Kristin's Reading Nook: July 2012

This week I have had the pleasure of learning about Origami Owl! I had heard of it before, but had never really taken the time to visit the website and see what it was all about. Kim Sweisthal contacted me about writing a review for her, and then I finally took the chance to sit down and find out what I had been missing!

If you've never explored Origami Owl, you really should check it out! You get to personally select every aspect of your locket; making it not only unique, but also very special.

The first step to creating the perfect necklace is choosing charms that tell your story. Kim gave me 3 charms... After spending A LOT of time looking through all the charms available, I decided on the three above: Two stones for my children (Ironically, the blue one is my daughter's birthstone and the pink one is my son's) and one charm for my husband/marriage (The infinity sign, because that's how long our love will last). :)

The second step to designing your one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry is choosing your locket. There are two sizes, medium and large. You can choose either silver, gold, or gold rose. You can also choose with or without stones. I choose a large silver locket without stones. For me, I wanted the attention drawn to what was inside my locket... I didn't want all that pretty, girly stuff on the outside. :)

The third step to perfecting your locket, is choosing a chain. Each locket DOES come with a ball chain. BALL CHAIN? Yeah, that kind of threw me off, too. I was thinking of something cheap and cheesy... Nope! The ball chain is beautiful! It looks very elegant, and it is not at all what I expected. I am very pleased with my chain! However, there are a variety of other chains to choose from. If you prefer a more decorative chain, or if you prefer a longer chain so that the locket hangs mid-to-low torso, you can order a different chain!

Lastly, you can add a plate and a dangle. The hand-stamped plates go in the back of the locket, behind your charms. Again, there are a variety to choose from. There's silver, gold, and gold rose so that you can match them to your locket, and there are many expressions to choose from. I chose "blessed," because my locket is representing what is dearest to me... My family... When I think about them, I feel so... BLESSED. Here are a few others you can choose: "faith," "love," "family," "mama," etc.

I haven't added a dangle yet. That brings me to another thing I love about Origami Owl: You can add on. There are many dangles to choose from, from beads to keys to anchors to feathers... and many more! I think I will be adding a dangle or two in the future! What else can you add on to your locket? More charms! I'm not sure that my husband and I are quite done having children yet... Which is exactly why I didn't already have some kind of beautiful "mother" necklace with birthstones set in it. We are trying for a third child, and then I wouldn't want to wear a necklace without all three of my children's birthstones! Well, Origami Owl saved the day! If/when we have another child, I can order another charm and easily add it to my locket. PERFECT!

Now, a little about Kim Sweisthal. I met Kim through my Facebook page, 4Hankins Crochet. She was a customer, and she was just about to launch her Origami Owl business. She's been a very sweet person to work with, and has been wonderful to communicate with. She responds to my messages almost immediately, and she answered all of my Origami Owl questions. I love that the consultants are titled "Independent Designers." You should check out Kim's Facebook page to see what she has designed! People tell her what they're looking for: maybe a specific and memorable moment in their life, a person who is near and dear to their heart, a heroic battle they've fought against cancer; and Kim captures that memory and designs the perfect locket for them to treasure. It's beautiful!

The day my locket came in the mail, I had no idea what to expect. I had looked and looked through the website, but I hadn't really seen any up-close pictures of lockets, and of course, none of them looked liked what my unique locket would look like. Needless to say, I was anxious and excited. My first surprise came when I opened the package! Kim handwrote a nice note on the top, reading "To: Kristin, From: Kim." Now, I may be a sap, but I think when someone takes the extra time to handwrite something nice, I take it personally. :) She also stuffed the box so that my locket wouldn't get all beaten up on its way.

Stuck in the top of the box were a few business cards. Aren't they awesome! I love the design! I'm so glad she included them, so I can carry them when I'm wearing the necklace! I also loved the Chinese take-out-type box and the sticker on the back. :)

I opened the box and... another box! I was so impressed with the care Kim took when sending this necklace to me. It's delicate, and she took the time to make sure it came to me in one piece. Thanks, Kim!

Included in the package were care instructions... Yes, I definitely need those! Now, the time is finally here! SEEING MY NECKLACE!!! ::Jumps for joy::