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Go to the shopHey friend! Ali here.
Thanks for popping in to check out the Limited Edition pieces I’m launching in October.
Scroll down to learn the names and stories.
Let’s start with the Tourmaline Beach necklace because this piece is inspired by the place where Mike and I really got to taste freedom for the first time ever.
We both used to work in corporate. I was making jewelry on the side and selling it at festivals (back then it wasn’t so easy to set up an online store).
When I tell you that I have the most supportive husband in the world, I mean it.
Mike always stood by me, encouraged me to keep on making jewelry, went to festivals with me, and took care of the logistics.
At one point I bought a camera to take pictures of the jewelry and that one camera turned into a whole photography business.
I don’t want to make this story too long. I’ll tell you more about that another day, I promise. And then I’ll tell you how the photography business turned into a full on jewelry business.
But for the sake of the Tourmaline Beach Necklace, let’s summarize it.
The photography business grew. I quit my job. It grew more. Mike quit his job.
Then we realized… “Wow. We’re the boss so we can approve our extended leave.”
For the first time ever, we had the freedom to go somewhere and travel for a while.
So, we picked California. We stayed in an Airbnb two blocks away from Tourmaline beach.
Croix was 9 months old at the time! Where did the time go?
The Tourmaline necklace is so special to me because it was inspired by that trip.
It’s a symbol of dreams coming true, of new beginnings, the first steps.
I handpicked the stones, out of like 100’s. They are imperfectly perfect rough chunks of quartz with black tourmaline rutile.
I shipped them to my friends in Arizona who hand-soldered them into pendants. They are a husband and wife team like Mike and I. We love collaborating with them and do so often.
I only have the 10 you see in the picture. When the pieces launch in October, you’ll be able to pick the one that you like the most!
Summary:
Mesilla, a small town in New Mexico, close to Las Cruces. It’s vibrant, warm, and welcoming, with a special place in our hearts. And in our stomachs.
We always stop for some Mexican pastries at Lujan’s. Then there’s The Chocolate Lady and our favorite dark chocolate caramels. You’ll think we’re total hipsters but we also stop for a Lavender Honey Latte at the Bean Cafe, it’s a 10/10.
And Croix’s favorite; a chat with a Cockatoo named Sugar at La Posta.
My favorite thing to do? Wandering around the square and visiting all the shops. The feeling of this place reminds me of the Mesilla necklace.
It’s created with hundreds of brass beads strung together to create this unbelievably beautiful piece of art.
To me this necklace is a symbol of peace, patience, persistence, and vision. Let me explain why…
Sometimes when we set a goal or we have a dream, we push and push. We want to get there as soon as possible. We’re focused on the destination and not the journey itself.
Now, imagine the artisan woman who made this necklace. She starts with the design, she gathers the beads and she starts making it. Bead by bead. She knows that it’ll take her hours to make the piece and that there’s no way to speed up the work.
There’s no point rushing, it won’t save her that much time anyway. In fact, if she makes a mistake, she’ll have to spend a lot of time undoing it. So, it pays to be patient and calm.
It’s a process. It’s slow work with a vision.
Imagine if we approached life and our personal goals this way. Yes, a lot of persistence and commitment but also patience, grace, and calmness.
Maybe our lives would turn into a piece of art?
Each bead could represent a day, and all of the days come together to contribute to our big vision.
Summary:
We’ve never been to Glacier! And no, these earrings aren’t a design from the future. They're a bucket list item.
Mike and I have a long list of places on our bucket list!
Glacier National Park in Montana is one of them.
I dream of visiting the beautiful lakes and exploring nature there. There’s one thing stopping us though… We travel in the winter because we hate the cold. So, it would have to be a summer trip. But that’s when we’re in our cottage in Pennsylvania. Roughly 1,800 miles from Montana. Logistically, it just doesn’t make sense right now. Plus, we would have to stop at 15 other bucket list locations on the way.
We also dream of traveling outside of the US! I’d love to visit Europe… Not just for travel but also to bring back materials and inspiration for jewelry.
But it’s not going to happen for a while. And that’s okay!
Sometimes we have to wait for the right time for our dreams to come true. And the most important thing is to keep our dreams alive, to have faith and hope, to be excited for the future.
The Glacier Earrings symbolize that to me, the spark in our eyes when we think about all the beautiful things that we can look forward too.
Summary:
Inside the Arches National Park are around 2,000 arches. Yet this one became the symbol of Utah. It’s called the Delicate Arch.
I see why they named her that. She appears to be very delicate.
But appearances mean nothing. She’s been withstanding the wind, the rain, the snow, and the sun for hundreds of years (I don’t know her exact age).
Doesn’t this remind you of someone? A woman that appears delicate on the outside but has so much strength and resilience inside of her.
Yeah, that’s you! Yeah, that’s your sister, your friend, your mother. Your neighbor and your colleague.
It doesn’t matter how delicate we appear on the outside. We carry mountains of strength in our hearts. We show up for our families. We feel deeply and love unconditionally.
About the necklace… The pendant is vintage 70s glass. Hand-soldered by my friends in Arizona (yes, the same couple that did the tourmaline beach necklace pendants for me).
But there’s nothing delicate about it. Black chain with a nice weight to it and a gunmetal toggle clasp. I’ve got two colors; a smoky moss green gray and a golden topaz color.
Summary:
There’s so much about Mojave that I love and that takes my breath away.
Dramatic sunsets, rock formations, and sand incredible sand dunes. It’s calm and wild. It’s dramatic and serene.
We love camping in the Mojave Desert. We can camp for free, put out our solar panels, and experience absolute silence. It’s so quiet you can hear the wings of the ravens above you.
It has so many dimensions and I love all its complexities and mysteries. I love how it changes and surprises you with every step.
Mojave is a story of us, human beings.
We’re also multidimensional.
We can play classical music and dance to commercial pop for fun. We can be athletes and love to lounge on the sofa watching Netflix. We can find safety in adventure and adventure in routine. We can get bored at a crazy party and have the best evening of our lives watching the sun slowly set behind a mountain. Go figure!
The hand-knotted cord weaves and holds the brass beads. Giving the necklace a unique feel. The brass beads hide parts of the cord. There’s no beginning and no end.
Summary:
That’s it! They’re so special and I can’t wait to officially launch them.
Look out for my next email in a few days.
Ali xoxo