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All in All Apothecary offerings by Lea Thomas

Meditation Paintings by Allison Strickland

Gorgeous Santa Fe art prints by Field Studies Editions

Stones and Vintage dreams from Narnia

Leanne Citrone for recipes and cook wear

Opal’s favorite doggy gear from Found My Animal

Cap Beauty for all the gifting

My fave independent bookstore Powells Books

Rare and living tea for life and ceremony at Living Tea

RockBelly Minerals for great stones at great prices

We love adorning Lacy Phillips and the To Be Magnetic community! Thank you for the shout out and allowing us to create beauty for you!

When I first had the idea to share with you the people that inspire me, I immediately thought of artist Allison Strickland. Her paintings breathe, you can feel the point where spiritual practice and creative practice merge in her work. I was lucky enough to ask Allison a few questions about adornment and what's inspiring her these days. Enjoy below!

What is inspiring you right now?
Always inspired by Ram Dass, I was late to the party and only really started listening to his talks this year, and they have been so profoundly healing. I'm also inspired by nature, particularly water and the colors of the sky at sunset. I grew up in Seattle and totally took it for granted. I don't now. I'm loving the work of Pat Passlof and always Sade.

What is your relationship to adornment?
I've always loved adornment. And played in my Mom's jewelry drawer and closet all the time. There's something so creative about it, who will I be today, what do I want to say? I found this year that it's changed a bit. Generally, I'm an old faithful with my rings, meaning I don't switch it up daily, the rings I wear I never take off, they're each super meaningful to me. But I've always been a statement earring person and the rest it's just how the mood strikes me. However, in the beginning of quarantine I found myself wearing less, because I wasn't going anywhere of course. But then I started to really miss the process, and found that I wasn't actually putting them on for other people, it was how they make me feel. And so I've learned to appreciate adornment more for the feeling than perception.

How do you feel when you wear your serpent ring? What drew you to this piece? It was a holiday gift last year and getting it right before one of our most collectively transformative years, it has truly felt like an ally, a reminder of the renewal that comes after shedding old skin. That I have the strength to be sensitive, and the ability to change. I'm not sure exactly what drew me to snake symbolism, sometimes things just call your name, I suppose. I trust your medicine always finds you whether you know why or not, but I'm draw to all of your pieces because there is an ancient quality to them, I sense a connection to past in them, and true craftsmanship, which connects us to the future, because they're the kind of object that could last forever and so in a way they become timeless.

We'd love to hear about any current or upcoming projects you're working on..
I'm always painting, writing, or making something. I'm launching my new website to finally share it all!

Where can we learn more about you and follow your work?
allisonstrickland.co and @allisonstrickland_

Allison chose our February donation to go to Arts for All because they offer accessible artistic opportunities to children in NYC who face socio-economic, physical, or emotional barriers to exploring the arts. Fifteen percent of all serpent ring sales for the month of February will be donated.

“I feel extremely lucky that my love of the arts was always supported and encouraged. Creating has always been foundational to my life, and I hope these donations reach a child similarly inclined who may have greater barriers to play and practice.” -Allison

I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the new year than by celebrating the souls who light up my life. Each month of 2021 I will be sharing one of my muses with you. I’m so grateful for this beautiful community and it’s ever evolving growth. Thank you for being part of it. May your 2021 be golden!

Lea Thomas brings so much magic to this world, sharing her gifts in many forms but always with deep reverence and communion with the natural world. I listen to her and her partner John Thayer’s music daily and I love her apothecary items, especially the Wild Rose Face Oil and the Healing Balm for my winter jeweler’s hands :)

We’ve met on zoom almost every week since the spring and Lea’s loving spirit has been a huge part of seeing me through 2020. I think she might just have the most infectious and joyful laugh of all time! Lea was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about life, art, and adornment below. Enjoy!

What is your relationship to adornment? 

Adornment feels like a decorative extension of my intuitive self. Mundane magic. I think it's revealing to notice when I find myself drawn to different colors or textures or metals or stones depending on my experience of life at the time. 

How do you feel when you wear your opal ring? What drew you to this piece?

There’s something so entrancing about watching the light reflect throughout an opal that draws me in more than most stones. I later learned from you that this reflective quality of opals is a part of their teaching in helping us see “reality in a new light.”

 Especially in a year of so much uncertainty, I wear this ring as a reminder to “be the opal!” and to shift with the light and stay in the flow. It’s beauty brings me back to the present.

What's inspiring you right now? 

Snow is collecting outside and continues to fall. I’m feeling inspired by the stillness and the hush of the woods-  the call to go inward and get quiet with myself to let something new come through.

 Also, my friends and the art they make, always. My partner just released an ambient record, Mountain Rumors, that I’ve been listening to on repeat.

 We'd love to hear about any current or upcoming projects you're working on.

I haven’t officially announced it yet but I have a lot of new music coming out in 2021. Looking forward to sharing more on that soon.

 I also just launched a web store for my line of wild-harvested, small batch herbal offerings, All In All Apothecary.

Where can we learn more about you and follow your work?

Sign up for my newsletter where I send occasional emails with updates on music, weaving and All In All.

lealealea.com

Instagram: @lealeathomas