MALENA

I grew up in a small town in Western New York State and went to college in the same area. I moved to Florida to earn my Master's degree in Higher Ed Administration.

My husband and I knew we didn't want to stay in Florida to start a family, and we weren't quite wanting to move back to the long winters of upstate New York. In the spring of 2006 we visited Asheville and fell in love with these mountains when they were in bloom. We officially moved here in 2007. When we first moved to Asheville, I worked at Mars Hill College, first as the Director of Student Activities and then as an Academic Counselor for the Student Support Services Department. It all feels like a whole other world to me now.

I live up in the mountains just southeast of Asheville with my husband, 10 year old son, and 4 year old boxer mix. We are a tight knit unit that spends a lot of time together. We work from home and just started homeschooling this past year, so we spend even more time together now. We do a lot of adventuring together. You can often find us playing games, hiking, and traveling. Last year, we took an unforgettable trip to Ireland.

When not making SoulKu jewelry I love spending time in nature (mountains and beaches), reading, knitting, dancing, making art, listening to or making music, spending time with my family, tending to my plant babies, and traveling when we can.

Perhaps you will be blessed with one of Malena's handmade creations and feel the love and joy she put into it.