Spotlight: Madrid Necklace ($58)

As one of the most powerful, populated cities in all of Europe and the most influential in its' own country, one might expect Madrid to have a showy, dominant looking coat of arms and flag. I did, at least. While researching Madrid as the namesake for my newest summer necklace, however, I found that their city emblems portray a standing bear at a tree with red fruit.

No swords? No crazy medieval helmets? After a little more digging, I found that the city of Madrid was founded by the Moors in the 9th century and was known as "land of the bears". Turns out that the tree pictured on both the coat of arms and city flag is called a Strawberry Tree, and is native to the area. The bear and the strawberry tree shield is thought to date back to 1212, when it was first used at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa. (an important battle for Spain during the Crusades) Little red beads, strawberry tree...Madrid is even more of a perfect name than I had thought! The thing that I love about this city (and what makes me want to visit even more than I already did) is the fact that they honor their history. Not just with the symbols of their city, but also the city itself. There is a lot of emphasis and importance put on preserving the historical buildings and streets throughout Madrid and I most definitely respect that. In a culture where most of our history gets torn down to accommodate the new and modern, I appreciate a place that restores and preserves their past. I hope you like the newest addition to my International Collection:

the Madrid Necklace.

Materials: glass beads, gold plated 5 strand clasp

Only a few more days to be entered into the Giveaway for March! You have until Thursday, the 25th at midnight to be entered to win! Just click on the giveaway button to the right, comment on the post, and that's it! Good luck!

Spotlight: Avalon Necklace ($32)

The city of Avalon is located on a small island known as Catalina off the coast of Southern California. Most of the city's architecture dates back to the 1920's, after the island was purchased and developed by William Wrigley Jr., the owner of Wrigley gum. It is an enchanting place, and one that attracts many tourists every year. The ocean surrounding the island is actually very deep and rocky, making the colors a lot darker than what you would normally sea around more shallow, sandy beach islands. A large dance hall was built in 1929 called The Casino, and remains one of the most recognizable buildings on the island today. The Art Deco design and circular layout of the building make it truly unique. It is surrounded by water on three sides, and is 12 stories tall. I love the Art Deco feel of this simple necklace and can definitely imagine a young woman wearing it with her flapper dress for a night out on the town. It is understated yet elegant, making it the perfect piece for a fancy dinner date but still casual enough to dress up your favorite pair of jeans.

Materials: gold plated chain, faceted cobalt glass teardrops, gold plated filigree box clasp

Giveaway: August Boatwright Necklace ($54)

This weeks giveaway is another from my "Once Upon a Time" line, which are based on my favorite books. I did a spotlight on "Alice and Wonderland" and my Queen of Hearts necklace a couple of weeks ago, and this week is all about "The Secret Life of Bees". For those of you who have read this book, the necklace should make perfect sense. For those of you who haven't, I definitely suggest reading it (or watching the movie if you're not a book fan) because it is wonderful. My mom and I listened to the book on tape one summer during a family vacation and I have loved it ever since. I have a deep connection to the south; we visit family there almost every year and I always feel at home...whether it's New Orleans, Atlanta, or Tampa Bay. The narrator of the book on tape is a young girl with a southern accent, and she made the book come alive for me. The movie definitely helped in that regard too! (I should be getting paid for this, but I'm not...) Anyway, in the book, Ms. August Boatwright is a strong woman who makes honey for a living to support she and her sisters. She is a beekeeper, hence the bee, and is very successful, so I tried to make something a little more elegant and interesting. The pattern is absolutely random, meaning that every necklace of this type is bound to be just a little bit different from the next. I hope you like it! Don't forget to enter 3 times to win, with the winner being announced on Friday morning. I'll be back tomorrow for the next spotlight piece! This necklace will be up on Etsy today, so it will still be available in the shop if you don't end up winning. Good luck!

Materials: honey colored glass beads, gold plated clasp, gold plated filigree beads and a brass bee charm.