The past few months have gone by in a whirl as I flung myself wholeheartedly into my favorite season, summer. Temperatures in northern Virginia have been regularly in the nineties. I don’t mind; I love the heat. My dry skin soaks up the humidity. Honestly, I think I am part tropical frog.

Gardening is the sole reason I can get through the winter. All winter long I dream of color, fragrance, and warm soft air. I learned a new word this past winter that perfectly encapsulates what I feel for summer: veriditas. Veriditas means green truth, or seeing the divine in nature and green.

During the cold colorless days, I think of better ways to maximize our outdoor spaces. I am lucky enough to have two spaces: a shady patio and an even shadier balcony. I funnel my creativity into my garden during the warm months. All the gardening magic happens in containers though, as I live in an apartment. Urban gardening is the way to go–don’t let lack of land stop you!

I grow many flowers and herbs in my garden: thyme, hyssop, mint, marjoram, sweet woodruff, and basil. I grow petunias, angelonia, coleus, ivy, and succulents. My pride and joy is a potted hydrangea that has grown into quite a lovely plant.

I love my little patch of paradise and I adore visiting botanical and historic gardens. This month my husband, sister, and I spent a beautiful day at the Cloisters’ medieval garden in New York. My dream is to have a medieval knot garden, combined with fruit trees, Mediterranean and tropical plants. I think I could make it work! If I lived in California!

All this gardening has left little time for new jewels, but I have made a few new pieces.

First, golden honey bumblebee earrings made with translucent Czech glass flowers and highly detailed bee charms:

I am also inspired by the cool green mosses of forests and woodlands that are outside my door. I made these antique copper and moss-green earrings:

Mermaids scream summer to me–all that warm ocean water and hot days at the beach. I made these lovely mermaid-inspired necklaces with gold-edged shell pendants and pearls.

Of course, turquoise is quintessentially summer. Match that beautiful blue sky with these turquoise earrings made with pearls and blue turquoise drops, and a second pair made with gold-plated filigree and green blue turquoise drops framed with vermeil:

Finally, cloisonné is one of my favorite things. I love the enameled shapes with gold and sparkle. I made these cobalt blue tassel earrings with chrysanthemum blue cloisonné beads, Swarovski crystals, and long gold-plated chains.

I also have a new giveaway coming up in collaboration with another Etsy shop. Stay tuned and I will announce the giveaway soon.

Send me a message