the heart.full collection

whole heart talismans in the shop

She wasn’t one for a month all about love or stringing hearts up about the house. She rolled her eyes at the idea of one day when someone you call sweetheart is supposed to buy you roses. She had spent so many days alone that even when she found herself in love and loved in return, she still tried to ignore this need others had to make one day about something that never quite felt real. She was quiet about it but mostly tolerated seeing everyone in red, and then she bought the chocolates when they went on sale.

Years passed with this story on repeat.

Then a few years ago on a day in July, she found herself holding the pieces of her ownheart together as she watched a doctor try to heal the tiny heart of her five-week old daughter. That day gave her a new sense of what a heart could be, could do, could mean.

In the days that followed, even as life shifted and pushed her in ways she never expected, she found herself saying yes:

to hearts about the house
to seeing the light shine through the cracks
to wearing red
to letting herself be loved
to opening herself to healing

As the light returns a bit more each day and the calendar moves closer to that day of love, she stands in this moment and says yes to all that is to come.

I wrote a variation of these words back in 2011 and am revisiting them because I just really want to tell you this story. I want to share this glimpse into how you can hold something as simple (and huge) as "I just really don't like Valentine's Day" in one hand, and in the other, hold this belief that you can choose love today. And I guess I just want you to know why hearts so often appear in my jewelry, in my photos, in my world.

Hearts have become my way of holding the idea of "love always wins" close to me. 

And here's the thing about choosing to believe that "love always wins." It doesn't mean, "love always makes life easier" or "when someone loves you everything falls into place" or "you aren't winning if you aren't in love" or even "love will never hurt you." To me, it means a belief that keeping my heart open by choosing love (for those around me, for life, for the earth, for myself) will profoundly make the world a better place to live. 

Yes. Yes. Yes.

The Heart.Full Collection

And I'm also reintroducing the Heart.Full Collection in my Soul Mantras shop. My heart lockets have always been part of it since I introduced it back in 2011, but I'm excited to grow it a bit more and give it a special spot in my new shop.

I've gathered up the hearts alongside the phrases I hold close to me when love feels far away and put them inside this collection. I'll be donating 10% of the profits from these necklace to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital here in Tacoma where Ellie spent five days when she was just a few weeks old before she went on to have open-heart surgery in Seattle.

Thank you for supporting my shop and this collection and for reading these words today. I'm so grateful for you (yes, you).

And because the new "whole heart" talismans shown in the photo above have become my favorite thing in my shop (maybe ever), I'm also introducing a buy 4 get 1 free special. Several of my customers have told me that they loving giving them to their friends. And I began to imagine so many beautiful souls carrying words like "loved" and "brave" and "kindred" and "xoxo" and "whole" in their pockets reminding them that they aren't alone...so I want to help you make that happen in your corner with this special.

Sending love love love your way today.