aboutgingerandjade.comTumblr (3.0; @gingerandjade)http://blog.gingerandjade.com/<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li0d8pJljB1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li0d8pJljB1qb3rwso2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li0d8pJljB1qb3rwso3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li0d8pJljB1qb3rwso4_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>ginger & jade jewelry is in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.betteasheville.com/">BETTE</a> boutique in asheville, nc!! </p> <p>hmm… i love the asymmetrical watercolor dress they’ve outfitted with our lapis lazuli necklace! it would be perfect for one of the many weddings i have this spring.</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3855163112http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3855163112Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:30:08 -070014k gold vermeilashevillebeaded braceletbeaded necklacebette boutiquegemstonessterling silverlapis lazuli<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lh77dvDJns1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>multi tourmaline might be my favorite gemstone to work with. i just love how rich the colors are & it feels like you get more for your money with all the different colors :)</p> <p>this is such a fun dress by milly. the straps are gold rope & feel so beachy! nancy chose a gold disk & chain for this necklace to match the straps & we went with the bolder & brighter tourmaline colors. i’m so excited to make this necklace because i haven’t worked with briolettes in years, but they’re so beautiful & feminine. i might make one for myself!</p> <p>i’ll feature nancy’s wedding gown & custom jewelry after her wedding in April!</p> <p>l, m</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3620810356http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3620810356Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:39:26 -0800custom wedding jewelrygoldmulti tourmaline briolette<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhaxsvZEie1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhaxsvZEie1qb3rwso2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhaxsvZEie1qb3rwso3_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>i love this metallic tibi dress that nancy chose to wear for her engagement party last weekend. ever since i wore a blue & gold necklace with a pink printed dress due to lack of options on vacation, i’ve fallen in love with the color combo! </p> <p>here we went with 14k gold vermeil bali beads with lapis lazuli round stones, which have tiny flecks of gold in them. this necklace is very delicate & it’s versatile so nancy can wear it to her engagement party in atlanta or during her beach wedding in jamaica!</p> <p>l, m</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3564373574http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3564373574Mon, 28 Feb 2011 07:30:07 -0800<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgsvriO90Y1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>nancy’s second look for her wedding in jamaica is a strapless dress with a great jungle-floral print in blues & greens. here i definitely wanted something simple but impactful. i loved the idea of a bright contrast color to really highlight this dress. </p> <p>here we chose to go with three strands of faceted red & pink coral. i haven’t decided whether these should be layered (a la a bib necklace) or all the same length, but either way the silhouette will be very elegant & clean but youthful in color.</p> <p>l, m </p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3363340876http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3363340876Fri, 18 Feb 2011 07:30:07 -0800red faceted coralpink faceted coralbeaded necklacecustom wedding jewelry<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgozvg88gp1qb3rwso1_400.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgozvg88gp1qb3rwso2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>i’m so excited that my friend, nancy, asked me to design a few pieces for her to wear over her wedding weekend in jamaica! we went to middle & high school together in atlanta and grew up in the same neighborhood. sadly, we haven’t been in touch as much as i’d like lately, but nancy has promised to come visit me with her soon-to-be-husband, mike, this summer!</p> <p>here’s the first look. a beaded dress by tibi. i wanted to bring in a pop of bright yellow, but didn’t want to compete with the beading at the neckline. so i designed a sterling silver bracelet & gave nancy the choice between lemon czech glass beads & yellow coral branch beads. we decided on the coral since it has more dimensional interest. i love it so much, i want to make one for myself!</p> <p>l, m</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3327441718http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3327441718Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:30:00 -0800custom wedding jewelryyellow coralsilver bracelet<p>adorable @JoAnnTo: my color rut continues..loving blue + grey <a href="http://wp.me/p11Btf-W4" target="_blank">http://wp.me/p11Btf-W4</a></p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3316826154http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3316826154Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:46:17 -0800<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn9wgYLl1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/> a bundle of issues!<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn9wgYLl1qb3rwso2_500.jpg"/><br/> strawberry milkshake @ saigon saigon bar<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn9wgYLl1qb3rwso3_500.jpg"/><br/> thoughtful view @ war remnants museum<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn9wgYLl1qb3rwso4_500.jpg"/><br/> pho & french fries... yes please!<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn9wgYLl1qb3rwso5_500.jpg"/><br/> great catch in a hectic rush hour<br/><br/> <p>vietnam continued… ho chi minh city</p> <p>a visit to <strong>ho chi minh city</strong> can be quick. we hit the main historical landmarks in a day & spent our second day lounging in hotel cafes to avoid the heat.</p> <ul><li><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://eatdrinkkl.blogspot.com/2010/09/saigon-saigon-bar.html">saigon saigon bar</a></strong> at the caravelle hotel- this was the hub for journalists during the vietnam war. in addition to the cocktails they’re well known for, i highly recommend the banana & peanut butter smoothie!</li> <li><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Remnants_Museum_(Ho_Chi_Minh_City)">war remnants museum</a></strong>- i’m hesitant to mention this museum, but if you’re in hcmc then you should probably make a point to go. it’s very sad & very graphic, but will give you a different perspective on the people you see throughout your trip. i’d love to know what you think after your visit.</li> </ul><p>l, m</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3309872533http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3309872533Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:30:00 -0800Vietnamho chi minh citysaigon saigon barwar remnants museumpho<a href="http://idratherbeshopping.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/vday-game-blogger-celeb-crush-match-up/">happy valentine's day!</a>: <p>don’t forget to vote in the valentine’s day game from i’d rather be shopping! the prize is a ginger & jade bracelet!</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3293729226http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3293729226Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:35:05 -0800<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgkn7vFn7w1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>quite a lovely weekend! i am going to start selling jewelry in BETTE boutique & design necklaces & bracelets for a friend’s destination wedding in jamaica! i’ll post color inspiration & gemstone mood boards for each wedding outfit next week!</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3292365714http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3292365714Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:31:00 -0800jewelryboutiquecustom wedding jewelrybraceletsnecklacesgemstones<p>picking up delarosa for birthday boy @kibera!</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3270193762http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3270193762Sun, 13 Feb 2011 03:07:43 -0800<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn2kzhm01qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/> south china sea<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn2kzhm01qb3rwso7_r1_500.jpg"/><br/> a bit chilly in december!<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn2kzhm01qb3rwso9_r1_500.jpg"/><br/> in his element!<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn2kzhm01qb3rwso5_500.jpg"/><br/> lounging at louisiane brewery<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfn2kzhm01qb3rwso8_r1_500.jpg"/><br/> dusk on the beach<br/><br/> <p>vietnam continued… nha trang</p> <p><strong>nha trang</strong> is a small beach town, known for scuba diving & hosting the miss universe pageant in 2008 (miss venezuela won). we took an overnight train here, which was possibly the worst recommendation i’ve ever followed. i will spare you the miserable picture of me camped out on a top bunk with bedding, whose last washing remains unknown. </p> <p>back to the reasons for visiting <strong>nha trang</strong>…</p> <ul><li><strong>scuba diving-</strong> we went did a private day cruiser with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.divevietnam.com/main.shtml">rainbow divers</a>. our dive master was local & wore a speedo (gotta love french colonies!). it was actually pretty cold & silty since it was december, but we still had a great time & truly appreciated the hot tea & delicious pineapple snack.</li> <li><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.louisianebrewhouse.com.vn/">louisiane brewhouse</a>-</strong> yummy beer & banana milkshakes. so-so food. we spent every afternoon here drinking while listening to greasy eastern europeans discuss american politics. possibly the highlight of our stay ;)</li> </ul><p>l, m</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3234474951http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3234474951Fri, 11 Feb 2011 07:30:00 -0800Vietnamnha tranglousiana brewerySCUBA diving<p>so excited about the giveaway! RT @JoAnnTo i spy @BlairEadieBEE and @stripesnsequins and @gingerandjade&#8230;oh my <a href="http://bit.ly/gPRwKq" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/gPRwKq</a></p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3233557888http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3233557888Fri, 11 Feb 2011 05:53:01 -0800<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgfi4kewXx1qb3rwso1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p><span>win a ginger & jade bracelet! </span></p> <p><span>i love joann to’s blog, <a target="_blank" href="http://idratherbeshopping.wordpress.com/">i’d rather be shopping</a>. be sure to check back on monday, 2.14 for her valentine’s day game & chance to win a ginger & jade sterling silver & aquamarine bracelet!</span></p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3225462069http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3225462069Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:14:00 -0800custom jewelryaquamarineswiss blue topazsterling silverbraceleti'd rather be shopping<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lft4e7yyg91qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>soldering in my jewelry fabrication class today. check out that blue flame!</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3000724482http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/3000724482Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:08:00 -0800solderingjewelry classrevere academy<p>my friend JoAnn, who writes <a target="_blank" href="http://idratherbeshopping.wordpress.com/">i&#8217;d rather be shopping</a>, is over tonight making jewelry!</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2988636556http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2988636556Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:27:00 -0800i'd rather be shoppingcustom jewelry<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfavvbqL5B1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/> a romantic hoi an night<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfavvbqL5B1qb3rwso3_500.jpg"/><br/> red bridge cooking class<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfavvbqL5B1qb3rwso4_500.jpg"/><br/> let's hope he does this at home<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfavvbqL5B1qb3rwso2_500.jpg"/><br/> yaly's tailors - the best!<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfavvbqL5B1qb3rwso7_r1_400.jpg"/><br/> not-so-shabby knockoff gown<br/><br/> <p><strong>vietnam recs continued… hoi an</strong></p> <p>the next town we visited was far & away my favorite. if you pick one city to go to then <strong>hoi an is the must-go-to city</strong>.</p> <ul><li><strong>food</strong>- <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mangorooms.com/index.htm">mango rooms</a> is amazing</li> <li><strong>beaches</strong>- we stayed at the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.boutiquehoianresort.com/">boutique hoi an resort</a> on the beach & it was the most luxurious place we found for under $120/night</li> <li><strong>cooking classes</strong>- we did the night class at the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.visithoian.com/redbridge/cookingschool.html">red bridge school</a> because that’s as long as i could hold jonathan’s attention, but the day class with the market tour sounds incredible!</li> <li><strong>shopping & custom tailors</strong>- yaly’s tailors are the best. i had a simplified version of this <a target="_blank" href="http://www.jcrew.com/wedding/Wedding_Bride/gowns/PRDOVR~20046/20046.jsp">j.crew gown</a> made for $95 & they did a spectacular job. for those who know me, don’t get too excited… it was in black, not white :)</li> </ul><p>more to come on nha trang and scuba diving in vietnam!</p> <p>l, m</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2959645149http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2959645149Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:48:00 -0800hoi anvietnamtravelred bridge cooking classcustom tailorjcrew gownvietnamese food<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfawofgBdR1qb3rwso2_500.jpg"/><br/> sidewalk cafes- the place to be!<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfawofgBdR1qb3rwso3_500.jpg"/><br/> the "hanoi hilton"<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfawofgBdR1qb3rwso4_500.jpg"/><br/> i think i just saw these in a boutique!<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfawofgBdR1qb3rwso1_400.jpg"/><br/> bananas for sale!<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfawofgBdR1qb3rwso5_500.jpg"/><br/> a bicycle made for one & a half!<br/><br/> <p><strong>vietnam recs continued… hanoi </strong></p> <p>highly influenced by french design & culture, hanoi has lots to see & has the best sidewalk cafes if you’re feeling adventuresome :)</p> <ul><li><strong>history-</strong> you can tour the prison where mccain was held during the vietnam war. it was sarcastically dubbed ‘the hilton’ by the american pows. we also did a quick visit to the history museum in hanoi, where i spotted jewelry from the 7th century that looks exactly like the styles that people are buying today!</li> <li><strong>high tea at the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-1555-sofitel-legend-metropole-hanoi/bar.shtml">sofitel bamboo bar</a></strong>- we unfortunately missed this due to a water puppet show, which should be avoided at all costs… it was $2/ticket & you get what you pay for. but the high tea at the sofitel is supposed to be first class. they even have a chocolate bar! we did have the opportunity to lunch here with the ladies of leisure… jonathan thoroughly fit right in :)</li> <li><strong>photo ops</strong>- beware or you will be stuck holding a street vendor’s shoulder pole baskets like i did. jonathan always gets upset by this because i seem to attract these women, who he has to pay afterward. i won’t get into what happened in morocco, but at least it makes for a nice photo!</li> </ul><p>next post will be about my favorite city of the trip…</p> <p>l, m</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2909286067http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2909286067Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:00:00 -0800hanoivietnamhanoi sofitelhigh teahanoi hiltonwater puppetssidewalk cafesjewelry<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfco20Fm6N1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/> our emeraude steamer<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfco20Fm6N1qb3rwso2_500.jpg"/><br/> itty bitty cabin on our overnight cruise<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfco20Fm6N1qb3rwso3_500.jpg"/><br/> local boat dwellers selling their wares<br/><br/> <img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfco20Fm6N1qb3rwso4_500.jpg"/><br/> stunning views of the limestone islands<br/><br/> <img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfco20Fm6N1qb3rwso5_500.jpg"/><br/> backdrop for the oscar winning indochine<br/><br/> <p><strong>vietnam bound? a couple recs… ha long bay</strong><br/><span><br/></span>we spent christmas & new year’s in vietnam this year… it was definitely an experience. it’s very hectic, crowded & a bit overwhelming (like india, morocco, haiti, etc). but i was pleasantly surprised by how nice & helpful the people were that we interacted with in hotel & restaurants settings. and everyone was very friendly towards foreigners, including americans. the only dicey situations occurred with non-english speaking people that were selling things in the street, driving cabs/motorbikes, etc. they can be fairly aggressive unless you’re firm in declining their offers. this is also totally avoidable if you have someone arrange everything for you, which we didn’t :)<br/><br/>we definitely took the do-it-yourself approach & moved to different cities every few days. we saw five cities in ten days & i was exhausted by the end.</p> <p>over the next week or so, i’ll share a couple of my favorite spots… starting with the best surprise of our trip- our overnight cruise on <strong>ha long bay</strong>.</p> <ul><li><strong>natural limestone islands-</strong> spectacularly sprinkled densely across the bay. it was so beautiful, i practically had to hide the camera from jonathan so he’d talk to me!</li> <li><strong>emeraude steamer-</strong> our overnight cruise ship, whose quarters were a bit cramped, but we survived for one night. they also showed the oscar winning film<em><a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochine_(film)">indochine</a></em> with catherine devenue on the sun deck… if it hadn’t been 45 degrees outside, it would have been very romantic!</li> <li><strong>local water dwellers-</strong> 1600 vietnamese live & work on the waters of ha long bay. they spend their entire lives on a boat, living together with their families. it was fascinating to cruise past the small boats & hear a baby crying or see 3 generations working together to prepare dinner.</li> </ul><p><br/>the cultural city of hanoi in my next post…</p> <p>l, m</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2850700188http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2850700188Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:04:00 -0800halong bayvietnamemeraude cruiselimestone islandsindochine<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lf85vwCUgK1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Check out Ginger & Jade’s new store on Etsy!!</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2819067564http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2819067564Tue, 18 Jan 2011 17:01:00 -0800etsyjewelrycustom jewelryhandcrafted jewelry<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_leiuk3VAhg1qb3rwso1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Just bought these gorgeous grey & white pearls for Lisa Eby’s custom necklace! I found them during our Christmas trip to Vietnam. We did an overnight cruise on Halong Bay, where we visited pearl farms cultivated by Vietnamese living in <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:FishingVillage_HaLongBay_Vietnam_(pixinn.net).jpg">floating fishing villages</a>. The bay is breathtaking with over 3000 limestone islands rising from the ocean… think El Arco de Cabo San Lucas times-a-thousand. It’s inhabited by ~1600 people who spend their lives on a boat surrounded by breathtaking beauty as well as their entire extended family. Certainly not for me, but it was lovely to visit :)</p> <p>Vietnam collection coming soon!</p>http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2601181318http://blog.gingerandjade.com/post/2601181318Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:28:00 -0800Halong BayPearlsVietnamhandcrafted jewelrycustom jewelry