dex & stella jewelry

Exciting News!

2010-07-26T15:10:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone!
Just touching base to say hello and catch you up on the latest d&s news.

First, I want to thank you all for the SUPER positive response to the website. I am so humbled by how well it's been received. I'm filling and shipping orders and it feels so great to know how much you all like the new collection. Thank you for always supporting dex & stella, it's appreciated!

Now...the exciting news! A good friend of mine wrote the screenplay for a new movie which is starting production next month. (I am so proud of him!) And (drumroll, please)... He has asked me to supply the jewelry for the movie!!

Right now I'm not going to name any names or tell you about the film, that will come later. But, I can't begin to thank him enough for the opportunity. I am SOOOO excited! Dex & Stella has gotten a lot of printed press, but we haven't made it to the movies yet. This is a big step and I'm very grateful to my friend (you know who you are). I'll keep you all updated with the progress and I hope to have some pictures to post soon.

Today I read about a man who tells his newborn son every night before he drifts off to sleep that "anything is possible". I think he may be right and I've decided to find out! As always, thank you all for allowing me to do what I enjoy and enjoying it with me :)

Lots of love,
Amanda

Updates!!!

2010-07-15T15:48:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone,
I see now that it has been waaaaaaay too long since my last update. A lot of things have been going on and the blog got pushed to the back burner :(. But, I'm going to fill you in on all the cool things that have been happening.

First, the most exciting news is that the new collection is finally LIVE on the website! As most of you know I decided to take matters into my own hands, and build the dex & stella website on my own. It's been an amazing process. And I can finally say that it's completed and the collection is online and available for purchase. SO...GET SHOPPING! www.dexandstella.com

Also, I want to take a second to congratulate my best friend, Molly on her wedding to my other great friend, Drew. I spent the July 4th weekend in Austin, TX attending their wedding and festivities. I couldn't be happier for them. And I must say...I forgot how much I love Austin. Hopefully next time I get to spend some more time seeing the sites and catching up with the newlyweds!

Finally, the other big news is that I have a brand new studio for dex & stella jewelry!!! It is such an awesome and inspiring space. I even have a porthole window (to remind me of my ship adventures)! I am in the process of getting it all up and running. As soon as I do I will post pictures so you can all see where the magic happens ;)

So, there you have it the short version of what I've been up to. Business is good, friends are great, and the opportunities are popping up left and right. I can't complain.

Hope you're all doing well!
xo
Amanda

Tough Job...

2010-05-09T16:46:00.002-04:00

But I guess someone has to do it!

I wanted to share with you a little more information about the new collection. We just shot all the pieces yesterday, and they'll be on the website by the weekend (exciting). But,while you're waiting for them I wanted to tell you about what inspired the new collection.

As you all know I am SUPER selective about the materials I use in my jewelry. I usually only use top of the line semi-precious. Recently I made an exception to this rule and started using sea glass. Here's the story as to why.

A while back I found this absolutely amazing, secluded beach. I was completely in love until I noticed the massive amount of glass littering the sand. (Apparently because of the tides all the bottles that are dumped into the ocean somehow manage to end up on this beach.) Suddenly, my little slice of heaven seemed to disappear as quickly as it came. Now I had become appalled at all the discarded bottles. That is, until I bent down and looked more closely. What had looked like "trash" at first, was actually a beautiful new natural material I could use in my work.

The more I looked around, the more amazed I became by the Earths ability to reinvent our cast offs into such beautiful pieces of art. I couldn't believe how some of the glass pieces had actually "fused" together creating amazing combinations of green/brown, blue/green, etc. I am completely in love.

So, with my new found love I have created this new line. And to be perfectly honest, that is exactly what is behind each and every piece...LOVE. I hope you will enjoy wearing it as much as I enjoyed making it.

**Here is a quick video of me "hunting" for new pieces of glass on my secret island. Notice how the glass fused to the rock. Amazing stuff!**

New Poll -------------------------->

2010-05-05T12:30:00.002-04:00

First, I want to thank everyone for visiting www.dexandstella.com The response has been overwhelming! I am so excited about (and slightly addicted to) the new website. There will be all sorts of new product being added next week. So sign up and stay tuned :)

Now, I'd like to point out that I added a brand new poll to the blog today. I am in the process of designing a few new pieces and I wanted feedback from the dex & stella fans. On the right of the page (see my very fancy arrow above) you get to help me decide what stones I should add/focus on for the new pieces. Let me know what you think! I appreciate the feedback.

Hope you are all doing really well!

xo
Amanda

Finally!

2010-04-30T12:30:00.002-04:00

I have some great news to share! After a LONG absence from the world wide web, dex & stella is finally back online. We've streamlined our site, added new product, and added shopping. We are so excited to be able to reach out worldwide again.

In the next couple of weeks we are going to add our newest collection to the site. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but...of all the pieces I've designed over the years, this new collection is the one I am most excited about. So...get to the site, sign up for our newsletter, shop a little, and ENJOY our new website.

www.dexandstella.com

Tell Obama You Oppose His Offshore Drilling Plan

2010-04-26T15:06:00.002-04:00

Today my post has nothing to do with jewelry. For those of you I talk to daily, you know how utterly disgusted I am at Obama's new plan to drill for oil off the Eastern U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. As someone born and raised in the ocean, I am appalled to think that someday our kids won't be able to swim in the ocean because of the countless spills that will ultimately contaminate our seas.

For those of you who think I am overreacting, please catch up on your recent news. There have been 2 spills in Louisiana in the last 2 weeks. One of the spills is so out of control that they are predicting that it will take up to 3 months to stop the 42,000 GALLONS A DAY (!!!!!) that are spilling out into the sea. Think of the effect this will have on the reefs, the fishing industries, the wildlife, etc.

I'm sorry, but I don't want to go to the beach and stare at this:

I'm asking everyone I know to do what you can to stop the construction of these oil platforms. I have included a link below to a petition against the proposed plan. PLEASE, PLEASE sign it. Also, if you know of any other ways to get involved, feel free to post them here. We are all responsible for what becomes of our Earth, whether it be good or bad. So please take this opportunity to do some good!

Tell Obama You Oppose His Offshore Drilling Plan - The Petition Site

It's coming....

2010-04-18T16:42:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone!!!

The new website is nearing completion. I am so very excited. Visit www.dexandstella.com and sign up to be notified when the site is officially launched. There will be some great sales for members only. I'm looking forward to seeing you all online soon!

xo
Amanda

A Quick One...

2010-04-14T23:59:00.002-04:00

Two major things are happening right now in my life:

1.) Soooooooo exciting... The new website is just around the corner!!!! It's all set up and ready to go. Now comes the task of uploading product. YUCK! This part takes the most time, but once I get the products loaded we are going LIVE!!!

2.) I'm moving a little slower these days due to my wrecked right hand. Long story, but I'm currently rocking a hot little brace while it heals. At least it's black and matches most of my jewelry. Ugh!

Stay tuned for the website launch!

xoxo
Amanda

Uh Oh!

2010-04-06T21:27:00.011-04:00

First things, first...I hope you all had a fantastic Easter weekend. I took a little time off to enjoy the holiday weekend with friends. Started Easter Sunday at the beach. It was beautiful!!! But there was no swimming in the ocean for me :(. It was too cold and the jellyfish were having some sort of party or family reunion. They were everywhere! After the beach we took part in a grown ups only Easter egg hunt. It was fantastic. Why is it that as adults we forget to do all the fun, little things in life? See the smile on my face? I LOVED it!

Now for the Uh Oh part (for which this post was titled). My Easter smile was wiped off my face Tuesday morning when I attempted to fix my website. Now, I like to think I'm pretty good at most things. However, I learned my lesson, apparently I am not so good at HTML code writing. So in my effort to upload a new site (or at least some new product) I managed to wipe out my website completely! Note to self...there are just some things you leave to professionals and website building is one of them. Speaking of which... if any of my friends/awesome web developers want to give me a call, I'm always around (wink, wink). Until the problem is solved you will just have to stare at the blank page. Consider it my gift to you...a small moment of Zen on the web. Hee Hee!!!
I hope you all have a fantastic week!
xo
Amanda

Super Sneak Peek...

2010-04-01T18:27:00.006-04:00

For all of you whose phone calls I haven't returned or emails I haven't responded to, there is a perfectly good explanation! I have been hard at work on a new collection. I am feeling really good about all the new pieces. I have to also add that the response so far has been AMAZING! I am really excited to get it up on the website for the world to see. In the meantime, I wanted to give you a very small peek at what you can expect (see below).

I'm bringing leather back into the collection finally. I just love the way it feels and it gives a little "edge" to the collection. This bracelet has become my new favorite. Soft camel-colored leather and a hunk of sea glass found on an amazing little island in Miami.

The first time I set eyes on the island I could not believe how much glass was on the beach. I was kind of appalled at first, to be honest. Then it struck me...there was something truly beautiful about the way the Earth had taken this "trash" and reformed it into pieces of art. Turns out, the longer glass sits exposed to the elements it begins fusing together. So you will have pieces of green glass fused with brown, and so on. There is true beauty in some of these pieces. I HAD to incorporate it into my line. Now I can keep our beaches clean, turn something old into something new, and develop a beautiful collection all at once. I am in love!

Here is another version of the new leather and sea glass cuff. Each piece will be completely unique based on the piece of glass used. However, you will have the option to choose the color leather you place it on. So excited about these pieces! I am getting TONS of compliments on them each time I wear them.

And the final sneak preview I will give you today is of my new favorite earrings. They can be done in either silver or gold. You have the opportunity to make them completely custom by choosing your own stones. On the left I have (from top to bottom) gold with faceted aquamarine, silver with faceted labradorite, and gold with peacock freshwater pearl. They are super lightweight and flatter just about every face shape.

Well, in case you hadn't noticed, I am thrilled about the new collection. I cannot wait to get it all photographed and up on the web. I hope you will all love wearing it as much as I've enjoyed creating it. Things are good :)

The High Seas

2010-03-27T12:51:00.010-04:00

My home for 10 amazing days...

So, as some of you know, I have been verrrrry fortunate to have the opportunity to take dex & stella jewelry around the world on various cruises. Basically, I am brought on board as a"guest designer" to do trunkshows. It's been such a wonderful experience. It gives me the chance to meet fascinating people from all over the globe and helps build the dex & stella brand.

This lovely vessel on the left was host to my latest adventure. I spent a total of 10 days on the Celebrity Century for 2 back to back cruises. I had the time of my life. I got a chance to go to Grand Cayman (twice), Ocho Rios in Jamaica, and Key West. The crew and the passengers were amazing. I made some lasting friendships on this last trip, which I am truly grateful for.

I'm including a few pictures from the trip. The picture on the right is of me in mid-setup. As much fun as these trips are, they are a LOT of work. My first day on the ship started at 9am and didn't wrap up until 1am.Yikes! I was excited, but wiped out!

Below are pictures of me in sales mode! The coolest thing about these trips is I get an opportunity to meet the people who will actually be wearing my pieces. Being in wholesale I never get to see the excitement on a customers face when they fall in love with a piece. It's really gratifying. I love selling, but I get even more enjoyment from meeting and learning about new people. Cruising allows me to meet 1000+ people in 5 days. I LOVE it :)

On this trip I sold pieces to guests from all over. One of my necklaces found a new home in Spain. Another necklace and earrings are now being sported in London by my very lovely new friend Claire. Should I be jealous that some of my jewelry is now living a more fabulous life than I am?

I'll be posting a few more pictures from my kayaking adventure in Ocho Rios, when I get them. It was tons of fun and a huge workout for my "noodle arms". After kayaking, I ended my day drinking Redstripe at a mountaintop bar overlooking the ocean. Does life get any better than that? I think not.

So...to those of you I met on the ship...thank you for becoming new customers/friends. And to all of the crew that so graciously embraced me and made me feel at home...Thank You! I look forward to seeing you somewhere down the road. I'll be taking you ALL up on your gracious offers to visit you in your home towns. New adventures await!

xoxo to you all!
Amanda

My Obsession...

2010-03-17T23:59:00.010-04:00

Welcome to the new dex & stella blog! I am so excited to have a new way to reach out to our customers. Over the past four years I have been on tons of adventures with this little company and now I can share some of my experiences with you.

For the first post I wanted to introduce you to one of my favorite pieces. These bracelets (see pics above) are some of my best-sellers. Everyone loves them because they are completely adjustable and super lightweight. We make them in a bevvy of color choices, contact me for more info!

I am looking forward to sharing all things dex & stella in this new blog. If you have questions or comments, feel free to get in touch. This will be the first of many, many future posts. Thank you for believing in dex & stella! All the best...Amanda