It's hard to believe that another year is in the books!  This year we had to opportunity to travel around Virginia, DC, Maryland, and North Carolina.  We started the year with the launch of fly by B.Birdwatcher earrings and collaborations with Khreativ Soy Kandles and Wellevance.  I loved working with both talented girl bosses and if you haven't checked out the collabs, make sure to visit the Collaboration tab.  We had our best day of the year in March at the Pathway's Natural Living Expo! We were so busy the organizers had to stop our sales one whole hour after the event had closed! What a Blessing! 

During the spring, we prepared for our busy season of yoga festivals and added a few new yoga studios to our partnerships.  I visited Arizona and picked up some new gemstones while other's added to the #IGotStonedIN campaign.  The beginning of summer started off incredibly amazing where we returned to some of our favorite festivals like Oneness Festival and Smoke and Vine, where I almost stepped on a not so pleasant snake!  

We had the great opportunity to participate in new summer festivals like Heartful Fest in Richmond and for a few weeks we took up residency on the DC Wharf Waterfront in the MadeInDC tents! It was wonderful meeting tourists who took our stones across America!  

In 2018, we worked in Richmond, VA more than in previous years and of course the people of Richmond showed their support! We met awesome peeps at the Jazz Festival, Peace, Love, RVA festival, and our pop-ups around town. 

The whole of 2018 I was focused on my October journey to South Africa.  It was a homecoming that I had waited 43 years for filled my time there soaking in new cultures and of course hunting for new gemstones.  Unintentionally, I collaborated with a jeweler in South Africa to create a mantra band. You never know when or where you will meet a kindred soul to help grow your brand! 

The Holidays are always fun for me because I know for each bracelet purchased for a gift someone on Christmas day will gain joy from their gemstones and learning about their energies.  So again, I thank you all for our success in 2018 and I look forward to seeing everyone again in 2019! 

Welcome to 2019...and the Year of the Pig.  Even though the Chinese New Year does not start until February 5th, we would like to express our annual theme which includes many of the Year of the Pig traits.  A pig represents luck, overall good fortune, wealth, honesty, general prosperity, symbolizing a hard working, a peace-loving person, a truthful, generous, indulgent, patient, reliable, trusting, sincere, giving, sociable person with a large sense of humor and understanding. *https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/Chinese_Customs/pig.htm

It's been a little over a month since I returned from South Africa and I am excited to announce the release of  B.Birdwatcher's IXam Collection.  While visiting the Apartheid Museum, we were told to not take photographs so I went old school and took out a pen a paper to jot down my memories.  Upon entering, we gained knowledge about the Khoisan people of South Africa and their now extinct language of IXam.  The Khoisan are South Africa's oldest inhabitants and are made up of a number of related communities: The Cape Khoi; the Nama; the Koranna; the Griqua and the San - who also often refer to themselves as bushmen. Throughout the day, we learned about how many of the revolutions of South Africa was driven by the taking away of their own language.  It touched me  to the point where I knew I wanted to name the next collection, IXam.  
Later that week, after having a terribly hard time  finding gemstones to use for the collection, I found a souvenir with all the gemstones from South Africa and the collection finally had legs.  South Africa is known for their diamonds and platinum mines however some of your favorite gemstones are actually mined there.  Tiger's Eye, Carnelian, Amethyst, Blue Lace Agate, Aventurine, Citrine, and Rose Quartz to name a few.  
Finding the charms I needed to complete the collection came by two awesome designers, one I met in Johannesburg and the other in Capetown.  Shirley Larken of The Jewellery Experience at   27 Boxes in Melville.  27 Boxes is a local fashion and design center in Joburg.  Shirley actually created the small Africa Charms and also......the Mantra Bracelets located under fly by B.Birdwatcher ( story to come later).  Shirley and I bonded quickly and she not only created my charms with lightening fast speed she sent me awesome recommendations for the Capetown leg of our trip,
The second designer was found by my travel buddy, Sheree in the Greenmarket Square Artisan Market that was conveniently located directly in front of our hotel.  Lelhaam Alexander, sets up her tent every day in the market and truly reminded me of my weekend vending here in DC.   The struggle is always real but much real-er when you have to physically build your own tent!!
So please enjoy the browsing through the collection!  These designs have a meaning and a story to tell!