Happy Summer, my friends. I’m sorry it has been so long since we have last visited; summer is swallowing up my time, my heart, my balance, and my sanity. SO many wonderful custom orders, pools to swim in, laughs to be had, trunk shows to play…the list goes on. Little Bird Soul needed some more help, so I would love to introduce you to my dear friend Eli. She is one of the most real, genuine, artistic, rock-star mamas that I know. Just wait until you see her work!
Meet Eli!
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Who are you and what do you do? I am a stay-at-home, musical mother of two boys. I do my best to keep a clean house, but will always prioritize play over mopping a floor. There are a lot of dance parties and music videos made in our home …
What work do you most enjoy doing? WRITING dark and twisty stuff, and also comedic bits. But, I don’t do well with writing unless I have a deadline. Deadlines and working under pressure motivates me.
What jobs have you done, other than being an artist? I’ve worked for my family’s jewelry business, I’ve taught guitar lessons and mentored an inspiring group of young women, and I’ve been a newspaper editor and staff writer.
What food, drink, song inspires you? The weirder, more vegetarian/vegan the food is, the more I’m inspired. I eat meat from time to time, but I love love love food that’s been reinvented so I tend to gravitate toward creative, meatless dishes. When it comes to my favorite drink, I live in Asheville, N.C., and we have a ton of really great craft beers, (which, I love). As for music, I’m all across the board. I’m a musician, so I tend to see the value in many different genres. My favorite band of all time is definitely Pink Floyd. Ani Difranco, the Indigo Girls, and Patty Griffin have influenced my own musical style a lot, too. I love AC/DC all the way to Jack Johnson. In the words of Johnny Cash, when it comes to music, “I’ve been everywhere, man.”
What do you like about your work? Beading malas brings me calm. Rocks, in general, calm me. I have fond memories of walking the Lake Michigan beach in Charlevoix, Mich. and collecting rocks and Petoskey stones. That’s my happy place — the beach behind my grandparents’ old condo. I’m not a very zen person, naturally, but when I’m walking the shoreline, collecting rocks, I’m unshakeable in my peace. I’ve always loved the history, meaning, and feeling behind different stones. As the daughter of a jewelry designer, I spent many years perusing our family’s gemstones in the safe room at our store. I’d put a loop to them, research them, and design pieces of jewelry in my head. I love knowing I can make these beautiful Little Bird Soul pieces and hopefully bring others the same sort of peace I’ve experienced.
What super power would you have and why? I would love the ability to bring others contentment. Like, it would be awesome if I could just place a hand on someone’s chest and they all of a sudden felt perfect harmony and peace. (Though, I’d also love to be able to produce massive quantities of $100 bills from my mouth every time I burped. That would be cool, too. I could financially help a lot of people!)
Name something you love and why. Aside from the obvious people, like my family, I love my cats — specifically my oldest cat, Houdini — and my Martin guitar. My Martin was the easiest to play when I was learning. It was forgiving, and responsive, like a good friend should be. That instrument has gotten me through a lot of tough times. I even tattooed it on my forearm. As for Houdini, I’ve had him for nearly 13 years. I got him when he was four weeks old, and before I had kids. I carried him around everywhere. As a result, he’s very bonded to me. He’s my bud.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? One day, when I was on the phone with my grandfather, (who has raised four successful sons), and I referred to my youngest son as a “trouble maker.” My grandfather said, “He’s not a trouble maker. He’s just himself. He’s just Asher.” My grandfather’s point was to never label a child as anything, for we can inadvertently box them into that label. That really resonated with me.
What wouldn’t you do without? Music. 