Drew Barrymore recently received an Emerald Rain necklace and earrings set from Girls' Night Out Designs. Awesome! By David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons

This is huge for me. I first remember seeing Drew when I was a young girl watching “E.T.” The part when she saw the alien for the first time and screamed at the top of her lungs is permanently etched in my brain. Maybe it’s because we are the same age and I could identify with her fright or maybe it’s because she was just so darn cute. Who knows?

I’ve been a fan ever since. I’ve watched her make good movies … and bad movies. Date good guys … and bad guys. Make good choices … and bad choices. But most of all, what I like about Drew is that she seems very real and – dare I say – approachable. I always like that about people, especially the Hollywood types. I get the feeling that she is genuinely nice and thankful for all the success she has enjoyed.

So when I learned that I would be able to send her some of my jewelry, I was happy. And when I found out I was also to include a personal note to her, I was terrified! What could I say that wouldn’t sound stalker-esque? Once the initial shock subsided, I was fine. I crafted a short note about how happy I was to make this gift for her, congratulated her on her recent engagement and wished her luck in the future. Short and sweet.

I got confirmation yesterday that the gift bag is now in Drew’s possession, and I’m thrilled that I got to be a part of it. I’m realistic about the chances, but would still love to see Drew in my Emerald Rain necklace and earrings set. You know, stranger things have happened …

Emerald Rain

New Hampshire-based jewelry designer Holly Davis, owner of Girls’ Night Out Designs, creates intoxicating jewelry, beaded watches and cigar box purses. Davis makes each piece by hand, using a variety of semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals and more. Each purse is made from an actual cigar box that she sands, paints and finishes for durability.

Davis hopes to capture the excitement of a girls’ night out in her work. In celebration, she names each piece after a cocktail and lists the recipes on her website, girlsnightoutdesigns.com.

“The right piece of jewelry can – and should – make you downright giddy,” she said.

Emerald Rain is a five-strand emerald green aventurine necklace finished with a large-link gunmetal chain with earrings to match.

To learn more about Girls’ Night Out Designs and its products, or its participation in The Artisan Group’s celebrity gifting initiatives, visit girlsnightoutdesigns.com, call 603-722-0855, or email holly@girlsnightoutdesigns.com.

For press inquiries regarding The Artisan Group, please visit http://www.theartisangroup.org or email press@theartisangroup.org.

But I’ve decided to scrap them all.

Not an easy decision by any means. The reason is simple, though: I had already created the perfect gift.

A few months ago, one of my great customers came to me with a problem. She is a mother of two young boys and wanted a piece of jewelry that represented her family. She had looked around on the Internet, but couldn’t find anything she liked. We talked a lot about what she was looking for and the design for the perfect mother’s bracelet was born.

Champagne Sunset is the perfect gift for Mother's Day. Don't forget about all of the other moms in your life, too. What about your daughter just starting her own family, a dear friend or your wife?

I liked how the pearls were the perfect showcase for the crystals, and I liked that the design was classic and easy to wear. I was so pleased with how the bracelet turned out that I decided to develop a number of pieces that could be customized for moms. As I put new ideas together, though, nothing made me as happy as the bracelet did.

So instead of a line I have lukewarm feelings for, I offer you my one pick for the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift: Champagne Sunset. This personalized family birthstone bracelet features honey-colored freshwater pearls around a string of Swarovski crystals representing your family members. It’s sturdy enough for everyday wear (it has to be!), yet elegant enough for a special evening out. (Go here for more details and ordering information.)

And how do I know she will think it’s the perfect gift? Because it will be from you!

Sandstorm
1/3 shot of Kahlua
1/3 shot of Bacardi
1/3 shot of Malibu Rum

Pour the two rums in the shot glass, then add the Kahlua, letting it sink to the bottom before you take the shot. Enjoy!

Beyonce
Kourtney Kardashian
Hilary Duff
Jessica Alba
Uma Thurman
Alyson Hannigan
Jessica Simpson
Rebecca Gayheart
Keri Russell
Bryce Dallas Howard
Evangeline Lilly
Jennifer Garner
Lindsay Price
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Molly Sims
Sienna Miller
Kristin Cavallari
Marley Shelton
Sarah Polley
Mrs. Jason Bateman (Amanda Anka)
Mrs. Bruce Willis (Emma Heming)
Susan Downey, Jr.
Lisa Loeb
Mrs. Kelsey Grammer (Kayte Walsh)
Jessica Capshaw

That’s an amazing group of women! I hope they enjoy their gifts and get the chance to visit our shops!

Take 50% off at checkout with code: TGIF. That makes this necklace only $24, and shipping is free! It’s one of a kind, so first come, first served! Want to make your own Appletini? Check out the recipe below …

Vintage jellybean-colored beads with green aventurine.

Appletini
2 oz. Sour Apple Schnapps
1 oz. Vodka
1 Dash of Sweet and Sour

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

I was a little giddy when I finally received my invitation to join Pinterest a few days ago. I kept hearing so much about it, and I was eager to get started. At first glance, the online pinboard site didn’t look that addictive, but I knew I was in trouble when my five-minute “I’ll just take a look” venture turned into hours of pinning, repinning and creating new boards, then looking at the clock thinking, “What just happened?”

There are a ton of reasons to love Pinterest: First of all, it’s easy to use. Really easy. Second, it’s filled with beautiful photos of all different kinds of interests, including art and design, beauty and fashion, DIY/arts and crafts, photography, people, pets, science … there really is something for everyone.

I love it because it puts thousands of images in front of me and I can quickly collect the ones that speak to me. Like visual bookmarking. I’ve created a board for color inspirations that I will look to when creating jewelry. I created a board dedicated to my love of cigar boxes. Another one for styles and sayings that I love, things I want to try and stuff I just plain like. All this in only a few days! I’ll be creating many more in the future.

I also love how I can peek at other people’s boards. I’ve already started following other jewelry makers, bead stores and magazines, as well as friends and family. I love seeing what other people choose for their boards, and I’ve repinned a few things to my boards as well!

OK, so I don’t really hate anything about Pinterest. Except maybe that I’ll never have enough time to create all of the DIY goodness I see there. And that’s probably because I’m just too busy looking.

Want to know more? Check out this Time Techland article: “What You Need to Know About Pinterest.”

Come find me here and let me find you – leave a comment with your address!

I figured this was a good time to step out of my comfort zone and give it a shot. The customer mentioned she really liked it paired with red, so I set off to find the materials I would need for a new necklace. Here’s what I came up with: turquoise chips and cinnabar flower beads with a cinnabar butterfly pendant. Can’t wait to see how this turns out. Thanks Kim!

Turquoise and Cinnabar

This week’s deal: Green Dream, these sweet sterling and emerald Swarovski crystal earrings, will be half price through Sunday. That’s only $12.50, and shipping is free! Just enter “TGIF” at checkout. There is only one pair available, so if these earrings are for you, don’t hesitate …

Green Dream Sterling and Swarovski Crystal Earrings

Green Dream

6 oz. Melon Liqueur

2 oz. Vodka

2 oz. Pine-Orange-Banana Juice

Blend all ingredients on low speed with ice and serve in a highball glass.

That got me to thinking … where do these designs come from? Where does your inspiration come from? Maybe you get a thought stuck in your head, as I did in this In the Studio … post. Maybe you like a particular color scheme or see a painting that uses colors in an interesting way. Maybe you are inspired by nature or the city or whatever you see around you. This “whatever” category sure fits for me.

The other night I was struck by the color combination of towels in our bathroom. I know, I thought it was weird, too. This is what I saw.

Bath towels. Really, inspiration CAN come from anywhere.

I thought the colors looked fantastic together. I kept thinking I really needed to find a way to incorporate those colors into a jewelry piece. I put the thought on the back burner for my next bead shopping trip.

Last night, I finally picked up a piece I had started many months ago but had never finished. I started working on it when I realized what I was looking at: the same three colors as the bath towel. I couldn’t believe it. Now I have to wonder … maybe it was the necklace that inspired the towels!

The unfinished necklace is seen here. I've arranged three of the bead units in order of the towel colors below it.

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