I love (1) anything beaded, (2) companies based in Eugene, and (3) monograms. So the combination of all three is a definite winner. This Umpqua beaded belt from Will Leather Goods, a Eugene company, is my definition of heaven. Smooth, colorful, unique, and subtle with a hidden monogram.
Beaded belt perfection.
One of the highlights of my Ayurveda Training was learning how to make different masalas. Masala is simply a spice mixture, and depending on the season and your dosha, certain masalas can help you become more balanced. Not only are the masalas delicious, but the act of creating, roasting, toasting, pounding, grinding, blending the spices is theraputic and rewarding. People over 5,000 years have been creating these simple blends in the same method — heating spices over hot fire, and pounding with a mortar and pestle. The aroma, the family bonding, the creation; it is all so great. Making masala is a metaphor for harvesting the spirit of ahimsa and maturing intelligence.
Mortar and pestle.
