Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Feature!

Today I'm going to do little featurette, if you will indulge me. I don't want to just talk about what I'M doing, but what about those who inspire me are doing. So, with that in mind, here is someone who inspires me.

Meet Brittney


This amazing woman is a single mom of 3 amazing kids. She is so strong and always so upbeat and positive and so sweet. Her kids are amazing! They are so kind and sweet. We used to live a couple doors down from them, and miss them terribly now that they are 10 hours away! She started knitting to help cool off during the day. She now has a little Etsy Shop called

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/KnityBritty

And honestly, how talented is she?! These are so adorable! She makes the cutest (and funniest) things (I mean you should see her kids.. she REALLY makes the cutest things hehe)!

Silly little monkey!
This one is my favorite
This one is my husband's favorite (of course)
You can order all of these awesome headbands/hats in any color you want (or for the more specialized ones like the monkey, you choose the size).

Anyway, make sure you go show her some love over on her Etsy page. You can ask for custom orders too!!

Shes awesome. How can you not be inspired by her?!

And don't forget to enter our giveaway of a beaded scarf HERE.




Moonlight & Mason Jars Link Party






Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Valentines Day!

Well, we all know what time of year is it...


Yup, that wonderful time of year when flowers are bought, chocolates are eaten, love is abound, and women are adorned in jewelry! My daughter is absolutely ECSTATIC about valentines day this year. She loves hearts, loves pink, and is so excited to hand out her valentines at preschool. Like mother like daughter apparently :)

I've always wondered the origins of Valentines day. How it became all hearts and lovey-dovey (insert goo-goo eyes at that word hehe). I knew it wasn't a very happy beginning, so I decided for the sake of those readers who are actually reading this (thank you, by the way, for indulging me) to actually find out the origins of Valentine's day. Here is a short history (borrowed from About.com), should you wish to read it. If not, you may skip to the end (I won't fuss... much):

"Three hundred years after the death of Jesus Christ, the Roman emperors still demanded that everyone believe in the Roman gods. Valentine, a Christian priest, had been thrown in prison for his teachings. On February 14, Valentine was beheaded, not only because he was a Christian, but also because he had performed a miracle. He supposedly cured the jailer's daughter of her blindness. The night before he was executed, he wrote the jailer's daughter a farewell letter, signing it "From Your Valentine." Another legend tells us that this same Valentine, well-loved by all, received notes to his jail cell from children and friends who missed him.

Bishop Valentine?

Another Valentine was an Italian bishop who lived at about the same time, AD 200. He was imprisoned because he secretly married couples, contrary to the laws of the Roman emperor. Some legends say he was burned at the stake.

Feast of Lupercalia

The ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, a spring festival, on the 15th of February, held in honor of a goddess. Young men randomly chose the name of a young girl to escort to the festivities. With the introduction of Christianity, the holiday moved to the 14th of February. The Christians had come to celebrate February 14 as the saint day that celebrated the several early Christian martyrs named Valentine.

Choosing a Sweetheart on Valentine's Day

The custom of choosing a sweetheart on this date spread through Europe in the Middle Ages, and then to the early American colonies. Throughout the ages, people also believed that birds picked their mates on February 14!

In AD 496 Sain Pope Gelasius I declared February 14 as "Valentine's Day". Although it's not an official holiday, most Americans observe this day.

Whatever the odd mixture of origins, St Valentine's Day is now a day for sweethearts. It is the day that you show your friend or loved one that you care. You can send candy to someone you think is special. Or you can send roses, the flower of love. Most people send "valentine" a greeting card named after the notes that St Valentine received in jail.

Greeting Cards

Probably the first greeting cards, handmade valentines, appeared in the 16th century. As early as 1800, companies began mass-producing cards. Initially these cards were hand-colored by factory workers. By the early 20th century even fancy lace and ribbon-strewn cards were created by machine."

Interesting, no? I only ever knew about the beheading part, not the rest. Anyway, in honor of St. Valentines day, and to keep up with tradition of jewelry intertwined with gift-giving sweethearts, here are some awesome new pieces for you love birds! These are on sale in our shop, or over on our facebook page :)




















Oh, and just a quick reminder to make sure you head over to THIS post and enter to win an awesome beaded scarf of your choice! Draw will be done February 28, 2014! Good Luck!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!


Moonlight & Mason Jars Link Party

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Startin Fresh!

Well it certainly has been a while since I posted on here! I took a few years off of the Urban Jewelry scene to have (and take care of) my family. I have 3 amazing children now between 5 years and 8 months! I love it! I miss being in the jewelry scene though! I definitely missed the creative aspects of my life! But now, I'm back! Celebrate!

Here is some catching up:


In November/December I was able to do some craft shows for the first time! It was a blast! I'm so glad I was able to attend! I made some great friends and saw so much talent! It was just so great to be out there! The talent was honestly just mind boggling! People are just so creative now-a-days! I don't even know where they get it from, but I'll tell you it was simply humbling to be surrounded by them! Make sure you stay connected with us, so you know when we'll be at our next craft fair, and you can come see what I mean!



One of my favorite new things that I've started playing with are leather wrapped bracelets! They are so neat! I've also done leather wrapped cuffs, and with the different colors of leather, and different kinds of beads to work with, the possibilities are endless!

I also started a new line of "beaded scarves!" It was actually my mother's idea first, but using her help I was able to put together an amazing combination of a scarf and a necklace! Its simply beautiful, and I'm so glad I have my mother for inspiration at times like these!!


 








Now that we're getting picked up a little, I've decided to do a little give away for one of these gorgeous scarves!!


Here are the rules!

Go over to our facebook page and follow us.
Share us on facebook (Don't forget to tag us so we know you did!)
And Leave a comment below with your facebook name (or link to your post) so we know you did it!

Hurray!! Winner will be chosen randomly on February 28th!  Good luck!!