Sterling Silver Charms for Bikram Yoga Postures

Lotus

Earlier this year a friend told me that while practicing rabbit pose during a Bikram yoga class she was thinking about my sterling silver Rabbit Run charm. I thought that was so sweet that I decided to look through my work to see if there were any other Bikram yoga poses that related to Hint Jewelry's charms. Here's a sampling of a few more:

Cobra

Half Moon

Half Tortoise

Rabbit

Wendy McManus, Big World Studio & The Portland Mango Taste Off

mango fish taco, Koi Fusion

So about a week ago, on a Friday morning, I was dreaming about making a mango dessert for a potluck dinner, where little did I know that jewelry designer Wendy McManus of Big World Studio had written me a note inviting me to a Mango Taste off in Portland.

When I woke up and read her e-mail, I laughed so hard. I LOVE MANGOS!!! And apparently, from what I've learned our overall consumption in Portland is somewhat below average, so now I'm definitely bumping up my enthusiasm for this sweet treat.

Pictured above is the delicious mango fish taco from the food cart Koi Fusion at the D-Street Noshery. that won the Mango Hometown Tour Taste Off in Portland.

Bo from Koi Fusion

Here is the winner Bo from Koi Fusion explaining to the judges his concept for the fish taco and how everything was prepared. Though it looks quite simple, there were quite a few layers and elements to making this dish.

Beyond getting a chance to taste great food from local entrepeneurs, I also was educated on the different varieties of mangoes, how to tell when they're ripe, how to stop them from ripening, and the most effective way to slice a mango. Geez, I can't believe I've been struggling for years cutting mangoes when someone thought up such an easier method.

If the struggle to cut a mango has been holding you back from purchasing one of these beauties, be sure to visit The Mango Board to watch their video.

marionberry, Pie Spot

Afterwards, I got an opportunity to eat this scrumptious marionberry dessert from the Pie Spot cart and have a delightful chat with Wendy McManus from Big World Studio concerning jewelry design, metal clay, and new ways to approach my business.

Wave Collection, Wendy McManus (Big World Studio): fine silver pendant

Here is a piece from Wendy McManus' wave collection in metal clay at Big World Studio. Each wave pendant is lovingly crafted by hand in precious metal clay and then given a colorful patina.  To purchase work from Wendy McManus be sure to visit her shop on ArtFire at Big World Studio.

Snake: Divine Kundalini Energy

Kundalini, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver snake, serpent charm

Let Kundalini, the divine life force, rise up in you, shed your layers, and consume everything you once were to create anew.

Portland Pride 2011

Rose City Mortgage, Portland Pride 2011

Portland Pride 2011 parade and festival was last weekend, and I got a chance not only celebrate my community but also to participate.

The Three Beth's (Beth Hemmila, Beth Wolfsong, and Beth Allen)

I was able to march in Portland Pride 2011 with Beth Allen Law. Here's a snapshot of one of the most bizarre discoveries I have made about Portland -- all Beth's love to live here!!! Pictured above is me alongside my good friend Beth Wolfsong and her colleague Beth Allen. Spending most of our lives never knowing any other women named simply "Beth" we have gotten a kick out of the synchronicity of meeting in Portland.

Moreover, the opportunity to bring awareness to Beth Allen Law and the work that they do within our community was such a blessing. They support both traditional and non-traditional families with a special understanding of how best to serve the needs of the Gay, Lesbian, Bi, and Transgender (GLBT) community in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Beth Allen Law overlooks the beautiful Willamette River and every time I stop by to say "hi" I always feel like I've walked into this serene place where I feel cared for as a person. I think one of their slogans says it best "All Families Matter." Beth Allen Law demonstrates this through their warmth, good humor, and desire to advocate for all people.

Beth Allen Law , Portland Pride 2011

Here is our group from Beth Allen Law walking behind the bubble maker. 

I'm wondering why I don't have one of these bubble machines at home!

Portland Pride 2011

It was so neat to see the incredible number of people supporting the parade. 

Portland is definitely a community that loves to be there to celebrate one another.

The Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers

One of my favorite groups called The Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers
also participated. Be sure to check out their Web site to hear a sample of their work. 

It's infectious, and I guarantee you'll be up bouncing around in no time!

Portland Pride 2011 Music Stage

Portland Pride also had a huge music stage with great performers.

The Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

Lastly, I want to share with you The Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The Order of Benevolent Bliss, Inc. Aren't they amazing? Watching the Sisters was like witnessing living and breathing expressionistic paintings. Beyond their extravagant loveliness, The Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have a mission to help other charitable organizations raise money for educational programs that promote awareness of the GLBT community and caring for the sick with HIV. They're motto is "The Sisters put the FUN back into fundraising." I have no doubts about this!!

Seafarer

Seafarer, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)

I've been doing some research on the fleur-de-lis, and though my first association with this symbol was with the French monarchy, I came upon an idea that is far more intriguing to me.

Seafarer, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)

During the 14th century when European explorers were seeking to discover distant lands, a new navigational device was invented called the compass rose or windrose. The compass rose is a nautical chart used to display north, south, east, and west.

Seafarer, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)

Each of the cardinal directions on the compass rose was associated with the name of wind: Tramontane (North), Levante (East), Ostro (South), and Ponente (West). Tapping into the symbolic language of the middle ages, these explorers used the fleur-de-lis which closely resembles a 'T' to represent the Tramontane, the North Wind, on the compass rose.

Isn't that the neatest thing? I love seeing the fleur-de-lis through new eyes and thinking of it as a symbol for finding True North and this wind called Tramontane that literally means "beyond the mountains."

Seafarer, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)

I'm still sorting out my charm story for Hint Jewelry's fleur-de-lis, but I hope to pull together ideas of looking for your sense of True North and locating direction in your life. In the meantime, I designed this Seafarer necklace to provide some inspiration while I refine the meaning behind this charm.

The Hiking Yogi: Bikram Yoga on the Road

Last Saturday after my Bikram yoga class at the Portland studio on Fremont, I met Michelle Renee, a Bikram yoga instructor who is making an incredible trip up the West Coast. Starting in San Diego, California, on April 11, 2011 Michelle Renee started hiking up the coast to complete an almost 1500 mile walking journey to Vancouver, B.C. Her goal is to not only to bring awareness to this practice of yoga, but also to walk the whole way, teaching and taking classes at as many Bikram yoga studios as possible. Her adventure is completely sponsored by the generosity of these studios, students, and donations from friends.

If Michelle Renee, The Hiking Yogi, inspires you to go on your own soul searching journey or start a yoga practice be sure to check out her Web site, Like her on Facebook, follow her blog, and consider making a $11 donation to her journey here.

Casa Rona: Bicycle Basket Liners on Etsy

bicycle basket liner, Casa Rona

The other day someone introduced me to a new little shop on Etsy called Casa Rona. A lively seamstress working out of San Francisco with 11 years of experience in the bicycling industry, Casa Rona is sewing up the cutest basket liners for your bike.

bicycle basket liner, Casa Rona

I especially like how Casa Rona has designed each basket liner with a clever front pocket to snuggle away any valuables or things that you want to keep handy while you're tooling around the hood.

bicycle basket liner, Casa Rona

Casa Rona has many different designs that fit either wire or wicket baskets and is willing to create a custom size if necessary.

bicycle basket liner, Casa Rona

This Papel Picado bicycle basket liner is my favorite. Who wouldn't want to dress up their bike for Dia de los Muertos or Cinco de Mayo?

Aloha: Unconditional Love

A dear Etsy friend, Jamie Yoshida from The Bead Gallery sent me this amazing gift all the way from Hawaii. It's a Ho'omaka pendant that was cleansed in the healing pools of Hawaii and carries the vibrational memory of this sacred location.

My friend has been working with a Hawaiian healer to create these Ho'omaka pendants that have her thumbprint, original art, and breath in it. The whole process takes five people within Jamie's family and community to complete. I'm intrigued how this small piece of art is the product of several hearts working together. These charms then become part of the healing she performs for people through her spiritual ministry.

When I opened the package, I felt so cared for and loved, as if a little piece of Hawaiian medicine was airlifted to me. Here is what the rest of the card says:

This special keepsake was blessed by Kahu Karen Leialoha Carroll with you in mind. Prayers for Lokahi - balance and harmony, Malu - peace, Huikala - forgiveness, Imua - to move forward, and Aloha - unconditional Love were asked for, in your behalf. May you be blessed with a more abundant love than the day before, and may others be blessed by you!

I rarely ask people to pray for me and here from somewhere across the sea, someone took a moment and with loving intention sent me a blessing. I feel so incredibly lucky to be given something that I truly needed by such a caring friend. Thank you Jamie for sharing the spirit of Hawaii with me! This sacred thought has found a place next to my heart :)

Ram Dass, Kali & Fierce Grace

Kali, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver tree of life, owl, and body, soul, spirit charms

I recently watched the documentary Ram Dass: Fierce Grace, which chronicles the spiritual guru Ram Dass' recovery after a stroke and explores the completion of his book on consciousness aging called Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying.

Kali, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver tree of life, owl, and body, soul, spirit charms

I decided to take Still Here out of the library to read more about Ram Dass' meditations on aging and end of life issues.

Ram Dass' teachings aren't new, but what's most interesting is how he takes fundamental wisdom and applies it to concrete issues that aging people may face: holding onto power, retirement anxiety, dependency, disease, sexuality, and preparing for death.

Kali, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver tree of life, owl, and body, soul, spirit charms

Here's an excerpt from a section of Still Here called "Moving Toward Fear:"

Our curriculum of conscious aging requires that we get as close as possible to Kali [a Hindu goddess referred to as "She who destroys"], and the thing that's scaring us, in order to reveal our attachments, and to experience the serenity that comes with letting go of them.

Facing dread of the future is an excellent vehicle for entering into the spiritual dimension. We must be willing to open to all that the moment contains, including that which seems most threatening. But how do we do this? By cultivating fearlessness and familiarizing ourselves with our demons.

Kali, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry)

We seem to be a society that has difficulty even naming our fears let alone moving towards them. From what I've seen in myself I am more likely to create multitude of distractions or seek out my favorite self-soothing addiction rather than just sit with my fear over a cup of tea and say, "Hello, what's up? Why are you here? What do you want to teach me? Hey, I think I'm ready to learn."

I'm guessing it's not something we are most naturally going to do, but it seems to be a necessary step in becoming more conscious about life. Just sitting with fear, listening, and not doing anything about it moves us to a place of acceptance. The best part about the message Ram Dass delivered above is that this fear is our invitation to cultivate a spiritual relationship, a blessing that we may over look.

The next time fear sits down with me over lunch, I'm going to try to say "hello," and remember that I've just begun a spiritual conversation that's leading me to the undiscovered dimensions within myself.

Portals & Sentinels

One of the great things about looking at art is that sometimes there is no explanation, so you get a chance to find meaning for yourself outside the context of cultural identity.

Last fall I visited the Cathlapotle Plankhouse at the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge in Washington -- a full-scale replica based on archaeological evidence of a Chinookan town that Lewis and Clark visited during their Pacific Coast expedition.

I took pictures of the painted figure over the doorway thinking that I would do some research on the symbols. I never found a decent explanation, so I decided to just think about what these symbols might mean in my own life.

In my head I've nicknamed him "fish-man" because I connect Northwest Native Americans with salmon, and there was something about his shape and exposed ribs that reminded me of a decaying fish.

I particularly like the two arms that end in these snake-like heads that seem to be devouring the doorway. The yellow dots remind me of seeds or water, and then the yellow stripes over his head look like modern day traffic markings that say something like halt, proceed with caution, or take notice.

For me, the best part of this structure is the round doorway, the portal from outside to inside, and when once entered through I'm assuming the community encounters different experiences and responsibilities.

In life we have portals. Sometimes these portals appear to us in the physical world like opening your front door to greet someone. Other times these portals are intangible like moving from way of thinking to another. I've come to imagine that my "fish-man" is like a sentinel, asking you to stay awake and pay attention when you crawl through the hole into the void because something important is about to happen. 

I'd love to hear what you think about this figure or if you have any information about these Chinook symbols.

Miniature Rhino

Message in a Bottle Letter Service, Miniature Rhino

Last month I was introduced to a neat little shop on Etsy called Miniature Rhino. Jessica Marquez is working out of Brooklyn and producing some of the cutest conceptual pieces I've seen in a while like this Message in a Bottle Letter Service. What could be more romantic and surprising then sending someone you love a tiny message wrapped in glass and ready for shipping out on the ocean's waves?

DIY Zodiac Embroidery Kit, Miniature Rhino

My favorite is this DIY Zodiac Embroidery kit. 

What a clever gift for one of your astrology loving friends!

Mini Book and Letter Hybrid, Miniature Rhino

Lastly, I'm partial to anything bookish and Miniature Rhino's ability to combine two of my favorite things -- reading and mail -- into this Mini Book and Letter Hybrid is just delightful!

The Portland Blind Cafe

The Blind Cafe is about Learning to Trust

The Blind Cafe is an extremely awe inspiring project that has been on my list of things to do in Portland, but the dates and times have never matched with my schedule. This week I finally got to experience it for myself, and it was amazing!

The video gives more details about how it all works, but basically you are led into a completely darkened room to enjoy dining, conversing, and listening to music from the perspective of being without sight. You are served by blind waitstaff and most of all you are connecting within the commonality of a community. Here's my favorite excerpt from The Blind Cafe's Web site:

This is NOT just a another dinner in the dark...it’s a community experience where people connect, learn and grow from working together to participate in something greater than themselves.

The Blind Cafe is designed to get you thinking, to help you discover new aspects of yourself so you feel more alive, awake, present and connected to your world.

Not only did I have the unique experience of learning about the lives of people who are visually impaired, I was given an incredible opportunity to rely on their special talents for navigating in a world unknown to me. Surprisingly, I felt immense relief when I allowed myself to trust and be completely dependent on someone else.

During dinner, I found myself reaching out to strangers and asking for help in ways I would never have imagined if the room was lit. I also noticed that I immediately dove into assisting others sitting at my table in a much more group conscious manner instead of hanging back and wondering who should take charge. We used both words and physical touch to find our way in this new environment, and it was an intimacy that has had a lasting affect on my senses. We were like one team navigating through the darkness in a new kind of unison.

Lastly, listening to the live music of Rosh & One Eye Glass Broken in the dark with a group of people may go down as one of my most bonding experiences. There must be something about string instruments that connects directly to your heart space. I was simultaneously experiencing an inward sacred moment while being in an outward sacred moment filled with strangers who felt like my friends. Many blessings to Rosh and the outstanding musicians and volunteers who gave me the gift of seeing our world in a different way!

The Blind Cafe can be found in Portland, Oregon, Boulder, Colorado and Austin, Texas, so if you are visiting or live in one of these locations I hope you'll check it out.

Keep Spreading Seeds

You are like a dandelion. Standing alone, soft, vulnerable, poised 

and ready to spread your seeds at the slightest breath of wind.

Sometimes it's a gentle breeze like a caress or a sunny smile, 

other times it's a gale force wind of criticism blowing your way.

Whatever the winds of change may be, let them rip through 

you and keep spreading your seeds of life, love, and happiness.

Message to the Moon

Remembering the Moon, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver crescent moon, sugar skull and flaming heart charms

Dear Mistress Moon,

I took you for granted.

Remembering the Moon, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver crescent moon, sugar skull and flaming heart charms

I didn't know how much I would miss you until you were gone.

Remembering the Moon, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver crescent moon, sugar skull and flaming heart charms

In your absence, I search for you in the night sky and

Remembering the Moon, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver crescent moon, sugar skull and flaming heart charms

 look for your illumination in the faces of friends.

Remembering the Moon, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver crescent moon, sugar skull and flaming heart charms

 Next time we meet, I promise to honor you more deeply than before

Remembering the Moon, Beth Hemmila (Hint Jewelry): sterling silver crescent moon, sugar skull and flaming heart charms

so that I may keep dancing in the light of your love.

xoxo

Beth