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HTTP://WWW.BELKAI.COM/BLOG

the design process ::

sketch - scan - color - add finishing touches - print - set in sterling silver bezel...

add some love + some secret steps {this is a business after all} ;)...

My little babushka!

I've been wanting to show you the basic design process so you know the work that goes into it.  It really is a lot of fun - I love seeing how it's going to turn out in the end.  Because sometimes it just flops.  {You don't see those.}  I'm always learning ways to simplify and improve the process.  

So, do you watch Color Splash?  I catch it from time to time and I normally love David Bromstads' designs.  He has life-size nesting dolls in his new studio...and they inspired me to sketch a little babushka of my own.  Then I remembered that my best friend growing up, Andrea, used to call me that...my little babushka.  Am I remembering right, Andrea?  So, that, my reading friends, is the inspiration behind this piece.  And I think it's the cutest.

And you can find it here.

it's times like these...

...that will always stand out in my mind as a mama.  The impromptu dates with my children.  Just him and I.  Unplugged.  Listening to all he has to say...about the fly buzzing around the window while we ate...the boy that sat at the next table who also happens to be in Ms. Sue's class at church...what the plan was for the rest of the day.  I always forget, that children are just like us...just littler.  The time we spent together Saturday morning was not only a special time for me, but for him too.  It's all he's been talking about since.  Just a minute ago - he looked up from the book he's reading and said - "I have a great idea!  We could go on another date today."  Music to my ears.  If only there were time today...

*new design* :: voyage

I love this quote...

I saw it on a travel journal a few years ago and it stuck with me.  I find myself dreaming of the day when we can travel more...not so much dreaming of where, but when.  Wondering if we'll EVER get to cross off some of the places we'd like to go.  It's a long list.  It would be easier to make a list of places we don't want to go.  I want to go everywhere.  anywhere.  nebraska, even.  I bet there's a really cute main street somewhere in nebraska.

So, I added this to the shop a moment ago.  Really, it's just another necklace I made for myself and I thought I'd share it with you {I'm nice like that}.  It is an original design in an antique brass setting and accented by an orange jade & turquoise charm.  Also.  There is another bead -- and I can't remember for the life of me, what the stone is.  Up close, it looks like a buttered popcorn jelly belly. Do you like those?  You either love 'em or hate 'em.  I happen to looove them.

You can find it here.

*new design* :: mod flora

For some reason, it has taken me a long time to re-adjust to real life. Could be the time change, maybe that we all came home sick...but I'm finally there.  Readjusted AND caught up.  My inbox only has 4 emails in it!  I can't remember the last time I could say that. 

Lance just took the boys out for the evening - and I used the time to add a few new items to the shop, finish some orders and oh yeah...to breathe and appreciate the fact that no one was hanging on me.  And even though they came home with jamba-juice-berry-smoothie-stained shirts, I was ready to love on them again with open arms.  It was just the right amount of time I needed.  {Thanks Lance!} 

I've used this paper before - but I'm not sure I've ever had it in the shop.  It was quite popular at the trunk show I had in Indiana a couple of weeks ago - so I decided to go ahead and add it.  You can find the ring here and the necklace here.

See you soon! 

 

last days...

We are back home and instead of focusing on how incredibly awful our flight home was (one especially - out of 3 flights), I decided to post photos from the last days of our vacation...we really packed a lot of summer fun into 2 weeks.  We had such a great time.   It's good to be home with Lance and get back into our normal {if you can call it that} routine.

We celebrated the 7th birthday of a very special girl...my niece Mackie {Mckenna}...she's on the left, just in case you can't tell which one is now 7. ;)

took a walk to the park...


a walk down the pier...

 
a {very warm} afternoon at the county fair...

one last boat ride...
 
and a certain little girl woke up on our last day and decided that it was the perfect day to get her ears pierced.  She was so brave - it was fun to be there for the occasion...

 

winding down...

A couple more days here in Indiana - we are going to soak up as much family time as possible...
and I'll be gearing up for another long travel day home.  Have a splendid Monday!

 

more stuff of summer...

Sparklers & Lollipops...does it get any better?!  Happy Saturday to you!

 

the creative collection

I am beyond excited about this new collaboration with Marisa Haedike {Creative Thursday}.  I have been a fan of Marisa's work for a couple of years, so I thought of her right away when I was envisioning a new collection - perfect for little girls' and with just enough whimsy for...ahem...more mature girls {like me!}.  I've been wearing this one for days - I just love it - wears so well with everything I wear.  Marisa is a girl after my own heart - if you've poked around my blog for any time at all, you know I adore Paris and dream of going again one day.  She shares the same love {just got back from spending a month there...lucky girl!}.  This collaboration has just felt right.  From the start.  I've been so excited about sharing it with you.

So, this is what it looks like when bel kai designs & creative thursday bump into each other ::

I really can't think of a sweeter gift for a newly pregnant mama.  This one is extra special - two for the price of one - one for each sister or friend.  Cuteness!  Personalize this piece for an extra special gift for your bestest & sweetest girl that loves to dress-up and pretend...I'm fairly certain that is every little girl you know. 

Which is your favorite?

 

signs of summer...

tricycles - sparklers - ice cream - fires - smores - 

summer corn - boating - friends - and lots and lots of sticks...

enjoying the little pleasures of summer

{missing dada lots, though}

 
 

happy fourth!

Last night, we went out on the boat & enjoyed this gorgeous sunset...

and these beautiful fireworks... 
  

HAPPY FOURTH!

busy boys

Everyone is thanking me for bringing the beautiful SoCal weather to Indiana - I have to say, in my memories of living here, I don't remember it being this gorgeous for so many days in a row.  But, we're going on 4 now and it's going to last through the weekend.  No complaints here!  We are loving it...lots of outdoor play, collecting sticks & rocks, boating, tricycles, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, parks, baseball...these boys are busy!

 

Have a great holiday weekend! 

*new design* :: primary peony

I know I'm late to the party, but I'm really into primary colors right now, mostly yellow & navy... and stripes.  It's probably an outdated trend now...I don't really know...I hardly consider myself fashion forward.  Anyway, I like what I like, when I like it.  {speaking of stripes...have you read this?  hee, hee!}

Also...peonies...where have you been all my life?!  They are such beautiful flowers.  I am fairly certain I knew they existed, but my, I don't know if I had ever seen them or smelled them until a few weeks ago.  When I saw them at our farmer's market, I was so inspired.  

So, that, my readers, is the inspiration for this new design - I whipped it up for myself a couple of weeks ago...because I don't do that often enough...but I want to share it with you, too!  You can find it here.  

*I'm on pins and needles to show you something I've been working on for awhile. It'll be sometime soon - I suggest you keep checking in.*