At it again...

hello hello hello!  i'm back after my very long hiatus and i'm so excited to share all of the good news that has come my way.

if you hadn't heard, my family sold our home over a year ago to travel the country in our renovated airstream trailer.  it was fun to travel the entire west coast, but at the same time it was difficult for all of us.  we cut our tour short after our three month stay in Arizona and headed back to the town in which i grew up, Two Harbors Minnesota.  you can read more about our adventures at our unconventional life... a place in which i'm still blogging.

we got a wonderful opportunity to purchase my parents' house (the one that my five siblings and myself grew up in) this past October and finally moved into it in November.  we've been busy making changes like refinishing the floors, painting the walls, and lots of planning for what's to come.  it's a long process that we have our whole lives to complete, but i'm not that patient.  

the biggest advantage to this home is the commercial space that is in the basement.  my father once owned a beauty salon with two work stations, a kitchenette, and a bathroom.  the house sits right along the main drag through town and during the summer months the city is bustling with tourists that are heading up the north shore.  instead of renting out the space to another business, i have started plans to convert a quarter of it into my jewelry studio and turn the other part into a sort of 'artist gallery'.  there's plenty of attractions just across the street including the Vanilla Bean Cafe, Bridgeman's ice cream shop, Agate City, The Superior Hiking Trail headquarters, and Buddy's Mercantile.  i really don't think there will be a problem attracting tourists into the gallery.... at least i hope not.

i haven't quite decided what type of items i want to have in the 'gallery' but i DO know that i'll be selling my jewelry there.  figuring out what to call the gallery is the hardest part and i do plan to change the name that's on all of my jewelry products to match... no more GingerLee for me.  If all goes as planned, i hope to have a grand opening during the summer of 2013.  i'll be sure to keep you all posted.

i have been trying to manage my time between knitting, painting the walls, and making jewelry for both Wintergreen locations.  i also have hopes of doing the Lemonade Fair in St. Cloud, Mn and possibly one or two more into the summer and fall.  we shall see....

i'm going to share with you some of the pretty things i created over the past couple of weeks.  all of these (and more) designs will be available for purchase at Wintergreen in Duluth or at the Wintergreen store in Ely.

lake superior rocks and african silver beads on an oxidized sterling silver chain.

lake superior rocks and sterling silver

lake superior rocks, african brass beads, and sterling silver

lake superior rock stackers and sterling silver

lake superior rocks with oxidized sterling silver and hammered copper

i regret to say that i will not be reopening my etsy store.  the time and energy that goes into running an online shop is just not what i have time for right now.  i do plan to continue selling at both Wintergreen locations and hope to expand into a few more stores in the Twin Ports area.

thank you for all your support these past few years.  it's been a joy creating pretty things for you all to wear.

it's that time of year again

click on mosaic to see each individual photographer's photostream

december already!!?

it will be a bit different spending christmas here in california rather than bitterly cold minnesota.  i've never experienced the holidays without snow and i'm not sure what to think of it.  i do know that the warmer weather is much more pleasant and easier to deal with.

i've been knitting like a mad woman and have many projects i'd like to start.  i've also had an urge to dig out all of my jewelry making supplies, make some new things, and reopen my shop.  perhaps it will be something i do after the new year.

***

i also went through this space and deleted a bunch of previous posts.  i've once again run into problems with my photos and found that deleting the posts would be easier than re-posting pictures.  

a fresh start feels really good :)

a bit of sewing

while we were packing up the house to go on our yearlong journey, i got a hankering to do some sewing.  crazy, i know, but i had to take advantage of it knowing that i might not drag out the machine again for awhile.


i had been browsing etsy for some hand knit sweater pants, often called longies.  not willing to pay the price, i decided to look elsewhere for tutorials to make my own... and i found one.

i went to Goodwill and bought two sweaters with a pretty tight fit and spent about $6.00.  i followed a tutorial much like this one, and i'm pretty happy with how they turned out.  next time i think i would make the rise a bit bigger so they're not falling off her butt.

she wears them A LOT!  i also made a pair for my 3 year old.  because her legs were a bit longer, i had to add a roll down band to the top.  they turned out a lot like yoga pants.  out of that same sweater, i also made her a skirt using this tutorial and a hat.


it was really easy and the result is so cute... not to mention inexpensive.

currently wanting....

~another cup of coffee

~more time in the day

~to go shopping.... alone

~to finish knitting a blanket for a new baby boy

~quiet

~a pair of these socks for my littlest one

~to go to a movie with my husband

~rich chocolate cake... no frosting

~a facial

~to advance my knitting skills

~to do some baking

~someone to do all my holiday shopping

~to live in the moment

have a good weekend!

good golly, it's been awhile

just want to inform you all that things are well.  we're all settled into our new home on wheels and are currently living in sacramento, california.

the photo above is a polaroid i took of my new favorite pillow and the lovely couch it sits on. :)

this is lake superior in all it's glory the day before we left town.  i love how i was able to capture it's sparkles.

for all of you wondering when i'll reopen my etsy shops... it's still unknown.  i'm trying to enjoy myself for awhile before i become bombarded with too much to do.

 this space has taken a back seat, and i'm sorry for that.  if you'd like to know what i'm up to on a more regular basis, feel free to follow us on our travels over here.

sunshine of my life

i don't know what the weather has been like in your neck of the woods, but here, it's been raining for days.

i need some sunshine!

i love this tote from ikabags

and this pretty butterfly illustration from brook green studio

then there's this... and this... and oh good golly, you have to check out this!

these house shoes from infusion would be perfect for summer days

this dessert sounds bright and refreshing

and this print from yumi yumi is sure to bring a smile to your face

birds, tea, flowers, and sunshine... is there really anything more lovely?

keep your fingers crossed that the rain lets up soon and sunnier, warmer days aren't only in my dreams.