Dear Lovely Reader,

Aside from being an artist, I am also a collector of antique wax seals. One of my favorite antique seal motifs is of a ship riding the waves of a tumultuous sea accompanied by the phrase, "telle est la vie", or "such is life." It's a symbolic reminder that our existence is full of ups and downs; it's a reminder of how important it is to weather the storms of life. I never knew how much that symbol would come to mean to me...

In 2011, I had a harsh reminder that in life things don't always go as planned. That was the year my husband (aka "Mr. B") experienced an unexpected life-threatening trauma.

I remember a particular Spring day when I stood in his hospital room dazed and overwhelmed by the number of machines, tubes, and medications he was hooked up to. When his doctor walked into the room, I could sense the sorrow on his face as he provided me with a status update on the state of my husband's condition. I was told that my husband was not expected to survive. The doctor also informed me that, “We’re doing everything we can. At this point we're not taking it day-by-day…it’s hour-by-hour." The doctor took pause, saw me clinching the small gold cross that dangled from the chain around my neck, and proceeded to say, "It's not up to me at this point...it's up to the Man upstairs”. How do you even begin to process that kind of information?

"When nothing is certain, everything is possible."

I crafted hope in time of despair and learned through it all that anything is indeed possible. Mr. B's story is a long one and the road to his multi-year recovery was very rocky. Ultimately, he made a miraculous recovery....he is a miracle, indeed.

The care Mr. B received during his illness and recovery had a profound impact on our lives and it inspired me to find a way to show our gratitude to the medical community that cared for him. We desire to pay it forward by supporting the medical program at UCI Medical Center. For each sale made, a portion will be donated to support patient care and ongoing research efforts. It’s a small way of expressing continued gratitude for the care my husband received and I am honored to do my part in supporting the guiding principle of their mission: Discover. Teach. Heal.

Giving back is integral to the work done at Marbled Paper Studio. So every time you buy something from us remember this: Your purchase has a purpose. Thank you for helping support those who helped me and my husband during our darkest hours. We are forever grateful for them...and for you.