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In June 2020, I was finding just about any excuse I could to connect with people in a way that felt fun and normal. One of those excuses was an Instagram Live happy hour with my best friend, Lisa, a little jewelry, and a Lillet Spritz in hand.
At the time, so much of CMD had moved online. Virtual appointments, Instagram Lives and FaceTime conversations had become part of how I stayed connected with customers while the world still felt incredibly uncertain. I was suddenly meeting CMD people all over the world without leaving home. This particular night was less about business and more about giving everyone a reason to pour something delicious, grab a friend and hang out with us for a while.
The original post was built around a simple idea: everyone should have a friend like you. Lisa has been one of those people for me, and inviting her into a CMD Live felt like such a natural way to bring a little more of my actual life into the business.
We talked jewelry, had a drink and created the kind of relaxed conversation I was missing so much at the time. There was no polished event production or complicated plan. It was just two friends showing up on a screen and inviting everyone else to join us.
For anyone who wanted to make the drink along with us, I shared a very simple Lillet Spritz recipe. We used Lillet Blanc or Rosé, tonic water, ice and a few cucumber or strawberry slices if you wanted to get fancy.
I still love that detail because it captures exactly what these virtual events felt like. We were all trying to create little rituals and reasons to gather while we were stuck apart. Sometimes a cocktail tutorial and a few good ring stacks were enough.
Looking back, I think the thing I remember most about that period is how creative everyone became about staying connected. We couldn't meet in the ways we were used to, so we found new ones. CMD customers were joining me virtually from all over, and social media suddenly felt less like a place to simply show jewelry and more like an actual gathering place.
A lot has changed since then, but I still love bringing personality, friendship and a little bit of real life into CMD. You can still follow along on Instagram for plenty of what's happening around here now. Jewelry has always been part of the conversation, but the people wearing it are what make the whole thing interesting.
Here’s to good friends, good jewelry and something good in your glass,
Colleen
© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: June 19, 2020
Updated: August 19, 2026
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