Ellie went to Africa

This week is a fun story to share as it pertains to me, Ellie! Hey guys, my name is Ellie and I have so enjoyed writing blogs for Team MFM! We thought it would be fun to share an incredible experience I had back in August to the wonderful country of Africa! May seem odd to dedicate a blog to this but it was so much fun to tie inspiration and jewels into my safari journey. When time wasn’t spent on a game drive, experiencing the wonders of the wild, we got to stop to do some more ~basic~ activities… like shopping (lol). We experienced so many signs and local shops that were selling Tanzanite! This blue/violet gem is said to be 100x more rare than diamonds, which I found pretty fascinating! Especially since it didn’t feel that way being over there because they are one of the top locations for Tanzanite mines. I’m so excited about the ring I purchased to add such a unique touch to my personal jewelry touch and I’ve loved mixing it with different metals and bands as well.

A word that comes to mind when thinking about both jewelry and the beauty of this trip is the word: Rough. As we know, gemstones and diamonds all come in a very rough form. They need to be refined and cut and polished to condense down to the most valuable parts of the rock. In a similar way, the word Rough reminds me of Africa, not because of typical definition of “rough” but for similar reasons to gems as, it may look like a country of dirt and rock and rubble, but being over there has been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Everything about it is completely natural and when you go into it (into the country I mean), it immediately is one of the most magical places you will ever go. From the scenery, to the people(!!!), to the animals, to the GEMS, to the simplicity. It was SO incredible to get to witness this side of the world and learn to appreciate it firsthand. Who knows, maybe Tanzanite has been on someone’s mind and they needed a nudge?? Well here you go. Headed anywhere this time of year? Maybe you'll find a new stone along the way that you want newly set. Makes for a GREAT story, lemme tell ya.

Speaking of jewelry too that ties in SO well with MFM...Seeing such beautiful architecture and furniture around that even reminded me of wavy collection pieces by Mary Frances...that was fun!