Lipstick Effect

They say the new F-word is "frugal". With the current level of uncertainty in the economy, many of us are looking for ways to tighten our belt. Even as we reduce expenses, it seems women still find a way to indulge themselves with more affordable "luxuries". It's called the lipstick effect. Leonard Lauder, the Chairman of Estee Lauder Companies, coined the term after September 11. Sales of lipstick skyrocketed. At Charming Life Designs, we are experiencing a similar effect with jewelry. Our sales have jumped dramatically since the economy went south. The pieces we offer are quality products at affordable prices. Consumers recognize and appreciate the value our products represent. One may not be able to afford that new pair of $500 boots but can afford to spend $40 on a great new pair of earrings. It still makes us smile without breaking the bank. So, visit us online and you might "find" something "fun" and "fashionable" while "feeling" good about being "frugal".

Lynn

"Speaking On Business" Radio Spot

Mark your calendars. Charming Life Designs will be featured on KSL's radio program, "Speaking On Business", hosted by Fred Ball, on November 20th. You can also listen to the broadcast by going to KSL.com and on Zion's Bank website, ZionsBank.com type “Speaking on Business” in the search engine at the top right of the page).

Weekday Broadcast Schedule:

Wasatch Front - KSL 102.7 FM, 1160 AM (7:23 a.m., 11:47 a.m., 5:23 p.m.)
Logan - KVNU 610 AM (7:43 a.m., 5:28 p.m.)
Manti - KMTI 650 AM (8:15 a.m. and 5:25 p.m.)
Moab - KCYN 97.1 FM (7:40 a.m., 5:20 p.m.)
Monticello - KAAJ 103.5 FM (7:50 a.m., 5:10 p.m.)
Richfield - KSVC 980 AM (8:20 a.m., 5:22 p.m.)
Price - KOAL 750 AM (7:30 a.m., 5:18 p.m.)
St. George - KDXU 890 AM (7:25 a.m., 5:25 p.m.)
Vernal - KVEL 920 AM (7:45 a.m., 5:15 p.m.)

Hope you tune in,

Barb

.925

When you purchase sterling silver jewelry, it should have .925 stamped into it or incorporated into the design somewhere. This number means that the product you have should have 92.5% silver and the other 7.5% is often composed of other metals like copper. Adding other metals helps strengthen silver which is used in jewelry, dishware, musical instruments and medical instruments. Pure silver is far too soft and maleable to be of much use in these products. When you find some tarnish or corrosion in silver, it is the metals mixed with the silver that are reacting to environmental factors such as sulfur, sodium and oxygen. Silver itself, is not highly reactive with oxnygen or water.

Silver prices fluctuate a lot. The price of silver per gram is now more than twice what I paid for it when I first started making jewelry. As the economy gets worse, silver and gold prices often go up and as the economy improves, precious metal prices come back down, in general.

One of the things I would highly recommend, to protect your silver jewelry from becoming too tarnished is to keep it in small ziplock baggies, forcing all the air out of the bag. This will keep your silver shiny for a long time. You can buy commercial products for cleaning tarnished silver but you really have to use caution if your jewelry has any pearls or gemstones because the harsh chemicals in the cleaning agents can destroy the finish on those.

If you want to clean your silver using household products, give these ideas a try!
You can try sprinkling baking soda on a damp cloth and rub it on the silver to remove tarnish. Some people use white toothpaste and a tooth brush work well. Rinse the silver off and dry the silver with a hair dryer to keep water spots from clouding it.

Another option I discovered once by experimenting with different things around the house. I saw an infomercial, where you could buy this metal plate that you put in a sink of hot water and added baking soda and then immersed your silver in it.

The idea was that the tarnish would transfer to the metal plate. So I put a large aluminum foil sheet in a stainless steel pot. I add 3-4 inches of water and add 1/4cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of salt and a squirt of Dawn dishwashing liquid. (Dawn has degreasers in it more so than other soaps, so that will help remove body oils from the jewelry.) I toss in a handful of change from my purse, and a few nails and a few metal odds and ends like keys, that find their way into my catch all drawer. Bring the water to a boil. Put the silver into the hot water and let it sit for a short time to see if it is going to remove the tarnish. Truthfully, I think you can leave out the change, nails and metal odds and ends, I just tossed them in because the informercial mentioned that there were a lot of different metals in their magic plate that helped remove the tarnish off the silver. Plus, it was sort of magical looking to the kids when they were little to watch all the ingredients go in and the tarnish come off.

You will begin to notice the tarnish transfers to the aluminum foil. When you remove the silver, rinse if off well and again dry it with a hair dryer. This method is not useful or recommended for jewelry that has an antiqued finish and definately do not use this method with base metal that is simpy plated with silver! If your silver has a lot of tarnish, you may need to do this process several times.

One last bit of advice to help protect your sterling silver jewerly. DO NOT WEAR IT IN THE POOL, HOT TUB, SHOWER! I have found that my sterling silver jewelry tarnishes a lot more when I wear it in the shower and I suspect it has something to do with the salt in the soft water treatment we have. Harsh chemicals in pools and hot tubs also tarnish and erode sterling silver jewelry.

Holly Russell Godard

Our Newest Member at Charming Life

Hailey has been with Charming Life Designs from our humble beginnings and she's helped us become the organized, well-run office that we are today. So, when she decided to leave her position as Office Manager and become a full-time mom, we had mixed feelings. Of course, we were all thrilled for her. Most of us are moms and we know how magical those baby years are. However, Hailey was our computer guru and an expert at loading software, solving server issues, dealing with CSV files, and handling computer meltdowns with confidence. I really had no desire to delve into THAT territory. Hummm, I thought, maybe she really won't want to be a full-time mom . . .

Then, of course, Miss Evalyn Ruby made her grand entrance (3 weeks early, I'd like to add). My dreams of avoiding calls to tech departments were dashed. It was clear that Evalyn was here to stay and that Mom had her hands full. It was also clear that all of us at Charming Life Designs would have to wean ourselves from our need to run to Hailey to solve our technical problems. Oh, how reality bites sometimes.

Now that the dust has settled, Hailey and Evalyn are back in our lives. This time as a team. Hailey continues to be a stay-at-home mom, but helps us by working out of her home. She's now a member of our manufacturing team and creates jewelry for us when Evalyn is napping. Evalyn helps out by being an absolutely gorgeous and perfect baby.

One of our most popular charm necklaces is our Angel Wing and Heart necklace. For many customers, the Angel Wing Necklace represents someone dear to their hearts. Packaged with a jewelry pouch, it makes a great gift for the holidays.

Barb

The Beauty of the Paua Shell

Did you know that PAUA shell is only found in the sea around New Zealand. This marine mollusk eats seaweed and lives clinging to rocks at depths of 1-10 meters, normally along the shoreline. PAUA is harvested by skin divers from its habitat below low tide level off rocky exposed coasts around southern New Zealand. The shells are crushed and tumbled to remove the outer layers of lime and marine growth.

The color in the PAUA shell changes when viewed at different angles. This iridescence, similar to that of the Mother of Pearl shell and Opals, but far more brilliant, is what makes PAUA shell so amazing as a gem material for use in jewelry. PAUA shell is the most colorful of all the abalone shells. With colors of green, blue, and purple. The brilliant colors are from light being refracted within the crystal layers. Most other abalone shells are pale in comparison.

It is truly one of nature's marvels. Each shell is also different in it's patterns within the shell. The black patterns in the shell come from layers of protein that are laid down between the layers of calcium that make up the shell.

No wonder why I am so fascinated by this simple yet beautiful shell.

Thinking ahead for Christmas gifts? Take a look at all our beautiful PAUA jewelry and use the code CLD15 for a 15% off discount.

Britnee

Boston for Fun and Fashion

Boston is simply one of the best town's to visit in the USA. It has something for everyone, particularly for the young at heart. With over 40 universities and colleges in its vicinity, it is the quintessential college town. Coupled with great shopping, historical sites (who can resist taking the Freedom Trail 2-mile hike?), and fantastic food, it is surely a city not to be missed.

My trip brought me to Boston for two very specific reasons. First, I was visiting a Charming Life Designs customer who is very excited about our newly formed partnership. Charming Life will design exclusive jewelry for this selective online store. We'll keep you posted when our new products are up and running. Although not New York, Massachusetts is home to many well-known apparel companies, including Talbots, Chadwicks, and Sigrid Olsen and we are looking forward to working with our newest customer.

My second reason for coming to Boston was personal. My daughter who is a sophomore in college, brought me out here for parent's weekend (well, she didn't really bring me out here . . . I sort of jumped at the opportunity). We had a ball eating and shopping our way through Boston. As we meandered our way through the streets, I notice several things. Unless you are in the market for expensive, fine jewelry, you are at the mercy of mass-produced costume jewelry, made of brass and rhinestones. The styling may be good, but the quality is really quite poor. Before making your next impulse buy, check out our unique jewelry at Charming Life Designs. We guarantee our quality and our products. Don't forget to take an extra 15% off your order by entering CLD15 at checkout.

Barb

PS: For a great meal, head to the North End and take a look at the many Italian restaurants on both Salem and Hanover Street. We took a gamble on L'Osteria, a humble but highly-rated restaurant and we loved our meal (104 Salem Street). Even if you have no room for dessert, you MUST walk over to Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street. You can't miss it. It's the small and simple shop with customers pouring out the door, even late at night. The canollies are to die for! However, that's all I was able to taste. I would imagine that all the pastries is pretty darn spectacular.

At LEAST Buy Quality!

One of the things that still floors me is to walk into a store like Nordsroms to look at their fashion jewelry and discover that some of the stuff they offer is just base metal and plastic! Seriously! How many of us know someone who can’t wear jewelry because they break out from the metal. The more shocking realization is that people will actually spend a LOT of money that poor quality stuff.

Our jewelry is created with .925 sterling silver and 14kt gold filled. Even my daughter, who is extremely sensitive to most metal can wear our jewelry without breaking out.

Our onyx earrings are similar to some by Dabby Reid at Nordstroms. Her simple earrings are $24 and made of a hematite colored base metal earring. Ours is $19.99 at Overstock.com and made with .925 sterling silver leverback earrings.

Take a look at our popular cat charm necklace, and compare it to the black cat necklace by Betsey Johnson at Nordsroms, Ours is .925 sterling silver chain and charm, and frankly, prettier and more charming than hers! Hers is $45 and ours is only $29.99 and a much classier cat for the buck! For a couple dollars more, you can pick the size chain you want to go with it!
Holly Russell Godard

Save money, shop at Charming Life Designs

The other day while looking through this month’s InStyle magazine I saw a pair of clear rock crystal quartz earrings by Ivanka Trump that were selling for $750! I looked all over the internet trying to find these earrings so that I could compare them to the similar ones we have here at Charming Life Designs (shown in the picture to the right), but was unable to find them. I did, however, find some other simple quartz earrings to compare.


These rose quartz earrings from HSN.com (shown on the left) sell for $199 and are very similar to our rose quartz briolette earrings, which we have available for $24.99 - $29.99 in many different colors, such as smoky quartz, turquoise, carnelian, onyx, aventurine, red jade, blue lace and more.

-Andrea

Charming Life Designs Gets a New Website

It's here and just in time for the holiday season. Going against all common sense, time, and energy, the stars happened to align in such a way that I was literally forced to respond quickly to our reality. As it turns out, the company that hosted our old website was purchased by Network Solutions and the old platform was soon to become obsolete. That basically left me with two options. Option One: Do nothing and hope for the best (translation: The whole site would automatically be shut down and we'd have to figure out how to patch it together at a later date). Option Two: Migrate to the new platform, design a new site, reorganize inventory, rewrite content pages, and deal with all the details that go along with a cybermove. I promise you, I really wanted to go with Option One. REALLY.

However, I didn't. After weeks of jumping through hoops and pushing hard to complete this project under Network Solutions insane design timeline, our new Charming Life Designs website has arrived. I have to admit, all of us at Charming Life are thrilled with our new online home. In the next few weeks and months, you'll continue to see changes, adjustments, and improvements as we settle in. We hope you'll stop by to check us out. Oh, comments are always welcome.

Barb

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This October marks the 25th anniversary of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which spreads awareness and provides education about the disease. It seems like every family has been touched by breast cancer in some way, whether it was a mom, or an aunt who is a survivor, or a friend who passed away from the illness which is expected to take the lives of 40,610 women and men in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society.
I already love to wear pink, this cause makes me especially proud to wear it. I want everyone to be aware of this special cause that does ring so close to me and my own family. Help raise awareness and show support for all the beautiful women in this world fighting this disease. Wear your pink!

Britnee

Seriously, Do I LOOK Like I Have Time To Blog?

Guess what? There is supposed to be a recession going on and I am having a hard time believing it! While there has been an air of doom and gloom circulating in all the media, the reality is, that for us, business has been quite decent. I think the holiday sales are already in progress for us and my biggest worry, at this point, is that we will run out of supplies before we run out of customers!

Sort of kidding about that, but it is true that it has been a lot more difficult to procure many supplies this year. Chain that we normally don't have too many problems acquiring has been harder to find this year. I was told that the larger silver and gold-filled chain manufacturers had let employees go and cut way back on production because the economy was down and precious metal prices were up.

Vendors who usually carry some of our standard gemstones have run out and don't know when they will be able to restock them. Many vendors just aren't reordering because often they have to order in huge quantities and they are opting to sell out of what they have instead. I am finding that I can't always count on vendors I've used in the past and I have to spend a lot more time looking for new vendors who sell the same or similar items!

Of course, that means I get to go to more gem and jewelry shows too, which is always fun when it means I can get out of Utah for a few days. (Don't get me wrong, Utah is BEAUTIFUL, but I've never lived one place this long before and those mountain ranges begin to look like ominous walls on the huge rut I start to feel like I'm stuck in.) I get to visit friends and family when I go to gem shows in other states, so all the way around, it is a bonus for me that the economy stinks!

Meanwhile, our sales have increased and we have acquired more venues to sell through and increased the number of items we sell. We have done a lot of things right this last couple years and it is paying off in the form of consistent and increasing sales. Even in a recession, women will still reward themselves with small, affordable "luxury" purchases. A new necklace and earring set goes a long ways towards accenting last year's stale yet still stylish wardrobe. Fresh earrings and a bracelet are a more feasible than investing a lot of money in a whole new wardrobe.

This is the time of year my family thinks I become a poltergeist lost in some weird jewelry timewarp, furiously making jewelry and ordering supplies. Thank heavens for cell phones because sometimes they have to call me to see if I really do exist. They all lose about 10 pounds because there is no one to cook for them. If only I could purchase "Family Food" as easily as I can purchase "Dog Food", already in bite size pieces, ready to serve, 100% nutritionally complete! (You think I'm kidding? I plan to invent it soon, that will hopefully secure my "retirement".)

We all end up working a lot of overtime hours around here and pretty soon, I think we will need to clone all of us! Seriously, I'm wondering what I'm doing sitting here writing a blog when I should be online finding all the things we need! I think I need a jewelry angel looking out for me!

Holly Russell Godard
Director of Operations

Little Known Properties of Amethyst

I love the color purple. Always have. Consequently, I am really drawn to the beautiful violet hue of amethyst. While doing some investigation online, I was surprised to discover the ancient Greeks believed that this quartz stone protected them from drunkenness. In fact,they often wore amethyst and drank from amethyst vessels believing that it would prevent them from becoming intoxicated. Hmmm. Also, the word amethyst comes from Ancient Greece meaning "Not" and "Intoxicated".

So, the moral of the story, as we approach the Holiday season, is that it may be worthwhile checking out the amethyst jewelry from Charming Life Designs. Maybe, if we believe as the Ancient Greeks did, wearing a pair of amethyst earrings, necklace or bracelet may prevent that dreaded hangover after one too many Holiday libations. Who know? The Greeks may be on to something.

Lynn

When You Wish Upon A ... Smoky Quartz?

Have you ever owned a piece of jewelry that you absolutely adore? Maybe it's a necklace that makes you feel better the minute you put it around your neck. Or possibly a special pair of earrings that add a sparkle to your eyes and a bounce to your step. Well, there may be more to that than meets the eye. You may want to see if there is a semi-precious stone included in that treasured piece of jewelry. Did you know, for example, that smoky quartz is said to foster serenity, calmness, positive thoughts, calm fears, and lift depression? It is a good luck talisman and Improves creativity and enhances joy. Smoky quartz disperses negative patterns and vibrations, and transmits a high quantity of light. As we approach the new fall season and pull out our warm, winter clothing...maybe it's time to think about how our jewelry plays a role in not only our appearance, but our well being. Come on, try a little smoky quartz. See if it turns your wishes, dreams and desires into reality. You never know...

-Kris

Finding Inspiration Outside the Box

On a normal Thursday, you are most likely to find me back in the office, juggling business demands, employees needs, and trying to stay on top of current sales and budding trends, not to mention "managing" (I have to use that word cautiously) my own teenagers and their immediate needs. Finding the time to create new designs can be a challenge.

Today, however, I am outside my Thursday box. I am in Portland, Oregon (my home town) and she is exceptionally beautiful today. The city is glowing with fall sunshine and the river is calm. City walkers are out and it seems that every building downtown has been lovingly restored. The city is a visual feast for the eyes and I find true inspiration by simply walking the streets. I am outside my box and cherishing it!

Moments like these help me recharge those creative juices. I am able to get away from those daily interruptions and take in the natural beauty. The contrasts of light and dark, muted greens, soft blue skies, and endless designs are all going into my mental tool box. Sunshine is in the forecast for the next few days in the Northwest, a rare treat. I think I'll stay!

Barb

Travel Tip: Open Table (www.opentable.com) is a relatively new site that offers real-time reservations in most major cities. A great resource for travels and non-travelers alike. My tech-savvy Portland friends love it.

Elephants are in this fall! Have you noticed the prevalence of elephants in this fall's jewelry collections from a variety of jewelry designers, including Charming Life Designs? Check it out. It's kind of interesting and cool to wear elephant jewelry since the elephant has always been a symbol of strength, wisdom, longevity and good luck. The elephant is the national symbol of Thailand where it is associated with the prosperity of the country. Throughout all Asian cultures, the elephant symbolizes wisdom and long memory. With the power of positive thinking, maybe wearing elephant jewelry will bring us good luck, a long life, wisdom along the way and the ability to remember where we've been.

Lynn

Calling All Bridezillas!

The "traditional" wedding season may be winding down for 2009, but if the recent flurry of wedding invitations in my mailbox is any indicator, it's not over yet! Many brides like to purchase jewelry for their wedding party to wear on the special day. In the past it has been popular to purchase jewelry that complements traditional wedding dresses...usually white or ivory. But wedding jewelry has trends just like any other type of fashion and the recent trend has been to purchase jewelry which matches a special theme of the wedding, or perhaps brings out an accent color. More and more brides are making their wedding day unique by making a fashion statement with their jewelry.

We offer so many wonderful jewelry sets. If you're looking for a theme...we have lotus flowers, daisies, butterflies, angels, etc. If you're looking for a splash of color, you can find hundreds of semi-precious gemstone combinations to satisfy even the most discriminating of brides.

Planning a wedding can be so hectic and so stressful, but choosing the perfect jewelry will never be a problem if you choose a Charming Life Design!

-Kris

Buyer Beware: You Don't Have to Sacrifice Quality for Style

The leaves are turning and fall is in the air. We even had our first dusting of snow in the foothills. At least for me, that means it's time to clean out the closet, shake out those wool sweaters, and do an assessment of what needs to go. I do this exercise every fall for one simple reason: Guilt free shopping. I can go forth, with my "must have" list and enjoy the hunt. Basics are always on the list. Jewelry, thankfully, I have that covered.

As I combed through my favorite stores, including Nordstrom, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, and a handful of usual suspects, I realized that much of the jewelry out there is truly, well for lack of a better word, junk. I admit, the styling is funky, fun, chunky, layered and flashy. However, most pieces are made of base metal (which will tarnish or irritate skin), plastic beads, and fake pearls. The end clasps are flimsy and will probably not survive a season. Even more surprising, the pricing was high for costume jewelry.

Charming Life Designs has created many of these popular styles without sacrificing quality. In many cases, our prices are as good as or better than the fashion jewelry you'll find in many stores. Plus, we use genuine pearls, Swarovski crystals, gemstones, sterling silver, and 14 karat gold filled metals. Our money-back guarantee helps our customer's feel confident about their online purchase and our design center is ready to help you design the perfect piece of jewelry. To learn more, simply send us an email.


Barb

Golden Champagne Crystal Earrings Create a Classic Look

Several years ago, we discovered a gorgeous crystal called "Golden Shadow". Made by Swarovski, these crystals have become one of our all-time favorite items and our customers seem to agree with us. Although Swarovski crystals are very elegant, many women enjoy wearing these earrings as one of their daily staples. They have a soft, golden champagne glow to them and go nicely with many outfits.

The earrings pictured here are made of a highly-faceted, 13x13mm, briolette crystal, which has been hand-wrapped onto a 14k gold-filled leverback ear wire. Check out the additional styles and colors available, or contact us to place a special order.

Barb