Hayley Milks of Brandon has had a very interesting life. Her life’s journey began in Miami and has now led her to Brandon, where she creates beautiful and unique jewelry inspired by her journey.
“From a very young age, I have vivid memories of making your quintessential friendship bracelets with multicolored string while securing the knot with a safety pin fastened to my shoelace,” Milks said. “Through the years and into adolescence, I would make beaded bracelets and even dabbled with woven hair ties, all while listening to Three Dog Night, Jethro Tull and Credence, but then life happened.”
In a span of 18 years, Milks had four daughters, graduated from college, had a few failed marriages, owned a yoga studio for eight years and donated a kidney to a complete stranger.
What’s more, Milks became the owner of BeadnikRow, which is a local jewelry company.
“I can honestly say that most of my inspirations come from music, landscapes and T-shirts,” Milks said. “I will look at a band shirt and see something that I can successfully turn into an earring. If it isn’t too successful, then I scrap it, and what comes from the scrapped clay is usually better than what I had originally planned for initially. I have learned that with my art, there is beauty and creativity in the biggest of messes. It has sort of become a metaphor for my life.”
BeadnikRow jewelry can be found at Pat’s Corner inside Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association at the monthly Winthrop Pop-Up Market, as well as other artisan markets throughout Tampa.
“Every morning, I wake up and pinch myself because it is so hard to believe that I get to create for a living,” Milks said. “I never, in my wildest—or most realistic—daydreams, did I believe I could see something on one of my morning runs, rush home and turn it into a piece someone will wear. I also get to work alongside my 13-year-old daughter, who is unbelievably talented and makes all of our rings. Our customers are extremely supportive and some of the most genuine humans I have ever met.”
If you’d like to learn more about BeadnikRow or if you’d like to see more of Milks’ jewelry, you can visit her Instagram page at www.instagram.com/beadnikrow. Pat’s Corner is located at 619 Vonderburg Dr., Ste. B in Brandon.
