I love Mii

Although I'm a diehard Pandora fan, and haven't purchased any other brands - not that there's anything wrong with that - I have recently discovered Mii homemade bracelets for stacking with my Pandora. (All Mii photos published with permission)

This is my first Mii bracelet with my red "Always and Forever" marriage bracelet and my red smooth triple leather bracelet. When the smooth triple leathers first came out they had names, like the Essence charms do now; the red was "Energy."

 

 

With each Mii bracelet comes a little card explaining the properties of the semiprecious stone. So I chose this bracelet, not just for the colour and the beauty, but because red turquoise is a protection amulet known as the "Stone of Strength" good for exhaustion, depression or panic attacks. Check, check.... and check.

My stack: plain bangle, all-silver bracelet with Pandora timebead,
red "Always and Forever" bracelet,
"Energy" red triple smooth leather bracelet (all Pandora)
and red turquoise Mii bracelet

Once I received my first Mii bracelet I wanted to find out more about the woman behind the name. Not long ago I spent some time writing for our local paper so I put on my journalist hat and asked some questions by Messenger. Here's what I found out.

Mii bracelets are handmade by Veronika Mikalova in the Czech Republic. Veronika is a documentary director and screenwriter by profession, stay-at-home mom by choice. You can meet Veronika and her son in this video she made for Jamie Oliver's "Search for a Food Tube Star with Uncle Ben's" and see her film-making skills!

Veronika is five months pregnant with her next "little miracle" so it may be some time before she goes back to work outside the home. Veronika tells me she is a "quite creative person" - which is "quite the understatement." So after some time doing "nothing creative," just changing nappies, cooking, cleaning etc, she went to a local shop and saw some nice purple string and thought it would look great with her Pandora. Veronica is a self-confessed Pandora addict. She made a bracelet to wear with her Pandora and some friends saw it and wanted some themselves. She set up a Facebook page, and shared some photos, and "somehow" people started writing to her.

Purple Mii "Elegant" bracelets

In answering my question as to how she went from film-making to bracelet-making, Veronika explains, "I really didn´t plan to make bracelets. It just somehow escalated on its own. And what I like about it is that it is quite personal. I talk to every customer and try to deal individually with their needs and visions. It´s also great that I can spend good quality time with my son throughout the day and make bracelets at night, when he sleeps. It´s also relaxing for me and it really makes me happy when people share pictures of their Mii bracelet or just write me that they like it. That´s the most satisfying part. I´m also so grateful that people all over the world like my bracelets." She has now sent special Mii bracelets to such far-flung places as USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Asia, Arab Emirates, Australia and New Zealand.

 

Veronika has quite a line-up of colours for her string bracelets, which she calls "Elegant." She uses stainless steel beads because they are hypoallergenic and should never tarnish. She also make "Satin" bracelets with mini glass muranos. Recently she started the line of bracelets using semi-precious stones.

I asked Veronika the origin of the name "Mii." She shares, "At the beginning Mii was meant to be Mikalova's interest, but now I also like how it sounds when you say, 'I like Mii,' it can also mean 'I like me,' and I think every woman should love herself. And sometimes when you wear nice jewellery, you can feel better and more attractive."

 
If you've been reading my blog, you know I'm all about learning to love ourselves, so after chatting with Veronika, "I love Mii" even more.

Veronika is a busy mom so she doesn't have a website. But you can find everything you want to know about Mii.bracelets on her Facebook page. "Like" the page to see new photos from satisfied customers. Send her a private message to place an order or discuss a custom-designed Mii bracelet.

Just in case you need one more reason to wear Mii bracelets with your Pandora, I've included some photos (below) by the talented Amelia Pearson-Vickers.

Which semiprecious bracelet should I get next? (this photo was from a Christmas giveaway)

 "Satin" Mii homemade bracelet with mini murano.
Jewellery and photo property of Amelia Pearson-Vickers
(published with permission)

"Satin" Mii homemade bracelet with mini murano.
Jewellery and photo property of Amelia Pearson-Vickers
(published with permission)