Hi there! Welcome to the blog at ANBE Designs! I hope to make this space a place to peel back the layers and give you all a deeper dive into my life, the business and the inspirations behind the jewelry. But before we jump in, I thought it would be a perfect time to introduce myself. And what better way to do that than in a “10 Facts About Me” list full of random facts that you definitely didn't know about me?
1. I’m 90% self taught. I took a 6 week metalsmithing class back in 2016 but wasn’t able to explore the craft any deeper on my own after the class ended. Since getting back into jewelry making, I've been able to really play and experiment thanks to the magic of the internet and tutorials. There is something about having the power of the torch in your hands and creating something that you made from raw materials that brings me so much joy!
2. I also work a full time job. I hope to take ANBE full time one day but for now ya girl still needs to eat, pay bills and buy toys for her dog. In my 9-to-5 life I work in an operations department at an IT company.
3. I’m into the witchy shit. Talk to me about crystals or astrology and we’ll definitely become best friends. My current obsession is looking up everyone’s natal chart to see why they are the way they are (look yours up here!). I’m a Taurus sun, Virgo moon, Taurus rising and that says A LOT about me.
4. I’m not really a dog person - but I am obsessed with my dog. I’ve never really been into dogs - I had four cats growing up (insert crazy cat lady joke here). But my fur son Wicket is my sun, moon and stars. He is a Chocolate Lab / Great Pyrenees mix and even though he is a straight up demon sometimes, I am obsessed with him. When I’m in the studio you can usually find him by my side as long as I am working on a dog-safe activity.
5. My husband Bri and I have a goal to visit all 50 states. We love hiking so it’s really more a goal of hiking in all 50 states. So far we’ve been to Arizona and Maine but hope to check off New Mexico, Massachusetts and Florida this year.
6. I have a passion for gardening. Growing up my grandparents had a huge garden every year and I always found it to be so beautiful. When we bought our own home, I made sure there was plenty of room for my own garden. The first year I started with two little beds, last year it moved and grew to an entire side of the house. This year I’m looking forward to expanding and beautifying the area with some gravel and a new fence.
7. I have a bachelors in Art History. I’ve always been an artist, but in school I opted to study other artists. I loved learning about the influences of each time period and identifying different styles. This may sound nerdy but I loved sitting for hours long lectures and just looking at slide after slide of incredible art. Honestly give me some flash cards with different artworks to study and I’m a happy girl.
8. I’ve been a maker all my life. Some of my earliest memories include making things out of the “craft bag” - a brown paper bag full of things like socks, popsicle sticks and random paints.
9. I’m a serial show abandoner. I have a hard time binging on a show by myself, especially if there are a lot of seasons. My classic fall-off point is usually around season 4. For some reason reality shows are immune to this and I have no problem watching these through. I finished up all the seasons of Vanderpump recently and am currently on season 7 of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
10. Halloween is our big holiday. In our house, Halloween is much bigger than Christmas. Bri and I throw an annual Halloween party that has only grown bigger each year. When I packed up the decorations this year, I noticed that we had 7 storage totes full of stuff - compare that to our 2 for Christmas! (And this is only our third Halloween in our home!)
Whew! There you go. 10 random facts about me. Now it’s your turn! Comment below a random fact about yourself, do any of my facts resonate with you?