Monday Maven: Christen Watson of Watts Jewelry, and a GIVEAWAY!!!

My Monday Maven for this chilly December morning is a long time best friend of mine. She is a lifelong friend, who has an excellent sense of style, taste and all things fashion. I have always trusted her fashion sense! 

Christen and I grew up together, both attending UGA after graduation from high school. After college Christen spent time living in Atlanta, made the move to NYC, from there spent time living in Washington DC, and recently came back to Atlanta. I am tickled to have her back in the south and thrilled to share her talents with you all today.

Christen Watson of Watts Jewelry is today's guest blogger and giveaway host. Recently she began creating her own jewelry line, inspired by gorgeous natural stones in beautiful finishes to wear together or separate. Having worked in the fashion and retail industry for over a decade, Kristen has pulled inspiration from her travels, her love of all things fashion, and her inherent sense of style.

 

You can find her on Instagram @wattsjewelry, on Facebook as Watts Jewelry, while her website will soon be launching too. Her incredible inventory will keep you wanting more, while she offers custom pieces as well.  

If any of you are interested in hosting a trunk show at your home, or have a friend interested, please contact Christen at WattsJewelry@ Gmail.com.

Christen's thoughtful and inspiring interview is below! 

She is sharing photos of her incredible jewelry line, as well as a few peeks inside her chic home in Atlanta. 

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Tell me about yourself….who is Christen the creative jewelry-designer?

I've had a love for fashion for as long as I can remember. But of all things in fashion, jewelry was always my favorite to buy. I love a great accessory because it can make any boring outfit exciting! I've been around fashion for most of life. My first job after college was working at Nicole Miller, and I was surrounded my beautiful jewelry everyday and loved every minute of it. I then moved to New York City to continue my career with Nicole Miller and then to Washington DC. I've recently landed back in the the south, and Atlanta is where I call home. I've always known I've love to create and decided making jewelry would be a fun creative outlet. It started out as a fun hobby and I just wanted to see where it organically would go.I started making a few pieces for fun on vacation on a beach trip this summer and had a store in Florida buy every piece I had made. After an eye opening yoga retreat to Bocas del toro, Panama and some amazing encouragement from my girlfriends, I realized that the most important thing in life is to not only do what you love - but to also share it with the world and it was then that I decided to start my next adventure.  

What inspires you to create? 

I’m inspired by nature, traveling, and what ever catches my eye. I really just stick to what I am drawn to and what I like and go from there. It kind of just happens naturally and isn't really something that too much thought goes into. Neutrals are pretty much my thing with little bits of natural sparkle added in. 

What are your favorite color schemes?

Definitely neutrals. I don't really like anything too bright. I am drawn to grays, gold, and neutral stones and combining 

them with natural sparkle such as hematite or pyrite. I like using neutral precious and semi precious stones including labradorite, pyrite, smokey topaz, hematite, druzy, agate, and raw crystals.

Do you have any jewelry pieces that are particularly special to you? Heirlooms or something from your travels?

My mom's vintage double C Cartier bracelet she gave me is my most special piece of jewelry. I love to layer it with some of my bracelets. I also have a little gold puff heart pendant that I wear on simple chain that my dad gave to my mom for their first anniversary 45 years ago. It reminds me what true love is. 

How does your fashion style translate into your home?

Fashion and decor definitely follow the same beat for me. I just moved into my own apartment in July after bouncing around for a bit, and it has been so much fun to make a place feel like my own. I say if it represents you, go for it. And I also know that it can't happen all at once, and my place is still a work in progess. My home is very similar to my jewelry. Neutrals with a little bits of natural sparkle and color mixed in. Ivory and gray with a little soft color, and I would definitely say it has an eclectic vibe as well. I love mixing textures the most - whether is leather pants, a fur vest, or a great shag rug. I think that texture adds a great sense of detail and subtly asks you to pay attention without being over the top. Oh and I also think that no room or outfit is complete without a little pop of leopard. In my home, it's my leopard pillows and in my fashion in my favorite leopard clutch. 

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Today she is offering one of my incredibly lucky readers the opportunity to win this gorgeous triple stack of her white bracelets. They look amazing worn as a stack, paired with other bracelets that you may already have, or mixed and matched with other colors.  All you guys have to do is comment on this blog post to be entered into the giveaway. The giveaway will end on Wednesday night at midnight, December 10.

There will be several more amazing Monday Mavens between now and Christmas, so please stay tuned for more exciting giveaways! 

Also, if you or someone you know is interested in being one of my Monday mavens, please shoot me an email!