The Sunday Times: Issue #8

Some weeks are super productive: rings get made, projects get ticked off the list, and I feel good about myself. And some weeks are for stillness. This week did not result in lots of ring carvings to show you, but I did listen to my body and just sit still with all the discomfort and confusion I've been feeling.

When I felt like making something this week, I beaded necklaces and made memorial pendants for friends who've recently lost a loved one. Both connected me to something deeper and allowed me to work with my hands without needing to feel "inspired," which is how I need to feel when I'm working on a collection and is an incredibly elusive feeling when I don't feel comfortable.

This week ended with Daylight Saving which is sort of silly to me. We set the clock forward, thus stealing an hour of light from the morning and shifting it to the evening. It feels like a futile attempt at controlling time, but nonetheless is a thought to meditate on. What does it mean to Save Daylight? To make the most of our days?

We also had International Women's Day Saturday and I love this quote from Washington Irving that to me, sums up the two holidays:

"There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity."

- Washington Irving

Something else I worked on this week was photographing my collections of objects in my studio that I've collected over the years and want to now share with you. I will spotlight a new initiative with these objects below.

It's also springtime in Florida which means most of my week was spent outside in our garden. Sometimes I just sat there for hours watching the birds and the squirrels do their thing. I want to share something with you about our garden and my love of flowers in the form of a giveaway below.

So pour yourself a cup of tea and get comfy.

LOOK AT THIS STUFF

ISN'T IT NEAT?

I don't know exactly when my obsession with stuff began, but there is good reason to believe it started with Ariel. I'm not a disney person, per se, but I did see that movie at a very formative age, and I think I started collecting thingamabobs shortly thereafter.

My studio is a reflection of that. I love to arrange bottles, shells, hourglasses, and anything I find at flea markets, thrift stores, & auctions to look like a magical set of potions and objects. They all serve as inspiration for my jewelry, so having them on display instead of stored in a box or drawer is important to me.

I took some time to lay out some of my favorite little finds on one of Dave's black suede styling mats (Mood Styling Mats on Etsy). I felt like a museum worker documenting treasure.

There's only one problem: space. I am running out of it! Even with my rental case at a local antique store (Antique Galleries if you want to visit it in person), I am running out of space to house all of my things. And it feels selfish to keep it all for myself anyway. As you can see below, the bookshelf is full!

This week I took the time to decide what pieces I could let go of and add to my website. I used to sell these objects on @sunday__market, but I've heard from many of you that you would prefer to shop on a website than in a chaotic stories sale.

It's funny since, if you were around in 2018 or before and remember, selling objects is how Palm Sunday started! I hadn't yet taken a metalsmithing course but had already filed a DBA for the name Palm Sunday knowing that I wanted to start an online shop. I had a vague idea of the brand's aesthetic but explored what that might look like by buying and selling objects I found while thrifting and antiquing! Here is a fun screenshot of my old instagram (I also had an Etsy store):

"I'm a collector of everything."

- Alessandro Michele

SUNDAY MARKET

The new section of the website will be called Sunday Market and it will be periodically added to as I have the time to list objects. I've already added a few and you are the first ones able to shop them! Just click here.

SOME OF MY FAVORITES

A gorgeous antique glass perfume bottle with stopper, made by Heisey, with gold detail. Gold has worn off in some areas. No chips or cracks.

1960s Italian G.S.E. Ottone Garantito box, made of high quality alabaster and finished with gold tone metal. The stone is beautifully translucent and well polished. Perfect for jewelry storage.

An elegant antique silver plated over copper dish in the shape of a shell. Made by Friedman Silver Co. Perfect for storing jewelry or as a catch all. Shows signs of wear and patina. Hallmarked and number stamped.

I love anything mother of pearl. This is an elegant set of 4 caviar spoons made of mother of pearl and silver. The silver has lovely embossed detail. Likely from France.

SPRINGING FORWARD

Our garden is something we've been working really hard on over the past two years. It's a part of my life that I also like to share more about on @sunday__market. If you were around last year, you'll know that we had a relatively successful crop of zinnias and celosia from seed we purchased from Floret.

I did my best to save as much seed from this crop as I could and we have a lot leftover!

Also, if you love flowers or gardening, I think you'll love Floret's new documentary on YouTube, The Beautiful Pursuit. I watched all three parts of the series last night and it was just the reset my soul needed!

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT