Stay safe, stay sane

Image by Sara Shakeel

---

While so much is uncertain and we’re all feeling a little more anxious these days, here are some ideas for distracting ourselves and making good use of our time: 

1. Buy gift certificates to your favorite restaurants or small businesses; they’re struggling with low foot traffic even though you'd be there IRL spending money if you could.

2. Bake something from scratch or try a complicated dish for dinner — I recommend these thin mint cookies or this delicious eggplant parm.

3. Rearrange a bookshelf so that things feel new, making sure to highlight your favorite objects.

4. Give your jewelry a spring cleaning.

5. Make a list of movies to watch and get started; consider adding “The Eye Has to Travel” about Diana Vreeland or “Donkey Skin” starring Catherine Deneuve.

Good luck, you’ve got this!

How to win at Valentine's Day this year

How about you take care of #1 this year, and treat yourself like your own Valentine? Indulge in all those things you love, and celebrate it exactly the way you want.

Might I recommend:

1. Splurge on your favorite treat, whether it’s those really nice chocolates, your favorite potato chips, or the best cinnamon buns in all of New York City. (And it’s not considered a splurge if you don’t get them delivered.)

2. Get yourself that piece of jewelry you haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

3. Order take out from your favorite place so you can eat a delicious meal from the comfort of your couch and cozy pants.

Pick your favorite or try all 3. And if it’s jewelry you’re eyeing, I’d love to help! Check out some of my favorite, ready-to-ship pieces that’ll arrive just in time for a you-first Valentine’s Day.

My mantra for 2020

I was determined to get my mom a juicer for Christmas, and searching for one on Amazon yielded an overwhelming 1000+ results. Even sorting by customer reviews didn’t help much — there were still so many options, and none stood out as any better than the next. 

That got me thinking about how we have more choices and options than ever, but so many of them are worthless. We fill our closets with cheap clothes that won’t last us until next year, we gauge our love by the number of gifts we give, and we post a photo of the restaurant on Instagram but forget to enjoy the meal.

Are these things worth all that time, money, and effort?

A desire for “quality over quantity” has been popping up so much lately that I’m making it my mantra for 2020. I want to focus on editing down and being more purposeful, and cutting out the unnecessary things so that the things I DO focus on are more meaningful and special. It’ll be a big theme in both my personal life and here, with Sara Golden Jewelry.

I want to provide something that’ll make your life feel a little richer. Why should I make something if you don’t think it’s special, or if you’re not excited to wear it? This year I plan on hunting down more unusual, unique stones. I’ll be releasing smaller collections that pack more of a punch. I’ll be doing fewer events so I can spend that extra time making you jewelry that you’ll hopefully fall in love with and want to keep forever.

Thanks for coming along on this journey with me so far — I can’t wait to dive into this new, more purposeful year with you!

Drown me in this perfume, please

What’s it like floating through space, making your way towards new worlds with the stars as your map?

Wondering that for ourselves, Kelly + Jones’ founder and perfumer, Kelly Jones, and I started gathering ingredients and experimenting. After lots of testing and tweaking, she ended up mixing us a custom scent that feels like being in deep space: Space Cadet. 

It’s slightly metallic and expansive, with notes of solar musks and sparkling bergamot, and whispers of amber resin. It’s a little unexpected, but beautiful to wear and crafted with luxurious, high end ingredients.

Left: The final product, Space Cadet; Right: Jean Shrimpton in Harper’s Bazaar, 1965

Kelly mixed a small, limited edition batch of this perfume oil, and as a holiday gift I’m sneaking a complimentary Space Cadet roll-on in with every order over $200 this month. I’m so excited for you to smell it, and hope you love it as much as I do!

Find out more about Kelly + Jones here, or find some special gifts for the holidays here.