Fundraiser for Aimee

On June 14, my friend Aimee was hit by a car as she crossed a street near her home in Massachusetts.  She suffered many injuries, including a broken pelvis, two broken legs, and broken bones in her face. 

The good news is that Aimee will be okay.  Her brain function appears to be fine, and she has undergone surgery to put her legs back together.

The bad news is that Aimee has many painful months of recovery ahead of her and will be unable to work for a long time.  Her friends all over the world have mobilized to do whatever we can to help our girl pay her bills and feed her pets while she recuperates.

Aimee and her beloved mutt, Harriet

With all this in mind, between now and Aimee's birthday (July 23) 100% of profits from Stacybeads Jewelry sales will be going toward Aimee's expenses.

Shop at my Etsy shop, or if you're in Atlanta, buy in person from Donna Van Gogh's in Candler Park or Fabu in Decatur.

If you're not in the market for any jewelry right now, but would still like to help Aimee, you can donate directly by clicking here.

Thank you all for your support, and please think good thoughts for my friend.

Coupon code for Already Pretty readers

Whew, what a response! Thanks for all your feedback about my guest post at Already Pretty. I've been overwhelmed with your comments, emails, etc. and have enjoyed reading everyone's perspectives.

To say thanks for your support, I'm offering a coupon code in my Etsy shop. Visit the Stacybeads Jewelry shop, pick out some goodies, and when you're ready to check out, enter coupon code APGUEST2011 to receive free shipping on your order. Get a jump start on some holiday shopping, or treat yourself to something special. This coupon will expire on 10/31/11.

And if you haven't yet "liked" Stacybeads Jewelry on Facebook, you can do so by following the link in my sidebar.

Thanks again, everyone. You're fabulous.

Guest post on Already Pretty

Today I'm honored to have a guest post on one of my favorite blogs, Already Pretty. Thank you, Sally, for inviting me!

Stacybeads Style: Smoke & Mirrors

It's been a long time since I've played with Polyvore to create some styling ideas for you with Stacybeads. Fall is on my mind today, and I started thinking about how gorgeous the Smoke & Mirrors necklace would be for an autumn wedding. What do you think?

Smoke & Mirrors necklace: Czech fire-polished glass beads, pewter clasp with chain for adjustable length. $54.00

New and improved

Sometimes after I've created a piece of jewelry, photographed it, and put it up for sale in my Etsy shop, I have second thoughts. A little light bulb comes on over my head and I go, Ah ha! That piece could be improved if I changed X/Y/Z about it.

Recently, that was the case with my Metropolitan necklace design. The necklace had been for sale on Etsy for a while, when I had an idea to make it even better (which was a shame, because I did like it the way it was, and I was really happy with the photos I took of it). I donated the original to a charity auction, and am now about to embark on a re-do that I believe will make the necklace even more awesome.

The Metropolitan was beautiful in its first incarnation (left), but when I did a custom piece (right) for a client using these hammered silver links, I realized I wanted to replace the finer silver links of Metropolitan with something more substantial. (Click photo to enlarge.)

I'll be constructing the new version this weekend. The more dramatic links will be a great addition to this bold necklace!

Me-Made-June recap

Greetings, Stacybeads fans! I hope you're all having a wonderful summer (or winter, for you friends in the southern hemisphere). After a bit of a break, I'm ready to refocus and begin looking ahead. I have some lovely new things in the works for fall, which I look forward to telling you all about.

But first, a look back. Me-Made-June was a great success, and I'm pleased to report that I was able to incorporate Stacybeads jewelry into each and every one of my outfits. The photos here represent a few of my favorites. Jewelry is such a fun, easy way to change up your look or add a bit of color and sparkle to a tried and true outfit.

What are your favorite ways to use jewelry in your everyday style?