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Totally Terrazzo

Terrazzo Floor Fabulous

Terrazzo is having a moment and I am beyond thrilled. To me the Midcentury mosaic wonder is basically jewelry for the home! 

I first fell in love with the material as a young child in my Grandfather's home. It was a sprawling modern Asian style with Terrazzo floors. The metallics drew me in and I was surprised that there was a material that could make something as mundane as a floor sparkle.

What actually is Terrazzo? It's pieces of marble and granite suspended in concrete. Doesn't sound so sparkly, but the finished product can add as much color as a painting. It's a perfect way to artfully brighten up a room or give hint of shimmer to a high-traffic area, like a floor.

Here are a few examples...I even found a pair of Terrazzo Earrings!

Enjoy!
xx-Laura


Anthropologie Terrazzo Coffee Table on the Laura James Jewelry Blog

Terrazzo Bowls by Sevak Gargarian

Terrazzo Earrings Etsy

Photos: Anthropologie table; Sevak Zargarian bowls; Etsy 

 

A Jewelry Collector's Story

Gemstone Collection

As far back as I can remember, I collected jewelry.

It all began with my Father, giving jewelry to my Mother and me to mark occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. He always picked out interesting pieces  on his own- one of my favorites being a band of square channel set rubies for a birthday. I was used to seeing bands with round diamonds, so I especially loved that this was different. I think that began my quest for collecting jewelry.

I was lucky that we travelled as a family when Summertime came, and I began to seek out unique jewelry every new place we went. The thrill of the hunt for designs that I'd never seen before was always at the forefront of my brain, no matter where we went. I loved when I could take home something that was different and marked the occasion or place that we'd been. Everytime I wore it, I was instantly transported back to the place where I had found it, and got to relive the experience of where we had been. 

Years later, and I still love to collect jewelry. It's absolutely the very first thing that I think about when a Birthday arises... but these days I seem to settle for more practical necessities. Not to mention, my life is becoming more streamlined and clutter-free...so if I am going to buy something, it's got to be pretty special. And who has time anymore for that kind of search?! Maybe one day soon I'll devote an ENTIRE AFTERNOON to searching solely for a new sparkler to add to my collection. That would be amazing. I mean, the odds that I would be able to just focus on that are... slim to none. Just too many other online distractions to click on to lead me astray -like my four year old needs new cowgirl boots...but maybe one day it'll happen. I sure do love the hunt!
xox-Laura

 

The Choker Necklace Trend

Love it or hate it, since 2018 the Choker Necklace trend was back with a vengeance... with some unique twists:

2018 Jewelry Trends and the Choker | Laura James Jewelry Blog

Lots of ideas there (we also love these delicate alternatives):

Choker Jewelry Trend | Laura James Jewelry | Jewelry Blog

The Gold Choker is Back! | Jewelry Trends 2018 on the Laura James Jewelry Blog

What's your preference? Not ready to take the dive, yet? Enjoy :)

Laura

 

photos via pinterest

The Creative Brain

There is nothing more fun to me than being in the "Zone".

The feeling of creative flow for me is just like no other! When I am in this space, I can and only want to create all day long. Inevitably, I do have to stop at some point to take care of the people in my life...but, at times I really think I could just keep going for days! Especially because this state of mind isn't always readily available.

Creatives can be lauded for their talents, but what so many people don't know is that it can take days or weeks (or longer!) for a single creative idea to come through. These are the times when I get out rather than try to push through. I look for inspiration in other mediums like visiting the local art gallery or simply just getting outside. Nature and Architecture are both are huge sources of inspiration for me, and luckily are all around. 

When I recently returned from a nice long sabbatical to the Beach, it was completely necessary that I took that break. I didn't even try to think about creating. I was just soaking up the sun, the sand, the salt, my daughter and my family. It was amazing. But, it was eventually time to return to my craft. 

Now, here I am, finally caught up at last with my life that was on hold while I was away... and I had maybe my most creative idea in a very long time. I am really just so excited with the direction my mind went this week when I looked at a tray of semiprecious Watermelon Tourmaline and Aquamarine stones. I have had these stones for...ages. I have not known what I was going to do to really showcase their beauty, until this week. 

Introducing...my latest Semiprecious Bar Collection!

Gold Bar Necklaces with Semiprecious Stones by Laura James Jewelry

What do you think? Just plain yummy, right?!

I am so glad I took that break so that my brain could come up with these fresh new designs. Available very soon...just in time for the Holidays :).

Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

xo-Laura

 

Art is Everywhere

Laura James Jewelry Instagram Feed


I was taken by the colors in this stunning Rug (top left corner of my Instagram feed shown here) from the new Alchemy collection at ABC Carpet + Home - it could have been a painting!- but especially by this accompanying quote that they posted on their own Instagram feed:

"We need to start thinking about how we are going to preserve traditional craftsmanship and sustainable design in a world that is evolving at such a rapid pace" -angela gruszka v.p. of marketing / creative


It made me beyond happy for a company of notable size to take a stand for the creative makers in this world and give attention to the fact that as we are moving so quickly on the technology front, to remember to shop with the artisans that are providing those unique and well-crafted goods for us.


Angela's message made me think of just what this world will look like if our buying choices were only mass-marketed retailers. This entire world... nothing but Target and Walmart - or even worse- no retail stores to walk into at all! Just think, if we were all to only shop online for the sake of convenience, we could unknowingly shut down our own opportunities to browse (and return items!) in person. I can't imagine not having a place to walk in and just relax, take in the sights and purchase something I may come across that strikes me! 
 
It may sound far-fetched, but look around where you live - are you also noticing smaller retailers closing left and right due to what I call the "Amazon effect"? It's something we can change, though, if we all just remember to pay those retailers a visit in person and let them know how much you enjoy what they provide...unique items and also something we all seek...a momentary Escape!
xo-Laura