Noaki Jewelry

Real bride Larissa

2011-10-04T16:15:00.001-07:00

I get a surprising (and very touching) number of bouquet orders from mothers who want to share something really special with their bride-to-be daughters. Once such lucky girl was Larissa, whose mother worked with me to create a bouquet with a tighter arrangement that was extra sparkly. The stunning photos are by Andrea Casey

Seahorse brooch bouquet

2011-09-30T15:58:00.001-07:00

Just finished this lush little number for a bride in Florida with an understated seaside theme. The ivory lace is from scraps from her dress.

Sneak peek at a recent photo shoot

2011-09-14T15:10:00.001-07:00

Ok. Clearly I took this photo with my limited photography skills but it gives a taste of what's to come. They were taken in Venice on a beautiful sunny day in California with the talented John Schnack and the most adorable model and my heirloom rich pearl bouquet in an ivory/cream.

Ritz Carlton Weddings!

2011-09-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

One of my combs made it into this seasons' Ritz Carlton's wedding magazine!(see that cute little flower number on the bottom left?)

Busy busy busy

2011-07-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

Good grief this has been a busy few months....Attached are some of my recent favorites.

Flower girl crown

2011-04-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

Just finishing up a flower girl crown with little orange butterflies for the sweetest of brides. How cute is this?

Champagne gold bouquet

2011-04-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

I love gold. Available here.

Sneek peak at amethyst brooch bouquet....

2011-04-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's nowhere near finished but how beautiful is this color contrast?

A little inspiration....

2011-04-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Working on something very very exciting based on this amazing inspiration board from Wedding Nouveau. More details here.

Brooch bouquets ready to travel...

2011-03-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Just finished up these bouquets that are going to be doing more traveling than I've done in quite some time. The green one is going to Ireland (sigh) I had the toughest time photographing that one. The greens are so soft and so so beautiful in person.

Party!

2011-03-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

...my sister, me with my daughter and mom

So after years of working herself to the bone my mom finally retired and we threw her a very small but lovely surprise party at my sister's place. My sister has always been the designated party decorator in the family, which is pretty clear from these pictures. I'm convinced there was a shortage of certain creativity genes in my family like present wrapping and table setting because these are both areas where my mother and sister excel and I struggle. During the holidays, my gifts always look like they belong under Charlie Brown's Christmas tree and are a constant source of family amusement.

If Alice ever got married in Wonderland....

2011-03-25T14:53:00.000-07:00

I imagine she'd carry a bouquet a bit like this.

New Homepage!

2011-03-03T15:48:00.001-08:00

I am every so slowly updating my website and blog. I'm not terribly sophisticated when it comes to computers and photo editing so this homepage was a major accomplishment for me. What do you think? Oh and if you're wondering who took this lovely photo it was John Schnack, a really amazing wedding photographer. I just love how atmospheric his photos are.

Heirloom bouquets on Style Me Pretty's Facebook page

2011-02-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

What a lovely way to end the week. Style Me Pretty posted some of my bouquets on their facebook page

I remember putting that first bouquet together before the brooch bouquet trend caught on, wondering if it was a completely ridiculous idea and if any bride would actually want to carry it down the aisle. Now there are so many different kinds and styles. Who knew?

New pieces landing in the shop

2011-02-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

I just finished these earrings this weekend which will be making their way into my shop this week. I'm really loving sapphire blue recently.

Sneak peek at a (really) fun wedding project

2011-02-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

A little peek at a rather large wedding order I just finished. The bride sent over a big box of fun trinkets she'd been collecting for months and asked me to put together bridesmaids bouquets, boutonnieres and even little bouquets for the flower girls. Opening that box was like unpacking a little treasure chest filled with vintage cloth flowers, belt buckles, poker chips, vintage lipstick holders, brooches, necklaces, lace, glass, feathers and all sorts of bits and bobs. It was definitely a challenge trying to figure out how to wire everything...some items were so heavy. My pictures aren't great but hopefully it'll give you a little peek into what is probably going to be a really fun wedding. I mean how can you have a bad time wearing a poker chip boutonniere?

Brooch bouquet in this month's Bridal Guide

2011-02-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

Some really lovely press thanks to the amazing girls at Canvas and Canopy and Alchemy Fine Events who put together this really stunning Jessica Claire shoot that they kindly asked me to participate in. This month's Bridal Guide has a nice feature on the details of pulling together this global wedding theme.

Sneak peek: Gold leaf brooch bouquet

2011-02-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

It's not quite finished but I thought I'd share this latest bouquet I've been working on. It's a bit different -- a mix of gold and silver vintage and vintage inspired pieces, pearls and glass beads. And since the wedding is outdoors I thought it might be fun to have some gold leaves cascading down either side.

Looking back on some beautiful images from 2010

2011-02-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

So I was doing a little housekeeping and organizing all my 2010 photos and came across these lovely photos from a shoot I did with Claire Dobson that was featured on Style Me Pretty. Her team styled the entire shoot at Petaluma's Gypsy Acres in Northern California with an eye towards a fresh Spring wedding theme in the country. The results, as you can see, were just lovely. You can see even more on SMP. (And if you like what you see be sure to check out more of Claire's stunning work here Claire and Sam Photographers)

Heirloom brooch bouquet featured in the LA Times

2011-02-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

Just catching up and belatedly sharing a page out of my hometown paper, the Los Angeles Times, which used one of my bouquets in their wedding section. I grew up reading the Times and watching my dad hunched over the kitchen table every morning nursing a cup of coffee with his paper, so this was was an unexpected (and very delightful) surprise.

Bouquets are here!!!

2010-11-17T08:33:00.001-08:00

Presenting the Crystal and pearl jeweled bouquet. You can find this and the pink bouquet here. More to come!

Sneak peek!

2010-11-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

A little peek at a new line of bouquets that I've been working. They're jeweled (of course!) but more reasonably priced and start around $230. This sweet little bouquet features pale pink flowers, vintage jewelry, rose quartz, African glass beads and real large freshwater pearls. I also attached swarovski crystals to the petals and leaves for a little extra sparkle.

My whereabouts...and new bouquets!

2010-06-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the long absence! My daily duties as an environmental writer ramped up with the recent oil spill and I was working some very very long hours. Even traveled to the Gulf for a time, which was gut-wrenching. Particularly seeing oiled birds huddling, shivering in these pens waiting to be cleaned.

No surprise that once I got home I was very very happy for a little, pretty distraction to lose myself in. And now I have two bouquets to share!

The first was for a bride who had her loved ones contribute pieces and then went out and hand-selected the rest. Lovely color palette of cream, gold and silver.

The shoe buckle around the handle was her grandmother's. I framed it with pieces of a rhinestone necklace to tie it into the boquet a little more. I just love working with brides who contribute pieces -- it's so much fun for me to work on plus it's that much more meaningful.

This bouquet was for a bride who wanted a spring palette. Her mother was a dancer and had these adorable little shoes that are now attached to the handle of the bouquet.

So sweet!

Love these little shoes...

Even made matching boutonnieres!

Caliente!

2010-04-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

So, admittedly, my mouth fell open when I heard that Latina Magazines's online edition planned to feature of one of my heirloom bouquets. It was such a thrill and honestly a little vindication of what I thought was a wacky idea at the time. A jeweled bouqet?

Honestly, I really just thought it would be fun to do something with my sister. She's amazingly talented and so creative and, for a time, did the flowers for high-end Hollywood events.

That first bouquet took ages to put together but it was just so much fun making something totally frivolous, extravagant and yet, ultimately, meaningful. I just love the idea of creating something for someone's most important day out of all these old, forgotten pieces that deserve a second look.

Style Me Pretty Giveaway!

2010-04-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

Head on over to Style Me Pretty for a huge Noaki Jewelry giveaway!!! Our biggest yet!

Behind-the-scenes

2010-04-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

So all my work for the Noaki Jewelry photo shoot paid off! It all came together beautifully despite a few unforeseen interruptions that included freezing weather in Southern California (?!) and a loitering fisherman (see the guy in red?). Despite this, the photos turned out amazing. Really breathtaking. Here's a little peak at the masterful photographer, John Schnack ,in action. The real thing to come...

Sneak peek...

2010-03-11T16:35:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the light (or rather non-existent) postings lately. I've been scrambling on custom orders and experimenting with different kinds of bouquets and hairpieces and the days just slipped by. Attached is a sneak peek at a blue hairpiece I just finished for my own photo shoot! It features a vintage rhinestone center and dozens of hand-applied rhinestones. It's huge and sparkly.

I also made this bridal crown for a more woodsy, garden wedding. It features pink flowers, beads and pieces of vintage jewelry.

Valentine's Day shoot

2010-02-14T20:26:00.000-08:00

How adorable are these photos? The "Wild Seaside Garden" shoot put together by the ever exquisite Lolly Ladies and shot by John Schnack was just featured on Ruffled, a lovely blog all about modern weddings with a vintage flair. The shoot featured Kypton Locke from The Bachelorette and my vintage rose quartz drops and silver flower bracelet. For more eye-candy and all the vendor information go here.

Style Me Pretty

2010-02-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

So by now you've likely noticed the new little addition to my banner. Noaki Jewelry was invited to become part of Style Me Pretty's list of "Best Wedding Vendors"! After starting each morning clicking on a half dozen newspaper sites and indulging in a little eye-candy on SMP, this was a huge thrill. It probably won't last with the number of talented people out here but at the moment I've got some prime property too as the only wedding jewelry vendor in Los Angeles ;)

Style Me Pretty

2010-01-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

Style Me Pretty just posted the Jessica Claire wedding shoot! How dreamy are these details? I love how the colors just pop. The shoot was put together by the ladies of Lollipop Events & Designs and let me just say how utterly impressive they are. They are so nice and down-to-earth and have an incredible eye for detail. And even when it started raining (?!) and two venues fell through, they kept their cool and found a perfect site. I just can't imagine being able to juggle that many moving parts.

Jessica Claire sneak peek!

2010-01-19T19:07:00.000-08:00

So last week I was invited to participate in a photo workshop with Jessica Claire, a truly amazing wedding photographer. Her work just blows me away. There's a wonderful lightness and joy to her photography. Attached is a sample of some of the pictures she took as well as an incredible photo of the heirloom jeweled bouquet taken by Claire D., one of the attendees. More to come...lots more...from those who attended the workshop too!

New Year, new projects

2010-01-13T19:42:00.000-08:00

Happy (belated) New Year!

I've been working on this very exciting project with my sister, Megan, and here's a sneak peak. It's a new custom heirloom piece for that bride looking for something a little different, a little greener and a piece that she can keep forever and hand down to her own special little girl. It was so exciting for me to work on this with Megan, who spent years working as a florist. I apologize for my silly photography skills. The bouquet features dozens of Art Deco and other vintage flowers and leaves. We also included pale white flowers and soft green leaves dotted with rhinestones to look like dewdrops. The piece was just part of a very special photo shoot today so expect to see much better pictures soon.

A holiday sail

2009-12-30T22:38:00.000-08:00

Lovely holiday ride through Newport Beach...

Lovely details

2009-12-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

So I'm obsessed with details...especially those little ones that only you will see. For some time now I've been underwhelmed by the back of my combs, which were so stark and bland. I was complaining to my sister about it and she had a lovely suggestion. And here are the results...something old and something blue. Thoughts?

Weddings Unveiled

2009-12-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

Noaki Jewelry just got a lovely write up in the Weddings Unveiled blog! If you're not familiar with Weddings Unveiled, it's a fabulous modern, chic wedding magazine in the South. On their website you can flip through this month's magazine. Be sure and check it out.

New pieces

2009-12-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

Just made these teardrop necklaces after being inspired by a custom request. I just love love love chandelier crystals and incorporating vintage jewelry into these pieces.

And how pretty is this little number? Coral camelia necklace soon to be making an appearance in my etsy shop and website.

Custom piece

2009-12-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

Just sent this lovely, huge custom piece off today. The bride wanted a brooch for her dress and after lots of searching, I found this gorgeous piece. It needed some serious TLC but after replacing the pearls, a little cleaning and some other repairs it turned out so beautifully.

Today's happy moment

2009-11-22T20:25:00.001-08:00

Happiness is a warm bath and a big hug (ignore double chin...still losing baby weight)

More wedding pics

2009-11-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

More pictures of my sister's wedding at the Santa Barbara Zoo taken by the ever amazing Max Wanger. After the ceremony everyone got to feed the giraffes! Such a fun idea.

That's me (or at least my back) doing my sister's makeup whilst carrying the baby in a sling.

Why I love California...

2009-11-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

It's the middle of November and this is how Huntington Beach looked this morning...

Pearls

2009-11-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

I've been slowly posting these all week. A couple more pieces to go...Next week's theme: flowers. I've got some really charming things in store.

My favorite...as usual the biggest piece. I don't know what it is about big jewelry. It just pulls me in. Moth to a flame.

Daylight savings is not a friend of parents

2009-11-06T05:52:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the light postings this week. My kids have been getting up at 4:30 and 5 a.m. thanks to daylight savings. So exhausted but its impossible to get upset first thing in the morning when they're at their cutest and most lovable selves. Am hoping that by next week we'll have all the kinks worked out...

Pumpkins

2009-10-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

So this year we don't have to go buy pumpkins because we actually grew a half dozen of them ourselves! Ok I overstate -- my husband grew them. I cook but don't garden. After our son was born we decided we wanted to have a seasonal, organic garden so Blake could pick tomatoes, corn, grapes and other produce in order to have a better understanding of where food comes from. Plus it's just tastes that much better right? Anyway, this year we decided to try growing a bunch of pumpkins and it actually worked! We finally harvested our bumper crop, which is now sitting on our front steps. Haven't carved them yet but we will in the next day or so.

Golden cuffs

2009-10-20T17:24:00.000-07:00

So after the Etsy Wedding posting, which featured a topaz colored bracelet, I received a surprising number of requests for yellow and topaz cuffs. Who knew so many brides liked yellow? I'll be listing these this week. My favorite? The huge one -- looks like a sunset on your wrist.

Back from a roadtrip

2009-10-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

So we did our somewhat annual trip to Telluride, Colorado again...only this time we drove and had an infant and toddler in tow. It was definitely challenging at times when Lucia launched into her pterodactyl cry but for the most part we had a lot of fun. It struck me somewhere between the Grand Canyon and Telluride how amazing it is that we got married, decided to have children one day and now, here we are, a family of four.

Hiking through the aspens.

Enjoying a peaceful lunch until Lucia wakes up...

Grand Canyon...

Hello pretty little thing...

2009-10-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

So I spotted this not too long ago at an antique and collectibles market and absolutely fell in love with it. Visions of this little purse accompanying me in my jeans and heels to dinner with husband -- sans children -- danced in my head. All the beading is amazingly in tact and all the metalwork perfect (apart form a couple dents I pounded out) The clasp is a lovely cobalt blue too. It needs a new chain, which shouldn't be a problem, though I'm debating on whether to go with a black ribbon instead. The purse needs some lining too and that's where I'm stuck...Stay tuned...

Deco Emerald pieces

2009-10-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

I've been loving green lately. Maybe I'm anticipating the holidays or maybe it's that post I read recently on malachite jewelry on Coco + Kelley, one of my favorite blogs about stylish interiors. I'll be listing these this week...

The fabulous etsy wedding

2009-10-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

Etsy wedding has just posted the nicest description and display of my pieces. I've been giddy all day...

Take a look:
"LA-based noaki's delightful work breathes new life into one-of-a-kind or limited edition vintage and art deco pieces. they have an airiness and lightness to them that's hard to pin down: the same pieces could see a summer beach wedding or a glittering winter affair. then of course there's the eco-friendliness of repurposing and rehabilitating old gems and metals. east coast meets west coast... these are fresh modern takes on classic designs."

New vintage jewelry and feather hair comb preview

2009-10-02T19:41:00.001-07:00

Expect to see these little beauties in my etsy and online shop very soon...Vintage Art Deco jewelry attached to a spray of feathers.

Megan's jewelry

2009-09-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

One of the most memorable parts of my sister's wedding was the morning of the big day. All the girls gathered in her room for breakfast, pedicures and manicures and in the corner, on an antique dresser, I set up dozens of pieces of jewelry. Some went for more of a Deco look with silver and clear rhinestones while others went with more 1950s jewelry in golden tones. I loved that Megan didn't expect all the us to match exactly (good thing too since there's no way I'd be able to find five identical pieces of vintage anything!)

Megan was going to wear the necklace shown above which is actually mine but in the end she went with a simpler look with a pair of chandeliers, a cuff bracelet and a rhinestone star hair piece. We also put some little star jewelry on her blue shoes too. (I'll post a little how-to on that soon. They ended up looking adorable.)

The photos were taken by the amazing Max Wanger .

Honey....

2009-09-28T07:34:00.000-07:00

If we win the lottery can I have this?

Happy one month anniversary Megan and Phil!

2009-09-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

A month after my daughter was born my sister got married to her longtime love, Phil, at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Megan has always been super crafty and designed everything from the vintage style Barnum & Baily invitations, to the sculptural flower arrangements, to the matching labels that went on the jam jars in each gift bag (which also included animal crackers). It was truly magical. Anyway, happy one month anniversary Megan and Phil!

div> Lucia in her first formal dress!
Husband and son -- who was supposed to be the ring-bearer alas at the last minute refused to carry the adorable star fish with the rings.

Walking down the aisle with Lucia

The big moment!

She's here -- and I'm back!

2009-09-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Introducing the newest member of our little growing family -- Lucia Louise! Welcome to the world little Lulu! Doesn't she look jaunty in her little mini skirt and beret. I plan on dressing her up like a little Christmas elf for as long as she'll let me. Hoping hair will come in soon so she'll look less like Winston Churchill.

So after a long absence from my jewelry line I'm back working feverishly to catch up a little. It was a tough pregnancy and after a few stress related incidents, I decided I need to take it easy. And as I couldn't drop my 3-year-old or real job, I had to take a break from Noaki Jewelry.

Anyway I've had this creative burst and posted maybe 50 pieces or more in the last couple of weeks with more to come.

Thanks for your patience!

The fabulous Ecostiletto

2009-04-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Noaki Jewelry's homepage and a lovely write-up of my combs is featured on Ecostiletto under this week's "Fashion" posting!

If you haven't heard of it Ecostiletto is an absolutely fantastic website for ladies who like to stay fashionable and green. And, best of all, you can sign up and receive weekly musings and advice on beauty, health, home, kids, etc...

Here's what they had to say:

Be sure and visit the site and check out my discount offer!

It's been a loooong time.....

2009-04-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Ok. So I don't even know where to begin -- it's been sooo long since I last posted anything. I do, however, have a good excuse. I'm pregnant! With a girl! The first trimester was tough. In between bouts of morning sickness I got pretty sick and was basically told that I really need to cut back on my activities and relax for the baby. It really didn't take much convincing, I was so exhausted. So I put down my jewelry tools for a time to completely recover. That said, I'm finally back to my old self and have been posting a bunch of a new pieces to my etsy site and website!

Here's a little peek:

Anyway, thanks so much to those of you who were so patient and understanding with me when I couldn't accept any custom orders.

Wedding Site

2008-11-22T10:42:00.000-08:00

So my sister has picked a site. She and her fiance wanted to go for something fun and unexpected, so after visiting countless places decided to get married at the Santa Barbara zoo! I'm already envisioning plenty of wedding jewelry for the brides and her bridesmaids in animal motifs. I've already found a stunning Deco era rhinestone encrusted peacock. Can't wait to share the pieces as they come along!

Election Day

2008-11-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

Amazing.

A hunk of burning love

2008-11-06T18:30:00.000-08:00

So the winner is....Elvis! My little guy looked so cute and was so excited about his costume that had a red cape, scarf and sequins. Definitely Elvis in his later years. Of course Blake had absolutely no idea who Elvis was but who cares! Baby Halloween costumes are for the parents right?

New banner

2008-10-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry for the sparse postings but I've just been scrambling to finish a bunch of custom orders and get enough pieces together to finally get my website up and running. I'm hoping to unveil it this week or next -- Yay!!!

It took months for me to come up with an image for my banner. I was obsessively looking everywhere for something that reflected that vintagey/beachy feel I've been going for -- and finally found it!! I'm still tweaking it but got so excited that I just wanted to post it. What do think? Any font suggestions?

Pumpkins!

2008-10-14T20:38:00.001-07:00

So this weekend we went to a nearby pumpkin patch to pick up this year's jack-o-lanterns. It was just too cute watching Blake, my 2-year-old, running around looking for his pumpkin and going on the rides. I just melted watching him.

I was thinking of dressing him up as a bee this year. He has this puffy navy blue and orange vest that I thought I could pair with some black tights and tea strainers for the eyes. My husband wants us to do Elvis this year...Thoughts?

And, yes, that necklace is the "jewel leaf necklace" currently in my shop. I usually try and wear everything just once to make sure the piece hangs properly, the colors looks right and the piece doesn't have any weird wires poking out.

Sparkling ribbon necklace

2008-10-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

So I'm about to list my first in an occasional series of luxury pieces. This sparkling ribbon necklace is so stunning -- I just love it. It photographs beautifully and will be around long after its future owner puts her dress away...

Holiday

2008-09-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

So Noaki Jewelry is hitting the open road!

We're heading north for a week, past San Francisco to the loveliest place ever -- Mendocino. It's it stunning? We try to go up every year. This year, however, will be a little more interesting with a 2-year-old in tow. Fingers crossed that he'll make the 10 hour drive...

Mendocino County is about the closest California gets to looking a little like New England. In fact, the opening shots of the show "Murder She Wrote" were actually Mendocino.

I'm already planning on hitting the antique stores on the way for new finds. And, of course, the jewelry, tools and laptop are already packed. (There's no way I'm missing a moment of this election cycle...)

New Pieces!

2008-09-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

So here's a peak into some new pieces I've just created that I'll be posting to Noaki Jewelry very shortly...My current favorite is the mother-of-pearl hair comb in the upper left. How pretty would that be for a beach wedding?

Zenadia Design

2008-09-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

So I just have to share these lovely cards that I just received from Heidi of Zenadia Design. Aren't they beautiful? Zenadia Design does custom stationary and Heidi also has a fabulous wedding blog that I encourage you to check out. I'm a huge lover of nice paper and the card stock, colors and textures she uses are just stunning.

The Knot Season Preview

2008-09-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Noaki Jewelry was featured at The Knot season preview event in Los Angeles! The event had a green theme and because I use a lot of vintage items in my pieces, the organizer thought my jewelry would be a good fit.

To spice things up my friend suggested we drape these gorgeous cakes with necklaces, hang earrings on the candle holders and put vintage hair combs in the flower arrangements. It was such a fun idea.

Over the past month I've been working like a crazy woman trying to come up with more pieces -- so you'll notice quite a few new items that I'll be listing in the coming week!

Take a look:

And the winner is....

2008-09-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

Jen, a lovely bride in Australia, won the Zenadia design contest! She picked these fabulous earrings that remind me of a flapper's dress. The rhinestones are all individually hanging and provide so much movement. Just adorable.

Noaki Jewelry Contest

2008-08-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Head on over to www.zenadiadesign.blogspot.com for a Noaki Jewelry contest! And while you're there be sure and check out her amazing custom stationary. It's just stunning.

Engaged!

2008-08-24T01:02:00.000-07:00

My little sister just got engaged!!! My sister and I are about 9 years apart and, while it sounds cliche, she's my best friend. We talk at least twice a day and often much more. How cute is she on the right -- so young and unwrinkly! Expect more wedding related postings in the future...

Grace's Birdcage Wedding

2008-08-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

Noaki Jewelry was just mentioned in the fabulous Grace's Birdcage Wedding blog. This divine blog is about all things pretty and wonderful, including weddings. Thank you!

http://gracesbirdcagewedding.blogspot.com/2008/08/noaki.html

Victorian shoe clips

2008-08-24T00:36:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get as fascinated as I do with antiques? I often find myself amazed at the worksmanship of years past.

I have just discovered steel cut shoe buckles from France made during the Victorian era. They're really the most stunning things I've come across in ages. Can you believe people wore these on their shoes? On their shoes?!

They're a dark steel color, very solidly made and look incredible against black or gray. You can seriously wear them with anything. I made my sister a bracelet with one of these buckles, black pearls and a thick band of antique brass.

I've often seen them at $50 to $100 a piece but recently managed to find some at a reasonable price. I'll be sharing some of these soon...

My new favorite necklace

2008-08-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

So I just finished this custom piece for the mother of a bride. Apparently the bride and her fiance took a trip to India and decided to weave jewel colors throughout her wedding. (What a fabulous idea!)

I spent a couple years living in India as a kid (my dad was designing computers at the time) so this really resonated with me.

The funny thing is I actually bought the pendant even before I got the custom request. I found the brooch in a tiny antique store in some teeny town in Colorado and just fell in love with it. It was a little more expensive than what I usually spend and I'd no idea what I'd do with it, but I just thought the colors were too stunning to pass up. It reminded me of a vintage Chanel brooch I once saw but a little more subdued.

Anyway, just thought I'd share it before it goes...

Random Thoughts

2008-08-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Sad times, our worms tried to escape en masse. And we made such nice beds for them too...We later learned that apparently there may have been too much citrus in our compost -- likely lemons from our martinis. This made me a little concerned that maybe the real message the cosmos is trying to send us is that we drink too much. I ordered another pound of worms this morning...

Onto some happier news. I've got a couple secret surprises lined up but for now I still can't share them. I'm terrible at keeping secrets so I'm sure I'll leak something soon.

In the meantime, however, I do have some really adorable pictures to share that a bride and a coworker gave me (I can't seem to make them any bigger :( ). Jennifer, the bride, is wearing one of my bracelets and my friend Alicia is wearing a custom necklace I made to go with a dress she wore at a wedding. I almost never get to see my pieces once they get stuffed into boxes and get shipped off -- so this was a real treat.

Worms!

2008-08-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is completely unrelated to jewelry, but as some of you may know my real job is writing about environmental issues. And, at times, it's hard not to get sucked into the enthusiasm of trying out something new that I've just written about -- like vermicomposting.

My husband, Joe, is a big gardener and has been wanting to get worms for some time now. He's completely transformed our yard that was buried in concrete when we bought it, turning our side yard into a native garden with a deck and fountain and our backyard into a lush flower and vegetable garden. (He also thankfully took over my orchids, which were fast becoming a stick farm because of a recent rush of custom jewelry orders.)

Anyway, after writing about vermicomposting, I finally agreed and became the best wife ever after surprising him with something called "The Worm Factory." The worms will eat up all your compost, torn junk mail and newspaper bits and apparently produce great fertilizer in the process.

Joe prepared for the arrival of these worms like they were new pets or houseguests -- asking when they'd get here, preparing their "bedding" of newspaper and even buying a shredder that is basically dedicated to the worms. They finally arrived on Tuesday and, well, you can see what kind of reception they got. Yeah, that's them wriggling around in that little bag.

Pretty cute huh? (My husband, not the worms)

Exciting News!

2008-07-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

Noaki Jewelry has just been featured in Beth Helmsetter's blog. Beth is one of LA top wedding and event planners and her expertise has been featured in numerous wedding publications. Check it out...and while you're on her blog take a look at some of the events she's put together. Just stunning:

http://bethhelmstetter.blogspot.com/2008/07/noaki-jewelry.html

Greetings from Telluride!

2008-07-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

As you probably guessed by the title of this posting my husband, 2-year-old son and I are in Telluride, Colorado -- and, yes, my beads, vintage jewelry and tools all traveled here too. We've done loads of hiking, blown 'daddy-lions' for our son and stopped at plenty of antique stores in the surrounding mining towns.

We walked into one shop that was so packed with rocking chairs, stained glass and crowded shelves of ceramics that I hard time getting to the counter where all the jewelry was stashed. And when I did I actually had a little trouble breathing because I was so excited by what I saw -- some ornate Victorian rhinestone shoe clips that I've been searching for for a very long time. (I know, it's the sign of a sickness. I couldn't stop staring at the pair on the ride back to Telluride)

Anyway, I've had this mini-creative explosion and have made more than a dozen earrings, necklaces, hair pieces and bracelets that I'll post over the weekend when we get back to California. And in response to inquiries for more wedding pieces, most of them are!

Beach Wedding

2008-07-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

I've been working with this really lovely bride, who is getting married on one of the most stunning parts of the California coastline. I got so inspired and carried away by what she wanted that I ended up making four pieces! I'm sure she's not going to wear them all so some will likely be up for grabs soon.

Jewelry Pictures

2008-07-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorite pictures from a recent photo shoot in San Pedro by the very talented Sheila Garvey. Sheila has such a sharp eye for detail and her photographs have an intimate quality that I just adore. She also provided great direction to our model and my sister Megan.

Stepping off a cliff

2008-07-09T20:49:00.001-07:00

So after years of encouragement, I'm finally getting a website together. Good grief, I'm nervous and yet excited too. The first page is up though don't bother clicking on anything since it's not functioning yet.

Thanks to Sheila Garvey for the amazing photography and Lawrence Lam, who is putting together the site! Take a look: www.noakijewelry.com