My mom is an incredible woman and a constant inspiration to me.  She started a catering business out of our small kitchen when I was 10 and is now one of the most successful business women in Washington DC.  She caters events for the president, vice-president and many other noteworthy Washingtonians.  She has taught me that with perseverance and dedication, I can do anything I set my mind to.  She is an inspiration to women everywhere, especially me!

Regan Gage

Here is what my mother has meant to me:
A strong woman who holds her children, grandchildren and now her first great grandchild close to her heart. Her life has revolved around having a home that has always been open to each and every one of us. She has experienced deep heartaches; the death of her oldest daughter in September 1984, the death of a granddaughter in November 1990 and caring for a daughter who is now a 4 year Breast Cancer Survivor! In the midst of those years she has also endured the death of her parents and a dear dear brother. Always during those times, she has put one foot in front of the other and pulled all of us closer to her. Not one of us would be who we are today, without learning strength and integrity from her. What she doesn’t realize, often enough, is the fact that what she gives to her grandchildren can never be bought with any amount of money or financial gain. Her time given to her family is without a doubt PRICELESS!

The Five Senses of a Mother
I see her in the mirror
In my eyes’ colors, russet and jade
I see her in my handwriting
When on yellow legal pads, lists I engrave.
I hear her in my laugh
Or what others call a cackle.
I hear her in my sternest voice,
When feats I have to tackle.
I taste her in my cooking,
My baked chicken and occasional burnt haste.
 I taste her in my tears,
When they roll, hot, down my face.
I smell her in my laundry,
In the way I wash the plates.
I smell her in the evenings
When, a recipe, good or bad, I create.
I feel her in hardwood floors,
In all-cotton blends that won’t shrink.
I feel her in my heart,
Where we, mother and daughter,
Share an inexpressible link. 

–
Suzie Feldberg

The recycled walnut pendant was literally designed with pencil and paper; inspired by our giant tree mural that keeps all of us smiling in the production studio. Keeping with the theme of Earth Day and the fact that it has been 40 years,  Nashelle is only offering 40 of these! Every part of this necklace is recycled from the tree pendant to the recycled precious metal chain and heart charm. Once these necklaces are gone… they are gone! So grab one before they run out and celebrate Earth Day everyday.

Wow! On Thursday, April 22, Earth Day turns 40 years old! Amazing. Did you know Earth Day is celebrated in 190 countries around the world? It is…and on April 22nd, more than one billion people will join together to recognize how we personally can impact our future for sustainability, climate policy and energy efficiency to create a better global green economy.

The concept of “Earth Day” began back in 1970 as a simple idea  from U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental teaching tool. Since then, it has become a major platform to recognize larger global issues such as climate change and clean energy, down to how we can personally sustain our environmental practices in our own homes, neighborhoods, work places and within our local community.

We love Earth Day at Nashelle and everyday we strive to tread lightly on our own tiny footprint in Bend, OR. We use reclaimed 14 karat gold fill and sterling silver for all of our jewelry. All of the scraps from our designs are sent back to our manufacturers to be melted down and made into the components we use to produce and create our jewelry. Along with our overflowing recycle “boxes” underneath our desks, we strive to maintain environmentally conscious studio practices on a daily basis.

Happy 40th Earth Day…from all of us at Nashelle.

The tree mural in our Production Studio

14 karat scrap pile to be sent back to be melted down