Betsy & Iya Jewelry » shopping local http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog Handmade jewelry from Portland, Oregon designer Betsy Cross. Big pieces, mixed metals, confident entrances. Clunky or intricate. Earthy or Army. But always, always, 100% handmade. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:03:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Outfit of the Day: I’m back. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-im-back/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-im-back/#comments Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:04:51 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=3213 Y’ALL!  (btw, used to say this word all the time, somehow I lost it, but our Southern-tour road trip reignited it and I’m bringing it BACK).  So…this post is all about bringing things back.

Several months (er…a year?) ago, I asked my dear readers what were their favorite parts of my blog.  Two most popular things:  1) Songs of the moments and 2) Outfits of the Days. Well, I’ve kept up the bargain with Songs of the Moments, but I’ve completely neglected the OOTDs. I’m going to try and change that, starting today.  I *hope* to give you at least one OOTD per week.  That’s my goal.

Shirt:  Artisan shirt from Campeche, purchased in a rad Mexico City mercado.

Pants: Leggings from Nordstrom.

Socks: local favorite Sock Dreams.

Scarf: local Sloan boutique.

Earrings: betsy & iya.

Boots: Frye.

Dog: Gingham Macpherson Cervarich.

In the early days, it was just me, but now I have a partner in this blog (+ this business, this life) and we are dedicated to keeping it alive—because we love doing it.   So we’re in the process of amping it up a little, of deciding what our favorite topics are and how we want to deliver them to you.  We’re even in the process of naming the blog.

What are some of your favorite topics?  names?

Thanks for hanging with us this far!

xo~betsy

***Song of the Moment: Moth’s Wings, by Passion Pit***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-im-back/feed/ 3 Breaking all the Rules. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/breaking-all-the-rules/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/breaking-all-the-rules/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:12 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=2697 After I wrote that post yesterday, I realized that W and I hadn’t had any time to ourselves.  Beyond that, we have so many home projects that keep getting pushed aside, swept under the rug that hasn’t been vacuumed in weeks, the chubby kid picked last for the kickball game (not that I know what that feels like…ahem).  I reread my post to make sure it was publish worthy and then I looked over to W, who was also diligently working on business email replies, and I said, “wanna just take today off???”  See, now I’m taking credit for something that he had already wanted to do.  The answer was yes.  And we had the best. day. ever.

The plan was always to start work back on the 3rd of January.  Here is what we did instead:

The bridge to home.

Hypnotized by color.

That guy. He's my favorite.

Not sure if it's within our reach, but I sure do love it.

I love this city.

Lunch.

Is this the one?

Mt. Hood puppet show.

The best.

We had decided not to give each other presents this year.  We’d promised we weren’t going to break the rules, and sneak a gift in at the last moment.  I think that will go down in history as the worst promise we’ve ever made.  Yesterday made up for it.  The great thing about life and being human is that you can always decide to reverse something that wasn’t supposed to be.  You can decide to make a change.  In our case it had to do with silly Christmas presents and deciding that it wasn’t silly at all to give your loved one somtehing.  So we went out in search of the things that would give us warm feelings for years to come, something that would make us remember what we got for Christmas 2010:  a new bed.

I think we hit every single furniture store in Portland and didn’t quite find what we were looking for…but we had a heck of a day trying.

Happy Tuesday!!

-b

***Song of the Moment: Runaway, by the National***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/breaking-all-the-rules/feed/ 0 We found our way back. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/we-found-our-way-back/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/we-found-our-way-back/#comments Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:41:18 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=2569 You sweet thangs!  It’s been awhile.  Too long.

The road trip was so dang successful that we’ve been working like MAD PEOPLE since our return.  We picked up TEN new stores in Boulder, Denver, Lawrence, Kansas City, Chicago, and Columbus.  For all you kids in the middle of the country, check out our updated Where to Buy page here!

We’ve got big things happening right now.  Expect more updates VERY soon.  In the meantime, check out our current biggest DISTRACTION:

Meet the newest addition to our family, Ms. Gingham Macpherson…

Also, come to our Grand Opening Party on Friday from 3-9 pm.  Check out details here:  On our facebook event page!!

Check back in the next few days.  We will be posting some studio-fix process photos to entice you in.

See you Friday?

xo~betsy

***Song of the Moment: El Carretero, by Buena Vista Social Club***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/we-found-our-way-back/feed/ 4 Road Trip: day 9, Things that happened in KC. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/road-trip-day-9-things-that-happened-in-kc/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/road-trip-day-9-things-that-happened-in-kc/#comments Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:17:40 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=2398 We saw…

loads of interesting art...and fountains...everywhere!

castles for houses. tons of them.

cool colors and architecture

We shopped…

hobbs, inc in Lawrence, Kansas. successful meetings at the most lovely shops!

new wooden bracelet. found at Colfax (look for b & i here in mid-October).

Steph shopped betsy & iya. beautiful woman with her beautiful new dangles.

We ate…

mmmmmmmmmm!

yam? sweet potato? whatever! it was delicious.

We loved and played and laughed…

4 amigos??

happy #1.

happy #2

happy #3.

We loved KC!!

Goodness gracious, it’s WEDNESDAY already?? Happy days to you all!

xo~b

***Song of the Moment: Wordless Chorus, by My Morning Jacket***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/road-trip-day-9-things-that-happened-in-kc/feed/ 0 Outfit of the Day: 30. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-30/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-30/#comments Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:00:45 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=2342 The cat is out of the bag:  I turned 30 on September 10th.

and this is what I wore that day…

(dress:  Zachary’s Smile, boots: Frye from Johnny Sole, long black house coat: Folly, earrings: betsy & iya)

I was terrified that I would feel terrified when the day actually came.  When the final moments ticked away and thrust me into a new decade… the truth— I felt proud.  I felt the way one must feel when they’re celebrating 30 years of business, or when the Academy Awards celebrated their 30th year, or heck, Miss America.  I felt like I’d earned it.

And here in Boulder, surrounded by young college students just beginning the decade I just finished, I can’t help but feel more like myself than ever before.

I am Betsy.  I am 30.  And I am loving it.

Thank you to everyone who sent me such generous birthday wishes.  The flowers, the gifts, the community, the love …it goes such a long way.

Happy 30 to all of you!

xo~b

Song of the Moment: Holiday, by Vampire Weekend***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-30/feed/ 2 Outfit of the Day: black and blue. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-black-and-blue/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-black-and-blue/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:51:38 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=2252 We have been amping up our workouts lately.  Not for any particular reason (except for, maybe, that I turn 30 in..oh… 1.5 weeks and I’m, maybe, having a slight crisis about it??), we just want to feel good, strong, and healthy.

It feels great.  Like if I needed to be on pills for depression, this would be my pill.  I wake up, take my workout pill, and go to work—or vice versa.  BAM, productivity, bright and light happy work for the remainder of the day.  After three days of this back to back, though, I now feel like someone has dragged me from the back of a pickup truck on an inner tube—I’ve been fighting to stay on that tube so as not to skin myself (seriousy, kids, it is this dramatic), and I’ve succeeded, but not without some dings and near misses.  I ache.  I move slow.  I groan.  I’m black and blue.

I’m counting 1.2.3. (thank you, steph) to get in and out of the car, on and off the stairs, opening and closing doors, hammering ear wires, moving my head to the right to answer a question—IT ALL HURTS!!  But at the same time, it feels so good.

Black pants:  Scout & Molly’s

Blue (oooo ahhhh back shirt): Adorn

Feather Hoops:  betsy & iya

$25, feather hoops

***Song of the Moment: Black and Blue, by Dinah Washington***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/outfit-of-the-day-black-and-blue/feed/ 2 Studs + The photo project. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/studs-the-photo-project/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/studs-the-photo-project/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:18:04 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=2046 This post feels like sitting down for coffee with a good friend I haven’t seen in a while…

Available: $69

With the new shop, the new website and store launch (coming soon), new before & after shots, loads of new designs, and b & i being featured on a national television show—Model Latina NYC: Season 3 (airs on August 2nd)—there’s so much to tell!

Deep breath, people.

Let’s start with a glimpse into just a *few* of the new designs I’ve been cranking out:

These are still part of the collaboration between Isaac and me; we continue to sell many, but we keep adding new designs and we’re adding these to our online shops very soon!  If you see any that you want to snatch up, feel free to email me and put in a request.

And introducing, the STUDS:

More to come, my friends.  So much more…

***Song of the Moment: Flourescent Half Dome, by the Dirty Projectors***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/studs-the-photo-project/feed/ 2 This weekend: shop hours and danish doors. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/this-weekend-shop-hours-and-danish-doors/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/this-weekend-shop-hours-and-danish-doors/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 23:54:50 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=2003

Hi, friends!!  Dag Nabbit (channeling the grandaddy), I’ve missed you guys!!

I wanted to let you know that we’ll be in the shop this weekend!  We’ve had so many shows this month that I know several shoppers have popped by on Saturday only to find an empty shop.  But…NO MORE…well, at least for this weekend and next.  We’ll be here from noon to at least 4 tomorrow.

The shop is still on the up and up.  We plan on having a grand opening by the end of the summer (shwew!).  Little by little, my friends.  This weekend, we’re planning on finishing the miscellaneous drawer front counter wrap and the sliding door!  My design friends were in town last weekend and we took some huge steps forward.  We’ve been running with this white on white on white theme with rustic wood to offset it all.  Courtney called it Scandinavian.  When she said the words, my heart melted.  Some of my most favorite people in the world live there (or near there).

Come by and see us sweating through it all this weekend, say hello, drink a glass of wine, and shop your little hearts out.

big huge love.

-betsy

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/this-weekend-shop-hours-and-danish-doors/feed/ 3 Necklace of the Moment: the door knocker. http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/necklace-of-the-moment-the-door-knocker/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/necklace-of-the-moment-the-door-knocker/#comments Tue, 25 May 2010 07:00:57 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=1996 I took these photos of one of my favorite necklaces in the Old Turns New collection, before I handed it over to Thea at Thea’s Interiors on NW Glisan (in Portland).

This one is available exclusively at Thea’s Interiors, vintage living, unless someone hasn’t already snatched it up!

Isaac and I plan on listing our new collaboration in our online shops soon.  Yowzers.  Also, I think I about owe you a new OOTD.  Look out for it all some time this week.

In the meantime, skip the song of the moment and go get the whole album; it’s off the heeeeezy.  wildly inspiring.  gets my fingers moving.

***Song of the Moment: Tightrope, by Janelle Monae***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/necklace-of-the-moment-the-door-knocker/feed/ 2 The St. Johns Bizarre http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/the-st-johns-bizarre/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/the-st-johns-bizarre/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 07:44:16 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=1949 This is my most favorite outdoor event of the year.  Come.  COME! Tomorrow, Saturday, May 8th …all day until 6 pm!  My booth will be on the North side of Leavitt Avenue (situated right in the middle).

It’s supposed to be gorgeous here this weekend.  I NEED the sun.  should be perfect.

Have beautiful weekends!

xo~betsy

***Song of the Moment: Weeks of Rain, by Hauschka***

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