Wow… what a glorious weekend. ✨

I’m still feeling the glow from CMD’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, and honestly, I don’t think I’ll be coming down from it any time soon. Saturday’s soirée in Asbury Park was filled with heartfelt hugs, surprise visitors, old friends, new friends, and so many of the people who have helped shape this business over the years. It was one of those nights that reminded me exactly why I started this journey twenty years ago. Building lasting connections with humans through my metal medium… that’s truly my why!

It also had me thinking about just how far we’ve come. CMD began at a desk in my tiny Hayes Valley apartment, eventually made its way into a little studio at Secession Art & Design, grew up in San Francisco, and ultimately found a new home here in Asbury Park. If you want the story of one of those earliest turning points, I wrote about the leap that helped put CMD on the map.

A Night to Remember

On Saturday, October 4th, 2025, we gathered in Asbury Park to toast an incredible milestone: 20 years of CMD. What began as a one-woman operation at a bedroom desk two decades earlier had grown into a small business built on creativity, craftsmanship, community, and connection. Seeing my loving and supportive family, longtime friends, loyal collectors, local clients, fellow creatives, and beloved members of this community all together in one place made the history of CMD feel very real.

The sun was shining on our backs on a beautiful fall afternoon as everyone settled into the outdoor garden. The Bubbly Bar by Sweet Bar of Mine kept the champagne flowing, Dani B’s cookie Ring Bar was almost too cute to eat, C’est Cheese created a gorgeous charcuterie spread, and Harley Rose filled the space with incredible flowers. We shared laughter, hugs, stories, and more than a few happy tears as we looked back on the winding road that brought CMD to this point.

Guests sipped, stacked, and mingled beneath the warm lights at Space & Co, just one block from The CMD Shop & Studio. It was especially meaningful to have the entire CMD Team together under one roof, something that doesn’t happen nearly enough when four women are working together across three states. So many of my San Francisco friends were there too, which turned the evening into a bit of a reunion between different chapters of my life.

Looking around that room, I kept thinking about the people who have carried CMD alongside me. Some have been here almost from the beginning, while others found us much more recently. Every person who showed up, traveled to celebrate with us, wore their CMD stacks, shared a story, or raised a glass played a part in making the night what it was.

Twenty Years, One Very Full Room

There was something surreal about seeing so many chapters of CMD gathered together in one place. Twenty years sounds enormous when you say it out loud, but living it happened one design, one customer, one order, one risk, and one relationship at a time.

Earlier that year, I tried to put some of those experiences into words in 20 Lessons I’ve Learned in 20 Years of Business. Standing at our anniversary celebration surrounded by people from so many different eras of CMD made those lessons feel even more tangible. This business may have my name on it, but there is absolutely no version of this story that I built alone.

Thank You, From the Bottom of My Heart

Whether you joined us in person, sent your love from afar, or have supported CMD in countless ways over the years, thank you. The texts, DMs, calls, cards, flowers, gifts, and messages were overwhelming in the very best way. This celebration wasn’t only about looking backward. It was about honoring the incredible community that has shaped CMD’s story and made it possible for me to keep doing work I love for two decades.

Here’s to twenty years of handmade jewelry, taking chances, figuring things out, meaningful connections, and stories told through metal. And here’s to everything we hadn’t even imagined yet.

Thank you for 20 unforgettable years. 💛 My heart was bursting at the seams that night, and looking back at these photos, it still is.

With so much love and gratitude,
Colleen

© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: October 9, 2025
Updated: August 26, 2026