Birthday, The Blues & Christmas

So, I’ve reached that bluesy place that falls somewhere between my birthday and Christmas. Not a stranger to me…it seems to make its appearance every year. If you follow my blog you understand that I struggle with chronic depression which always seems to ebb and flow. Toss in a bit of panic-anxiety disorder and it’s a bit to handle. I know it’s not a topic many people care to read about…God forbid, they might connect with something that I say...but I think it’s important to get it out there...in hopes of helping even one person who might want to read on.

Throwback Thursday: Birthdays, 2014 & Way Back to 1949

This past weekend I ventured into my sixty-sixth year of life. Yes, you read that right…sixty-six years! I spent the day eating way too much good food, laughing and just goofing around with family and friends at a Christmas get together that also included a bit of a birthday celebration. With a December birthday, one becomes quite accustomed to spending the day celebrating Christmas, St. Lucia Day, Hanukkah or some other fete that happens around that time of year. Not a new thing to me, it seems that my first birthday was celebrated along with my brother’s fourth – he was born in October, so perhaps in 1949, it was just easier and more cost-effective to share a day in common.

Second First Friday Fetch It Sale!

Here's a link for you. Happy hunting!

www.tanyalochridge.com

National Button Day – Delayed But Not Forgotten!

Yes, first let me say that just in case you didn’t know it, there is a National Button Day! November 16 to be exact. And, it has been around since 1938 when it was started by the National Button Society to recognize button collecting as a hobby! I’m definitely in! "Today is the 23^rd of November" you’re thinking…well, yes, I am a bit late with my post for good reason. 

1895, A Glorious Home & Goodies Galore

It seems that the days I leave the studio and drive out to Dundee for a cut, color and chat with my hairdresser/kind-of-niece always turn into something quite unexpected. Today was no exception. If you follow my blog, you know that the twenty mile journey wends its way through farmland, hazelnut orchards, nurseries, hops fields and pastures. Every time I drive past French Prairie Gardens and the glorious house that shares the property I always make a note to stop in on my way back. How many years have I driven right past “on the way back” and not stopped? Well, way too many to count. Today, I broke my pattern and pulled into the parking lot. Can we hear an “amen?”

Lea Stein, Compressed Plastic & Dogs

My last blog post, where I shared my love of playing with laminated resins and plastics as a kid, inspired me to pull out my collection of Lea Stein brooches today and share them with you. It’s a tiny collection; but it makes me happy. I first started collecting Ric the Terrier while living in New York City in the early 90s. (My grandpa had Airedales so I have a real soft spot for them in any form.) I broke my “Ric the Terrier-only” rule when I came across the Cairn Terrier-looking brooch. I am pretty sure it is called “Kimdoo” – I am thinking that the shorter muzzle and not-so-brick-like head might make it a Cairn; but it could be a Scottie or Westie. All I know is I loved it, so home it came with me! 

Black & White: Purist or Out of the Box?

Curious…when it comes to wearing black and white, are you a purist and strictly keep it to black and white or are you a “step out of the box” kind of gal? The spectator look, as it came to be called in the 30s and 40s, always looks sharp to me. And for those of you who are thinking that I am really old…no, I wasn’t around in the 30s and while I was here in the late 40s I was way too young to be paying attention to fashion yet. So, yes, I am old…just not that old yet! However, I love watching classic movies from that time – mostly for the jewelry and the fashion. The tailoring and the fit was always superb in the clothes and the jewelry…well, there simply aren’t words.

First Friday Fetch It Sale!

We're making history today and you're a big part of it!

It's the beginning of our

First Friday Fetch It Sale!

   

 You're all invited!

Throwback Thursday: 1960, Santa Barbara, & Style

I took a selfie the other day and there it was…my style…my unique spin on things. While I know I certainly won’t end up gracing the pages of any fashion tome, magazine or blog other than mine these days, I am quite comfortable with my personal style. Strolling through my life via a bunch of old pix that have been in hiding for years further solidifies the fact that my basic style hasn’t really changed much. I wonder…is everyone like that or have I just been stuck in a rut all these years?

Pantone Fall/Winter 2014: Radiant Orchid

Just squeezing in under the wire here with a look at Radiant Orchid – another Pantone Fashion Color choice for fall and winter! Most likely you haven’t missed this gem of a color in the stores in your neighborhood, on your monitor or your screen. It seems to be everywhere and, seriously, I think it is a color that will always be around in one form or another. 

Halloween, Cairns & Love

Sometimes in life, if we're lucky, we have the great fortune of sharing our path with a few incredible spirits. For the last thirty years I shared that path with Janice…the first twenty from a distance and the last ten in each other’s backyards as sisters, of sorts. For me, these pix of Beatrix and Janice’s Missy, celebrating Halloween in their own special way, will always remind me of the loving, silly and sometimes sad times I shared with Janice.

Caring and Sharing – Two Very Good Things

Did you know that with every item you buy from Tanya Lochridge Jewelry, we make a donation to your local food bank? Yes, ten percent of the full price of your item or items is donated directly to the food bank you list in the Special Request area in your Tanya Lochridge Jewelry Shopping cart.

Pantone Fall 2014: Bright Cobalt & Royal Blue

I just took a stroll through my closet and I only need one hand to count the number of blue items hiding out in there; excluding jeans, of course! Interesting. I guess it might be safe to say that I am not particularly fond of the color blue in clothing or home goods. However, another side of me loves the blue colors that come in the form of rocks, gemstones and art glass. Chalcedony, agate, sodalite, lapis and pietersite…are a few of the gifts we get from ol’ Mom Nature! I am also drawn to a variety of vintage Czech glass buttons that are blue and gilded with gold and silver and love working with them whenever I can.

Morning Moon, Traffic Jams & Flags

It tickles me as I read through my Twitter and Instagram feeds – everyone is so busy and so hungry! I don’t know if it is my age now or my current country living self but I find myself wondering if anyone ever just hangs out at home. I know that when I lived in New York way back when, there were days I met up with friends for dinner, farmer’s markets, museums, Central Park and shows but I know that I spent a lot of time at home on the Upper East Side with Agatha, my Norwich Terrier. I’m the first to admit that I am a homebody to the max – to the point that people have stopped asking me to join in since they know I will most likely turn down their invitations.

Pantone Fall 2014: Mauve Mist

Lepidolite, amethyst and purple banded agate in a toss with coin pearls, crystal quartz and some old-school Judith Ripka.

With New York Fashion Week in full swing, I know that all of our attention has been thrown to Spring 2015 and the colors for that season – all of which look pretty remarkable. But, come on, if you’re a little bit like me, you live in the real world and we still get to traipse through fall and winter 2014 before those spring colors and fashions hit the arena!

Throwback Thursday: 1953, Balboa/Newport Beach & Photo Booths

As summer rolls to a close here I’m thrown back in time. By now you have figured out that much of my time as a kid and an adult was spent at the beach in Southern California. Lucky I was to have a crazy uncle who, for many years, lived on the corner of 10^th Street and Bay Boulevard in Newport Beach.

For the Love of Lavender Essential Oil -- Part Two

Out with the stitches…on with the lavender essential oil. Lucky you, I’ll spare all of you the gory details; but in a nutshell one week ago, I had a basal cell carcinoma removed from right above my brow and the stitches were removed on Friday. Before the doc removed those stitches he had to put many more in my calf where he had removed another skin cancer.

Pantone Fall 2014: Misted Yellow

Misted Yellow – with just a hint of spice. I'm thinking that sounds either very exotic…or a bit like Dijon mustard! And, for me, and perhaps all you moms out there, a third image comes to mind; but I’ll spare you those details! Yes, Misted Yellow is a color selection in the Pantone® Fashion Report Fall 2014. How do I feel about yellow? I really do love it, but I struggle with wearing big hunks of yellow, misted or any other hue, in my clothing. In fact, I don’t think I have one thing that is yellow…do I? Sadly my skin and hair color really aren’t that chummy with yellow – but pushing that fact aside I still sneak yellow into my look. How? You guessed it…jewelry and shoes.

Throwback Thursday: 1995, Stripes, Brave or Not

Oh boy…am I being really brave or am I being really stupid? Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that question. What I do know is that I am wearing the same shirt in both of these pix. Yes, the exact same shirt! In 1995 with Agatha, the Norwich Terrier, who charmed my world when I lived in New York City and made the journey with me here to the Pacific Northwest; and, me today snapping a selfie almost twenty years later – at least the shirt has conquered the test of time!

Pantone Fall 2014: Aurora Red

Don’t you just love the word “verve?” Something about it makes me smile. While reviewing the Pantone Fall 2014: Fashion Report, I came across a line that describes Aurora Red – “a more sophisticated red that adds verve and spark” in comparison to the Pantone color Sangria which is described as “an exotic red that evokes a sense of glamorous adventure and faraway destinations.” I swear, when I read these color descriptions I always feel like I should be in the caverns of a winery doing a bit of wine tasting.

Life, Downtown Portland & Filofaxes

Yes, when I first moved from New York City to this part of the country after a short stay with my mom, there was a brief moment I lived and worked in downtown Portland. I loved the walking city life in New York so much I was thinking I could replicate it by living and working downtown. Well, the good news is that I did walk back and forth to work – downhill ten blocks to the waterfront in the morning and uphill those same steep ten blocks in the evening. An enjoyable walk and I had the butt and thighs to prove that the uphill climb was a great workout. Who needs a gym or a spin class?

Pantone Fall 2014: Cognac

Cognac…the name alone lends a bit of mystery to the color, don’t you think? When I think cognac, I conjure up images of heavily paneled old libraries, a variety of very old and very expensive patterned rugs tossed here and there covering magnificent solid wood floors; of course, there is a dog or two or four sleeping in the sunshine streaming through the floor to ceiling windows. The years have softened all of the wood, giving it a unique warm patina and the rich tapestries and textiles in the scene show just a bit of wear. Nice, no?

Throwback Thursday: 1963 -- Big Bangs, Big Brows, Summer & a Mash of Music

Ah, summer in Southern California could not have been much sweeter. Clearly, from the pix, it was the time for big bangs, big brows and crop tops. (Oh, I long for all three of those things these days!) What made it even better was the wild mash of music that was happening all around me.

Throwback Thursday: 1956, Yosemite & Father’s Day

Even as a kid in the 50s, I marveled at the wonder that is Yosemite. What, you’re asking, does this have to do with Father’s Day? A whole lot. For several years in the early 50s our family vacations were spent camping in Yosemite – Camp Seven I think…or was it Camp 11? Our spot was always right next to the Merced River and we camped with a tent – no swish trailer for our family! As a kid then and a much older kid today, I love to be outdoors. So, being outside round-the-clock in Yosemite was heaven to me.

Pantone Fall 2014: Cypress

Cypress, selected as one of the top colors by Pantone for Fall 2014, is mystically described as a majestic and powerful green in the Fashion Color Report. I have to agree. Many years ago, I remember saying to a friend that I really didn’t have much green in my wardrobe. What I didn’t realize at the time is just how much green I had in the way of accessories and jewelry! I still have the eyeglasses from the 80s and 90s as proof of my love of all things green – several of which are very, very green (keep your eyes open for an upcoming post on those specs). How can one go wrong with green?

Throwback Thursday: Crop Top, Bermudas & 1965

Thought it would be fun to share a few more pix from 1965. These taken by a photographer as tests for a project in the hills of Irvine…long before Irvine was ever developed and there was still an occasional adobe casa sprinkled here and there. Yes, back in the olden days when I had lots and lots of hair and brow! I remember that crop top so well – not only did I love the lines and fit of it – look closely at the neckline – it had a semi-bateau shape with a wonderful soft rolled collar constructed from a soft linen. Sigh, why don’t they make clothes like this in 2014? (Or is that the chant of a granny who thinks everything from the past was better than it really was? Yikes!)

Pantone Fall 2014: Aluminum

Yippee, yahoo and gadzooks! Let’s hear it for the Pantone Fall 2014 Color Report. Aluminum – Pantone simply described it as a cross between silver and gray -- heavenly is how I describe it. Yes, I am one of those people that absolutely loves the soft mysterious hues of the color gray. I am a bit of a purist, in that I like my gray, plain and simple. So, I'm conflicted as to how I feel about the color combinations highlighted by various designers in the Fall 2014 Color Report.

Fanfare Please: Fluorite, Crystal Quartz & Pearls

I have fluorite on the brain! Maybe because I.m longing for the sea – oh, that sounds so dramatic doesn’t it? Well, I am always longing for the ocean even after all the years of not living by it…since I can’t be there right now, I take solace in designing with fluorite. If you haven’t seen this gemstone in person, boy, are you in for a treat. When I work with fluorite, I always think of the waters in the Caribbean – not the shallow parts you see from the shore and wiggle your toes in; but the aqua-green-blue colors you see when you are out sailing, diving or snorkeling and stare into the depths. One of the reasons I love working with beads is that they allow light to pass through the stone and in fluorite the result mimics the sunlight dancing off the sea.

Summer Fridays & Summer Sale Start Today!

Welcome Summer Sale!

A bit early...but it'll be here soon!

   

 You're all invited!

 50% off your total purchase (no minimum required)!

You save 50% on gemstone, glass and Kazuri designs!!

Use coupon/voucher code SUMMER50 at checkout.

And, 50% will magically be whisked away from your total!

  

It's an early summer fling..and you don't need

a hat, a beach towel or a bikini!

Here's a direct link for you.

www.tanyalochridge.com 

The party ends on 06-15-14 and many designs are really getting close to being sold out. So...let the beach blanket bingo begin.

Throwback Thursday: Graduation, Careers and Change

All the hoopla around graduation this time of year triggers memories of how it was to graduate and be tossed into the real world way back when! Both pix here capture my graduation ceremonies – in the red, junior high school with my chums, yes I am crying in 1962; and in the blue, high school with my mom and dad in 1966. I look pretty pissed in the high school pix but don’t remember actually being pissed. While my dad looks fab my mom just looks her normal “I don’t smile much” self.

A Beauty Gem - Nails

Alert the media – polished nails are back in my life! When I stepped away from working in the agency arena about seven or eight years ago – my long time relationship with polished finger nails came to an end. Not because my love of polished nails had left the building with me; but the time I spent working with gemstones, wire and tools expanded greatly. Unfortunately, all that time in the studio took its toll on my nail polish and I finally gave up the battle. I would rather have nice looking natural nails than icky chipped semi-polished ones. So…I opted for natural.

Fanfare Please – Angelite, Crystal Quartz, Silver Potato Chips & Leaves

Sometimes simple is magnificent! Case in point – this stunning angelite and crystal quartz gemstone bracelet. You know that my trademark design is usually a three-strand, sometimes five-strand, bracelet or necklace. However, there are times when I sit at the bench in my studio and see a single strand that I think is stunning in its simplicity. This was one of those times. These faceted gobstoppers of angelite are so beautiful; I wanted to design a piece that showcased their wonder.

Mom’s Day & a Bit of Throwback, I Think?

Over the years, I never thought that my mom and I shared a “sense of style.” We seemed to always agree on the clothes that I designed and she made throughout my early years – but I never attached that to us having the same overall style. A little aside – there was one major altercation over a bikini I wanted and she refused to make! I made it myself. Although, as my much older and wiser self, looking back, it was pretty damn small for the 60s! But I was hell-bent to wear it!) 

Throwback Thursday: Glasses & Hair Take Two

I am in the process of mucking out my back office…again. It’s an ongoing process as I have no idea what to do with it or how I want it to be when all is said and done, so it seems as if I have spent the better part of the last six months moving stuff from one side to another and then back. It is fun though…I keep uncovering little treasures buried in baskets and boxes. Case in point, I found these pix from 1983 and 1984 most likely.

Inspiration: Longer Days, Vibrant Colors, Jewels & Rocks Galore

Isn’t the spring time lovely? Growing up in SoCal, I really didn’t understand the changing of the seasons thing since seventy degrees and sunny about 340 days out of the year usually means that there was never an abrupt change in much of anything around me. That all changed when I moved to New York and had my first real experience with drastic changes in weather, clothes and foliage.

Facebook Friends & Everyone Else in the World!!

Kazuri Bead Greenwood Collection Facebook Friends Sale Extended! Spring is Showing her Colors and We're Celebrating!      Facebook friend or not yet...you're all invited!  25% off your total purchase (no minimum required)! You save 25% on gemstone, glass and Kazuri designs!! Use coupon/voucher code FBF25 at checkout. And, 25% will magically be whisked away from your total!    It's a spring party..and you don't need a tisket, a tasket, a bonnet or basket! Here's a direct link for you. www.tanyalochridge.com  The party ends on 04-30-14 at 12:00 midnight PDT and many designs are really getting close to being sold out. So...get on over there and hunt for your favorites.   Pearl, Citrine & Moonstone Multi-Strand Bracelet   Angelite & Bold Leaf Multi-Strand Bracelet

Throwback Thursday: 1967, Family Reunions & Playsuits

One of the things I love most about photography is how in one pix, you can capture a brief moment in time – life is made of millions of moments and sometimes we get too sidetracked to really appreciate the moment. I love that when I look at these two snaps – the quality of the image really doesn’t bother me. I am just so happy to have them in my possession.

One Bracelet -- Five Looks in Black & Brown

A long time favorite of mine – the combo of brown and black. I know…for years we were told not to mix the two; but, I still say, rules be damned. It doesn’t really matter does it? If you like it and it makes you feel good you should wear it, right? When I first found a variety of these gorgeous works of Mother Nature in Tucson many, many, many moons ago, I was immediately drawn to them. Not only are the mother-of-pearl beads lovely to look at – they are so smooth and cool that I think they make great touchstones.

Harry Potter Called – He Wants His Glasses Back!

It’s true…I have a thing for eyeglasses. I started wearing them when I was eighteen and it was at that time I decided that if I had to wear them they might as well be fun! It’s been that way ever since. A few years after I got my first pair of glasses, I made a new friend who just happened to be an optometrist who, of course, had an optician and lab onsite. Steven carried every cool manufacturer that was in the vision wear arena and so it was fun to shop once a month and see what was new. Since I was such great advertising for his practice, Steve gave me a “family” discount! So you can imagine just how big my collection was over the years. I guess it would be fair to say that this relationship, friendship aside, was similar to the blogger/influencer/collab relationships we see so prevalent today in social media.

Tess Comes to Stay!

The older I get the more I have come to realize just how fragile life can be. We flippantly quip that “life changes on a dime” – in reality, it’s quite true. Last week, our family grew by one. Bea and I opened our home and our hearts to Tess, a friend’s 12-year old Brittany Spaniel. Sadly, just three weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Velma, Tess’s forever mom, left this place. Beatrix and I had made a promise to Velma that Tess would join our family when life changed as we knew it would. Promises made and promises kept.

One Bracelet – Five Looks!

Crystal quartz or are those big melting ice cubes dancing around your wrist? Bold crystal quartz gemstones, freshwater pearls and Florentine-finished gold vermeil…lovely to look at and oh so much fun to wear. Of course, when you are channeling a bit of the Grace Kelly character in “Rear Window" you can wear the three-strand bracelet on its own – but look through your existing collection and start counting the ways you can mix it up for really unusual looks. Here are just a few ideas to get your creative juices in gear.

Touching the Lives of Others: In for a Little or a Lot

As odd as it seems – I am totally hooked on YouTube. I know, late to the party as usual, but several years ago, thanks to Laura Geller, a makeup artist in my old NYC neighborhood, I discovered my first beauty YouTuber. A sprite of a young woman, Miss Glamorazzi, who totally charmed me into searching out others like her on YouTube! From there it just snowballed -- beauty, fashion, lifestyle, music. I won’t tell you how many YouTubers I am subscribed to at the moment – somehow, I think it might be more than any other 65-year old woman on the planet. (The good news is there is not one “cat” subscription in the list! Not that I'm judging.) Coming from the world of marketing and advertising, I am pretty sure that YouTube statisticians are scratching their heads – it's highly likely that I am the one viewer that messes with their demographic profile! 

Inspiration: Craftsmanship, Heritage & Detail

I drive past this house a couple times a week while doing errands. Today I decided to stop for a few minutes, take a few snaps with the iPhone to share with you, and then go about my business. What I didn’t plan on was my getting lost in the glorious details in every square inch of this Queen Anne Victorian home. 

Nothing to Do With Jewelry -- Yet Everything to Do with Jewelry

I know you are thinking that this post has nothing to do with the making and marketing of jewelry; but in reality it has everything to do with it. Why? It’s true -- passion is the driver of every single moment I spend building and growing the jewelry business. Stumbling upon this GoPro video on YouTube yesterday was pure kismet. I was having one of those days where you just question everything you have done and the ways of life, in general. Everyone has those now and then, right? On top of it all, my fibromyalgia had decided to rear its ugly head so, I’ll admit it, I was having a bit of a pity party. However, in the middle of it all, YouTube and GoPro lead me to this short but powerful video. (If from your iPhone or iPad you can't see the video -- here is the direct link to YouTube. Hope you come back here and finish the read!)

Would You Believe Eight Years?

Wowza! In February 2006, as a way to showcase and sell my jewelry designs, I officially started my blog. At that time technology offering budget-friendly formats that made it possible for little guys like me to have a fully functioning website/online store didn’t exist. Hard to believe, I know; but it’s fact! So I figured that a blog  was the next best thing. Fast forward eight years and not only is my blog still up and running (three hundred and twenty-two posts) but there is a fully functioning very lively separate website and online store highlighting about two hundred jewelry designs along with stories of their inspiration and creation!

Inspiration: Sunshine (Kind of), Clouds & Shades of Gray

I was once asked where I find inspiration for my jewelry designs. My response was quick and rather concise -- “By keeping my eyes open!” It really is that simple. Not quite sure if it is the rockhound in me or just my strange way of thinking; but it seems that when I look at every day things, like the sky, I see gemstone combos. Curious to see how others think, I threw out a little test several months ago on Instagram. I posted a pix of a gorgeous blue sky with big white fluffy clouds with a caption that read “I see chalcedony and pearls. What do you see?” Most responses went something along the lines of “I see a pretty blue sky and white fluffy clouds.” Which, I guess, just goes to show that my brain works in unusual ways – I almost said weird ways; but now that would be not so nice, right?

Collars & Chokers & Trends, Oh My

While I love necklaces, I have never been a fan of a collar or choker style that is worn higher on my neck. I don’t know if it’s because I’m not so happy about how my neck looks and the fact that it has never been or ever will be swan-like; or if it’s my general claustrophobic nature kicking in that makes me feel as if I am being strangled when I wear anything tight. Who knows, maybe it’s just the name “choker” that sends me over the edge. Where is Freud when you need him?

1963: Red, Wrap Skirts & Lloyd Thaxton's Hop

The year was 1963 – the event was Lloyd Thaxton’s Hop (a Los Angeles afternoon program with a format similar to American Bandstand). Kids from local high schools were invited to dance live on the soundstage to recorded popular music. The show was fun – we danced our hearts out to surf bands (think Beach Boys and Beach Boys wannabes) – fast and slow with our boy(s) du jour.  Basically, we were a bunch of silly friends having fun, listening to great music and dancing. Sounds kind of corny these days…but it was a lot of fun.