Transition, Energy & Turuquoise blues..

Hello Lovely Readers~

This post is all about energy. Energy connected to a making a lifestyle transition. Energy connected to jewelry! Creating positive energy in your life!

It is almost our one year anniversary that my husband, Daniel and I changed our whole lives around and moved from the East Coast (literally the tip of it. North of Boston-Massachusetts) to the Pacific North West (literally the edge of it. Well, off of it, on an island)! 

We live on a beautiful island (near Alaska and about 2 hours from the city of Seattle) in Washington! Talk about a huge lifestyle change! We are both pursuing our dreams, living the lives we want to live (with the mindset, you should go after your dreams, you've got only one shot at this thing called life, so you better make it count).

Sometimes that isn't always an easy thing to do. I can tell you with experience, it takes a tremendous amount of patience, trust, planning, gumption, teamwork, and faith.  We are both starting new businesses and wanted to live back on the "west" coast. (My husband and I actually met on the west coast, and lived there a long time. I'm originally from sunny California). So, why the heck did we move all the way to the greater Boston area, you may ask! Work brought us there. It was meant to be and we made the most of it while we were in Boston. I believe in fate. We got married North of Boston, bought our first home, adopted our dog (which we still have;,we had a lot of incredibly beautiful memories there that we are extremely grateful for.

The East coast is a gorgeous place with so much to offer. However, with that said, we also had had enough of the harsh winters, not to mention an overly populated coastal town (with more of a bedroom community). We both left steady careers to pursue our passions. Mine is jewelry! I only just started my venture with my online business (although I have been making jewelry for at least 10 years) this past summer and I have never looked back. I am so excited at all the new opportunities I have already had with my jewelry creations.

Here is a peak at my new collection I  call, Beach Boholuxe Glam Necklaces. They are sprinkled with shiny silver and turquoise, aqua blue, and druzy too (Many are One-Of-A-kind Necklaces). Two of the necklaces below have druzy gemstones. The Druzy Gemstone is all about ENERGY. It gives off strength, energy and helps clear the mind.

I love working with gemstones that give off energy, clarity and light (I really love all gemstones. A lot of druzy {or drusy} is calling out my name these days. The energy, beauty and sparkle draws me in.

While we are still transitioning into our new lives; we are still learning to adjust to the changes (some big and some little) that come our way. Not all changes are easy to make. Especially a huge lifestyle change like moving from one coast to another completely different coast. Sometimes we have to (my husband, Daniel and I) deal with the changes one day at a time. We also have experience doing this, because we moved from California (way back when) to Boston! (Some how certian things can be a little easier when you are in your twenties though, like we were then).

A wonderful (for us) way to deal with change and transition is: exercise! We often exercise outdoors and take advantage of our gorgeous new surroundings. Nothing feels better than a brisk power walk along the beach or on a fun hiking trail. Connecting with the outdoors is huge for us. We are big nature lovers. So, when we have time, (or sometimes, we just make the time) we get outdoors and breathe.

Another way to help with the transition is learning about the community and finding our niche. We have met so many wonderful locals. I sold my jewelry at an artisan market all summer long (and into fall) and it was a wonderful way (not only to jump start my jewelry business), but, to meet many interesting and wonderful new people in the community (and a lot of very friendly tourists as well). I loved meeting and socializing with so many new faces! My next goal was to join a volunteer organization. I have already joined one and plan on donating some of my time to helping this organization out.

More of my beach boholuxe necklaces. The top two you will see again soon when I do a blog post on a beautiful fashion blogger who will be wearing these beauties.  The bottom necklace is a dreamy one of a kind aqua blue natural onyx agate (in my shop). Agate is another gemstone I adore. It comes in so many remarkable natural varieties. Agate is also an energy gemstone. Legend also says that it can be calming gemstone and help you be more focused.

 One last thought on making transitions and dealing with big lifestyle change. Give yoga a try! Your body may surprise you! I have blogged about my LOVE for yoga in the past. I have started practicing yoga more regularly here on the island. It creates the best energy for my body, mind and spirit. I cannot tell you enough how much yoga has been a huge benefit to my life over the last year! 

The next photo I want to share gives you a pretty peek of the third necklace (all the wonderful demin blue druzy gemstones) you will see modeled on a fashion blogger soon. I love custom orders. (The other two necklaces, one boholuxe beach moonstone beauty and other other amethyst druzy slice are coming soon).

*I cannot leave you without mentioning that November will be full of FUN surprises & special promotions and  in my jewelry shop!*  It must be all that yoga I am doing! My energy is geared up and I excited to share specials with all of you.

 I am offering a special PROMOTION PRICE on these gorgeous (crystal quartz, one of the most powerful gemstones that give off light and energy) natural crystal quartz necklaces (below) with sparkling zircon pave (Very limited quantity. $25 each only). They make a fabulous Christmas gift.

Feel free to send me questions on my website or here on my blog about this post or any of the jewelry you see. Thank you for being here! I am sending out positive energy your way! 

Be Real. Be Kind. And above all else. Be Sparkly.

~Marissa xo

Sparkle During Exercise, Purple Flowers & Pink Drinks!

Greetings Beautiful Readers~   (There is a surprise at the end of the entry..so keep on reading)

Summer is in full swing and I hope you have been having an awesome summer so far! On some days I feel like I live in California again. (I am originally from Southern California and lived there through college, before I moved to the east coast). Well, it feels a bit like California because we have had some very warm days in coastal Washington (on the island I live on)!  I still have to get out there and exercise; so it is a must to stay hydrated! I drink at least 8 glasses of purified water a day (always been a big water drinker). After water, I have been drinking a lot of this delicious flavored water beverage.  It comes in many pretty berry flavors, zero calories (my kind of drink). My favorite these days is the "Pink Grapefruit." Great for parties! In addition to your cocktail bar, this would be a refreshing non-alcoholic drink (for the kids too) for a fun summer outing. The colors are beautiful. 

Pink Drink, "Cascade Ice." Nail polish mentioned in next photo. Because I adore turquoise! and jewelry (& photo) well, you guessed it, by, me!

 Staying cool is essential and it's not always easy to look good while doing it! I dressed up my wrist (arm party) with my yoga & beach bracelets. They are so easy to put on and look fabulous with practically everything. I recently posted on instagram (the next picture below) and mentioned how awesome these bracelets are and how I literally throw on one or two (& a cute necklace, really, I do) before I head out to power walk (I wouldn't recommend all my handmade jewelry when exercising, but, the yoga and beach bracelets & many of my necklaces with stainless steel chain are perfect for MELLOW exercise). 

There is nothing like the feel of real (of the earth) organic gemstones on your skin. Real gemstones have such vibrancy and wonderful healing properties (according to folklore). Let's face it, they are really fun to look at and add beauty to your style, and pretty self.  I wear a lot of casual clothes (don't get me wrong, I LOVE fashion and beautiful clothes {affordable however, sales are this girls' best friend}) around the island; so adding a beautiful necklace (or two, or three) and some bracelets to my outfits really feels good & adds that extra sparkle. Do you always grab some jewelry before you leave the house (like I do)? A lot of the women I see on this island have wonderful taste in jewelry and wear it daily! I love that.

Jewelry & photography by me, Marissa T Designs. My favorite sneakers for power walks these days are, New Balance, and I'm in love with this turquoise nail polish called "Brisk Blue," by Sally Hansen. (Those lace cap hydrangea are so beautiful and blooming in my backyard)

I'm in love with all the purple, blue, and pink hydrangea growing on the island right now (not to mention the lavender & lilies). All the beautiful hydrangea in the pictures are from my home garden. They really make a statement (don't you think?) and have always been my favorite flower (it is a toss up between hydrangea and peonies). I think they may be upstaging my new necklaces (in the picture below)! wink wink. These necklaces (Druzy Quartz, Silver Spike and Circle Love Necklaces, coming to my etsy shop soon) are strung on beautiful silver stainless steel which looks like platinum, will never tarnish, and has the durability for, yes, you guessed it, power walking or mellow exercise!

I love the purple & blue palette. Here are the colors of my hydrangea flowers (the best flowers to have around the house). They are very hardy. They grew in abundance on the east coast and thrive out here in the Pacific North West. Great flower to plant! They will give you many lovely bouquets and dress up your garden beautifully!

Signing off for now. Here I am (below/Purple Druzy with Aqua Spike Quartz Necklace & Caribbean Aqua Blue Apatite Petite Earrings, available in my shop) giving you a smile, because I am happy that you are here. Send me inquiries or ask me product or jewelry questions anytime.

Thank you so much for following me. 

"Stay real. Be Kind. And above all else, Be Sparkly."

~Marissa xo

COUPON CODE! Coupon code going on now in my etsy shop! Code : BeSparkly15 (use during checkout). *****Take 20% off anything in my Etsy store ($20 minimum purchase). ***** See anything here you want (and it's not in my shop yet)? Message me on Etsy, Direct message me on Instagram, @MarissaTDesigns,  or feel free to leave me a message here!

Happy "Tuesday Tulips" & The Benefits and Beauty of Powerwalks on the Beach.

Hello Readers~

I received the most beautiful red tulips from my husband today for no special reason. He said, "Happy Tuesday Tulips." Who doesn't love flowers from the man they love? It really put a huge smile on my face and my heart. Since moving from the East coast to our new coast, the Pacific North West (it's only been 4 months), my husband and I have been doing a lot of wonderful new things to get to know the island (all in good time). We have also tried to keep some of our everyday rituals (to create more structure in our new lives, since both our routines are completely different now). Some of our small traditions (if you will) are, simple, but, so important. One is , we often exercise together. We go for brisk power walks. (Which we did on the east coast too. We often saw the ocean there too as we lived on a peninsula in a very pretty but, very overpopulated seaside town). Now we can go for brisk power walks on many different glorious beaches (it's especially an amazing workout when you lunge through soft wet sand). You feel the burn in your legs, buttocks, and back!

My husband, Daniel, also used to give my flowers (when we lived on the east coast) for special occasions and also just because he felt like it. So, "Tuesday Tulips," reminded me of some east coast moments of joy (tradition). 

The Tulips! Nothing like fresh flowers to brighten your mood. Add a splash of beauty inside! They do something beautiful to your soul too. Don't you think?

Some of the beaches we power walk on in our new digs, "The Pacific North West." What does the sea do for you?

Do you exercise? I know it's often hard to find the time. But, do you squeeze some cardio in there, somewhere?

Do you live near the ocean? I feel blessed. Never take it for granted and well, keep pinching myself that we live here. 

 

 Daniel was off taking in the sun on a much needed break, We had been power walking for more than a hour already. Time for a selfie.

 

Power walking is so good for you. As I'm sure many of you probably now this! Let's inspire each other! Not only are you getting the benefits of a great cardio workout (brisk walking/arms moving/walking in sand) you also (at least for me, maybe for you too) get the glorious benefits for your soul & mind. Your mind becomes more clear. I become more centered (like after I do yoga/the feeling is amazing). I feel invigorated from the cool air, the brilliant & dreamy scenery, super energized from the fresh briny sea air, and uplifted from the sounds of the waves and birds. Did I mention we have eagles everywhere here? They are magnificent to see in person.

I have been very very busy creating new jewelry pieces (and working on my website. *I will be launching that soon. I'm very excited). The sea is a constant inspiration for my life and my jewelry creations. 

A new bracelet (below) I made of many delicious sea turquoise colored gemstones. Available in my etsy shop now. I call it "Hope Bracelet." The gemstone I used the most of in it, is Amazonite. It is an amazing gemstone because it comes in a variety of green and blue shades...it is also said to be the "hope stone."  Folklore says it inspires confidence and hope. Also said to be the gemstone of courage and said to be named after Amazon women warriors. Only $44 US. Natural lavender/blue druzy crystal and ocean jasper, and amazonite. Fancy Sterling silver beads and heart shaped toggle. Special details and a meaningful piece for your jewelry collection.

*You get to be the first to find out about this new promotion starting now! I ship world world, (see etsy listings. but, It applies to Europe, U.S., Mexico, and Canada) . If you buy more than one item from my shop (so 2 or more), You receive FREE shipping from me.* 

Offer lasts through May 2015* I credit you the shipping costs after purchase. It can be a wonderful savings! More promotions coming soon. Bloggers and Instagram followers, and Pinners are likely to hear first!  Different promotions will be listed in different social media platforms.  

Happy Exercising, Jewelry shopping , flower buying! Or you can be the someone special and treat yourself. Or pick some fresh flowers for your flat, out in the garden! 

Smell the flowers, Smell the fresh air. Get that heart rate up. Shop some bling with amazing values , handmade with special care and gorgeous gemstones . Oh yes, and above all else. Be sparkly. ~Marissa T. xo