The 1929 stock market crash and Great Depression that followed impacted jewelry making in important ways. Huge shortages forced Native American artists to find alternatives to materials other than locally mined turquoise. The Santo Domingo Pueblo (Kewa) artists became especially creative in using plastics from unusual sources to continue making their inlay jewelry.

The chick that was attacked by the hawk yesterday was hurt. I'm pretty sure the reason it was pressed down into the soft dirt is that the hawk had been on it, about to fly off. When Baby ran to Mama, it wasn't limping and it seemed OK. But as the evening wore on we noticed something was wrong.

What I don't want to tell you. I don't want to tell you that we lost a baby peacock a few days ago. I heard commotion out the window, we'd just seen all the babies on the patio while eating dinner. Sometimes they squawk now, adults talking to one another. There was nothing in the sound that made me thing they were distressed, frantic. But soon, Jim calls me out. Only three babies. I walk for what feels like a long time all around the orchard, looking for the fourth baby. No where to be found.

It's hard to believe it's only been a little over two weeks since Mama Petunia's four baby peacocks were hatched. So much has happened in such a short span. Right now it's just a bit after 6:00 a.m., and Mama and the four chicks have just flown down from a very tall ponderosa tree right outside my office window.

I'd like to say we have pet peacocks, but the truth is, peacocks roam around our place and are anything but pets. Peacocks are feral. They won't let you pet them, although they'll sometimes eat ice cream from your hand. They might stick around if you tempt them with mealworms and blueberries, but they also forage for their own food. Peacocks roam a wide range of territory, and we've got lots of that.

I recently talked to writer and jewelry collector Adelita Sandoval for her new blog Bangles, Baubles, Beads, about my shop, romaarellano.com and what drew me to selling jewelry. We covered a gamut of topics, from types of jewelry, favorite artists, and why I'm so obsessed with finding the best old and new jewelry possible. You can read the interview on her blog here, and continue on for the interview itself.

Saint Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra in the province of Lycia, and we celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6th. Saint Nicholas is remembered through legends as a charitable man who rewarded good children with small gifts of fruit, food or candy, and punished wicked children with coal or sacks of dust. Known for saving innocents and rescuing murdered children, blessing ships and calming seas, Saint Nicholas is admired for providing food during famine.

My father (pictured above in Le Mans, France) had gone through a lot by the age of 17, when he signed up to join the Army. His mother had died three years earlier, leaving him and four siblings orphaned.

There are a lot of ways to get beautiful treasures in front of potential buyers. I have my own website here, plus I sell on various marketplaces, such as Etsy. I also tap into the buyers who spend their time on social media. One of my favorite ways to sell is by posting an item on Instagram and letting my followers have first shot at buying the piece before I list it.