You'll let out a piercing scream when you see these earrings.
You know that feeling when you just can't quite find what you're looking for?
Maybe you're hungry but none of the food in the fridge looks appealing, or you're trying to describe something and the perfect word is just on the tip of your tongue. Whatever it is, you'll be thinking about it constantly until you find a way to scratch that itch.
For Lindsay, the owner of OhMyGoth Jewelry, whom I recently had the opportunity to interview, the thing she couldn't find was jewelry that suited both her personal style and her interest in all things spooky. So, she decided to stop looking, and create that jewelry herself.
"I’m a trained forensic anthropologist and bioarchaeologist and I have always loved letting my research interests spill into my everyday life. Sneaking skulls into my home décor, sliding morbid books about Victorian medicine, local history, and true crime onto my bookshelves, etc." Lindsay told me. "When it came to jewelry, I struggled to find jewelry that combined beauty and the spooky elements I love. I wanted earrings I could wear to work, essentially, that said 'I'm a bone lady, but I'm a *professional* bone lady'."
Being a forensic anthropologist and bioarchaeologist certainly qualifies Lindsay as a "professional bone lady", but her interest in bones long predates her professional career. "Ever since I was a little girl, I loved learning about the darker side of life," she explained. "I grew up on a farm, surrounded by the cycle of life and collected my fair share of bones. Once I even found the skeleton of poor pelican who had run into some bad luck at the beach and took it home to clean and rearticulate it. Now, I’m a trained forensic anthropologist and bioarchaeologist (someone who does the archaeology of ancient human remains)."
Once the pandemic began, Lindsay found herself with some extra time on her hands – time which she's spent designing and selling handmade earrings. "I have a little book that serves as my yearly planner, to-do list, doodle book, etc., that goes with me everywhere," Lindsay told me. "Anytime an idea hits me, I jot down some quick notes and maybe a small sketch. Then, I sit down with a podcast or music and some clay and see how I can bring my vision to life. I usually go through several versions before I find something I really love. Sometimes I’ll make a pair of earrings, wear them for a few days, and then edit the design before releasing it to my shop."
Once she's successfully edited them, Lindsay's designs are a big hit – with her customers, her family and friends, and most importantly, herself. "I love all the jewelry I’ve made, and I wear each and every design in my daily life," she said. "If I had to pick a favorite, I’d have to say it’s the large skull cameos. I love the bone white skull against the dark, gothic frame. When I wear them, I feel incredible."
She's equally excited to see how much other people love her work, professing that "the most incredible feeling in the world is seeing someone, whether it be a friend, family member, or a stranger, wear your jewelry and see how it makes them feel."
Lindsay's love of spooky things, of course, includes Halloween. "I love the deep, rich history Halloween has. There are so many layers in every Halloween tradition that that are fun, but also laden with meaning. Drawing from Samhain, an ancient celebration to mark the beginning of the dark part of the year and the eventual return of the sun, Halloween imparts messages that I feel are so important to remember as the year draws to a close, the weather gets cold, and the nights come earlier," she told me.
"Also, Reese’s Pumpkins."
Halloween is done for the year, but Lindsay's gearing up for the next holiday season with equal spooky fervour – her Christmas collection, Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas, will be available later this month.
Lindsay also had some recommendations for other spooky businesses to check out: "The Cosy Cauldron is a wonderful business with unique Halloween and Samhain products. The accessories at CryptnKitsch are so cute, I want to buy all of them. Finally, Claystine is a true artist and produced some spooky, gorgeous, works of wearable art."