Here’s the thing about jewelry and women like us (smart, lively, and outdoors-y):
We appreciate style, but will choose no-fuss over fashion.
We enjoy earrings and necklaces, but not if they get in the way or cost too much.
We especially like products and companies with a good back story.
Adventurista Designs has these elements in spades.
We met founder Meghan Holler at the Outdoor Retailer this summer.
Holler is an adventurista, defined here as an active woman with a passion for travel and exploration.
She lives in Missoula, Montana, but has traveled widely. She’s hiked, biked, and kayaked in Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru. She took a horseback tour in Bolivia, checked out the Galapagos Islands, Cuba and parts of the Middle East as well.
Over the miles and years, she honed her sense of what works and what wholly fails when seeking to look good on the go. She sought out jewelry for active women, but found a whole lot of tribal and stick figure stuff. “It was all kind of masculine,” said Holler. “Not something I’d want to wear if I was going out 
to dinner or dressing up.”
Soon after landing in Missoula, Holler decided to solve the problem. She created Adventurista Designs to fill the niche, to “offer something I could never find.”
The result is lovely, functional pieces you can wear in the barn or boardroom, on a horse, mountain, or plane.
I tried Puff Drop and Large Open Oval earrings. Both were so light, I forgot I was wearing them until a friend said, “I love your earrings!”
The Puff Drops are made of sterling, but are hollow so they swing easily and don’t pull on your ear. If pearl studs are that standard go-to earring for a classy look, these are the happier, more fun-loving alternative.
I also wore the Water Drop necklace which features enamel beads and a sterling drop on a colorful cord. It has a fabulous magnetic clasp which not only makes it super easy to attach, but proved itself worthy on a recent ride:
My horse and I were navigating a tricky stretch of trail, thick with juniper and very steep. I asked her to turn off an 
embankment, but she balked and barged through the brush. I ducked quickly and felt juniper branches scraping down my neck and back. They snagged the necklace’s thin cord. Had the clasp not released, I’d either have a broken necklace or a very sore neck. Thankfully, I had neither and retrieved it from the trail, still good as new.
Another nice thing about Adventurista Designs? No middle man. You can order straight from home and take comfort that in a little western Montana shop, a few like-minded women are crafting your next favorite trinket.