Join Me at Harvest Fest!

Matt + Audrey

At Independent Mountain Jewelry Co., we take immense pleasure in crafting unique and exquisite pieces that symbolize love and commitment. When Matt approached me to create a custom engagement ring, I couldn't wait to embark on this meaningful journey with him. I sat down with Matt, eager to hear he and Audrey’s love story and vision for the ring. Matt shared stories with me about their adventures, boasted about what an amazing artist Audrey was, and all of this lead me to using one of her piece of art as the inspiration for their engagement ring. Matt chose to go with an untraditional Montana sapphire that features the most amazing blues and greens. The result is an extraordinary piece that not only celebrates their love but also reflects their individual personalities. It was an honor to play a part in their beautiful journey and create a tangible symbol of their everlasting love. Keep reading my interview with Matt and Audrey!

How did you meet?

We met at the Rio rooftop bar in Boulder, Audrey had shown up late to meet up with friends and our groups started to mingle. Her roommate’s sister introduced us, we started talking and immediately hit it off. We exchanged numbers at the end of the night and had our first date a week later.

What’s your most favorite unique thing about your future spouse?

Audrey: My favorite unique thing about him is that he knows a little about everything, I feel like I could spend the rest of my life learning something from him.

Matt: Her way of looking at the world is so refreshing, she writes incredible poems and makes art and is just overall one of the most creative people I’ve ever met.

How did he pop the question?

He asked at the top of Bear Peak! We’d been talking about doing the hike probably since we met and when he finally suggested we do It I had no idea he would ask but on the backside of the top overlooking the Indian peaks he asked and it was such a wonderful cap off to an amazing day. Also, our dog Oskar was there to join in on the celebration.

Dream wedding cake flavor:

Audrey: Chocolate cardamom!

Matt: Pistachio!

What motivates or inspires you about your partner?

Audrey: Matt has the biggest heart and just treats everybody so kindly and inspires me to do the same. He inspires me to be creative and do art even when I’m feeling discouraged.

Matt: Audrey inspires me to do better every day. When I’m stressed out she reminds me to slow down and breathe. I think just overall she has a very grounding personality and I think we compliment each other very well.

What was your experience like designing a custom engagement ring?

Matt: It was great, honestly from the first email to the last meeting and handoff of the ring. I appreciated that you researched Audrey and took into account her personality, hobbies, interests and preferences. Each option you presented for gems and ring styles was awesome and I feel like we ended up with something so uniquely suited to her. Every person that has seen it has first said it was beautiful immediately followed by how perfectly it fits her style. It was such an incredibly refreshing experience and I felt so confident it would turn out great. I’m so glad we met you in Ned!

---

At Independent Mountain Jewelry Co., I understand that finding the perfect engagement ring is a deeply personal and meaningful experience. That's why I offer a seamless and personalized process for creating custom engagement rings. Whether you have a specific design in mind or need assistance in bringing your vision to life, I’m here to guide you every step of the way. Contact today to book a consultation to craft a custom engagement ring that symbolizes your unique love story. I would love to make your dream ring a reality.

How To: Earthen Cuff

The perfect cuff can add so much to an outfit. It says so much about the personality and individuality of the one who adorns it. Add some visual interest with a simple jeans and tee, or make a statement in a little black dress. A cuff like this can be worn with just about everything.

Here’s a quick video of me with bed head to let you know exactly how to measure for sizing and properly put on your perfectly fitting cuff! Enjoy!

Style Inspiration: Coastal Cowgirl

I was so excited to see the upward tick in trend for this Spring is Coastal Cowgirl. This mix of classic and relaxed beachy nautical vibes paired with a little western flare is right up my alley. I loving seeing the beach dresses paired with cowboy boots and fresh takes on the perfect denim mixed with costal touches.

Here’s how I styled a date night coastal cowgirl inspired outfit. I started off with my ‘new to me’ favorite pair of jeans. I scored the killer Everlane Cheeky high rise beauties off of Poshmark. I love finding the just right jean second hand, and have really grown quite fond of the way Everlane pants fit. I chose this bold stripped button down to add a pop of color and a bit of a beachy vibe. If this look is too bold, a simple white button down work totally work. But I really love this color and especially felt ultra spring like and perfect for Easter! These Freebird booties are a personal favorite of mine, I literally wear them with everything. They are classic cowboy boot but cut off shorter then a traditional bootie. I’ve been seeing a lot lately about the trend of booties changing from what we’ve been seeing for the past few years, so this below the ankle look is perfect. I’m also obsessed with the color of these boots. The camel color goes with everything. Here’s the link to a similar pair, You can’t have a coastal cowgirl look with out the hat. I decided to go with my Gigi Pip rancher. This is a great style if you don’t want to go so “cowgirl” literal. I love the weight of this hat too, it seems to transition between all seasons flawlessly, and always elevates an outfit.

And we can’t have a Coastal Cowgirl inspired outfit with the perfect touches of Turquoise! I wore this chunky bamboo mountain turquoise affirmation ring. The gold filled setting reads “be fucking awesome” around the outside of the stone which feel just right for this badass look. You can shop these affirmation rings here.

I also wore my stack of silver and brass bracelets and my “Erin” nameplate necklace, but let’s be honest, I wear those everyday. I felt like the makeup for this style inspo needed to have that natural beachy vibe, so I did my usual quick everyday look. Keep your eyes peeled for a tutorial video of this super fast and easy make up application that uses very few products and features on of my favorite easy to use multipurpose products from Axiology .

I can’t wait to see how you style your Coastal Cowgirl inspired outfits! And Happy Easter!!!

Zion Half Marathon

Y’all, I did a thing! A little less than a year ago, my brother, hubby and I ran a 10 mile tough mudder race.  When I crossed the finish line, I proclaimed that I was going to run a half marathon.  In recent years I’ve made it a point to say out loud the goals that I want to accomplish instead of keeping them buried deep down inside me.  

In addition to saying them out loud, I make sure that I tell people.  But not just anybody and everybody that will listen.  I have a group of family and friends that I know support my goals and dreams.  Those are the people that I trust to share my aspirations with.  Why? Why not just shout it from roof tops?  Well, honestly because there are people in this world that will tell you that your big dreams are crazy.  And when you tell people that you want to run really far for fun, there are likely folks out there that just don’t understand.

I’ve never really been a runner.  I “ran” in high school, but only because my best friend did and I just wanted to do everything with her.  She came from a family that ran, and me, well not so much.  Two summers ago I decided that I wanted to see if I could run a mile.  While a mile doesn’t really seem like much, remember that I live in the woods, at the top of a giant hill, at 9,216 ft elevation.  So running “just a mile” was a freaking challenge in itself.  For a few months it became routine that the hubs and I would run a mile a couple of times a week.  It was brutal.  It wasn’t really fun, and I didn’t really understand why people enjoyed running.

Fast forward a year, my brother had just gotten out of the Marines and he wanted to run a tough mudder.  He basically told me that I was doing it with him and that he was going to help me train for it.  So once a week we’d get together and he’d push me to run and add miles to the weeks previous run.  We ran and ran and ran until that big race.  That race made me face some serious fears as well as run the farthest that I had ever run.  Crossing that finish line put me on cloud 9, and all of the sudden I got it.  I totally understood WHY people run.  That feeling of setting a goal and the build up to it became sort of like an addiction.

When I blurted out my goal of running a half marathon at the finish line of that race, I almost couldn’t believe what had just come out of my mouth.  I decided that IF I was going to make this commitment that it was going to be an epic race, so I googled “most beautiful half marathon in America”, low and behold Zion came up.  I wasn’t sure about it because all the registration talked about this being a “technical trail run” and one of the hardest halfs to do, but I had 8 months to figure it out.  I started running, like a lot.  Putting in multiple runs a week, building up miles to the point where my “short runs” were at least 4 miles long.  It became easier running these mountain trails, and then came winter.  Running in the winter when you live on top of a mountain creates a whole new set of challenges.  Now I had to learn how to run in the snow and on ice, and had to invest in all kinds of gear and clothing.  But I persisted on.  I ran through calf deep snow with spikes strapped to my shoes while wearing layers and layers of clothing and accessories to protect me from the gale force winds and below freezing temps.

The months passed and all of the sudden it was time for my race and I started to panic.  Partially because I had total imposters syndrome about running a half marathon and partially because the reality of Zion being in the middle of the desert meant it was going to be hot.  Like really hot compared to the 15 degrees that my body had become accustomed to.  Here’s where I decided that I had to break my “no buying clothing for the whole year” goal that I had set for myself, because I needed a pair of running shorts.  I have a bad habit of feeling anxious about the unknown like, what’s the weather going to be like? Am I going to be too hot? Am I going to overheat? But come race day, the weather gods were on my side, it was literally the most perfect morning starting off the race at about 45 and only getting to 60, and while others were bundled up and freezing an unprepared to run in the cold, I was perfectly comfortable in my new shorts.

The race was so stunning.  Zion is about 4,000 ft lower in elevation than what I had been training, so breathing was easy.  My body and lungs felt great! I was also so grateful for all those snowy runs that I had put in.  When I first started running in the snow I explained it to the hubs as being a lot like running on the beach with the soft sand.  Turns out that over half of my race was through soft sand, my legs felt like it was no problem.  And then there was the “technical” part of the trail.  As soon as I turned onto the rocky, cliff hanging, tree dodging, section of the race, my heart lit on fire and I felt over come with joy.  This part of the trail, this is why I run.  Its the joy and playfulness of trail running that really has developed my love of running.

All and All this was one of the greatest days of my life, and I’ve joked with my family that I’m just going to wear my medal around the house now.  I keep picking it up and holding it to remind myself that I’m a freaking bad ass.  I can do hard things.  I can set major goals and accomplish them with hard work and dedication. So that’s my story about running the Zion Half Marathon! Shoot me a message if you’d like more information about the race, or my training! Keep setting big goal, and let’s keep growing together.

40 List Updates!

It's My Birthday!

Well, we are here, at the cusp of entering the last year of my 30’s. It’s an interesting place to sit and just be. Up until this point my 30’s have been the best years of my life! So much personal growth, my business grew and flourished, my family is healthy and wonderful! But alas, something about turning 40 still haunts me a bit. So I’ve decided to make this year the best one yet!

If you’ve been around for well, over a decade now, then you may remember the blog series I did call 30x30. In this series I took the last 30 days before turning 30 and did all the things. A decade later…I’m kicking it up a notch!

I’ll leave you a link to the 30x30 list here.

You know how people make bucket lists that they will one day accomplish? This is basically that, but I’m not waiting for “someday” to come. I’m doing it. If we’ve learned anything in the past few years it’s that time is fleeting. So this year, I’m taking this list of 40 things that I’ve said “I want to do someday”, and I’m freaking doing them. The items on my 40 list really range from silly little things to great big scary things, but all of which I’ve said “someday” about.

So what’s on the 40 list? Well, here you go…

My goal for this year? I’m going to slide into 40 feeling more alive and vibrant then ever and shatter the stereotype of turning 40 years old. So if you’re into this idea, please follow along as I am going to Carpe Diem the fuck out of this year!

Gifts for a new homeOwner

Buying a new home is one of the most exciting times full of decorating and personalizing spaces to make them feel cozy and inviting!

Recently I was featured in a blog article on the REDFIN site along with a handful of others to chat about our favorite gifts for new home owners.

Can you guess what my ideas were for personalizing a new space? You’ll have to hop on over to read the post to see! Click here to read my feature with REDFIN.

For the well being of ourselves and our community....

The past year and a half have been some of the most trying times that our community has had to endure.  It has been filled with loss and grief and unease for so many of us.  We’ve lost jobs, we’ve lost stability, we’ve lost loved ones, and we’ve lost our way.  These things have weighed very heavy on my heart and in times like these creating helps me to sort through the onslaught of emotions that come up surrounding all of these thoughts.  

Over the past year, I’ve really been trying to nail down the perfect expression of these thoughts and creative feelings.  I wanted to put myself in a position to be able to help.  I’m a helper by nature.  If you know me, you know that I’m always the one who wants to jump into action and provide my service any and every way possible.

With all of that came the creation of two necklaces.  Each of these holds a different meaning close to my heart and I hope that one of them will speak directly to you as well.

The first necklace is The Lydia.  Last year my family received a phone call that shook us to our core.  My cousin’s wife had unexpectedly passed away.  In the midst of COVID it was really a jolt back to reality to have a family member pass that wasn’t sick.  She was young, vibrant, and full of so much joy and laughter.  She was an amazing step mother to my cousins two children, and an amazing partner to my cousin.  I never had the fortune of meeting Lydia, which I truly regret, but from what I’ve been told, her presence could be felt for miles.  She was a light, a care giver, and would go out of her way to care for anyone and everyone that came into her life.

The solid bronze organic wave shape encrusted with raw sapphires was created using an ancient method of sand casting.  The sapphires used in this necklace were mined by our dear Uncle Kenny, and being able to incorporate them in the necklace design is something that add so much meaning to each piece as well as to our family. Each necklace is created by hand, one at time, using this rustic process, and then hung on a gold plated fine ball chain.

I asked my cousin where I could donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this necklace.  His family decided that they wanted the donation to go somewhere that helped with feeding the hungry, because that was Lydia’s favorite thing to do…feed everyone.  That lead me to Feeding America, click here to see more about the work that they are doing!

The second necklace I’ve created is inspired by the Native American Naja necklace.  This piece is also made of solid bronze using the sand casting method.  The traditional naja necklace is a symbol of well being.  This past years lessons have come to me in the form of well being.  It’s given me so much insight into not only caring for mine and my families well being, but also that of my greater community.  The Be Well necklace is a symbol of caring.  It is a reminder to not only care for your own wellness, but that as a community we are responsible for the wellness of those around us, those who maybe need a helping hand, a listening ear, a warm meal, a comfort in knowing that someone is there.  

I found the perfect very local non-profit that embodies evarything that the Be Well necklace represents.  This organization is called Canyon Cares. Canyon Cares helps individuals and families in need of emergency financial help. Click here to learn more about them!

With the purchase of either of these two necklaces a portion of the procedes will be donated to its corresponding charity.  These necklaces will be limited edition and pre-orders are your best way to garuntee that you get yours and help make an impact.  Pre-order starts today and you can find the links here (Lydia and Be Well).  Production of these necklaces will not start until mid-December and therefore can not be guaranteed for holiday delivery.

Stoney Balogna

Let’s get one thing straight….. this has nothing to do with weed! Instead, I wanted to share a little story with you.

I have this family heirloom. A bracelet. It’s a totally beautiful bracelet that I’ve had for as long as I can remember. I know that it was given to me a long long time ago, and somehow got to me from my Pop. Pop, he was my best friend when I was a kid. My great grandfather was my hero, my male role model, and one of the kindest people I knew. I often think about the life my family has created here in the mountains and think that he would have been proud, but more importantly… he’d totally be into it. So needless to say this bracelet has been a prized possession for as long as I can remember. However over the years it has spent most of it’s time in my jewelry box, for two reasons, for a really long time it was broken, like I got it broken, and after I had it fixed about 10 years ago, I’ve been too afraid to wear it. You see, all of this time, I had the story in my head that my great grandfather had made this unique piece of jewelry for my great grandmother. That was the story. The romanticism of that dream has always played a role in my life (and career).

Here’s where that all blows up in my face…..

Last week I met up for lunch with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins who were in town for a visit. Now let me paint a picture of my Aunt V for you…. I’ve wanted to grow up to be here my entire life, like still. She’s the younger of my dad’s sisters, and at only 14 years my elder has always felt more like that older big sister that I looked up to. She use to introduce me to new bands and frosted eye liner when she was home from college, and even now still gives me style advice…even if it is now on the trendiest pair reading glasses….haha. She’s an incredibly talented writer and has always provided endless creative inspiration. You know, it’s almost like she gave me permission to march to my own drummer too.

Well, as I walked up to greet her, arms wide open for a huge hug, what did I notice….the mother fucking bracelet! I was stunned. Why would Pop have made 2 of these for Grandma? The hug felt like I was colliding with a family secret that was going to blow up in my face. I’m pretty sure that the first thing that I blurted out of my mouth was “I have that exact same bracelet, where did you get that?”, like even before “hi” or “it’s so good to see you”. I felt so rude and so taken back all in the same moment.

This is when V started to tell my the story, like the real actual story, of where THESE two bracelets came from, and it goes a little something like this:

“When Grandma and Pop lived in Spain he bought these bracelets off of a street vendor. Broken.”

This prized heirloom. This bracelet that I had so many fascinating stories of the love he put into creating it for her, and how the clasp had worn and broken because it too was her prized possesion. How heart broken she was when it broke and how I had fixed it for her years after her passing. The one physical item that I had that gave me that gut feeling that stone work was deep in my blood and had connected me directly to him.

KABOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!

They were bought off a street vendor in Spain. Fucking broken.

But here’s the thing. I’ve let this make believe story create an amazing life for myself. Regardless of where the bracelet came from or how it came to be mine, it provided me with the inspiration, the courage, and the connection to become a pretty good artist. This whole blown up in my face interaction in the middle of the road outside my favorite coffee shop gave me an even greater gift though….. The permission to wear the bracelet.

You know what else it gave me? The raddest matching BFF bracelet with my Aunt V!

Lessons Learned

The road to being a successful entrepreneur is not an easy one. I’ve had my share of doubts and struggles along the way. I want to share a story about a “transformative” weekend back in 2017 that helped me face and overcome my fears, gain perspective and use the experience as a stepping stone for what was yet to come. I signed up to be a seller at a three-day wholesale market at the Javits Center in New York City. It was expensive to travel there, stay in the city and participate in the market. I was in the realm of artists like Stella McCartney and Mark Jacobs, just a few floors down from them. Needless to say I definitely felt like the “small fish in a big sea” that weekend. During the first day of the show, no one came to my booth-not one person…. There were thousands of people at the show and I ended the day feeling like a fraud and full of self-doubt. That night, from the my best friends Brooklyn apartment, I called my husband, Damion. I told him about the disastrous day and asked him what he thought I should do. He was quiet for a bit. Then he said, “Well, you can either give up and come home, or stay there and tough it out.” 

Well, I decided to give it another try and bravely showed up for day two of the market. On that day, a woman who, as I can only describe as the quintessential “New York Woman”. She was dressed to the nines, and had the swagger and panache that comes from living in a big city like New York. I looked down at her own torn jeans and cowboy boots and in that moment, felt very inadequate. The jewelry pieces I had brought for the show were made of electroformed raw Amazonite and formed copper wiring. They were “rough and gritty” looking pieces. The New York woman looked at my collection for a minute and then said, “I don’t get it. I just don’t get it.” And she walked away. That moment, at first, was a huge ego blow. But as the woman retreated into the crowd, I thought to myself, “I don’t get you, either.” I decided then and there that my art was different. I wasn’t trying to make “something for everyone”. I wanted to create pieces that exemplified my own personal qualities of raw, natural, unique, stylish, amazing jewelry. Jewelry that was made from my heart, with my own hands, for the love of creating and for the joy that my pieces would bring to MY customers. Not everyone “gets” my style or spin, and that’s ok. But for the people who do get it, my work is awe-inspiring! 

Day three of the market came and I was able to sell enough of my pieces to cover the cost of the trip and I was able to connect with some new wholesale clients as a result of the market as well. The lessons learned that weekend were well beyond what I had expected when she first arrived. But it was an experience that transformed me into the unique and confident artist and creator I am today. 

Mom's to Celebrate: My Momma

Mom's to Celebrate: Jess

Mom's to Celebrate: Cara

Mom's to Celebrate: Lisa

Mom's to Celebrate: Lindsay

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Alchemy Face Bar

Sub Rosa Mercantile

Mountain Bound Design

The Conifer Shop

Shop Here!

It's been a year in the making

Y’all it’s been a year. A year full of uncertainty, a year full of new directions, a year full of pushing limits, and a year full of growth. One year ago, like many of you, I was faced with “well, what now?” and I honestly wasn’t sure where I was going with my business. I knew I wanted more. I wanted to take my work into a new direction, and offer more to my community. I really was feeling called to learning new things, as well as offering my knowledge to you.

So that was my jump off point. I enrolled in some college marketing classes, signed up for some virtual business conferences, and made a plan for how I was going to better serve my community. It was time to prove to myself that I was good at marketing and all the other “business-y” parts of owning a small business that I never liked to do before.

I’ll spare you all of the nitty gritty of figuring out email lists and marketing plans, but rather I want to share with you some of the work around service. This was such a strange concept to me when it came to my specific industry. How can someone who creates a good also create a service? Then it hit me! I love learning, always have, always will. So why not share that?!?! I realized that I was being called to share the love of learning with you!

So I started with blogging. Sharing the tips and tricks that I use in my daily life became so fun through my “TOP 5” series, and I discovered a love for sharing styling tips as well. I forced myself in front of the camera and started doing some video stuff as well. That’s when my IGTV series “Let’s Get Stoned” was born. Initially I thought it would be a once every couple of months thing, and then you guys begged for more. The response was so amazing that now you can find new episodes every couple of weeks!

So let’s scroll back up to that necklace….. I recently posted about commemorative jewelry and diamonds. This little beauty, that I intend to never take off, was created to commemorate this past year. It is a daily reminder of what I can do when I put my mind to it. What I can create, what limits I can push, and what comfort zones I can get comfortable being outside of.

This year has taught us all so much, and I can’t wait for you to share what you are learning about yourself this year, what goals your setting, where you are going and where you are growing! I want to thank each and every one of you for the continued support, encouragement, and cheerleading!

Top 5: Winter Skin Solutions

While spring seems to be popping up all over the rest of the country, way up here in the Rocky Mountains we are experiencing second winter. With all the dry air, cold temps, and blowing winds, my skin tends to take a beating. Over the years I have nailed down a handful of products that are my skin savers. All of these products are ethically made, vegan, and are packed full of hydrating and moisturizing properties. Take a deeper dive into my skin care routine!

shop here!

shop here!

shop here!

shop here!

shop here!

Styled 3 Ways: Turquoise Necklace

I hope you enjoyed these styling ideas! I’d love to see how you style your favorite IMJC necklace! Make sure to tag me in all your photos! Love this necklace? It will be available for sale in my next product drop!