Sometimes when you go back to the place where it all started, you begin to see things through a completely different lens.
At 18 years old, there was nothing I wanted more than to leave NJ and see the world. I wanted to move west, travel, and fulfill my creative dreams. I didn’t know where I was headed or how it would all work out, but my gut told me to go…so I did just that.
I’d like to say that San Francisco is where I really found myself. I was only 18 when I took roots there with barely $300 in my pocket. I never dreamed that I would build a life and thriving business in SF, but fast forward nearly 17 years, here we are. The Bay Area community is incredibly supportive of small creative companies. With that footing, I found confidence and courage within myself, and knew I could do anything if I set my mind to it.
When I made the move back from San Francisco to Asbury Park, I found myself unpacking boxes in the basement of my new home. As I was flipping through sketches and spec books of my designs from long ago, I considered what an interesting project it would be to bring back some of these designs. These were the pieces that helped me to launch my jewelry career, and that makes them so special to me. They had a lot of personality, but would need some updating to feel cohesive with my evolved style today. I pulled out my favorite pen and drawing pad and put my creative thinking cap on.
My newest collection, Full Circle, is a conglomerate of my earliest designs that I’ve revamped to feel more in line with CMD’s current aesthetic. It wasn’t an easy feat but we stuck with it and I am loving the end result. If you’ve been shopping with us since my early days in San Francisco, some of these pieces might look familiar yet fresh and refined. I’m delighted that Sam (my Product Development Pro) and I were able to bring this vision to life, and I can’t wait to share this body of work with you!
It’s wild how my entire life has come full circle. If someone had told me back then at 18 that I would end up living just a stone’s throw from the town I grew up in, I would have never believed them. Not only that, but I went from nearly 20 years of city life in San Francisco to a much slower beach lifestyle in Asbury and I couldn’t be happier.
My home is just a mile from my studio and my studio is just another ½ mile from the Atlantic Ocean. I breathe in the salty air everyday, and the inspiration I’ve found here makes me feel more revived than I could have ever imagined. I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be. CMD is pivoting again, and I feel clear on the next steps I need to take to get us there.
As I continue to build a community around me, I feel more at home than I have in a very long time. My heart is full, I feel more creative than ever and I can’t wait to see how CMD continues to evolve on the East Coast and beyond.
CMD’s production studio is on the move… but we’re not going very far! Later this month, we’re moving into a brighter and slightly larger space just next door to our current studio in Trumansburg, New York (or as the locals lovingly call it, “T-Burg”). While our Upstate NY studio isn’t open to the public, it’s where all the real magic happens. Every single piece is [...]
As Mother’s Day approaches, I find myself thinking less about picture-perfect bouquets or greeting card clichés — and more about the deeper, quieter forces that shape and support us. Because the truth is, “mothering” can take many different forms. It might look like a biological mom, yes. But it also looks like the friend who always picks up the phone [...]
Come join me at The Phoenix for a special CMD Ring Bar Pop-Up — our third year in a row! Colleen Mauer Designs (CMD) turns 20 this September (!!), and it just so happens that our longtime stockist and friend, The Phoenix, is marking [...]
