Packing

Although I was busy packing for the big move all last week, I managed to find some time to design a new shell necklace.

Bella, the little girl who lives next door, found a beautiful cone shell along the Santa Barbara coast and gifted it to me a few months back. She wrote me a really cute note to go along with it too. Bella and her sister already have their very own beach glass necklaces, so this shell necklace was a surprise for their mom (:

This is my very first shell necklace, and I'm quite pleased with the turnout. What do you think?

Well, I'm all packed, boxes shipped, studio cleaned, and no longer in Santa Barbara! I'll be traveling for the next month, so stayed tuned for updates about my adventures!

The Bed-Table

As you may or may not already know from my previous post, I have my very own studio apartment to design my jewelry in. And to live in... and to share with another person. It's cozy and cute, but you can only stand so many components disappearing and later found somewhere on the floor (or never) when the only workspace you have is your bed.

I was making a couple necklaces last night while watching TV, and I couldn't help but think about how excited I am to move. Moving will mean I will have a little more space for my jewelry - maybe even my very own table to work on! Or if I'm really lucky, maybe my own corner of a room (: A girl can dream, right?!

Big Sur, CA

I'm sorry that I haven't been designing new jewelry pieces lately! With the anticipation of leaving California, I've been trying to soak up as much of the coast as possible. The significant other and I drove up to Big Sur last week for some camping fun.

We chose the Kirk Creek Campground because every campsite has its very own ocean view! It was such a beautiful, sunny day with not a cloud in sight.

We took a short hike down the cliff to enjoy some rocky shoreline bliss. I'm always in awe how breathtaking the California coast can be.

Five miles south of the campgrounds is Sand Dollar Beach. Unfortunately, I didn't stumble across any sand dollars, but I did happen to find two beautiful cone shells! I'm looking forward to using them in a new necklace design. We almost had the entire beach to ourselves and enjoyed homemade panini's, crisp sugar snap peas, and a light frisbee toss.

At the end of a relaxing, unplanned day, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset with smores and a glass of wine. It was quite the mini vacation I needed after 104 consecutive days of work. No stress, all sun. With all the scenic coastal views, I'm not too worried about lacking inspiration (:

Layered Necklaces

Lately, I've been drawn to layered necklaces. When the right combination of necklaces are put together, it looks so effortlessly chic! However, finding necklaces that complement each other is far from effortless... at least for me.

Here's one of my current favorite layering looks. It took me some time to be satisfied with the combination. Starting from the top: The Dainty Peach Pearl Necklace is a must-have for me. It works with any outfit, from a casual day shopping to even a wedding. The Treasure Necklace adds some texture and shine. Finally, the Makapu'u Necklace adds length and a splash of color (and looks beautiful with all my beloved maxi dresses!).

Dainty Peach Pearl Necklace SHOP

Treasure Necklace

Makapu'u Necklace SHOP

This inspired me to work on necklaces that are already layered togethered so that you can truly look and feel "effortlessly chic."

Layered Seafoam Droplet Necklace
 SHOP

Layered Sea Breeze Necklace (mint)

 SHOP

Love love love!

Isn't it wonderful that the hard part is already done? I hope these new layered necklaces make you feel beautiful and put together without even trying (:

Leaving Santa Barbara

I'm sad to announce that The Glistening Pearl will be leaving Santa Barbara at the end of June. It's been a wonderful two years here. I can't believe that while in Santa Barbara I finally mustered up enough courage to open a shop on Etsy (just over a year ago) and to sell at local events in the community.

Just as I'm settling in, it's time to leave again. It'll be bittersweet. 

I'm excited about the journey ahead.

I'll be traveling all throughout the month of July, so if you'd like to purchase something off my Etsy shop, I would suggest doing so before the end of June for prompt shipping.

I'll keep you all posted about my plans!