Style File

Mother’s Day Jewelry Wishlist: Vol. 2

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Betsy’s Picks

Since spring of 2018, Betsy has been the voice behind the blog and our email campaigns.  She is also mama to an *almost* five year old daughter, Colette.  She has hand selected the TOP FIVE J’Adorn pieces she’d like to receive this Mother’s Day.

Betsy’s style is clean, simple, and focuses on quality classic pieces with a few interesting details.  She is typically drawn to wearing neutral or solid colors and adding interest to her look through a statement necklace, bold lip color or a great bag (her Kate Spade kitty clutch is a frequent go-to).  

Today on the Blog, we’re counting down Betsy’s top Mother’s Day picks.

(If you missed Volume 1 with Jeannette’s Mother’s Day picks, check that out here)

 

Pick #5: White Druzy Earrings in Gold

Mother's Day gifts: White druzy quartz sparkly earrings in gold, neutral everyday earrings by J'Adorn Designs

Betsy says…

“I have been wearing the J’Adorn champagne and gold druzy earrings for over five years now and they have changed my life.  Like, seriously.  SUCH a wardrobe staple, I don’t know what I did without them.  I would love to have these white druzies for another color option!  White is such a clean look and can be worn in any season and dressed up or down.  I love how sparkly they are.  They make a statement without weighing my ears down.”

 

Pick #4: Crystal Quartz Bar Necklace

Mother's Day gifts: Modern neutral necklace from Betsy's Mother's Day gift wishlist: Crystal quartz bar necklace featuring four geometric crystal quartz beads on a delicate gold chain

Betsy says…

“I’ve been around J’Adorn for a quite a while now, and I own several pieces.  But, when we’re one the road for pop up shows, my eye is always drawn to this Crystal Bar Necklace.  It’s clean and simple, but big enough to make a statement.  A perfect balance between minimal and WOW.  And, as a Montessori Guide for 2 and 3 year olds, I love that this necklace is bold without being long.  Don’t get me wrong, I love long necklaces!  But, they’re not always the most practical for an early childhood classroom.”

 

Pick #3: Crystal Spike Bracelet

Mother's Day gifts: Alternative bridal bracelet with rough crystal spike and delicate gold chain, handcrafted bridal jewelry by J'Adorn Designs

Betsy says…

“The raw beauty of the crystal spike has always drawn me to this piece.  I used to wear bracelets ALL THE TIME.  And, usually quite a few at once.  But, when I had my daughter, I stopped wearing anything on my wrists because I didn’t want to scratch her sweet baby skin while I was holding her or nursing her.  And, I think I just got out of the habit of wearing bracelets.  Now that Colette is older (and scratches her own skin up by climbing over log piles and whipping around on her scooter like a daredevil), I’m ready to bring some arm candy back into my life.  At this point, a lot of my bracelets are a bit out of style.  I love the geometric vibe of this Crystal Spike Bracelet and the way the delicate filigree and crystal accent pieces soften and add interest to the look.”

 

Pick #2: Gold Hoop Earrings with Freshwater Pearls

Mother's Day gifts: Gold hoop earrings with freshwater coin pearl drops. from Betsy's Mothers Day wishlist by J'Adorn Designs handcrafted jewelry

Betsy says…

“These earrings are a little different than what I usually wear.  But, I think it’s important to push your style-boundaries every once in a while.  While the silhouette might be different, the vibe is right up my alley.  I love the thin gold hoop (minimal) and the pop from the coin pearl drop (statement detail).  These would be a really versatile piece I could wear comfortably in the classroom with a casual outfit, but then dress them up for date night or a Saturday at the winery.”

 

Pick #1: Rough Crystal Spikes Hair Comb

Mother's Day gifts: Raw crystal hair comb, handcrafted jewelry by Maryland jewelry artisan J'Adorn Designs featured at Baltimore Museum of Art

Betsy says…

“HAIR ADORNMENTS: they’re NOT just for brides!  Over my years with J’Adorn, we have seen countless hair adornments find their forever homes with women who are not planning a wedding.  They are beautiful, heirloom quality, and a real treasure.  If you want to talk about elevating a look, THIS is how you do it.  I have drooled over Ali’s hair pieces for what feels like forever.  Pop one of these in for a special night out, for a family photoshoot, for a girls night or to give you a boost of power and confidence at a big-deal work meeting.  All of the J’Adorn hair pieces are stunning, but I’m really crushing on raw crystal right now.”

 

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, and with Moms working harder than ever this year, we want all of them to get that just-perfect gift!  Hop over to our website and explore our Wishlist feature.  Build your dream jewelry wardrobe, and send it along to whoever will be buying for you this year!

TAKE THE GUESS-WORK OUT OF GIVING!

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Style File

Mother’s Day Jewelry Wishlist: Vol. 1

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Jeannette’s Picks

Jeannette is our Pinterest Guru, newest team member and a new mom.  She has hand selected the TOP FIVE J’Adorn pieces she’d like to receive this Mother’s Day.

Jeannette’s style is easy-breezy with a fearless love of a bold pop of color to elevate a look.  Whether it’s through makeup, hair styling, or that perfect piece of jewelry to complete a look, Jeannette is casual-with-an-edge.  Her selections are perfect for the mom who balances enjoying & taking care of her children with growing her career, and who prioritizes a night out now and then!

Today on the Blog, we’re counting down Jeannette’s top Mother’s Day picks.

 

Pick #5: Freshwater Pearl Pendant Necklace in Rose Gold

freshwater coin pearl necklace in rose gold jadorn designs custom jewelry

Jeannette says…

“I love simple and dainty go-to pieces that I know will go with just about any outfit. Blush tones are some of my favorites.  I love that this necklace has a classic look but with some edge from the freshwater pearl. I’ve seen a lot of single pearl necklaces on social media, and I love that this is on trend but with personality.”

 

Pick #4: Pink Crystal Spike Necklace with Freshwater Pearl Accent in Gold

Rose gold pendant necklace featuring a raw crystal spike and freshwater pearl accent. A delicate everyday necklace that makes a perfect gift for Mother's Day!

Jeannette says…

“I love a long necklace –  it is super flattering for most body types.  And, I know I love the look on me because of how it draws the eye vertically, but I especially love how this can really elevate an outfit. This piece with a plain tee, some jeans and wedges are a great date day outfit. I love the delicate pearl along with the natural crystal at the end.”

 

Pick #3: White Druzy & Rose Quartz Necklace

white druzy and rose quartz necklace jadorn designs custom jewelry

Jeannette says…

“I love the natural tones with the blush rose quartz and white druzy. This would go with so many outfits. I love that this can be a go-to for travel – for my job I occasionally travel.  And, we visit family often and packing baby stuff means I try to pack light.  I love being able to wear and bring minimal jewelry, but still have nice pieces for going out.  This would be a piece I would grab on any trip for sure and wear frequently.”

 

Pick #2: Blue & Aqua Druzy Drop Earrings

blue and aqua druzy drop earrings jadorn designs custom jewelry

Jeannette says…

“I love that you can wear these with a black cocktail dress to a wedding as a pop of color.  Or, wear them as a statement piece for a fancy date-night.  I’m all about wearing jewelry that might seem kind of dressy with a more casual look to elevate it and make you feel more put together.  The colors here, and the edgy-ness of the druzy and the amazonite are really eye catching with the gold metal work.”

 

Pick #1: Gold Hoop Earrings with Emeralds

gold hoop earrings with emerald beads jadorn designs custom jewelry

Jeannette says…

“I am obsessed with these. First of all, I’m a hoop girl. Small dainty hoops, large geometric hoops, I love them. I love that the natural emerald beads are so unique and bring a pop of color to the hoops. As a mom to a 10 month old, the fact that these are light weight- simple and would look great with a ponytail make these a hands down favorite. Again, I’m all about elevating daily outfits but also having pieces that can transition day to night or be worn for a variety of outfits with travel.  So, these would be a wardrobe staple for me.”

 

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, and with Moms working harder than ever this year, we want all of them to get that just-perfect gift!  Hop over to our website and explore our Wishlist feature.  Build your dream jewelry wardrobe, and send it along to whoever will be buying for you this year!

TAKE THE GUESS-WORK OUT OF GIVING!

 

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News & Events

J’Adorn Welcomes New Social Media Assistant

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Welcome, Jeannette!

We are excited to announce that we’re growing our team here at J’Adorn Designs!  Jeannette will begin by masterminding our Pinterest marketing.  We’re planning on expanding her role into other aspects of our social media and online presence, like Facebook and Wedding Chicks.

(Wedding Chicks is where we share lots of wedding related inspiration)

Have you been following along with us on Instagram?  If so, you may remember we’ve been on the hunt for someone to help manage our social media marketing effort.  Well, Jeannette is the perfect addition.  Let us introduce her to you!

J'Adorn Designs jewelry studio welcomes new social media assistant Jeannette Holian to social media assistant role within custom jewelry and wedding accessories designer studio

For starters, tell us a little bit about yourself!

  • I always have a hard time with these interview-type questions. I think it’s hard because I’m the MOST basic. I love my starbucks, I love wine. I love true crime podcasts, like you could literally carve me out of a born-in-the-80s-raised-in-the-90s-white-girl-millenial bar of soap.  I’m THAT basic. BUT I don’t think that is BAD it’s just who I am.

 

  • Things I dislike:
    • Heels,
    • Making decisions (now not the HARD decisions but silly ones like what to get for dinner or what movies to see).
    • Game of Thrones (sorry, I don’t! I tried.)
    • When people try really hard to seem deep.
  • Things I like:
    • TRIVIA – I am SO good at trivia. I used to play EVERY week at a pizza place when we lived in GA!
    • Red Wine, Pizza, Tacos, Margaritas, Champagne & Baking
    • Disney movies
    • Rewatching The Office and Parks and Rec.
    • Mean Girls
    • Hamilton

J'Adorn Designs jewelry studio welcomes new social media assistant Jeannette Holian to social media assistant role within custom jewelry and wedding accessories designer studio

What are you most excited about in your new role with J’Adorn Designs?

I’m excited to have a creative outlet like this!  I used to love doing this stuff for my own business and had so much fun with the creative part but didn’t like the other aspects of running my own business so this allows me to do the fun stuff that also includes strategy and is always evolving – the social media!

Also, on a personal note I’ve drooled over J’Adorn Designs for a while.  And now I feel I can justify buying some because I’m supporting my employer!  I’m so bad about buying nice things for myself!  I have to justify it with a need.

J'Adorn Designs jewelry studio welcomes new social media assistant Jeannette Holian to social media assistant role within custom jewelry and wedding accessories designer studio

What has your career path looked like prior to joining #TeamJAdorn?

I’ve done a little bit of a lot of things! At Roanoke College, I majored in English.  

(sidenote: Jeannette and Betsy went to Roanoke College together, both majoring in English. The girls were one year apart and shared a few classes together and lots of great memories. Check out the photo below!) 

After college, I went directly to grad school where I received my Masters in Education in Higher Ed. I worked in Higher Ed for about 4 years professionally then worked in Title IX, or gender discrimination in education.  Due to funding and the needs of the college they added a new elevated role and cut mine.

I then ran my own online business with fitness/health coaching for a few years. During this time, I learned a lot about online marketing and social media. I found joy in the creativity of creating posts and ran my own podcast for a while, but running your own business is H A R D and just not for me.

I started doing some contract work like teaching English online and doing some social media and marketing for a Realtor.  I then worked in HR for a few months at a SaaS company, and found that I really love working in the software industry!  I now work as a Client Success Specialist and this is my main field but I also love social media and marketing!  I miss having my online blogs and podcasts and this fills that creative gap for me!

Betsy and Jeannette in college

What is your most cherished piece of jewelry and why?

Aside from my wedding ring, when my husband and I started trying to have a baby, I had three miscarriages before getting pregnant with my son. During that time, my MIL bought me a stamped angel wing pendant for each loss. During my baby shower for my son, Jensen, she gave me a stamped J pendant. It was such a beautiful full circle moment.  The losses were so hard for me and it was finally real that my son would finally be joining us in a few months.  I wear it every day because it reminds me not just of him, but that life works out, that the hardest parts of our lives can become the most beautiful.

If you were a piece of jewelry, what would be be and why?

Earrings!  They really bring a whole look together.  Whether it’s a stud, or a hoop, or a tassel, they can enhance the best features on your face.  I like to think of myself as a team player who supports others well with recognition and allowing others to take the lead.  But sometimes, I like being the spotlight piece and I feel like earrings are great that way, too!  They can be a statement, or the perfect compliment, or just your every day reliable – that’s me; I have range.

J'Adorn Designs jewelry studio welcomes new social media assistant Jeannette Holian to social media assistant role within custom jewelry and wedding accessories designer studio

What is your favorite gemstone?

Green sapphire.  It’s the main stone in my engagement ring.  It’s so unique and gorgeous!

How would you describe your personal style?

I’d say it’s a combination of athleisure and classic comfort. I love jeans and a classic tee.  But I love to add a statement piece like a jacket, a necklace, a boot, or bold lip to change it up.  To be honest,  I spend most of my time in yoga pants and cute tennis shoes.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

It definitely depends! If I have a busy day at work or a big project coming up, those are my favorite days to get going because I love feeling like I’ve made a big contribution and worked really hard to get there. I also am really motivated to get up just knowing I’ll do my best that day whether it’s in a workout or staying in jammies with my son.  I live for little moments and big accomplishments!

Jeannette with a delicious looking sprinkle covered ice cream cone

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Creative Entrepreneurship

How I’m Growing My Pinterest Within the New Content Guidelines

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Creative business social media tips - how I use Tailwind for Pinterest to keep growing my jewelry business within the new content guidelines - J'Adorn Designs

Today I’m pulling back the veil and showing you my secret weapon for Pinterest marketing!

Between the new content guidelines that Pinterest recently released and my current work-from-home situation due to the coronavirus, I’m happier than ever to have Tailwind in my arsenal of tools to make the most impact marketing my jewelry products online.

Creative business social media tips - how I use Tailwind for Pinterest to keep growing my jewelry business within the new content guidelines - J'Adorn Designs

Note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I was also compensated to create this post, though all opinions are my own. I started using Tailwind long before I decided to become an affiliate. 

To jump right in and see the platform I’m talking about, click here! 

Running a small business can be overwhelming.

When you’re wearing all the hats, time is a precious resource that you can’t spare. That’s why I love using Tailwind to manage my Pinterest posts. It saves me time and effort in writing, posting, and optimizing my pins for maximum impact. They’re constantly rolling out new features, like SmartGuide, to help users get the best results.

I’ve been a faithful user of Tailwind for years, and I can honestly say that it’s been the single best marketing investment I’ve made in my jewelry business. 

Recently, Pinterest changed its content guidelines to prioritize certain types of posts over others. Thankfully, with Tailwind, adjusting to these new rules has been easy to work into my existing Pinterest marketing strategy.

In this blog post, I’m going to tell you how Tailwind has helped me grow my business through Pinterest, and how you can do the same by following the new content guidelines. 

How I grow my jewelry business on Pinterest using Tailwind's pin scheduling tool to follow new content guidelines

If you remember nothing else from this blog post, I want you to remember these two words:

FRESH CONTENT. 

This is the first and most important change to Pinterest’s content guidelines.

Tailwind’s new content guidelines give priority to FRESH CONTENT above all other content. They also want you to share more of your own content than before.

So, what does “fresh content” mean?

Simply put, fresh content is a new image that has not been shared to Pinterest before. To give its users the most relevant and up-to-date results for their searches (remember, Pinterest is a search engine), fresh content gets first priority.  Fresh content includes images for new blog posts, new pages, new product listings, and new images for existing posts, products, and pages. So, you don’t necessarily have to create a new blog post every time you want to share a pin.

Here are a couple of ideas on how to add fresh content without making new product listings or web pages:
  • From your website:
    • Add a new photo to a published product.
    • Then, pin the new image to Pinterest.
    • The new pin links back to your product page, but the new photo counts as fresh content if it hasn’t been seen on Pinterest before. (Added bonus: increased SEO for that product page!)
    • Upload a modeled/lifestyle photo that links back to the product page
  • As a direct upload:
    • Rather than adding a new photo to a web page, you can upload the photo directly to Pinterest and manually link to a page.
    • Or, if you don’t have new photos, you can make small changes like adding a text overlay to your existing photos. Save the photo with changes under a new file name, then upload it to Pinterest following the same steps listed above.

New Pinterest Guidelines: Fresh content is the best content for Pinterest. Fresh content is any photo that has never been on Pinterest before.

This process might sound SUPER time consuming. And, it would be if I was writing and posting all of my pins manually. That’s where Tailwind comes in to make my job easier.

With Tailwind for Pinterest, I can schedule all of my pins ahead of time in a batch session. When I do this, I know I will be getting the best “bang for my buck” in results. I trust them because they’re certified partners with Pinterest (and Instagram!) so I know I’m following the most up-to-date guidelines and their little robots are working their magic to optimize every pin that I send out into the internet. (That’s how I like to imagine computer processes working, anyway!)

The second new content guideline:

Authenticity is King.

Just like Instagram, Pinterest wants us to interact in ways that look more like real life. So, when you’re writing your pin descriptions and choosing which board(s) to pin to, focus on creating an authentic connection with the person on the other side of the screen rather than overtly selling your goods & services.

New Pinterest Guidelines: when writing a pin description and choosing which pinterest board to share a pin to, focus on relevancy and authenticity. Don't post the same pin to as many boards as possible; instead pick a few that are the most relevant for your content.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re creating content for Pinterest, in order to connect more authentically:

  • Clickbait is out, especially in titles
  • Pinterest is looking at relevancy. So, instead of adding your pin to any board where it could possibly fit, add pins only to boards where they’re truly relevant.
  • Questions to consider while writing:
    • How does this answer a question?
    • What problem could this solve that my audience is searching for?

The third new content guideline:

Longer Posting Intervals

New 2020 Pinterest Guidelines: Space out your pins further than before, at least 7 days between repeated content. You can still pin the same content to multiple boards, just use fewer boards and spread out the intervals further!

As part of their efforts to crack down on spam, Pinterest’s new guidelines recommend posting in wider intervals to avoid being flagged and penalized.
One of the features I’ve always enjoyed as a Tailwind user is the ability to set intervals in posting the same pin to multiple boards. I used to set the interval to “1 day or more” between posting the same pin multiple times. However, now I’ve adapted to the new guidelines and set my interval to “7 days or more.”

This is just one more way that Tailwind is making my life as a creative entrepreneur easier & more streamlined: by taking the guesswork out of determining the best times to pin, and automating my posts to follow the new rules automatically.

Here’s a look at the interval tool from the Tailwind dashboard:

Tailwind's interval tool for scheduling minimum time between pins on Pinterest for optimal pinning schedule

Staying up to date on best practices for social media marketing can be exhausting, and like me, you’ve probably questioned if it’s really worth the time and effort. I get it!

But friends, I’m already seeing the results and I’m here to tell you: fresh content works on Pinterest! Users respond to new Pins and the algorithm loves them, so get ahead of the rest by adapting to these changes now.

 

This is the first post in our newly revitalized blog series on creative entrepreneurship. If there’s a specific topic you’d like to see us share about in the future, please let us know in the comments!

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