Spring is finally in the air! Time to emerge from our winter cocoon by peeling back the layers and spreading our wings to soak up the much needed sunshine. This is also the time of year when boats get unwrapped, beach cottages get re-opened and thoughts turn to days spent on or near the water. This yearning to get my toes in the sand and sit quietly next to the ocean’s edge has led to my first collection of 2018, ‘Sand and Sea’. The Sand and Sea collection features Amazonite in pale blues, rose and tan, freshwater pearls and glowing moonstones paired with sparkling silver and earthy sand colored leather. Amazonite is the stone of courage and truth. It empowers a person to do some serious soul searching in order to discover your inner integrity and strength. It allows you to explore your own thoughts and feelings so you can move forward setting a clear boundary around any intrusions to your personal space. The collection features everything from fun knotted leather pieces (Bracelet, Earrings & Necklace), sterling and gemstone “dock piling” pieces, and of course my signature Mala necklace.
It’s interesting how my designs not only mirror my love of the sea, but are often also a reflection of my internal feelings I often say, life gives you what you need, not what you want and this collection was truly a bi-product of that. While I was designing, there was a rash of irrational behavior going on around me both personally and at the day job. People were letting their ‘ego brain’ get the best of them. As a result, they were lashing out at those around them for, seemingly, no good reason. Perhaps the northeast winter was just a bit too long this year. Or, maybe they ran out of wine one too many times during our frequent snow storms. (You can be sure that did not happen to me!) Either way, it seems a lot of folks were short on patience and long on strife this winter.
So what do you do when people are grumpy? Make them smile. I spent most of March focusing my energy on being happy and recorded a live video in my Facebook group daily with a simple happiness tip. If you’re looking for a way to improve your disposition I encourage you to try this 30 day exercise. When tasked with finding multiple ways to bring a bit of sunshine into everyone else’s day, you can’t help but residually feel better about your own life. (As a bonus, during the appropriate evening hours, I also got to drink wine while recording- WIN all the way around!) It’s important to protect your personal space from the grumpsters. A word of warning- unhappy people will suck the life out of you if you let them. Go into each conversation with the expectation that it will be positive, and then refuse to let yourself be derailed. I promise, you’ll come out on the other side with a warm glow and a lighter heart.
So, as you move out of dull shades of winter into another glorious sunshine filled season, remember to follow this advice. Always have plenty of wine in stock. Honor your personal space. And, take time to breath in the sand and sea.
xoxo – C
Bonus- If you’re reading this before May 10, 2018 – pop over to the Facebook page and check out my collection review video from May 3rd. If you comment on the video, you will be entered to win a free pair of Pearl & Amazonite custom earrings- join in the fun today!