Dazzling Summer 2013 Jewelry Trends

The presses are hot with upcoming jewelry trends for Summer 2013 and I am so excited about what's to come! According to both Elle and Glo, anything with bling, light, and shine is going to take center stage into Fall 2013. Gemstones and cut crystals have been sweeping the fashion world for years now, and they've really found their pace within the greater jewelry market. Necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are all showing up with more pop and pizzazz than ever before, and women everywhere are embracing the texture and color that only facets and gems can provide. A testament to this trend is the popularity of Swarovski crystals in recent years, and in the resurgence of stacking gemstone and cut crystal pieces. 

According to Glo, the mixture of intense color and the light of gems and crystals is where it's at for summer 2013. Women want to pair high color and texture combinations with more solid clothing patterns to mimic the energy and events of the summer season. Elle magazine is echoing that with a focus on statement-making pieces that combine gems, cut crystals, colors, textures, and layering to make the jewelry stand out just a little bit more than the outfit does! 

Here at Charmed Design, you'll find a selection of high color, high vibrancy pieces that have been created to fuse fiber texture with gem and charm interest. I am so excited about what's just been added to my inventory, and I have several new pieces on the way that you're going to love!   

Wishing all of you a fun, fabulous, and dazzling summer 2013 season! -

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Cork Wrap Bracelets - An Eco Friendly Trend

Recently I started working with cork as a base for my unique handmade bracelet designs and I am so excited to share them with you! many of the new styles are loaded to the Charmed Design website now, and there will be more coming soon!

Cork is an amazing material! Not only does it have a color and texture that catches the eye and feels great on the skin, it's also a blessing to the environment. The cork tress is special because, unlike other types of tress, it doesn't get injured when its bark is removed. Expert cork harvesters are able to gently remove the top layer or cork from the trees in a way that doesn't hurt the tree at all. Once the cork has been harvested, the tree gets to work growing new cork quickly.

Cork is as tough and resilient as leather, and it really lasts. It can be cleaned, and it doesn't require any special care to help it last through the years.

I hand-stitch each of the cork wrap bracelets I created before I add beautiful sterling silver accents. You'll find charms, beads, and caps on these bracelets that make an elegant and inspiring statement you can wear anytime!

These bracelets are made to be 14" long which allows you to wrap them twice around your wrist for a textured look. If your wrist happens to be a different size, just let me know at checkout and I'll make sure you get one that fits.

Come see all of the brand new cork wrap bracelets available on the Charmed Design site right now...

>>> CLICK HERE TO VISIT

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Love is Everything!

Valentine's Day is upon us, and since this is the season of celebrating love, I thought it might be nice to explore some of the many functions and powers that love has in our lives.

Love is a force, a feeling, and a truth. It is accessible to everyone across the world no matter their race, gender, or creed. Love seems to go beyond any and all other emotions and feelings - and it makes it a point to set itself apart from all other sensations. Love has the power to heal, transform, and bless, and it comes so naturally to use that we rarely have any control over how or when it comes up.

How Love Heals

Love is a healing force because it opens our hearts and helps us receive the countless gifts and blessings that are always around us. In the modern world, many of us feel the need to wear armor or shut ourselves off from fully receiving and opening all the time - and in many cases we have good reasons for doing this. Love can heal the fears, hurts, traumas, and imbalances by reminding us that we are at home in this world and that we deserve the very best!

How Love Inspires

Love is often the driving force behind many artistic and creative pursuits, as well as positive changes. When we choose to love the life we live and love the unique person we are, it tends to open the flood-gates and remove all blockages that may be standing in our way. When the gates of wisdom and intuition are wide open, we tend to find the solutions to all problems in the most creative ways imaginable.

How Love Empowers

When we live in a state of love, we can make the most spiritual, abundance, and jot progress in the shortest amount of time. Love allows us to feel connected to the world and safe in it while also staying at the center of our own power.

As the season of love approaches, consider way that you can both give more love to yourself and give it openly to the world around you. Love is the most natural, simple, and effective way to create a positive change in the world and it can come in an endless variety of forms!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Inspired Earrings!

I am so please to introduce you to the newest additions to the Charmed Design online store - earrings! In the same positive energy of my silk wraps, I have created a variety of wire wrapped earrings that compliment other Charmed Design pieces while adding something special to your unique look. Each pair is made by hand in my studio using artisan techniques and high end materials. I also make sure that each earring contains a whole array of positive energies to inspire and bless your life.

Each pair of earrings is made with a meaningful charm that will bring beauty and inspiration to your personal style. Some earrings are made with genuine Swarovski crystals while others are made with gemstones or pearls.

Shown above is the black onyx and Swarovski crystal earring set with Om charms... one of my favorites!

This pair is made from labradorite and freshwater pearl...

And this pair features the popular hamsa hand charm with smoky quartz...

See them all by clicking <here>.

Enjoy!

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Asking Deep Questions For Deep Healing

Did you know that talking to yourself can actually be a very powerful way of exploring who you are and finding effective and meaningful healing options in your life? Whether you want to overcome habits and patterns or illnesses and imbalances, engaging yourself in positive self dialog can give you insights and answers that can be truly healing on every level! Today I'd like to share some simple strategies that you can use anytime to learn more about who you are and explore new ways to get your life where you want it to be... all by chatting yourself up!

Asking Deep Questions

The best way to get answers in life is to ask questions. If you want to know more about why things are the way they are in your body, mind, emotions, or spirit, just ask! Taking time to relax yourself, connect to the thing you want to interview, then ask direct questions just may lead you to surprising places. In order to ask questions that get answers...

• Don't second guess yourself. If an answer comes up, it's meaningful.
• Ask questions that really get to the heart of the matter
• Try not to be afraid of the answers you'll get

Let's say that you're dealing with anger towards your boss and you want to let it go but your mind seems to be obsessing about it. All you need to do is sit down and say something like "What is the purpose for this anger"? Maybe the answer that will come up is "Your boss hurt your feelings". You can then continue to go deeper with the questions by asking "How did my boss hurt my feelings"? Then, "Why does my boss have the power to hurt my feelings", and eventually "What can I do to heal this situation".

You'll find that in addition to getting practical answers right from the power center of your subconscious mind, you'll also learn more about how you process emotions, thoughts, and sensations which can be extremely enlightening!

In addition to chatting with thoughts and emotions, you can also dialog with pain. You can ask your knee "What is the reason for this pain, what lessons does it offer?" and so on. Sometimes connecting with your body in this way opens up great channels of healing potential!

We have the power to heal within ourselves, and this is just one way of tapping into it!

Here's to our health and happiness!

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Letting Go Of Stress

Stress seems to find its way into our lives in a variety of ways. Many people don;t know that stress can be good in that it inspires us to make change and look for new options - but when stress gets out of control, it can be a real problem. Too much stress and strain can cause issues with health, abundance, and relationships all while detracting from what we are able to experience each day in our lives. The good news is that just as much as our bodies and minds are able to respond to stress, they are also able to help us relieve stress and return to a state of relaxed balance. Today I'd like to share some of my favorite stress-relieving practices with you and share some resources with you as well.

Instant Stress Relief

No matter where you are or what your stress is about, there's one thing that experts agree will help relieve stress quicker than anything else - breathing. When we get stressed, we tend to breathe shallowly with our chests and shoulders. This reinforces the stress and only causes more since shallow breathing usually only happens when we are in 'fight or flight' mode. Learning to control the breath and switch to deep, slow, belly breathing can actually stop stressful thoughts, calm the body, relax the nervous system, and generate a deep sense of well-being.

The best way to belly breathe is to inhale slowly through the nose while focusing on the breath going all the way down to your feet. Hold for a moment, then exhale very slowly through pursed lips. In 3-5 breaths you should start to feel a warm, calm feeling pass over your body, mind, and emotions.

The Power Of Thought

What we think has an instant effect on what we feel. When stressed out, we are more likely to think in terms of 'what if', focusing on negative possibilities. When stress kicks in, sometimes all it takes to stop the worrisome thoughts right in their tracks and return the body to a state of peace is a few minutes of positive thinking. Letting yourself daydream about things that bring you joy, imagining good things, or creating positive spins on any frustrating things that may be happening in your life right now. It's amazing just how much a few positive thoughts can spill over and create a positive day!

Relaxation & Meditation

If you have computer speakers, an MP3 player, or a smart phone, you can take powerful relaxation and meditation sessions with you anywhere you go! You can listen while you lay in bed at night, or even take breaks throughout the day to go on a relaxing journey. Below are links to some totally free downloadable audio sessions that you're sure to love...

Fragrant Heart

Magical Living

Click To Meditate

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Making 2013 The Best Year Yet

Happy New Year! I am so excited to be starting a brand new journey and getting another year to grow, learn, and share. I have a feeling that 2013 is going to be amazing for al of us!

Many people celebrate the New Year by making lists of resolutions, goals, or wishes. I love that idea, but I also like to think about actions I can take each month in order to keep myself positive. Come June, it can be hard to remember just how motivated we were in January! For this reason, I like to write words of inspiration on each month of my new calendar. This helps remind me just how important a new year can be, and what was important to me during the first month of the year.

One thing you can do is to think of a word that starts with the same letter of the month. Here's an example...

Jumping January - get cardio exercise, jump rope, and jog!

Feeling February - journal about emotions and see what needs to be explored.

Munchy March - have lunch with friends once a week all month long.

Affirmation April - say affirmations every morning all month long.

Map May - go somewhere new this month!

Jovial June - Laughter is the best medicine! Make this a month of funny movies, comedy clubs, and humorous books.

Jogging July - increase jogging ability by one mile this month.

Awesome August - have fun, try new things, laugh all the time!

Secret September - send a secret surprise treat to someone every week this month.

Opportunity October - look for ways to make positive changes in your life. See where there's room for imporovement.

No Negativity November - Choose to think positive and catch yourself thinking negatively this month. Remember, 3 good thoughts cancels a negative one!

Dancing December - Take a salsa class, go dancing every weekend!

How fun is that? Those are just examples, so feel free to make up your own. You could also use words that don't share the first letter of the month, or even clip out sayings or affirmations that will be your focus for the entire month.

2013 can be the best year yet if we step into it with a smile, a positive outlook, and a belief in miracles!

Happy New Year!

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Simple Ways To Have An Amazing 2013

Happy New Year!

I am so excited to be starting a brand new year, and I've been thinking a lot about how to create the most amazing year ever in 2013! If you're on board to make the this the best year of your life, I've got some simple tips that just might help you transform the past into something beautiful for the future while taking advantage of ever opportunity and blessing along the way.

Enjoy!

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Release With Gratitude

The best way to take in all the wisdom from the past - and to ensure that only the good things follow you - is to take some time to consciously release the past and express gratitude for it. Making a list of the most noteable things that happened in your life in 2012 and really trying to see the good and the meaning they had for your life is a powerful experience. The good, the bad, and the neutral should all be looked at equally. Often times it's the hard things that give us the most to be grateful for in the end. Taje time to review, get a new perspective, and then let 2012 become part of your past as you free yourself to a limitless future!

Make S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Taking time to actually write out a list of things you'd like to accomplish, experience, and conquer in 2013 can be a very moving experience. Let yourself dream freely, but consider using the S.M.A.R.T. technique when listing things out: Your goals should be Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and True for you.

Give Freely

The best way to transform your year into something magical is to make it a point to give freely. Choose a topic, charity, or energy for each of the 12 months ahead and go out of tyour way to give that month. You may choose to donate clothing to a women's shelter in January, give money to an animal rescue charity in February, donate time to a special care home in March, and so on. Giving is not limited to money or items - so don't hesitate to make your time, presence, and energy the gift you give all year!

Here's to an amazing 2013 for us all!

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