The Ohioan: Two Remote Employees Write a Journal Nobody Asked For | Issue 1 | GLDN

Rikki, Copywriter Ope, didn’t see you there! My name’s Rikki, and I live in Columbus, OH but pretend I live in Stars Hollow. At GLDN, I’m in charge of our copy, brand voice and anything and everything related to words. When I’m not doing that, you can usually find me antiquing at Ohio’s best spots, taking photos and watching Ghost Adventures.

Marissa, Lead Brand Designer Well hi there! I’m Marissa, and I’m one proud to be ½ of GLDN’s Ohio representation. I’m based in Cincinnati, OH and obsessed with all things merchandising and web design. When I’m not staring at my medium screen during the day, I enjoy unwinding by watching some videos on my small and large screens (and resting my eyes in between with some delicate embroidery and reading).

 

We’re Rikki and Marissa, two silly gooses on the GLDN marketing team who love memes almost as much as we love jewelry. In other words, we’re a couple of midwest millennials who missed our chance to become famous on Blogger and figured our company blog was the next best option for sharing our unhinged opinions and hot takes. 

In our inaugural issue, we explore crucial age-old questions (like “which earrings represent Lightning Mcqueen?” and “what happens when you wear a hoop backwards?”), gush over our newest jewelry and give you an inside look at what it’s like to work at GLDN in the best ways we know how.

 

The Pedestal

✨ Spotlighting our current dainty faves ✨

Marissa: Gupta? Mmhmm. Mmhmm. The Queen is coming — and her name is the Grand Baguette Necklace. 

 

This iconic beauty comes in three dreamy gemstone options: white sapphire, serene amethyst or moody labradorite and I’ve been swooning since I first laid eyes on her. 

If moody labradorite had a fan club, I would be the first member/president/and moderator of the subreddit. The multicolor hues of this iridescent pendant have me in a trance and I won’t be looking away anytime soon. They will write poetry about this galaxy-esque stone for decades to come and I am. Here. For. It. *Adds 20 to cart.*

 

 

Rikki: +1 for the moody labradorite fan club! As someone who self-identifies as moody, this one just speaks to me—and I love how it looks like a little thunderstorm. Also, big shout-out to the new Shimmer Chain you can pair with this piece. I’m also way too excited to buy the Grand Baguette Hoop Charms, too! Actually, this entire collection was a huge win and I know you’ll love them too.

And, hey, speaking of winning…🏎️🏁

 

The Hyperfixation

✨ Matching our favorite characters to jewelry pieces ✨

Life is a highway, and I wanna ride it all night long. - William Shakespeare, probably

This week, we spent valuable brain cells debating which jewelry pieces best represent all of our most-loved Cars characters. We laughed, we cried and we finally crossed the finish line (before Chick Hicks, mind you)!

Without further ado: our best work yet that better land us a Dinoco sponsorship.

(Character images: Pixar Animation Studios)

 

Lightning McQueen: Lightning Studs

You’ll never need Rust-eze for these.

 

Chick Hicks: Emerald Green Baguette Studs

Why’d we list Chick second? Because Thunder always comes after…Lightning!

 

Doc Hudson: Slim Signet Ring

’Cause he’s classy, cool and old school.

 

Flo: Bold Rolo Chain

Quite possibly the exact color of Flo’s lipstick.

 

Sally: Iridescent Opal Aura Necklace

Our cute, posh girl! WE LOVE YOU, SALLY! 🩵

 

Fillmore: Peace Sign Necklace

It might not be made with organic fuel, but it is made with recycled metals (and that’s good enough).

 

Ramone: Anklet (any anklet!)

AKA the low-riders of the jewelry world.

 

Mack: Ada Hoops

This sweetheart of a semi-truck proves it’s hip to be square, and no other piece spotlights his grill like these.

 

Red: Teardrop Studs

A sweet sensitive, soul! Cry all you want, Red.

 

Sarge: Nope Necklace

This car don’t take no sh*t.

 

Cruz Ramirez: The Oracle Necklace

Jackson Storm who??

 

Guido: Personalized Yue Necklace

Tiny but mighty!

 

Strip ‘The King’ Weathers: Prisma White Sapphire Ring

Every king deserves his crown. (This ring kinda looks like a crown, right?)

 

Mater: Scrap Bin Metals

And he’s perfect just the way he is!!!

 

The Archive

✨ Showcasing some GLDN oldies (but goodies) ✨

We thought we’d dust off the metaphorical digital scrapbook and take a look at some delisted styles.

 

Horseshoe Necklace

No, not that shoe.

Before we had the Howdy Boot Charm, we had the Horseshoe Necklace (can I get a yee haw). A delicate chain linked with a horseshoe pendant, this rootin’ tootin’ necklace paved the way for playful charms, studs and add-ons alike. Now that’s something we can tip our hats to. 🤠

(p.s. If you’re not ready to retire the saddle completely, our personalized disk and oval necklaces can be customized with a horseshoe symbol—a win for horse girls everywhere)

 

The Inspirations

✨ This month’s muses that inspired our work ✨

Designers and writers though we may be, we still need sources of inspiration that aren’t design- or writing-related. And this month it was all about entertainment, weather and sports.

 

Entertainment

Marissa: If you don’t know this precious dessert shop mascot yet, we’re honored to make the introduction. A viral sensation from Thailand, Butterbear has been sweeping the globe (and our Slack channel) and we’re just a little obsessed.

She can bake, she can dance, she can accessorize. What’s not to love? We’ve even updated our Slack pictures—we can’t get enough! 

Rikki: While other kids spent their birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese, my parents took me to Billy Bob’s Wonderland—the West Virginia spinoff that’s somehow even more cursed.

 

They have mini golf, dancing gorillas, incredible merch and an impressive TikTok presence with a seemingly loyal fanbase, and it was a joy to go down memory lane and drag the entire team with me.

 

Weather

Marissa: It’s the heat of summer, but my eyes are already set on the greatest season of the year: fall. Hello renaissance faires, cider mills, and being able to wear the other 80% of my wardrobe! I’m dreaming up alllllll the celestial jewelry stacks, chunky hoops, and gemstone looks I’ll be trying this year. If you can’t find me, I’ll be in the pumpkin patch watching Hocus Pocus until further notice. 

Rikki: Tangentially related to weather, we’re growing a pumpkin patch in the backyard this year, and a few have already sprouted!

I now have a tiny white pumpkin all my desk that I make heart eyes at multiple times a day, and it reminds me to just hang on a little bit longer until summer releases her fiery grasp and the cool breezes of fall can whisk us all way.

 

Sports

Marissa: The Olympics may be over, but this is the event that keeps on giving. The athletes’ winning moments captured our hearts and now their memes are capturing our feeds. From Stephen Nedoroscik’s iconic pommel horse routine to Raygun’s—err—performance, there is no shortage of content to watch on repeat. Somebody grab me a chocolate muffin and a cardboard bed.

 

Rikki: I know season 6 has been out for months now, but I’m still obsessed with Drive to Survive. There’s just something intoxicating about watching 20-year-old millionaires drive fast cars and talk about how it’s the most important thing on the planet. My favorite part is when my husband walks in the room and exclaims, “Really, Rikki? This again?! It’s the same thing over and over.” He’s not wrong.

 

The Tips

✨ Two jewelry pro tips that’ll change your life ✨

Rikki: All of our endless gemstone hoops—the White Sapphire Hoops, Aura Hoops, Poet’s Garden Hoops, you name it—can also be worn backwards as a plain hoop (since the gemstones only reach halfway around)!

I discovered this one Sunday morning when I reached for my favorite pair but found myself craving something a bit more chill to go kayaking in. Because obviously I’m not going anywhere without some type of jewelry.

Marissa: I had every intention of gracing you with an equally as fun tip as Rikki’s, but after particularly burning myself with my hair dryer this week I thought I’d impart some advice instead—take off your jewelry before using heat products! Metal conducts heat better than us meek humans, so it’s always best to save styling with your favorite chains and earrings until after you’ve set down the straightener and curler. Besides saving your skin from a potential burn courtesy of your favorite staples, putting your jewelry on last will make sure no pesky chemicals from your products or perfumes will accidentally tarnish your pieces while you’re getting ready.

 

The End

We hope you’ve enjoyed this first (any possibly only) edition of The Ohioan—the journal nobody asked for. Let us know what content made your life a little more golden this week and remember: jewelry should be fun. 😘 

 

Stay corny, 

Marissa & Rikki 🌽