My Story...

Approximately a year ago, a dear and amazing friend of mine tragically left this world too soon. She meant more to me than I have words to express, and the sadness I felt was simply overwhelming. In processing my grief, I found myself drawn toward her life's passion, which was jewelry making. She used Pearls, Pukas, and other shells from the shores of her home in Maui, Hawaii to create truly wearable pieces of art. I got the chance to visit Maui, after her passing, and sitting in the sand throwing Pukas into the ocean; I felt the first true moment of peace since her death.
I am not a jeweler, and her incredible jewelry line and business live on, carrying with it her incredible legacy. My small dabbling into stretchy bracelet making, and my creating this website, is simply an outlet to let me express all the love I carry within me—for her memory and her beauty—that feels it has no place to go. It brings me joy to see my bracelets being worn by people around me. It brings me inner peace to make them, and it keeps my friend in the forefront of my mind. Creating new designs provides just enough distraction, to give me something beautiful to focus on when missing her becomes too much.

Saudade is a word I learned in Maui from her co-worker and dear friend, and it's meaning seemed to perfectly describe my feelings surrounding this loss. 

Saudade is not just missing a person—it is a mixture of the happiness the memory of the person brings you, followed by the deep and profound sadness at the realization and understanding that you will never feel that happiness again. It is a complexity of emotions that I have never heard described with such eloquence before. The summary of the word that I love the most is:

“it is the love that remains...”

So with my heart filled with love, but also with sadness, 

I welcome you to explore my Heart of Saudade. 

And as they say in Maui,

Mahalo ~ Love with Every Breath;

Mian