Hey lovelies, I hope that you’re all having an amazing start to 2020 and this new decade! I am SUPER excited to share a special post with you today and also to be giving one of you a sparkly surprise! (Be sure to read all the way to the bottom of this post for details and how to win!)
I had the pleasure of partnering with Ethan Lord Jewelers recently to design a custom bracelet in gold and diamonds featuring the bow from my logo. Some of you may not know this, but I actually designed and drew my logo myself! So, that little bow is near and dear to my heart. After almost eight years of blogging, I can’t imagine my life without it! What better way to celebrate another fun-filled year of Bowtiful Life than with a sparkly little memento that I can wear each and every day.
The Design Process
For our first meeting, I visited the Ethan Lord showroom downtown on Chicago’s Jewelers Row. They’re located in the Jewelers Center on Wabash and their space is just lovely! I was warmly greeted by Kristy and Erika from their team and got a tour of the space as well as some peeks behind the scenes! Then, we sat down with some bubbles to start designing and sketching out ideas for my bracelet. Before coming in, I already knew that I wanted something that I would be able to wear every day and that had special meaning behind it. So, my mind immediately went to the Bowtiful Life bow!
Erika sketched out some ideas and we discussed how I wanted the bracelet to sit on my wrist, how we wanted to place the diamonds within the bow and all the other little details! I also got to review different chain & clasp styles to pick the ones I liked best for my bracelet.
The next step in the process was sharing our ideas with the design team to create a CAD of my bow! “CAD” stands for “computer-aided design” and is a way to get a digital preview of a piece of jewelry before it’s made. It was SO cool to see how realistic it looked and I loved seeing the first step in bringing the bow to life! Once the CAD design was all set and approved it was time to make a wax casting of the bow so I could see the size in person
Once the wax casting was ready, I popped back in to meet with Erika and see how it turned out! I have to tell you, it was WILD to see our vision physically coming to life. Obviously, the Bowtiful Life bow prior to this project has always been 2-D, so to see it in 3-D for the first time was so cool!
I also got to see some prototypes of various ring designs that they had on-hand! In addition to creating custom jewelry, Ethan Lord hand-selects diamonds especially for each client and makes absolutely beautiful engagement rings! Even though I’m not on the market for one anytime soon, I couldn’t resist trying a few samples on!
The Final Product
I was so excited when it was finally time for me to go in and pick up the final product!
I am beyond thrilled with my bracelet and I’ve been wearing it every day since I picked it up! We also added a special personal detail to the back. There’s a small engraving that says “2012,” which is the year that I started Bowtiful Life!
I know that I will have this bracelet for the rest of my life and that someday I’ll be able to pass it down to my future daughter, and through future generations of my family. Even if I’m not blogging some day, Bowtiful Life will live on through this precious piece. I am so grateful for this amazing experience and to have this beautiful memento of something that has been an absolutely monumental aspect of my life. A HUGE thank you to Kristy, Erika, and the whole Ethan Lord team for helping to bring my bow to life and for being so incredible to work with. I had a blast and loved this entire process! I would absolutely recommend Ethan Lord Jewelers if you’re in the market for a special piece of jewelry for yourself or someone in your life.
Ethan Lord Giveaway Details
That being said, we have something VERY special for one of you! I am so excited to be partnering with Ethan Lord Jewelers for one of you to have this experience as well! We’re gifting one lucky winner $500* credit toward a custom experience with their team! Head on over to my Instagram to enter.
Thank you to Ethan Lord Jewelers for sponsoring this post and working together on this amazing project! I know that I will treasure this special piece for the rest of my life.
*Please note that this giveaway closes on Friday 01/10/2020 at 12 p.m. CT and this credit may not be used toward engagement rings and rings with diamond centers.