It’s fashion week in NYC, and quite honestly, it’s the only thing in my pop-culture realm that’s stealing time away from the winter Olympics. What’s great about fashion week is that you get a glimpse into the future. Six months from now, it’s quite possible that neck warmers and metallic ruffled skirts will be all the rage. A majority of the shows I’ve seen thus far, offer a dark, handmade look. It’s as if the designers have been living in bunkers underground, only to emerge with the deep earthly colors of gemstones and red-hot lava. It’s a feast for the eyes when mixed with comforting fabrics like wool and cashmere: soft textures of the land they left behind. Right now, you can get a taste of fashion’s future with these premium lampwork bead sets.

Infuse the fashions of tomorrow into your work today!

Fashion: Carolina Herrera Fall 2010
Beads: 19mm Kaleidoscope Artisan Lampwork Beads Set

Fashion: Diane Von Furstenberg Fall 2010
Beads: 15mm Blue Galaxy Artisan Lampwork Beads Set

Fashion: Tracy Reese Fall 2010
Beads: 27mm Light Lavender and Silver Artisan Lampwork Beads Set

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*

Happy President’s Day fellow beaders… or is it Presidents Day?

That apostrophe, and its usage in the holiday's name, is the stuff of nightmares. Really. Perhaps we should look at the origins of the holiday for answers. Originally, Presidents Day was created in honor of George Washington, whose birthday is on February 22nd. Then, when Abraham Lincoln came along, (February 12th) Americans decided to honor both of these forward-thinking men with February birthdays, hence the addition of the apostrophe. Today, the federal holiday acknowledges all of our presidents. In honor of the men who have built this country (and the man who is currently running the country), I’ve pulled some of our more political lampwork beads and metal charms. If you’re looking for other jewelry components with American spirit, check out our Fourth of July beads in our Seasonal & Holiday Beads section.

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*

At Goody Beads, we are proud to offer one of the largest collections of awareness beads and charmsonline. From pink ribbon breast cancer awareness beads to teal ribbon ovarian health and wellness charms, you’ll find a variety of jewelry components in the colors you need for any cause. If you ever wondered what each ribbon color stands for, we have a handy chart in our Goody Guide Resources section that breaks down the various ribbon colors and corresponding causes. As there are only so many colors in the rainbow, colors for causes often overlap. A red ribbon can be used to support female heart disease awareness, as well as HIV/AIDS.

I’m sure you’re aware that every month has a cause associated with it. These “awareness months” are a nice way to educate the public, raise money, and support those who are affected by the issue. It’s great that we do this, but I’ve learned that one’s support for something they believe in defies time. A pink ribbon bracelet is often worn not just during the month of October, which is national breast cancer awareness month, but is also worn during the other eleven months out of the year. I certainly don’t want to play favorites to a particular cause on this blog, and honestly, one cause deserves as much attention as the next.

Today, there are two movements that are “on the radar” in our collective culture, and I wanted to share what they are up to. And if you happen to be a supporter of these causes, there are also some great awareness products that will help you show your support beautifully. I hope to do more blog posts like this in the future, to shed light on the many causes that affect us all.

February 5th is ‘National Wear Red Day’
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of adult females and today the American Heart Association is urging you to don an article of red clothing to show your support.
Visit GoRedForWomen.org for more information on heart disease.
Shop Goody Beads selection of red ribbon products.

Autism Awareness
Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). This weekend, HBO will be airing a film on the life of Dr. Temple Grandin, a fascinating and accomplished woman living with Autism.
Learn more about Autism.
Learn more about Temple Grandin.
Watch a clip of actress Claire Danes as Temple Gradin in HBO Films Temple Grandin.
Shop Goody Beads collection of Autism awareness beads and charms.

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*

I’m not a gambler. I don’t know when to hold’em, or fold’em and just walk away. My poker face is like cellophane. You don’t want me blowing on your dice at the craps table, either, because the only luck you’ll get from me is in scoring cool beads, like this fun set right here. There’s no masking the smile that will light up your face at the sight of these lampwork beads in the shape of playing cards. They’re just too fierce! Each set of four includes a diamond, club, spade, and a heart. Get these beads in your hot little hands today!

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*

Fellow blog readers, I don’t know you all personally, but I can tell that you are responsible beaders. You don’t drink and bead, don’t run with beads in your hand, and you certainly don’t horseplay with beads. That’s just plain dangerous. Beading is a serious art form and should be taken seriously. Seriously. Which is why I’m suggesting you play it safe and avoid these extremely inappropriate jewelry components. Avoid charms in the shape of trendy purses. Stay away from margarita shaped lampwork beads. These disturbing components mock the seriousness of the craft. And above all, don’t even think about beads in the shape of cupcakes, especially the ones that have sprinkles on them. For Pete’s Sake, SPRINKLES!!!!

Jewelry components that should be banned for over-the-top cuteness:

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*

When I was single, Valentine’s Day was about as welcomed and enjoyed as a bad case of food poisoning. I would cling to the Lonely Hearts Club of girlfriends who reminded me that my prince would come one day, and that he would totally look like Robert Redford, and that in the mean time, it’s okay to drown your sorrows in a vat of Rocky Road ice cream, while watching a Designing Women marathon. Work those shoulder pads, girls! Why does V-day ignite passion in some people, and agonizing pain in others? Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, yes, love in all of its manifestations. I love my cats just as much as my husband and kids. I love large hole beads. I love the FedEx guy who smiles at me on a rainy day when he’s the one who’s dripping wet. I love YouTube videos of laughing babies. I love donating clothes to the Salvation Army that still have the tags on them. I love saying hello to strangers I will never meet again. This is what Valentine’s Day is truly all about.

Show your love for whatever makes your heart sing with these fine Valentine’s Day-inspired beads and jewelry components!

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*

I don’t know about you, but this past holiday weekend left me bloated, broke, and oddly, begging for more... I just love the holidays. I love the madness of it, the way we go out of our way to do something special for the people (and pets) we love. I make gifts for all of my family and friends so I’m up to my armpits in projects right now but it’s worth it. And it looks like a lot of you have been busy beaders, too. I came across a list of items Goody Beaders like you have been snapping up lately. Perhaps you’ve already purchased some of these goodies, but my guess is that they’ll be new to you. Here are the top holiday goodies you should know about on Goody Beads.

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*

I’m sort of a glutton for pop culture and when a phenomenon seems to spout up out of nowhere and captivate the world’s attention, I can’t help but be sucked in along with it. The Twilight Saga is this half of the decade’s guilty pleasure, once held by the Harry Potter series (You remember that, right? Boy wizard? J.K. Rowling? Yeah, I can’t remember who she is, either.) Alas, that is the life cycle of the phenomenon. It dances on the world stage, high on a pedestal, until something else comes along to knock it off.

Twilight (and it’s saga series book mates: New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) is a very popular series of teen books that are now blockbuster movies. The latest in the franchise is New Moon, and if you’d like to know more about that you can look here. Teens and their mothers alike are flocking to this series and swooning over the love affair between a mortal human named Bella and an immortal vampire named Edward. It’s typical romance fair with supernatural bite. If you’re a fan of author Stephenie Meyer’s saga, you may want to pay homage to your favorite characters with some vampy jewelry components from Goody Beads.

Beads and jewelry components with bite!

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*

Since birth, I have always been reminded that Topaz is the birthstone for November, and not because it is my own. My sister, who is a fiery Scorpio, wore a topaz necklace and matching earrings for most of our childhood together. Even as a youngster, I knew there was meaning behind that special color designated just for her. Topaz and Citrine are the birthstones for November. I’m a big fan of the color yellow, in general, so you can imagine my envy growing up having to watch my older sister wear one of my favorite colors, while I got stuck with a slew of purple this, purple that. Topaz is thought to be the modern and most commonly known birthstone of the two. But both gemstones offer golden goodness.

Topaz can be found in a range of colors, from golden blush to a rich cognac. Topaz has a history filled with lore and mysticism, as ancient Egyptians believed that the glow from a Topaz stone came from their sun God, Ra. Topaz is also thought to empower the laws of attraction and manifestation. Creativity thrives under meditation with this stone.

No matter what you hear out there, Citrine is not the poor man’s version of Topaz. It’s gotten a bad wrap because some less honest jewelers have tried to pass the stone off as Topaz. It’s not a cheap stone. It’s simply a different kind of stone altogether. It’s quartz, to be exact. Natural Citrine is a rare find, as Citrine derives from the Amethyst family. With a combination of time and heat provided by Mother Nature, amethysts are “cooked” into Citrines. It’s a fascinating process, one that allows us to adorn the fruits of Mother Nature’s hard labor.

Check out our Topaz and Citrine-hued beads and jewelry components. Pick some up for those lucky November babies, or be like me and wear them as a proclamation of love to the color yellow.

Happy Beading!
*Miss Pearl*