Happy Shifting, 2011

We have been given a new decade. Another chance to frame the world as it is, acknowledging that is slinks very swiftly into was, and then.

Everything moves so quickly.

We usually try to start with a word. Sometimes several. This year, we kept an older one (wayfinding), considered one we love both as object and action (shrine), and tried to find something, if nothing else, that could hold that intimate, shareable, but almost inarticulable place in a sentence (the way one might hold a scene, a memory, a moment).

We ended up hung up on a prefix: RE. From the Latin, meaning to go back, again; and again...

How this tiny pair of letters shifts the meaning of everything it touches – sometimes quietly, sometimes with bravado, but always with a kind of great care... it seems more than appropri- ate to make a shortlist of re-words, and follow suit by taking care to see the huge shifts made by the very small.

Restore. Held Close, too.

Return. A Second, A third, or Several times over

Replace. What might have once been lost gets found and found

Repair. Or made better.  Letting the seams show.

Review. Seen differently this time, with different motives

Return. (again) : over, around, and back

Recall. To go back in memory , shift timeplaces

Relinquish. To let go, set free

Revive. Brought back to life, as if from sleep , the difference of only a few...

Reconsider.

And then a not so obvious one: Repository.

Yes. Repository... refers to an archive. A storehouse. A trove of information or treasures. Also, it can be a trusted person, a confidante, a keeper. In a way, a kind of shrine. A tangible place (or thing) to safe-keep the intangible. We store things inside of other things, but more implicitly, we are ourselves repositories—our own mutable archives; our commonplace books, our silva rerum, our narratives and our most cherished attempts.
We have so much to keep safe, and keep close, and consider....

Love,

WP

Featured Retailer: Island Girl from Hilton Head, SC

Each of our retailers possesses distinctive individual charm, spreading the personal touch of Waxing Poetic in their local communities every day. As a token of our gratitude to our retailers and because we think you’ll love them as much as we do, we’re delighted to introduce Island Girl!

Island Girl is a trendy women and children’s fashion boutique with two locations on the beautiful Hilton Head Island in sunny South Carolina.  We are excited to have the chance to sit back, relax and get to them. Welcome!  What is your favorite Waxing Poetic collection? Our favorite collections are Your Heart is Your Map Pendants, Dog Tag Pendants and the Signature Seal Charm. We love these larger pendants on the Medium Rolo Chains with a variety of insignia charms.

What are your favorite pieces? Our favorite pieces would have to be the Fleur de Lis Dog Tag Pendant, the Your Heart is Your Map Live True Pendant, and the Dragonfly Camp Charm. These pendants, in conjunction with the on the Square Insignia Charm and Medium Rolo Chain, create an absolutely fabulous look!

What are your customer’s favorite pieces? Island Girl customers love the Square Insignia Charms, petite Wing and a Prayer Croix charm, Dog Tag Pendants, and the Signature Seal Charm. The Medium Rolo and the Twisted Link Silver Chain provide a great medium to display these collections.

What do you like about Waxing Poetic? Waxing Poetic allows each person to create their own story through charms and pendants. Every necklace reflects the differences of each individual. The most popular designs include a collections of insignias representing those precious to the individual.

Do you have any fun stories or interesting tidbits that you would like to share? We have had so many customers create such wonderful memories with Waxing Poetic it is difficult to choose just one story.  A gentleman who wanted to ask his girlfriend to marry him chose the blank envelope necklace. He had the letter engraved with "Will you marry me?”  Needless to say, she said Yes! 
Waxing poetic necklaces are a beautiful way to show the joy and pride of motherhood and family. We had two sisters each buy a necklace for the other with their initials and the initials of their children and parents as a celebration of love for each other and their family. 
A single father who wanted to get something special for his daughter's birthday created a necklace with her initials. He now chooses a charm for each holiday as a way for them to grow together.

Thank you so much for joining us today!
Be sure to check out Island Girl online (www.islandgirlhhi.com) or at either of their store locations; 1 North Forest Beach Unit K-1, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 and 232 South Sea Pines Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928.

Take Notice & Welcome Luck

Pictured above clockwise from top right: Wing And A Prayer Charm - Claddagh, Fable Charm - Ladybug, Friendship Seal Pendants - Silver/Brass Cross, Your Heart is Your Map Pendant - Silver/Brass Spread Love, Whimsies Charm - Clover, Free Form Charm - Brushed Rose, Free Form Charm - Brushed Gold.

Get On Board. Join Forces with Awesome. Go (a little) Rogue. Shop This Look.

While warmer weather traditionally calls for “soft” (colors, fabrics, textures, etc.), this Spring seems to be a little bolder, a little more raw, and a lot more adventurous. Which we love. And have some suggestions for celebrating this…and thus enacting some rocker/deconstructed prettiness into your overall look.

Mixed metals are huge. Interweaving materials, unexpected textures, and sweet-but-saucy details are huge. Innovation, adventure, and gorgeousness are also huge (both in Spring 2011 and in the Waxing Poetic creative nexus at large), and so we say, to you, what better place to jump on board than with something small but potent? To that end --may we suggest the following – the  Fleur De Lis Wing & A Prayer Ring and the XOX Camp Bracelet.

With the Wing & A Prayer Ring, we’ve pulled symbolic imagery (the Fleur de Lis) from French heraldry, and mixed it up with a hi/low metal duo of rich brass and sterling silver.  For material-mixing fans (beyond just that of metals), we love the Camp Bracelet – youthful, insouciant, and a forever flirt – especially with the XOX brass plate just waiting to sit atop your wrist.

We love mashups, remixes, and reinterpretation of (almost) any kind, so we’re beyond giddy over this style season, and hope its influence will continue in the months ahead (because, face it, mixing things up is almost ALWAYS a good idea, in some sense or another). So join the adventure, and make this look your own by mixing and matching the Waxing Poetic Fleur De Lis Wing & A Prayer Ring with the Waxing Poetic XOX Camp Bracelet.

Staff Favorites: Cath

One of the most heart flipping things, ever, is delving into the process of creating my own charm combination… something extra special to carry with me, close to my heart, as I move through my days.  A single charm dangling from a simple chain is lovely.  But a cluster of stunning treasures…that’s even better.

I’m totally digging The Remedy in a Bottle Pendants. The Peace Potion remedy comes in handy on days when I’ve read too much of the news and my brain starts to hurt.  The lovely and delicate contour of the bottle has my fingers playing with it every now and again, bringing an additional dose of peace and calm.   These luminous retired Hand Pendants are like little offerings.  I chose “Life” for that extra vibrancy and, well, aliveness, an especially helpful reminder on days when I haven’t yet had my coffee.  And the Tonic Tags (in “Love”) and Tonic Charms (Heart symbol) are beautifully subtle, yet amazingly impacting love treasures.  All clustered perfectly on a Healing Gems Chain.

I’ll accept all the extra love and peace I can get.

Staff Favorites: Danielle

For my necklace, I have chosen to combine simple pieces that when added together provide subtle hints into my personality. I love the 18” Medium Rolo Chain, because it has a classic look that matches with absolutely everything!  The three charms that I often pair with the chain are the Swallow Silhouette Portrait Charm, the Rose Gold Free Form Charm, and a Baby Insignia Charm in the letter “D.” The Swallow Silhouette Portrait Charm represents my free spirited personality.  My friends are always joking that I have my head in the clouds, so what better way to show that than adorning a bird around my neck?  The rose gold color of my Free Form Charm is one of my favorites and I love how simple and elegant this piece looks on my necklace. I am always visually drawn to the whimsical feel of my Baby Insignia Charm and think it adds a timeless look to the combination of pieces.  With this necklace, I have been able to create my own personal story through jewelry and that is exactly what Waxing Poetic is all about!

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Pictured above clockwise from top right:  Friendship Seal Pendants, Flip Flourish Pendant—you have mine/heart symbol, Camp Charm—Heart, and Remedy in a Bottle—Love Elixir.Pictured above clockwise from top right: Petite Wing and a Prayer Charm—Heart, Mother of Pearl Brass Heart, Flip Flourish Pendant—my one/my only, Flip Flourish Pendant—To have/To hold, and Storybook Pages in Happily Ever After, Dream Come True, and Ever Lasting.  Browse our entire Valentine's Day collection.

Cheers to 2011

To cap off the end of the year, all of our hard work is introduced in the gift market where buyers from all over the country visit showrooms to get a first look at brand new product. This is where they can get their hands on our print catalog and stock Waxing Poetic in their retail stores.

This year I visited Tango, the showroom where we are represented in Atlanta. Tango owner Vicky Muetterties has a great eye, plus she and the reps visited our flagship in Los Olivos this past October (during our catalog photo shoot nonetheless!) so Waxing Poetic’s space in the showroom emanates a lot of love. I went ahead of time to help fluff the space in preparation for everyone who made it out to the show despite record icy conditions. We have new pendants and insignias that will be available soon and there is lots of excitement around the launch of our new candle line! Meeting shop owners and buyers who love the line and wear it and live it, just the way we do, was the highlight of the show. Hearing about how much Waxing Poetic is appreciated inspires us to create more and constantly achieve better designs that enable us to each share our story.

Staff Favorites: Breanna

My favorite necklace combination from Waxing Poetic is the Cross Friendship Seal Pendant and Wing & Prayer Buddha Charm paired with the Twisted Link Brass Chain.  I love this particular chain because it brings out the detailed handwork on the charms, while adding distinct character to the overall look of the necklace. I prefer to wear both pieces of the Cross Friendship Seal Pendant together, since they fall hand in hand and look very unique next to one another. The versatility of this piece amazes me.  It can be viewed as either a cross or a clover, although I personally see it as a four leaf clover and feel good luck following me every day that I have it on.  I have also recently added the Wing & Prayer Buddha Charm to my collection. The term Buddha means “Awakened” and I feel that each day that I am alive, I am opening myself up to a new risk or a new adventure.

I am a spiritual and semi-superstitious person and believe that a person can have one specific token in life that will provide a feeling of comfort and positive energy. This necklace is my life token.  When wearing the Cross Friendship Seal Pendant and Wing & Prayer Buddha Charm, I feel positive energy surrounding me!