One of the Betty Shop Babes hand-picked out the prettiest piece they could find for you, packed it up with care, a personal thank you note & of course– that sweet flower sticker freebie that may end up on your water bottle, phone, car window,  surf or skate board.

It traveled to your door from Ventura Beach, California. Home to Betty HQ, kicked back locals, an epic point break & a few solid spots for fish tacos, micro brew, a legendary slice of pizza by the beach, and a mai tai that instantly gets you on “island time”.

Our hope is that when you open the Betty goods, you not only get that fun, new, shiny you’ve been waiting for– but feel the love from our sweet lil’ beach town, because we packed that too!

Always sending smiles & stoke from our home to yours,

Donna & the Betty Fam

We’re super stoked to get a feature in this year’s May/June 2019 issue with a spotlight on our Signature Betty Surfite Jewelry. Check it out & thanks for reading!

Shop Betty Surfite Classics

Betty Surfite Classic Ring

Betty Surfite Friendship Bracelet

Betty Surfite Amanda Earrings

Here’s a few easy peasy tips on how to rock layers without ending up in a hot necklace mess:

• Remove sterling chains & clasped cords when:
  • Sleeping
  • Cleaning
  • Using chemicals, esp. hydrogen peroxide and bleach
  • Dipping into a chlorinated pool or hot tub
  • Applying makeup & body products
  • Exercising to keep them away from perspiration & potential acidity

Neglecting to do so could expose your Betty necklaces to situations that could end up in a bummer like…

• Tangled, snagged & broken chains/cords. This can be obviously annoying. But more than that, a bad tangle can damage or break both your necklace, and your hair! This can especially happen when you sleep or exercise in more than one necklace to get that sweet layered look. But it isn’t so sweet when you wake up, or finish a workout with a gnarly knot of chain, cord & hair.
• Quickly tarnished chain or clasp. This is nothing more than a minor nuisance, but instead of wrecking them from damaging wear– simply store your necklaces hanging in a dedicated jewelry box, or any safe place away from open air and moisture to keep them bright & shiny.

Not sleeping in your necklaces, but still getting snags? This can happen to some of us depending on chain size & thickness or texture of hair…

Here’s a home remedy: Rub a little melted candle wax on the clasp to prevent tangles.

Sea glass obsessed? Ya, us too. So here’s are a couple of super helpful tips on the best ways to keep your Betty gems as sparking as the day you got ’em from our shop, or, found it yourself on the sand…

 #1  Don’t submerge your sea glass jewelry under water

Seems obvious, but this one is hard for you mermaids, surfers & beach-combing babes out there. Getting it wet under running faucet water–  when you’re washing hands or during a quick hop in the shower– isn’t usually an issue & can even shine your silver up a bit, as long as you totally towel dry.

But completely submerging your sea glass jewelry under water & immersing it in the sea, bathtub, or pool subjects it to all kinds of sad situations:

• It gets lost. Oceans, lakes & all bodies of water love to reclaim treasures taken from them– even through a drainpipe!
• Mold or mildew. When water seeps into a bezel setting (the rim that encloses & fastens a precious material into metal jewelry), it’s possible bacteria can grow within it because of trapped moisture inside. If water doesn’t fully drain & dry out, your glass can look discolored or dirty. In this case, we’re happy to help with a cleaning & restoration service for a small fee depending on the condition of your jewelry. Just get in touch, and we’ll do our very best to get your Betty back in better shape.
• Chalky Glass & Tarnish. Sea glass & silver jewelry exposed to salt, chlorine, chemicals & other unfriendly elements will cause it to tarnish. Not only will your sterling lose shine, it can leave sea glass looking dusty, dry, or leave an undesirable residue or “milky” film on it.

#2 Store your pieces with loving care

We get it, it’s so easy to throw your jewelry in a pile on the nightstand, in a dish by the sink at the end of the day– or even easier– never take it off. But if your Betty goodies get thrashed around, sea glass could chip, or get scratched. Best to keep it in a jewelry case, or special storage spot away from open air & steam. On that note, it’s never a good idea to store jewelry in the bathroom near a shower or tub.

Score our cute Betty Jewelry Box for a super easy solution, a cute addition to your Betty swag & travel ready!

#3 Clean & polish your Bettys 

To extend the beauty & life of your pretty lil’ Bettys, take just a bit of time for TLC. It’s super quick & easy:

• Use regular ol’ glass cleaner & a soft cloth to remove surface dirt or grime to brighten glass right up.
• For dull or gritty looking glass, use a very tiny amount of coconut oil on the surface with your fingertips & rub onto your glass (just a dab of oil with the tip of a cotton swab should do). Your sea glass will instantly glisten & glow again. Other natural oils with mild or no smell such as mineral, or safflower oil work great too. *Bonus, it’s great for your skin!
• When using a silver polishing cloth, be sure to only buff the surface of the silver. Special cleaning solution embedded into polishing cloths will leave dark smudges on sea glass.

Caring for Your Sea Glass Finds

• If you brought home sea glass straight from the beach, rinse it with fresh water to remove sand, salt water, grit, or grime & spread it out evenly on a clean towel to dry.
•  Avoid pouring sea glass from one vessel to another to prevent chips & breaks. Store it where it can’t shift or rattle around much. This also goes for sending glass in the mail. Using small, zip sealed plastic baggies & rolling it up tight in bubble wrap is always a safe way to ship it.
• Let us transform your sea glass finds into cherished jewelry with a custom order! We can make almost all of our designs for you with your own glass. CLICK HERE (or link above) to find out how.
• Find fun DIY ideas on our Betty Pinterest for how to enjoy & appreciate your glass, instead of letting it collect dust, or sit in a sad stash out of sight.

Happy Sea Glass Loving!

XO

DIY: Cayden’s Happy Harvest

Pumpkin Seed Snack

October = pumpkins

Pumpkins = pumpkin seeds

Yes, time for your favorite October tradition… carving pumpkins. But wait, don’t throw out those pumpkin seeds!

Pumpkin seeds are a great, nutritional snack. They contain a good amount of protein and fiber, plus lots of antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and other good things your body wants and needs.

So when you’re pulling the gooey orange guts out of your pumpkin just before carving it– separate the seeds out for a bonus Halloween treat!

Place the seeds in a separate bowl as you gut your pumpkin to make things easier, then pick out the orange globs mixed with the seeds into a separate bowl. 

Once you have all the seeds in their own bowl, soak them in warm water and salt.

Now go carve your pumpkin!.. and let them sit in the water for a few hours. After carving my Summer themed pumpkin, I put on a few episodes of Friends, ate dinner, lit up my pumpkin, then strained the water from the seed bowl.

I put the seeds on a few layers of napkins to dry, then oiled a sheet pan, placed them on, seasoned the seeds, then sent them off into the oven for a while.

I chose to cook the seeds for about 15 hours at 150F. I did test them after 12 hours, and then frequently (every half hour) until the perfect crunch came in at the 15 hour mark .

This method of low temperature, long duration preserves the enzymes that help digestion and are basically just good for you in every way.

Let me tell you, they taste AMAZING…

If you want seeds faster, you can skip soaking them and cook them at about 350F for 35 minutes. Yummy either way!

Click to shop Cayden’s sweet layered necklace look  & ring stack (from top) : Swell Rings // Brooke Ring // Courtney Ring // Cayden Ring // Hui Hui Waves Sterling Necklace + Cayden Sea Glass Pendant + Sterling Silver Chain

So, here’s the breakdown:

1. Gut the pumpkin and separate the seeds

2. Rinse and soak the seeds in salted water for 3hrs

3. Strain the water and pat the seeds dry

4. Evenly spread seeds on an oiled sheet pan and season (I used salt & chili powder)

5. Bake at 150F for 12-15 hours (test for crunchiness along the way)

6. ENJOY!

Happy Halloween snackin’ til next time,

Cayden

Team Betty surfer babe Cayden Edman is a free-spirited mermaid who is wild and beautiful at heart. You can find her swimming or surfing in the seas around the world (in the cutest kinis!), studying fashion and fierceness at Cal State Long Beach or daydreaming about where wanderlust will take her soul next. Our Cayden sea glass ring and matching pendant are named after her! 

Follow Cayden’s adventures on Instagram @caydenedman