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Congratulations to Anne in Bridgeport who won the Garnet Temptation bracelet! Today I'm packaging it up, and getting ready to ship it to her.

I've been thinking far more about identity and branding this year. When most of us start our businesses, we throw together whatever gets the job done without worrying too much about the overall look. Unless you have a background in graphics design, it never occurs to a lot of business owners that every part of the company should tell part of the same story. I've talked about this before, but I feel like I'm finally getting closer to having a complete range.

Not all of it has been the perfect sit-down-and-look-at-everything experience that I'd hoped it would be, but now that I have a clearer image of what I want everything to reflect, it's getting easier to piece it all together.

When I started out, an invoice was the PayPal print out, a note was scribbled on a post-it, and jewelry came in lavender organza bag. As I found a little extra money to work with and started to worry more about presentation, jewelry moved into white paper boxes with silver ties, I made my own invoice page with a logo header, and printed note cards. The website started to get a particular look, and the blog was launched with that look in mind.

Now that I've spent time thinking about it, here are the resounding themes and requirements that tie it all together:

• Since I carry a line of luxury jewelry, I want my merchandising to reflect that.
• I want every stage from shopping to receiving a package to be a luscious experience.
• Paper and recyclable materials are essential.
• Clean look - with emphasis on black and white. Deep red for highlights, but the overall effect should be almost stark.
• Everything should feel beautiful, like the texture of the jewelry. No cheap-feeling papers.
• Getting a package in the mail should be the same experience as being handed a beautifully packaged bag in a boutique.

Once that was nailed down, other aspects of the packaging and presentation started to fall into place. By keeping those themes in mind, it has become so much easier to add new things into the line as I need them. Next I'm going to work on updating my logo and once I've run out of my current supply of business cards I'm going to find a supplier who can print on a nicer material that the standard semi-gloss, and add some texture to those as well.

And here they are in application:

• Uncluttered website pages
• Perfectly sharp and clear product images on white backgrounds

• Heavy paper gift boxes in silver and black with black, velvet-like cushioning

• Heavy linen envelopes for receipts and black tissue paper as envelope padding

• I don't offer a separate gift-wrapping service - every package should feel like a hand-wrapped gift just for you.

Now, wouldn't you like to get a package like this in the mail? I know I would!