So, as I look out of my window onto real life what do I see? Chuffing rotten grey skies and damp puddles and the kind of Monday weather that makes you hold the duvet tightly up to your neck and beg, scream and plead to not have to get out of bed in the morning. Alas, unlucky moo that I am, I’ve had to venture into the great outdoors and endure the cold drizzle which has put me into the foulest of foul moods,and only one thing can rectify it…SHINIES!
Did you know that each star-sign has a bird associated with it? Well, I’m a Virgo, and apparently our bird is the Magpie, which figures when you consider my previous statement. I do like my trinkets I do, if it sparkles and it shimmers then I’m there with my beady-eyed gaze, cooing in wonder at the loveliness on show.
One of the BEST places on the grid to discover wonderful things is at Earthstones. Imagine a mind, body and spirit shop scented with the musky smell of frankincense and you’re there! That’s the ambience that Abraxxa Anatine has imbued her virtual store with, and as a VERY regular customer I can vouch that she never fails to disappoint with her range of wonders and latest releases. Here’s something new, the ‘Knotty Beads’ which are quite lovely. No, these aren’t anything to do with Knotty Ash, diddy men or mad comedians with tickling sticks (Ken Dodd, comedy genius!), but twisted gemstone bead necklaces and earrings are the order of the day here. The styling is fairly traditional which means that these jewels work well with officewear and formal day wear but especially boho-inspired outfits. Of course I opted for my favourite stone, ‘Labradorite’, and this is where Abraxxa wins brownie points. I’m pretty sure I’ve bored you all with my Labradorite obsession before, so I won’t repeat myself, suffice to say that Abraxxa’s work really does do this stone justice. The thing about Labradorite is that it is such an unusual stone, and it resonates with a myriad of colours depending on the light shining upon it. It’s highly reflective when polished and upon first glance it seems to be a quite boring dull grey stone, but when the light catches, the magic happens! My own pieces at home demonstrate this beautifully…it flashes green, gold, violet and appears to glitter with flecks of bronze through to silver. Abraxxa manages to re-create it’s stunning beauty very well- of course you couldn’t match the stone’s beauty 100% but she certainly gives it a good go..the textures that she employs for all of her jewellery are absolutely top notch, and I wish I’d asked her when I saw her in world recently if she sources the textures herself. She did tell me that it (understandably) takes ages to create each piece; instead of colouring all the beads with the same texture, she rotates and rearranges so that each prim bead looks unique… So it follows that when you group all these beads together the result is truly stunning, and so it should be. This is obviously a labour of love, but the result is always constant- jewellery that is uber-realistic, wearable and hugely desirable…Alas, a trip to Earthstones is always a challenge for me- I can’t NOT buy something while I’m there so avoid at all costs if you’re uber skint because you’ll seriously depress yourself! Having said that, there are lovely freebies available and a lucky chair too, with some glorious presents secreted under the seats for you to win! While I was there I got lucky and came away with an absolutely stunning water feature that is now situated beside my front door. Many don’t seem to realise that Abraxxa makes other items as well as jewellery and there is a great range of gorgeous agate slice windchimes, incense bowls and stone fountains to enjoy. If you’re compiling your virtual Christmas list I heartily suggest that you ask for some Earthstone’s goodness and see if you get lucky when Santa pays a visit:) Click HERE for your crystal taxi!