I am passionate about creating timeless and stylish pieces that could be enjoyed for lifetimes. Some of the greatest lessons I learned about upcycling and being friendly to our planet came from my mother and grandmother. Pants that grew holes in were made into drawstring bags, children's clothes and even stuffed animals. Old calendars and wrapping paper were carefully cut to reuse for other gifts or book covers. I remember my grandmother reusing plastic wrap and asking her why she did that when there were endless rolls of them. She told me our planet is already suffering from too much garbage we throw away- sometimes landing into the ocean and killing animals; we should use things until they have no life left before throwing them away. As a child, this left a strong impression on me- envisioning a horrific scene of the soda can I just drank from, ending up in the ocean and some big fish dying because it ate it thinking it was another fish. I am a triathlete (swim, bike and run), and I get flat tires numerous times a year. I just couldn't bear the thought of throwing the inner tubes into the trash. This compassionate living has inspirited these creations. As the Phoenix is reborn and rises from their ashes, I'm inspired to give new life to things that would have otherwise found their way into the landfill.