Sometimes less is more when it comes to fashion choices. Coco Chanel is famous advising women to remove the last accessory they put on before they leave their homes. Since I don’t wear too many accessories, as is, I don’t tend to follow this advice literally. But I appreciate the spirit of what she is saying, which is that you should carefully choose the pieces that will add to your ensemble, and leave behind those that are simply distracting. TinyLeaves is an Etsy shop that seems to have that idea at the very heart of it. Each piece of jewelry is simple, but still striking.
Alison is the woman behind TinyLeaves, and she started out selling her wares on eBay, and her username was inspired by tiny Czech glass leaf-shaped beads that she particularly loved. And now that name continues through her Etsy store! While the leaf beads aren’t as present in her current designs, you will still find that many of her pieces feature leaf beads or leaf designs. She says that she is “pretty much obsessed” with making earrings. Her obsession has certainly paid off because she makes absolutely beautiful earrings. I’m not the only one who thinks so; it seems that her pieces are gracing ear lobes all over this country. She lost count of how many pairs she has made and sold after the first thousand or so! Woah!
For my review, Alison sent me a pair of lovely drop earrings with a carved design of, you guessed it, tiny leaves! They are so simple, but they have enough detailing in them and the length is dramatic enough to draw attention and admiration. I find them to be the perfect compliment to a weekend jeans and flip flops type of ensemble, and these earrings take the look from slightly disheveled to decidedly put together!
When Alison works on new jewelry designs, she focuses on line, color and simplicity. She says, “I think what you leave out design-wise is almost as important as the elements you actually use. This requires more courage than you might expect. There is always the temptation to clutter a jewelry design with non-essential elements to justify the cost of your product or satisfy other people’s expectations. In a simple design all the elements must be virtually perfect in terms of workmanship and quality of materials because any sloppiness will stand out like a sore thumb!”
As for her love of Memphis, Alison was too hard pressed to choose just one thing. Among her favorites are the sense of history here, cultural diversity, churches on almost every corner (it’s true!) and of course, southern cooking. Amen to all of the above, Alison! 🙂
TinyLeaves owner Alison has a heart for quality and a heart for giving back to others. She donates 20% of her sales to Memphis MultiNational Ministries, a non-denominational Christian organization which serves the refugee community in Memphis, Tennessee. Alison’s sister, Laurie Graves Morris, serves as the Director there! Last year she was able to donate $465.95. That is so amazing, but you can help her donate even more by making a purchase from her! And as a bonus, you’ll look great doing it! Also, Alison is offering free shipping through the end of May if you mention Stuff Parents Need in your notes to the seller!
Win it!: Alison would like to offer one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader your very own TinyLeaves creation. The winner will receive an item of his/her choice up to $10, plus free shipping! The contest will run until May 27th at 7:59pm CST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States.
Mandatory Entry:
Tell me your very favorite item in the TinyLeaves shop and where you would wear it!
Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS, email or Google friend connect (only one extra entry, even if you subscribe more than one way)
2. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter (leave your Twitter ID)
3. Add TinyLeaves to your favorites on Etsy
4. Give Alison a suggestion for a type of earring to make
5. If you left a Memphis in May comment on this post before May 2nd, leave a comment for an extra entry
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
