At Honey Willow, we really enjoy making meaningful jewellery: milestone birthday necklaces to celebrate a long and full life, family necklaces with the names or birthstones of loved ones - and last year we decided to make bangles stamped with inspirational messages.
The bangles were much-loved by customers at the Bath Christmas market and it's been heart-warming to see how these phrases have resonated with customers all over the world.
We had great fun choosing our favourite six inspirational phrases - and here are the reasons why we chose three of them:
NEVERTHELESS SHE PERSISTED
'When we decided to make a range of inspirational jewellery, we knew we had to include the phrase ‘nevertheless she persisted’. Originating from an incident in the US Senate in 2017, when the Senate Leader tried to silence Senator Elizabeth Warren and complained that ‘nevertheless she persisted’, the phrase has come to represent female tenacity. Since my own daughter Honey started secondary school, she has complained of being shouted over by boys in the classroom. I want her never to forget that she has a right to speak up for herself and a right to be heard. I hope this bangle reminds daughters that their voices matter and that they should never stop expressing themselves and standing up for what they believe in.' - Rhiannon
HAVE COURAGE AND BE KIND
'When the Honey Willow team was asked to come up with their favourite inspirational quotes, the first that instantly sprung to my mind was ‘have courage and be kind’. This phrase first caught my attention whilst watching the Cinderella movie with my three daughters a few years ago. “Have courage and be kind” is the advice Cinderella’s Mother gives her on her deathbed and this theme plays out in the movie and is the very thing that makes Cinderella so enchanting and beautiful. As a Mum of three daughters, for me, this quote is a perfect mantra to live by. I hope this bangle reminds them that, throughout life, they can overcome obstacles and stand up for what they believe in, whilst maintaining a true sense of self and kindness.' - Jane
A LIFE LIVED IN FEAR IS A LIFE HALF-LIVED
'Strictly Ballroom, directed by Baz Lurhmann, is my all-time favourite film. It came out when I was fifteen and I went to the cinema to watch it at least six times. Every time I watched it, the entire cinema auditorium broke into spontaneous applause at the end of the film. It’s a cheesy, fake-tanned, sequinned, gloriously Aussie, feel-good movie about having the courage to dance your own steps. The hero has to resist parental pressure, others' expectations and dirty tricks to be true to himself. ‘A life lived in fear is a life half-lived’ is the motto of the heroine - and by the end of the film, all of the main characters have grown in courage - and the bully of the story is left powerless. It’s a story that resonated with me at fifteen - and ever since. I’m still afraid of many things in life, but I’m not afraid to to do my own thing - and I hope my children aren’t either. They love the movie too - and I often hear them reminding each other that 'a life lived in fear is a life half-lived' - in Australian accents of course!' - Rhiannon
Do get in touch with us if you would like us to hand-stamp your own favourite phrase onto a bangle for you or a loved one. 😊