A few things I'm loving lately:

1. I heard this live version of a childhood favorite on our amazing local Louisville radio station 91.9 WFPK and had to add it to the latest Elva Fields playlist for some nostalgic listening, along with some other fun songs. 

2. It's been a while since I've read and finished a book in just a day or two (such an indulgence!) but this one was compelling, captivating, and wholly enjoyable. Like the traditional recipe for which the book is named, I devoured it. (As a bonus, the author curates a playlist at the end of the book to accompany various scenes and characters in her novel, and I couldn't help but add one of her suggested songs to the Elva playlist this month in homage to this wonderful read.)

3. This dark chocolate bark gets rave reviews and was new to me on my last visit to Trader Joe's. I'm currently hiding the bag on a far shelf in the pantry to keep it all to myself. As it turns out, I may have to hide it even from myself soon enough. 

4. Though it's billed as an overnight lip mask, I use this goodness as a regular lip gloss day AND night. Thanks to my former sister-in-law who sent it as a holiday gift, my ever-peeling lips are a little less dry and chapped these days.

5. Two shows I've loved watching lately: one with my kiddos, one without them. Both smart, funny, entertaining, and humanity-at-its-worst-and-best heartwarming. 

I'll always adore one-of-a-kind creations, but it IS fun every once in a while to be able to offer MORE than one of something to you - whether it's a pair of earrings for which I have the materials to make a dozen or so, a collection of vintage goodness found at my favorite flea market that shares the same style, a limited-edition run of handmade necklaces, or even artisanal designs sourced out in the wide world. And not exclusively jewelry! I have plans for gifts, home accessories, art and more. The theme that links them all, "By Hand + With Love," is deeply connected to the Elva Fields credo, and it seemed a fitting name for this new bi-monthly offering that starts this week!

So, how will it work? Be sure you're signed up for our emails (there's a spot at the bottom right of every page of this website,) and I'll send you a BH+WL link via email when we have some small-batch fun for you to see and shop - roughly twice each month. I'll have a limited amount of each BH+WL item available, and once they're sold out, they're gone, friends, so, as my mother always says, "Remember, the time to take the cookies is when they're passed!" 

I hope BH+WL quickly becomes a fun addition to the ways in which you connect with Elva Fields, allowing you to bring even more joy to your growing collections of beauty and delight in your lives.

SHOP BH+WL COLLECTIONS

 A few things I'm loving lately:

1. One of my favorite humans ever just sent me this box of heaven, and I'm still dreaming about (and enjoying in real life) the beautiful fragrance that emerged when I opened it. Gardenias top my list of scents, and it is a wonder of our modern world that an entire box of blooms can be shipped across the country to be enjoyed. (High Camp Supply does this with impeccable style.) It's decadent and amazing, and a gift like this is remembered forever.

2. Another gift (albeit of a more practical nature) is my new favorite puffy vest by Cotopaxi. Between the unexpected color combinations AND their thoughtfully-designed and crafted "gear for good" business model, it's the perfect added layer under my down jacket on super-cold mornings (not into this 20-degree nonsense) but provides just enough warmth on its own on the spring-is-sooooo-close days it's not as frozen outside. Feels good, does good, all good.

3. On these cold mornings, a warm start is just the thing. I've officially been converted from a "I'll just pour my oat milk straight from the refrigerated carton into my coffee" to a "that refrigerated carton is dead to me, one absolutely MUST steam and froth oat milk before adding it to one's hot drink" kind of gal. I don't even recognize myself. This under-$40 indulgence whips, froths, heats (optionally) and preps with lots of available customization options, and I'm never going back.

4. Amor Towles's A Gentleman in Moscow might be my favorite book ever, so I've been anticipating (read: mildly obsessing over) the release of his latest novel, The Lincoln Highway. I adore Towles's storytelling skills, unspooling fascinating details about each character in ways both unexpected and startlingly familiar with descriptions that stay with the reader long after the book has been closed, and this line-up of memorable personages was no exception. I was along for the ride (literally, as it's a tale from the road) and sad when it ended in more ways than one.

5. Another favorite of mine (this list seems to be full of those) is the band The Head and the Heart. A new album is on the way, and their latest single is part of the latest Elva Fields playlist. (And, if, like me, you're wanting a THATH fix before you can see them on tour, their show at Pike Place Market was recorded for a special on Amazon Prime Video. I may have watched it more than twice.)