spent each season researching the strengths and challenges of each sign, to curate a collection of five stones that I thought would best support people with placements in that sign, but now is the second best time. While my initial focus was to research crystals to support people with PLACEMENTS in each sign, I’ve learned over the years that these stones can also bring some support to all of us through that sign’s season.

I say “us” like this incudes me but in this specific case, it doesn’t because as a Libra Sun, Mercury, AND Mars, these are my personal, all the time crystals. But for everyone else, these are the stones that I’ve picked for Libra Season.

Morganite

The iconic symbol of Libra is the scales of justice, this is literally what the constellation that marks the season depicts. In Libra placements, this often shows up as a strong commitment to our principles. It’s not just crucial for us to do what we KNOW is right at all times, but we are also fiercely loyal. To our friends and loved ones, to our values, and to the fact that we KNOW that we are right. Libras are known for being thoughtful, generous social butterflies, and morganite’s gentle, loving energy is supportive in ALL of these areas. It’s a stone that helps us keep our hearts open to receiving love from others just as much as we pour it out, so that our friendships and partnerships are balanced and equitable (things that Libras obviously love). Fun (and totally unrelated) fact: Morganite is named after J.P. Morgan (yes, the banker), who was… apparently really into witchy shit? The more you know, I guess.

Blue Lace Agate

If there’s one thing we Libras love, it’s balance. Again, this goes right back to that imagery of scales. But sometimes, the pursuit of FINDING that balance can lead to an emotional state that is very… not balanced. Libra season can be a great time to re-examine our lives and seek to address any areas that we’ve noticed are weighing us down, but that can become its own kind of disruption. Blue Lace Agate helps us to slow our racing thoughts, so that we can find the clarity we need to actually do what we need to do. It’s a very soothing stone, and helps with supporting trustworthy communication (look as a Libra I KNOW how much we love a bit of juicy gossip but also how often do we get ourselves in trouble for running out mouths). And I mean, the wispy pale blue patterns just make Blue Lace Agate LOOK like the perfect stone for an air sign.

Labradorite

If there’s one challenge that comes with the Libra’s pursuit of beauty and balance, it can be a tendency towards losing focus. Now, Libras love a moment to create something beautiful, and we especially love to transform a mess into a masterpiece. We are very in tune with our ideals, but sometimes that can push us into the territory of… not being very practical. Or giving up too easily. Or being easily swayed into doing something completely different than what we set out to do. Labradorite may be a darker, heavier stone that we wouldn’t automatically assume screams “LIBRA,” but it is definitely a stone that I really feel supports a lot of the areas that can easily become sources of struggle for Libra placements. Labradorite is a protective stone that helps us to stay grounded and focused through difficult times, and supports our creativity through transformational phases of our lives, often creating beauty through times of darkness. And even though this was NOT AT ALL something I was thinking about when I designed the original zodiac collections, if I were to pick THE stone for this eclipse in Libra, it would be Labradorite.

Aquamarine

The energy of Libra is always seeking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Unfortunately, sometimes this comes into conflict with the people pleasing tendencies that can develop due to being the most charismatic social butterfly of the Zodiac. In our attempts to be everybody’s favorite (because we are), we might find ourselves biting our tongues, holding back things that we really think we need to say, or hiding bits of ourselves that we fear might rock the boat. This is where Aquamarine really comes in to save the day: Aquamarine is a stone of truth AND courage. She helps us to bravely say the things that need to be said, rather than shrinking back so that we can remain “likable,” while also soothing any anger that might get in the way of clearly communicating what needs to be said, in a way that is not going to lose us any friends.

Moonstone

I’m not going to pretend that Libras have not at least somewhat earned their reputation for being judgmental. That is, unfortunately, the shadow side that’s going to come with being both highly intuitive and deeply committed to doing the right thing. Moonstone is the perfect stone for supporting this strength (the intuition and integrity), while also protecting from the dangers (arrogance, superiority), because while yes it is a stone associated with finding success through following your intuition, it does so in a compassionate, nurturing way. It’s a very maternal energy, one that wants what’s best for everyone. Moonstone is a stone of inner growth, and maybe, one of the harder lessons it helps us with is the journey from judging others who aren’t living up to our ideals, to having empathy for those in all stages of their own journeys. And of course, as a Libra I absolutely hate that I just typed that sentence and now I have to follow my own damn advice.

So there we are, with the most ethereal, glowy, sparkling-from-within crystals that I selected for Libra plaements back in 2020 (wow remember how we thought the world couldn’t get any crazier back then?), which, because life is funny that way, is also a great collection for any of us to use to support us through Libra Season.

CRYSTALS FOR LIBRA

from $30.00

As a reminder, you can shop the Crystals for Libra jewelry collection right here, and if you’re looking for a quick self-care moment (v appropriate for Libra season), the Journaling Prompts for Libra Season are right here.

As always, thank you for joining in one of my favorite monthly check-ins, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

See you soon for Scorpio Season!

Going back to your house // Back from the dead (sorry I left you hanging for like six years about those shirts I did for The Matches, but here's what happened after that)

There’s probably a very small (if it exists at all) subset of my audience that read this blog post about my handmade, limited edition merch collaboration with The Matches and were like.. um what happened with that? The announcement was made and then… what??? What happened next???

The short answer is: I got divorced.

Not really because of the shirts.

But… definitely not not because of The Matches.

It’s been quite a few years now of wanting to share more of the story of what happened as a direct result of the 2014 tour that The Matches did to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their first album, E. von Dahl Killed the Locals. But every time I think it’s time to finally put it into writing, something else happens and the entire narrative has even more layers and subplots and becomes even more difficult to summarize into a single blog post. Or even, a coherent series.

It will eventually, probably, someday, become an entire book (there’s a chapter outline saved on my laptop waiting for me to not be afraid of querying such a personal story). I’ve reached the point where I don’t think that this story will ever be over.

But today, I sit at my computer, in exactly the same spot I was (metaphorically speaking, I don’t actually remember where I was physically) when my (now) ex husband (we were very much still married at the time of the previous blog post) texted me that he was going to file for divorce.

TEXTED ME.

THAT HE WAS GOING TO FILE FOR DIVORCE.

TWO DAYS AFTER WHAT WAS LITERALLY THE MOST FUN AND EXCITING MINI TRIP TO GO CELEBRATE MY FIRST EVER PAID ART JOB AND THE END OF AN ERA WITH ALL OF MY INTERNET FRIENDS.

THAT I TOOK HIM ON AND PAID FOR WITH MONEY THAT I’D EARNED THROUGH SAID ART JOB.

AND HE TEXTED ME TWO DAYS LATER THAT HE WAS GOING TO FILE FOR DIVORCE.

(sidenote: this blog post is not about my marriage as a whole, and there is obviously a considerable amount of context that is missing for brevity’s sake, but what I do need you to know before we continue, is that the entire relationship was rife with abuse, isolation, and manipulation, which helps to give some explanation as to why, what seem like such small instances of kindness from strangers that occurred between 2014 and 2018, were 1. so significant to me, personally, and 2. directly resulted in the end of my marriage and the paths I took after that. I am self-aware enough to know that to someone who has not lived the life I have, these stories seem inconsequential, and I seem to be making a big deal about nothing, so I do need to make this clarification. Also, no I will not be detailing incidences of abuse to “prove” anything to anyone, if you think that you need to hear “both sides” of the story to decide if you believe me or not you need to leave RIGHT NOW and never come back, and if ANY of this sounds familiar to you in your current relationship dynamics please call the national domestic violence hotline you deserve so much more and there are so many services and organizations that can help you start a new life in safety)

AGAIN, TEXTED ME.

HIS WIFE OF SEVEN YEARS AND MOTHER OF HIS TWO CHILDREN WHO STOOD BY HIM THROUGH SEVEN YEARS OF POVERTY, HEALTH CRISES, QUESTIONABLE FIDELITY, AND PRETTY MUCH EVERY KIND OF ABUSE.

THAT HE WAS GOING TO FILE FOR DIVORCE BECAUSE ONE SINGLE DAY OF OUR ENTIRE MARRIAGE COULDN’T BE MADE ABOUT HIM.

Ok I’m going to stop yelling now and explain what I mean by “in exactly the same place” because, I didn’t really explain that, did I?

Well, where I am right now (again figuratively not literally), is two days post seeing a Matches’ reunion show at The Fillmore in San Fransisco, where I had an absolutely delightful time seeing one of my favorite bands and catching up with so many (now long term) long distance friends that I met through The Matches (I did not have a custom merch collaboration this time, but we’re still counting this as being back in the same place). A little sore, a lot tired, and so, so happy to have gotten to have that experience.

Only now, I’m not just so, so happy to have had that experience once.

I’m so, so happy to have had that experience, survived not only the immediate aftermath but what can only be described as a six year long baptism by fire that has only somewhat recently begun to subside, and made it all the way back around to complete the circle as someone reborn from the ashes with an entirely new life, and have the experience again, only this time, it was good. It was so, so good.

From here, it’s… it’s dare I say… almost… funny that, if you zoom out far enough, my abusive ex husband was so threatened on an existential level from one (married) frontman of a (not famous and not currently touring/releasing music) pop punk band was nice (in 100% completely wholesome ways only) to his wife and hired her for one (one!!!) small (under $1k total profit) art job that she did in addition to her responsibilities as a DEDICATED wife and mother.

But obviously, IT WAS VERY MUCH NOT FUNNY AT THE TIME.

So where had we left off?

The shirts! I had spent months sourcing vintage sweaters and button up shirts, embroidering them with my designs, preparing the shirts for sale, AND, the part that I didn’t tell anyone at the time, being screamed at on the regular because of how stupid it was that I was “making overpriced t-shirts for my high school crush” instead of whatever the hell it was my ex husband wanted me to be doing (which, I want to add, was clearly not spending time with him because at this point he was basically never home and barely participated in family activities), and as a result, wondering every day if I should text Shawn that I give up and can’t do the shirts anymore.

But, like a dumbass (or an idealist, depending on how you look at it), I not only finished the shirts, but used my money, from the separate business bank account that Etsy sales went into (this is another THING that I don’t have space to go into here) to take him with me to go see the show and celebrate the culmination of this project and the tour.

I booked the trip, we flew up for the day, and for the record I had a great time and it was everything I could have wanted. We even met up with some of my new internet friends before the show!

The show was great, my shirts either completely sold out or almost sold out, EVERYONE was complementing them/me and when we hung around outside the venue so I could see the guys from the band and get a picture with them, and the whole time people were asking me how I was doing and all I could get out was “this is just surreal.”

In retrospect, yes, my ex was making rude remarks through the entire thing, but I was able to brush them off as just, he’s not a nice person, its fine. But THAT WASN’T GOING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS MOMENT WHERE I FINALLY FOR ONE TIME EVER GOT A TIME TO SHINE.

And then, two days later, the aforementioned text message.

And I think… I think there was a big part of me that thought this was the end of the story.

I didn’t want my marriage to end, so I did do everything I could to make myself small, not rock the boat, and not let the embroideries cause any more problems.

This lasted… a few weeks, until I got, yet another once-in-a-lifetime, living-out-my-teenage-dreams opportunities: flying out to Minneapolis to go see Justin Pierre (from Motion City Soundtrack) play a solo show, and have breakfast with him at his house the next day, because, and I am not making this up, my gynecoligist’s niece, who I only knew online because we followed each others blogs for a bit and had. never met in real life, moved from LA to Minneapolis, and JUSTIN PIERRE WAS HER NEIGHBOR.

(This is another thing that, yes, there is a lot more to it but again, now is not the time or place for it, but what you need to know is that my ex husband was pissed and I went anyway and it was lovely and 100% worth the consequences when I got home)

And again, an even bigger part of me wanted this to be the end of the story, that the embroideries were just a fun little detour, a glimmer of joy in an overwhelmingly depressed and isolated life as I tried my best to hide the abuse and keep going while, by this point, raising my kids entirely alone in every meaningful way while being regularly screamed at over these small things that I have going on that he can’t make revolve around him (again, all of the context for this does not fit into nor is it appropriate for a blog post).

To catch you up on this timeline: I made and posted my first embroidery hoop in August of 2016, launched the Etsy shop in… the fall of 2016(?), was initially asked by The Matches to work on the shirt collaboration in the fall of 2017, for the tour that would happen in summer 2018. The trip to Minneapolis was in November 2018. At the time, it didn’t seem like these events were that close together. But, in retrospect, wow that was so much in so short of a time.

And I finally left him for good in May 2019.

There is far too much that has happened between then and now to include it all in one blog post. BUT.

The first two people to reach out after I publicly announced the split? Shawn (from The Matches) and Pablo (their manager). The first people to rush to support the jewelry business I started in the aftermath of my divorce (the one that that literally supports my family to this day)? Instagram friends I met through The Matches. The literal, actual last thing I did before the pandemic changed everything? A screening of Bleeding Audio, the documentary about The Matches.

As you can see, there has been a recurring theme here.

Getting out of that situation and the long, drawn out recovery process would have been an entirely different experience without everything/everyone that was in my life because of The Matches.

(Sidenote: What a follow-up to that blog post announcing the embroidered shirts, right? Was it worth the wait? I know it’s not the sequel I was expecting to write!!!)

And now, to bring things back to the present day:

This weekend I was back in San Fransisco, to see The Matches at The Fillmore (this time with my cousin).

Which yes, is the nicest, tidiest full circle moment that we could possibly have in regards to everything that happened as a direct result of… the last time I went to San Fransisco to see The Matches at the Fillmore. It was also the best time (once again all thanks to Pablo for taking care of us, like he always has, for ten whole years now).

But there was another kind of full circle moment: once again, coming back from the dead.

The second half of 2023 was, effectively, a speedrun of every bad thing that could possibly happen to a single mom in an already precarious situation that I have christened the “cavalcade of Crises” to try and diffuse the trauma a little bit (this is yet another thing that we do not have time to go into in a blog post). While things were absolutely not the same as they were in 2013, there were echos. I did not like this. And of course, it’s as this is finally calming down that The Matches announce a 20th anniversary show, giving me something to finally look forward to, a familiar glimmer of hope amidst a sea of burnout.

While for me, seeing The Matches at the Fillmore is not a homecoming in the geographic sense that it was for the Bay Area kids that had grown up alongside the band, this show was definitely the reminder I needed of how far I’ve really come in these ten years. Since that first show. Because of that first show.

For ten whole years now, Matches shows have been a safe space, where people are nice to me.

For a lot of those ten years, Matches shows were the only safe place where people were nice to me.

Those parts of the story that I’d hoped were the end? Those were the times where I believed that those nice things people said weren’t things that were true or that I deserved to hear, and it’s taken a decade of therapy to realize that… all of those good things people at Matches shows see in me and say nice things about? Those are real, those are me.

So I’m glad the story didn’t end at any of those times, and have accepted that it’s probably only going to get longer and weirder (again… this will need to be a book to fit the whole thing).

Crystals for Virgo

Hello friends, I hope that that new Moon in Virgo has been kind to you.

I know that Virgos can kind of get a bad rap for being a little TOO structured, as a Libra… Virgo season is a RELIEF. It’s an invitation to get my head out of the clouds, come back to earth, and start getting things DONE. Maybe some of them are getting done a little bit behind schedule (ahem… I DID put all the dates for these blog posts in one calendar but not my main one), but they ARE getting done. And that’s what matters.

SO, today we are going through our monthly breakdown of the collections of stones that I chose for each sign in my Zodiac Collection, which, for those that are new here, is a collection of necklaces and hoop earrings handmade with a collection of five natural stones that I curated specifically to best support each sign’s natural strengths and challenges.

So far we’ve covered Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and Leo, and now we’re coming up to the halfway point with my crystal picks for Virgo.

Some quick clarification: I initially designed this collection over the 2020-2021 astrological year focusing on each sign through the lens of which crystals would best support people with major PLACEMENTS in those signs (for those wondering which jewelry pieces they should purchase for themselves, I’d say the best place to start is your own Sun, Moon, or Rising sign), HOWEVER, as my knowledge and experience have grown, I now realize that these little collections of stones make a great starting point for any of us looking to bring a little crystal magic into each season.

And to build on this, I’ve also been releasing a downloadable journaling guide for each zodiac season as well.

Journaling Prompts for Virgo Season

$5.55

So are you ready to dive into the Crystals for Virgo Season?

Blue Apatite

What is the number one thing that we love about Virgos? Their ability to just GET THINGS DONE, obviously. And something about Virgo season also being back-to-school season for a lot of us just makes sense. It’s such a SHIFT in energy, from summer relaxation to the hustle and bustle of fall. And honestly, I can’t think of a better stone for this time of year than Blue Apatite. Blue Apatite is the stone for getting things done. It is the aggressively high-vibe stone that helps us clear out distractions and focus our energy EXACTLY where it needs to be. Blue Apatite doesn’t just have a checklist, she has a color-coded spreadsheet with detailed plans of not just what needs to be done but exactly the best way to get it done and no, she will not be taking any clarifying questions. Also, somehow like half of the tasks are already done. She’s the best friend of people who are already like this and a forceful supporter for those of us (ahem, me) who just aren’t but desperately want to be.

Amethyst

As much as we all know what we love about Virgos (the aforementioned gift at getting things done), we also know that there is definitely a such thing as too much of a good thing. And for both Virgo placements and Virgo season, that is absolutely the point where the color coded spreadsheet of exciting things to do and the sweet smell of fresh school supplies becomes an overwhelming rush of demands and a chaotic calendar that somehow neglected to factor in that human beings can only be in one place at a time. Amethyst is the number one stone that I’d pick to bring us some balance here. Virgo season is a time to reflect on wisdom, making good choices now to prepare for the amazing things that are coming next, and Amethyst is all about intuition and clear-headed decision making. She can help us calm down our racing thoughts so that we can focus our energy where it will be most effective, and give us peace of mind when things get crazy (or somebody isn’t following our VERY CLEAR instructions).

Clear Quartz

Clear Quartz is, in a lot of ways, our true all-purpose, for everyone, in every situation, every day crystal. It doesn’t matter what the energy is, Clear Quartz is going to give it a boost. And I love this for Virgo season because this season can be a lot. The transition from summer to fall. The transition into the school year after weeks and weeks on break. The horrifying realization the holidays are coming and they’re coming soon and oh no what have I even done with this year it’s almost 3/4 over!!! (ok maybe that one is just me). But REGARDLESS, Clear Quartz is here to give us the clarity to know what kind of energy we need and the little push to stick to those goals. It’s a very positive, uplifting stone, and sometimes that’s the thing we need the most as the temperatures dip and the sunsets get a little earlier.

Snowflake Obsidian

Snowflake Obsidian is a very practical stone, much in the way that Virgo placements tend to be very practical people and Virgo season often asks us to take a practical look at what’s going on in our lives and make any needed changes. So she was an absolute non-negotiable for Virgo season. She’s a stone that helps a lot with keeping ourselves grounded when we’re being pulled in a million different directions, and helps us stay focused when we need to get things done. Snowflake Obsidian is the stone we want when we need to stay firmly rooted in reality as we plan out our next steps, so that we can set ourselves up for the best chance of success. Because Virgo season is a time for wise, intentional planning, not throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.

Malachite

Finally, we’re rounding out the collection with Malachite. Remember that thing I just said about being prepared for what’s next? Malachite is the stone for the what’s next, whatever that may look like. She’s here to help our practical preparations grow into massive successes by helping us clear out the mental and emotional obstacles between us and what we’re working towards. Malachite is a stone of good luck too, but not the random, fell-out-of-the-sky kind of good luck, the good luck that comes from being in the right place at the right time because you are ON IT in that way that the only possible outcome is things working out just the way that you meant them to. Because, honestly, any Virgo is going to agree that the rest of us should have just listened to them in the first place.

CRYSTALS FOR VIRGO

from $30.00

SO! Whether you’re looking to spend this belated Virgo New Moon doing some journaling, working with some crystals, or treating yourself to some Virgo-themed jewelry, I hope that you enjoy yourself. And get out the color coding pens.

Thank you for coming along for this ride, this has truly been one of my favorite projects for this year!

Crystals for Leo

Hello there and happy New Moon in Leo!!!

Leo season tends to be where the year starts getting really good for me (I recently learned this is because I have a Leo Midheaven, which means that Leo energy is where I find confidence and success, which makes as much sense as it does make me uncomfortable), and I’m really excited about this new cycle ahead of us.

Last Leo season (actually right ON the Leo New Moon!) I began the process of filing for sole custody of my kids, and while yes that was a huge part of what was probably the worst and hardest six months of my life, it was truly the beginning of a new season: a season where I can confidently live a life that’s in alignment with my values. I’m not going to lie, at the time I would not have said that I was “ushering in a new season of alignment and abundance”, but… as we complete the cycle and come back to the Leo New Moon… yeah, that’s exactly what it was.

Anyway, I am not here to talk about the absolute dumpster fire that my life was this time last year, or everything that went into getting me to where I am right now (although that may be a topic for a future blog post once I can get back into the routine of writing more regularly), I am here to give you the next installment in my “crystals for each zodiac sign” series.

Obviously, today’s post is going to be about the crystals for Leo season (and/or Leo placements!), but if you are new to the series, here’s the short version of what we’re doing here and why:

Over the course of the 2020-2021 zodiac year, I released a jewelry collection for each sign, each made up of five stones that I carefully researched and selected as the best supports for that sign to enhance their strengths and help alleviate their challenges. I’m very proud of the jewelry collection. However, I never really made content about the stones I chose for each sign and why.

That’s what we’re here for today. And if you’re interested in catching up with the rest of the zodiac year so far, you can also read the posts for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer by clicking their respective links.

We’re also here today so that I can announce that the Journaling Prompts for Leo Season PDF Download is also live, should you desire some helpful journaling prompts for this New Moon.

Journaling Prompts for Leo Season

$5.55

Now, lets get to those Leo Season Crystals:

Tiger’s Eye

Leo is the lion of the zodiac and so OF COURSE I can’t make a Crystals for Leo jewelry collection/blog post without Tiger’s Eye. First of all because there’s no crystal with the word “lion” in the name and “tiger” is about as close as we’re going to get, and also because Tiger’s Eye is a stone that just embodies everything we love about Leo placements: Unshakeable confidence, unstoppable willpower, and protective of the people and things that they love. One thing that I think we all love about Tiger’s Eye is how it is just so COMFORTABLE in the spotlight. Like have you ever seen a piece of Tiger’s Eye that you just couldn’t look away from? Yeah, that’s the vibe for Leo season (and a very uncomfortable exercise in personal growth for me, a person who would rather not ever be perceived, but that is an entirely different topic). This is the season for going after what we want, isn’t it?

Black Obsidian

As a Libra (sun, moon, and mercury), with a LOT of water placements elsewhere in my chart, one thing about Leo placements that I find very admirable and also kind of annoying is the way that their energy is just… not affected by everything going on around them. My brother in law is probably the Leo sun that I’ve spent the most time with and he is ALARMINGLY unshakeable. I feel like Leo season is a great time to bring that energy into our lives, so Black Obsidian was another obvious choice. This is because it literally acts as an energy shield. Bad energy just can’t even get to you if you’re wearing Black Obsidian. So if we can’t be naturally gifted with being effortlessly unbothered as we go about our daily lives like Leo placements do, Black Obsidian can offer us some support to get there eventually.

Red Jasper

Another thing about Leo is their ability to just DO what they know they need to do. There’s a cool levelheadedness when it comes to making decisions and solving problems that’s just so uniquely Leo. Now this is just my own personal observation, but it seems that with that legendary Leo confidence comes a distinct clarity in their intuition. Like it’s just never a question, they just know what they need to do next (or what you need to do next, if you’re going to a Leo for advice). Red Jasper is the stone I chose to either enhance those qualities in Leo placements, or to support the rest of us (ahem, me, again with all of those Libra placements) to do the same. Because what makes Red Jasper so special, is that it really calms down our racing thoughts and feelings so that we can focus and just get things done.

Hematite

With their legendary confidence, Leo carries the danger of erring into the territory of arrogance. Or, in their less healthy forms, egomania and even hubris. Hematite is the stone that I chose to help bring some grounding, to tone down the extremes so that we can really embrace the positive aspects of Leo energy. Yes, it is great to follow our top-notch intuition and get shit done like a badass, but ALSO we have to be careful not to girlboss too close to the sun. I don’t know about you, but that’s frequently my temptation anytime I start to lean into Leo energy, and Hematite is here to keep us safely on the ground, WHILE we make things happen. Because it’s all about balance, you know? The other thing besides grounding that we really love Hematite for.

Sunstone

And finally, to round out the collection, we have THE stone for Leo: Sunstone. Sunstone is part of the feldspar family of crystals, which means that it’s composed of many thin layers that reflect light in all different directions. This physical property is what gives Sunstone its unique, glowing-from-within luminosity. Just like, you know, the sun. Which rules Leo. As Leo placements are known for being very confident in the spotlight (can’t relate), I also love Sunstone for Leo Season, as a reminder to show up as the biggest, best, most authentic version of ourselves. Because that’s what Sunstone is all about. Confidence, yes. But confidence in who we truly are, and letting our unique, innate gifts shine out into the world around us.

I truly hope that you’ve enjoyed learning about the Crystals for Leo with me! Writing this series has been a wonderful follow-up to designing my original Zodiac Collection, and has been a wonderful companion to the new research that I’m doing as I create the Journaling Prompts for each zodiac season.

And yes, you can shop the Crystals for Leo collection right here:

CRYSTALS FOR LEO

from $30.00

Or treat yourself to the Journaling Prompts for Leo Season PDF Download right here.

Until next time!

Crystals for Cancer

Friends we have passed the Summer Solstice and THAT was a big shift (for me, at least) into a new, brighter, more energetic season (or idk maybe I just have the reverse of seasonal affective disorder and wasn’t coping well with the unusually thick June Gloom we’ve had this year), and now we have reached the Cancer New Moon and WOW everything just feels so nice. I mean I guess I’m biased towards Cancer season because my precious cherub of a son is a Cancer Sun, but ALSO this is just such a nice time to chill. Relaxation, introspection, going with the flow, quality time with our loved ones… all the things that Cancers love. And tbh it MAKES SENSE that this is when we take our summer vacations.

So once again, I’m back with my dive into the stones that I curated for my Crystals for Cancer jewelry collection. I still can’t believe that I didn’t do this when I first released my Zodiac collection over the 2020-2021 astrological year, but the second best thing I can do is to write them out now (you can catch up on the series with Aries, Taurus, and Gemini seasons too if you’d like).

But what’s new for this year, is that as I publish the blog posts (that I really should have done all those years ago), is that I’m launching a companion collection of guided journaling prompts for the astrological season.

You can grab your own Journaling Prompts for Cancer Season PDF download right here.

Journaling Prompts for Cancer Season - PDF Download

$5.55

And to reiterate, while I did originally create the Crystals for Cancer collection with Cancer placements in mind, I do really think these stones have a lot to offer all of us through Cancer season.

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in.

Amazonite

What’s the first thing we think about when we think of Cancer’s? Big feelings. Am I right or am I RIGHT? These big feelings are probably one of the most magical things about Cancer placements, and is not something that I would ever want to take away from them. That being said, sometimes the big feelings come out as hurtful words or impulsive actions. Amazonite is the perfect stone for helping us slow down and understand the feelings as valid, but allow them to settle down so that we can choose our actions in a thoughtful, level-headed, intentional way. It’s not a stone of burying or dismissing emotions, but allowing them to cool down so that we can clearly articulate them. Actually, my personal favorite thing about Amazonite is that it supports healthy communication, which tbh is the best thing to go with big feelings.

Amethyst

With all these big feelings, Cancer placements have another gift: an impeccable intuition. And for the rest of us, Cancer season usually involves an invitation to slow down and give ourselves a mid-year check in. Cancer season hits right as we all find ourselves asking things like: “How did the first half of the year go?”, “How do we want the second half to be different?”, and “What do we have to adjust to make that all happen?” Amethyst is the perfect stone to help us out here. Like Amazonite, it helps to tone down all of the big feelings and racing thoughts. But rather than supporting us with communicating those thoughts and feelings to others, Amethyst helps us internally: by helping us slow down and process all of that information, and thoughtfully move on to our next steps.

Labradorite

Labradorite is a stone that I personally love (actually it was one of the first stones I ever purchased for myself) because it is a stone that inspires creativity and also offers protection support through big changes and difficult circumstances. This is one that felt so perfect for Cancer placements because while these big feelings lend themselves to big moves, sometimes self-preservation gets in the way. Labradorite is a reminder to embrace change, and allows ourselves the vulnerability of creating a new path forward when things get difficult. Exactly like a crab when it’s time for it to molt. Which is why I also love it for Cancer season, when we all, in general, find ourselves re-evaluating where we are, and what we have to change in order for things to be the way that we’d like them to be.

Moonstone

Like the moon, the emotions of the Cancer wax and wane with the tides. Moonstone is a stone that represents rebirth, renewal, and success in our efforts. But not in an aggressive way (looking at you Malachite) or a lighthearted way (looking at you Citrine), but in a gentle, nurturing, motherly way. When I think of the Cancers in my life (my son, my sister, and some favorite friends), the thing I admire most is how supportive they are to their loved ones, how they really do genuinely want everyone to be happy and fulfilled in their lives. I love Moonstone for Cancer season because energetically, it is for all of us exactly what my favorite Cancer placements are in my life: pushing us all forward to grow into the best version of ourselves.

Rose Quartz

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from parenting a Cancer, it’s that Cancer’s don’t just adore self care (my son put a box of 48 bath bombs on the Amazon list for his 9th birthday and his exact words were “this is not excessive at all”), the need it. We all need it. We all love Rose Quartz because it is the embodiment of love in all of its forms, and I’ve learned to love it for this season where self care, caring for others, and finding the balance between the two. It’s easy for the summer months to become a season of just doing for the sake of not missing out (especially for those of us with kids!), and Rose Quartz invites us to pause and ask… “Is this really good for me to go this hard, or is there a better way for me to make sure that I’m taken care of while I’m looking out for everyone else?”

And for those that feel like indulging in some classic Cancer self-care, the Journaling Prompts for Cancer Season PDF is the perfect place to start. And you can shop the jewelry collection here.

CRYSTALS FOR CANCER

from $30.00

I feel like it goes without saying, that this series is one of my favorite recurring monthly check ins.

Thank you for being here with me.

See you next month.

Crystals for Gemini

Is it just me or has the energy been MOVING since we moved into Gemini Season?

Gemini is all about EXPANSION, inwardly and outwardly: meeting new people, trying new things, going new places, making new friends.

Even my burnt-out introvert self is feeling it.

As we’ve just had our Gemini New Moon, it’s time for what is very quickly becoming my very favorite monthly routine:

The launch of my Journaling Prompts for Gemini Season PDF Download, and the accompanying Crystals for Gemini Season blog post (this blog post).

Journaling Prompts for Gemini season

$5.55

As a quick recap, just incase you’re jumping in with this post, the purpose of this series is to give a more detailed background on the crystals that I chose for my Crystals for Gemini jewelry collection. If you want to catch up on the previous editions, you can read the posts for Aries Season here and the post for Taurus Season here.

Zoisite

There are many crystals associated with growth, but Zoisite is definitely my favorite, because it’s not just about growth in general, it’s about unlimited, exponential growth. Growth like you’ve never experienced before. Now I don’t know about you, but so far this Gemini Season I have been stretched like never before (and that’s really saying a lot). This is where a really special thing about Zoisite comes in handy: she often contains inclusions of Ruby, which we all love as a stone of confidence and vitality, just the things we need when we’re going through these periods of expansion and the inevitable growing pains that come with them. And I mean, what could possibly me more appropriate for Gemini Season than a stone that is two stones at the same time???

Dalmatian Jasper

What is a Gemini if not the ultimate social butterfly, the expert networker, and the host with the most? I think we can all agree that this is our favorite thing about Gemini (I may be a bit biased here because my family has a disproportionate amount of Geminis). Unfortunately, sometimes this comes with the… less positive stereotype of Gemini being… flaky? two-faced? Not even always in a malicious way just in a… social chameleon kind of way? This is was a big reason that I picked Dalmatian Jasper for the Crystals for Gemini collection: Dalmatian Jasper is a stone of friendship. Of true friendship. Dalmatian Jasper is here to support the humor and loyalty that creates a solid, lasting bond between friends.

Clear Quartz

Gemini season is a time when things get going fast. Honestly, now that I think about it it really makes sense that this is also the season of graduations and weddings and big life events (and in my family, basically EVERY PERSON’S BIRTHDAY). For Gemini placements, I’m going to assume this acceleration of activity feels natural, but that’s definitely not the case for all of us (ahem, me). And our good friend Clear Quartz is here for all of us. Clear quartz is kind of seen as the main, entry level crystal, and not in a dismissive way but in a, yeah actually this is the stone to start with because it is the stone EVERYONE needs. Why? Because it doesn’t matter what’s going on or what you need, Clear Quartz is there to support you by boosting the energy you NEED, whatever that may be.

Hematite

Ok so I feel like this one is going to need a little more explanation. Because I’m over here with Hematite (a dark, heavy stone that contains iron) as a stone that I hand-picked through careful research for Gemini (a mutable air sign). But hear me out, ok: speaking from experience as a fellow Air sign, and please bear in mind I say this with all of the love in my heart: SOMETIMES THE ENERGY IS JUST A LITTLE CHAOTIC. Hematite is a stone that’s all about peace and grounding and balance and stability, but in a very gentle way. I think Gemini season is quick to get out of control, and Hematite is the perfect stone to kind of… keep us a little closer to earth.

Blue Apatite

Look if there’s one thing about Geminis it’s that they have the gift of gab. This kind of circles back to that thing about how it’s really fitting that this is the season of big social engagements… So I thought it was important to round out the Gemini Season crystals with Blue Apatite, because maybe we can sometimes use a little support to make sure that all that social chatter isn’t just noise. Blue Apatite is the perfect stone for this: she’s a stone that supports clear communication, and, as an added bonus, she’s also a big energy boost to make sure we get the things we want to get done, done. And what’s a Gemini’s second most favorite thing besides doing a million things.

Gemini season really seems to be the time of the year where the pace seems to REALLY pick up (do not ask me how many commitments I have had pretty much every day lately or I will cry), which for some of us is thrilling and for some of us can feel more overwhelming.

When I initially put together my Crystals for Gemini jewelry collection in 2020, I was only thinking about crystals to help support Gemini placements, but over the past three-four years since I initially launched the collection, I realized, these are the stones we all need for Gemini Season.

CRYSTALS FOR GEMINI

from $30.00

Crystals for Taurus

Officially speaking, this post is a day late.

But we’re not going to sit around and make excuses or explanations or justifications. We’re going to just keep on moving towards our goals. Because that’s Taurus season, baby.

If you were around for Aries season, then you know what I’m about to do here.

And if you weren't, this is what I’m about to do here:

As a companion for my Journaling Prompts for Taurus Season PDF Download (that was just released today), I’m going to give you a more thorough breakdown of my top crystal picks for Taurus season.

Journaling Prompts for Taurus Season - PDF Download

$5.55

I’m not going to lie: Taurus season has been a tough one for me to see the positives about because I spent quite a large number of years under the thumb of an extremely toxic Taurus (and then several more years still dealing with the mess he made/continues to make, which OBVIOUSLY is infuriating to me, a Libra).

But this isn’t about me, this is about you.

And maybe, a little bit about me getting absolutely wrecked (in a good way) about my traumatic experiences with Taurus placements and Taurus season, and finally coming around to really see and experience the beauty in this season in the lead up to yesterday’s Taurus New Moon.

So lets dive in, why don’t we?

Tiger’s Eye

If we were to all agree on one stereotypical trait of Taurus placements it would be the stubbornness. I’m sure we have all been on the receiving end of the “my way or the highway” mindset of a Taurus placement or had to watch them struggle through something they will not let go of because they won’t listen to the advice, experience, or expertise of others. But I think this is a really unfair perspective to take, because, when it’s applied in a healthy way, this may be Taurus’ greatest gift: the ability to persist through challenges and make what they know needs to happen a reality. If we think of Aries season as a fresh start, a time to plant the new seeds for the year ahead, then we can see Taurus season as the natural progression: a season to plow forward as we make those goals into a reality. Tiger’s Eye is just the crystal to support us in this, giving us strength, protection, and unstoppable drive.

Pyrite

Pyrite isn’t just “fools gold.” Pyrite is a stone about abundance, yes, but also protection, stability, and practicality. Which is about the most succinct way I can think of to describe the things that Taurus loves the most. Pyrite is here to help us attract that success that we are after (and being thoroughly supported with that Tiger’s Eye), yes, but ALSO, to keep us grounded and clearheaded as we keep pushing forward. Pyrite says, yes, we will succeed in our endeavors, but also, yes the the successes will be things we can depend on for the future.

Citrine

Look, this is just my own personal bias here, but I LOVE Citrine. Citrine is a stone of joy and abundance and success and creativity and positivity and is basically the crystal equivalent of a ray of perfect spring sunshine. Which, at least in the northern hemisphere, is exactly the thing that we love most about Taurus season in a practical, physical sense. And this literal sunshine serves a metaphysical role as well: these practical goals will QUICKLY become a drag and suck us down into tunnel vision if we don't temper that practicality with some levity. And Citrine is the perfect stone to keep things light and airy as we push forward and make big things happen.

Rhodonite

Taurus LOVES to be comfortable. Taurus craves safety, stability, predictability, luxury. When we take the time to really understand them, Taurus placement are far less the stereotypical bull in a china shop, and much more along the lines of Ferdinand the Bull resting under the cork tree, smelling the flowers and relaxing in his favorite safe place. Rhodonite is quite possibly the closest thing we can get to a safe place in crystal form. Rhodonite is a gentle hug and a comforting voice, reminding us to be compassionate to ourselves, when things don’t go as well as fast as we’d have wanted, and compassion to others, even those that don’t see the vision of what we’re working towards.

Lapis Lazuli

Bringing us back to the idea that Taurus season is the time for us to diligently work towards the intentions we set back in Aries season, Lapis Lazuli is the final stone for this selection. Lapis Lazuli is traditionally, a stone reserved for royalty (fun fact: for centuries pigment made from Lapis Lazuli was exclusively reserved for painting the robes of the Virgin Mary), that supports us in our endeavors by encouraging inner strength, decisiveness, clarity, and communication. Just the stone that we need as we take the lead this season.

Thus concludes my selection of crystals for Taurus season (and Taurus placements).

I hope that you’ve enjoyed learning about these stones with me, and if you have fallen in love with all of them and wish that you could have all of them at once, I have some great news for you: you can shop jewelry pieces with all five of these stones in my Crystals for Taurus Collection.

CRYSTALS FOR TAURUS

from $30.00

And if you’re looking for some guided journaling for this season, the Taurus Season Journaling Prompts are right here waiting for you.

This Mother's Day, make sure you're Moms's favorite (by giving her a custom birthstone necklace)

So, I don’t know if you know this about me, but I’m the oldest of four siblings (that’s my own mom’s custom birthstone necklace as the “four birthstone” sample!). Four siblings with a wide age spread and a veritable potpourri of neurodivergences and trauma responses of both diagnosed and undiagnosed varieties. You might have some assumptions about what that means that I’m the oldest daughter of such a large and unruly brood.

Your assumptions would be wrong.

Despite VERY MUCH suffering from debilitating oldest-daughter syndrome (I get the honor of being the very first child/grandchild/niece on two very differently generationally traumatized ancestral lines!!!! This is very fun and not stressful at all!!!!), I am absolutely not the password child. Or the favorite. Or even the comic relief/mascot. My generational trauma archetype lies somewhere between scapegoat and glass child. I’m not angry or bitter about this, I’m just very self aware that I was born into an unfortunate combination of “raised by literal children, one of which was an addict, in a cult” and “even the adults back in those days didn’t know little girls could have autism I really don’t think having adult parents would have even helped also OF COURSE traumatized people end up in cults.”

Honestly if my therapist isn’t writing a book to capitalize on the unhinged-ness of my sessions I’m going to be very disappointed in her.

Now, the purpose of that lil trauma dump was to give you some background on why you need to listen to me about what I’m going to say: while I have never been successful at becoming mom’s favorite, because rather than being a reliable and impressive oldest daughter (because I am the sibling that always has a stupid emergency, my next youngest sister is the sibling that fixes emergencies), I DO know a lot about what moms like and don’t like.

Custom Birthstone Necklace (two stones)

from $30.00

My spicy brain has been watching my moms reactions as I miss the mark with gifts my entire life and then ANALYZING THAT DATA TO FIND THE PATTERNS. Also, I like to think I’ve picked up some valuable insight on what moms like through my tenure as being a mom myself.

For example:

• moms love gifts that are personalized and remind them of their kids (but not all moms like things with monograms or pictures so this one can be tricky)

• moms like things that are useful and not going to create clutter but ALSO are not reminding them of their role in domestic labor (unless a household appliance is SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR avoid this at all costs)

• moms like things that are for THEM not the benefit of the whole family at their expense (I’m looking at you, brunch with small children)

• and most importantly, moms want EFFORT and PLANNING, not last minute afterthought (trust me we can tell).

This can put a lot of us, especially the older we get and the more Mother’s days we’ve already gotten gifts for and thus want to avoid repeating, in a tough situation trying to find just the right thing.

Lucky for you, I have gotten good enough at SEO that the algorithm has heard your query for “customizable Mother’s Day gifts from small businesses” (I am very proud of you), because my custom birthstone necklaces are exactly the thing that meets every single one of those qualifications:

• It’s personalized, but in a subtle way.

• It’s pretty and functional, but not a tool for domestic labor.

• It’s literally just something nice for her and her alone.

• It’s from a small business and you had to order it early, showing how much you prioritized your Mother’s Day shopping.

• I have options for one, two, three, or four birthstones, AND the chain can be silver or gold.

Damn, this oldest daughter syndrome and atypical strength at recognizing abstract patterns is really coming in handy.

Now, if you are deciding to go this route for your mom (or your partner, or yourself) and you want this to make it in time for Mother’s Day gifting, there is something you need to keep in mind:

Custom Birthstone Necklace (three stones)

from $30.00

These necklaces are made-to-order and they do take time to ship. So in order to be SURE that your necklaces will arrive in time, please get them placed by Friday, May 3, 2024.

Before you order though (because I have convinced you that your mom needs a handmade birthstone necklace, haven’t I?), I want to give a couple more pro tips to solidify your spot for as Mom’s favorite:

• If you don’t have a chance to snoop through her jewelry, at least check some recent photos of your mom to make a note of which metal she prefers. My birthstone necklaces come in both solid .925 sterling silver AND 14k gold filled, and we want to make sure mom is getting a necklace she will WEAR.

• I CAN add a personalized note addressed to your mom if you’re having me ship the order directly to her, just shoot me an email with the necessary info and I will make it happen.

Now, go forth and do what I have never been able to accomplish, and stake your claim as the favorite child.

Custom Birthstone Necklace (Four Stones)

from $30.00

Crystals For Aries

Hello Friends, are we FEELING that Eclipse?????

Yes, that question could go in a lot of directions, BUT regardless of what, specifically you’re feeling:

Happy New Moon in Aries.

If you haven’t already heard about it from social media or my email newsletter, my Journaling Prompts for Aries Season PDF has just dropped (obviously, the first in a year-long series) and I am very excited about it. I hope that you do as well.

Journaling Prompts for Aries Season - PDF Download

$5.55

One thing about this PDF, (which will be consistent with all of the future releases, which, yes, will come out on each New Moon), is that it includes a short blurb with suggested crystals to use/work with this season.

Today, I want to take the time to explore them with a little more depth.

If you’re familiar with the jewelry in my Zodiac Collection, you already know that these crystals are Herkeimer Diamond, Garnet, Aquamarine, Red Jasper, and Hematite.

When I initially started designing my Zodiac jewelry collection, I spent an entire astrological year learning about each zodiac sign’s strengths and challenges and how they can be supported or balanced with crystal energies. It was an intense project, but produced what, at least in my opinion, is some of the most valuable work that I’ve done in my jewelry brand so far.

But one thing I really regret from that experience (which, I feel like is worth noting, was the 2020-2021 astrological year) is that I didn’t make any long-form informational content about WHY I chose these stones as I built out the collection.

So, as I’m rolling out my journaling prompt PDFs for THIS Astrological year, I will also take some time to revisit these crystals and why I chose them, for those with Aries placements or for those looking for support during Aries Season.

So without any further ado, let me introduce the Crystals for Aries Season:

Herkeimer Diamond

Fun fact: Herkeimer Diamonds are not, in fact, diamonds at all, but are quartz crystals that naturally grow in double-terminated (that is, diamond-shaped) points, named for the place they are most commonly found: Herkeimer, New York. Despite not being true diamonds, Herkeimer Diamonds ARE true energetic powerhouses, and make the perfect companion for Aries Season. Clear quartz is already an energy amplifier to begin with, and the naturally double-terminated shape means that energy flows both in AND out of the stones, meaning they are HERE TO GET THINGS DONE (does this sound familiar to any Aries placements out there?). Aries Season marks the beginning of a fresh, new Astrological year and Herkeimer Diamonds show up big time to help us refresh our energy as well.

Garnet

If there’s one thing that we love about an Aries, it is the CONFIDENCE. And Garnet is THE stone of confidence. Garnet is a stone of WARRIORS, of action, of protection, of commitment. Garnet, like Aries, is who you want on your team in a time of crisis, because they WILL find a way out, even if no one else can see it, and they WILL take the action that needs to be taken, even if no one else wants to do it. If you’ve ever held a piece of Garnet, you may have felt it’s intense and effervescent energy. This intensity, that radiates so far beyond itself, is just one more of the many parallels between Garnet and Aries.

Aquamarine

Aquamarine is the stone of courage, and that makes it the obvious choice for Aries, because there is no courage like an Aries going after what they know they need to do. But where many Aries have more of a brash, act first ask questions later, take no prisoners, nothing can stand in my way kind of courage, Aquamarine helps to balance that out with a more cool, confident, intuitive type of confidence. Aquamarine traditionally represents the ocean (the name literally translates to “water of the ocean), who, like Aries, IS an unstoppable force, but in a counterpoint to Aries, takes a more thoughtful and regulated approach. So I chose Aquamarine to affirm yes, fearlenssness, but also please, lets chill out about it a little.

Red Jasper

Aries is all about ACTION, which we love, but SOMETIMES, when things get moving really fast… that can create the perfect environment for racing thoughts. Sometimes a quick wit is exactly what’s needed, and sometimes… that quickness can go downhill FAST. Red Jasper is here to quell those worries and cut out all of the mental noise that keeps us from sticking to the things that need to be DONE. Sometimes we may make the mistake of assuming that action and calm are opposite ends of a spectrum, but the truth is, there is nothing more powerful than when they come together with a united goal, and no one knows this quite like an Aries.

And finally,

Hematite

If I were to pick one, somewhat stereotypical struggle for those with Aries placements, it’s definitely going to be the chaotic nature of being go, go, go. Aries gets an idea, and Aries goes hard until they make it happen. But sometimes, it isn’t the most healthy or sustainable thing. Hematite is here to help. Not to weigh us down, but to bring balance and protection. Hematite is all about security and stability, the ancient Greeks associated it with Mars, who they called… Ares. It brings clarity to decision making, and encourages mindfulness, so rather than try and tone down the Aries nature, it helps make it more effective.

These were my top crystals for Aries season (and Aries placements), which would you add to the list? Any you disagree with?

I hope that you’ve enjoyed getting to know each of these crystals on a deeper level, because I have truly loved getting to dive into this research for you. If you’re looking for a jewelry piece that combines all of them, you can shop the Crystals for Aries collection right here. And if you’re looking for guidance in setting your new moon intentions, my Journaling Prompts for Aries Season PDF is a great place to start!

CRYSTALS FOR ARIES

from $30.00

And yes, I will keep rolling these for the rest of the new moons this year!

On giving up self-sabotage for Lent.

One thing about the way I grew up that I’m only just now realizing wasn’t… “normal” is that while my family was very involved in our church, which was part of an extremely niche reformed denomination with a HUGE emphasis on not just studying the systematic theology but being able to absolutely slaughter any opponent in any kind of debate on even the most obscure theological points, I actually have exactly zero experience with the traditional Church Calendar.

Like, yes we did celebrate Christmas and Easter Sunday, but those services weren’t really special or different, and… that’s it. Things like Holy Week and Advent? I had heard of them but never observed them, and while I can’t remember any detailed arguments against them, I do think that there was some kind of theological stance, not just on why they weren’t important but possibly also why doing so was bad.

I should probably also mention that I definitely grew up in a cult. Please take everything I say with a grain of salt and an awareness that this was a very specific situation, and understand that very little that I say on this topic reflects Christianity as a whole.

It was an EXTREMELY religion-heavy environment, but there was no anchor in Church history or repeating traditions (or emotion, or mysticism). I’m realizing NOW that those things typically go hand in hand, but I need you guys to understand that even though I grew up VERY “in the church” with all of the homeschooled youth group multiple services a week, what I am going to say next is going to sound very, very ignorant:

On February 13, my kids started up their Yoto player (affiliate link) to listen to the Yoto Daily podcast and we learned about Shrove Tuesday, which, I need to reiterate: I had just heard about for the first time (the podcast is produced in England to a primarily English audience, so the focus was on the pancakes). Being the incredibly homeschooled family that we are (this is one part of my upbringing that felt worth repeating, but that’s a story for a different day), we made pancakes for lunch.

This mundane moment of modeling lifelong learning prompted some questions about my relationship with the divine, and as I pondered over them something I had never considered came to mind: maybe the hollow, empty feeling that religious observance had always had for me was not something wrong with ME, but a product of the environment I was raised in.

And then I had a bit of a spiritual revelation, an opportunity for rebellion, if you will. What if I, after eating these pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, decided to observe Lent? We can pause to appreciate the irony that observing Lent for the first time in my life felt like an act of spiritual rebellion.

That day, after exactly zero deliberation, I decided to give up self-sabotage for Lent.

Yes, I am fully aware of how much this does not sound like a Lent-y thing to give up, but hear me out: self-sabotage is the security blanket that keeps me from doing the things that I know that I’m meant to do. Well, I’m not super solid on what I’m actually meant to do, but something I am extremely solid on is that my habit of self-sabotage does keep me from doing THINGS in general, whether or not they are THE thing that I’m meant to do. Self-sabotage is a trauma response that helps me keep myself safe from the unknown potential of… not self-sabotaging.

I’d gotten through enough therapy and journaling and self care and all the things to realize that while yes, self-sabotage kept me safe when I was in an abusive marriage, where success in anything could put me in actual danger if it threatened my then-husband’s ego, I don’t need it anymore.

But it feels easier to keep doing it, because letting go of it would mean confronting the absolutely terrifying unknown of… what am I actually capable of if I’m not boxing myself into artificial limits? It would mean admitting that I actually have no idea what I am capable of doing, so I don’t even know for certain that I’m… doing my actual best.

So… maybe actually it does feel like a very Lent-y thing to sacrifice and meditate on for forty days.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of things that I managed to do, just because I dedicated a few weeks to… not giving into the urge to tell myself I can’t, to make myself small, to keep myself safe. Basically, every time I ran into an “maybe I could do this”, instead of letting that thought win, I just… went for it. And by the end of it I had…

• Finished my Affirmation Card download, and wrote a blog post about it.

• Submitted my first article query.

• Applied for my first feature on someone else’s website.

• Went completely unfiltered and unmasked on Threads.

• Didn’t let our busy schedule and my lack of childcare stop me from taking myself on writing dates by using Tom Sawyer Island as my co-working space with included childcare.

• Outlined an entire cookbook.

• Published another blog post and put up some product listings to go with it.

• Wrote some good email newsletters.

• Submitted another article query.

• Made a new resume and applied for some jobs that were in alignment with my immediate needs AND long term goals.

• Dove deeper into advocating for my son and increasing his disability services.

• Fixed a clogged kitchen sink all by myself.

• Paid off the final balance on the credit card debt my ex stuck me with in my divorce.

• Finished three classes for my Bachelors degree.

• Outlined my blog post strategy for the rest of the year.

• Made 550 pin packs for the Craftcation goodie bag.

• Got out my sewing machine for the first time in MONTHS.

• Applied for (and was accepted into) an actually relevant affiliate program.

• Re-ignited my commitment to a lower-consumption lifestyle.

• Made a doctor’s appointment to get a prescription for migraine medicine.

• Started a daily stretching practice.

• Designed my first print-on-demand products.

• Committed to taking the extra ten minutes to get DRESSED every day.

• Turned a failed collaboration from last year into a new journaling prompt PDF for you.

Obviously, it’s not a short list (and keep in mind I was doing all of these things in the midst of 100% parenting/homeschooling/household responsibilities and my business and my internship). The takeaways have not been small either.

Early in the process I had to have a reckoning about how much I had been NOT working on developing myself as a writer specifically because of my aversion to being visible. And on a similar vein, I was STARTING projects and SAVING applications but not finishing and submitting them because… I wasn’t sure I had them PERFECT yet.

THIS was the self-serving behavior that I had to stop: giving myself the option to “fail” at things that I didn’t really even wholeheartedly DO in the first place. But giving myself the permission to do them imperfectly, afraid, not 100% sure on how the end product would turn out? A complete game changer.

Did I have some incredible results and make my life do a 180 and be completely perfect now? No, and, that really wasn’t the point of any of it. But I did have some really incredible insights, like:

• Things don’t have to be 100% figured out from beginning to end to just try them out.

• Working with what you have from where you are NOW is totally fine.

• There is literally no consequence to sending a query or application, the worst that can happen is they ignore it or say no.

• I CAN get big things done EVEN WITH the crazy constraints in my life.

• All of the pieces that I need for the life I want to live are here, the work is on putting them together, not trying to find more or better pieces.

• Baby steps DO become forward motion, I’m not going to be stuck here forever.

• It is totally, completely safe for me to show up as my biggest, loudest, most me-est me and succeed at whatever I do.

Officially, Lent has been over for a couple of days, but the freedom and growth that came from sacrificing my security blanket of self-sabotage is something that I hope never ends.