one word. one girl. (a collaboration)

new One Word Girl necklace collaboration with Kelly Barton

My partner in crime Kelly Barton and I have been like two cooks in a test kitchen surrounded by candy-like beads and baubles as we taste this and sample that and check for doneness. We have giggled and schemed and literally squealed with delight as we have worked on this. And now the time has come to reveal our juicy (seriously I am over the moon excited about this!!!) collaboration:

The One Word Girl Necklaces

Kelly has created NINE new original girls with you in mind. I have gathered up my favorite vintage moonglow beads in happy candy colors and found just the right sized little circle for your word of the year. We are putting the girl of your choice + your word + these happy beads all together to create a unique custom necklace just for you!

Which girl are you today?

As you think about which girl you would like for your necklace, consider the girl she might represent:

Is she the woman you see when you look in the mirror?
Is she the superhero, rock star you who lives inside you each day?
Is she the courageous goddess in you who is ready to stand tall in her truth?
Is she the little girl you living her creative dreams? 
Is she the you who knows the time has come to begin?

 Think about which girl represents the companion you most need as you walk into a new year.

(And if you are like me, you might even decide you need one for every day of the week...because oh my goodness, do you see how cute Blossom's hair is? She reminds me of the little girl me who giggles more than worries. And Patch? Patch is calling to me with adventure in her voice. And then there is Bloom. I want 2012 to be a year where everyday feels like one where Bloom is beside me. Gosh I love these girls.)

Kelly and I hope that your necklace will gently remind you of whatever you most need at this time on your journey. When you look in the mirror and see that girl and your word, we hope you will breathe deeply and know you can do it baby girl. You can live all your dreams into reality and stay grounded in your truth as you walk into a new year.

And for those of you who want a simpler look without the beads, we have created a design for you too right here.

live it baby girl {soul mantra stories}

live it baby girl, a whispered soul mantra locket in the shop

People often ask me where the soul mantra phrases come from. Sometimes the phrases arrive almost "on the wind" when I am in my studio working with the letters and lockets, and they push me to pound them into metal. Sometimes the mantras are born from my experiences and from stories my friends share with me. Then there are the phrases that whisper in moments of quiet when I am in the midst of living. 

From time to time, I am going to share these stories, beginning today with the story of the "live it baby girl" soul mantra.

*****

The day was thick with missing and grief.

I walked along the water, my eyes turned toward the spaces between sand and rock, hoping to find the small tumbled glass, hoping it would connect me to her. With each step, the sadness grew as I was pulled back to the last time we walked on the beach years ago. Realizing I remembered so little from that last ocean visit, I wished I could go back, right back, and hear her laughter. As I found the first piece of small, rounded green glass, my chest hurt with the longing to look up and see her a few steps ahead of me. I would call out to her and say, "I found one!" and rush over...my 26-year-old self becoming my 5-year-old self in that moment as I would seek the approval and perhaps even the jealousy of my grandmother. Instead, my 33-year-old self walked alone inside the missing that day.

The tears tapped at the backs of my eyes as I searched between the grey, white, brown rocks, bending over even though my back ached. Tucking the sea glass into my pockets, the truth of grief my companion.

Finally, I unfolded, coming out of the searcher's stance and faced the neverending lapping, pushing, pulling water. I closed my eyes and tried to hear her voice inside the memories, but I kept getting caught up in my own words, "I miss you. I can't remember. I wish...I wish..." Taking a breath, I tried again to hear her. Giving up, I opened my eyes and looked at the mountains in the distance; my face softening with the truths that seemed to float inside me. Then it came:

Live it baby girl. 

Was it her voice? My voice? The voice of something greater than me? I brushed the wondering aside and made the choice to just be right there, breathing in the grief, the truth, the beauty, and all that she taught me.