laurie trok / jewelry

so, part of the goal of my "good stuff" tab was to feature different artists / people who are doing things that are worth mentioning. i've been somewhat lazy about this part of my blog, but finally, here's my first post.

this is the jewelry laurie has been making lately. she's been working pretty hard getting enough pairs of earrings and necklaces together for the handmade arcade in a few weeks. i think that the jewelry is a perfect mixture of whimsical and classic. the pieces remind me of the artwork of paul klee. she draws inspiration from alexander calder's jewerly and mobiles. this jewelry is all made out of old glasses and sunglasses lenses. they create really interesting reflections, shadows and distortions. plus, some of the lenses that are used are transitions so they change color throughout the day (unless you live in pittsburgh where the sun never shines). if you're interested in checking out her jewelry and other art, visit her here.

thanks, dad.

sometimes when i wake up in the morning, there are poems in my email from my dad. i got this one the other day.

Lines Written in Early Spring

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that sweet bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played:
Their thoughts I cannot measure,
But the least motion which they made,
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature's holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?

"Lines Written in Early Spring" by William Wordsworth

Good Stuff, #2

my mom got me this tea set this year for my birthday.

we used to have this ancient wallpaper on the halls of the stairway to our third floor. i used to love looking at it because it had little vignettes of a victorian man and woman by a tree, with a dog, riding horses, or kissing. i could just imagine being there. living there. i might spend most of my time with my tea set just looking at it, pretending i live in that cottage. but i hope, at least, some of my time is spent using it.

good stuff, #1.

this year for christmas my dad got me a subscription to the sun magazine. i would highly recommend spending the money to get this every month. i intend to grow old with it. two of my favorite things about the magazine are: 1. readers write - every publication includes about 5 pages worth of stories/essays written by the readers on a topic assigned a few months in advance. 2. fantastic, beautiful black and white photography to accompany wonderful interviews, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, 2 pages worth of beautiful quotes and an excerpt from a recommended book.

from the website:

The Sun is an independent, ad-free monthly magazine that for more than thirty years has used words and photographs to invoke the splendor and heartache of being human. The Sun celebrates life, but not in a way that ignores its complexity. The personal essays, short stories, interviews, poetry, and photographs that appear in its pages explore the challenges we face and the moments when we rise to meet those challenges.

The Sun publishes the work of emerging and established artists who are striving to be thoughtful and authentic. Writing from The Sun has won the Pushcart Prize, been published in Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays, and been broadcast on National Public Radio.

The Sun invites readers to consider an array of political, social, and philosophical ideas and then to join the conversation. Each issue includes a section devoted entirely to writing by readers, who address topics as varied as Telling the Truth, Neighbors, Hiding Places, Second Chances, and Gambling.

From its idealistic, unlikely inception in 1974 to its current incarnation as a nonprofit magazine with more than 70,000 subscribers, The Sun has attempted to marry the personal and political; to honor the genuine and the spiritual; to see what kind of roommates beauty and truth can be; and to show that powerful teaching can be found in the lives of ordinary people.