holiday etsy wishlist

This year my holiday wishlist is filled with jewelry from etsy!  Here are my top 4 items for this year:
1.) These labradorite studs are dreamy!  I seriously need more stud earrings, I only have a few pairs, and I am trying to resist wearing dangly earrings that may fall prey to baby fingers grabbing them!
2.) London blue topaz is my favorite stone.  The color is pure perfection!  These studs would be a wonderful color pop.
3.) I posted about leather bangles before as a must have addition to my fall wardrobe.  I'd wear these pretty much every day.
4.) This cubic zirconia pendant is a beautiful substitute for the real thing and a wonderful gift add on for the price!

new necklaces

I got some time in my studio this weekend (first post-baby studio time!) and made these 3 new beauties.  It felt good to get back to work after a long hiatus.  I was a little burnt out after the last product order (while being 9 months pregnant!) so I definitely needed the break.  But once I got over some hurtles with making the above styles, I felt rejuvenated and remembered exactly why I love making jewelry!

updated wedding ring stack

I just had my sapphire band redone and I couldn't be happier!  Created by Barsky in Philadelphia, this little beauty is composed of channel set round sapphires set in 14K white gold with milgrain edges and engraving on both sides and is just 1.5mm wide... a perfect addition to my wedding ring stack! 

birthstones

I am coming up with some ideas for a project using birthstones. The history and meaning of each stone is fascinating! When I was younger, I so desperately wanted to be born in August like my brother (to have peridot as my birthstone and to be a leo!) but I was stuck with being a cancer and having ruby as my birthstone. But I was super excited that my daughter was born in April so I have another excuse to buy diamonds!

the one that got away

Working for a retail company, I am constantly around product I am tempted to buy.  I try to stay strong and convince myself not to buy these things which sometimes I seriously regret (could this be non-buyer's remorse???).  I have a constant list of the "ones that got away"... great product I convinced myself I didn't need for which I lament over not having for years!  This has been at the top of my list, the Casch sweater by Gro Abrahamsson from Anthropologie a few years ago.  I convinced myself it was far too expensive, which was/ is a very solid reason, but over the years, I have realized the cost per wear would have justified the expense.  Sigh... even now when I find it on ebay, pre-worn, it usually sells for the same retail price as it did 4 years ago... it's just that good!