From Hawai’i, with Love; Jewelry Making Inspiration from My Recent Trip

At the end of May I took a trip with my husband, a cousin, and his fiancee to the Big Island, Hawai'i. Now I've heard that these islands are magic before, but I didn't quite understand the pull until I saw for myself.

Oh... My... Goodness. It was better than I could have ever imagined.

In the span of a few hours we went from the west side, landscape decorated with lava rock and grass, to the western rain forrest side, to Mauna Kea decorated with tundra, to Volcano National Park filled with unique plant life and lava rocks. It was breathtaking. And I'm still digesting everything we saw.

Once home, I couldn’t get the magical landscape out of my mind. And since I had just wrapped up my spring collection I knew that I wanted to spend my summer in paradise, pulling inspiration from the crystal clear beaches, vibrant tropical rainforests, and the misty volcanic landscapes. I’m excited to announce the jewelry I’m currently creating is tropical-inspired.

As I enter my jewelry studio, I’m transported back to some of my favorite parts of this vacation.

• Driving through the rainforest in our convertible Mustang with the top down.

• Walking along the side of the Volcano and feeling the warmth from the earth below.

• Picking out vibrant tropical flowers among the lush green shrubs as we walked down to the ocean.

• Walking along the black sand beach.

• Seeing turtles among the crystal clear ocean water.

Here are the sights that are inspiring my jewelry designs for this collection.

I’m so excited to watch this collection unfold. Each studio session brings me back to these serene landscapes, and results in accessories that are vibrant, fun, and very wearable. My goal is to have this collection finished by early August, but check my Instagram and Facebook pages for in progress photos and updates.

PS: This isn’t the first time I’ve found inspiration from my travels. Read more about how my trip to England and New Orleans inspired me.