Trollbeads Treasures and a Trunkshow to keep me looking on the bright side

As a small business owner, it has not always been easy to stay positive during this time of COVID-19. During the nine weeks we were on lock down, our store was closed and online orders were coming in at a snail’s pace . But now that we have reopened, business is picking back up (which we are grateful for), although at a bit of a slower pace. Our hours are shorter, but our interactions with people are more rich. Customers who are able to come into our store that I’ve spent time with over the years now seem like long lost friends (who I wish I could hug – but we’ll have to save that for later). Seeing familiar names on web orders and hearing voices over the phone gives me an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Previously, our job at times could feel like something we did for x amount of hours a day before we could get on with our real lives. Now it’s much easier to see that our work is often a very rich part of our real lives. We feel incredibly lucky to have a community of customers all around the world that have been so understanding and supportive during this strange time. We are also grateful to have had the luxury of working from home, where we’re safe and well fed, and that my job is focused on something as fun as playing with jewelry.

Although we are far from out of the woods, I want to take some of these lessons from shut down with me as I go forward on this journey. In order to appropriately commemorate this moment, I dediced to create a special bracelet. Full disclosure – this bracelet is more of an art project at the moment, since my COVID wardrobe is generally pretty casual and doesn’t include much jewelry. But, looking forward to wearing it when I feel more safe going out, brings me much joy! At any rate, playing with beads is a very calming and meditative practice for me, especially when I connect deeply with a particular theme, as is the case with this bracelet.

A few years ago I immersed myself in a yoga teacher training program. It stretched my body and my mind at a time when I was trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do with this life. (I would recommend it for any late 20 something who feels a bit lost). While it did not provide me with the outcome I was seeking (I am not a yoga teacher and found I do not long to be one), it provided me with an outlook that may be a bit expanded from what I would have had without this extensive training. During this program I first encountered Ganesha, or rather the legends of Ganesha, which you can read more about here: https://www.ancient.eu/Ganesha/. He is commonly called the remover of obstacles, but before he helps you out and removes the things in your way, he will first make you face whatever your obstacle may be, so that you can learn and grow. I knew this was the first bead I wanted on this particular bracelet. I need all of the wisdom anyone can grant right now, because this virus has been quite an obstacle for me. In fact, I think we’ve all been forced into a reflective period that may be uncomfortable at times.

The second bead I knew needed to be on this bracelet represents a concept I interacted with a great deal in my yoga teacher training, which is the OM. You can say so many things about this symbol, or sound, but how I boil it down to a sound bite would have to be this: the sound that we are all constantly, yet nearly imperceptibly, emitting; which therefor connects us all. This is a reminder that I need right now, the idea of all of US, not just me. We are all having a strange time, and if I allow myself to get all doom and gloom about it I am serving no one, just my own ego. Does that sound strange? Well, it works for me and is quite a comfort to know that we are all distancing so we can be together later. This idea really works for our little group because I have only met about a dozen of our hundreds of customers around the world. So we may never meet, yet we are still together in a way.

The 3rd silver I really wanted to incorporate in this bracelet was the Scarab. A very important symbol in ancient Egyptian culture representing regeneration, I put this on here to remind myself that this is not forever. Now is an ideal time to reflect on the world and our place in it, to gather strength and go out ( when we eventually can), and make the changes in our lives that better reflect who we aspire to be. So whether it’s reinventing ourselves, or just shedding a skin that no longer fits, like a beetle would do, this process is essential in order to continue growing.

As for the rest of the bracelet? I used rich colors because I need them right now. I long for saturated, vibrant, deep and beautiful color. I used the Social Circle because I am missing my friends so much. The Soft Winds of Change lock felt poignant – even though this feels more like a hurricane level wind of change. I would like to say I put all the feathers on here for a very deep reason, but actually, I just really like them ;). What are you wearing to make you happy right now? Do you have your beads out or are they all waiting to make their way out into the public eye again? Thank you for reading and being a part of our little corner of the world. Stay Safe.
Oh! And did I forget to mention we are running a Trunkshow this weekend? How silly of me! Have fun shopping these little beauties at a buy 3 get the 4th free price!