We Are in "425 Magazine" Holiday Shopping Guide!

Our Elena Necklace has been included by "425 Magazine" in their Holiday Shopping Guide!  It is fun to see it beautifully photographed and in company of other locally crafted jewels.  The guide is in the magazine's November-December 2012 issue.

Just in Time for the Holidays

We finally have our pendant necklaces in sterling silver in stock!  

Krystallos, Alana, Drea Petite, and Drea.  

Everyone needs at least one neutral colored jewelry piece - and everyday quiet glam is our specialty.  

We have these ready to ship now to get to you in time for the holidays*.  Shop early!

*we do not ship overnight; the last day to order in time for holidays' delivery is December 16th (for domestic orders); in case we are out of stock we will notify you ASAP

Available on www.JoannaMorganDesigns.com

What We've Been Up To...

Meet Alana, Drea, Krystallos, Oona, Bridget, and Justine. We've designed these sculptural rings to fill a void in our collection, and in our jewelry box.  As with every item we introduce at Joanna Morgan Designs these rings were necessary for our everyday fashion life!

The rings were hand carved in wax and then cast in metal (brass or sterling silver).  Afterwards, each one got a nice polish to gleam and shine on your hand.

You can wear one ring as a statement, or stack them up to create different looks.  They can be found at www.JoannaMorganDesigns.com*. Look out for more statement pieces from us soon!

*available in brass; will be available in sterling silver soon; wholesale inquiries please email info@joannamorgandesigns.com

Small Businesses Do It Better

I am "borrowing" the above phrase from Ovaleye, a local business that really does it better, and does it differently as well. I had the pleasure of meeting the powerful mother-daughter duo at The Power Chicks networking event, and was impressed from the get-go. Kathy Nelson and Jennifer Donogh, blonde, vivacious, and sharp, yet very approachable and friendly, are the faces (and brains) of a cloud services company providing a multitude resources for small businesses, but that's not where my admiration ends. As if running a business was not enough, they are involved in a number of organizations in the region, and promote other small businesses in the area.

Last night I was their guest on the weekly Ovaleye.tv program called "Small Businesses Do It Better".  I was interviewed my Kathy and Carissa, who were also modeling designs from my S/S12 collection, and looked gorgeous!  Yes, I was a bit nervous, it was a live interview, but it turned out to be so much fun! We were talking about the power of accessories, the importance of presenting yourself and your brand well, and the role of social media in running a small business.  For me it was also a chance to look back at how my business was started and what it takes every day to make it happen.

Thank you Kathy, Jenn, and Carissa!

 You can watch the interview by clicking on the Ovaleye.tv logo below.

Shopping Local, Shopping Smart

When I'm out looking for new treasures for my closet, I always gravitate toward smaller stores and merchants to find the unusual, the unique items that will add an unexpected detail and flair to my wardrobe. Recently I was fortunate to be invited to one of Dana Sustalux' trunk shows. If you live in Seattle and don't know Dana you're missing out on quite a lot. I don't know how she does it, but she has a knack for unearthing vintage treasures like noone else I know. I was lucky to snag three vintage clutch-style bags and a slinky summer-style sweater in neutral tones I usually prefer. All in excellent condition, cost a fraction of what one run-of-the-mill mass produced bag would have cost me. Giving older items a new life - sustainable luxury - is the kind of recycling right up my alley, so to speak. Apart from trunk shows, Dana has a permanent space in Sodo, by appointment, take a look at her site for details.

My second stop for exciting finds this week was a local high-end consignment shop - "My Dressing Room" - owned by always fashionable Bea. Since it's in my neighborhood (Queen Anne) I often drop by to check for what's new, which can be a blessing and a curse, let me tell you! Bea's keen eye, fashion industry experience, and an unbelievable sense of style ensures that her little shop is filled with a variety of exciting fashions that will please even the toughest shoppers. She will also tell you honestly if an item you're trying on does not look too hot on you... This time I found a gauzy graphite colored summer dress, fitted on top, with a full skirt - a perfect style and color for me. As always, I walked out happy, knowing I will not look like anyone else, feeling like a million dollars.

The third stop this week was also in my neighborhood, at "Three Birds". This perfectly edited and curated Queen Anne lifestyle shop offers fantastic objects for home, gift items, as well as a selection of tasteful accessories such as bags, jewelry, and beautifully colored scarves. It hasn't even been a year since it has open its doors, and it has become the destination for all of us in Queen Anne. The pretty proprietress, Robin, personally selects everything she offers in her spacious boutique - from globally to locally sourced goodies. Everything is arranged beautifully, looking ready to be photographed for a glossy decorating magazine. If I had a larger house (and a bigger budget!) I would buy out the store for sure. For now I picked up a long, summer weight, pastel colored shawl in dreamy shades of dusty pink and lavender. It will look smashing with my new dress from "My Dressing Room"!

So, when you're out there on a shopping trip, don't go to a mall. Wander through small neighborhoods, discover local merchants, you will be surprised how much more exciting it will be. Great for your wardrobe, great for the local economy.

My finds: grey dress from "My Dressing Room", shawl from "Three Birds", vintage clutch from "Sustalux", jewelry my own "Joanna Morgan Designs"

What a Tease!

It's always exciting to see first signs of spring - but this time of year it seems like we are teased by a flower here, a ray of sunshine there, only to be forced back into boots, hats, and gloves. What keeps me going is wearing some brighter, summery colors, reflected in the jewelry, paired with my still wintery wardrobe. Here I am having a bit of fun with my High N'Low necklace.

How do you make it work this time of year?

Psst! Spring Collection Sneak Peek

Spring is just around the corner - believe me, it will be here before we know it! What will you discover in my collection? Here is a little preview.

Zaza Hoop Earrings

White & Blue Long Necklace

Watch for my Spring/Summer 2012 collection launch on February 25th at www.JoannaMorganDesigns.com! Wardrobe: Bri Seeley Designs

Photography: Art of Subtlety

Have You Seen It Yet?

Did you know? I just added new, new, new designs to my collection - I was so excited the pictures were ready, and they turned out so beautiful! It is always such a thrill to show off what you've been working on for weeks or months, and suddenly - voila! - it's here! Come visit - it's all on my website.

Best Friends

Being a designer I've accumulated a pretty serious collection of jewelry - mostly pieces that I created myself. The majority of my designs have sprung out of necessity - I needed a new accessory for a party, a black-tie occasion, or just to complement a new outfit. But in spite of having so many choices, most days I turn to my most trusted pieces - a pair of pearl hoop earings, a simple bangle, and a heavy statement ring. My watch, a wedding band, and my grandmother's engagement ring complete the look.

What are your most trusted pieces of jewelry you wear each day?

Pictured here: "Smart & Beautiful" earrings and bangle, "Flaunt" ring - all by Joanna Morgan Designs

A Fashion Dilemma and a Very Eco-Chic Solution

I was faced with an interesting fashion dilemma recently - we were invited to a festive, black tie-ish affair, and digging through my evening wear I realized that my wardrobe lacks a rather important piece, an accessory if you will. Every woman, I think, experienced something similar when going out - bare shoulders, and often back as well, are exposed to warm, hot, drafty, freezing, and hot again air at parties. Wearing a sweater is not an option, it doesn't really go. Pashminas are great, but it's a kinda been there done that idea. I concluded that our grandmothers had it all figured out already. A fur stole or a shrug solved a myriad of temperature problems, and added that certain seductive glamour. Unfortunately fur has become so expensive and politically incorrect, so I thought I had to cross it off my wish list straight away. What to do, what to do? As they say, necessity is a mother of invention. Thanks to my stylish grandmother I have inherited some very old, and very vintage items (one can only wonder how they made it through numerous wars and occupations). I suddenly recalled a couple of fur collars that were stored in the farthest corner of my closet. A trip to a fabric store for some silk ribbon and fabric, a couple of hours of sewing, and I became a proud owner of a very chic, one of a kind, socially conscious fur shrug/stole/wrap - a true feel-good moment. Here it is!

It's Personal

Someone once told me that jewelry is a personal item. Whether you choose it or it chooses you, when we look for something special to celebrate or make a special day memorable it is most likely with a piece of jewelry. When we think "heirloom" first thing that comes to mind is a family treasure - something dazzling - made with gems and precious metal. For a guy to choose a jewelry as a gift for his honey can be a major decision - not only because of a price tag, but because it is a reflection of what he thinks of her and what she means to him. It can be, quite truly, a defining moment of the relationship. A jewelry piece you choose or are given becomes a part of your life and every time you look at it it will remind you of the first time you'd seen it. You may get it for yourself because you are on vacation, or you lost 5 lbs., or you just celebrated a major birthday, or you got a new job, or you want to treat yourself, or for hundreds of other reasons. We quite often underestimate what these trinkets mean to us - but even if a ring, or a bracelet for example, can be quite easily replaced, we know, that if they're lost, anything else is not the same. I feel honored every time someone selects a piece of jewelry from my collection because it delighted them, because that was exactly what they were looking for, because it chose them...

"Silver & Pearls" Necklace and Bracelet

Trash to Treasure - Modern Heirlooms

A jumble of strings, beads, rhinestones, bunches of necklaces no longer worn, forgotten somewhere at the back of your closet... Some of it is sentimental, hard to throw out, with memories attached. Some of it looks like junk, broken pieces of something once fabulous now sitting in a sad little heap. But wait, don't throw it all out - not yet. What if it could be reworked and revived? In the spirit of saving our planet, and saving our individual style in the deluge of cookie cutter accessories, what if we could modernize, re-glamorize these old trinkets? This is what happened with my grandma's brooch - a very sparkly rhinestone affair, it was living in a forgotten box, never seeing the light of day (or night for that matter), and various attempts to work it into an outfit failed. And then there was a broken string of a big costume piece, a necklace, and a rhinestone clasp that came from something else altogether. One creative afternoon later, we gained a fab new choker style necklace which is gathering plantiful compliments. It not only looks good, but feels good as well - we did something great for ourselves, and for our planet.

If you'd like to redesign your old trinkets into new treasures contact me at Joanna@JoannaMorganDesigns.com!

Autumn Delights

Autumn is my favorite season. There is something about the muted hues of brown, ochre, and mossy green that makes me feel safe and cocooned. I love foggy mornings, misty afternoons, and drizzle on my face (great for the skin, by the way!) Walking through piles of dry leaves is a delight, and dodging falling chestnuts is fun, although they scare my dog... In Seatttle, hearing a fog horn on these darker, moodier days is special. As well as having a multitude of coffee houses on every corner to wake up with a cup of joe on dark days. My personal indulgence in coats, gloves, and scarves becomes a justified obsession, and adding accessories in my favorite hues makes getting dressed extra fun. What is your favorite season?

My Favorite Summer Things...

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."  ~ Henry James

Summer - a perfect time of year, but oh so short and precious.  Long days pass too quickly as we savor deliciously warm minutes trying to save up the feeling of contentment to last us into the rainy season...

How to stop time and make the flavors and scents linger a little longer? 

Here are a few of my favorites I will miss when summer is gone:

Farmers Markets around town with their parade of summer fruit - starting with strawberries and cherries, ending with plums and pears - well into autumn

Blackberry fields in our own neighborhood
The simple elegance of a little white summer dress, and -
Turquoise, robin egg and aqua blue jewelry to complement my LWD

Warm nights perfect for dining al fresco
Languishing...
An abundance of flowers



Easier, slower, gentler living
etc, etc, etc ...  a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose....

What are your summer favorites?