Last, but absolutely not least, in our "Meet the Elva Gals" series is Amy, a beautiful gal with some seriously stylish smarts--she arrived at the studio this fall with a degree in fashion and retail management, and we couldn't be happier about it!  Her retail management experience brings a new element to the mix (we can't wait to see what else she can teach us about organization and efficiency in the New Year...dorky but true) and her creative skills in graphic design and photography have added whimsy and fun to our Elva efforts.  (She's the gal behind our first-ever Holiday Gift Guide and this season's art card design we include with every purchase of $100 or more.)

Her warmhearted smile and cheerful demeanor are such an easy, welcome presence in the studio, and she's quickly become a part of our little Elva family that we can't imagine was ever anything other than what it is now.  We look forward to seeing Amy's talents grow, and we know you'll enjoy her contributions, too.  (Chances are, you've received an email or two from her already if you've shopped with us recently!)

Amy effortlessly paired our vintage glass scarab earrings (that red is amazing!) with a simple black blouse, and we all adore her interpretation of a meaningful holiday in her photograph below that features the jewels.  The perfect blend of sweet, sentimental, and creative...just like Amy!  And now, folks, her interview:

Nickname? Amers

Hometown? Cincinnati

Most memorable concert? Brand New, one of mine and my brother's favorite bands. They rarely ever tour and he and I rarely get to go to concerts together. Not sure if it was the music (don't get me wrong, it was an awesome performance) or all of the other factors that made it so memorable. Either way, hands down best concert.

Favorite candy? Skittles

Movie you could watch 100 times? It depends on my mood. Garden State is always the go to..but then again The Hangover makes me laugh equally as much, if not more, every time I watch it.

Dream destination for a solo adventure? Estonia, to visit my dear friend Kadri.

Best book you read growing up? I found 1984 by George Orwell very interesting when reading it in high school.

Museum, movie, or nap on a free afternoon? Nap, for sure.

Your best recipe? Homemade chicken noodle soup

Favorite quote? “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” - Oscar Wilde

Best thing about Elva so far? Being around such creativity everyday, it's so inspiring.

Tell us a bit about the photo you styled for the Holiday Collection: Growing up we always left milk and cookies out on Christmas Eve for Santa. I always enjoyed waking up Christmas day to find a bite out of a cookie, or crumbs leftover. This is definitely a tradition I will carryout in my family when I have children. 

Next up in our "Meet the Elva Gals" series is the youngest of our group, Lauren.  She, along with her older sister Sydney, started helping us after school last year, wrapping and packing the jewels for shipping and stringing necklaces when there just didn't seem to be enough hands to make it all happen. They inevitably arrived at the studio with some hilarious report from the cafeteria or classroom, and we so enjoyed the youthful vibe they contributed to the atmosphere at Elva.  (Truth be told, they are our daughters' favorite babysitters--between the cats, candy, and endless movie selections...not to mention a trampoline...these gals know how to win a toddler's heart!)  

This year, as a Junior at the local high school, Lauren continues to bring her cheerful, easy-going attitude to our team and approaches every task in the studio with ease and a smile.  Chances are, if you've ever ordered some jewels from us, Lauren has tied the ribbon bow, added a sticker, and sent it on its merry way to you!  We love having her as part of our tiny team, and we loved her gorgeous profile  photograph...and not just because she looks amazing in our Holiday Collection vintage black glass earrings...she's a stunning gal inside and out.  We also loved her simple and heartfelt take on her arrangement of the jewelry for her holiday photo shoot...read more about Lauren and what the holidays mean to her below.  Enjoy!

Nickname?  Gabrielle; it's my middle name, only my sister calls me that, though.

Hometown? My whole life I've grown up in this "awesome" place called Spencer County!

Most memorable concert?  Backstreet Boys, the only concert I've ever seen.

Favorite candy? Reese's, they're the best!

Movie you could watch 100 times?  Nacho Libre, I know every line and can sing all the songs. It's so stupid it's funny.

Dream destination for a solo adventure? Hawaii, who wouldn't want to go there?

Best book you read growing up?  The Great Gatsby. It never ended like I thought it would but it was so good and I'm so excited for the new movie to come out.

Museum, movie, or nap on a free afternoon?  Nap, definitely a nap.

Cherished childhood hiding spot? Mine and Sydney's playhouse outside at our old house.

Your best recipe (or best version of someone else's?)  Pots de Creme.

Favorite quote? "I know God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much."

Best thing about Elva so far?  The people there! They're all so awesome and I'm so glad I work in such a wonderful environment.

Tell us a bit about the photo you styled for the Holiday shoot.  Every year before we go to bed on Christmas Eve my family goes to my room and reads the Christmas story together by candlelight, and at the end we hold hands and pray.

Today we're introducing our third Elva Gal in the series, our "OG" of the group, Jessica!  Having started with the studio almost two years ago, she's seen many a change at Elva (we won't bore you with the details of tiny one-room studios and public library internet connections) and has remained a steady presence along the way.  With experience in everything from retail to real estate, cosmetics to candles, it is her open, hopeful, and creative approach to life and learning that brought her to our team.  She is passionate about creating, is the reigning queen of Pinterest and the blogosphere, and has a love of flea markets and estate sales that keeps her exploring each weekend of the year.  (And we thought we were addicted!)

Jess is certainly the mama of our little group, offering kind and thoughtful help, advice, and suggestions on any topic on the table: (we cover a lot of ground on chatty days in the studio) relationships, ailments, vacation destinations, reading recommendations, recipes, and musical insight.   She has wonderful ideas and big dreams, and she has brought them all to us at Elva...and we're all the better for it.  

We adored Jess's whimsical pairing of a bright, chartreuse cardigan with our vintage glass tulip drop earrings (how amazing are they together?!) and loved even more her photograph of the jewels amongst a collection of vintage ornaments...an Elva gal tried and true.

Friends, meet Jess!

Nickname?  Jess, Jec, Honey and Mommy

Hometown?  I grew up in Versailles, Ky and have lived in Shelbyville, Ky for almost 13 years

Most memorable concert?  My son is in a band, so probably his first concert. I was a nervous wreck and was amazed that he could stand up there in front of  a small crowd and sing and play guitar. A proud day indeed. Other than that probably the most fun was The B-52s and The Violent Femmes...this whole answer just dated me, huh?

Favorite candy? Violet Crumbles..from Australia. The whole family is obsessed.

Movie you could watch 100 times?  "Gone With The Wind"...and anything involving zombies.  They really should combine the two!

Dream destination for a solo adventure? Paris!

Best book you read growing up? First chapter books. The Laura Ingalls Wilder series.

Museum, movie, or nap on a free afternoon?  Movie.  Museums are family time. Naps are nice, too.

Cherished childhood hiding spot? My closet...I played in there for hours. It was my imaginary single-girl apartment.

Your best recipe (or best version of someone else's?)  My mother's cheese grits.

Favorite quote? "Art washes from the soul the dust of every day life." -Picasso

Best thing about Elva so far?  As the mother of three boys, the best thing about Elva for me is the time I get to spend with the fabulous women I work with.  Lots of laughter, hard work and creativity here.  Making jewelry and being amazed every day by the beautiful vintage elements and beads that come together to make something so stunning and unique.  I am so thrilled to be a part of the process, and I am incredibly blessed that I get to do something that I love.

Tell us a bit about the photo you styled for the Holiday shoot.
I love things that have a history. I love antiquing, picking, and repurposing my finds. The vintage ornaments have a faded patina that gives such soft color, but the stripes and patterns give a youthful vibe. I love that blend. To me it represents the blending of family and friends, young and old. That is what makes my holiday merry and bright.

Next up in our "Meet the Elva Gals" series is the gorgeous and lovely Grace, the newest addition to our little team, having jumped right in amidst the holiday hubbub last month.  Grace instantly felt like family to all of us, and we can't imagine the studio without her easygoing presence, contagious smile, and always-happy-to-help-whomever-however attitude.  She has an eye for style and a creative spirit, and she can now add "jewelry" to her long list of talents and skills. (Did we mention she came to us from a successful career in finance and banking?  So she's a whiz with numbers AND creating beautiful things...yes, she's one of those right-and-left-brain gals...amazing!)  We're over-the-moon to have Grace along for this roller-coaster ride that is Elva Fields, and we know you'll love meeting her, too!  We loved her simple take on our vintage black and gold glass earrings from the Holiday Collection, and thought her holiday inspiration shoot (you can see it below!) was a perfect fit.  Without further ado, her interview:

Nickname? Gracie (we're just listing the non-embarrassing ones, right?)

Starting off our "Meet the Elva Gals" series is Jordan, a gorgeous gal of all trades who hit the ground running with Elva Fields late this summer, right in the midst of moving to a new city and starting an accelerated business school program.  While we're not quite sure how she juggles it all (she spends many a lunchtime studying for finals AND responding to emails from our customers!) we love having her as part of our team.  She handles everything with an easy smile and makes us laugh with her quick wit and self-deprecating humor...or by bringing in her canine sidekick, Rue, who happily terrorizes the studio for an afternoon.  

Elva friends and fans know Jordan best for her creative copywriting (she's the talented author behind our jewelry descriptions) customer service style, and even her captivating photographs of our jewels...and endless other behind-the-scenes skills that contribute to making Elva Fields what it is and will be.  

Each Elva Gal selected a pair of earrings from our Holiday Collection to wear...and also to style in a photograph along with items or elements that were personal representations of this time of year for them.  We're loving our vintage horn and bone earrings on Jordan, and her incorporation of golden, festive flowers is a beautiful touch!  Now, for our interview with Jordan...enjoy!

Nickname?  J.B./Jordy

Hometown?  The lovely little city of Danville, Kentucky.

Most memorable concert?  A Dave Matthews Band Concert several years ago with friends. After we got there, it started pouring rain right in the middle of his set. We were dancing in the rain to Dave, couldn’t get much better.

Favorite candy?  I’m absolutely obsessed with anything from Godiva, but if I’m not trying to splurge, a Snickers bar will do just fine!

Movie you could watch 100 times?  I could always watch The Wizard of Oz, It was the first movie I ever watched and still a personal favorite. Oh, and Forest Gump, but who doesn’t love that one?

Dream destination for a solo adventure?  I love traveling so this one is tough… to India (Agra, specifically, gotta cross seeing the Taj Majal off my bucket list!), The Seychelles, or New Zealand.

Best book you read growing up?  Of Mice and Men.

Museum, movie, or nap on a free afternoon?  Depends on where I am…at home in Louisville, probably a good movie/nap… But if I’m visiting another city, definitely a museum or other fun activity, no time to waste!  

Your best recipe (or best version of someone else's)?  Well sometimes, I mix TWO Taco Bell hot sauces together to make my own type of special sauce...ha!  Okay, I think I’d like to veto this question. My family has great recipes--best homemade fudge for miles around--but let’s just say I’m still working on mine...

Favorite quote? Okay, this may be the hardest question on here! I can never pick a favorite, but a couple I like are:

"When I was 5 years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life." -John Lennon

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid" -Einstein

Best thing about Elva so far?  Getting to work in a creative field I love with unique and wonderful people. Cliché or not, it’s the truth!

Tell us a bit about the photo you styled for the Holiday Collection: Since I can remember, my family has always had these golden Christmas ornaments; in shapes of violins, trumpets, and poinsettias. They’ve become staple decorations for us each year and they always add such a touch of glamour to our Christmas trees, from the massive 12-footer we had one year to the more modest predecessors. I’ve come to associate these ornaments with holiday cheer and fun times with my family, so naturally, they were perfect for our photo shoot!