Minimalist Jewelry Handmade in Maine
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A Fun Find, Squirreled Away

Maine Places SNJ History

A Fun Find, Squirreled Away

It's "Free Dump Month" in Freeport, Maine, which means each household in town receives a coupon to bring one truck or trailer load to the transfer station for free (exciting stuff, I know).  Anyway, my parents were going through their basement to purge some clutter and take advantage of the coupon.  I stopped by their house yesterday to drop off some surplus strawberries from a u-pick trip, and my mom surprised me with a super fun find: It's a gift box from my great-grandmother's shop "The Squirrel's Nest" (from which the name of my own business originated).  This adds to...

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Confession: This jewelry designer kind of hates wearing jewelry.

Jewelry Design

I used to hate wearing jewelry.  Actually, I still kind of do.   It wasn't so much a matter of disliking it aesthetically, but when I did attempt to wear it (especially necklaces and bracelets) I would usually give up and take it off partway through the day, tucking it in my pocket in defeat.  It just felt so cumbersome and uncomfortable, and I was constantly aware of it.  If I did make it all day or through a special event, it would always feel so freeing when I finally removed the pieces.  Like that long awaited moment of peeling off...

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Mother's Day 2017 Quick Little Gift Guide

Gift Guides Mother's Day

Mother's Day 2017 Quick Little Gift Guide

I’m not going to lump people into categories here with “For the Modern Mom,” “For the Working Mom” or “For the Classic Mom,” because who actually fits into these neat categories? I’m here to highlight some of my handmade jewelry that I think would make awesome tokens of appreciation for any of the uncategorizable Moms in your life.  For more pictures and information, click on each photo.  All designs are created with versatility in mind; they can be dressed up or dressed down, and are intended to be timeless essentials in any woman’s wardrobe.  In other words, this is a...

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Changing Tides - A Visit to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park

Freeport Maine Places New Product

Changing Tides - A Visit to Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park

I recently moved back to my hometown of Freeport, Maine after living in upstate New York for the past 15 years. Being back in your hometown as an adult is such a strange experience. I’ve made occasional visits back over the years, but there is nothing like being fully immersed in a place that you so strongly associate with your youth. I’ve been slowly exploring and rediscovering places that felt more like dreams from a past life, existing only in my memories. It’s been mostly delightful, sometimes jarring, and often things are not as I had remembered (due to a...

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Happy holidays from SNJ!

Happy holidays from SNJ!

    Received some really special gifts this Christmas...the red sign (which I already had) was from a gift shop owned and operated by my great-grandmother from the 1930s to 1950s. The wooden squirrel cutout was a part of the sign which I never even knew existed! My aunt found that and gave it to me for Christmas. The ribbon pictured was found by my cousin, and is also from The Squirrel's Nest gift shop. I'm so grateful to have received these little pieces of history, and for a wonderful supportive family.  Happy holidays!          

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