If you’ve purchased a gemstone bracelet online or at a local event, it’s probably been hand-beaded and hand-fastened by our In-Studio Bracelet Goddess: Lizzy. She’s come to build quite the name for herself in the studio, with her quick-to-learn hands-on abilities. She now produces nearly 75% of all our jewelry, with ease and proficiency. She also provides great feedback for the team, including systemized ideas and new ways to keep everything behind the scenes going. We love having her at MB events, photoshoots, and shopping events. She brings a sunny atmosphere, and a renewed vision to take on life with vigor and intuition. She’s now been with MB for 2.5 years, and we can’t wait to continue growing with her as time goes on!

Malabella: What do you love to do for fun?
Lizzy: At this stage in my life, I really am enjoying Home Decor and DIY Home Renovations. I love the reward of re-evaluating and renovating a space to better serve our family. A space that works for us and is visually beautiful can change the energy of the day!

M: What’s your favorite thing that you do for Malabella Jewels?
L: During my time at Malabella, I have fallen in love with the art of jewelry making. Making jewelry has been a fun challenge for me and I love learning new tricks/skills.

M: What’s a day in the life working at Malabella Jewels for you?
L: We start our day with a team meeting, after that we do any individual meetings that are needed, and then I move into production and start working on jewelry for our current open orders. During work we enjoy listening to small business podcasts and comparing it to what we are working on at Malabella!

M: In addition to Malabella, you are a wife, mother of 4 beautiful girls and a gardening genius! Can you tell us a little more about those aspects of your life?
L: My home life is very busy with having 4 kids! I have 2 step daughters who spend half of the time with us and 2 daughters who live with us full time. We homeschool the 2 with us full time and it is a huge challenge to have 4 children aged 10 and under. I LOVE being a mother and know this time with them is so valuable. I try to make daily house chores fun and family inclusive to be able to spend as much time as I can with them and show them the love for working that I have in hopes they too can see working can be fun.

M: What jobs have you had in the past, and what are some things that you’ve learned from doing so many different things?
L: I started working when I was 15 years old at the county general store adjacent to my family’s farm. I worked there until I was 18 and started college. During my time in school, I worked in retail at the local mall (Sears & JCPenny’s). After that, I taught Driver’s Education for 6 years and decided to quit shortly after my youngest daughter was born in 2019. In 2019, I started working for Malabella and really love being able to homeschool my children and have a job that is flexible. Some people reading this that know me well may say, I know Lizzy has worked other jobs, and that is very true because the list of random side jobs I have done is endless. I love working because I love the way finishing a job feels!

M: What are your favorite forms of expression?
L: I enjoy expressing my gratitude for the people I love around me by giving food (cooked or straight from the garden). It warms my heart to give a random special nourishment to my friends and family and hopefully it makes them have a reason to smile that day!

M: Something we really admire about you at Malabella is your ability to speak your mind kindly and always be vocal about your opinions and desires. How have you mastered this?
L: I speak from my heart, every time. Our human intuition is amazing and when people interact with me I think they can feel I am coming from a place of love. I also am willing to do the work and take the hard steps in life. If you come with love and are ready to work, people respect that!

M: What’s your sun sign?
L: I am a triple Aries- I’m honest, unafraid, and can organize with the best of them!

M: What’s a daily ritual you practice?
L: Yoga! I know it is a typical answer but it is the truth! I make sure I stretch/do yoga at least once a day. It rejuvenates me physically and mentally.

M: What’s an accomplishment that you are proud of?
L: An accomplishment I am proud of is helping to write the current Virginia Driver’s Education Curriculum and doing an informative speech at the state conference to showcase the new information and the correct way it should be being taught around the state. The experience taught me so much and I am grateful I got the chance to work alongside such talented professionals.

M: What is your favorite mantra or intention?
L: The mantras that keep me centered and focused are “It can always be worse” & “This too shall pass”. When I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders, I remind myself of all the things my family before me went through to pave the way for me to live the life I live today. I want to continue to work hard and make the world a better place for my children to grow up and have families in one day.

M: Where are you originally from and where have you lived/traveled to? Which place is your favorite?
L: Growing up my family moved many many times but I have always lived within the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I am beyond proud to live in the Appalachian Mountains! It feels like a blessing to live in the mountains/country and still be able to reach the center of Washington, DC in 1.5 hours. The mountains are home but I do enjoy traveling to cities and temporarily living the fast pace city lifestyle. Boston is by far my favorite city to visit, I enjoy the food, the street music, all the unique bookstores, and so much more!

M: You’re an amazing baker and always do fabulous in the kitchen. Can you tell us some of your favorite things to cook/bake, and maybe share at least one recipe?
L: I have always loved food and have found such a therapeutic relief in spending time in the kitchen. It is September and that means it is the canning season for all of us garden lovers out there, so in the spirit of canning I thought I would share my family’s Garlic & Dill Pickle Canning recipe!!

Garlic & Dill Pickles
(makes approximately 4 32oz jars)
Step 1: Add to each jar-
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon minced onion
½ teaspoon yellow mustard seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Step 2: Cut cucumbers in the desired shape and fill jars loosely.
Step 3: Brine-
¼ cup coarse kosher salt
½ cup while vinegar
2 quarts water
Add all listed ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, take it off the stove and let it cool for 10 minutes and then pour mixture into mason jars.
Step 4: Keep the jars refrigerated and let sit for at least 2-3 weeks before eating. ENJOY!

M: What’s your favorite piece of jewelry from Malabella Jewels?
L: My favorite piece of jewelry from MB is basically all of my gemstone bracelets. I wish I could be more specific and have an exact one but the truth is I pick the ones I wear each day depending on my mood. I feel like they each bring different strengths to my day and they are all some of my most prized possessions.

M: Sunrise or Sunset?
L: BOTH! We need all the things in life to be whole and I appreciate it all!

*All photos by Hannah Skedsvold.