What it actually looks like to build something from scratch, pin beautiful dead things, and figure out what you're doing along the way.
I didn't set out to build a business around dead insects. I set out to do something I was genuinely good at — preserving beautiful things — and figure out the rest as I went.
I'm Rae. I live in Huntington Beach with my husband Gunner and our two kids. I've been pinning moths and butterflies for years, and at some point the work got good enough that people started asking where they could get pieces. Pretty Dead Things is the answer to that question.
The Chronicles is where I write about what I'm actually building — the specimens, the creative process, the mistakes, the weird turns. Not a highlight reel. The real version.
Breeding live lepidoptera — moths and butterflies — from egg through emergence. Sustainably sourced, documented, and eventually available to other collectors.
Long-term visionHands-on butterfly pinning experiences in Orange County with wine, snacks, and a finished shadow box to take home. The first events are coming together now.
Coming 2026Eventually — a studio and shop, maybe in Sedona, maybe somewhere else. A real place where people can come and see the work and learn in person.
Future goalEverything you need to pin your first specimen — curated so you don't have to guess. Pins, board, relaxing jar, forceps, papered specimens.
Coming soonOne-of-one framed pieces, glass dome displays, and sustainably sourced specimens. Each piece built by hand in the studio.
In progressA full beginner curriculum — where to source, how to pin, what tools to buy, how to display. All free. No reason it should be hard to find.
Live now at prettydeadthings.coWriting about the work, the process, and what it's like to build this thing.
The short answer is that I find them beautiful. The longer answer has something to do with moths, the six hardest years of my life, and the specific feeling of looking closely at something most people step over.
Coming soon
The largest moth in the world. Wingspan wider than my hand. I was terrified I was going to ruin it.
Coming soon
What it actually looks like to start a business around a niche hobby with no playbook, no map, and two kids watching.
Coming soonA broken Luna Moth, a bad listing, and everything I now know about spotting a bad seller before you spend the money.
Coming soonI didn't want to go. My husband talked me into it for his birthday. I cried in a canyon and came home different. That's the short version.
Coming soonI want to breed my own moths and butterflies. This is how that works, what it costs, and how far out it realistically is.
Coming soonWhen something goes up, you'll hear about it. No noise in between.