Elva Fields Blog
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Because We Are All Connected
We're all connected, one to another as humans in this life experience. Our love knot earrings symbolize our in-this-together-ness and will offer half of their retail price to help others in need, specifically young children separated from their families at the border. Through Together Rising, every $10 we donate will help reunite these families thanks to the tireless work of organizations like the Florence Project and KIND who navigate the legal system on behalf of immigrant children.
Based on a vintage design and being produced in small batches for us, we'll have a limited edition collection of 50 of each style (sterling silver over brass or 14 karat gold over brass) available to ship in mid-August. If we sell all of these earrings, we'll be able to make a contribution of $1000 toward making a difference in devastating circumstances, and these earrings may perhaps be a symbol of connectedness AND hope when we need it most.
Thank you for considering joining us in helping love others well. Together we can do great things, friends.
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June in June
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Reading List
We've started the summer on our front porch with stacks of library books; if you ask us, the perfect way to spend a sunny day. A few favorites lately:
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman - I found myself cheering on the almost-8-year-old main character and laughing out loud at her clever, astute, and hilarious observations.
The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown - I'm a fan of anything with Paris in the title, and it only gets better if the heroine of the book finds her footing, courage, and herself along the way.
The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav - Full disclosure: I'm super interested in different spiritual paths and learning about the soul, so this was definitely my jam...but I listened on audiobook and it is not lively or exciting in presentation. At all. Nor always comprehensible, and it kind of hurt my brain to consider some of the ideas, but it was fascinating. You know, if you're into that kind of thing. And Oprah is (she reads an introduction,) so there's that.
The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein - Another one I listened to as an audiobook, and I adored the reader, transporting me to the alluring countrysides of Scotland with her beautiful accent. A murder mystery with jewelry AND a strong female lead meant I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure.
This Must Be The Place by Maggie O'Farrell - a love story that is equal parts complex, real, funny, and warm-hearted.
And, my 7-year-old's (pictured above) tried-and-true favorite will always be: The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home, both by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers.
Happy reading!
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Tote Us Along!
Whether you're pool-ready, beach-bound, headed to the farmer's market, or going grocery-ing, (or hauling ice cream and bubbly like us here) tote us along! Our fun and sunny Elva Fields logo tote bags are such a cheerful addition to your adventures, and we'll send one along with every order of $100 or more all summer long, while supplies last.
Enjoy, friends!
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Derby 2018 : A Recap
The "greatest two minutes in sports" has a much longer lead-up here in Louisville, and I love kicking off Derby season with a favorite treat from a Louisville institution, Plehn's Bakery. Their famous horse cookies helped me through the long hours in the studio prepping jewelry for our many trunk shows, pop-ups, and orders for race-ready fun!
Our Pop-Up Shops at Oxmoor Center were a ton of fun, and I loved our shop neighbor with the most fantastically floral fascinators, Tiffany of Darling Handmades. (I even ended up wearing one for a bit on Thursday of Derby week, affectionately (kinda) known as Thurby these days.)
A sweet friend surprised me and a group of girlfriends with a Derby-week visit to the Backside at Churchill Downs on a beautiful spring morning, which is a super-special opportunity to see the stables and horses and all of the behind-the-scenes effort it takes to make the races happen. We had breakfast, sipped coffee, watched the horses have their baths, and then joined trainers, jockeys, owners, visitors, vets, and press as the Oaks and Derby horses had their early-morning workout on the track. It was truly magical, and I have a much deeper appreciation for the equestrian heritage for which the place I call home is known.
A highlight of the jewelry fun this Derby season was having my gorgeous friend Jackie Zykan, Master Taster for Old Forester, ask me to create some designs for her Derby-week looks as she made her press and event appearances on behalf of the delicious bourbon she helps craft.
Each look was inspired by a specific cocktail, and the first was for Thurby, whose official cocktail would be announced this year: the Old Forester Perfect Old Fashioned.
It was SUCH a fun project to select beads based on the cocktail's ingredients, including ice-cube-like rock crystal, honey-hued crystal and agate, along with tiger's eye that resembles the golden-amber color of bourbon, and then touches of red and orange (in African glass) for a cherry and peel. A touch of equestrian elegance in a vintage horse-head buckle finished her look, and it was so great to see how the necklace came together with her fashions by Gunnar Deatherage.
As Jackie mixed cocktails with wonderfully-talented musician Ben Sollee and interviewed with news media, I was settling into my seat at the track. I happened to glance up at the giant screen to see how much time I had to bet on the next race, and then this happened:
Y'all. I never really thought I'd care that much about a Jumbotron for any reason at all, but I have to say, it was kind of awesome to see Elva larger-than-life in front of thousands of people. And then I won $4 on the next race and bought myself a bottle of water. It was a big day.
Jackie's Derby-Day look was inspired by the Derby's iconic cocktail: the Mint Julep. What a delight to let such a legacy lead the design, including leaf-like minty mountain jade, opal, mint glass, and more of that honey-hued crystal to interpret the beverage's ingredients, and we went with brass accents, as the Old Forester version this year was served in a gold julep cup.
After my last delivery on Friday afternoon, I realized I was exhausted. The Run for the Roses gave me a run for my money, so I took myself to the spa on Derby Day and felt like a winner after an amazing saltwater float. Might just be my new race-day tradition. 'Til next year, Derby friends!
