Five Faves Friday: Ocean Vibes

1. Salacia Rings: Saltwater and Silver | 2. Nauti Tank: Liquid Therapy

3. Framed Shark Tooth Art: Josh Phares | 4. Seashell Hoops: By Love Designs

5. Solar Sands Candle with Shark Teeth: Smell Swell

When you're a Floridian and summertime rolls around, ocean-inspired accessories, apparel, and home goods tend to be a natural part of your existence. I've lived in Florida all of my life and have always enjoyed being near or even on the water, so seashells, shark teeth, nautical symbols, and more just make things feel more like home for me! This week's Five Faves Friday is a collection of some fun ocean vibes items from local makers -- and I even managed to get a husband and wife into the mix! I am also proud to say that I own (or have owned, in the case of the candle that I already burned through), products from all of these businesses.

If you're not already following these businesses, I invite you to check them out!

Five Faves Friday: Reds, Whites, and Blues

1. Southwestern USA Earrings: By Love Designs | 2. Crochet Top: Soho Bohemian Store
3. Admiral's Daughters Apparel: Palms Pantry | 4. Ocean Earrings: Jasper and Elm
5. Macarons: Macarons by Despie
Jacksonville -- and especially Jacksonville Beach -- loves to do July 4th as big as they can. Beach cruisers fill up 1st Street, lots of houses have yard parties and inflatables along the way, and there was even one year when our resident Florida Man™ got arrested for playing "The Star Spangled Banner" on an electric guitar in the street! Because it's such a big day here, red, white, and blue apparel, accessories, and treats are kind of a must. I collected a few items to help you celebrate the day, check the product links below the image above to shop or see where to find them. And don't forget, my patriotic fringe earrings are raising money for K9s for Warriors this month!

Memorial Day + K9s For Warriors Fundraiser

Patriotic Crescent Moon Earrings Today's holiday is one whose meaning is not lost on me, and I get frustrated every year seeing businesses using it as an opportunity to have a big sale and talking about "celebrating."

I have a friend who never made it home from his service to our country. He left behind a wife and a child he never got to meet. I also have friends who did not survive the trauma that they came home with. Today is a day that I think about them.

Southwestern patriotic fringe earrings

Since we do have another patriotic holiday coming up, I will be making a limited number of red, white, and blue earrings (possibly other accessories if I find time). I will be donating 10% of the sale from these from today through the end of June to a local charity that I love, K9s For Warriors. This charity provides service dogs to veterans in an effort to end veteran suicide. I've been on their campus, met several of their employees, and have met several of their warriors and canine companions, and they are an incredible organization. (Keep scrolling to see a photo I took a few years ago of one of their adorable service puppies in training at an event.)

By all means, enjoy your day today -- I myself will be enjoying some poolside relaxation -- but do remember those that today honors.

How I Wore It: Glam Gold and Turquoise Chevron Earrings

Shorts: Walmart | Turquoise and Gold Beaded Earrings: By Love Designs
Tank Top: Aerie (similar) | Sandals: Amazon

I made an outing to St. Augustine over the weekend with the sole mission of visiting Cousteau's Waffle & Milkshake Bar, a dessert spot that specializes in waffles and milkshakes. I've been struggling to figure out how to style these printed floral shorts that I got weeks ago, and why I didn't think of pairing them with a simple black top sooner, I have no idea! While I do have the glam chevron fringes in black and gold, I wanted to balance out the black in my top and sandals, so I chose the turquoise and gold beaded earrings to complement the shorts. All in all it was a Saturday well spent, and thankfully between walking The Bridge of Lions twice and also getting in lots of steps through downtown St. Augustine, I think I managed to burn off most of my (very delicious) Bond Company Stooge waffle!

Where to Buy Beads for Jewelry Making

Are you an aspiring beader, or you've already gotten into it but are seeking out places where you can find beads? I've been doing this for quite some time now, so I've amassed some resources for places to purchase beads from. My top six places to buy seed beads are:

1. Amazon: As with anything on Amazon, be sure to closely read reviews for any beads you are considering before making a purchase. While I have found some beads that have been good for making beaded jewelry, there are some out there with colors that can scratch off. Many of the beads that I have found on Amazon, especially the ones that come with assorted colors in a case, are not uniform in size, so they won't be suitable for all projects.

2. Aura Crystals: This retailer is tied for my top place to get beads from (with Michaels being the other favorite). The difference between Aura Crystals and Michaels is that while I can see the beads in person at Michaels, there isn't as big a selection. Aura Crystals has a huge selection of colors and sizes for all of my fringe earrings projects, and their beads are coded so that you can find the same color in various sizes. One drawback is that oftentimes the specific beads I am looking for are sold out, but they typically eventually get restocked.

3. eBay: If you know what you're looking for in regards to bead sizes and colors, eBay can be a great resource. As with Amazon, pay attention to the seller's rating and customer reviews.

4. Etsy: Etsy isn't just a place to buy handmade goods, but it's also a great place to find the supplies you need to make those goods as well! If you're going to shop for beads or any other jewelry-making supplies on Etsy, be prepared to spend hours scouring shops, but once you establish a few shops you like to buy from, you're set!

5. Fire Mountain Gems: As far as online bead suppliers go, Fire Mountain Gems is probably the most well known. They have a huge selection of beads and other supplies, and offer a wholesale program as well.

6. Michaels: Michaels has a good selection of basic bead colors and does sales often, but their inventory can be hit or miss. (I sometimes end up going to two or three locations in one day to find the beads I need.) I recommend joining their rewards program that lets you earn vouchers for $5 or more off of your purchase, and the app always has at least one coupon that you can use.

I hope this list is helpful, and happy beading!

Small Batch, Slow Made

Many of you already know this, but for those who don't: By Love Designs is a one-woman show. From sourcing materials and creating handmade jewelry pieces to photographing jewelry and posting on social media all the way to packing and shipping orders, everything you see here is all done by hand, by me.

What does this mean? Product production is slow, and any items I create are in small batches. While things take a little longer and I never have a huge inventory to shop from, I think this is a great thing! There aren't hundreds of people out there wearing the same beaded earrings or necklace or bracelet you have on, and you know exactly who was responsible for every step of that new piece of jewelry becoming yours! Thank you for supporting this small, slow business with a big heart!

Five Faves Friday: Gifts for Mom

1. Floral Suncatcher: Effloresced Designs | 2. Citrus Art: Megan Welch Artworks
3. Incense Holders: Fire and Moth Co. | 4. Knotted Flamingo: Knotty by Kasey
5. Seashell Hoop Earrings: By Love Designs

Mother's Day snuck up on me (I thought it was *next* weekend until Wednesday when I realized the date and made a hasty bike ride to drop off my card to my stepmom), but I didn't want to let this weekend pass without bringing back my Five Faves Friday series that has been neglected since December!

From a floral suncatcher that's just begging to be hung in a sunny window to detailed seashell mermaid earrings from yours truly, these are all local makers who either sell ready-made or custom work (or both), so I highly suggest following them if you aren't already!