My Story

Ambrosia & Nectar was born as a result of two lifelong passions:
Art and Mythology

When I was in sixth grade I began to study the wonderful language of Latin. I was immediately in love. My first Latin teacher’s name was Magistra Carol, “Magistra” meaning “teacher” in Latin. On our first day in class we were given names from classical mythology. I was given Thetis, a sea nymph, wife of the mortal Peleus and mother of the great warrior Achilles. It was then that my obsession with Greek and Roman mythology began. Tales of the gods and goddesses fascinated me. I immersed myself in the accounts of love, war, peace, and revenge. It did not take me long for Homer’s Odyssey to become my favorite book. It excited me that I was learning a language spoken by great orators and rulers alike. My Godmother, Demetria, further fueled my passion. She showered me with books, lectured me on new material, and helped me study for every National Mythology Exam. My three gold medals won for my achievements are absolutely a result of her tutelage.

By the time I reached high school I continued my study of Latin under a new teacher, Dr. Rose. He is to be applauded for taking the minds of impressionable teenagers and molding them into “scholars” as he called us. He was also directly responsible for taking me to what I consider the most magical place in the entire world: Rome. Dr. Rose chaperoned two school trips to a city so rich in history that I know I will never get enough of it. By the time we were seniors in his Latin V advanced placement class, we were reciting passages of Virgil and Catullus, and more than prepared for the next step in our lives... College.

I attended Johns Hopkins University without knowing what direction it would take me. My love of art has been a lifelong passion and I knew very young that I would always be an artist. Soon enough I realized that it was time to study the long account of art from ancient Rome to present day. My major in the History of Arts with a concentration in the Classics came naturally to me. This affected me greatly as an artist. I began to try new things, I began to mimic great artists, and I learned the true meaning of obsession.

I have kept the name “Thetis” close to me many years after leaving Magistra Carol’s classroom. Magistra was more intuitive than I knew at the time, because who Thetis was and what her story was has become a part of my life. To me the name symbolizes a lot about myself. As I mentioned before Thetis was a sea nymph. Thanks to my parents the ocean and the beach were a major part of my childhood, shaping who I am today, a self-proclaimed "beach girl.” From the time I could walk I have been infatuated with collecting shells. I have hand collected the shells that make up a great part of my jewelry. Thetis inspires every piece and gives something special to every creation. Maybe it’s a one of a kind shell or a necklace inspired by a favorite myth of mine, either way I hope the jewelry I make is special to anyone who wears it.