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Last week, I shared this necklace with a black and white plaid shirt, which is a look I love. But the truth is, my absolute favorite way to wear a statement necklace (ok, really any necklace) is with a simple tank or t-shirt. (With a cozy, chunky cardigan thrown on top if it’s cold.)
I just love how the simple style really shows off the necklace, and how the necklace really elevates such a simple (and comfortable) outfit!
I’m in Boston this weekend for my only craft show of the season (and my last one for a while, as I’ll be back to focusing on my stores and online shop in the new year), and as has become my norm, I’m documenting my trip in rings and coffee.
But I can’t help it! My Silver on Steel stacking ring makes the perfect thumb ring and the perfect compliment to a pretty latte!
Sharing this black and navy plaid shirt the other day reminded me that I’ve been meaning to share these other images I took of this Contra Composition necklace with a black and white plaid shirt. (Maybe I didn’t share them before because I wasn’t having quite as a good a hair day when I shot it! But it was a studio day, so #messyhairdontcare)
While it’s easy to keep plaid in the fall bucket, I do love it for casual holiday style as well! Especially if your family gatherings tend towards more casual. A plaid shirt feels festive without being too fancy. (Of course, if you need to dress it up, you can always pair it with a midi skirt for a full on White Christmas inspired holiday look!)
I shared this Elizabeth Benotti mug with an adorable faux tree (and with my most popular statement necklace), but I felt it deserved a #mugshotmonday post of it’s own! Mostly because I love this mug! And I love how it looks with my silver on steel stacking rings!
It’s no secret that my I’m obsessed with big stones. Especially when I get to turn them into big statement necklaces. But it’s hard to find big stones that are really great quality. Which is why I was so excited to get my hands on this stunning stone! Read on to see what it became…
When it comes to my aesthetic, I’m of two minds. I really love clean, modern design, but I also have a soft spot for layers of pattern on pattern. (It was even the subject of my MFA thesis.) Which is why one of my favorite ways to wear (and photograph) pieces from my Contra Collection is on top of pattern.
So whether it’s statement rings on patterned skirts or dresses, or statement necklaces on a floral patterned top, I just love seeing these stunning stones layered over pattern!
This time last year, I was celebrating one of my favorite ways to break style rules, mixing black and navy, with a fairly fancy holiday outfit. So it seems only fitting that this year I celebrate my love for black and navy with a much more casual outfit. (But still with an awesome Contra necklace, because if nature can mix black and navy, so can I!)
Thanks to technology, we spend a lot of time staring at our hands. (Or if you’re me, you spend a lot of time staring at your hands while editing pictures of your hands.) That’s why I love rings so much. They add some visual interest to the sameness that is staring at your keyboard all day.
Above picture features the Small Silver on Steel Circle Ring and the Medium Silver on Steel Circle Ring stacked together. (I’d recommend sizing up one whole ring size to make this stack work!) And the image on my computer screen features a Silver on Steel Stacking Ring worn as a thumb ring! (You can see more pics of that ring in this post!)
One of the highlights of my trip to New York City Jewelry Week was the opportunity to see Jewelry: The Body Transformed, the blockbuster jewelry exhibition at the Met. (Ok, technically, I saw it twice while I was on the trip. And once more last weekend, since a friend and I had to go to New York anyway to coach a cross country meet in the Bronx.) But can you blame me? The Met is my favorite museum in the world, and to see my chosen profession given top billing in such a prominent exhibition just makes me incredibly happy.
Just seeing the introductory text is a thrilling testament to the power of jewelry:
As an independent maker and designer, it’s really easy to fall into the trap of busy-ness this time of year. You only have to follow a few artists and makers on social media to see an endless stream of talk about stress and overwhelm. But I’ve never been a fan of that mentality this time of year, so I’m always looking for ways to slow down, savor little moments, and try to keep stress at bay.
Besides taking time to enjoy my morning cup of tea (in a handmade mug, like this one by Elizabeth Benotti), one of the other ways I’m trying to slow things down is by making it a point to document a lot of jewelry that’s leaving my studio. Like this Maya necklace (I shipped out three in the last week) and these silver on steel stacking rings.
Not only is photographing these pieces a nice way to slow down AND flex my creative muscles, I know that, years from now, I’ll appreciate being able to look back and see what I was working on (and obsessing over) at this moment in time!