2010 escapades.. what will 2011 bring?

2011 what will it bring? Hmm, it's impossible to know. Here's a little re-cap of 2010!


2010 started off in India, celebrating New Year's Eve in the ancient and amazing city of Varanasi on the Ganges River. The photo is of us getting a ride down the sacred river.


2010 was also the year of the elis. The beautiful pendant/amulet to help reduce fear in our lives. I made several of them with my jewelry teachers in India and they continue to be the popular piece of jewelry for 2010. So, in honor of my upcoming trip to India, they are on sale until Jan. 10 in my etsy shop here


April and May took us to Turkey, where we traveled from south to north. And I met and learned from two incredible goldsmiths in the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul. From my experience with them, came the Byzantine Collection some of which is available in my online store here as well as atticus' online store here, KOBO in Seattle and soon (in the spring) on the Windstar Cruise from Athens to Istanbul!



The summer I journeyed back to my homeland.. Wisconsin.. for a beautiful and fun visit with my family and a trunk show at Ancient Healing in Sauk City!



Later that summer we flew to Spain and took the train to S. France where we spent the month helping to shoot a movie. A new endeavor for both of us, but super fun and exciting none-the-less.



October I flew to the Middle east to spend 3 weeks with my Dad in Israel and Palestine. Here we had many wonderful experiences, but it also became the place that inspired me for the new collection of jewelry I hope to make in India this year. In jerusalem, I found ancient coins.. soon to made into jewels...



Then, in November, we flew to Puerto Rico to shoot more of the movie.. A great place to be over Thanksgiving.



We ended the year in the beautiful Methow Valley, Washington, cross country skiing our hearts out with our friends. the photo is of our icy hair after a long and beautiful ski.

I think it's going to be hard to top 2010, but we will try!

movie making in Puerto Rico.. last thoughts

Once again, I am in awe of movie making. The team work is fantastic. It is totally and completely not possible to make a movie unless people are working together. And somehow, we were lucky enough to work with one of best teams in Puerto Rico. After the first day of observing (well, working too), I asked some questions. The 3 camera people have been working together for 15 years, but have been in the industry longer. The producers/co-directors have been together for 10 years. The respect for each department was incredible, the costumes, makeup, lighting, sound. We got to work with the people who have worked with Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges and more. I, of course, asked about Johnny Depp, they said he is very nice.. (thank god)

We shot several scenes each day and night, running from this location to that location. Dressing up the actors, setting up the lights, preparing sound, making sure everything is in place. It is so exciting, fun, tiring and unbelievably creative. There were so many smiles. It was nice to see people working so hard, but absolutely loving what they do. We worked 14, 15 and one 18 hour day and still, everyone on the set was smiling. I LOVE IT!

The beach was 2 blocks from where we were staying, but we had to shoot the shower scene, and then the chasing scene and wait, the suspense scene and more. Anyway, the Puerto Ricans told us many times. 'it is too cold for the beach'. It was 80 degrees and sunny! But moments before we flew home, I walked the two blocks to the beach and laid there, in the sun, reading the New Yorker and enjoying the sound of the ocean.