~Pack Your Bags!!!~

We have moved!!  Please follow our new and improved blog: lovenyla.wordpress.com

We will always keep our past posts here for you to enjoy, so you are more than welcome to peruse to your heart's content.  But please come join us for fashion tips, tutorials, videos, event reviews, and more!

"For the Love of Jewelry"

www.lovenyla.wordpress.com

See you there!

~LoveNyla in Beverly Hills~

I'm sure you've all heard of the saying 
"No rest for the wicked..."

Well, I definitely wouldn't consider myself wicked by any means, but now I definitely know where that saying comes from.

You see, I rarely ever get the chance to take a vacation.  And I'm not complaining about it.  In fact, my personality is the type that I enjoy keeping busy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  I literally am moving 100 miles an hour, doing at least three things at once until I collapse into bed at the end of the night.

But, back in the end of July I realized that my oldest princess was starting Kindergarten soon, and I had been working hard on the new line coming out, and we both deserved a bit of a break.  So we took a road trip to Palm Springs.  We had barely been there for three days, when I received a call from a gentleman representing a pretty well-known entertainment agency in Hollywood who had seen LoveNyla jewelry and was interested in me bringing the line to a restaurant launch in Beverly Hills.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.  (I'm just full of cliches today.)

It was a tough decision.  I didn't want to let my daughter down. I knew we needed the vacation, but I also knew this was a wonderful opportunity for the line.  So, I sat her down, explained to my five year old the dilemma I was in, and in her infinite five year old wisdom she told me:

"You're doing this vacation for me.  You're doing the event for me.  We can swim and golf in L.A., we don't have to be in Palm Springs."

So, with that logic running through my head, I accepted his invitation, we packed up our bags, and headed back to the city of angels.

The event turned out to be an intimate affair.  There were numerous independent wineries there displaying the fruits of their labor, a tarot card reader, a lingerie vendor, a couple of fashion jewelry vendors, and of course LoveNyla Fine Jewelry.  We met so many wonderful people from all over southern California, and the experience was so enjoyable that we've decided to continue to do events with this entertainment company in the future.  We will definitely keep you updated when we do.  Hopefully, this time they won't be right in the middle of the only vacation we take all year long.

~Evil Eye~

From necklaces to bracelets, chandelier earrings to body chains, the Blue Eye or Evil Eye is everywhere.  It's a symbol of good luck in cultures throughout the world, believed to ward off jealousy or envy in the Middle East, Greece, and parts of Eastern Europe.

The earliest known evidence for belief in the Evil Eye goes back to ancient Greece and Rome.  There, it was believed that the Evil Eye was the largest threat to anyone who was praised or admired too much.  The person who was being admired would eventually cause themselves their own demise and perish.  They would hang an amulet with a beautiful blue eye around their neck, over their bed, or nearby them in order to draw attention away from themselves, in the belief that the praise or admiration could be avoided, and their life would be spared.

 

The Necklace

Marissa's grandma never went anywhere without the necklace.  Whenever Marissa would run her fingers over its diamonds in awe, her grandma would always offer the same words, "It's not worth much, but it's very valuable."

She never understood what she meant by that.  If something wasn't worth much, how could it be valuable at the same time?  She never had the chance to find out before her grandma passed away and handed the necklace down to her.

She had struggled with the decision of pawning it or not.  Not wanting her family to hate her, but facing the very real possibility of being evicted from her tiny studio apartment she felt that she had no choice.

And so, the day had come.  With a determination set in her jaw she headed to the local pawn shop, a sleazy place with questionable characters gathered around the front door offering to buy the necklace from her before she could even step inside.  Steeling herself against the whistles and catcalls, she felt the whoosh of the air conditioning as the door shut behind her.  Slowly nearing the counter, she pulled the necklace from her pocket, and kissing it she whispered "I'm sorry grandma."  She had never wanted to disappoint anyone, but becoming a concert pianist had turned out to be a lot harder than she had first planned, and unfortuantely for her, she was a horrible waitress.

"Whatcha got for me?"  The man's voice boomed from behind the counter.
She carefully set the necklace down in front of him, and gathering her composure asked him how much he could give her.
"Twenty five dollars."
Her heart thudded to her toes.  There must be some mistake.
"Excuse me?"
"Okay. Twenty dollars."
He didn't look like he was joking.
"But that's real gold, and these are diamonds and rubies! I'm sure it's worth more than that!"
The man smirked at her as she noticed leftovers of his lunch wedged between his teeth and replied, "Missy, I ain't even got to put my glasses on to know that ain't no gold, and them definitely ain't diamonds."

Marissa couldn't speak.  She could hardly breath.  The whoosh of air as another customer walked into the store snapped her out of her stupor for long enough to gather the necklace up, place it in her pocket, and make her way out to the bus stop.

As the shock subsided, anger took over.  Her grandma had left her a twenty dollar necklace?  All of those years of telling her that it was valuable, and it was hardly worth more than a meal at a fast food restaurant?  She choked back bitter tears as she climbed the stairs into the bus and found her way to an empty seat.  Her grandma had lied to her, mislead her, and disappointed her.  How could she have worn this cheap piece of junk out on all of her dates with her husband, knowing it was worth nothing?  How could she have so proudly shown it off to every person who stopped to admire it, knowing that it was a fake?

As quickly as the angry thoughts came, they subsided and she felt guilty for thinking such horrible things about her loving grandma.  She silently apologized, and slipped the necklace around her neck, clasping it shut.  She was late for her audition.

Pulling the cord to signal the bus to stop, she gathered her thoughts, letting her fingers flow over the back of the seat in front of her in silent preparation for what was ahead of her.
"I'm sorry I'm a bit late."  She whispered to the two ladies and one young man sitting at the table as she entered the room.  Quietly she slid onto the stool, straightened her pants, stretched her fingers, and began.

As always, as soon as she started to play the music seemed to flow through her fingers.  It was as if she wasn't playing the music, but the music was playing her fingers.  She imagined the walks she used to take with her grandma as a child, the words of advice she would give her when she came to her in tears, and the delicious smell of cookies, perfume, and the garden that would embrace her as she climbed into her lap.  She recalled the summer nights she would beg her parents to let her stay with her grandma, knowing she would let her stay up late, fingerpaint, and break her own eggs into the frying pan for breakfast.  As she played silent tears rolled down her cheecks, and gathered at the nape of her neck, filling the necklace with tears of love, admiration, and regret for her harsh thoughts earlier.

And as the song ended she smiled to herself, knowing that the practice had paid off.  All of those hours of sacrifice, neglecting her social life in order to play piano had all accumulated to this exact moment, and she had done all she could do.
She slowly rotated to face the three people in front of her as they whispered to eachother, scribbling onto papers full of mysterious notations.

"Marissa?"  The lady with the pink hair was the first to speak.
"Yes.  Yes, that's me."  It came out as a stammer.
"You do realize that if offered this position, you would have to move across country to New York?" 
"Yes, I realize that."  She fidgeted with the necklace, channeling her grandmother's strength.
"And you do know that you would be traveling ten months out of the year, playing a new venue every week."
"Yes, I know.  I have no family to speak of.  I have no obligations here.  Traveling would be just fine."  She realized packing would be a piece of cake too, considering the only furniture she had was her piano, a mattress on the floor, and a folding chair she used as her table when sitting on the floor to eat.
The three conferred one more time, slowly turning to face her.  This time it was the man who spoke.
"Well Marissa.  Congratulations.  We would like to offer you the position.  You played spectacularly, and if you accept our offer, we feel no need to continue the auditions."
The same whoosh of air she had felt in the pawn store overcame her, and she suddenly felt as though she was underwater.  She couldn't breath.  It was suddenly so hot in the studio, and she couldn't feel her fingertips.  She thought to herself, "Oh God, what if I'm having a heart attack?"

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted.
"Marissa.  Did you hear me?"
She nodded.  She swallowed.  She swallowed again.
"Yes sir, I'm sorry.  I heard you.  I'm just a bit overwhelmed you know.  Playing with your organization has been my dream since I was just a small girl.  My grandma always told me...."
My grandma.
Marissa smiled.  Suddenly she had all the strength in the world.  Standing up she quickly added,
"I would love to accept.  I can be ready as soon as you are.  Thank you so much."
The three smiled broadly at her, each shaking her hand.  As she started to leave the room, feeling as though she was walking on clouds the pink haired lady called her.
"Marissa!"
She turned to face her.
"By the way...I just love your necklace!"
Marissa smiled all the way down to her heart as she replied,  "Thank you.  So do I."

Our gorgeous new 18 Karat Gold Plated necklaces, encrusted with genuine Swarovski Crytals are available in Emerald Green, Light Rose, Gold Shimmer, Amethyst, and Ruby Red (just like Marissa's).  They are definitely worth more than $20.00, and may be worth even more than you know.  Get your own lucky necklace like Marissa's by special order only lovenyla@lovenyla.com
Coming to www.lovenyla.com soon.

Inspiration...

Throughout my design career, first in menswear, and more recently in jewelry and accessories, the question I have heard the most from people is:
"Where do you find your inspiration?"

Although it seems like this should be a question that is easy to answer, it really isn't. I find inspiration in a wide variety of places. Sometimes it can be a part of nature; a tree in full bloom, a beautiful sunset, or bird gliding through the morning sky.

Other times it is something much more simple. There are occasions that I see a piece of jewelry on someone else and think to myself "That's cute, but...". Unless it's something I've designed myself, there is always a but at the end of that sentence. And it's that BUT that is my inspiration.

And there are times where the inspiration seems to come from nowhere. A shape I catch out of the corner of my eye, a color I especially like, or an outfit that I don't have the right piece of jewelry for. There are times the whole design just materializes in my mind's eye, but usually it gradually forms as time progresses.

Whether it is a formal necklace, or a casual cuff bracelet, no matter where I get my inspiration for a particular piece, my goal is that it, in turn, inspires others.

Shamballa Bracelets Are Like Snowflakes

You've seen them. Those shiny, beaded bracelets adorning the wrists of celebrities everywhere. Rappers, actors, and moguls alike are all sporting these super-trendy bracelets, and in a previous post we talked about the spiritual meaning surrounding them.

We love Shamballa bracelets for many reasons.  They carry with them the reminder of peace and tranquility, the glint of light that catches them looks especially appealing, and they can be made in virtually any color imaginable, but what we love the most about them is the fact that just like snowflakes, each and every bracelet is unique.

Depending on who makes them, the knots always vary slightly, and the beads may have their own distinct design to them which gives the artist their own signature style.  The knotting is something that takes practice to perfect, but once you've gotten your technique down, they can hold strong for years.

Whether you choose a Swarovski Crystal Shamballa like the ones that we have on our website, or one made of more natural stones, you can be confident that your Shamballa is a totally unique creation that was made with love and patience.

LoveNyla's Genuine Swarovski Crystal Shamballa Bracelet in Sapphire Blue

~Arm Candy~

Surely you have noticed recently the growing trend that one bracelet simply isn't enough anymore. Instead you can see fashionable ladies wearing two, three, or more all stacked up of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Not only is this a fun ode to all of our childhoods when we used to wear our mother's jewelry around the house and pretend to be princesses in a far-off land, but it gives you the opportunity to really express yourself and your style!

Shamballa bracelets, "evil" eyes, hands of hamza, crosses, and celtic knots are all hot right now, and the most exciting thing about that is that all of these pieces truly bring the influence of international religions and cultures into our everyday life. From neon brights to pretty pastels, stacks of bracelets like this one are this summer's biggest accessory:

So, now you ask...."When will you stop telling us about them, and start making them?" Well....they are coming soon. As with everything that we create, a lot of thought and time goes into each design, so we haven't completed them yet. But we will soon, and you will be the first to know!